For His Glory - Friday, April 24, 2009 - An "Aha" Moment

You know, every once in a while, I "get it." I have an "aha" moment and last night I was blessed with not ONE but TWO of these gems!
Since becoming a Juice Plus+ customer and distributor, I have endeavored to learn about nutrition and I have struggled to sort through the quantities of information about how to nourish the body, lose weight, contend nutritionally with the natural changes that come with "growing up" and still feed my family well.
I picked up a ladies' magazine at the newsstand touting a diet based on "phytonutrient-rich" foods. The things on the list were not foreign to me but I thought I had seen the list before.
Yesterday, a friend at lunch shared with me that she was dropping pregnancy weight with a diet based on the "Super Foods" and as I read the list of foods, again I thought "I've seen these somewhere before." I got home last night and printed the "Super Food" list and compared it to the list of "phytonutrient-rich" foods in the magazine and I was excited to see that they are the same! What was even more exciting was that I practically RAN to my cabinet to get my Juice Plus and LO and BEHOLD - a number of the "Super Foods" are in my Juice Plus+! Why am I NOT suprised??? It was then that I had that first "aha" moment - one I had prayed for as I asked the Lord to give me discernment and wisdom navigating these "nutritonal" waters and it was this: Nutrient dense food is more satisfying and we don't have to eat as much of it to be satisfied and have our nutritional needs moment. Eating less leads to weight loss. Eating better food that is truly nutritious leads to a healthier body. YESSSSS! It's only taken me 46 years but I GET IT! Almost immediately, the Holy Spirit revealed to me that our relationship with our Father is the same way! While daily devotionals, Christian music and reading books that are edifying and uplifting are the "snacks and appetizers" of our Christian lives, the real nutrition is in the daily prayer and reading of the Word. When we takethe time to meet with God and not just recite our lists of "please do" and "thank you's" and we take in the nourishment of His word we are filled. It is not enough to know the salvation of Jesus but it is in nourishing our spirits daily in the Word of God and in time in prayer that we are truly "Fit for Kingdom Duty." I am so thankful that when we desire to be fit for duty that God will reveals to us what we need, for our good, For His Glory! Yours, In Him! AA

For His Glory - Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - Absolute Obedience

I have the privilege of singing with the Kids' Worship Experience one weekend every month. This weekend, we sang a song by the David Crowder Band entitled "Undignified" and we sang (and danced around) about how we were willing to undignified for the cause of Christ. In Deuteronomy Chapter 8, the Israelites were reminded of how God had been faithful to them but they were admonished to obey the commands of God and walk in HIS ways that they would continue to know God's blessing on their lives. Verse 20 of that chapter says "As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God." My devotional this morning was, in part, from Joshua, chapter 23 where Joshua is letting God's people know that although he was old and was soon to leave for "Home" the command to obey God was still the same and he admonished them to continue to be obedient to God and HIS ways and that they continue to heed Him and LOVE him. I love what Charles Stanley says about how we are to live as Children of the King: "Be obedient and leave the details to God!" My friends, this is straight from scripture and whether it is taking a stand for what is right in God's eyes, being publicly vocal about our values and beliefs or being "undignified" for the cause of Christ our call is simply that we be absolutely obedient to what God has directed and continues to direct us to do. Ours is not to do what is popular, but ours is to do what is right. "No, O people, the Lord has already told you waht is good and this is what He requires: to do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8) for "whoever pursues Godliness and unfailing love will find life, Godliness and honor." (Proverbs 21:21) Do what is right - in absolute obedience - and leave the details to God. The blessings are ours to claim! Loving you, with His love - AA

For His Glory - Wednesday - April 15, 2009 - Free Indeed

I was e-mailing with a dear friend recently about the many years (16) that I spent emotionally separated from my parents and sibling and spiritually separated from God and how God was merciful in bringing me to a point of reconciliation - to Him and my family, because of His grace. During those 16 years, a LOT happened in my life and a LOT of it was not very good. My life was filled with those kinds of things that build a testimony of God's grace but also can imprison us to a life of shame and guilt. As I shared with my friend - not details necessarily - but the general tone of how my life had been, before God's grace redeemed me, I did not weep any more but was able to rejoice at the reconciliation and healing that God has brought to pass in my life. I am finally free from the chains of my past that had for so long brought me humiliation and tears. I look back and wonder how I could have made some of the choices and done some of the things that I did and know it was out of personal pain and ignorance to God's love and will that I made the choices I did. Now, mind you, God has not spared me all of the natural consequences of those choices and those consequences, because I am hard headed and willful at times, have been painful but have allowed me to learn differently and do differently. Sprinkled liberally throughout the consequences of MY choices, is the evidence of God's love, grace and mercy and I have been spared a lot of the pain that could have been. I am now no longer a slave to my past and the pain it brought to me, my parents, my sibling and, unfortunately my children when they were very young, but I am free to be enslaved to the yoke of Christ. A yoke that brings TRUE FREEDOM. There a number of verses in the Word of God with the word "Free" in them but one, I believe, sums it up for me here:

Stand fast therefore in the liberty

by which Christ has made us free,

and do not be entangled again

with a yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1

Through Christ, we have liberty and we are truly free because the Son has set us free. It is my prayer, my friends, that whatever choices you made in your past, that you will make a choice and take a stand for the one True God - regardless of the personal cost. It is my prayer that we will all stand fast in the LIBERTY we have because of our Freedom in Christ and take on HIS yoke which would tell the world we are FINALLY FREE for our Good and to be used For His Glory. Loving you with His Love! AA

For His Glory, Thursday, April 9, 2009 - No Pain, No Gain; No Cross, No Crown

My sweetie and I have added a new form of torture to our workouts in an attempt to tone flabby muscles and burn body fat. I won't tell you what I have renamed it, but the class schedule at our gym calls it Cardio Kickboxing. I am at times tortured by nightmares of the instructor saying "punch it out," "right cross," "left jab," "roundhouse" or one of the more painful moves - "speedbag." Yes, these are all boxing moves with kicking and high speed cardio intensity thrown in. As I lay on the ground last night to do about 400 crunches of various types, out loud I said "I am TOO old for this!" While the younguns around me could laugh, my body HURT!!! Now, before you think I'm a wimp, we do this class on Monday nights AND I do what is called Body Works on Tuesday nights (you can figure THAT one out). I am 46 years old and I am reminded that I shoulda been doin' this stuff when I was 26, 36 at the latest but NO, I was still thin THEN! Alas, it IS Holy Week. The time of the year, when we as Believers and followers of Jesus are reminded of the pain He endured. Isaiah 53:5 reminds us that Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for OUR iniquities but by HIS stripes, we are healed. I tell you, my friends, more than the healing I need for my fluffy, out of shape body, I need the healing of Jesus daily in my heart. The Holy Spirit brought this immediately to my mind as I lay on the floor of the gym, sweat pouring off me and tears sprang to my eyes. I was in physical pain for the hope of gaining a healthier, fit body. Jesus bore my pain on the cross to give me an eternal body. What Jeremiah 29 says is He bought "a future, and a hope." Be reminded, those I love, that there is no gain without pain and Jesus is the author of that statement. But where there is no cross, there is no crown. Revelations 2:10 reminds us to

" . . . not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. . .

Be faithful until death,

and I will give you the crown of life."

Remember what Jesus did for us and know that He bore a crown of thorns, to give us a crown of eternal life. He bore the pain of the cross for our gain, For His Glory. Loving you this Easter and always - AA

Friday, April 3 - It IS All About Attitude

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins! He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, 'I don't get it!' 'You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?' He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or...you can choose to be in a bad mood and I choose to be in a good mood.' Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or...I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. 'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested. 'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life..' I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and 20 weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?' I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. 'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or. . . I could choose to die. I chose to live.' 'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked. He continued, '. . . the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. . . I knew I needed to take action.' 'What did you do?' I asked. 'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.' He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. . . . I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything! The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength! Happy Friday! AA

A Woman's Week at the Gym (Edited)

A WOMAN'S WEEK AT THE GYM
If you can read this without laughing out loud, there is something wrong with you. This is dedicated to everyone who ever attempted (OR WHO IS ATTEMPTING - GOD LOVE YA) to get into a regular workout routine!!
Dear Diary,
For my birthday this year, my Husband (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school wrestling cheerleader 33 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Christo, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My husband seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.
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MONDAY:Started my day at 4:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Christo waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Christo gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skilful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!Christo was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!
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TUESDAY:I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Christo made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It's a whole new life for me.
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WEDNESDAY:The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Christo was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying ... My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Christo put me on the stair monster. Why in the world would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators?!!! Christo told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other stupid stuff too.
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THURSDAY: Christo the Evil One (jerk) was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late - it took me that long to tie my shoes. He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. He sent some skinny wench to find me. Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank. _________________________________
FRIDAY:I hate Christo more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anaemic, anorexic little aerobics instructor. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it. Christo wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the freakin' barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich ... The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director? ________________________________
SATURDAY:Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel. ________________________________
SUNDAY:I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!! (AA Note: ROFL with tears in my eyes!!!) Have a blessed day and laugh til it hurts - that way you won't notice the charlie horses from 2,000 squats the night before! LOVE YA!