Many believe that the word covenant is the same thing as contract. Perhaps it is but the focus is usually on the other party’s duty to give us what we want. The contract is signed knowing there are days of grace, in case we are late on our promise. In a secular contract these “Days of grace” are numbered. Spiritually speaking, God has already given us days of grace. We live in these days right now and these days of grace are numbered.
It takes nothing but my belief that Jesus Christ died for me and that I accepted Him as Lord of my life to have eternal life. Jesus is God’s gift to all mankind. The invitation is open to everyone. Yet again we are focusing on what He has done for us, but what is our part of the covenant? Have we really thought about our promise? What did we actually promised Him? Do we even know how to be in covenant with our God and Father? Our promises to Him are as highly important as His promises are to us. If we are in covenant with God, we do our part and He does His part. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He doesn’t change and He will keep His promises. But if we don’t do our part the covenant is broken!
This is what we promised, plainly speaking. Serve God! Say nice things! Do nice things!
If we are in covenant with God, we must stop and judge ourselves. Determine if we are serving God with all our hearts. Determine if we are saying nice things. Determine if we are acting nice and glorifying God before others. God takes us on our word! It’s an exchange of promises! It’s a covenant! The blessings (promises) of God die when we don’t keep our promises. So think again. Are we pointing others to God or are we pushing them away? Are we grumpy or positive? Do we strain at the gnat and swallow the camel? Do we love God by loving people?
When we first believed we were transformed into a new creature at that very moment. If we followed in believer’s baptism, we were launching out into the covenant and perhaps we didn’t even know it at the time. We were telling the world. I am a Christian. I am the light. I serve the Lord. We were making public our declaration that we are followers of Christ. Our baptism was a picture of sin and past failures being buried and left behind in the tomb. We were raised to a new likeness, a holiness based on God’s righteousness through the Lord Jesus. Amen. But this is just where our walk began…
In order to be in covenant, we must serve God. He is #1. He is more important that soccer, your job and even your family. Our part is to serve God with a sincere heart. God sees the heart! Next, we need to realize that out of our mouths is the power of life and death. We shouldn’t go around spreading evil gossip but we should go around speaking life to those around us. Are we supposed to tell them all the things we think they are doing wrong? No. We are to love them and through kindness show them the better way. Last, we need to be nice in our actions so that when anyone sees us coming, they see Christ and they can identify us as followers of Christ. Do they see Christ now when they are looking at you?
No matter if you are alone or in a group, you can take communion in remembrance of what God has done for you in the work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Here are a few more thoughts to enhance your understanding. It was Passover when Christ had his last supper on earth. He said that he would not drink wine again until he drank it new with us in our Father’s Kingdom. Read the words…
Matthew 26:26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant* between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.” 30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. (New Living Translation)
Let’s go a step further in understanding this time of the last supper. It was Passover. The first part of the communion was the breaking of bread. Bread symbolizes abundance. We are in the world but not of the world. Let’s not forget that. We know what happens with us in the scriptures. God has and will always be our provider. He is our Jehovah Jireh. It doesn’t matter what happens to the world. Everything around us may fail and fall (even America), but everything we put our hands to do will prosper. We must remember that! Eat of the bread that is Christ. We will be satisfied. His body was broken for us so that we could be made whole in every area of our lives. God is our provider...
Father, you are our provision. We come in covenant. We exchange promises. As you bless us; we will keep our word to you to build your kingdom as you have taught us. We will love in word and action. Amen.
Remember it was Passover and there were actually four cups of wine. Here is the revelation of the cups.
Cup #1 is the Cup of Sanctification. It’s the cup of becoming holy. Though our sins are as scarlet, the blood of the lamb makes them white as snow. Satan reminds us of our sin but God doesn’t remember it, if we are in covenant with Him. So don’t listen to the whisperer because there is no condemnation. Those who are forgiven much will love much. Condemnation blocks the blessing and we become as double minded person if we listen to the lies of Satan. The spirit of condemnation is to be rebuked in the name of Jesus. Jesus (the carpenter) builds up while the enemy, Satan is the destroyer who tears down. Don’t listen to the accuser any longer. Listen for the Word of the Lord.
Cup #2 is the Cup of Deliverance. (Some call it the Cup of Iniquity.) Placing your finger in the cup and sprinkling the wine onto your plate represents the High Priest sprinkling the blood of the lamb that we may be delivered of the curses. The number ten represents the number of curses that block the blessings of God from our lives.
· The curse of the tongue that speaks evil and death (Proverbs 18:21)
· The curse of evil actions (Galations 6:7)
· The curse of anger (Genesis 49:7)
· The curse of poverty (Luke 6:38)
· The curse of witchcraft (anything honored before God is witchcraft) (Galations 3:1)
· The curse of harming the innocent (Proverbs 6:16-19)
· The curse of unforgiveness (Matthew 6:12, 14-15)
· The curse of racism (Matthew 12:25)
· The curse of religion (Galations 3:10)
· The curse of dishonor for father and mother (Ephesians 6:1-3)
Remember, although we may have been freed from a curse, we are never really free if there is someone else who is still suffering under a curse. We are to go into the world and help to relieve suffering. Spread the gospel by word and action.
Cup #3 is the cup of Redemption. The blood of the lamb redeems us and when we can fully embrace this then every blessing is released. We will receive love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in abundance. These are known as the fruit of the spirit. These are also blessings that are promised to us. Just think of the abundant harvest we can have when we receive these! I like to think the fruit of the spirit as varieties of various fruits. Think of it like this, there are more than 7,000 different kinds of apple in the world. All these varieties are good and serve specific purposes. Each apple comes in different sizes, colors and shapes. Some are sweet and others are tart. But the amazing things is that they all are part of God's abundant harvest. His blessing pour out onto us as numerous as these varieties of apple. Overflowing! What are we to do with all this abundance--share it! The more we share the more it flows!
Cup #4 is the Cup of Completion. When we read the scriptures, we find that Jesus didn’t drink this cup at the table. He said he would not drink it again until he would drink it anew in the Father’s kingdom. Jesus went to the garden. It was here that he was arrested, after which he was led about, beaten, nailed and died. In the garden, he prayed, “Father if there be some other way—take this cup away. But not my will but thy will be done. I drink this cup!” Although the cup was not taken at the table, Christ drank form the cup of suffering. It was the cup of Completion. In his final hour he shouted, “I thirst.” It wasn’t just a physical thirst but it was a spiritual thirst. He took the cup of obedience and at that moment He was without God’s presence. He thirsted to be reunited. He cried out, “It is finished!” It was the cup of Completion.
Whatever Jesus begins in our lives, He will complete! He is often waiting for us to catch on or catch up. Let’s begin our new year, 2011 with a mission to further His Kingdom here on earth. As we honor our covenant with Him, let us thank Him that He honors His covenant with us. Let us have communion with Him.
How privileged we are to be known as His children. Praise Him! Amen.
1475
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Something to think about...
I thought I'd share this devotional that came to my inbox today. The email actually comes to my husband, which he forwards, and it's only signed "Pastor" so we really don't know who this "pastor" is but his devotionals are often inspirational and give me something to think about. Most have heard the story of the woman with the issue of blood from the Bible. Today I was struck by an important fact that I'd never seen before. It's the fact that in her day she was considered unclean and shouldn't have been anywhere near the crowd surrounding Jesus. Read on and perhaps you'll see her in a different light...
[Take A Stand…” "And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years….came in the press behind, and touched His garment”. (Mark 5:25,27). The more you consider this woman with the issue of blood, the more you understand that she had to be stubborn. Under the Jewish law, she was considered unclean. When a woman with an issue of blood came out in public, she risked being stoned. As if that weren’t bad enough, notice whom Jesus was walking with at the time: “And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name” (v.22). Jesus was on His way to Jairus house to heal his daughter when He perceived that power had flowed out of Him and stopped to find out who had touched Him. As a ruler of the synagogue, Jairus had authority to have this woman stoned. The woman had to be tenacious, stubborn, resistant to flow. She had to overcome her fear and go against religious leaders. You know, some ministers say, “Well, you just can’t be healed. God doesn’t do that anymore.” When that happens, people have to override what those ministers are saying about healing in order to receive their healing. This woman had to overcome unbelief, fear and weakness. She had to decide that no matter what came against her, she was going to receive her healing. We have to get to that same point and make the same decision: “I don’t care what anyone says. I don’t care what it looks like, seems like or feels like. I’m taking a stand on God’s Word, and that’s all there is to it. I pray for you to have a great weekend. God bless you today and this weekend in Jesus name. Pastor]
Now for my take on it and more...
When we read the Bible, we find that God really wants us to be well. Jesus always showed God's mercy and compassion by healing those who came to Him with even a little faith. Jesus showed us the way. The apostles and early church followed. We are to continue today. No excuses....
God wants people well and scriptures reveal this to us all through the text of the Bible. There are many websites that have healing scriptures, songs, poems, etc. I've visited many and have drawn personal strength and used them to pray. Here is just one you may want to check out... Joyce Meyer Ministries Healing Scriptures
But why...
I truly cannot say why some people are healed and some are not, but I will continue to read His Word, listen for His voice, give Him praise and prayer as well as speak blessing over the sick. The Bible reveals this is the duty of every person who claims the name of Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are to be His disciples and walk His way and even greater works than He did will be done!
Jesus speaks in John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!"
But, what about these thoughts and ideas...
"It's not always God's will to heal." (This reveals ignorance of the healing power of the Gospel. Read the Word and find the scriptures that tell us God wants us well.)
"Our church doesn't believe in outward traditions like laying hands on the sick and having the elders pray. We all just pray." (This reveals that this church only believes what they want to believe of the scriptures and is neglecting the covenant blessing of God. Churches, this means everyone and not just the pastors, need to preach the truth so that faith for healing will be restored.)
"Well, we don't believe in all this Holy Spirit stuff at our church." (This reveals that the teaching of the Holy Spirit is being neglected in this church. The Holy Spirit cannot possibly work where there is no belief. The Holy Spirit must be honored, after all Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us to help us until His return.)
"I don't believe in church so I don't go. They are a bunch of hypocrites! I can believe on my own." (This reveals that reliance is build upon self and not upon God. Scriptures reveal that we are not to forsake assembling together. We cannot function spiritually on our own, but we are to come together to be assembled. We are just a small but significant part of the greater machinery that is the Lord's Church. When we are assembled by Him then we can be fully used and bring honor to His Name.)
"I'll be sure to go to hear _____. I don't want to miss what he/she has for me." or "I'm going to this doctor because he/she can heal me with different techniques and medicines." (This reveals that faith is trusting and looking to someone or something else. Now, it is not my intent to say that we should not go to a special speaker or visit a doctor when we are sick, but the Great Physician is God, through the Lord Jesus! Individuals may be greatly used of God as ministers and physicians, but they are not the healer, God is!)
"I'll do what ever I want to. It's my body!" (This reveals that we do not respect that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are to take care of these temples by eating right, excercising and staying away from substance abuse. We are to take care or we will reap what we sow in our bodies.)
I'm sure there are many other points that I have left out today, but the truth to be revealed is Anything is possible if a person believes. Mark 9:23
Our Father,
You know my friends and family members who are sick better than I do. You know their burdens are heavy. You know their hearts. Lord, I ask You to be with each of them now, working in their lives. Let Your will be done. If there is sin that needs to be confessed and forgiven, Lord, please help them in Your wisdom to see the need and confess. Lord, Your Word says I should pray for their healing. I believe You hear my earnest prayer. I have faith in You to heal, and I trust the plan you have for our lives. Lord, I don't always understand Your ways. I don't always understand the why of suffering, but I trust You. I ask that you look with mercy and grace toward my friends and family members. Nourish their spirits and souls in this time of suffering and comfort them. May they know Your Presence. Let them know You are there through each step of difficulty. May Your Holy Light shine in the darkness around my friends and family members who are going through sickness and disease right now and may You be glorified in all of it!
In Jesus' name, Amen.
1430
[Take A Stand…” "And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years….came in the press behind, and touched His garment”. (Mark 5:25,27). The more you consider this woman with the issue of blood, the more you understand that she had to be stubborn. Under the Jewish law, she was considered unclean. When a woman with an issue of blood came out in public, she risked being stoned. As if that weren’t bad enough, notice whom Jesus was walking with at the time: “And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name” (v.22). Jesus was on His way to Jairus house to heal his daughter when He perceived that power had flowed out of Him and stopped to find out who had touched Him. As a ruler of the synagogue, Jairus had authority to have this woman stoned. The woman had to be tenacious, stubborn, resistant to flow. She had to overcome her fear and go against religious leaders. You know, some ministers say, “Well, you just can’t be healed. God doesn’t do that anymore.” When that happens, people have to override what those ministers are saying about healing in order to receive their healing. This woman had to overcome unbelief, fear and weakness. She had to decide that no matter what came against her, she was going to receive her healing. We have to get to that same point and make the same decision: “I don’t care what anyone says. I don’t care what it looks like, seems like or feels like. I’m taking a stand on God’s Word, and that’s all there is to it. I pray for you to have a great weekend. God bless you today and this weekend in Jesus name. Pastor]
Now for my take on it and more...
When we read the Bible, we find that God really wants us to be well. Jesus always showed God's mercy and compassion by healing those who came to Him with even a little faith. Jesus showed us the way. The apostles and early church followed. We are to continue today. No excuses....
God wants people well and scriptures reveal this to us all through the text of the Bible. There are many websites that have healing scriptures, songs, poems, etc. I've visited many and have drawn personal strength and used them to pray. Here is just one you may want to check out... Joyce Meyer Ministries Healing Scriptures
But why...
I truly cannot say why some people are healed and some are not, but I will continue to read His Word, listen for His voice, give Him praise and prayer as well as speak blessing over the sick. The Bible reveals this is the duty of every person who claims the name of Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are to be His disciples and walk His way and even greater works than He did will be done!
Jesus speaks in John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!"
But, what about these thoughts and ideas...
"It's not always God's will to heal." (This reveals ignorance of the healing power of the Gospel. Read the Word and find the scriptures that tell us God wants us well.)
"Our church doesn't believe in outward traditions like laying hands on the sick and having the elders pray. We all just pray." (This reveals that this church only believes what they want to believe of the scriptures and is neglecting the covenant blessing of God. Churches, this means everyone and not just the pastors, need to preach the truth so that faith for healing will be restored.)
"Well, we don't believe in all this Holy Spirit stuff at our church." (This reveals that the teaching of the Holy Spirit is being neglected in this church. The Holy Spirit cannot possibly work where there is no belief. The Holy Spirit must be honored, after all Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us to help us until His return.)
"I don't believe in church so I don't go. They are a bunch of hypocrites! I can believe on my own." (This reveals that reliance is build upon self and not upon God. Scriptures reveal that we are not to forsake assembling together. We cannot function spiritually on our own, but we are to come together to be assembled. We are just a small but significant part of the greater machinery that is the Lord's Church. When we are assembled by Him then we can be fully used and bring honor to His Name.)
"I'll be sure to go to hear _____. I don't want to miss what he/she has for me." or "I'm going to this doctor because he/she can heal me with different techniques and medicines." (This reveals that faith is trusting and looking to someone or something else. Now, it is not my intent to say that we should not go to a special speaker or visit a doctor when we are sick, but the Great Physician is God, through the Lord Jesus! Individuals may be greatly used of God as ministers and physicians, but they are not the healer, God is!)
"I'll do what ever I want to. It's my body!" (This reveals that we do not respect that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are to take care of these temples by eating right, excercising and staying away from substance abuse. We are to take care or we will reap what we sow in our bodies.)
I'm sure there are many other points that I have left out today, but the truth to be revealed is Anything is possible if a person believes. Mark 9:23
Our Father,
You know my friends and family members who are sick better than I do. You know their burdens are heavy. You know their hearts. Lord, I ask You to be with each of them now, working in their lives. Let Your will be done. If there is sin that needs to be confessed and forgiven, Lord, please help them in Your wisdom to see the need and confess. Lord, Your Word says I should pray for their healing. I believe You hear my earnest prayer. I have faith in You to heal, and I trust the plan you have for our lives. Lord, I don't always understand Your ways. I don't always understand the why of suffering, but I trust You. I ask that you look with mercy and grace toward my friends and family members. Nourish their spirits and souls in this time of suffering and comfort them. May they know Your Presence. Let them know You are there through each step of difficulty. May Your Holy Light shine in the darkness around my friends and family members who are going through sickness and disease right now and may You be glorified in all of it!
In Jesus' name, Amen.
1430
Saturday, November 20, 2010
I asked the Lord...
Today is different than most days. I'm in Boston with Kristi and it is good to be here. It has been good to talk and catch up. I am thankful for my family~all of them everywhere...
This morning, I asked the Lord to help me to know where to direct my Bible reading and I continually felt that I should go to Psalm 27. The words are exactly what I needed to hear. I know the Lord is always with me, but today has been a little different and His Words wrapped themselves around me as if His strong arms were wrapping themselves around me. I am blessed beyond measure and joy fills my being. We may walk in places we have never gone before but the Lord is guiding us each step of the way. Thank you Jesus!
Psalm 27
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me to devour[a] me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Yes, I will wait for the Lord.
Yes, Jesus.
Yes, Yeshua.
Yes, Salvation...
Amen.
This morning, I asked the Lord to help me to know where to direct my Bible reading and I continually felt that I should go to Psalm 27. The words are exactly what I needed to hear. I know the Lord is always with me, but today has been a little different and His Words wrapped themselves around me as if His strong arms were wrapping themselves around me. I am blessed beyond measure and joy fills my being. We may walk in places we have never gone before but the Lord is guiding us each step of the way. Thank you Jesus!
Psalm 27
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me to devour[a] me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Yes, I will wait for the Lord.
Yes, Jesus.
Yes, Yeshua.
Yes, Salvation...
Amen.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Leaving… just moving on or running away?
I run away from…
I move on to…
How might we finish these sentences? If we make a list of all the things that we run away from and all the things that we move to, what do we begin to understand about ourselves? Try it sometime. You will be amazed at the way it sounds when you read it back. Do you find negatives or positives in your list or are the things you mention rather neutral?
Well, when anyone leaves a place, there may be many reasons but only one of two basic motivations; either we simply want to go to a new place or we are getting away from an old place. Sometimes these motivations are so intertwined that it is hard to say which one is the most forceful in our desire and action to leave a place and go to another.
My devotional thinking comes from the Torah Portion entitled, “Vayetze (He went out)” from the Genesis 28:10-32:3. It is the story of Jacob when he left home as a young man. I see him running away to keep from being killed by an angry brother and I see him moving on to a new life. He dreams at Bethel, later meets Rachel, marries Laban’s daughters and prospers at Laban’s expense. I see a mirror of his lying (when he was younger) manifest over and over into his adult life through his father-in-law. I can see to some extent that he reaps what he has sown, but I also see God’s blessing on him as he builds a huge family and prospers greatly! God never left him although I’m sure he must have felt alone.
Jacob runs away again with all his family and prosperity, only to be overtaken by Laban. In this episode of his life, I read about a covenant made between Laban and Jacob and I see that he had to make peace with this part of his past. He had to make peace with it in order to go home again. At this point, he does not know if he will be accepted at home or perhaps be killed. He only knows that he must return home.
My heart is in tune with others who have shared their various concerns with me. My prayers are lifted up for those that are physically sick, financially burdened or overwhelmed with more to do than can possibly be done well, because of an overload of duty. My prayers are for those who know the Lord already and for those who don’t know my Lord. I pray for those who don’t know the peace that He alone provides when we believe in Him and trust on Him. My prayers are that they may all know what God desires in every situation. Some of us are dreaming of, praying for or simply waiting to move on. Right now we either lack the courage, security or the word from God to go! In this respect, those that have shared with me are no different from me. The circumstances in their lives may not be anything like mine, but the thought of and the desire to move on is strong.
Through this season in my life, I’m learning that this desire to go doesn’t make me bad or unworthy. There are those in my path who sometimes would see me take guilt for my desire. But I will not take guilt because this desire is a signal for me to determine why I want to move on or run away in the first place. It is a signal for me to examine if the desire is godly or if it is merely my own flesh wanting what it wants. No one can determine this for me, but I must look within myself to find the answer. Am I like Jacob, in that sometimes he chose to run away? Would God have had a different way to have him meet Leah and Rachel? We do not know. We only know what is recorded. I make many choices. If I look back I see when I moved because God wanted it and when I did so because I wanted it. God’s moves were always best. The point I must remember daily: God’s moves are best!
It is good for us to know what is motivating us in all the things that we do, for God knows us even better than we know ourselves. He wants us to know Him so that He can reveal Himself to us to an even greater degree. I cannot know myself without God. I would only see something distorted as an image in a dim, antique mirror. His light is needed to shine in order that I might see clearly His reflection instead of mine!
He hears me as I lift my hands and say, “LORD, I am ready!” I do not need to add “ready for what” to the end of my plea. I only need to listen for the next step that He has prepared and take it when He says to take it. Others may see me staying in place, running away or moving on but it doesn’t matter what they think if I am in the will of GOD. So this I must remember daily that I must not judge others. God's Word says I will be judged according to how I judge. I must not judge because it is not my place. The reason I make this a huge issue is that being misunderstood and judged by others, especially Christians, is the saddest state that I have ever known especially when I know that I am in the will of GOD.
Now, that He has led me through this valley let me remember that I am not to judge others. I need to remember especially not to judge other Christians when they believe they are in His will. Let me remember to pray for them. If it seems they are acting against God’s Word in some way, let me pray for their discernment. Let me look again at His Word because often it is not God’s Word that is in conflict but man’s interpretation of His Word that is causing the conflict. God will show me if I look. God will answer if I ask. Whatever the case, let me love others to the point that they know I love them with agape love, for we are to be known by our love.
In this world, where we are ambassadors for Christ, let us remember as the song reveals:
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! I am ready to move on!
1362
I move on to…
How might we finish these sentences? If we make a list of all the things that we run away from and all the things that we move to, what do we begin to understand about ourselves? Try it sometime. You will be amazed at the way it sounds when you read it back. Do you find negatives or positives in your list or are the things you mention rather neutral?
Well, when anyone leaves a place, there may be many reasons but only one of two basic motivations; either we simply want to go to a new place or we are getting away from an old place. Sometimes these motivations are so intertwined that it is hard to say which one is the most forceful in our desire and action to leave a place and go to another.
My devotional thinking comes from the Torah Portion entitled, “Vayetze (He went out)” from the Genesis 28:10-32:3. It is the story of Jacob when he left home as a young man. I see him running away to keep from being killed by an angry brother and I see him moving on to a new life. He dreams at Bethel, later meets Rachel, marries Laban’s daughters and prospers at Laban’s expense. I see a mirror of his lying (when he was younger) manifest over and over into his adult life through his father-in-law. I can see to some extent that he reaps what he has sown, but I also see God’s blessing on him as he builds a huge family and prospers greatly! God never left him although I’m sure he must have felt alone.
Jacob runs away again with all his family and prosperity, only to be overtaken by Laban. In this episode of his life, I read about a covenant made between Laban and Jacob and I see that he had to make peace with this part of his past. He had to make peace with it in order to go home again. At this point, he does not know if he will be accepted at home or perhaps be killed. He only knows that he must return home.
All of us must face the return home someday.
We must face either God (whom we don’t know)
or our Heavenly Father (whom we know).
My heart is in tune with others who have shared their various concerns with me. My prayers are lifted up for those that are physically sick, financially burdened or overwhelmed with more to do than can possibly be done well, because of an overload of duty. My prayers are for those who know the Lord already and for those who don’t know my Lord. I pray for those who don’t know the peace that He alone provides when we believe in Him and trust on Him. My prayers are that they may all know what God desires in every situation. Some of us are dreaming of, praying for or simply waiting to move on. Right now we either lack the courage, security or the word from God to go! In this respect, those that have shared with me are no different from me. The circumstances in their lives may not be anything like mine, but the thought of and the desire to move on is strong.
Through this season in my life, I’m learning that this desire to go doesn’t make me bad or unworthy. There are those in my path who sometimes would see me take guilt for my desire. But I will not take guilt because this desire is a signal for me to determine why I want to move on or run away in the first place. It is a signal for me to examine if the desire is godly or if it is merely my own flesh wanting what it wants. No one can determine this for me, but I must look within myself to find the answer. Am I like Jacob, in that sometimes he chose to run away? Would God have had a different way to have him meet Leah and Rachel? We do not know. We only know what is recorded. I make many choices. If I look back I see when I moved because God wanted it and when I did so because I wanted it. God’s moves were always best. The point I must remember daily: God’s moves are best!
It is good for us to know what is motivating us in all the things that we do, for God knows us even better than we know ourselves. He wants us to know Him so that He can reveal Himself to us to an even greater degree. I cannot know myself without God. I would only see something distorted as an image in a dim, antique mirror. His light is needed to shine in order that I might see clearly His reflection instead of mine!
He hears me as I lift my hands and say, “LORD, I am ready!” I do not need to add “ready for what” to the end of my plea. I only need to listen for the next step that He has prepared and take it when He says to take it. Others may see me staying in place, running away or moving on but it doesn’t matter what they think if I am in the will of GOD. So this I must remember daily that I must not judge others. God's Word says I will be judged according to how I judge. I must not judge because it is not my place. The reason I make this a huge issue is that being misunderstood and judged by others, especially Christians, is the saddest state that I have ever known especially when I know that I am in the will of GOD.
Now, that He has led me through this valley let me remember that I am not to judge others. I need to remember especially not to judge other Christians when they believe they are in His will. Let me remember to pray for them. If it seems they are acting against God’s Word in some way, let me pray for their discernment. Let me look again at His Word because often it is not God’s Word that is in conflict but man’s interpretation of His Word that is causing the conflict. God will show me if I look. God will answer if I ask. Whatever the case, let me love others to the point that they know I love them with agape love, for we are to be known by our love.
In this world, where we are ambassadors for Christ, let us remember as the song reveals:
King and kingdoms will all pass away.
But there’s something about that Name!
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!
Master, Savior, Jesus
Like a fragrance after the rain.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Let Heaven and earth proclaim.
King and kingdoms will all pass away.
But there’s something about that Name!
“Yes, I am coming soon!”
from Revelation 22: 20
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! I am ready to move on!
1362
Saturday, November 6, 2010
OKAY, NOW WHAT?
I’ve come to the end of Look Great, Feel Great by Joyce Meyers and read quickly through her final keys of the journey. So what am I going to do with what I’ve learned?
PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…AND PRACTICE SOME MORE…
If you are a Christian, in more than name only, then I’m sure you’ll understand what I’m about to say. I would love to say that in this earth suit that I wear, someday I will be perfect. But that just isn’t true. I know that the body that I have is a temporary one.
But there is hope in His Word, the Lord Jesus promised to return! His Word promises that some day we will have glorified bodies if we believe in Him. Those future bodies won’t wear out and they can transport in instant time and do amazing things that we can only dream of now. What fun that will be!
But, let’s come back to reality just now. In this life, I have to take responsibility. I must make the most of what I have and that means I have to take care of this body I live in. It is with this body that I can be the hands, feet, and voice for my Savior. It is with this body that I can feel and touch the heart of someone who is hurting or happy or just taking it one day at a time. It is with this body that I can sit and read of Him and the plans that He has for me, and that I can kneel in prayer and talk to Him and know what He desires of me. It is with this body that I can worship, sing and dance for Him! The choices are mine to make. I can either continue to step up and change things for the better or not. No one is forcing me. It’s my responsibility.
I need to be very careful that I understand my limitations. I will always need to self-evaluate what the next step is and make a way to get there, remembering to ask Him if that is truly what I am to do next. You see I have to surrender to my Lord every day! When my wants get in the way, I have to call on Him to help me find the way of escape. When others demand more of me than I can accomplish, I have to call on Him to deliver me. But He is not there just for me to call on when I get into a pinch. It’s all about my relationship with Him and He needs to know that I love Him with all my body (physical), soul (mental) and spirit (spiritual). My body must worship Him in song, dance and prayer. My mind must feed upon Him in reading His Word, studying and praying. My spirit must be allowed to soar with Him and not be hindered by any bondange from my body or soul. It is the spirit of God that lives in me that influences others whether I speak or do His will. He must know my love for Him as much as I know His love for me.
I am to be a holder of His light. Others will be able to see clearly because I am the "lamp light" holder. I can’t do everything that I can imagine to do. I need to take small steps and remember never to push too far ahead. God wants me to be in the right place at the right time for the right people. He wants me to shine for Him. He wants the same of you!
During all this, I need to have a good attitude. When I make a mistake, I need to get over it! Moping around all gloomy will not correct mistake! Sometimes I just need to chill out and laugh at myself for some silly thing that I should have known better about. Laughs are contagious! It’s amazing to me but since I started this journey with Joyce Meyer, I have actually smiled and laughed more than I have in a long time. I can’t explain why other than that feeling better makes you want to smile and it’s easier to have fun. I feel so much better than I did a couple of months ago. I only wish you could feel the difference I’ve experienced.
Oh my, and another thing that I’ve noticed is that the things I used to think were so important are really not so important. I mean things like this; fixing holiday meals for your family completely from scratch or serving processed foods that are full of empty calories and sodium just because it's quick, when I can grab a bag of prepared salad greens and top it off with quick chopped and shredded meats and cheese with a light dressing. (I’m not talking about going crazy here and just dumping on calories, we must measure and get used to the correct portions.) The thing is we are all busy and there are ways to do things without spending so much time doing them. We just have to look for the shortcuts that are still good choices and stop feeling guilty if we change a “family tradition”.
Lastly, I think about my own children and those who have looked to me as their teacher. What have I instilled into their lives? Are they better people for having known me? Did they grow (or are they growing) in positive ways? Will my lessons still ring in their ears when I’m gone? I’m sure it won’t be the things that I’ve said so much as the things that I’ve done and taken action for that will ring in their memories. I pray that God grant me the strength to keep holding the “lamp light of Jesus’ love” high for others. I pray that God grant me the courage to do what it takes to clean the lens of the lamp even when it’s dangerous or just not easy to do so. I pray that it will be soon that others take up their own “lamp lights” to help those they have an opportunity of influence for going in the right direction.
PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…AND PRACTICE SOME MORE…
If you are a Christian, in more than name only, then I’m sure you’ll understand what I’m about to say. I would love to say that in this earth suit that I wear, someday I will be perfect. But that just isn’t true. I know that the body that I have is a temporary one.
But there is hope in His Word, the Lord Jesus promised to return! His Word promises that some day we will have glorified bodies if we believe in Him. Those future bodies won’t wear out and they can transport in instant time and do amazing things that we can only dream of now. What fun that will be!
But, let’s come back to reality just now. In this life, I have to take responsibility. I must make the most of what I have and that means I have to take care of this body I live in. It is with this body that I can be the hands, feet, and voice for my Savior. It is with this body that I can feel and touch the heart of someone who is hurting or happy or just taking it one day at a time. It is with this body that I can sit and read of Him and the plans that He has for me, and that I can kneel in prayer and talk to Him and know what He desires of me. It is with this body that I can worship, sing and dance for Him! The choices are mine to make. I can either continue to step up and change things for the better or not. No one is forcing me. It’s my responsibility.
I need to be very careful that I understand my limitations. I will always need to self-evaluate what the next step is and make a way to get there, remembering to ask Him if that is truly what I am to do next. You see I have to surrender to my Lord every day! When my wants get in the way, I have to call on Him to help me find the way of escape. When others demand more of me than I can accomplish, I have to call on Him to deliver me. But He is not there just for me to call on when I get into a pinch. It’s all about my relationship with Him and He needs to know that I love Him with all my body (physical), soul (mental) and spirit (spiritual). My body must worship Him in song, dance and prayer. My mind must feed upon Him in reading His Word, studying and praying. My spirit must be allowed to soar with Him and not be hindered by any bondange from my body or soul. It is the spirit of God that lives in me that influences others whether I speak or do His will. He must know my love for Him as much as I know His love for me.
I am to be a holder of His light. Others will be able to see clearly because I am the "lamp light" holder. I can’t do everything that I can imagine to do. I need to take small steps and remember never to push too far ahead. God wants me to be in the right place at the right time for the right people. He wants me to shine for Him. He wants the same of you!
During all this, I need to have a good attitude. When I make a mistake, I need to get over it! Moping around all gloomy will not correct mistake! Sometimes I just need to chill out and laugh at myself for some silly thing that I should have known better about. Laughs are contagious! It’s amazing to me but since I started this journey with Joyce Meyer, I have actually smiled and laughed more than I have in a long time. I can’t explain why other than that feeling better makes you want to smile and it’s easier to have fun. I feel so much better than I did a couple of months ago. I only wish you could feel the difference I’ve experienced.
Oh my, and another thing that I’ve noticed is that the things I used to think were so important are really not so important. I mean things like this; fixing holiday meals for your family completely from scratch or serving processed foods that are full of empty calories and sodium just because it's quick, when I can grab a bag of prepared salad greens and top it off with quick chopped and shredded meats and cheese with a light dressing. (I’m not talking about going crazy here and just dumping on calories, we must measure and get used to the correct portions.) The thing is we are all busy and there are ways to do things without spending so much time doing them. We just have to look for the shortcuts that are still good choices and stop feeling guilty if we change a “family tradition”.
Lastly, I think about my own children and those who have looked to me as their teacher. What have I instilled into their lives? Are they better people for having known me? Did they grow (or are they growing) in positive ways? Will my lessons still ring in their ears when I’m gone? I’m sure it won’t be the things that I’ve said so much as the things that I’ve done and taken action for that will ring in their memories. I pray that God grant me the strength to keep holding the “lamp light of Jesus’ love” high for others. I pray that God grant me the courage to do what it takes to clean the lens of the lamp even when it’s dangerous or just not easy to do so. I pray that it will be soon that others take up their own “lamp lights” to help those they have an opportunity of influence for going in the right direction.
Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. James 1:22
May God grant all of us the power and the glory
to do His will and for us to shine brightly
in all of our callings from Him
in His Kingdom here on Earth and for His Kingdom we have yet to see!
Amen.
1313
Saturday, October 30, 2010
What Do You See?
You wash your face in the morning and look in the mirror. All you can see is insecurity in your eyes. It is difficult to bring a smile to your gloomy expression. In your forehead are furrows as a result of physical pain and dread reflects in the glass.
Automatically you proceed to dress for the day. Your mood dictates what you decide to wear and so you choose something that doesn’t stand out and draw attention. Your choice is in sharp contrast to the brightness of the day and without your realizing it, you will stand out. You don’t feel like eating and so you skip the fuel your body needs to function. Your steps are heavy and labored because of the burdens you’ve allowed to gather and rest on your shoulders. This causes you to walk slightly bent down beneath the weight of it all.
It’s still early and the sky is dark, there is no sun yet on the eastern horizon as you lock your back door. You get into your car and start the engine to drive off and face….
Come on Christian; wake up from your sleep! Tell me what excuse you have to start your day in such a manner as this? Now I know that I am scolding, but do you realize that it is “me” that I’ve been scolding right along with some of you?
Each day is a new adventure.
God has allowed us to be a witness for Him just one more day! There are many who are in despair not because they are having a bad hair day but because their hearts are hurting and they don’t yet realize that it is the Savior, Jesus Christ they need. They look at you in your walk of doom and don’t have a clue that Jesus even exists. Shame on us for days like this…
You know, they don’t need a preacher. They need a beacon of light. They don’t need condemnation to be convicted of sin. They need a sign for which way to turn. They don’t need a lifeless tract, leaflet to an event or even a Bible handed to them. They need a breathing human being, whose eyes are focused on the Lord, walking just a slight step ahead of them so they don’t have to run to keep up. They need to be able to have someone close by so that they might grasp a helping hand. They need a Christian who is acting as an instrument of peace and love. Yes, that is what they need! Christians, we need to step into our calling everyday. We won’t need another message hammered into our heads again to go out and be a witness if it is a habitual way of life for us. Lord, forgive us for missing the mark on this one.
“Right Vision” is the chapter focus for me this week from Joyce Meyer’s book, Look Great, Feel Great. The scenario I described above is the way I used to be most every morning. My day would start in a big “Ho-hum” sort of way. It was always a challenge to get up and get going. Rising like that was my habit and it was a very bad habit! You see, when you start your day like that it will only seem longer and gloomier as the day moves on. I can speak this way because I have learned a lesson or two and I hope to help anyone who is going through times like these to come out of the darkness and walk in the light before the world.
A Verse to Feed Upon...
Joyce says we need to develop a “right vision” by thinking and speaking our reality into existence. Her words are confirmation to me. Recognizing that the spirit and the flesh are at war and that many things from our past and our present situations influence our attitudes is the first step to a “right vision” in my opinion. The things we think about before we go to bed, when we wake up and during the day all determines how we will walk through them. Just because we may have had a lousy past or the present is overwhelming doesn’t give us an excuse to mope around.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience and God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
I know that I need to believe this verse and act upon it everyday remembering that the Lord is there for me. He is the champion and I am on His side! Many times and in many circles I hear that He is on our side and I don’t think that is entirely correct. I need to be on His side! He is the commander. I need to be even more aware of the battle that goes on (not out in the world) but the one inside my head. I need to banish thoughts that depress me, keeping me in bondage and making me mad whether it is from the present or the past. As I look over my relationships today with others, I need to determine what part I’m playing in making them better or worse. So the “right vision” is first becoming aware of what I am thinking and why I think this way. Now as I ponder this, I need to ask the Holy Spirit to help me to become stronger and more courageous in my daily walk. I know that’s just one of the things I need to do. Over time I’ve become better at this but I still must make a conscious effort to do it daily, hourly and even every moment!
When I’ve made my choice to walk this life consciously, then I can go to work to make changes for the benefit of my Lord. I need to arrest my attitude that creates my feelings and put these in a holding tank to examine them. In reality, I put myself in “time-out” in order to deal with controlling my emotions. God doesn’t want me to live by my feelings. I believe He gave us feelings to understand the compassion that we are to bestow upon others. We have turned this gift around and focused only on ourselves for the most part. Sometimes we walk about with our “feelers” out just looking for someone to pounce on because they offended us. If I go looking for something to be offended about I will certainly find it. Proverb 14:29 says that “People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.” If we have understanding, even if we become angry, we will control our anger and not take offense. When we take offence it reflects poorly on our testimony before the Lord. Taking control of our emotions is the positive change that should follow becoming self-aware of our thinking.
Just about everyone I know tends to assume the worst when we are faced with an unknown future. Why do we do that? This is the world’s response. The world has greatly influenced our thinking and reacting. But we have been adopted into the family of God so we need to stop thinking like the world and begin to be positive and assume the best. It will not be natural for us to reverse our thinking but we must. List all the negative words that affect your life and then think of its positive opposite. We are to be positive. Look at all we have to look forward to. It will be worth it all when we see Christ! It will! We need to realize that we are a part of God’s bigger picture. The world doesn’t revolve around us. If you can't see it yet, believe me that one day we will all see that everything revolves around Him and Him alone!
So what do you see?
As for me, I have changed from the gloom of despair to a better attitude. Somewhere in the first few moments that I become fully awake, I begin my walk and talk with the Lord. Moving down the stairsteps has become a time of thanks that I am able to get up and that my husband is still peacefully sleeping in the bed I've just left. It's quite interesting that at this early time I often think of people that don't normally cross my mind. I've come to think that God sends them to me on purpose so that I will pray for them and lift them up to Him. Gettting ready in the morning isn't so much about how I feel but the thinking has changed into what can I do to help others. Sometimes I even send an email in that early time to someone who is going through a tough time or leave a scripture on FB for my family, friends and even to remind myself that He is the reason we have one more day. As I go out the door and get into my car, I'm not gloomy. Often I will put in a CD or turn on the PositiveHits station for spiritual companionship on my commute to work. My work day begins and there isn't much time to think of anything but what must be done at the moment. I have little things surrounding me that remind me to whom I belong when things get a little tough. By lunch time, I'm able to once again listen to uplifitng music that helps to carry me through to the end of the workday. So, generally I have changed my morning and workday thinking. This habit has become natural.
I'm in transition now. My evening hours from around 6 PM onward until bedtime are not very consistent. This is where I need to focus my efforts. I know that I need to have my supper at a regular hour and that my bedtime needs to also be at regular hour but I'm just not completely there yet. Often by the time I drop exhausted to my bed, I'm not very positive. I know it's mostly because I'm tired and haven't developed a good routine. It's taken me since June to turn my morning and day activities into a positive reality and it will take a little while longer to establish my evening to bedtime habit. Right now, this area is usually dictated by what I'm able to accomplish during the day. I haven't learned yet to just lay aside things that aren't finished at a reasonable hour and get my rest. It will happen. I'm working on it. When I've moved into better habits here I'll be sure to post it. LOL
Now, my questions are these: Do you see yourself changing? Do you see yourself waking each morning thinking about Him instead of you? Do you see the future? Do you see the Great I AM?
I've been blessed by this wonderfully worded musical message by Eddie James. I hope it blesses you, too. Turn off my player at the bottom of this post before you click on the URL to view.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHz2_HLw7fg&feature=related
I AM by Eddie James
I AM the Lord, I AM the Almighty God.
I AM the One for when nothing is too hard
I AM the Shepherd and I AM the Door
I AM the Good news to the bound and the poor
Chorus: I AM …
I AM the righteous One and I AM the Lamb,
I AM the Ram in the bush for Abraham,
I AM the Ultimate Sacrifice for sin,
I AM your Redeemer, the Beginning and the End
Chorus: I AM …
I AM Jehovah, and I AM the King,
I AM Messiah, David’s Offspring,
I AM your High Priest, and I AM the Christ,
I AM the Resurrection, I AM the Life
Chorus: I AM …
I AM the Bread, and I AM the Wine,
I AM your Future, so leave your past behind.
I AM the One in the midst of two or three,
I AM your Tabernacle, I AM your Jubilee.
Chorus: I AM …
I AM the Bread, I AM the Wine,
And I AM your Future, so leave your past behind.
I AM the One in the midst of two or three,
I AM your Tabernacle, I AM your Jubilee.
Chorus: I AM …
I AM Hope, I AM Peace, I AM Joy, I AM Rest,
Oh I AM your Comfort, and Relief from your stress,
I AM Strength, I AM Faith, I AM Love, I AM Power,
And today I AM your Freedom, this very hour.
Chorus: I AM …
I AM Hope, I am Peace I AM Joy, I AM Rest,
I AM your Comfort, and Relief from your stress,
I AM Strength, I AM Faith, I AM Love, I AM Power,
I AM your Freedom, this very hour.
I AM
1266
Automatically you proceed to dress for the day. Your mood dictates what you decide to wear and so you choose something that doesn’t stand out and draw attention. Your choice is in sharp contrast to the brightness of the day and without your realizing it, you will stand out. You don’t feel like eating and so you skip the fuel your body needs to function. Your steps are heavy and labored because of the burdens you’ve allowed to gather and rest on your shoulders. This causes you to walk slightly bent down beneath the weight of it all.
It’s still early and the sky is dark, there is no sun yet on the eastern horizon as you lock your back door. You get into your car and start the engine to drive off and face….
Come on Christian; wake up from your sleep! Tell me what excuse you have to start your day in such a manner as this? Now I know that I am scolding, but do you realize that it is “me” that I’ve been scolding right along with some of you?
Each day is a new adventure.
God has allowed us to be a witness for Him just one more day! There are many who are in despair not because they are having a bad hair day but because their hearts are hurting and they don’t yet realize that it is the Savior, Jesus Christ they need. They look at you in your walk of doom and don’t have a clue that Jesus even exists. Shame on us for days like this…
You know, they don’t need a preacher. They need a beacon of light. They don’t need condemnation to be convicted of sin. They need a sign for which way to turn. They don’t need a lifeless tract, leaflet to an event or even a Bible handed to them. They need a breathing human being, whose eyes are focused on the Lord, walking just a slight step ahead of them so they don’t have to run to keep up. They need to be able to have someone close by so that they might grasp a helping hand. They need a Christian who is acting as an instrument of peace and love. Yes, that is what they need! Christians, we need to step into our calling everyday. We won’t need another message hammered into our heads again to go out and be a witness if it is a habitual way of life for us. Lord, forgive us for missing the mark on this one.
“Right Vision” is the chapter focus for me this week from Joyce Meyer’s book, Look Great, Feel Great. The scenario I described above is the way I used to be most every morning. My day would start in a big “Ho-hum” sort of way. It was always a challenge to get up and get going. Rising like that was my habit and it was a very bad habit! You see, when you start your day like that it will only seem longer and gloomier as the day moves on. I can speak this way because I have learned a lesson or two and I hope to help anyone who is going through times like these to come out of the darkness and walk in the light before the world.
A Verse to Feed Upon...
Joyce says we need to develop a “right vision” by thinking and speaking our reality into existence. Her words are confirmation to me. Recognizing that the spirit and the flesh are at war and that many things from our past and our present situations influence our attitudes is the first step to a “right vision” in my opinion. The things we think about before we go to bed, when we wake up and during the day all determines how we will walk through them. Just because we may have had a lousy past or the present is overwhelming doesn’t give us an excuse to mope around.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience and God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
I know that I need to believe this verse and act upon it everyday remembering that the Lord is there for me. He is the champion and I am on His side! Many times and in many circles I hear that He is on our side and I don’t think that is entirely correct. I need to be on His side! He is the commander. I need to be even more aware of the battle that goes on (not out in the world) but the one inside my head. I need to banish thoughts that depress me, keeping me in bondage and making me mad whether it is from the present or the past. As I look over my relationships today with others, I need to determine what part I’m playing in making them better or worse. So the “right vision” is first becoming aware of what I am thinking and why I think this way. Now as I ponder this, I need to ask the Holy Spirit to help me to become stronger and more courageous in my daily walk. I know that’s just one of the things I need to do. Over time I’ve become better at this but I still must make a conscious effort to do it daily, hourly and even every moment!
When I’ve made my choice to walk this life consciously, then I can go to work to make changes for the benefit of my Lord. I need to arrest my attitude that creates my feelings and put these in a holding tank to examine them. In reality, I put myself in “time-out” in order to deal with controlling my emotions. God doesn’t want me to live by my feelings. I believe He gave us feelings to understand the compassion that we are to bestow upon others. We have turned this gift around and focused only on ourselves for the most part. Sometimes we walk about with our “feelers” out just looking for someone to pounce on because they offended us. If I go looking for something to be offended about I will certainly find it. Proverb 14:29 says that “People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.” If we have understanding, even if we become angry, we will control our anger and not take offense. When we take offence it reflects poorly on our testimony before the Lord. Taking control of our emotions is the positive change that should follow becoming self-aware of our thinking.
Just about everyone I know tends to assume the worst when we are faced with an unknown future. Why do we do that? This is the world’s response. The world has greatly influenced our thinking and reacting. But we have been adopted into the family of God so we need to stop thinking like the world and begin to be positive and assume the best. It will not be natural for us to reverse our thinking but we must. List all the negative words that affect your life and then think of its positive opposite. We are to be positive. Look at all we have to look forward to. It will be worth it all when we see Christ! It will! We need to realize that we are a part of God’s bigger picture. The world doesn’t revolve around us. If you can't see it yet, believe me that one day we will all see that everything revolves around Him and Him alone!
So what do you see?
As for me, I have changed from the gloom of despair to a better attitude. Somewhere in the first few moments that I become fully awake, I begin my walk and talk with the Lord. Moving down the stairsteps has become a time of thanks that I am able to get up and that my husband is still peacefully sleeping in the bed I've just left. It's quite interesting that at this early time I often think of people that don't normally cross my mind. I've come to think that God sends them to me on purpose so that I will pray for them and lift them up to Him. Gettting ready in the morning isn't so much about how I feel but the thinking has changed into what can I do to help others. Sometimes I even send an email in that early time to someone who is going through a tough time or leave a scripture on FB for my family, friends and even to remind myself that He is the reason we have one more day. As I go out the door and get into my car, I'm not gloomy. Often I will put in a CD or turn on the PositiveHits station for spiritual companionship on my commute to work. My work day begins and there isn't much time to think of anything but what must be done at the moment. I have little things surrounding me that remind me to whom I belong when things get a little tough. By lunch time, I'm able to once again listen to uplifitng music that helps to carry me through to the end of the workday. So, generally I have changed my morning and workday thinking. This habit has become natural.
I'm in transition now. My evening hours from around 6 PM onward until bedtime are not very consistent. This is where I need to focus my efforts. I know that I need to have my supper at a regular hour and that my bedtime needs to also be at regular hour but I'm just not completely there yet. Often by the time I drop exhausted to my bed, I'm not very positive. I know it's mostly because I'm tired and haven't developed a good routine. It's taken me since June to turn my morning and day activities into a positive reality and it will take a little while longer to establish my evening to bedtime habit. Right now, this area is usually dictated by what I'm able to accomplish during the day. I haven't learned yet to just lay aside things that aren't finished at a reasonable hour and get my rest. It will happen. I'm working on it. When I've moved into better habits here I'll be sure to post it. LOL
Now, my questions are these: Do you see yourself changing? Do you see yourself waking each morning thinking about Him instead of you? Do you see the future? Do you see the Great I AM?
I've been blessed by this wonderfully worded musical message by Eddie James. I hope it blesses you, too. Turn off my player at the bottom of this post before you click on the URL to view.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHz2_HLw7fg&feature=related
I AM by Eddie James
I AM the Lord, I AM the Almighty God.
I AM the One for when nothing is too hard
I AM the Shepherd and I AM the Door
I AM the Good news to the bound and the poor
Chorus: I AM …
I AM the righteous One and I AM the Lamb,
I AM the Ram in the bush for Abraham,
I AM the Ultimate Sacrifice for sin,
I AM your Redeemer, the Beginning and the End
Chorus: I AM …
I AM Jehovah, and I AM the King,
I AM Messiah, David’s Offspring,
I AM your High Priest, and I AM the Christ,
I AM the Resurrection, I AM the Life
Chorus: I AM …
I AM the Bread, and I AM the Wine,
I AM your Future, so leave your past behind.
I AM the One in the midst of two or three,
I AM your Tabernacle, I AM your Jubilee.
Chorus: I AM …
I AM the Bread, I AM the Wine,
And I AM your Future, so leave your past behind.
I AM the One in the midst of two or three,
I AM your Tabernacle, I AM your Jubilee.
Chorus: I AM …
I AM Hope, I AM Peace, I AM Joy, I AM Rest,
Oh I AM your Comfort, and Relief from your stress,
I AM Strength, I AM Faith, I AM Love, I AM Power,
And today I AM your Freedom, this very hour.
Chorus: I AM …
I AM Hope, I am Peace I AM Joy, I AM Rest,
I AM your Comfort, and Relief from your stress,
I AM Strength, I AM Faith, I AM Love, I AM Power,
I AM your Freedom, this very hour.
I AM
1266
Saturday, October 23, 2010
HELP! I’M BEING ATTACKED. IT’S BIG! IT’S BAD! IT’S UGLY!
It’s me! Oh no. It’s me! All at once my heart rate is speeding up and my coronary arteries are dilating. I don’t know what to do. "Quick grab that bag of chips!"
Oh no! My bronchial tubes seem to be closing, my metabolism is racing and I feel an increase of heart contractions. "Hey you, behind the counter, I want that, too. You have to give me that huge candy bar!"
Oh my! My anxiety is off the charts, my gastrointestinal system is working overtime and the rate of my respiration is increasing and deepening. "I have to go NOW and quickly because this isn't enough. I need the largest order of cheeseburgers and fries that I can get my hands on. I have to go. Get out of my way! Now!"
I hear them! They are saying, "Get out of her way. Her pupils are dilated and she’s a crazy woman!” They don’t know how dry my mouth is and I just want the largest Dr. Pepper on ice I can get (to go with those cheeseburgers).
I hope you laughed a little at this scenario. But the truth is the symptoms that happen in the body above happen to all of us at one time or another.
What on earth has come over me? (or you?) What is it?
It’s stress, and not just any stress. It’s chronic! Paul tells us that our bodies are to be used as instruments of righteousness to God. Romans 6:12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. How can we be used as instruments of righteousness when our bodies are acting like they don’t even belong to us?
Let’s look at that scripture again from Romans 6, and change just one word. Are you ready? Wow! What a revelation this was for me!
Do not let stress control the way you live; do not give in to stressful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve stress. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Did that speak to you like it did to me?
It’s actually pretty amazing!
God made our bodies in an amazing way in order that we might live in this world. We have a mechanism built within us that we’ve come to know as the fight or flight response. That’s exactly what I described earlier. Who knows the reason God first made Adam and Eve with a fight or flight response? Perhaps it was in order to fight or flee from satan. Whatever the reason, we have this mechanism built in and it helps us to maneuver our day-to-day living. The problem is that the move advanced mankind has become the more this mechanism is kicked into high gear. Our bodies don’t have a chance to be relaxed because we are always in a state of physiological alertness. Most of us don’t have any place to run and we certainly don’t know how to fight something we can’t see. What do we do? We compensate by eating or by falling into the trap of an addiction to cope when the body cries the high alert. It has become a major health problem and we know this as chronic stress.
What does chronic stress do to you? If you want a full description, Joyce Meyer gives explicit details and examples of what stress is and what it does to you in the “De-Stress” chapter of Look Great, Feel Great. I went a step further and found a more condensed list at http://www.indiana.edu/~engs/hints/stress1.htm In a nutshell, chronic stress sucks the physical life out of you in every way it can. It can show up as diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, sphincter of Oddi spasms (gallbladder problems), spastic colon, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, colds and sinus infections, vaginal yeast infections, bladder infections, fiber myalgia, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, hyperventilation, asthma, headaches, migraines and more. Do you suffer from any of these symptoms?
Generally, even our doctors don’t talk about chronic stress to us. We are given prescriptions and live off of drugs to cope. The entire time our body is still crying. We may have eased the symptoms but the underlying factors are never addressed. It shows that you eat too much so your doctor says, “Lose it.” You can’t sleep so you’re doctor prescribes a sleep test and then you’re hooked up to CPAP machine. You might be given numerous meds to ease your discomfort so you can finally get to sleep. Your lab work shows high this and high that or this one is too low and the little pink, yellow, green, and white parade of pills are all clumped together in your daily pill box. Oh, and lest we forget there are the vitamins that you must take in order to survive your life in this world. Come on; let’s think about it! Did God ever make a pill tree?
Now, I’m not saying that doctors and medicine is wrong. Many of us have come to a place where we must take a regiment of certain pills to help us. But I am saying that if we do what we should in order to repair our bodies then it will only stand to reason that many, if not all, of the pills we rely on daily can be eliminated or at least reduced. I have witnessed that meds can be reduced and some even stopped. I know people who have decided that their bodies, God’s temples, needed repair. They began the process and asked for God’s assistance. They believed in His healing power and He was able to deliver them even from stress.
So what can we do about it?
Joyce Meyer is so cool, she gives us several ways to de-stress. I have even thought of a few different ones, as I’m sure you can, too. She shares that we need to reach out to others for support. Let your intercessors know that you need to be lifted up in prayer. Seek out others who have some of the same issues that you have and help one another. Even in our sickness, we can be a minister and blessing to someone else. Maybe we can’t run around and do all kinds of physical things just yet. We can still obey God, pray and love others.
Joyce says we need to adopt an attitude of shrugging things off that trigger our stress. We are supposed to cast our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). We also need to get out of the habit of always having to be in control. When we are like that, we create our own stress. This “bad habit” needs to go. After all aren’t we supposed to give it all to the Lord? He should be the one in control. Why are we trying to do His job? Is it because we think we don’t need Him? (Man, I need Him every moment of my life!)
Finally, she says we need to get the right nutrition into our diets and learn to relax. Do some research and find something that you can do for yourself to relax. Maybe it’s a walk with your praise and worship music or favorite sermon being piped in your ear. Perhaps you need the touch of a massage or the company of a friend. Maybe you like to write and off you go pursuing the way words comes together for you. Whatever your stress buster is, believe in the Lord Jesus to help you overcome the tentacles that have wound themselves so tightly around you. Rebuke that stronghold that is weighing you down in the name of Jesus and by His blood. He has already paid the price! You might realize that you are coping with lots of stress but not be able to identify the stronghold. If you need more specifics, take a look at this partial list and compare it to your life. See what's stressing you out...
**Being bullied or exposed to violence or injury. YOU MUST GET OUT OF THIS SITUATION PHYSICALLY IF HARM IS COMING YOUR WAY. DON'T MAKE EXCUSES FOR SOMEONE ABUSING YOU. SEEK HELP, QUICKLY & QUIETLY IF YOU ARE IN DANGER. (My mother was a victim of spousal abuse and she finally got out but only have much physical and psychological
damage had been done.)
**Relationship stress, family conflicts, heavy emotions from a broken heart due to death or separation of a loved one.
**Ongoing problems at work or school related.
**Crammed schedules and not having enough time to manage everything that has been demanded of you.
**Always being on the go and never a chance to rest and relax.
**No time for God. (This one is the most crucial!)
It’s not easy to de-stress our lives, but it must be done if we expect to live a better life.
Some better eating and exercise changes have taken the place of bad habits for me and this has helped me to feel less stressed. I have more energy and feel better than I did six months ago. Another thing is that I’ve noticed if I take time during the week for myself then I feel better for it. Normally, my time is Saturday morning. No, I don’t do laundry or anything if I can get away with it. I usually sleep in and wake up when I’m good and ready. Then I begin with prayer as I dress and get ready for the day. After breakfast, I read devotional blogs or books and listen to soothing music. There are times I’m compelled to worship in song and dance and this is triggered by so many wonderful anointed selections from youtube (Believe it or not!) I often write my blog on Saturday. The point is I try not to do anything that smells of work and I actually like “alone” time. My DH is at work on Saturday and His "alone" time is Monday. Anyway, Saturday is my day of rest and I have found that I need it in order to face the week. So it's interesting to me that when the Lord said to ‘Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy’ and I began resting in Him on the Sabbath, my life began to transform for the better. Sunday is a day for others in my life (church and family) and Monday through Friday are my days of work out in the world. Sorry, I got off track here a little…
To sum it up...
Let’s remember why we are to de-stress. Romans 6:13 … give yourselves completely to God That’s reason enough but the explanation is more than that, here it is… for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body (a de-stressed body) as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
I pray that these words might help you to learn what you need to do in order to de-stress your life. God has reminded me just what blessings He has already granted me on my journey! May you be blessed by His presence this week and hear His voice and feel His touch on your life. Amen.
1200
Oh no! My bronchial tubes seem to be closing, my metabolism is racing and I feel an increase of heart contractions. "Hey you, behind the counter, I want that, too. You have to give me that huge candy bar!"
Oh my! My anxiety is off the charts, my gastrointestinal system is working overtime and the rate of my respiration is increasing and deepening. "I have to go NOW and quickly because this isn't enough. I need the largest order of cheeseburgers and fries that I can get my hands on. I have to go. Get out of my way! Now!"
I hear them! They are saying, "Get out of her way. Her pupils are dilated and she’s a crazy woman!” They don’t know how dry my mouth is and I just want the largest Dr. Pepper on ice I can get (to go with those cheeseburgers).
I hope you laughed a little at this scenario. But the truth is the symptoms that happen in the body above happen to all of us at one time or another.
What on earth has come over me? (or you?) What is it?
It’s stress, and not just any stress. It’s chronic! Paul tells us that our bodies are to be used as instruments of righteousness to God. Romans 6:12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. How can we be used as instruments of righteousness when our bodies are acting like they don’t even belong to us?
Let’s look at that scripture again from Romans 6, and change just one word. Are you ready? Wow! What a revelation this was for me!
Do not let stress control the way you live; do not give in to stressful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve stress. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Did that speak to you like it did to me?
It’s actually pretty amazing!
God made our bodies in an amazing way in order that we might live in this world. We have a mechanism built within us that we’ve come to know as the fight or flight response. That’s exactly what I described earlier. Who knows the reason God first made Adam and Eve with a fight or flight response? Perhaps it was in order to fight or flee from satan. Whatever the reason, we have this mechanism built in and it helps us to maneuver our day-to-day living. The problem is that the move advanced mankind has become the more this mechanism is kicked into high gear. Our bodies don’t have a chance to be relaxed because we are always in a state of physiological alertness. Most of us don’t have any place to run and we certainly don’t know how to fight something we can’t see. What do we do? We compensate by eating or by falling into the trap of an addiction to cope when the body cries the high alert. It has become a major health problem and we know this as chronic stress.
What does chronic stress do to you? If you want a full description, Joyce Meyer gives explicit details and examples of what stress is and what it does to you in the “De-Stress” chapter of Look Great, Feel Great. I went a step further and found a more condensed list at http://www.indiana.edu/~engs/hints/stress1.htm In a nutshell, chronic stress sucks the physical life out of you in every way it can. It can show up as diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, sphincter of Oddi spasms (gallbladder problems), spastic colon, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, colds and sinus infections, vaginal yeast infections, bladder infections, fiber myalgia, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, hyperventilation, asthma, headaches, migraines and more. Do you suffer from any of these symptoms?
Generally, even our doctors don’t talk about chronic stress to us. We are given prescriptions and live off of drugs to cope. The entire time our body is still crying. We may have eased the symptoms but the underlying factors are never addressed. It shows that you eat too much so your doctor says, “Lose it.” You can’t sleep so you’re doctor prescribes a sleep test and then you’re hooked up to CPAP machine. You might be given numerous meds to ease your discomfort so you can finally get to sleep. Your lab work shows high this and high that or this one is too low and the little pink, yellow, green, and white parade of pills are all clumped together in your daily pill box. Oh, and lest we forget there are the vitamins that you must take in order to survive your life in this world. Come on; let’s think about it! Did God ever make a pill tree?
Now, I’m not saying that doctors and medicine is wrong. Many of us have come to a place where we must take a regiment of certain pills to help us. But I am saying that if we do what we should in order to repair our bodies then it will only stand to reason that many, if not all, of the pills we rely on daily can be eliminated or at least reduced. I have witnessed that meds can be reduced and some even stopped. I know people who have decided that their bodies, God’s temples, needed repair. They began the process and asked for God’s assistance. They believed in His healing power and He was able to deliver them even from stress.
So what can we do about it?
Joyce Meyer is so cool, she gives us several ways to de-stress. I have even thought of a few different ones, as I’m sure you can, too. She shares that we need to reach out to others for support. Let your intercessors know that you need to be lifted up in prayer. Seek out others who have some of the same issues that you have and help one another. Even in our sickness, we can be a minister and blessing to someone else. Maybe we can’t run around and do all kinds of physical things just yet. We can still obey God, pray and love others.
Joyce says we need to adopt an attitude of shrugging things off that trigger our stress. We are supposed to cast our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). We also need to get out of the habit of always having to be in control. When we are like that, we create our own stress. This “bad habit” needs to go. After all aren’t we supposed to give it all to the Lord? He should be the one in control. Why are we trying to do His job? Is it because we think we don’t need Him? (Man, I need Him every moment of my life!)
Finally, she says we need to get the right nutrition into our diets and learn to relax. Do some research and find something that you can do for yourself to relax. Maybe it’s a walk with your praise and worship music or favorite sermon being piped in your ear. Perhaps you need the touch of a massage or the company of a friend. Maybe you like to write and off you go pursuing the way words comes together for you. Whatever your stress buster is, believe in the Lord Jesus to help you overcome the tentacles that have wound themselves so tightly around you. Rebuke that stronghold that is weighing you down in the name of Jesus and by His blood. He has already paid the price! You might realize that you are coping with lots of stress but not be able to identify the stronghold. If you need more specifics, take a look at this partial list and compare it to your life. See what's stressing you out...
**Being bullied or exposed to violence or injury. YOU MUST GET OUT OF THIS SITUATION PHYSICALLY IF HARM IS COMING YOUR WAY. DON'T MAKE EXCUSES FOR SOMEONE ABUSING YOU. SEEK HELP, QUICKLY & QUIETLY IF YOU ARE IN DANGER. (My mother was a victim of spousal abuse and she finally got out but only have much physical and psychological
damage had been done.)
**Relationship stress, family conflicts, heavy emotions from a broken heart due to death or separation of a loved one.
**Ongoing problems at work or school related.
**Crammed schedules and not having enough time to manage everything that has been demanded of you.
**Always being on the go and never a chance to rest and relax.
**No time for God. (This one is the most crucial!)
It’s not easy to de-stress our lives, but it must be done if we expect to live a better life.
Some better eating and exercise changes have taken the place of bad habits for me and this has helped me to feel less stressed. I have more energy and feel better than I did six months ago. Another thing is that I’ve noticed if I take time during the week for myself then I feel better for it. Normally, my time is Saturday morning. No, I don’t do laundry or anything if I can get away with it. I usually sleep in and wake up when I’m good and ready. Then I begin with prayer as I dress and get ready for the day. After breakfast, I read devotional blogs or books and listen to soothing music. There are times I’m compelled to worship in song and dance and this is triggered by so many wonderful anointed selections from youtube (Believe it or not!) I often write my blog on Saturday. The point is I try not to do anything that smells of work and I actually like “alone” time. My DH is at work on Saturday and His "alone" time is Monday. Anyway, Saturday is my day of rest and I have found that I need it in order to face the week. So it's interesting to me that when the Lord said to ‘Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy’ and I began resting in Him on the Sabbath, my life began to transform for the better. Sunday is a day for others in my life (church and family) and Monday through Friday are my days of work out in the world. Sorry, I got off track here a little…
To sum it up...
Let’s remember why we are to de-stress. Romans 6:13 … give yourselves completely to God That’s reason enough but the explanation is more than that, here it is… for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body (a de-stressed body) as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
I pray that these words might help you to learn what you need to do in order to de-stress your life. God has reminded me just what blessings He has already granted me on my journey! May you be blessed by His presence this week and hear His voice and feel His touch on your life. Amen.
1200
Saturday, October 16, 2010
SPIRITUAL HUNGER, WHAT IS IT AND WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH IT?
Okay, the title says a lot but not all… We are living in a time of spiritual famine and emotional pain. People walk around today knowing that something is missing from their lives but they can’t identify it. They crave release from negative emotions but don’t know how to gain it. They refuse to admit that they long for God and His healing power. We are hungry for Him, but instead of looking inward to diagnose the problem, we fix a giant meal and eat until we’re miserable.
Joyce Meyer’s chapter, “Curb Your Spiritual Hunger” from Look Great, Feel Great makes me think of my past holidays when all the family was around. Sometimes this was the most stressful of all days in the year. The day that everyone came expecting a huge wonderful dinner and usually that is what each one went away remembering. During the get together, family members stifled their emotions and popped food into their mouths to avoid conflict and confrontations. The positive comments swirled around food but only negative thoughts took place about this person or that person sitting across from them at the dinner table. What on earth makes us eat to remedy bad situations?
We hurt and we eat. What a dumb thing to do! Instead we should be running to God instead of the refrigerator or cabinet. Joyce says this takes a long time to form a habit of running to God and I agree. We have to self-talk to remind ourselves that God is what we need. It is often our spirit that needs nourishment but we often feed our body instead. No wonder we get fatter.
We’re busy and we eat. We live in a world of distractions. There isn’t any time to concentrate on our spirit’s health. Our lives are all about work, making a living and moving up in the world. This is the world’s mindset. Our busy schedule of work and worldly entertainment leaves no time for attending special church services, spending quiet time alone with God, reading His word, praying and listening for His voice. Our spirits are hungry for Him. As Christians, we can even get caught up in attending and doing every little thing in the church and still neglect to nourish our spirit because we become exhausted in the doing of things just like Martha did.
We’re lonely and we eat. Not only do we neglect time for God in prayer, meditation and Bible reading, but also we neglect our fellow Christians. There isn’t any time allowed for fellowship. We might send emails and leave texts and voice messages but that doesn’t take the place of eye-to-eye, voice-to-voice, and hug-to-hug contact. We’re lonely and we eat. So what is there to do except to binge, lie to our selves about what and how much we eat, think about food as a stress buster, or fill the stomach when our heart is what is hungry?
We need to replace this bad habit of neglecting to feed the spirit by prioritizing and making time for God and other Christians. Then we can experience fullness on another level. Our joy will then be full and running over. This is the benefit of nourishing our spirits and who doesn’t need more joy?
Joyce says we need to stop lying to ourselves and identify the areas of emptiness that drive us to eat. When we continually do things like eat too much food or eat foods that aren’t good for us, we feed depression and discontent. This is a vicious cycle. Once we honestly discover these triggers in our lives, we need to ask God to help us. It doesn’t even hurt to say “No” out loud when faced with the temptation to eat. Then remove one bad habit and replace it with a good habit. Replace every negative vibe with a positive one. We should look around for support from others who are willing to help us or even get involved in programs that are already established. Last but not least we need to be patient with ourselves as we learn and grow in a new direction. The saying that Rome wasn’t built in a day has some merit but the whole truth is it didn’t fall in a day either. It took time on both ends, so we need to give ourselves time to nourish our spirits. There are things about our “Rome” that needs to go. Let’s strive to replace the negative with positive reinforcements.
And remember this from 1 Corinthians 1:3-4 …God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others... 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation!
1142
Joyce Meyer’s chapter, “Curb Your Spiritual Hunger” from Look Great, Feel Great makes me think of my past holidays when all the family was around. Sometimes this was the most stressful of all days in the year. The day that everyone came expecting a huge wonderful dinner and usually that is what each one went away remembering. During the get together, family members stifled their emotions and popped food into their mouths to avoid conflict and confrontations. The positive comments swirled around food but only negative thoughts took place about this person or that person sitting across from them at the dinner table. What on earth makes us eat to remedy bad situations?
We hurt and we eat. What a dumb thing to do! Instead we should be running to God instead of the refrigerator or cabinet. Joyce says this takes a long time to form a habit of running to God and I agree. We have to self-talk to remind ourselves that God is what we need. It is often our spirit that needs nourishment but we often feed our body instead. No wonder we get fatter.
We’re busy and we eat. We live in a world of distractions. There isn’t any time to concentrate on our spirit’s health. Our lives are all about work, making a living and moving up in the world. This is the world’s mindset. Our busy schedule of work and worldly entertainment leaves no time for attending special church services, spending quiet time alone with God, reading His word, praying and listening for His voice. Our spirits are hungry for Him. As Christians, we can even get caught up in attending and doing every little thing in the church and still neglect to nourish our spirit because we become exhausted in the doing of things just like Martha did.
We’re lonely and we eat. Not only do we neglect time for God in prayer, meditation and Bible reading, but also we neglect our fellow Christians. There isn’t any time allowed for fellowship. We might send emails and leave texts and voice messages but that doesn’t take the place of eye-to-eye, voice-to-voice, and hug-to-hug contact. We’re lonely and we eat. So what is there to do except to binge, lie to our selves about what and how much we eat, think about food as a stress buster, or fill the stomach when our heart is what is hungry?
We need to replace this bad habit of neglecting to feed the spirit by prioritizing and making time for God and other Christians. Then we can experience fullness on another level. Our joy will then be full and running over. This is the benefit of nourishing our spirits and who doesn’t need more joy?
Joyce says we need to stop lying to ourselves and identify the areas of emptiness that drive us to eat. When we continually do things like eat too much food or eat foods that aren’t good for us, we feed depression and discontent. This is a vicious cycle. Once we honestly discover these triggers in our lives, we need to ask God to help us. It doesn’t even hurt to say “No” out loud when faced with the temptation to eat. Then remove one bad habit and replace it with a good habit. Replace every negative vibe with a positive one. We should look around for support from others who are willing to help us or even get involved in programs that are already established. Last but not least we need to be patient with ourselves as we learn and grow in a new direction. The saying that Rome wasn’t built in a day has some merit but the whole truth is it didn’t fall in a day either. It took time on both ends, so we need to give ourselves time to nourish our spirits. There are things about our “Rome” that needs to go. Let’s strive to replace the negative with positive reinforcements.
And remember this from 1 Corinthians 1:3-4 …God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others... 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation!
1142
Monday, October 11, 2010
Mindful Eating
This section of Joyce’s book, Look Great, Feel Great is about the way we view food in our culture. We casually eat and don’t even realize what we have consumed. Of course, this leads to nutritional disasters and unwanted calories, which wreck havoc on our health. We may be able to abuse our systems for a time without problems but eventually there is a breakdown that sometimes is irreversible. The cry of this chapter is to be “mindful” of everything we eat. This doesn’t sound like a tremendously hard thing to do until we actually begin to become aware of each bite we take in.
Think about it. We prepare a meal and we probably eat a meal while we are doing it. We throw snacks into our grocery carts that end up on the kitchen counter and it’s so easy to reach in and grab a handful of something without realizing how many calories we consumed. We mix up something yummy and lick the spoon before washing it. We carry our kid’s plates to the sink and nibble on leftovers. Someone brings in treats to the lunchroom at work. What do we do with those goodies? We don’t drive by, but stop at a fast food restaurant because we are on our way home and it will still be a while before we actually prepare supper. You get the picture. We have an urge to eat and we do it without giving it a second thought.
I couldn't help but think, after reading Joyce’s section, several incidents from scripture. Let me share my thoughts with you here...
· Gen. 2:16-17 …the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
Let’s do some pretending... imagine you’re Eve and your stomach growls. You’re in the garden and the serpent is speaking ever go convincingly. You have this one tree that you are not supposed to eat of its fruit. So you don’t think beyond the initial thought of “I’m not supposed to eat it” and then you indulge. Oh my… what trouble you create… (It was your choice after all no matter what the serpent said.)
· Ex. 16: 2-3 …the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”
This time pretend you are here in the wilderness… you are sitting around at the end of a long walk. You are hungry and tired. It doesn’t matter that you saw the plagues come on the Egyptians but not harm you. It doesn’t matter that you saw the Egyptians give you their jewels and send every one of you out. It doesn’t matter that you were being pursued and may have been slaughtered but God parted the sea so that you could escape. What matters is that even though it was difficult in Egypt you can’t remember that so much as right now you are not so sure that you should have left Egypt. At least in Egypt you were fed even if you weren’t free. You have a faulty memory because of the temporary inconvenience on your journey.
· Ex: 16: 4-5 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.”
Imagine being in this gathering. God is providing you with an abundance of food that will sustain your life. The only thing you have to do is follow God’s instructions. Will you?
· Acts: 10: 9-17 …Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.” “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.”
But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven. Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean?
Now, imagine you are Peter. On this particular day you are really hungry but you take your place to pray and you receive a revelation from God that means salvation is for all men and not to the Jews only. This will be the message that you are to proclaim in obedience to God. You have previously been mindful that there were certain foods that were considered clean and unclean but what does it mean spiritually. It was so important that the vision was repeated three times. God really wanted to get your attention and change your self-righteous mind.
The bottom line is that most of the time, we don’t think about eating. We just eat. The flesh cries out, and like a baby who wants his bottle, we feed the flesh. Naturally speaking, we are driven by our flesh and react to it more often than any other source. It is this instinct for survival that sustains us. We have always heard the phrase “survival of the fittest” and this points us to the fact that our flesh drives us.
· I want: I want everything I want when I want it. Does your flesh call out? What is it you want?
· I think: I’m thinking that everything is all about me. Are we thinking only of ourselves?
· I feel: I feel sad and gloomy because no one understands… poor, poor me… Are we having a pity party because we aren’t getting what we think we deserve.
You might chuckle or get mad about the way I’ve written the next part. I’m trying to make a point and it’s not always easy to do. There’s a reason behind these sarcastic paragraphs that follow so stick with me…
Wanting. When we only act and react based on our flesh then we are acting like nothing more than an animal! If we live for our flesh then we won’t be concerned about anyone or anything else. It won’t matter if we weigh a ton. It only matters that we want what we want. We won’t think about how our poor eating may result in weakness or even death. It won’t matter if someone ends up having to take care us. Someone may have to dress, feed and tend to every need because we are unable to get things and do for ourselves. It won’t matter if we die and leave behind a grieving family. It won’t matter because it’s not about what others think. It is only about me, myself and I! Oh boy… This is the most selfish paragraph that I have ever written. There is nothing here edifying or biblical or Christ-like because it’s all about “me”.
Thinking? When does that happen? I think everyone else is wrong and I’m right and I’m going to do whatever I want to do! I don’t care what you think so I’ll talk back to you and down to you. I will make you feel like you are worthless because I already think you are and that’s how I will treat you. You might come to me and want to help by making suggestions, but I’m not ready or willing to listen. I’ll scream at you, get mad and tell you off. Don’t waste your breath talking to me because I just don’t want to hear it! (Remember the Wizard of Oz? “I could while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers ~ Consultin' with the rain. And my head I'd be scratchin' while my thoughts were busy hatchin' If I only had a brain.” Well, there’s no point in having a brain if I don’t use it, right?)
Feelings? What fickle things are these invisible entities! My feelings matter more to me than every one or anything else. I need to nurse my offences. I’m ashamed, beaten down, disrespected and embarrassed. I’ve been humiliated, insulted and invalidated. I’m constantly imposed upon, manipulated, powerless and pressured. I feel suffocated and trapped. I’ve been abandoned and alone. I stay confused and disapproved of which makes me discouraged. I’ve been ignored, left out and lonely. I’m totally misunderstood, neglected and rejected. I get blamed for everything and no one ever believes me. They all lie about me and lie to me and most of all they all judge me. I’m abused and afraid. It’s frightening and I’m insecure. I can’t trust anyone and I’m always suspicious. I’ll cry if you hurt me so you better leave me alone. I’ll blame you if I’m sad or mad so you better stay out of my way. You know how I am ~ so deal with it.
MONICA, GET OVER IT! It’s not about my wants, my thoughts or my feelings! The scriptures were given to me to teach me about how I am to conduct my life. So what do I need to take away from the scriptures above and the numerous others that have some reference to this topic?
· I can control my flesh!
Our Father, Help me to pay attention and seek your guidance in learning to control my flesh. In regard to my health, you want me to be aware by being continually mindful of all things and especially what goes into my mouth by nutritional content and portion. This new way of thinking is not to monopolize my life forever, but I am to work at this so that it may become a habit that will eventually bring glory to you. If I always remember to thank you for my food, slow down and take the moments you have given me to enjoy this bountiful blessing, then I will be mindful of your provision. Help me to be thankful and not take you and your blessings for granted. May I strive to learn these lessons so that I may be a more efficient Christian who lives to share your love, holiness and power to all mankind. Thank you, Father. In Jesus’ Name ~ Amen.
Think about it. We prepare a meal and we probably eat a meal while we are doing it. We throw snacks into our grocery carts that end up on the kitchen counter and it’s so easy to reach in and grab a handful of something without realizing how many calories we consumed. We mix up something yummy and lick the spoon before washing it. We carry our kid’s plates to the sink and nibble on leftovers. Someone brings in treats to the lunchroom at work. What do we do with those goodies? We don’t drive by, but stop at a fast food restaurant because we are on our way home and it will still be a while before we actually prepare supper. You get the picture. We have an urge to eat and we do it without giving it a second thought.
I couldn't help but think, after reading Joyce’s section, several incidents from scripture. Let me share my thoughts with you here...
· Gen. 2:16-17 …the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
Let’s do some pretending... imagine you’re Eve and your stomach growls. You’re in the garden and the serpent is speaking ever go convincingly. You have this one tree that you are not supposed to eat of its fruit. So you don’t think beyond the initial thought of “I’m not supposed to eat it” and then you indulge. Oh my… what trouble you create… (It was your choice after all no matter what the serpent said.)
· Ex. 16: 2-3 …the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”
This time pretend you are here in the wilderness… you are sitting around at the end of a long walk. You are hungry and tired. It doesn’t matter that you saw the plagues come on the Egyptians but not harm you. It doesn’t matter that you saw the Egyptians give you their jewels and send every one of you out. It doesn’t matter that you were being pursued and may have been slaughtered but God parted the sea so that you could escape. What matters is that even though it was difficult in Egypt you can’t remember that so much as right now you are not so sure that you should have left Egypt. At least in Egypt you were fed even if you weren’t free. You have a faulty memory because of the temporary inconvenience on your journey.
· Ex: 16: 4-5 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.”
Imagine being in this gathering. God is providing you with an abundance of food that will sustain your life. The only thing you have to do is follow God’s instructions. Will you?
· Acts: 10: 9-17 …Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.” “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.”
But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven. Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean?
Now, imagine you are Peter. On this particular day you are really hungry but you take your place to pray and you receive a revelation from God that means salvation is for all men and not to the Jews only. This will be the message that you are to proclaim in obedience to God. You have previously been mindful that there were certain foods that were considered clean and unclean but what does it mean spiritually. It was so important that the vision was repeated three times. God really wanted to get your attention and change your self-righteous mind.
The bottom line is that most of the time, we don’t think about eating. We just eat. The flesh cries out, and like a baby who wants his bottle, we feed the flesh. Naturally speaking, we are driven by our flesh and react to it more often than any other source. It is this instinct for survival that sustains us. We have always heard the phrase “survival of the fittest” and this points us to the fact that our flesh drives us.
· I want: I want everything I want when I want it. Does your flesh call out? What is it you want?
· I think: I’m thinking that everything is all about me. Are we thinking only of ourselves?
· I feel: I feel sad and gloomy because no one understands… poor, poor me… Are we having a pity party because we aren’t getting what we think we deserve.
You might chuckle or get mad about the way I’ve written the next part. I’m trying to make a point and it’s not always easy to do. There’s a reason behind these sarcastic paragraphs that follow so stick with me…
Wanting. When we only act and react based on our flesh then we are acting like nothing more than an animal! If we live for our flesh then we won’t be concerned about anyone or anything else. It won’t matter if we weigh a ton. It only matters that we want what we want. We won’t think about how our poor eating may result in weakness or even death. It won’t matter if someone ends up having to take care us. Someone may have to dress, feed and tend to every need because we are unable to get things and do for ourselves. It won’t matter if we die and leave behind a grieving family. It won’t matter because it’s not about what others think. It is only about me, myself and I! Oh boy… This is the most selfish paragraph that I have ever written. There is nothing here edifying or biblical or Christ-like because it’s all about “me”.
Thinking? When does that happen? I think everyone else is wrong and I’m right and I’m going to do whatever I want to do! I don’t care what you think so I’ll talk back to you and down to you. I will make you feel like you are worthless because I already think you are and that’s how I will treat you. You might come to me and want to help by making suggestions, but I’m not ready or willing to listen. I’ll scream at you, get mad and tell you off. Don’t waste your breath talking to me because I just don’t want to hear it! (Remember the Wizard of Oz? “I could while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers ~ Consultin' with the rain. And my head I'd be scratchin' while my thoughts were busy hatchin' If I only had a brain.” Well, there’s no point in having a brain if I don’t use it, right?)
Feelings? What fickle things are these invisible entities! My feelings matter more to me than every one or anything else. I need to nurse my offences. I’m ashamed, beaten down, disrespected and embarrassed. I’ve been humiliated, insulted and invalidated. I’m constantly imposed upon, manipulated, powerless and pressured. I feel suffocated and trapped. I’ve been abandoned and alone. I stay confused and disapproved of which makes me discouraged. I’ve been ignored, left out and lonely. I’m totally misunderstood, neglected and rejected. I get blamed for everything and no one ever believes me. They all lie about me and lie to me and most of all they all judge me. I’m abused and afraid. It’s frightening and I’m insecure. I can’t trust anyone and I’m always suspicious. I’ll cry if you hurt me so you better leave me alone. I’ll blame you if I’m sad or mad so you better stay out of my way. You know how I am ~ so deal with it.
MONICA, GET OVER IT! It’s not about my wants, my thoughts or my feelings! The scriptures were given to me to teach me about how I am to conduct my life. So what do I need to take away from the scriptures above and the numerous others that have some reference to this topic?
· I can control my flesh!
- I can control my wants through Christ.
- I can control my thinking through Christ.
- I can control my feelings through Christ.
Our Father, Help me to pay attention and seek your guidance in learning to control my flesh. In regard to my health, you want me to be aware by being continually mindful of all things and especially what goes into my mouth by nutritional content and portion. This new way of thinking is not to monopolize my life forever, but I am to work at this so that it may become a habit that will eventually bring glory to you. If I always remember to thank you for my food, slow down and take the moments you have given me to enjoy this bountiful blessing, then I will be mindful of your provision. Help me to be thankful and not take you and your blessings for granted. May I strive to learn these lessons so that I may be a more efficient Christian who lives to share your love, holiness and power to all mankind. Thank you, Father. In Jesus’ Name ~ Amen.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Water
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”—John 7:37-38
If out of my heart there are to flow rivers of living water, then there must be a purpose. Could Jesus be saying more than what at first meets our eye in this scripture? Is He saying that our rivers are to flow constantly outward? Is He saying that our rivers are never to be dammed up? Are we to allow others to enter our rivers so that they may benefit, taste and drink from this refreshing source of everlasting life?
So what is a river, really? The dictionary says that a river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, that flows toward an ocean, lake, sea, or another river. Only in a few cases, does a river simply flow into the ground or dry up before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including streams, creeks, brooks, rivulets, tributaries and rills. There is no general rule that defines what can be called a river, although in some countries or communities a stream may be defined by its size.
So if a river’s purpose is to reach another body of water, then spiritually are we striving to reach another? What is happening along the waterway? Are we affecting others as we flow along? Is our water bitter? Is our water sweet? Is our water dying up or turned away from the original body of water that it was flowing toward in the first place? Do we even have a river flowing? When did it begin or when did it end?
But I have an even greater question ~ have we been drying up and gone without sufficient water within our banks for so long that we don’t even notice we’re thirsting for the one we’re flowing toward?
This question is profound because it points to both the natural and the spiritual realms. (I believe God views these realms as one and the same, but we just haven’t come to that full realization yet.)
We can get so used to not having enough of something to the point that we don’t realize we need it any longer! How sad and scary that thought is…
Spiritually, if I go long enough without praying, studying God’s Word, seeking His face and being in the congregation with other Christians then there will come a time that it seems I don’t need to do those things. This would be cause for emotional, mental and eventually physical ailments to surface because I would not be getting what I needed daily to live a healthy Christian lifestyle.
On the other hand...
These thoughts were what triggered within me after I read Joyce’s chapter, “Water Your Life” in Look Great, Feel Great. I’m still thinking on those things as I ponder the more natural side of her message. The message she gave in her book.
Personally speaking, after many years of self-indulgence and abuse, I came to relize that God wants me to act out my faith. He wants me to be a witness. He hasn’t asked me to get up on the rooftop, wave a huge banner and yell about him. He has asked me to be a walking testimony to those around me, to always be able to answer when I’m asked a question about Him and to daily surrender my life to Him. Am I always successful? No, sad to say I am not, but that doesn’t stop me from working toward being the best I can be for Him. I vow not to give up or give in even when it’s hard. Sometimes this path I've chosen is very hard, but He holds my hand!
Back to Joyce and her “Water” chapter… She states many things, but I’m just going to take the part that applies to me and elaborate on it. I’ve found when talking to others that many of us have the same issues when it comes to health and drinking enough water has been one of my issues ever since I can remember. I’m getting better but I still have to remind myself to drink plain, old water throughout the day. I researched several articles after reading Joyce. I knew some of it but here’s more of what I discovered and it was a reminder as well as an eye opener for me; maybe it will be for you as well…
The body is an amazing creation but dehydration causes serious problems. It is dangerous to continually be dehydrated because the entire human body needs water to function properly.
We all need at least one liter of water daily just to maintain basic body functions. Water is lost through the lungs with every breath we take. Water is also lost with daily urination, sweat and stool. If the body doesn’t get enough water our metabolism becomes faulty. We may eat right but the lack of water keeps our body from operating, as it should. Our cells, tissues and organs all depend upon water. Even the neural pathways and other fluids systems of our body depend upon water. Every chemical reaction that takes place in our bodies is based upon this unique liquid. No other liquid meets the standard and no cell or organ can work properly without water!
The brain will not function properly without water. It needs to be hydrated or confusion can set in and early signs of dementia appear. Skin and muscles that are in poor condition are often the result of not having enough water. If the brain doesn’t have what is necessary to operate then it cannot signal the rest of our bodies to function properly either. The body first looks for water within its cells all over the body and then it looks for water on the outside of its cells and finally it takes water straight from the bloodstream. When our body suffers dehydration on a regular basis, it tries to store up water and this results in edema where the areas surrounding the eyes, feet, legs and ankles are most often affected. This extra water storage in the body may cause different disorders and severe life threatening damage.
Some Symptoms of Dehydration include:
· Exhaustion and lack of energy (When the body is struggling to maintain healthy tissue we feel exhausted.)
· Constipation (The intestinal tract needs sufficient water for smooth operation.)
· Eating Disorders (When digestive juices are reduced by lack of water, the body sends false signals of appetite which result in eating disorders.)
· Low or high blood pressure (Blood volume has to do with the amount of water in our blood, if it’s insufficient to fill the arteries, veins and capillaries then the body may react in either low or high blood pressure.)
· Gastritis and/or gastric ulcer (The stomach must be protected from injury by gastric acids and water is that protection.)
· Problems with the respiratory system (Mucous membranes need water to protect the body from harmful substances found in inhaled air.)
· Improper acid-alkaline balances (When the body is acidic: yeast, bacteria, viruses and cancer can thrive; when the body is alkaline: foreign bacteria, viruses, yeast and cancer can not live—but there must be balance between the acid and alkaline levels for a healthy existence.)
· Extra weight and obesity (We often confuse thirst with hunger and overeat because we actually need water. Drinking more water will allow our bodies to burn more calories.)
· Eczema (The body needs to carry off toxins and skin irritants and if the proper water is not maintained then the toxins erupt on the skin.)
· Cholesterol (When the cells lose water, the body tries to stop it by producing more cholesterol—maybe it wasn’t those eggs after all!)
WOW! and this is only part of the symptoms...
The next issue has been that any liquid counts as water. I’ve read a lot about that, both pro and con but the only thing I come away thinking is that there were no soda fountains in the garden for Adam and Eve to fill their cups and the juice was always on the inside of the fruit. Hmmm… I made my decision to start drinking water based on that at first. Then I’m reminded of the scriptures concerning water. Just try putting the name of your favorite beverage in place of water… you’ll have a chuckle I’m sure and hopefully a point will be made for water. (Just look at my verse—out of his heart will flow rivers of Dr. Pepper! LOL)
In the end, as usual, Joyce gives us some tips. Basically, have water available at all times. When you are switching from sweetened beverages to water, go slow and make it taste good. You can purchase slightly sweetened and flavored waters and eventually just have water. She mentioned much, much more… so read it for your self. There may be something else that triggers you to start drinking water…
Now, let’s plan on drinking more water this week and less of other beverages. How about it? Let’s remember that our body, God’s temples are being restored! As we gain health and vitality, others may wonder how and why and our answer may not only be natural but spiritual in nature. Even if they never ask, we will know and be ready to give answer. Have a great week!
If out of my heart there are to flow rivers of living water, then there must be a purpose. Could Jesus be saying more than what at first meets our eye in this scripture? Is He saying that our rivers are to flow constantly outward? Is He saying that our rivers are never to be dammed up? Are we to allow others to enter our rivers so that they may benefit, taste and drink from this refreshing source of everlasting life?
So what is a river, really? The dictionary says that a river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, that flows toward an ocean, lake, sea, or another river. Only in a few cases, does a river simply flow into the ground or dry up before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including streams, creeks, brooks, rivulets, tributaries and rills. There is no general rule that defines what can be called a river, although in some countries or communities a stream may be defined by its size.
So if a river’s purpose is to reach another body of water, then spiritually are we striving to reach another? What is happening along the waterway? Are we affecting others as we flow along? Is our water bitter? Is our water sweet? Is our water dying up or turned away from the original body of water that it was flowing toward in the first place? Do we even have a river flowing? When did it begin or when did it end?
But I have an even greater question ~ have we been drying up and gone without sufficient water within our banks for so long that we don’t even notice we’re thirsting for the one we’re flowing toward?
This question is profound because it points to both the natural and the spiritual realms. (I believe God views these realms as one and the same, but we just haven’t come to that full realization yet.)
We can get so used to not having enough of something to the point that we don’t realize we need it any longer! How sad and scary that thought is…
Spiritually, if I go long enough without praying, studying God’s Word, seeking His face and being in the congregation with other Christians then there will come a time that it seems I don’t need to do those things. This would be cause for emotional, mental and eventually physical ailments to surface because I would not be getting what I needed daily to live a healthy Christian lifestyle.
On the other hand...
These thoughts were what triggered within me after I read Joyce’s chapter, “Water Your Life” in Look Great, Feel Great. I’m still thinking on those things as I ponder the more natural side of her message. The message she gave in her book.
Personally speaking, after many years of self-indulgence and abuse, I came to relize that God wants me to act out my faith. He wants me to be a witness. He hasn’t asked me to get up on the rooftop, wave a huge banner and yell about him. He has asked me to be a walking testimony to those around me, to always be able to answer when I’m asked a question about Him and to daily surrender my life to Him. Am I always successful? No, sad to say I am not, but that doesn’t stop me from working toward being the best I can be for Him. I vow not to give up or give in even when it’s hard. Sometimes this path I've chosen is very hard, but He holds my hand!
Back to Joyce and her “Water” chapter… She states many things, but I’m just going to take the part that applies to me and elaborate on it. I’ve found when talking to others that many of us have the same issues when it comes to health and drinking enough water has been one of my issues ever since I can remember. I’m getting better but I still have to remind myself to drink plain, old water throughout the day. I researched several articles after reading Joyce. I knew some of it but here’s more of what I discovered and it was a reminder as well as an eye opener for me; maybe it will be for you as well…
The body is an amazing creation but dehydration causes serious problems. It is dangerous to continually be dehydrated because the entire human body needs water to function properly.
We all need at least one liter of water daily just to maintain basic body functions. Water is lost through the lungs with every breath we take. Water is also lost with daily urination, sweat and stool. If the body doesn’t get enough water our metabolism becomes faulty. We may eat right but the lack of water keeps our body from operating, as it should. Our cells, tissues and organs all depend upon water. Even the neural pathways and other fluids systems of our body depend upon water. Every chemical reaction that takes place in our bodies is based upon this unique liquid. No other liquid meets the standard and no cell or organ can work properly without water!
The brain will not function properly without water. It needs to be hydrated or confusion can set in and early signs of dementia appear. Skin and muscles that are in poor condition are often the result of not having enough water. If the brain doesn’t have what is necessary to operate then it cannot signal the rest of our bodies to function properly either. The body first looks for water within its cells all over the body and then it looks for water on the outside of its cells and finally it takes water straight from the bloodstream. When our body suffers dehydration on a regular basis, it tries to store up water and this results in edema where the areas surrounding the eyes, feet, legs and ankles are most often affected. This extra water storage in the body may cause different disorders and severe life threatening damage.
Some Symptoms of Dehydration include:
· Exhaustion and lack of energy (When the body is struggling to maintain healthy tissue we feel exhausted.)
· Constipation (The intestinal tract needs sufficient water for smooth operation.)
· Eating Disorders (When digestive juices are reduced by lack of water, the body sends false signals of appetite which result in eating disorders.)
· Low or high blood pressure (Blood volume has to do with the amount of water in our blood, if it’s insufficient to fill the arteries, veins and capillaries then the body may react in either low or high blood pressure.)
· Gastritis and/or gastric ulcer (The stomach must be protected from injury by gastric acids and water is that protection.)
· Problems with the respiratory system (Mucous membranes need water to protect the body from harmful substances found in inhaled air.)
· Improper acid-alkaline balances (When the body is acidic: yeast, bacteria, viruses and cancer can thrive; when the body is alkaline: foreign bacteria, viruses, yeast and cancer can not live—but there must be balance between the acid and alkaline levels for a healthy existence.)
· Extra weight and obesity (We often confuse thirst with hunger and overeat because we actually need water. Drinking more water will allow our bodies to burn more calories.)
· Eczema (The body needs to carry off toxins and skin irritants and if the proper water is not maintained then the toxins erupt on the skin.)
· Cholesterol (When the cells lose water, the body tries to stop it by producing more cholesterol—maybe it wasn’t those eggs after all!)
WOW! and this is only part of the symptoms...
The next issue has been that any liquid counts as water. I’ve read a lot about that, both pro and con but the only thing I come away thinking is that there were no soda fountains in the garden for Adam and Eve to fill their cups and the juice was always on the inside of the fruit. Hmmm… I made my decision to start drinking water based on that at first. Then I’m reminded of the scriptures concerning water. Just try putting the name of your favorite beverage in place of water… you’ll have a chuckle I’m sure and hopefully a point will be made for water. (Just look at my verse—out of his heart will flow rivers of Dr. Pepper! LOL)
In the end, as usual, Joyce gives us some tips. Basically, have water available at all times. When you are switching from sweetened beverages to water, go slow and make it taste good. You can purchase slightly sweetened and flavored waters and eventually just have water. She mentioned much, much more… so read it for your self. There may be something else that triggers you to start drinking water…
Now, let’s plan on drinking more water this week and less of other beverages. How about it? Let’s remember that our body, God’s temples are being restored! As we gain health and vitality, others may wonder how and why and our answer may not only be natural but spiritual in nature. Even if they never ask, we will know and be ready to give answer. Have a great week!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Free to Eat
Yeah… right…duh… Joyce did it again! She got my hopes up and then wham ~ reality! Let's look at the scripture...
What was God saying and what was Joyce Meyer echoing back in part, “We are free to eat.” If you never thought of that before then think it, because however crazy it sounds, it’s really true. We are free to eat! Every bite we take is a free choice, right? Right!
What are the results of freely eating? All we need to do is take a look at our physical selves and examine how we really feel. Maybe we look okay, but do we have stamina to make it through another day, hour, or even minute?
Think of all the different diets most of us have tried in our lifetime. We placed restrictions on ourselves that were not healthy. But, the claims all said these diets and products were healthy. Did we have ticklish ears? Did we want to believe in a counterfiet miracle? Research after the fact of poor diets and dieter’s symptoms including sickness and sometimes even death were some of the results. Many of the dieting supplements or dieting with severe restrictions of essential elements wrecked our bodies. The flip side of all that dieting abuse for most of us was as soon as we took away the products, we ballooned up bigger than what we were when we first began. Most of the time we were even much weaker than before starting those programs.
Oh my, what abuses we were committing, when all we really needed to do was pay attention to what foods God gave us naturally and limit the consumption. Better yet, we could have eaten freely of the foods God gave us and made sure we were active enough to be healthy. In other words God didn’t make us to be sedentary. After all the first exercise mentioned was Adam walking in the garden with God! What a cool thought that is! So it stands to reason that our unused body parts will eventually waste away. It’s called muscle atrophy. Once this process starts, it’s very difficult to reverse. (I'm not sure we can reverse it entirely. I know first hand what wasted muscle mass is and I’m trying to reverse it right now! I don’t have near the strength in my arms and legs that I once had and it is from years of inactivity.)
I just reverted back to last week. Exercise was my last blog topic, but this week it's balanced eating... so...
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t ever eat food combinations with enhancements or never have a luscious dessert or drizzle chocolate or have whipped cream over strawberries, etc. But, God constructed our bodies to be like living machines. We can’t operate unless we feed upon essential nutrients from the natural foods that God gave us. Have you ever seen a donut tree? Do you pick candy from a vine? Do we dig up baklava out back in the dirt? Are processed vitamins growing on bushes? I don’t think so…
Joyce gave many examples of abusive dieting practices in her book, Look Great, Feel Great chapter: Balanced Eating. She spoke extensively of fats, foods that were considered bad years ago, proteins and cholesterol. It is well worth a few moments to read her inspired words. What else did she say? Balance is the key!
We might know that we are supposed to eat more fruits and veggies but we aren’t doing it. We might know that whole grains are much better for our bodies but we aren’t eating them. We might know all the nutrition answers so that we can pass an exam if asked the questions, but we much apply this knowledge to ourselves in order to become strong and useful for the LORD’s work and His ultimate glory!
Think on this story from the first chapter of Daniel.
Don't go crazy here and think that you have to eat only veggies! It's a story! It's a story to bring understanding to the complexity of eating right. There were other cultural factors within this biblical story but that is an entirely different subject matter.
Isn't it interesting how food can be compared to the various instructions that we receive whether they are good or bad for us. Some of it is digested for our good use, some of it is stored and some of it simply goes out as waste.
Start! We just need to start! We need to start putting into practice the marvelous things that we already know. Start reading up on more health wise things we aren’t quite sure of. Start taking responsibility for all that we have put ourselves through and make the changes necessary for a higher quality of life.
I'm ready... are you ready?
You may freely eat of every tree in the garden. Genesis 2:16
What was God saying and what was Joyce Meyer echoing back in part, “We are free to eat.” If you never thought of that before then think it, because however crazy it sounds, it’s really true. We are free to eat! Every bite we take is a free choice, right? Right!
Oh my, what abuses we were committing, when all we really needed to do was pay attention to what foods God gave us naturally and limit the consumption. Better yet, we could have eaten freely of the foods God gave us and made sure we were active enough to be healthy. In other words God didn’t make us to be sedentary. After all the first exercise mentioned was Adam walking in the garden with God! What a cool thought that is! So it stands to reason that our unused body parts will eventually waste away. It’s called muscle atrophy. Once this process starts, it’s very difficult to reverse. (I'm not sure we can reverse it entirely. I know first hand what wasted muscle mass is and I’m trying to reverse it right now! I don’t have near the strength in my arms and legs that I once had and it is from years of inactivity.)
I just reverted back to last week. Exercise was my last blog topic, but this week it's balanced eating... so...
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t ever eat food combinations with enhancements or never have a luscious dessert or drizzle chocolate or have whipped cream over strawberries, etc. But, God constructed our bodies to be like living machines. We can’t operate unless we feed upon essential nutrients from the natural foods that God gave us. Have you ever seen a donut tree? Do you pick candy from a vine? Do we dig up baklava out back in the dirt? Are processed vitamins growing on bushes? I don’t think so…
Joyce gave many examples of abusive dieting practices in her book, Look Great, Feel Great chapter: Balanced Eating. She spoke extensively of fats, foods that were considered bad years ago, proteins and cholesterol. It is well worth a few moments to read her inspired words. What else did she say? Balance is the key!
We might know that we are supposed to eat more fruits and veggies but we aren’t doing it. We might know that whole grains are much better for our bodies but we aren’t eating them. We might know all the nutrition answers so that we can pass an exam if asked the questions, but we much apply this knowledge to ourselves in order to become strong and useful for the LORD’s work and His ultimate glory!
Think on this story from the first chapter of Daniel.
- But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.
- Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”
- Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.
- At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.
Don't go crazy here and think that you have to eat only veggies! It's a story! It's a story to bring understanding to the complexity of eating right. There were other cultural factors within this biblical story but that is an entirely different subject matter.
Isn't it interesting how food can be compared to the various instructions that we receive whether they are good or bad for us. Some of it is digested for our good use, some of it is stored and some of it simply goes out as waste.
Then let's clear our thinking.
Stop! We just need to stop! We need to stop thinking of food as just food. Stop thinking that yummy, gooey, empty fat producing calories is the only thing in life to enjoy. Stop stuffing our faces! Start! We just need to start! We need to start putting into practice the marvelous things that we already know. Start reading up on more health wise things we aren’t quite sure of. Start taking responsibility for all that we have put ourselves through and make the changes necessary for a higher quality of life.
I'm ready... are you ready?
Good Health Blessing
God fills our cup of life each day with gifts that make us strong,
He hears the prayers within our hearts and always rights each wrong.
God fills our cup of life each day and brings us to His door
To shine His gift of perfect health and fill our cups once more.
May the cup of God's blessing and His presence too
Bring the gift of good health to shine on you. ~ Patricia Ann Emme ~
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Exercise
You know if I had been a close personal friend of Joyce Meyer, I probably would have tried to talk her out of writing the chapter of Exercise in her book, Look Great, Feel Great. You might be thinking, but her book wouldn’t have been complete without this chapter in it, right? Right! We all know exercise is good for us, but most of us just don’t want to hear that message again. Well, you guessed it! Exercise is the devotional topic for me this week.
I heard my pastor say on different occasions how Christians in America tend to view the scriptures. In general, we go about our walk as if we were choosing from a food bar. We pick and choose according to our desires and personal interests. It’s like going to a restaurant. We’ll pick our likes and leave behind the rest. If one restaurant isn’t up to our “standards” then we’ll stop going there and go to another one instead. It’s much the same way in God’s Word. If we don’t particularly like something, then we tend not to meditate on it, pray about it or obey it. If we don’t like the church or pastors, we pack up and go to attend another church. (After all church is normally just an hour or two a week, almost the same as a dinner out. What’s wrong with that picture?)
So if we don’t like it when we are told that God is holy and one day we will stand in front of Him, then we’ll only choose to know verses that keep us fat on God’s love. We will never get healthy on verses that teach us His righteousness. We don’t choose from the things that make us stronger but rather we continue to choose from the same things that keep us weak. But God gave us the entire Word and we aren’t supposed to pick and choose just what we like. We need to be fortified by choosing from all of His riches and that means even including items we don’t particularly like.
Here’s my dislike in the natural: exercise. This week I cannot ignore it... Up until now, each respective topic that Joyce has presented I’ve been able to make peace with and practice. The thought of exercise occasionally came to my mind in the past few months but my attitude normally dismissed it quickly with “I’ll think about it later. I’m not ready now.”
Ready or not… it’s time to make peace and just do it! So my verse of activation is this from Philippians 3:13-14:
· Forgetting what lies behind (that means all my lazy, "don’t have time for this" self-talk has to be forgotten.)
· and straining forward to what lies ahead I press on toward the goal (that means I must make and keep daily goals for exercise and do my best to check them off by the time I’m ready for bed each night.)
· for the prize of the heavenly call (I know that God is calling me out of bondage from myself. My physical chains and my mental blinders have robbed me of His call. I will listen.)
· (heavenly call) of God in Christ Jesus. (Jesus paid the ultimate price to redeem me and it needs to be more than duty that I obey His Word to me. He says, “I gave my life for you. What have you done for me?” With His help I will make changes so that I can physically do more for Him. Amen.)
Again, at the end or her chapter, Joyce gives us five tips to get started. We can choose what best suits our life style but the fact it that we must choose something. Here suggestions are these: a daily walk; indoor exercise, strength training, running or biking, and/or swimming. We all can probably think of others ways to exercise… heavy duty cleaning and gardening are the two I think about. The only trouble with these is that they are pretty much seasonal and I need consistency.
In my research, I find that the best exercise is to alternate something aerobic on one day and strength training the next. It is best to start slow (even 5 minutes is better than none) and work up to more time in the process. In the old days it was suggested to exercise just three days a week. Well, new research says everyday. I’ve made a decision that I am going to alternate days and also devote one day to biblical rest. Here’s my schedule. (Sorry if it bores you, but I’m more likely to do it, if I put it in print here first.)
I heard my pastor say on different occasions how Christians in America tend to view the scriptures. In general, we go about our walk as if we were choosing from a food bar. We pick and choose according to our desires and personal interests. It’s like going to a restaurant. We’ll pick our likes and leave behind the rest. If one restaurant isn’t up to our “standards” then we’ll stop going there and go to another one instead. It’s much the same way in God’s Word. If we don’t particularly like something, then we tend not to meditate on it, pray about it or obey it. If we don’t like the church or pastors, we pack up and go to attend another church. (After all church is normally just an hour or two a week, almost the same as a dinner out. What’s wrong with that picture?)
So if we don’t like it when we are told that God is holy and one day we will stand in front of Him, then we’ll only choose to know verses that keep us fat on God’s love. We will never get healthy on verses that teach us His righteousness. We don’t choose from the things that make us stronger but rather we continue to choose from the same things that keep us weak. But God gave us the entire Word and we aren’t supposed to pick and choose just what we like. We need to be fortified by choosing from all of His riches and that means even including items we don’t particularly like.
Here’s my dislike in the natural: exercise. This week I cannot ignore it... Up until now, each respective topic that Joyce has presented I’ve been able to make peace with and practice. The thought of exercise occasionally came to my mind in the past few months but my attitude normally dismissed it quickly with “I’ll think about it later. I’m not ready now.”
Ready or not… it’s time to make peace and just do it! So my verse of activation is this from Philippians 3:13-14:
· Forgetting what lies behind (that means all my lazy, "don’t have time for this" self-talk has to be forgotten.)
· and straining forward to what lies ahead I press on toward the goal (that means I must make and keep daily goals for exercise and do my best to check them off by the time I’m ready for bed each night.)
· for the prize of the heavenly call (I know that God is calling me out of bondage from myself. My physical chains and my mental blinders have robbed me of His call. I will listen.)
· (heavenly call) of God in Christ Jesus. (Jesus paid the ultimate price to redeem me and it needs to be more than duty that I obey His Word to me. He says, “I gave my life for you. What have you done for me?” With His help I will make changes so that I can physically do more for Him. Amen.)
Again, at the end or her chapter, Joyce gives us five tips to get started. We can choose what best suits our life style but the fact it that we must choose something. Here suggestions are these: a daily walk; indoor exercise, strength training, running or biking, and/or swimming. We all can probably think of others ways to exercise… heavy duty cleaning and gardening are the two I think about. The only trouble with these is that they are pretty much seasonal and I need consistency.
In my research, I find that the best exercise is to alternate something aerobic on one day and strength training the next. It is best to start slow (even 5 minutes is better than none) and work up to more time in the process. In the old days it was suggested to exercise just three days a week. Well, new research says everyday. I’ve made a decision that I am going to alternate days and also devote one day to biblical rest. Here’s my schedule. (Sorry if it bores you, but I’m more likely to do it, if I put it in print here first.)
- Sunday ~ aerobic walking
- Monday ~ strength training~ upper body
- Tuesday ~ aerobic walking
- Wednesday ~ strength training~ lower body
- Thursday~ aerobic walking
- Friday ~ strength training~ entire body
- Saturday ~ rest, read, reflect ~ blog
Let’s continue to get healthy for there is much to be done for His glory.
Let us shine for Him!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Maybe We Know This, Maybe We Don’t and Maybe We Just Need Refreshed!
The post is based on "Mastering Metabolism" from Joyce Meyer’s book, Look Great, Feel Great.
James 1:22 scripture says, “ Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.” Some of us look at this and although we see it as a simple enough statement, we know it is not simple at all. How can I do anything that exerts energy when I am not physically able?
You and I have had this experience... Well meaning Christian friends stick their fingers in your faces and tell you “their” story. They tell you that you don’t believe God enough and that you just need more faith and so on… They will say things that they think are helpful but we still come away feeling even more defeated than before. It seems no one is listening and no one understands. We might as well keep our thoughts to ourselves and pretend that everything is just fine. Really?
Are you pretending to the world and at the same time knowing in your body that you aren’t physically able to move. You can’t breathe or your body aches you to tears. Do you sometimes overexert yourself before your friends and family and then find a safe place to suffer in silence where they can’t find you? Are you hiding out?
Metabolism, what does this have to do with being doers of the Word? The answer ~ plenty!
WebMD online has this to say about metabolism:
I’m learning that I have to know what the “problem” is before I can attempt to fix it. How often have I said I needed to get healthy and just picked anything from thousands of diets and start on my merry way? You and I need to stop that! It’s gotten us nowhere and when we talk to others, it’s gotten them nowhere either.
Last week, we looked at learning how to love our bodies. If you’re participating, we’re asking God to guide us. I needed those beginning chapters of Joyce’s book to get me going mentally! Inviting God to help us needs to be in place before we begin any of the rebuilding process. Without God I can do nothing, but He is not going to do for me what I am supposed to do for myself. If I trust in Him, I know that He will step in when I have done all I could under his direction. He will step in when I am obeying His Word!
This week, instead of focusing first on what is wrong with us, let’s learn how our bodies are supposed to work. Let's get a better understanding about what our bodies should be doing instead of what they are presently doing. (I know I’m speaking as if our bodies are independent entities. You could say they are, after all the body I have is just where my soul lives and the Holy Spirit dwells. It’s a shelter. It’s a house. So let’s learn about it and do our part to rebuild it.)
Wow! These are only some of the things our body is supposed to do. We might need to tweak just one thing on this list for ourselves or we might have many. I’m working on several right now, but I’ve been working on them since July. We all need to remember to take it one step at a time. Rebuilding our body will not be easy and it will take time. We all have to consider getting healthy as another job. The difference is that if we quit this job, we die early. Let’s learn to live so we can bring glory to our LORD JESUS by being what He has called us to be.
Joyce says we need these things to boost our metabolism:
1. Exercise 2. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner (don’t skip meals~ your body needs fuel during the day) 3. Drink water 4. Sleep well 5. “Fidget” by making ways of being more active every day Interesting list, isn't it?!
You need a “simple” plan to start.
If you need help with a diet plan, you might need to see a doctor, nutritionist or dietitian in the health field. If you need an exercise plan, you might need to see a doctor, trainer or coach , but you can do some research and learn a great deal on your own. (Don’t give up now because it seems overwhelming. It is overwhelming! That’s the point! Most of us are carrying around a ton of “whelm”. I just want to get rid of the “over” so I can eventually get rid of the whelm, too! LOL (In case you didn’t know, whelm means to cover or engulf completely with usually disastrous effects! Isn’t that what being overweight does?)
No one has to follow my plan. In fact I'd rather you find your own plan because you are different and your needs are different. My plan came about after many years of stupid dieting, losing and gaining back, and spending lots of $$$ for “miracle diets” My plan started out very simple this past July because I was actually too sick and tired for a complicated "hit it with all my might" plan!
The first thing I did was decide to do something. I looked online and found Sparkpeople to track what I was already eating. No diet at all at first. I was able to see the carbs, protein and fat percentages according to their pie chart. This was a major eye opener. I thought most of my calories came from carbs, but they came from protein. You might be surprised what you find out when you really attempt a truthful examination of your habits.
The next few weeks, I explored the Sparkpeople site and got involved.
o created a health page on that site and included a weight tracker
o made a few online friends and joined some teams such as Inspired and Challenged by Joyce Meyer, Managing Diabetes Group, Flylady:Peace Is Mine, Living Healthy in Our 50s and Beyond, Virginia Sparkers, and 50+ Females. (Just so you know, I had time this summer to explore and get serious so that it’s not as hard now to stick with the plan since I’ve gone back to work! But, right now, I’m not visiting the site as often. Yet I know it's there when I need a boost. Sending little encouragements, etc. to online friends when I get the chance is a great boost for me as well. We all have to figure out what we can handle. By the way ~ the subject matter of this blog is a direct result of the Joyce Meyer team on Sparkpeople.)
o Checked out and cooked up some good recipes
o Read a bunch of articles about health, diet and exercise
o Collected awards and points for fun (You’ll have to check it out to see what I’m talking about.)
o Made a mental plan for the next steps, including getting a full night’s sleep and consistent exercise. I’m not there yet, but I’m working on it. I’d like to be able to walk with my school team at the end of the school year in the Relay for Life to help find a cure for cancer. (You see, this all started in my heart first because I really want to be a blessing to those around me according to what my LORD has directed. Now, it’s just getting my head to comply to my heart’s desire. Wonder if this is where the phrase for being hard-headed came from? I’ve got a lot to work out! LOL)
o Well, Sparkpeople is just one tool you can use.
The main point is that many of us need to make healthy changes for ourselves. We need energy. We need our metabolism to be on track so that we can have that energy. You and I have a lot to share in helping one another and there is much to do! Our LORD wants us to be doers of the Word! Now, we all have an idea about that so let’s start putting positive things into practice. Let’s rebuild this body (His temple) and regain energy to make the world a better place. Let’s think and do things for others out of habit and impulse because we have been renewed. Let’s shine for JESUS!
Lastly, I’d like to thank those of you who have commented on my Sparkpage, sent emails or stopped by and talked to me about how you have been doing with regards to my devotional articles. I appreciate everything you’ve shared and pray for each of you to have an easier walk this week than you had last week. May GOD richly bless you on your journey in His Kingdom here on earth.
This devotional was inspired by Joyce Meyer’s book, Look Great Feel Great.
885
James 1:22 scripture says, “ Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.” Some of us look at this and although we see it as a simple enough statement, we know it is not simple at all. How can I do anything that exerts energy when I am not physically able?
You and I have had this experience... Well meaning Christian friends stick their fingers in your faces and tell you “their” story. They tell you that you don’t believe God enough and that you just need more faith and so on… They will say things that they think are helpful but we still come away feeling even more defeated than before. It seems no one is listening and no one understands. We might as well keep our thoughts to ourselves and pretend that everything is just fine. Really?
Are you pretending to the world and at the same time knowing in your body that you aren’t physically able to move. You can’t breathe or your body aches you to tears. Do you sometimes overexert yourself before your friends and family and then find a safe place to suffer in silence where they can’t find you? Are you hiding out?
Metabolism, what does this have to do with being doers of the Word? The answer ~ plenty!
WebMD online has this to say about metabolism:
"Your metabolism, experts say, involves a complex network of hormones and enzymes that not only convert food into fuel but also affect how efficiently you burn that fuel."So what does that mean?
I’m learning that I have to know what the “problem” is before I can attempt to fix it. How often have I said I needed to get healthy and just picked anything from thousands of diets and start on my merry way? You and I need to stop that! It’s gotten us nowhere and when we talk to others, it’s gotten them nowhere either.
Last week, we looked at learning how to love our bodies. If you’re participating, we’re asking God to guide us. I needed those beginning chapters of Joyce’s book to get me going mentally! Inviting God to help us needs to be in place before we begin any of the rebuilding process. Without God I can do nothing, but He is not going to do for me what I am supposed to do for myself. If I trust in Him, I know that He will step in when I have done all I could under his direction. He will step in when I am obeying His Word!
This week, instead of focusing first on what is wrong with us, let’s learn how our bodies are supposed to work. Let's get a better understanding about what our bodies should be doing instead of what they are presently doing. (I know I’m speaking as if our bodies are independent entities. You could say they are, after all the body I have is just where my soul lives and the Holy Spirit dwells. It’s a shelter. It’s a house. So let’s learn about it and do our part to rebuild it.)
- The body is supposed to break down our food and convert it into energy. All our energy comes from food. Pills and supplements can’t provide what we need as well as food sources can, so let’s not consider them at this point. (There are many who have medical prescriptions and your doctor is your best resource because he/she knows you. The pills and supplements I’m talking about are your across the counter ones that you can purchase without a prescription. We need to be careful what we choose to believe with regard to them. In other words, do your homework.)
- The body has it’s own instinctive survival techniques and is supposed to send what we need where we need it and when we need it.
- The body is supposed to store any excess energy for future use. (Yes, this is fat.)
- The body is supposed to eliminate what is not used.
- The body is supposed to be adequately rested in a 24 hour time period.
- The body is supposed to be hydrated at all times.
- The body is supposed to exert energy for cardio health, strength and flexibility.
Wow! These are only some of the things our body is supposed to do. We might need to tweak just one thing on this list for ourselves or we might have many. I’m working on several right now, but I’ve been working on them since July. We all need to remember to take it one step at a time. Rebuilding our body will not be easy and it will take time. We all have to consider getting healthy as another job. The difference is that if we quit this job, we die early. Let’s learn to live so we can bring glory to our LORD JESUS by being what He has called us to be.
Joyce says we need these things to boost our metabolism:
1. Exercise 2. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner (don’t skip meals~ your body needs fuel during the day) 3. Drink water 4. Sleep well 5. “Fidget” by making ways of being more active every day Interesting list, isn't it?!
You need a “simple” plan to start.
If you need help with a diet plan, you might need to see a doctor, nutritionist or dietitian in the health field. If you need an exercise plan, you might need to see a doctor, trainer or coach , but you can do some research and learn a great deal on your own. (Don’t give up now because it seems overwhelming. It is overwhelming! That’s the point! Most of us are carrying around a ton of “whelm”. I just want to get rid of the “over” so I can eventually get rid of the whelm, too! LOL (In case you didn’t know, whelm means to cover or engulf completely with usually disastrous effects! Isn’t that what being overweight does?)
No one has to follow my plan. In fact I'd rather you find your own plan because you are different and your needs are different. My plan came about after many years of stupid dieting, losing and gaining back, and spending lots of $$$ for “miracle diets” My plan started out very simple this past July because I was actually too sick and tired for a complicated "hit it with all my might" plan!
The first thing I did was decide to do something. I looked online and found Sparkpeople to track what I was already eating. No diet at all at first. I was able to see the carbs, protein and fat percentages according to their pie chart. This was a major eye opener. I thought most of my calories came from carbs, but they came from protein. You might be surprised what you find out when you really attempt a truthful examination of your habits.
The next few weeks, I explored the Sparkpeople site and got involved.
o created a health page on that site and included a weight tracker
o made a few online friends and joined some teams such as Inspired and Challenged by Joyce Meyer, Managing Diabetes Group, Flylady:Peace Is Mine, Living Healthy in Our 50s and Beyond, Virginia Sparkers, and 50+ Females. (Just so you know, I had time this summer to explore and get serious so that it’s not as hard now to stick with the plan since I’ve gone back to work! But, right now, I’m not visiting the site as often. Yet I know it's there when I need a boost. Sending little encouragements, etc. to online friends when I get the chance is a great boost for me as well. We all have to figure out what we can handle. By the way ~ the subject matter of this blog is a direct result of the Joyce Meyer team on Sparkpeople.)
o Checked out and cooked up some good recipes
o Read a bunch of articles about health, diet and exercise
o Collected awards and points for fun (You’ll have to check it out to see what I’m talking about.)
o Made a mental plan for the next steps, including getting a full night’s sleep and consistent exercise. I’m not there yet, but I’m working on it. I’d like to be able to walk with my school team at the end of the school year in the Relay for Life to help find a cure for cancer. (You see, this all started in my heart first because I really want to be a blessing to those around me according to what my LORD has directed. Now, it’s just getting my head to comply to my heart’s desire. Wonder if this is where the phrase for being hard-headed came from? I’ve got a lot to work out! LOL)
o Well, Sparkpeople is just one tool you can use.
The main point is that many of us need to make healthy changes for ourselves. We need energy. We need our metabolism to be on track so that we can have that energy. You and I have a lot to share in helping one another and there is much to do! Our LORD wants us to be doers of the Word! Now, we all have an idea about that so let’s start putting positive things into practice. Let’s rebuild this body (His temple) and regain energy to make the world a better place. Let’s think and do things for others out of habit and impulse because we have been renewed. Let’s shine for JESUS!
Lastly, I’d like to thank those of you who have commented on my Sparkpage, sent emails or stopped by and talked to me about how you have been doing with regards to my devotional articles. I appreciate everything you’ve shared and pray for each of you to have an easier walk this week than you had last week. May GOD richly bless you on your journey in His Kingdom here on earth.
This devotional was inspired by Joyce Meyer’s book, Look Great Feel Great.
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