Luke 12:22-34

Luke 12:34 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be."
Read Luke 12:22-34. Think about what your day consists of - work, laundry, kids, spouse, what's for dinner - we may not live in a constant state of worry but our lives are full of concerns.
Christ tells us instead we should turn our hearts to seeking God. This next week while you go about your daily chores, focus on God. Ask yourself and Him "How can I make him the center of my heart today?"

Temptation

Did you that 50% of all peopel who start an exercise program drop out in 3-6 months. And 95% who do lose weight gain it back. Why? Because we are fallen people who give in to temptation. So know what temptations make you fail. Stress and emotional factors, illness or injury, holidays and special occasions, the infulance of others, over work, bad weather, vacation? That's just my list of possible temptations, what is yours.
Now when temptation tries to get the better of you remember 1 Corinthians 10:13 "NO TEMPTATION has seized you except what is common to man. AND GOD IS FAITHFUL; he will not let you be tempted BEYOND what you can bear. BUT WHEN you are tempted, HE WILL provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
One of my best temptation busters is worship music. When I feel tempted I put on a worship CD and being focussing on God. Soon I am dancing like David danced and instead of giving in I am working off temptation.
What is your method of resisting? Be an encouragement today and share some of your tempation busters in the comment section below.

Spoils of War

1 Chronicles 18:11 "King David dedicated these articles to the Lord."
Spoils of war. That is what David was dedicating to the Lord. Silver, gold, bronze. Today you are also in a war. Will you, like David, seek God's council before you enter battle? And will you, like David, dedicate the articles (reading habits, TV watching, attitudes, words spoken, ie) to the Lord?

A Pillar

You all know Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer. How he is a picture for us of Christ as our kinsman-redeemer paying off our debts and setting us free. But did you know that Boaz was also the name of one of the two pillars standing guard at the entrance of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 7:21)
What pillars do you live your life by? Trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, love?
Are you a pillar standing guard and showing people the entrance to God's presence?
Revelation 3;12 says "Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my god. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God ... and I will also write on him my new name."

Super Foods

There are some foods that are better for you than others. I want to share just a few of those foods with you today. Try to incorporate at least one every day for the next week.
1. Beans - they are high in calories yes, but they are also reich in nutrients and high in fiber so you fill up faster.
2. Dark leafy green vegetabels - the greener the better. These are low in carbs. In fact, so low you can eat all the dark leafy green vegetables you want.
3. Citrus fruit is rich in vitamin C, but stick with the fruit when you can instead of juices. The fruit adds natural fibers.
4. Whole sunsweet berries are full of antioxicants, vitamins and fiber.
5. Nuts, again high in fat but it is the "good fats" like omega 3. One tablespoon of almonds is a good way to get this good fat into your system.

Ruth the refresher

Most of the time famine and drought come together and it is when the drought ends that the famine also come to an end. Ruth left behind all that was familiar and gave herself over to a new life in Judah. She was the end of Naomi's drought. The name Ruth means "refresh as to soak."
Ruth refreshed Naomi's spirit and gave her a reason to keep going. The two women returned just in time for the barley harvest. And the new beginning God had planned for them.
Today ask God to give you a refreshing, ask him to give yo a teachable spirit and listening ears. And ask yourself 'would those around you describe you as refreshing to their spirit or as a spiritual famine?'

Work out tips

Work out tips while traveling: Pack your own snack for on the trip, eat a good meal before you hit the road, never super size and avoid fried foods, stay hydrated, don't eat just because of what time it is or because it is offered - eat only when you are hungry, get up and move every chance you get, beware of buffets, leave food on your plate.
Work out tips for hot weather: wear clothing that layers, shoes that fit, drink lots of water before, during and after workout, wear a hat and sun screen, work out early before the hottest part of the day.
Other tips: walking is the best exercise and it can be done any where and any time. turn on music while you work out, play a game with your children of kick ball or chase them around the yard, work out for 10 minutes three times a day instead of one 30 minute routine.
Exercise in front of the TV - sit in a chair and do leg lifts, ride an imaginary bike, lift imaginary weights, do arm circles, streatch and scrunch your face to work those muscles.

Orpah, the stiff-neck

Naomi's daughter in law that returned home was named Orpah which means "stiff-necked" or "stubborn."
Often when God calls us to enter theunknown it is scary, very scary. Open your Bibles and read Numbers 13. I'll wait.
The children had just been rescued by God from Egypt and were at the edge of God's promise. Re-read verses 23 & 27. The land was all God promised, yet the people were afraid of the current residents so they refused to take hold of the land.
they like Orpah choose to turn back to what was familiar - even if it was slavery.
Now look to the right side of this blog page. Do you see the commitments to Christ listed? Are you ready to go forward in your commitments to God?
Today begin by setting aside 15 - 20 minutes in your schedule each day this week for time spent with God. I will begin posting each evening the next days reading assignment (for those who need to know where to start.)

More Breakfast ideas

More breakfast ideas:

Remember that whatever you choose for breakfast you want no more than 2 servings of bread. So, read the side of the box, or the bag. Usually what we think of as one serving equals up to 3 or 4 servings. One bread serving is 15g of carbs. So the bagels that Darren and Shawna eat are 4 servings for one bagel.
Although one small fruit is considered a fruit serving this is one area where I say eat, eat and eat some more. If you are going to over do in the eating department, do it with fresh fruits and vegetables. And now is the time for that. Go to your local farmers roadside stand, or hit the grocery store every two or three days for fresh fruits and vegetables. The longer they are off the vine the less nuitrients. So you want the freshes you can get.
Stay away from processed sugars as much as possible. Drink nonfat or 1% milk. Use real butter instead of margarine. Nature-made is always best in this girls opinion.

Pleasant or Bitter

Back to Ruth
Naomi to me is a perfect example of an obedient wife - that is obedient to God.
Her name means "Pleasant" and I'm sure that was her personality. But I also would bet that she hemmed and hawed at Eli as he packed up to move to Moab. I'm sure she complained about the move and told Eli he was making a mistake - but she followed.
That is what an obedient wife does - she tells her spouse what she believes but then she follows where he is going. Even when it is outside of God's promise.
Because Eli was the one in the wrong he was the one God disciplined.
And as soon as Naomi was able, she returns. After 10 years of living outside of God's promise she is no longer the pleasant woman that she was. Instead, she has become "bitter" and tells people to call her Mara.
But if you notice, it doesn't take long before she is going by the name of Naomi once again. When we allow God to have our bitterness he takes it and returns back in its place a pleasantness, a sweetness of being in His presence.
What in your life today has you bitter? Are you willing to come to God with your bitterness and allow him to change it into a pleasantness?

Cheat once in a while

It's important when you are "dieting" to cheat once in a while. If not you get bored and totally blow your eating plan. So while sticking is important, every once in a while - when you have a craving you can't get rid of, or when your hubby wants to take you out - cheat.
Just adjust the rest of your day accordingly. Eat smaller portions your other meals. Add an extra 10 minutes to your work out. Take a stroll after dinner. But don't skip a meal, and don't deprive yourself.

Also, while I'm here. I want to remind you that chemical sweeteners are just that chemicals. They are not natural. And while we know that to much of anything is not good for us, our bodies were not made to digest chemicals. (Spenda has chlorine added in the process) Stick with natural sweeteners, just limit how much you use them. Honey and organic syrups are better for you and they contain natural antioxidants.

God is King

Back to Ruth 1
Elimelech means "God is Sovereign." Elimelech forgot that God was sovereign over his life, and that God was every where. Times got hard and he packed up and left. Many times people still today try to run when God allows judgement to come into their lives. They think some "other" (food, sex, job, drink) will satisfy them. Ususally all that it does is put them father away from The presence of God. And even though it might seem like their needs are being fille it is the way to death.
Just as Eli when he moved his family out of God's presence in Judah into Moab. There he found plenty to eat, but there he also found death.
1 Peter 5:9 "Resist him (sin) standing firm in the faith because you know that your brothers through out the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering."
Today stand firm. Know that all of us today, me writing and those reading, are undergoing the same temptations that you are. Spirital famine can only be ended when we meet God. He is waiting right now to feed you. And he will give you the strength to resist all other temptations.
Post 1 Peter 5:9 on your fridge or pantry door. It will help you remember to stand firm.

Exercise

"Yes, exercise is the catalyst. That's what makes everything happen: your digestion, your elimination, your sex life, your skin, hair, everything about you depends on circulation. And how do you increase circulation?" Jack LaLanne
Okay, if your like me you don't like to exercise. I will confess this morning lying in bed I went through my routine in my head wondering "does this count?" No it doesn't. But there are simple things you can do to increase your exercise level. Yes, most of them are little bursts of exercise, but everything counts.
Park away from the store in the back of the parking lot.
Get outside and walk around the block with the kids.
Play -- Angel loves to be chased or to play ball.
Make one extra trip up the stairs every day.
Walk in place while you watch TV.
I'm making a list. Post your mini-exercise in the comment section below. Let's see how many we can collect.
Then get up and get to doing.

Famine

Ruth 1:1-5

Bethlehem, the town where Elimelech and Naomi called home was experiencing a famine. Bethlehem was in the area of Judah in the land God promised his people. God had promised that as long as the people continuted to worship him faithfully he would continue to bless them. Unfortunately, the people had stopped being faithful.
Oh, they were going through the motions. But thier hearts were not in it. They had begun looking to the gods of the people who had lived in the land before them. So God sent a famine into the land.
One interesting tidbit: the name Bethlehem means 'house of bread.' So Elimelech moved his family out of God's breadbasket to live in a pagan world. There he and his sons would die.
Physical famine dries up the land. It leaves behind hungry desperate people.
Spiritual famine dries up the soul. It leaves behind hungry desperate people, only these people are hungry for something they usually can't define. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 what it is we are to hunger and thirst for - God's righteousness. We are to hunger and thirsty after being right in the eyes of the Lord.
God sent a physical famine to Judah because the people were living in spiritual famine. He was trying to get them to turn their hearts back to him.
Signs of spiritual drought are not always easy for others to see but they can be identified. You experience no desire to pray, you are not reading God's Word, you have no heart for worship, and you isolate yourself away from Chrisitan fellowship.
Why did I mention famine today? Stop and evaluate your hunger level. What have you spiritually eaten today? Have you exercised worship yet? Are you living in a spiritual famine?

Easy Breakfast

So, we all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. but most of us don't eat one. We just don't give ourselves enough time in the mornings. So here is a quick, easy breakfast:

1 piece of toast - whole grains are best of course.
2 Tbsp peanut butter - nut butters are good sources of proteins and they contain the good fats our bodies need.
1 Tbsp honey - yes honey. And if you can get it from a local farmer even the better. Local raw honey is all natural, fat free, loaded with antioxidants and it canhelp build up an immunity to allergies.

this breakfast gives you 2 servings of carbs and 1 serving of proteins.

Water, water every where

Nice weather is finally here. And if you are like me that means water sports. (for me that means the pool in my back yard.) Remember that your body needs 8 8oz of water every day on the inside no matter how much water it gets on the outside. In fact, when you are outside in the sun you need to get even more. And don't wait until you are thirsty to drink your water by then your body is already dehydrated. Start early and drink your water often.

Also, remember that for every soda (or other beverage) you drink you need to add one full glass of water.

And while you are in the water, do a little bit of water aerobics. Water adds resistance in both directions. So get in there and kick those legs. Make a splash, it's good for you.

John 6:35

"then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. he who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."
Only through Jesus can we find complete satifaction. It is when we hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God instead of for the ways of this world that we find ourselves being filled. It is only from partaking of the bread of life that we find completeness.

It is also, by partaking of the bread of life on a daily basis that we find the strength to stay away from the bread in the cabinet. Make yourself a poster of John 6:35 (mine is written on a picture of bread) and tape it on your pantry door to remind yourself of the Bread you really desire.

Getting Started

Okay friends, if we are going to keep each other accountable we really need to be doing it. So time to get started. Have you spent time reading God's Word today? Talking with God about more than just your "wish" list? Have you exercised yet? And what have you had to eat today?

Let me be honest. So far my answers are no, no, not yet, and I skipped breakfast. Not a good start considering it's after 11 am. But for me the day is really just starting. So it will get better.

Let me also encourage you with a little bit of exercise info: did you know that gardening is good exercise. Hoeing and raking use both arm and back muscles. Digging uses your thighs. and you get an added benefit of home grown vegetables. it's not to late to start a garden this year. Get exercising. (Remember lots of water before you feel thirsty.)