Beginning the Journey

I fully realize that my body as a temple may not be God's most grand dwelling. However, I want to lift up to the Lord my willingness to dedicate my exercise as a gift to Him and myself. This one act un-divides my heart and reminds me of the deeper purposes for moving my body.                                               Craving God

So, hubby and I went for a bike ride today. The weather was great and we had a good time. We did venture out of the neighborhood and my comfort zone though. I was following his lead when he turned to go out of the neighborhood. Of course I could not ride in silence and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, I panicked! Not only was he heading out of the neighborhood, there was an incline I would have to consider. But instead of giving up and complaining, I decided to be silent and pray my way through this. It would take divine intervention to get me up that tiny incline. My graceful prayer began something like this:

O God help me climb this mountain, Ok here it comes, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....O God thank you! You are awesome!

Turns out my husband is blissfully unaware of my troubles and decides we should cross a major intersection! It was successful and turns out we were going to the bank by our house. While he was making his transaction I was trying to keep oxygen in my body. It was more of my fear than the exercise. I decided to choose a scripture from my memory bank and meditate on it to get me back home and the only one that I could pull to mind was "Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will give thanks unto you, O Lord my God with all my heart" (Psa 86:11-12). Well I was so preoccupied on the way home with - why this verse? I failed to realize that we were not headed home, we were headed to the Food Lion on a TWO LANE ROAD!! There was no way to stop and freak out now! We made it to the store!! I was too petrified to yell at my husband who was just riding and blissfully whistling. When he emerged from that store, I decided that it was time for me to take the lead and get us home as soon as I could. Yep! That got his attention, I passed him and did not stop peddling until I got home!

Once we were home and I recovered, I began to realize that the reason I went for that bike ride was because he wanted to go and he said it was good exercise for him. I knew I should exercise in some kind of way so I figured I may as well impress him. My heart was divided between exercising for another person's reason or finding my own motivation. Funny the things we go through to realize something so simple.

But, this is a journey and I am a work in progress ... to be continued.

Reflective Evenings

Towards the end of each day, reflect back over the day’s activities. While you were going about your routine day, where did you see God? Did you intentionally look for Him?

God want us to see Him in everything and rely on His wisdom and power to face anything.

When we become active seekers and consistent reflectors, we become keenly aware of his presence in our lives. At any time on any given day, we can be pulled in many different directions –family, work, friends, self, church, organizations –God is there with us though each step and each decision.

Ponder over Psalm 25:8-15 (Amplified Version)

8Good and upright is the Lord; therefore will He instruct sinners in [His] way.

9He leads the humble in what is right, and the humble He teaches His way.

10All the paths of the Lord are mercy and steadfast love, even truth and faithfulness are they for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

11For Your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity and my guilt, for [they are] great.

12Who is the man who reverently fears and worships the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that he should choose.

13He himself shall dwell at ease, and his offspring shall inherit the land.

14The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.

15My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net.

MADE TO CRAVE!

I am a part of a small group of Jesus-girls who are doing the ‘MADE TO CRAVE’ bible study by Lysa Terkeurst. In Lysa’s book she emphasis ‘satisfying your deepest desire with GOD, not FOOD. I did not realize that I was putting my food and food issues and all related to it ‘before’ God. How many times do we go throughout the day in whatever we do and ask ourselves, ‘are we keeping God first and center’? I try to do that consistently throughout the week; but I never considered that with food; and yes, I have a HUGE issue with food.


So this is what I gained this week, “He knew even before I was born that I could easily allow food to be an idol in my life, that I would go to food, instead of Him, to fulfill my needs. And in His great wisdom, He created my body so that it would experience the consequence of such a choice, so that I would continually be drawn back into His arms. He wants me to come to Him for fulfillment, emotional healing, comfort – and if I could go to food for that and never gain an ounce, well then, what would I need God for”? (Made to Crave, Chapter10).

Since beginning this journey, I have gained a stronger and deeper relationship with God. I am thirstier now than I have ever been. The only thing I have not gained is weight. I have actually lost 12 pounds. It is in my weakness that He is growing me building me for something awesome, to be used for His purpose! “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

By no means has this journey been an easy one but; with God it is possible. The next step is to exercise! Now that I am finally on the road to getting my craving under control and in proper prospective, now the issue of exercise! But you see my friend, it is the same process. I will take the lies and excuses and covering them with God’s truth and operate in faith out of those truths. So here is the truth that I am using to cover my excuses for not exercising, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor (glorify) God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

No more excuses!

Tell Me A Story ….

He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Luke 24:27

Children love to hear stories, even in this highly technological age we are in today. I recently got an ipad and the apps for kids on this thing are amazing! I have downloaded a few, although I do not have kids, I am always in the presence of kids. I find it the perfect opportunity to share stories about Jesus.


I challenge you to consider ways to be creative and to be excited about teaching your children or others biblical truths. Come on! Let your hair down and get innovative. Trust me; it is perfectly fine to turn off the TV.

Dramatizations are great; let me help you get started:

• Prepare dinner dressed like a biblical character – go all out – you know bathrobe, towel and headband for your hair, flip flops for the shoes and tell the kids a biblical story (truthfully) using a voice that you perceive that character would use.


• Get a children’s CD and act out the songs on them! They will laugh and get in on the fun or they will tell someone and have you committed to an asylum!


• Get out to a local park, take a picnic meal and talk about one of Jesus’ miracles.


Listen!! Don’t let Sunday school be the only Christian impact in their lives. Seriously take the time to reflect to see if you are doing everything possible to further your children’s spiritual training.


I want my children and generation to come to know that Nana was a Jesus-Girl. I think I would like this said about me by family:


• She loved and celebrated Easter like most would celebrate Christmas because she knew that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus were the cornerstone of her faith. She called Easter Resurrection Sunday!

Or how about this one …

• In the face of adversity, she prayed and she did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

But, in reality I think it will go something like this …

• “Do you remember that time she went into that dressing room at the store to try something on and when she came out to get a different size, she forgot to put her pants back on over her tights”?!


• “Do you remember the time Mom left the sandwiches for the homeless guy that kept coming around. He took the sandwiches and we never saw him again. I wonder if she killed the homeless guy with those sandwiches”?

Yes my dear friends these stories are true!! But my initial point was to let you know how important it is to provide our youth with sound, relevant biblical instruction and that you are allowed to have fun doing so!!

Blessings!

Spring Fever!!!!

Warmer weather and longer days means –IT’S PLANTING TIME!!

I still have the same small vegetable garden from last year that did quite well I might add. I do plan to expand and plant some new things this year. The problem is –not enough sunshine in the yard. There are pine trees on community property that the sun hides behind.

In the meantime, we enjoy our evenings with the firepit and some soft music. Lately the stars and moon have been amazing. I have two apps on my ipad that tells me about the deep sky objects overhead (constellations, stars, planets). After enabling this app, all you have to do is hold your device over your head or towards the sky and a lot of things we cannot see and many that we can see come into focus. It is totally cool.

The next time you are out, look up and be amazed!!

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

3 They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

4 Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens

and makes its circuit to the other;

nothing is deprived of its warmth.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

Psalm 19:1-7

Rushing Summer!

Ok, so I could not wait until Memoral Day! Yes we decided that the warm weather was indeed a sign to fire up the grill as a practice run. I made a huge jar of homemade barbeque sauce and yes that is chicken and ribs! For those of you who are veggie lovers, we love to grill our veggies especially when we grow them in our own garden. I grew up in the deep south and when the weather was hot and sticky and it was waay to hot to heat up the house to cook, we would go out in the late evening and cook on the grill and have dinner as a family outside. Now my own family carries that tradition on here in Virginia. When the weather is permissible and the kids are not in a tizzy because they have to share their space with a few bugs, we sit out in the cool of the evening and enjoy a meal and each other. Stop by and join us anytime!

Only In My Neighborhood!

The AFLAC duck ain't got nothing on our duck! For two days (4/1-4/2), we have been awakened by the squawking (quacking if you'd prefer) of a duck. It took me a solid hour to find the duck. This is never good to do without your glasses at o'dark thirty in the morning. My son says 'Oh the duck is on the roof of the neighbors house!' Without the assistance of my glasses, I chide my male child by proclaiming 'My dear boy, only roosters do that not ducks'. My son replies "OH" and goes in the house only to return a few minutes later with my glasses and a camera. Sure as the sun crested the sky and my glasses were on, -there was the duck on the neighbors roof all excited! I looked at my son who bore the expression of HA! I am victorious over the parent! I simply remarked -my bad.

So after the duck excitement died down, we went inside and I proclaimed "Wouldn't it be awesome if we were that excited in church Sunday with our worship?" My son glanced back at me with one eyebrow lifted and declared "You are obviously a woman who is not fully awake and needs her coffee. I will go and make you a cup before you start thinking you are David and want to dance out of your clothes on Sunday!"

Oh the mind of a teenager. Gotta love it!!