Where Are You Going

Earlier this year while returning home from a youth event in Conway, AR, my wife, Angie, snapped this shot of our church bus headed home.  As with most trips there is a great excitement and energy in the going, but it also ends with the quiet comfort of returning home.

In our lives we have many parts to the journey we are living.  There is faith, family, fitness/health, finance . . .  Many will say that we must keep a balance among these and other areas of our busy lives.  Over the past couple of years my thinking has changed on this.  I used to also believe in balancing, but have come to believe rather in integration.

When we seek balance we are actually living in dis-integration, separating our lives into distinct boxes of unrelated thought.  However if we strive for integration we recognize that we have one life, and that it all works best when it is all working together.  As Christians this is summed up very succinctly in Romans 8:28 (NASB) "and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."  This screams out to me that integration is better than balance.

The life of integration then must center on God and be built upon His Word, and His will for our lives.  Everything else must then be structured around that faith.  We then can ask the question, how does this part of my life impact my relationship with God?  Each thing we do has an impact on every other part of our life as they are interdependent, thus integrated, and cannot effectively be fully separated.  Be it our finances, our health, or any other aspect of life.  In the end Solomon tells us in the final two verses of Ecclesiastes, "The conclusion when all has been heard is, fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.  For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden whether it is good or evil." (NASB)

This week look into your life and ask yourself, am I living an integrated or disintegrated life?  I pray that you are or will be living in an integrated way.  It is the basis to Do Well, and truly "head home".

Refresh Yourself

The photo attached comes from the Buffalo River near Yellville, AR.  For me this is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in our state which is full of many such places.

Why you may ask would I choose such a photo for this blog?  It comes down to one simple word, RELAX!  We go at a frenetic pace each and every day.  We chase after our goals with determination and, often wrecklees, abandon.  Goal chasing is not a bad thing, it is in fact a good thing.  We must keep it in perspective, and allow our mind and body some down time to process, recover, and repair itself.

The latter part of Psalm 46:10 is very familiar to many of us, "be still and know that I am God."  When is the last time you allowed yourself to be still?  In the Old Testament we are told of the Jewish people honoring the Sabbath, which was the seventh day, as a day of rest.  While we are no longer under the sabbath, but live under a new covenant, we are still to learn from the old law.  It is my belief that this is one area that we might all benefit from reexamining.

Science points to the importance of adequate sleep in our lives, and studies show the physical benefits of meditation and times of rest.  It's interesting that science seems to catch up with Biblical truth as time marches forward.  Can we learn to take downtime, to reclaim the times of refreshing, to clear our minds and commune with God?  If we will, and I am among the most needful in this area, I believe we will see a marked improvement in our outlook and our performance.

Take heed of the signs your body and mind are giving you.  Listen to that inner longing for rest.  This week set aside some sacred times of rest for your body, mind, and spirit.  If you do, I believe you will DO WELL!

Challenge Time!

As I write today I believe that many of us like to be challenged.  These challenges come in many forms and often serve as a motivation to a specific end.  Today I want to give that impetus that some of us need to move forward, a good All-American challenge.

The Bible uses the number 7 over and over again, as in the Hebrew culture of the day it represented perfection.  If we look at the calendar we are 7 weeks until the Memorial day weekend, the unofficial start of summer.  So here is the challenge. Over the next 7 weeks:

1)  Record in some fashion the amount of water you are consuming daily.  Then work to increase that number by 50% by the end of the challenge.  If this week you find you are taking in approximately 80 ounces per day strive for 120 by the end of the challenge.

2)  Many of us are using various forms of pedometers and activity trackers to provide much needed, and immediate feedback, track your steps and shoot for a 30% increase from week one to week 7.

3)  Select one food item that is a near and dear go-to for you and abstain during the challenge.  For me this is going to be fried catfish.  (Thankfully I just fed this craving yesterday.)

4)  Set a 7 week, realistic goal, then weigh in today and record that number.  Each day weigh in and compare.  Yes there will be ups and downs, but if you will follow through on your regular exercise, not only your daily step counts, and increase hydration you should begin to see results.  Complete transparency, I weighed in this morning on my home scale at 209 with a 7 week goal of 202.  That would be one pound per week which is doable if I will remain focused.

5)  Season it all with prayer.  Pray that God will direct you to make better decisions for your life.  Pray that as a healthier servant you would better see the opportunities before you to honor Him in serving others.

Bonus challenge:  Read the book "The Traveler's Gift"  by Andy Andrews.  This is one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read, gently rocking our world's with great stories illustrating what the author Andy Andrews, calls the 7 Decisions for Success. 

I hope that several of you will take up the challenge and Do Well!

Power for Positive Change

Seeking change is a difficult thing, whether it is walking away from sin in our life or changing our habits to create a healthier lifestyle.  How do we deal with change when it is necessary, or sometimes thrust upon us?  That is the question for today.

In order to adopt change in our lives we must recognize the necessity for the change.  This is often our biggest challenge as the status quo has a lot of momentum behind it.  We must be able look beyond the here and now to the brighter future that positive change provides.  This will slow that momentum of the past.

Next we must truly be able to visualize the future we desire from the change.  When we can see it in our mind's eye, then we can begin to determine the course or courses of action to get there.  At this point motivation becomes a key factor, do we have the internal drive, an internal compass to guide us each step toward this true north?  If yes, then we are well on our way, if no, then we still have some work to do before we can plan and implement positive change.

Assuming we can see the brighter future, and have the right internal motivation then the steps along the way will become more clear.  In our Christian walk it is stated that, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."  God's Word is a wonderful starting point for our journey and my recommendation as the proper lens to view all aspects of our life.

Within our journey to fitness, faithfulness, or an other worthy change we must recognize how to see the change and then be the change.  No, change will not come easy, but it will be rewarding.

Finally we must admit when we get off course, and turn back to the pathway of success.  For the Christian this is repentance and acceptance of God's grace.  When we step aside from the chosen path we cannot beat ourselves up, but rather course correct and give ouselves a bit of grace, just as God our Father give us grace.

If each of us would look inside, and follow these steps as the need for change arises in our lives, we would be much more likely to succeed.  Change your world for the better, Do Well.  Others are watching and your positive change can inspire others to be better as well.

Future Vision

How would life differ if we no longer had our sight, the vision to see what is before us as we move across a room, read a book, or drive our cars?  I dare say it would be considerably more difficult. Vision also has a much broader application, that of seeing ourselves or others in a future state.  It is my belief that many of us have a much more clouded vision when we take it in this direction.  Why do we have difficulty seeing through the clouds of the future?

I would assert that there are likely many reasons for this, but primarily it stems from a narrow perspective.  As we age our field of vision narrows and this accelerates at certain points or as a result of an acquired condition.  The same holds true for our broader vision.  Rather than looking forward broadly seeing the possibilities and the potential for a very rewarding future we get bogged down with the acquired conditions of our past history.  Yes, these form who we are, and much of this history can be a positive to build upon, but when we continue to look too intently behind us at the the problems of our past, our future vision becomes diminished.

To build a more positive vision of your future it is important to recognize those historical markers that are holding us back, and then cut loose the ropes that anchor us to that portion of our past.  When we enter a relationship with God this is, in a sense, what we are doing.  We give our sins (anchors) over to Him, and look forward to His guidance and the hope of a brighter future with Him.  This principle can also be applied to our faith, family, fitness, finance and more as we recognize the things that hold us back, and begin looking forward to the transformed person that we hope to be.

 From this vision we can then build a plan to achieve this new vision of ourselves; healthier, happier, more at peace.  To do so we must recognize that the future vision we establish is not an overnight change but a destination at the other end of a journey.  Mariners set out of port with a destination in mind and as they cross the oceans they often will not set a direct course knowing the challenges that may affect their journey.  Rather they will take the best course which may be a bit more conservative or appear to be somewhat more circuitous, and then as they make their passage there will be numerous course corrections to account for obstacles, currents and changing weather conditions.

We can learn from this too.  Chart your course, understand that it may not be direct, and it may not be the fastest.  Set sail toward an empowered and improved you today, and Do Well to take the journey and course correct frequently as the winds of resistance blow against you.  You can take charge, you can reach for your vision.  Push away from the dock today and pursue your future vision of yourself, always in Christ. 

Resolve

What is Resolve?
   *Used as a verb- to decide firmly on a course of action.
**Used as a noun - firm determination to do something.

This powerful word can have application in many aspects of our life.  So where are those application points?

*Peer pressure, or the pressure to conform to cultural "norms".

*Dating and Marriage - we MUST follow  biblical principles not he ever changing cultural norms that have given us a 50% divorce rate and an "evolving" definition of marriage.

*Work - We should return to the work ethic of our forefathers and recognize that being a workaholic is dangerous and counterproductive on many levels.

*Pray - scripture tells us to "pray without ceasing."  How much do we practice this?

*Worship - Be there, and open our hearts to it.  There are reasons God instructs us to assemble together.  It holds us accountable, protects us, encourages us and allows us to learn at a deeper level.

*Serve - Service is very important, it builds and shows gratitude for the blessings we have been granted.  It exposes us to the struggles and victories of others, and there is little that will build our faith faster than serving others.

*Study - Always begin with the Bible and be "in the Word" daily.  But don't stop there  fill yourself with other quality information to grow your perspective and build useful interests that bring fullness to your life.

2 Timothy 2:15 "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."

Can it be tempting to distort or twist the Word of God?  People do it all the time, it is the basis for many cults and misguided religious groups and beliefs.

Scripture gives example after example of people who showed great resolve in difficult situations.  Daniel, Joshua, and Ruth just to name a few.  These people were mere humans, just as we are, and yet they held firm to their various courses and changed history.  We may not change history in the same way these heroes did, but we can change the course of our family for generations to come.

Many of these principles can apply to how we work, how we take care of our physical health, manage our time and so on.  If we will start with resolve in our faith, and grow it into these other areas we can know a more abundant life.  A life centered on God and ready to experience the fullness of His blessing in tragedy and in triumph, today and for years to come.

Will you implement this resolve in an effort to Do Well at a higher level?

Wise Counsel

This little venture known as Workout Your Faith has been a great way to tune up my mind and share from my heart since it's inception last August.  I look forward to continuing it indefinitely into the future, likely with some changes to come.

For those who read it regularly, or have read it in the past today I am looking for your input:

1)  In what ways have these posts impacted you?

2)  What line of thought has given you the most to think about?

3)  Where are you most challenged when it comes to integrating your faith into your daily life?

4)  When you assess your fitness, do you include your faith in that equation?

5)  What line(s) of thought might you be interested in that I might be able to pursue?

 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. - Proverbs 15:22.  (fromBibleGateway.com)

Today I ask you to be my wise counselors to help me shape the future direction of this blog.  The Blogger platform offers a comments section, or your can respond to my email at:
        taocombsfamily@gmail.com.

May God richly bless each of you today and throughout your life so that you might Do Well, and be drawn nearer to Him.
                                 

                                            

Staying on Course

We are now just over a month and a half into the new year, and approximately a week ago we hit the date where research indicates that most people have dropped all pretense of chasing their weight loss or fitness goals.  Why is it that we have no staying power?  The sad reality is that we do not equip ourselves with the tools to stick with it when we find things getting difficult,  This is not only the case as we deal with our fitness/weight loss goals but any goal you may have can face the same fate.

I want to begin to share with you a few tools that can be helpful in your quest for greater fitness, but also can be translated into many other areas of life.

1) Educate yourself about your goal.  Think about why it is important for you to accomplish your goal, and visualize the outcome.  Many high performers in sports and other areas use creative visualization as a technique to guide their performance.  Beyond the visualization; by reading, watching, or listening to information about the particular goal you are chasing you will learn of the potential pitfalls others have faced and how they overcame the obstacles.  Educating yourself can also provide you with new tools or techniques to reach your goal

2)  Recognize that "Rome wasn't built in a day", and neither was the situation you are in now.  It is going to take time to reach your goals.  Have you set a realistic time frame to achieve your goal?  It is my belief that most people set far too aggressive goals and this sets them up for failure and discouragement.  Be realistic and set not only that ultimate goal that you can visualize but some intermediate steps as well.

3)  Give yourself a break!  Don't start out by trying to do everything 7 days a week and for maximum time frames.  Small changes add up and even multiply your efforts over time.  Perhaps you start out with a 15 minute time frame that is blocked off and then you "sneak in" other smaller chunks of time toward your desired end. This also applies to the changes in your diet or your workday planning, small changes applied consistently begin to multiply your results.

4)  Keep a record.  This serves multiple purposes in that it creates a personal accountability, establishes a positive visual stimulus, and points out trends that can either be positive or negative.  There is a reason that the baseball cards of my youth had stats printed on the back.  Those stats let us know how our favorite player was doing from year to year.  This is also evident in business, it has been said that "if you can't measure it, you can't manage it."  This again translates across fields and can work in a number of arenas.

5) Have an accountability group or partner.  Being a part of something bigger than yourself helps us maintain focus, gain encouragement, and occasionally holds us to the line.  This is one of the beautiful things about the church that was established by Jesus death, burial, and resurrection.  God in his unlimited wisdom knew that we would need to be a part of something more than ourselves.  It is also evident in many other areas of life, why have organizations like Weight Watchers flourished over the years?  People need people so they may learn from one another, be encouraged or admonished appropriately.

I hope you will take a look at these tools and see how they may apply to your situation.  Then put one or all of them to use.  With this I bid you a wonderful week ahead to go out and Do Well!

Checkpoint

We have put to rest the first week of the new year.  Many have set out on resolutions or goals for the year, now are they willing to check-in to assess how they are doing?  This at the heart of why many will not live up to the ambitious targets they have set.

If you truly seek change in your life, then it is imperative to check-in periodically.  When we fail to keep tabs on our progress  we often wind up in an out of control spiral away from the target, and that is when we give up.  You are better than that! 

In matters of faith, are you praying regularly?  In a letter to the church at Thessalonica Paul exhorted them to "pray without ceasing".  We are further guided to "study and show thyself approved. . ."  Have you been in the word?  Finally in the faith category, are you attending worship?  Being with others who are seeking God, encouraging one another and bearing one another's burdens is a wonderful blessing.

On the finance front what have you changed toward a different result?  Are you still living the bad habits of your past?  Adopt the "B" word, a budget, and work at it daily.  Work on yourself to hone your skills and increase your knowledge to make yourself more valuable in your workplace or the marketplace at large.  In the words of Dave Ramsey, use "baby steps".  We did not get to where we are overnight, nor will we get to our desired outcome that quickly either.

Finally on fitness, again it is a journey to a desired end.  Much like learning to ride a bike we will have crashes and some of them will hurt.  We MUST however, pick the bike back up and go again.  With practice we get better, and with a coach or a cheerleader, any accountability partner it is easier to get going again.  Do you have a champion, to turn to for encouragement, just as those learning to ride that bike typically have that parent running alongside until they get the confidence to go it more on their own?

The bottom line this week is don't let the early distractions or obstacles deter you from your goals.  Assess and limit the mess!  Together we can all DO WELL!

Fast Finish

We have entered the final week of another year.  Many things have taken place in the last 12 months some good and some not so good. 

In closing out the year it is typically a good idea to take a look back at the events that have brought us to this point.  It is from these memories and moments that we can do some of our best learning. 

Looking through this year there have been several meaningful items to shape this year.  Topping the list for me is the Saturday night in February when we received a call from Olivia, who was on a church youth trip in Conway, AR, stating she was ready and needed to be baptized and then just a few minutes later to see the video of that blessed event.  That was a proud parent moment for sure.  Other items included the ongoing health struggles for my dad, the opportunity to teach the young adults at Center Hill Church of Christ for a quarter over the summer, changes to my role at Total Life Healthcare which allowed me to become more focused and productive, the Super Summer Slim Down event at St Bernards, and the establishment of this blog in the late summer.

Looking back is great, and looking ahead brings excitement.  I know the Lord and that he has plans for me, just as he stated in Jeremiah 29:11.  I believe 2016 will be a fantastic opportunity to build on my 3 F's of Faith, Family, and Fitness.  My theme this year has been With God we will. . .

As we bring this year to a close I believe that with God we have done much and will continue to grow, proper and share.  Look in next week to see where we will be going and if a new theme has been established.

Do Well

 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ - Luke 19:17 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke19:17&version=ESV

In our busy world it seems like we are in a never-ending quest to do more.  The verse above shows that our Lord is about excellence as he tells the servant "well done".  Please note he did not say all done, rather "well done".

As 2015 enters it's final month in just a couple of days it is important to look ahead to how we will live in 2016.  By starting now you can have your goals/plans in place and ready to begin on Day 1 of the new year.  Who couldn't use a head start?

First, we must do a self assessment.  This requires painful honesty and reflection.  This is typically the most painful part of the process since most of us struggle with self image in some way or another.

Once we have established where we are we need to determine where we want to go.  This is where we set those goals for next year.  I recommend breaking those into four sections: Faith, Family/Friends, Finance, and Fitness.  You may choose to add your work related goals as another option, but for me work is something that should not define me, but is inextricably linked to each of the others.  As you look at each of these areas do a little brainstorming and put down those things that come to mind.  Then look those things over and determine which items will have the greatest impact on your well-being.  My suggestion here is to limit yourself to about 3 goals in each area.

Now that you have begun the process we will look at next steps in next week's edition of "Workout Your Faith".  Keep I mind that "with God we will. . . Do Well!"

Sleep and Life

How did you sleep last night? There are any among us who struggle in this area.  The Bible tells us in Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know I am God. . ."  This is good medicine for our body, mind, and soul.  Some of us have physical difficulties that give us problems with our sleep, such as sleep apnea.  Others can't stop their minds from working on the problems of the day.  No matter the issue we must realize that a lack of quality sleep dulls our senses, fatigues our bodies, and taxes our systems.  Several recent studies indicate sleep deprivation can impact us similarly to, if not more so, than being under the influence of alcohol.
A couple of thoughts to help us out in this area are to take breaks during your day to clear your mind even if it is just for a few minutes.  This temporary decompression will tend to make us more productive and put us in the habit of letting go, thereby making it easier to do the same at bedtime.  Second many of us go about our daily business in a dehydrated or nearly dehydrated state.  Additional hydration throughout our day will help us feel better and in turn help us sleep better at night.
Finally, as Christians the calming effect of prayer is a must.  Not a trite repetition ran through out of habit, but a simple thank you to God for seeing you through the day along with a request for a good night of sleep to prepare you for service to Him in the day to come. 
Try these simple tips to see if you can improve your sleep quality.  If you sleep better you will have more energy for God, your family, friends and work.  Sleep better, feel better, with God we will. . .

The Second New Year

Personally I have had some struggles the last couple of weeks with keeping my routines and commitments to improving my fitness.  This must change.  In order to be effective in my service to God I need to maintain the best level of health that I can.
Today I look at the back to school season as a "second new year", a time to renew or update my commitments.  So here are a few things that I am looking at to closeout the remainder of the calendar year:
1) Continue my daily Bible reading to complete the reading of the full text this year.
2) Continue toward my goal of reading 30 books this year.
3) Improve my physical activity level further to increase my average daily steps above 10000 per day for the month of September
4) Lower my weight to under 200 pounds by end of year.
As you can see these goals relate to fitness on the physical, mental, and spiritual levels addressing the whole person.  I challenge you to take a look here at "the second new year", and set a few simple goals.  Even if you fail to achieve them you will have at least taken the first step to improvement, recognizing where you are now.  Join me on the journey, set your sights on improvement, and remember "with God we will."

Getting Started

Small Steps
It has been said that where we are in our lives is the sum of all the decisions we have made.  I believe this to be quite accurate.  That being said we then must realize that whatever condition we find ourselves in spiritually, relationally, fitness/healthwise, etc. did not happen overnight.  If this condition did not come upon us quickly then it is likely that the solution will not either.  

How to Begin
Nike says "Just Do It", I'm not sure it is that simple.  We need to assess our current state to determine where we are versus where we want to be.  Yes, I am saying we must have a goal (or set of goals), but no it doesn't have to overwhelm us.  If you were going to drive your vehicle from Arkansas to Michigan you would want a roadmap (GPS for our more tech savvy/dependent friends), and you would likely have a pretty good idea of where you would want/need to stop along the way.  This is analagous to our goal-setting, know where you are going (long term goal) and setup some stops along the way (intermediate and short term goals).  This is where many of us often fail.  We too often setup this aggressive, elaborate goal, but it should be long term, and we think we can get there quickly when it really needs to be broken up with some positive milestones along the way to provide short-term wins that build momentum for us. 

Just a Suggestion
As a Christian I believe all my goals should support my walk with Christ.  My top goal is to make sure that I am "in the Word".  I read my Bible every day, among the first things I do most days.  I track this by recording in a journal my daily readings.  This provides clear guidance as to how I am doing with the process of daily reading.  The harder to measure portion is the effectiveness of the reading, though I can tell you that I seem to recognize and recall scriptures when they pop up in services, classes and general conversation much better than before beginning this program.  One of my next goals is to improve my physical well-being.  Since the diabetes diagnosis (and others) in 2012 I have had to bring this to the forefront.  The end results of uncontrolled diabetes are scary and I don't want to go there, plus I want to remain able, as I age, to enjoy my family as well as to serve God in a very active way.  The reality of type II diabetes was a catalyst for additional discipline in my life that has spilled over into so many other areas,  Though I had been introduced and reintroduced to the concept of tracking over the years it did not become real or necessary until facing this challenge.

In the most moving speech I have ever heard, Jim Valvano's speech at the ESPY awards in 1993 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuoVM9nm42E) he said the following, "Don't give up, don't ever give up."  This was said only a few weeks before his passing of cancer.  No we don't want to give up, but if we don't get started it is irrelevant.  Start your journey, to wherever you are heading with a little contemplation and a ladder of goals that are unified around the important things in your life.  Take the challenge and remember, "With God I will. . . "

Genesis

Why this Blog

Scripture opens with the book of beginnings, "Genesis".  With that thought in mind I want to share with you the beginnings for this blog.  I am an ordinary man, I come from a humble, hardworking family where I always had my needs met growing up, with a few extras.  In high school I was a good, not great, student, who could achieve at high levels without expending great effort while pursuing my athletic interests.  I went on and earned a  Bachelor's Degree in Finance from our local state university, and later married a wonderful Christian young lady.  Through her patience and some wonderful people who influenced me along the way I grew to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, far too late in life.  Along the way we had a daughter, now 14, who has brought much joy to our lives.  

In 2012 after gaining 80 some odd pounds in the 25 years since high school, I began to experience some health issues.  My years of snoring led me to a sleep study confirming I have severe sleep apnea.  A few months later some issues with my vision led to testing and diagnosis for diabetes, high cholesterol, and underactive thyroid.  Change was most definitely in order.  After absorbing the initial shock I determined that I must take control of my health or it would take control of me.  Working in a facility that provides healthcare to frail seniors I saw daily the results of health issues that had grown unchecked and it wasn't (still isn't) appealing.  

It has been quite a journey and now I want to share with others some of the lessons I have learned over the course of many years.  The Bible tells us in Philippians 2:12 ". . . work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."  I have drawn this blog's name from this verse and look forward to helping anyone who reads to improve their faith, fitness, finances and more.  Together we can walk this journey, learning from one another.  Join me in this mindset "With God I Will. . ."