New Found Thought!

about 3 years ago when I should have changed my mindset.  Don't loose you life/time by wasting it foolishly!

I like to be healthy.  I like to run, walk, hike and even eat well.

My problem is that I also like to eat BADLY and neglect my interest in activity.

Lately at times, my eating habits have been even worse because I know that I am ready to start eating right.  Does that make any sense?  (I don’t think so!)

I cram in that last opportunity to eat unhealthy knowing that what I am about to do is cut out unhealthy eating opportunities.   The feast before the famine mind set.

This morning in my quiet time and writing, I opened up a book that I was wanting to read through by Stormie Omartian called The Power of a Praying Life. Her books are great by the way.  She has so much faith and so much knowledge and is just so humble yet direct in her words. 

Well, today, of all the areas that I could read about prayer, I opened up directly to chapter 20, “Treat Your Body As Though It Belongs To God”. 

O.K., as if that weren’t direct enough.   

           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, why do I run to unhealthy eating?  Why do I not value myself more? 

I can’t really answer that and I don’t think answering it is going to help me any, because as long as it is “mine”, I will do with it as I please.  But this new thinking of it being God’s, changes my thinking quite a bit. 

If I stop believing that this is mine (my body/my health) and started seeing it fully in the truth that it is His. I am only borrowing it, I will treat it better.  If I see it as something that God has only loaned me, and I have to give it back with explanation as to why I treated it the way that I did, won’t I treat it completely different, choosing to look at the big picture and not just the immediate gratification?

I like to be healthy. I like to be active.  Choosing to eat poorly keeps me from getting to have either of these two things in my life.  It is time to put some action in place. I have my first 5k run in August with some good friends.  I have four months to work toward my goal and make some changes. 

Being healthy isn’t just about eating right.  It involves a lot of different factors.

Are there any changes you would like to make?  If God was sitting right next to you, saying, “what are you doing to my body?”  What would you say? -  just a thought!

I wish you well in your new found thought.  I pray success over you all.

Taking the Leap

http://seeingthroughgodseyesphotos.blogspot.com/2013/04/he-is-risen.html?spref=fb

About 5 years ago, I had a friend staying with me for just a few months.  I lived in a cute little house that I was renting while working for an investment firm.  She worked there with me and was getting married soon.  She wanted to cut expenses and live minimally until the big day just to prepare for stepping out into her new future.

It was such a privilege to get to spend that time with her.   

Today I came across a note that she had left me so many years ago.  She tore a page out of my journal and referenced a verse that reminded her of me.  The verse was Exodus 4:1-3 where God was telling Moses to “go” and was reminding him that He would take care of the details. 

My friend stated, “God has a great sense of humor and an uncanny ability to give us the “signs” we need to confirm the extraordinary!”

I love her words in that statement! How true. 

Recently an “idea” was presented to me that I have prayed and hoped for, for a long time.   

I know for my friend, in the process of her marriage, doubted at times “is this really it? Can I really marry this man?”  I know that because everyone has those thoughts.  I also know that it was something that she had desired and prayed about for a very long time and when this boy came into her life for the first time, I remember very clearly how she reacted.  He was not just any boy to her.  He was definitely much more.

If she would have clung to her uncertainty or fears, she would have missed one the greatest and most challenging moves of her life. 

I do not want to miss the greatest and most challenging moves of my life either!  I know that I am meant to do this.  It has been engraved in me for many years without much reasoning.  Now that it is standing before me like a promise made in Heaven, I am ready to take the leap.  I don’t know how all the details will work out but I know that my God has already proven provident in the steps that have taken place thus far and I know that all that remains lies in the palms of His hands.

How exciting!  To live and step out in faith and to know that great things are taking place right in front of you, right with you.  This indeed is extraordinary!

Praising in the Pain...A Heart of Worship

Photo by Judy Royal Glenn ...http://seeingthroughgodseyesphotos.blogspot.com

Have you ever praised God in the midst of your pain?  

Recently I found myself in a very disappointing, heart breaking place.  A friend had introduced me to a guy that I agreed to meet.  I didn’t think much of it.  These things never seem to work out, but to my surprise I really ended up liking this guy.

He had a lot of qualities that I had prayed for but on top of that I really enjoyed my time with him.  He felt like an old friend, and a good friend.  Plus I was really attracted to him.

After a few days where there was some minor contact, there came several days where there was no contact.  I realized there was no interest there on his part and that he just didn’t have the heart to tell me (which I really hate).  I had to accept my rejection and move forward. 

The only problem was that it hit a key disappointment that I already had.  Why wasn’t I married yet?  I have agreed to serve you Lord in every way that I know how.  I have given you my heart. I have given you my life and I try to be as obedient to your will and plan as I know how.  So why are you withholding this from me?  Why don’t you want this for me right now?

My heart cried out, while breaking inside.  As I stood in the elevator at work holding back tears I stated, “I will praise you Lord.  In the midst of what I feel and where I am, I will praise you.” 

I don’t normally do that.  Normally I get mad and hurt and pout about where He has me and what He is doing or not doing.   Job reacted similarly in chapter 40 of the book of Job.  After all that he went through, God addressed him and his reaction was to be silent.  As God continued to address who He himself was and who Job was not, Job’s silence turned to praise (Job 42:1-6).  He praised God in the midst of all that he had lost.  In that he found freedom and new life. 

For me, I had an experience like I had not had before.  My aching heart seemed to be sealed by His never failing love.  As I walked off the elevator and onto the floor where I worked, I had no idea what my moment of praise was doing inside me.  Several moments later, I realized how much better I felt. My heart had been healed. It felt so nice to have that healing, and to know that He met me in that place with compassion and not just correction.

I have never been good at praising God in the midst of my sorrow.  Normally I will surrender to God but it is in a pouting, disappointed nature.  I never fully realized the power of praising Him.  Now I plan to do that in the midst of all my storms.

Laura Menefee ~

The Ways of God

Charlie is sitting here next to me. Most the time I do not let him in here, in my room, but sometimes I will if he listens and doesn’t get into things.  I love that he likes to be where I am.  Sometimes it can be annoying.  Sometimes he sniffs everything I am trying to do and I just have to say “Stop”.  But the fact that he wants to be near me, is the evidence of his love and admiration for me.  That I love.  So seeing him go against his strong desires of getting up and sniffing out every new thing that he has not explored yet, just to sit quietly next to me is nice.

I love dogs.  I have always loved dogs and have wanted one of my own for a long time.  I couldn’t afford to get one though because of the hours that I am away and because of the responsibility they are.  They need attention.  It is not fair to them to have them in your life if you don’t ever plan to give them what they need.

As I sat here, stroking his head and he just grunted with the feel of being petted and doted over, I noticed his feet.  I noticed how the bones in his legs and feet move in such a way to perform exactly the way that they need to.  God is so precise in how He creates or orchestrates anything.  One area of life or physical quality fits so uniquely into another.  Everything has a rhyme and reason, a purpose, a plan.  Everything is set into motion by the moving of His hand.

We serve a God of great creativity.

Great brilliance.

Great Ability.

Great Love.

And Great Reason.

It is easy to want to take life into our own hands and try to determine how we believe it should be, but life was laid out by the one person or being that knew best and does best.

This is scripture that I have liked for a while.  I think it is appropriate for this message so I am going to share it with you.

“There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand:  the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden.”  Proverbs 30:18-19