Becoming the Woman I Want to Be: A 90-Day Journey to Renewing Spirit, Soul & Body

Becoming the Woman I Want to Be: A 90-Day Journey to Renewing Spirit, Soul & Body

by Donna Partow
Becoming the Woman I Want to Be: A 90-Day Journey to Renewing Spirit, Soul & Body

Becoming the Woman I Want to Be: A 90-Day Journey to Renewing Spirit, Soul & Body

by Donna Partow

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Overview

In her signature style, Donna Partow encourages and instructs women by combining solid biblical teaching and stories from her life. Written for the busy, often stressed-out woman, this practical, doable plan provides insight and ideas to regroup and renew all aspects of her life. Memorizing Scripture, spending time in prayer, eating healthy, and exercising are all part of the achievable plan laid out in one handy volume for readers to follow.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780764222948
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Publication date: 01/01/2004
Pages: 318
Sales rank: 1,151,332
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.72(d)

About the Author

Donna Partow is a bestselling author, Christian communicator, and a popular guest on more than two hundred radio and TV shows, including Focus on the Family. Her books include Becoming a Vessel God Can Use, This Isn't the Life I Signed Up For, and A Woman's Guide to Personality Types. She and her family live in Arizona.

Read an Excerpt

Becoming the Woman I Want to Be

A 90-Day Journey to Renewing Spirit, Soul, & Body
By DONNA PARTOW

Bethany House

Copyright © 2004 Donna Partow
All right reserved.

ISBN: 0-7642-2294-5


Chapter One

Day One Today's Date

Week I

Scripture to memorize:

May God himself; the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Passage to read:

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen trait for the morning. Psalm 130:1-6

Guided prayer:

Dear Lord, hear my voice. You know the weaknesses of my spirit, soul, and body. Today once again, I realize my need for your mercy. Forgive me for neglecting myself. So often I have failed to cultivate my spirit by not spending time with you in prayer or in the study of your Word. I have allowed my mind to be filled with clutter. I have not trained my will to choose rightly but have instead lived by my impulses. Too often, my emotions have raged out of control, causing me to say and do things I later regretted. My body bears witness that I have not always cared for it as I should. I have treated it like a trash can, rather than the temple of your Holy Spirit.

Lord, I know that if you were to keep a record of all my sins, I could not stand before you. But with you, there is forgiveness. I thank you that, even as I confess these sins, you have removed them as jar as the east is from the west. Praise you, Lord! I ask you now to sanctify my spirit, soul, and body, and I thank you that your Word says you will be faithful to fulfill all your good promises to me. Amen.

A prayer from your heart: ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

Affirmation to recite:

I forget those things that are behind me, including all of my personal shortcomings in the area of spiritual disciplines, diet, and exercise. I am pressing toward what lies ahead: a bright future filled with health in my spirit, soul, and body. Based on Philippians 3:13

Action to take:

On the following lines, write out a list of twenty-five things you want to have, do, or be. For example, you might want to be an awesome mother, have a mountain bike, and memorize the book of James (do). You don't need to have any certain number of items in each category. And don't overanalyze your answers at this point. This is a gut level exercise, so move through it quickly, writing down whatever pops into your head.

Twenty-Five Things I Want to Have, Do, or Be

1. ________________ 14. ________________ 2. ________________ 15. ________________ 3. ________________ 16. ________________ 4. ________________ 17. ________________ 5. ________________ 18. ________________ 6. ________________ 19. ________________ 7. ________________ 20. ________________ 8. ________________ 21. ________________ 9. ________________ 22. ________________ 10. ________________ 23. ________________ 11. ________________ 24. ________________ 12. ________________ 25. ________________ 13. ________________

Attitude adjustment:

He has half the deed done who has made a beginning. Horace

Congratulations! Today you've made a start toward improving your spirit, soul, and body. You've moved one step closer toward becoming a Brand-New You! The you God intended you to be on the day he created you. Don't be discouraged by all the areas in your life you think need improvement. Instead, focus on the progress you've made just by picking up this book and reading this far. (You did read The Pathway to Becoming the Woman I Want to Be, right? If not, go back and read it before accepting my hearty congratulations!) Rejoice that you've made a new beginning! The things you once only dreamed of doing, being, and having should now seem more possible than they ever have before ... because I promise you they are!

Diet:

First thing this morning, drink an eight-ounce cup of hot lemon juice. (Bring water almost to a boil. Place a quarter of a lemon in the water and allow to steep for a few minutes. Squeeze the lemon. Drink up. I'll say more about the benefits of lemon water later. Meanwhile, if a quarter of a lemon upsets your stomach, back down to an eighth, etc.)

Take a good multivitamin and Ester-C. Eat as many raw or steamed veggies (from the approved list, page 23) as you can.

Exercise:

Bounce on your mini-trampoline for two to three minutes. Walk briskly for fifteen minutes.

Day Two Today's Date

Scripture to memorize:

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Passage to read:

The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. Deuteronomy 13:3-4

Guided prayer:

Dear Lord, your Word reveals that you do, indeed, test your people. I know you have tested me in the past ... and I have not always passed those tests. I thank you that today is brand-new another day in which I can choose to follow you wholeheartedly. Lord, I know your heart is filled with love toward me and that every test that comes my way flows from your heart of love. You desire to see-and to show me-whether I will love you with all my heart and with all my soul.

I desire to keep your commands and obey you, to serve you and hold fast to you. Strengthen me, by the power of your Holy Spirit, to live a life that honors you. Open my spiritual eyes to see the tests that come my way today. I know I will be tested to see how serious I am about my commitment to becoming healthy in spirit, soul, and body. I know my own desires will tempt me to take the "easy" way out. I may not want to follow the diet or exercise renewal. I might prefer watching television rather than reading something uplifting. At those moments, I pray I will remember what I have purposed in my heart and draw my strength from you. Amen.

A prayer from your heart: ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

Affirmation to recite:

I have the power to change my life, because the spirit of the Lord rests upon me. I can learn a new way of living because I have a spirit of wisdom and understanding. Based on Isaiah 11:2

Action to take:

Go back through the Twenty-Five Things list you created yesterday. For each item, indicate if it falls under the category of something you want to have (put an H next to that item), something you want to do (D), or who you hope to become (B). It might be interesting to note how many items you had of each:

H = ________________ D = _________________ B = ________________

What do the numbers listed above tell you about yourself? (There's no right answer!) ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

Next, list the top five items in each category in the space below:

Have Do Be/Become

1. ____________________ _____________________ ____________________ 2. ____________________ _____________________ ____________________ 3. ____________________ _____________________ ____________________ 4. ____________________ _____________________ ____________________ 5. ____________________ _____________________ ____________________

Attitude adjustment:

From now on you'll be traveling the road between who you think you are and who you can be. The key is to allow yourself to make that journey. Words of wisdom from the father in the movie The Princess Diaries

You picked up this book because you want to make positive changes in your life. On the second day of your journey, you've gained a clearer picture of who you want to become, what you want to do, and what you hope to have in your lifetime. Please do not be discouraged if it seems like the journey ahead of you is long. Just take it one day at a time. It's my prayer that by the end of these ninety days you'll be greatly encouraged to see how much closer you are to that final destination of becoming the woman you want to be. As you become all God intended for you, the doors will open up for you to experience the very best this life has to offer. More to the point, you'll have a greater appreciation for what you already have. But remember: you'll never become who you want to be by remaining who you are.

Diet:

Drink eight ounces of hot lemon water upon rising.

Take a multivitamin and Ester-C.

Eat as many raw or steamed veggies as you can.

Exercise:

Walk briskly for fifteen minutes.

Day Three Today's Date

Scripture to memorize:

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Passage to read:

Hear, O Israel The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Guided prayer:

Dear Lord, I acknowledge you today as my God. I desire to have you with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength. Jesus said if I love you, I will obey you. Yet how can I obey what I do not know? How can I believe what I do not understand? Lord, this moment, I ask you to press your commandments upon my heart, I want to cooperate with you by meditating upon your Word and letting it fill my mind. Today, as I go about my daily tasks-walking, driving, housecleaning, cooking, exercising, interacting with friends and family-may I be mindful of your Word. I renew my commitment to memorizing Scripture. Holy Spirit, I invite you to remind me, throughout the day, of that commitment and bring to my remembrance those passages I have committed to memory (and those I am studying even now). I ask you to provide at least one opportunity for me to share a portion of Scripture with someone today. Amen.

A prayer from your heart: ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

Affirmation to recite:

I am cooperating with God as he transforms me day by day I am pressing on toward the prize God has in store for me. Based on Philippians 3:14

Action to take:

Rewrite (or type) the Top Five list you created yesterday and post it somewhere you will see it often. The refrigerator door and bathroom mirror work well for me. Try to read the list every day for the next week or so to remind yourself of the woman you want to be.

Attitude adjustment:

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours. Henry David Thoreau

No doubt you've figured it out by now: dreams don't unfold overnight. I once heard it said, "The average overnight success took twenty years to succeed." During all that time, they kept the dream alive by working daily toward its fulfillment. Dreaming, envisioning the woman you want to be, is just the first step on a journey you'll be traveling the rest of your life. You won't become the woman you want to be tomorrow just because you set some goals today. But you can move closer to becoming that woman if you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.

If you're going to dream, you might just as well dream big. Small dreams never got anyone out of bed in the morning. Give yourself permission to believe great things can happen. As the woman you want to be begins to emerge, new opportunities will emerge as well. New experiences. New friends. New insights. Get ready and be on the watch for them!

Diet:

Drink eight ounces of hot lemon water upon rising. Take a multivitamin and Ester-C. Eat as many raw or steamed veggies as you can.

Exercise:

Bounce for two to three minutes.

Walk briskly for fifteen minutes.

Day Four Today's Date

Scripture to memorize:

May God himself the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body he kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.]

(Continues...)


Excerpted from Becoming the Woman I Want to Be by DONNA PARTOW Copyright © 2004 by Donna Partow . Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Table of Contents

BECOMING THE WOMAN I WANT TO BE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Pathway to Becoming the Woman I Want to Be
Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Week Five
Week Six
Week Seven
Week Eight
Week Nine
Week Ten
Week Eleven
Week Twelve
Week Thirteen
Leader's Guide
Affirmations
Memory Verse Cards
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