Midweek Motivation #3

There is a long holiday weekend just around the corner.

Maintain your focus to maximize your accomplishments.

Leaving work with a clean slate allows you to fully enjoy the break!

May God Bless America!

www.workoutyourfaith.blogspot.com

MONDAY MORSEL #13

"And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other , our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

Closing sentence of the Declaration of Independence.  What are we willing to pledge to renew their idealism today?

Road Trips, Restoration, and Renewal

Yesterday morning we sent off a group of around 30 members of our church family, including our daughter Olivia, to Texas to work with a small congregation there on outreach efforts this coming week.  This road trip for them will be of great value to them in growing their faith and aide the membership of their hosts to restore their spirit of service and renew their efforts to reach those who have not found, or who may have forgotten about Jesus.

After sending this group off on their week long journey to Texas, Angie and I took a little road trip of our own.  We set out on the highways and byways of North Central Arkansas and enjoyed the beauty of God's creation.  For those who may never have been to Arkansas they have missed out, as our state is full of beauty that in many cases can only come from God.  The photos I have included are from Blanchard Springs near the microscopically small town of Fifty Six, AR.  What a beautiful site to have right here in our backyard.

Not only did we visit the spring, but stopped by Lake Norfork, a man made reservoir, but nonetheless capturing the beauty of God's creation all around it,  Throughout the journey it was hills and curves, trees and pastures, streams and sunshine, so much to take in and absorb.  The beauty of it all awoke my heart and restored my soul in a way that could not occur just hanging around the house.

The other piece of this journey was just spending some quiet time alone with my lovely wife.  We don't do that enough any more.  We enjoyed one another's company, talked of various subjects, and enjoyed a whole lot of oldies music, primarily from the 50's and 60's.  Yes we are old souls, and yes we are proud of it.  Had we not have taken advantage of this time together, in this way, we likely would have stayed in the ruts and routines of laundry and yard work.  Such a day would have done little to thrill our souls or inspire us in any way.  I am thankful to God for allowing us to take such a road trip, and even more thankful for what it meant to us emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.

Enjoy the beauty of God's creation.  It doesn't take a grand trip to the Rocky or Smoky Mountains, a vacation at the beach, or hiking in the Grand Canyon to set our eyes on God and His vast creative powers.  There are elements of it visible in everyday life, and additional bursts of it all within a one day road trip of your home, I dare say wherever you might live.  To DO WELL this week I challenge you to get off the beaten path, out of your routine and to seek God in a simple yet special way. 

Midweek Motivation #2

Midweek Motivation #2

God is all powerful yet provides us with great beauty with the subtle colors of his palette.  How do you show your softer side?  Your challenge for the remainder this week is to show the "true colors" of your softer side in some way each day.

www.workoutyourfaith.blogspot.com

Monday Morsel #12

Control your time, when it escapes you it cannot be recovered.  This is a vital discipline no matter how you define success in your life.

The Journey

The camel is built by God to face the challenges of a harsh environment.  We too are built to withstand a great deal of adversity in our lives.  The difference between the camel and the human is how we are built to withstand such trying circumstances.

The camel is built to physically withstand harsh desert conditions with little food or water.This has allowed the camel to become a widely used mode of transport for long journeys in lesser developed parts of the middle east.  

We too can survive difficulties but it is less because of our physical abilities and much more related to our faith and ability to make decisions.  God has designed us to seek after Him, and given us the ability to reason and make decisions.  We don't always do either of these as He would desire.  In the book of Ecclesiastes God lays out the path we should take in chapter 12 verses 13 and 14; 

13 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter

Fear God and keep His commandments,

 For this is man's all.  

14 For God will bring every work into judgment,

 Including every secret thing,

Whether good or evil."

God has set in us a need to seek after Him, some will and some won't.  That is the stark reality of free will.  When we encounter difficulties it is far better to have that relationship with our maker.  The ability to seek Him in prayer.  In His church there is great support as we are encouraged to bear one another's burdens and to exhort one another in good times and bad.

Yes we each need to make a decision to take care of our physical well being by making better choices related to our diet, our activity level, our hydration, our amount and quality of sleep as each of these have a tremendous impact on our health.  An even bigger YES is that we need to take care of our spiritual life as well.  Many of us face chronic disease processes, others have very acute medical conditions, some that are life threatening, others face relationship or marital struggles, and still others may be facing financial crises.  It is during these difficult times that the relationships we have built with God and with others of like mind will give us the spiritual and emotional reserves we need, much like the camel has the physical stores to journey through the desert.

Our journey is unique to each of us, the trials we face are often due to poor decisions we have made.  Others are thrust upon us.  Are we ready?  Will we be able to sail the stormy seas of life just as the camels are known as the ships of the desert?  

My encouragement to you today is to examine yourself.  Are you physically prepared for your journey, and more importantly are you spiritually prepared?  If you have taken care of these two aspects then despite the uneven ways and difficulties that arise you are prepared to Do Well.

Midweek Motivation #1

Your Rocky Moment?

In the fall of last year I spent a few days in Philadelphia on business.  Among the sites I visited was the "Rocky" statue outside the Museum of Art.  In the classic film, Rocky ran the steps behind it triumphantly in his training.  What would trigger a Rocky moment for you?

Monday Morsel #11

Know your true north.  Set your compass and take the journey to your definition of success.

A Full Life

In "Workout Your Faith" I have talked a lot about motivation and planning.  Today I want to make an attempt at linking the desires we have to be more fit in all aspects of our lives with our spiritual hearts.

The photo in today's piece was taken this past Friday night at the Relay for Life event in my hometown and includes two members of my church family who have survived cancer, and my daughter.  This couple lives today with joy and the most indomitable spirit I have likely ever seen.  Mr. Bill always has a laugh and a witty word for anyone that comes around.  Miss Glenda fights on with the gentleness and kindness of a southern debutante who has the inner warrior mentality to take on cancer and its multiple recurrences.  These two symbolize why my family chooses to Relay.

We all make choices and they put us into the places we are right now.  Yes I understand that there are things that are thrust upon us that we may not have desired or asked for, but the true measure of our character is how we respond.  That response will inevitably be more appropriate, though not always perfect, when we are prepared.  Preparation for the situations we are put into comes in many forms but ultimately comes down to a few simple things; faith, relationships, fitness and the study of others.

Faith as my writings would indicate is the cornerstone for all things.  Without my faith I would not only be lost in the spiritual sense, but lost on my life journey as well.  Faith grounds us and gives us a stability to know that God is with us and that we can face anything with Him.  

 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.    Philippians 4:12-13 NKJV from www.biblegateway.com

In the Christian belief this is joy.  We often want to think of joy in the same way as we think of happiness, but true joy is so much more.  It is summed up so well by the Apostle Paul in this verse.  Christian joy is what is characterized by Mr. Bill and Miss Glenda and the way they share that joy with others.  Are you taking care of your faith today?  It is the pathway to joy.

Relationships also play a huge role in how we respond to adversity.  It is far more difficult to face the troubles of this world when we walk alone.  God has instituted both marriage and His church as vehicles to form relationships that are sustaining and fruitful.  In the book of Genesis God created Eve as the help mate for Adam, and in the New Testament we are instructed to bear one another's burdens.  Today you may be floating along pretty much going it alone, but when darker more challenging times arise you will need to be connected to others.  Always be working on mutually beneficial relationships that will multiply your joy and gives you refuge in the storm.

Fitness is also vital to help us through the difficulties we face.  First if we have made fitness a priority it dramatically lowers our risk for many of the most common and debilitating diseases.  Note that I said lowers the risk, it does not provide complete immunity.  However, if we are faced with a disease or are injured in some way our ability to withstand it and to begin the fight are greatly enhanced if we have the physical strength of a fit body.  Another key in this is that fitness is mental, to gain or remain fit requires mental discipline.  When difficulties beset us then it is this sort of mental discipline that will be of tremendous importance in carrying out the treatment plans and enduring the various trials along the path to restoration.

The final area is the study of others which may sound odd at first blush.  It is important to see how others who have gone before us have dealt with adversity, and with prosperity or abundance.  This gives us clues as to how to respond in any situation.  The Bible is a wonderful beginning point to show us the patience of Job, the ups and downs of David "a man after God's own heart", the quest for wisdom of Solomon, or the steadfast spirit of the Apostle Paul just to name a few.  The Bible is not the only place we can find these character studies, there are thousands upon thousands of books available at your local library, bookstore, or online marketplace that can give us great insight as well.

Reaching back up into the words above, building relationships and watching those around you is also a great way to learn.

It is my hope that you will take a look at these areas of your life and build them up so that you can move forward, and DO WELL!

MONDAY MORSEL #10

Seek the big picture solution.   Band-Aids must be removed and only deal with the symptom not the real problem.

Are You In Full Bloom?

This week's photo was taken at the Creation Museum just outside Cincinnati, OH.  I am not sure what type of plant this is but was impressed with its beauty.

We understand, on some level, the cycles of life that God has put in place in His creation.  Among the most magnificent is that of the plants and their seasonal changes particularly how they bloom.

We also face cycles in our lives.  Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes that "there is a time for everything under the sun."  He then went on to describe several of the ups and downs that we might face.

If we want to flower or bloom as so many of the beautiful plants then we need to cultivate habits in our lives just as we cultivate those plants in our care.

Plants are not immune from the elements, and require actions to be preserved in extreme conditions.  If, for example, you have planted a garden early in spring it is possible that a cold snap could damage or kill some of your tender young plants if you do not take the time to cover them.  We too face times where we need an added layer of protection, be it physical or spiritual.

Plants require water to survive, and so do we.  Hydration is a vital component to our health.  Increasing your hydration alone can pay dividends for us that will improve our "blooms".  Spiritually we are born of blood and water through baptism into Christ.

In a garden the plants will thrive when they are given proper fertilizers.  We too must be fed, the spritual food that is the Word of God, and the right physical food to nourish our bodies.  Without either of these we begin to flounder and lose our blooms.

Our plants when well maintained are strong and yet flexible.  We need to look at our physical abilities and ask are we strong and flexible?  If not we should take action to improve in these areas with specific forms of exercise.  Spiritually we must know the Word and be strong in it, while knowing it well enough to be flexible to respond to the multifaceted attacks that will come.

I am sure there are several other lessons available in looking at the beauty of the plant life around us, but today these leapt out at me for consideration.  I hope that each of you will Do Well in improving your bloom, perhaps it will put a smile on the face of someone you come into contact with in the future, just as this plant made me smile a couple of days ago.