Faith

FAITH

What is Faith and why is it a must for our lives?  Hebrews 11:1-3 tells us:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.  By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things that are visible.”

I am struck by this first thought that faith is the substance of things hoped for.  Hope is what pushes people forward.  When we are hopeless we tend to isolate ourselves and dwell on negatives often to point of depression.  This biblical definition of faith pointing to hope is a great comfort.  As God’s people we need to remember that we have a great hope which should be evident in our lives and that is solidified by our faith.

Our faith is like many other areas of our life in that it will have its ups and its downs.  But when it is firmly rooted in biblical truths it will secure us from being overcome by the trials that we face.  Faith is something that we develop over time through observation, education, and intent.  No one creates a useful or abiding faith without intent.  In my own journey to a saving faith in Christ I remember having a conversation with a minister friend of mine in Jefferson City, MO who told me,

“I know that you will find what you need.

You have a good heart and are seeking the truth,

Just keep it up.”

He was right, I did find what I needed. One of the implications of his statement was that many do not seek after truth.  Without intent it is very unlikely anyone will stumble upon a meaningful faith, and without truth no faith can be meaningful.

So what about doubts?  Many people of faith will have doubts from time to time.  Occasional doubt is a good thing, in that when we don’t have doubts or insecurities it may indicate that we are becoming complacent or overconfident in our faith.  It has been said that “pride cometh before a fall,” and that very easily could be the state of our faith when we claim to have no doubts.  On the other side of things we cannot be in constant doubt, as this would indicate a very weak and passive faith.

Faith is a building block for us to build upon with so many other positive attributes as is shown in 2 Peter 1:5-7,

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence,

Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge,

To knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance,

To perseverance Godliness, to Godliness brotherly kindness,

To brotherly kindness love.”

This week examine your faith.  Where do you stand?  Do you have doubts?  Set your foundation in faith and add to it through prayer, study, and service.  In these things you will Do Well, and your faith will grow.  As your faith grows you will see a change in how you respond to trials and difficulties that come before you, and others will too.

Midweek Motivation #7

Midweek 

Motivation

#7

Success is the fruit of our past failures.  We must learn from our failures and even better from the failures of others.

Observe, Consider, Improve

www.workoutyourfaith.blogspot.com

Monday Morsel #17

Carpe Diem!

Seize the Day!
(If you don't it may seize you)

www.workoutyourfaith.blogspot.com

Midweek Motivation #6

Earlier this week I was privileged to spend a couple of days watching a master at work.  Raynard Brown was a guest conductor working with the Arkansas Jr High Treble Honors Choir which convened in Little Rock.  This man set such a positive tone and shared tremendous insight with a group of about 50 students from across our fair state.  There needs to be more Raynard Browns positively impacting and shaping the lives of our young people.  How will you influence our youth?  To quote Mr. Brown, "it's not about you, it's up to you."  Do Well!

Monday Morsel #15

K.I.S.S.
Keep It Simple and Serve

Midweek Motivation #4

"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over."
John Wooden

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?

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.

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.

MONDAY MORSEL #9

This land is blessed, by God through the sacrifice of those who have given their lives to provide freedom to us.  Thank you to all those who currently serve or have served, yours are the shoulders upon whom we all stand.  May God Bless America.

Fading Fast?

Often our efforts to gain fitness or stay fit seem to take a detour.  Like the early morning moon in the photo they are fading fast.  What do we do to stem the tide when this occurs?

This is a difficult question that has many answers which could be right.  Based upon my experience here are a few suggestions.

First when you begin to notice the fade, give yourself a timeout.  Much like a basketball coach will take a timeout to stop theomentum of the opponent.  Give yourself a short respite from what you have been doing toward your fitness goal. 

This timeout is where you assess what is happening and the reasons for your fade.  Could it be a lack of support structures in your life, or a change of physical condition such as the onset of an illness, perhaps even boredom with the same old routine. More than likely there is a confluence of a few to several reasons that you are fading.

Once you have identified the apparent causes you must make some decisions on how to address them.  You may need to seek out a training partner to add accountability or support.  It could be time to check in with your physician and have some blood work done.  Creating a new exercise regimen or altering the course of your daily run/walk/bike may be just enough of a change to renew your enthusiasm.

A final thought in this area is don't be afraid to take a day off occasionally from your routines of life.  This shocks your body, mind, and spirit just a bit and can serve as a very necessary restart.  So in the words of legendary college basketball analyst Dick Vitale, "you better get a t-o (timeout) baby!"

If you will read the signs and take the right actions you can Do Well.  Be aware of your situation and don't allow the fade to overtake you on the road to success.

MONDAY MORSEL #3

Monday and Everyday are made by your attitude.  Pick it up and write the best story possible.  With God it is better.

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!

Inspiration, Ramping it Up!

There is something special about youth and the energy they have to share with us all.  I just spent the weekend at a youth leadership development convention for children within churches of Christ called Lads to Leaders.  This was our family's 6th year to attend and though I typically leave physically exhausted I ALWAYS leave with a renewed mind and enthusiasm to work with our kids.

When you combine the zeal of youth with the power of God and implant upon their hearts habits of servant leadership amazing things begin to happen.  We can all take this model and work to deepen our faith and truly get our serve on as we move forward.  By organizing our priorities and looking for ways to grow and serve not only will we develop a better life for ourselves but will very positively impact the lives of others.

I am inspired, in a big way, to up my game just as nearly 10,000 people in Nashville this past weekend likely are too.  Where do you find your inspiration?  There are plenty of options out there and God has placed someone or something in your life to energize, motivate, and inspire you to be the best you that you can be.  Do you see it, hear it, feel it?

This week I challenge you all to look, listen, feel for that special blessing that will move you forward to a better and more Godly you for today and into the future.  Get inspired and Do 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. 

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!

Reading: Power in Words

Life's Lessons
There are many lessons to be learned in this life.  Often we learn by the things we experience as we pass through,  and it has been said that "smart people learn from their mistakes and that really smart people learn from the mistakes of others."  There is plenty of truth in this statement and we would do well to grasp the magnitude of this concept in our lives.

Learning by our mistakes can be humbling, amusing, and can put us in awkward positions.  This is typically the most painful way to learn.  On the other hand, learning by the mistakes or experiences of others shields us from much of the pain of failure, and if those we are learning from are close to us it can still provide us with some uneasiness or distress.

Reading Life's Equalizer
In my professional life I have come into contact with the phrase, "readers are leaders" and believe this to be true.  Studies consistently show the benefits of reading.  It broadens our perspectives and allows us to gain new viewpoints from which to look at the various issues that arrive in our lives.  I must admit that growing up I was not much of a reader.  My baseball glove, basketball, and golf clubs were far more interesting to me at the time.  As I went through college this started to change.  I was never one to take classes year round, preferring to sit out the summer terms.  It was during this time that I determined that if I expected to keep my mind sharp, reading was the way to do it.  Upon finishing school and entering the full time workforce it took a few years before I became a consistent to avid reader.  Now I constantly read, trying always to have at least one book that I am reading, along with my commitment to Bible reading, and several blogs that I enjoy.

What to Read?
So now you may be asking the question, "what should I read?"  My suggestion is to begin each day with daily Bible reading.  This sets Christ as a priority and puts us in a positive frame of mind to start the day.  Beyond that, find subjects that interest you and start with those and then don't stick to a single subject but branch out.  With all the change in the world today the more we broaden our perspectives the better we will be able to deal with issues that arise.  I tend to lean toward non-fiction and biography, but weave in some fiction as well.  My personal favorite are the books of Andy Andrews who teaches tremendous life lessons through a folksy, down home fictional style.  "The Traveler's Gift", "The Noticer", and "The Noticer Returns" are among the best and most meaningful fictional reads I have encountered.  Mitch Albom is also worth looking at with two more fabulous books that also teach us everyday lessons, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" and "Tuesdays With Morrie".

Call to Action
We all know that physical exercise is good for the body, though we don't always live this way.  It is also true that mental exercise, such as reading is great for our mind.  Now I encourage you to make time for both.  We all have pockets of time that we use unproductively that we could gain a world of advantage from with only a slight tweak.  Take inventory, set a goal, and get started.  The most underutilized resource in many locales is the local public library.  These are great repositories of information and entertainment and, get this, at no cost!  If you live near me here is the contact information for two local libraries where you could begin your journey to a broader perspective:

Greene County Public Library

120 N. 12th Street

Paragould, AR 72450

870-236-8711

Jonesboro Public Library                                        315 W. Oak

Jonesboro, AR 72401

Phone: 870-935-5133

                                        

We can all enrich our lives and "With God We Will".