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.

Boundaries

Words have meanings, spaces have perimeters, and games/competitions have rules..  Each of these serve as forms of boundaries.  Boundaries are for our benefit and are to be respected, if not enforced.

God set the example of boundaries in the Garden with Adam and Eve.  He also let us know there are consequences when these boundaries are breached as He booted them from the Garden when they sinned and crossed that boundary.

In our modern fully connected world, an age "ruled" by boundless ideologies such as secular humanism, atheism, and moral relativism it is increasingly difficult to define and thus enforce boundaries in our personal lives.  When we do seek to have boundaries for our time or behaviors we are often ridiculed or castigated.

Though we face those who would usurp our time or seek to take or destroy our property, it is imperative that we draw up, adhere to, and respect not only our boundaries but those of others.  Work is important in our lives, but we cannot let it wedge it's influence into every waking second of our lives, likewise with school, sports, and entertainment.  Each of these hold a place but our life should be built around our faith with all other aspects integrated in a secondary way.

Your challenge as we look to close out this year in the next two weeks is to look at the boundaries in your life and secure them.  At the same time look at the boundaries of others and respect those that you may not unduly encroach upon them.  With God we will. . . Have healthy boundaries.

An Invitation to Pray

"There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer." 
John Wooden.

As someone who is a recovering sports junkie it is hard not to use references from sports, because it held such a large part of my mind for so many years.  One of the most intriguing figures in sports is the humble little man who won so many championships with his UCLA Bruins basketball teams in the 60's and 70's.  Though I do not have memories of those teams they are the stuff of legend, with several of the stars from those teams being prominent sports figures for many years during my youth.

In recent years I read a biography about Coach Wooden and was thoroughly impressed with his faith, attention to detail, preparation, and absolute desire to develop character in his players.  We would all Do Well to follow his example in this way. 

How do we live our lives?  Do we truly live by our faith, or do we float along with the currents of life (a dangerous thing) going wherever those currents lead.  Jesus our Lord said that he has gone to prepare us a place.  Maybe, just maybe, we need to be preparing to go.  I don't always see it on my life, and if you are honest with yourself, I imagine you don't always see it in your own life.

In the quote above from the coach it says "that type of faith cannot be acquired without prayer."  How is your prayer life today?  Join with me this week in making prayer a priority.  The stresses and strains we put upon ourselves, particlarly during the holidays, can drag us down.  Don't succumb to the wayward currents and drift along, grab hold to the lifeboat of prayer and follow Paul's admonition to the Thessalonians, "pray without ceasing."  Keep in mind, "with God we will. . . Live by Faith."

How to Do Well

Last week we looked at establishing goals for the coming year.  This not necessarily an easy process but it is necessary to success.  I hope that you have considered a few goals, or at least begun rolling a few ideas around in your head.

Once you put them on paper, or onto an electronic planner you are not finished.  There is a next step that many people will skip which the most successful will not, and that is to develop a strategy of how they will achieve those goals.  This again will take some time, and to be optimal may force us to confront changes in our daily actions and thought processes.  This is why most New Year Resolutions don't last through the end of the first month as we fail to confront these changes and develop these strategies.

You and I can make 2016 highly successful for ourselves if we will commit now to Do Well.  This involves the types of preparation we have discussed the past couple of weeks, along with a plan for tracking of our progress and course correction when we deviate.  It is my hope that you each have gained something from this discussion and are better prepared remembering that"With God we will. . . Do Well!"

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!"

Thanksgiving

In the coming week our nation celebrates a day of Thanksgiving.  On this day we collectively show our gratitude to God for his blessings and mercy.

As Americans we have much to be thankful for, and as Christians oh so much more.  I pray that as we enjoy this day that we not forget those in some special positions that secure for us these freedoms, or who put themselves in dangerous positions on a daily basis to serve and protect.

These are our military, intelligence services, law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians.  Each of these hold fast to the idealism of the America our founding fathers envisioned, and protect the public interest not for glory, but with a  mission to serve.

We each have many things to be thankful for, but don't overlook these important members of our community and the families who share them with us each day.

Gratitude is good for the spirit and vital to our nation.  Please join me in saluting these folks for a job a well done, and asking God's continued blessing on them all.

With God we will. . . Be Grateful!

Dealing With Negativity in News

The world it seems is on fire.  Sin is running rampant and Satan has a stronghold over so much of what is happening.  It is disheartening to follow the news especially when we see events such as happened in Paris this week.

My suggestion is to first limit how much news you consume.  That is difficult medicine as a recovering news and weather junkie, but it will help.  The 24 hour access to news is a two edged sword bringing us much information while not truly allowing us to digest it all and seek understanding.

Next make sure you replace that news time with additional time in God's word and communicating with Him in prayer.  This will reduce our anxieties related to all that is happening around us.

Finally seek opportunities to serve.  When we take our an inward motivation and turn it into positive action we feel better about ourselves, and more importantly can have a positive impact on others.  It is through service that we touch the hearts of others, and if enough of us come together as servants we can make a difference.  With God we will. . . Overcome all the negative news.