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.

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.

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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


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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

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!


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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!

1.  I can control my wants through Christ.
2.  I can control my thinking through Christ.
3. 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.

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!

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...

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!

  

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.

• 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 ~

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.)

• 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!

Don’t Give Me Anymore ~~Blah! Blah! Blah!

I read an article this week concerning the Apostle John. It was told that when John was at Ephesus and well stricken in age, he had to be carried by his disciples in order to teach. At that time, he was only able to put together a statement of a few words and basically taught the same thing each time. “Little children, love one another.” Finally after his disciples had grown quite tired of his teaching, they asked him why he always said the same thing. His answer was this, “Because it is the Lord’s precept, and if it alone is done, it is enough.” (Jerome, commentary on Galatians, from R. Alan Culpepper, John, the Son of Zebedee)



John’s disciples thought that his teaching was nothing more than blah, blah, blah because they had heard it over and over again. Yet, in truth, his teaching was more important than his disciples were aware. It takes patience and practice to be able to apply this principle of God. You shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18



Today’s devotional is much the same. You and I have heard it before. I needed to hear it even again.  It may sound “blah, blah, blah” to you. But think of this, are you and I applying what we know with patience and practice?  Have we mastered this subject area?  I wonder!



Entering into Joyce Meyer’s book, Look Great Feel Great, I find that she has set 12 keys for great health. Before actually reading anything, I began to think about the significance of the number twelve. It came to mind that twelve was the number of stones on the high priest’s ephod (description from Old Testament scriptures.) Each stone was a different color and signified a different tribe of Israel. This was the founding of a new nation to which, God ruled supreme. So twelve for me represents “government” and in a sense we will be governing our lives to make positive changes if we adhere to the suggestions offered! After I began to read I found that Joyce actually alludes to this governing briefly.



When it comes to the area of becoming healthy, many times we set the stage and go after it on our own. If we need to exercise, we search for the types of exercise to achieve certain goals. We call up our willpower to kick into high gear! We do it ourselves. If it’s diet we need to change, we call upon our own willpower to change our poor eating habits into good ones. There are other habits we sometimes need to change and we determine through our own willpower that we will do it. There’s a problem here! Do you see it yet? What are we actually saying when we use the phrase “our willpower”? You might not like to hear this, but we are saying, “I will do it. I am in control!”



We often don’t realize that we have no power except that which God has given us. Nothing belongs to us. Could it be that the reason we fail so often comes from the fact that we take command when it is not ours to take? Christians, know this, the Kingdom of God is at hand! That means it’s a “right now” happening! It’s not something that is about to happen but it is happening! In this Kingdom, God is the authority. He was the authority, He is the authority and He is the authority yet to come. He is in all these states of being at one time. We don’t know how that can happen because we only understand and experience linear time. But God is in all places at once… past, present and future! What a wonderful mystery!  (We don't have to understand it, just believe it!)



Now, here’s where the blah, blah, blah comes in… We are not respecting the fact that God is the authority over our lives. If we want real change, we must commit ourselves to God’s authority.



How many times have we heard this but never really paid attention to it? In my last three blog-posts, following Joyce’s lead messages, I mentioned just how valuable we are to God. But do we get it yet?

• What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31

• Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Matthew 6:26

• So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

• Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” Genesis 1:27-30

We are created in His image, blessed and given everything just as Adam and Eve. Do we get it yet? We’re valuable to God! Blah, blah, blah…

• Jesus speaking to Nicodemus: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

• Jesus teaching: “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10

We are so valuable that God gave His own Son to pay the price for us. We are so valuable that He continues to give us a rich and satisfying life. We’re important to God! Do we get it yet?   Is it still just blah, blah, blah…





Now, put the two thoughts together:

#1 God made us in His image and we are valuable to Him.
#2 God is the supreme authority and we need to respect and honor Him by asking for His help.



Joyce Meyer’s says the first key is God. In order to respect his authority, we must not leave God out of any area of our lives. Willpower does not factor into the equation with God since “willpower” is all about our selves being in control. Christians, we have been bought with a price. When we have given ourselves to the Lord Jesus, we are not to have a will of our own any longer but strive to always be in the will of God for He dwells within us.



We say, “Oh no, I can’t do this. It’s too hard!” We are right. We can’t do it, but God can! We don’t have any power in ourselves.  This is why we can accomplish something for a while, but then we turn back and make the same mistakes. How long do we have to stay on this lesson to get it? God is merciful and gives us chance after chance to master whatever test is before us. He has make-ups tests, too.  We will take the test again and again until we get it… so why do we continue to turn to anyone or anything except God? Why do we do that?

•  (Jesus speaking) Apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5
•  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

We are not free to live the life God intended until we break away from the mental bondage that keeps telling us we are in control!

Recognize God’s authority, call out to Him and ask for help. He is concerned with everything about us and knows everything about us already. Yet, He won’t get involved unless we ask for it.




In her book, Joyce Meyer goes into more detail. But words on the pages are just words on the pages. These words will mean nothing if we don’t activate them with believing action. Put your faith into action.



I heard another little story this week, how an old man took a boy out in a boat. He was using two oars to travel down the river. Imprinted on one oar was the word “faith” and on the other was the word “works”. The young boy asked what those words meant, so the old man said, “Watch.” He put the oar that said “works” inside the boat and began to use only the oar called “faith”. Round and round he went, going nowhere. Then he said again, “Watch.” This time he placed the oar that said “faith” inside the boat and began to use only the ore called “works.” Again round and round he went, going nowhere. Finally he said, “Watch.”   This time he put the oars called “faith” and “works” into the water together. The boat immediately moved in a straightforward direction at which point the young boy was able to understand and said, “I see.”



Do we get it yet? 

I pray we come to realize that knowing God as our authority is not blah...  Let's keep making transforming decisions that He ordains, following guidelines that have already been presented through His Word!







This devotional was inspired by Joyce Meyer’s book, Look Great Feel Great.

Who Cares About Me Anyway?

Bravo, if you’re reading this. You’ve made a choice in search of ways to make your life a better one. Perhaps this will help motivate you and me on to victory over little things that we can manage. Think about the question, “Who cares about me anyway?”


Joyce Meyer’s speaks about reaching two different groups of people in her book, Look Great ~ Feel Great. I think that the characteristics of people from these two very different groups can show up as characteristics in one person during different stages of a life. Certainly most of us probably swing between these two extremes from time to time. Let's examine the groups and compare these to ourselves.



The first group of people are those who have simply given up on themselves. This attitude may not always show outwardly at first. People who have given up on themselves, consider themselves to be of little importance. They stop caring about others first and then they stop caring about themselves. They find no joy in anything and feel that it’s easier not to get involved than to expect anything. They come to this assumption because they do not want to be offended, feel emotional pain or experience disappointment ever again. They live their lives in defeat and depression. Sometimes outside circumstances may cause someone to feel this way, but often it’s something deep within a person rather than circumstances from the outside. When this attitude goes to the extreme, it shows up in the way someone takes care of them selves. Before these people even say a word, we notice that they have stopped taking care of themselves.



The other group of people, are just the opposite and are overachievers at life. They are always in a rush to get something accomplished. There is always a deadline and someone to please. They never learn to say no to anyone. Life is always about someone or something else. Investments are important and money is usually a driving force. The retirement fund has to be sufficient and so they keep working and never rest. They don’t like the slow down of vacation time and most often won’t even take one. They think of exercise and getting enough sleep as obstacles to getting ahead. Their lives are a roller coaster ride. We notice that these people don't take care of themselves either, they just have too much to do.

What is the reason that these two groups of poeple choose not to take care of themselves?  Joyce Meyer tells us they lack self-respect.



In many Christian circles, we often hear that our “flesh” is the biggest enemy that we have to defeat. If we are not careful, we will begin to get the idea that we are not important at all because we always associate "flesh" with "sin". That is far from God’s truth. Yes, "sin" is an enemy and our "flesh" is sometimes guilty, but the two words are not synonymous. Joyce makes the statement, “Looking nice is not a sin.” We really need to think about this... and perhaps readjust our understanding and attitude toward ourselves.



God doesn’t judge us based on our outward appearance. He looks deep within our hearts. So the first place we need to look is deep within us. We need to examine why we behave the way we do and base this examination on biblical truth. Have we bought the lie that we are not important? It is time to feed our spirit from the Word of God!  When we begin this journey of getting into God's Word, true revelation will come and we will begin to understand His great love toward us. We are not insignificant, He cares for everything about our existence.  When we begin to change the way we think of ourselves, then this will show up in our outer appearance.  The key to succes in this area is to begin by feeling great because God made us and He doesn't make junk!  If we begin to feel great emotionally and spiritually then this will show on the outside and we will look great!  (Notice I'm not talking about physically right now.  We need to start with our interior, the part that God sees!)


So who cares about me anyway? Well, my heavenly Father does and I should care about myself, too.

If you have any doubts about God’s love, here is a video graced with words from the Bible. Listen and believe it.  

(Please scroll down and turn off the playlist music before starting the video.)


Sound track of Father's Love Letter - Father Heart Communications Copyright 1999-2005  http://www.fathersloveletter.com/

These are the Bible scriptures noted in the video:

You may not know me, but I know everything about you (Psalm 139.1)
I know when you sit down and when you rise up (Psalm 139.2)
I am familiar with all your ways (Psalm 139.3)
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered (Matthew 10.29-31)
For you were made in my image (Genesis 1.27)
In me you live and move and have your being (Acts 17.28)
For you are my offspring (Acts 17.28)
I knew you even before you were conceived Jeremiah (1.4-5)
I chose you when I planned creation (Ephesians 1.11-12)
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book (Psalm 139.15-16)
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live (Acts 17.26)
You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139.14)
I knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139.13)
And brought you forth on the day you were born (Psalm 71.6)
I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me (John 8.41-44)
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love (1 John 4.16)
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you (1 John 3.1)
Simply because you are my child and I am your Father (1 John 3.1)
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could (Matthew 7.11)
For I am the perfect father (Matthew 5.48)
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand (James 1.17)
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs (Matthew 6.31-33)
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope (Jeremiah 29.11)
Because I love you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31.3)
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore… (Psalms 139.17-18)
And I rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3.17)
I will never stop doing good to you (Jeremiah 32.40)
For you are my treasured possession (Exodus 19.5)
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul Jeremiah (32.41)
And I want to show you great and marvellous things (Jeremiah 33.3)
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me (Deuteronomy 4.29)
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37.4)
For it is I who gave you those desires (Philippians 2.13)
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine (Ephesians 3.20)
For I am your greatest encourager (2 Thessalonians 2.16-17)
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles (2 Corinthians 1.3-4)
When you are broken-hearted, I am close to you (Psalm 34.18)
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart (Isaiah 40.11)
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes (Revelation 21.3-4)
And I’ll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth (Revelation 21.3-4)
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus (John 17.23)
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed (John 17.26)
He is the exact representation of my being (Hebrews 1.3)
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you (Romans 8.31)
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins (2 Corinthians 5.18-19)
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled (2 Corinthians 5.18-19)
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you (1 John 4.10)
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love (Romans 8.31-32)
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me (1 John 2.23)
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again (Romans 8.38-39)
Come home and I’ll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen (Luke 15.7)
I have always been Father, and will always be Father (Ephesians 3.14-15)
My question is “Will you be my child?” (John 1.12-13)
I am waiting for you (Luke 15.11-32)

Now, who cares about us anyway?


Today’s blog was inspired by Joyce Meyer’s ~ Look Great, Feel Great.

http://www.joycemeyer.org/ Joyce Meyer Ministries

Our Grace Gardens ~ His Grace Garden!

[Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]. Psalms 92:14, Amplified Bible.



It’s so dry and brown out here now in Virginia. The grass is withered and nothing seems to be growing but weeds. Yet when I take the time to look about, there are some who have lush little gardens of fragrant flowers in their yards. There are some who have vegetables growing that are near ready for harvesting. I’ve even seen some patio gardens with ripening tomatoes just ready to pull off and enjoy.



How did they get that way? Duh! They were tended with loving care because someone had faith enough in the tiny seed, or root or plant that these would mature and bear fruit. Would faith alone mature the plant? No! There had to be digging, watering and weeding. But the weeds had to be pulled away when they were tiny enough not to rob the precious seedling of its nutrients. Perhaps the gardener had to apply fertilizer and coat the leaves with some sort of repellent to keep hungry bugs from devouring his precious plant. But eventually one becomes many.



We have been given one body. There will be no fruit if it is not tended carefully. The body’s fruit is to function. We see the outward parts and realize that each one is important to our senses. There are people who have had to deal without sight and/or hearing, but we seldom think of those who have to deal without knowing touch, taste and even smell. Does that sound strange? Well, some diseases such as diabetes or accidents can rob us of our sense of touch. Poor choices can rob us. I know first hand that smoking can deaden your taste buds and your sense of smell.  (Praise God I’ve been delivered of the smoking habit!)  I’ve also heard that chewing and/or snorting can rob your sense of taste and smell, too.  I’m sure there are other things that can cause our senses to become dead. Medical sources are full of information regarding sickness, disease, acidents, etc. The question we must ask ourselves is this: if we have the knowledge to prevent our body from dying early, then why don’t we use it to make the necessary changes to better our present physical lives?



Well, I’ve lived long enough to be able to answer that from my own experience. When I was younger my body would occasionally grunt and groan when I forced it to work without proper nutrition, sleep and/or exercise but it didn’t shut down. So I was able to function and continued abusing it little by little. Now, what I sometimes call old age is nothing more than the previous neglect of what I should have been doing all along. Age doesn’t have as much to do with it as neglect of positive healthy habits that I should have been abiding by, which have caused some partial shut down of my working systems. Oh my! What a revelation God made to me… but I found His promise and when I read it, I knew it was for me. ~  "I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 30:17, New Living Translation.



Joyce Meyer testified that during a period in her life, she worked so hard and took on so much that her body was shutting down. She was constantly sick. I am so glad that she spoke the truth in her book and shared how God turned her around and gave her the tools to make changes.



It seems to me that the first thing He restored to her, was a godly mind! She had to accept that she needed to change no matter how much ministering she did for others! God allowed her to see that she needed to get rid of “stinking thinking” (as she calls it). He showed her what to study with regard to repairing her worn out body. Lastly, with this knowledge and wisdom, He gave her the strength to carry out her duty to repair her temple so that she could bring more glory to Him. Hallelujah!



If her story doesn’t motivate us to positive habit changes, maybe we’re almost dead already! I believe no matter where you are at this moment in time, and you are reading this, God has granted you the breath you are taking so that you might have hope!  No matter what your health is at this time, you and I have been given another chance with each breath we take to make it better.



In the same way that we are given one body, God in His grace has given us one Spirit and that by His Son, Jesus, who paid the ultimate price.  Perhaps you think, as I have sometimes, that when your temple (your body) is ready then you can devote more time to working on the Spirit within you.  Whoa! The Spirit is supposed to work on you.  You are not supposed to work on the Spirit!

We need to allow the Holy Spirit to work on us through times of worship, study and prayer. You may have said, as I have before, that when you are better able then you will rededicate your life to His service.  When you have cleaned up your messes and your temple has been repaired completely, then you will devote your time to Him.  Wait a minute!  We don’t have to wait to worship and thank Him!  He delivers us from temptation and we are often unaware of it. Aren't there things in your life that you felt you had to have in times past in order to live, but now they are not important?   Think about it…  He has already brought some deliverance!  He knows how difficult temptation is because He was tempted.  Let’s remember to praise Him for what He’s already brought us through and for what we know we are going to get through!  Amen!



Think on this… when your family or friends send you an email, you can’t hear what they are saying without opening it. In the same way, you can’t hear what God is saying without opening your Bible. The message He will reveal is for you!  God doesn’t send chain mail.  He doesn't want you to get a little word on Sunday.  That won't keep you through the week.  So open His word and hear Him speak to you daily!  After  you listen to Him, then don’t forget to talk to Him, too.  He actually bends down to hear us.   We are His children and He wants to hear from us. We can talk to Him about anything.   ~ Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!   Psalm 116:2 *New Living Translation.





As we tend our natural body and our Spirit in the manner that God prescribes, then we are tending His Grace Garden. The fruit that will be produced will be abundant.




Today’s blog was inspired by Joyce Meyer’s ~ Look Great, Feel Great.

http://www.joycemeyer.org/ Joyce Meyer Ministries



http://www.facebook.com/joycemeyerministries Joyce Meyer Ministries on Facebook


http://www.sparkpeople.com/ Spark People



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