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Why is it when things are good
There comes a dark black sky.
Just when you thought all was well
And problems had passed you by,
The tears begin all over
And the heartache now feels new.
You thought it had gone away,
Now it's back facing you.
You want to keep pressing on
To a new and brighter day,
Where joy exists eternally...
You thought you'd found your way.
But God's road isn't easy,
The enemy keeps a stand,
Waiting till a weak moment
When he can play his hand.
I must stay strong and focused,
Keep my eyes upon His face.
No matter what may happen,
This is not my resting place.
I have a home in heaven
Where heartbreak is no more.
I'll stay on my knees until that day
When I'm with Him forevermore. 

(Thank you, Gina!)

Fitness & Nutrition Salon...

Changing Habits...

So much easier said than done!  How we struggle when our flesh fights the Holy Spirit to do those things that will help us become the person we truly want to become.  We are determined to win the battle, then that weak moment happens and we are all out of skelter and angry with ourselves besides.  This is not the time to give in to our weakness, but the time to rise up in determination and press forward to overcome the battle.

My cousin, Joyce, and her husband finished their pottery classes this week.  She is so excited and has purchased her own kiln to bake her creations at home.  She said their class was small, but each student boasted a variety of items they had formed, each differing from the other students in the class by their own particular style and flair.  Though they began with like clumps of clay, the end results were very different.  We, too, are very different.  We try to conform to what we feel we should be and do, but yet the result turns out that we are very different!  That is by God's design.  He created us individually and He wants us to bring that new perspective of ourselves to our world that they might see His handiwork.  (Read Ginger Glenn's article, 'A Vessel of Clay')

As with most desires of life, it takes time and perseverence to continue working on a project when the going gets tough.  The passion must be there to cross the finish line!  That passion will cause us to seek God for help and to be determined that although we may slip and fall, we will rise again and press on to the goal.

While living in sunny California a few years ago, I rode a bicycle to work and home again.  It was 2½ miles each way.  At the time, I did not realize how important that discipline was to become in my life.  My body became stronger.  I lost my 'saddle hips', and my health was that of an athlete.  It was often hard to ride against those Santa Ana winds, but I trudged on day by day.   Our God is so good and so willing to help us.  I am so grateful He worked it out in my life that I rode that bicycle five miles a Day most days and strengthened my body in a very beneficial way.

My father also rode a bicycle at his job before he retired.  He was a supervisor for a large local factory and had to ride many miles a day.  He has lived a very productive life, now being 87 years old, and until recently could keep up and even exceed the strength of many young men.  It was a discipline that he inherited with his job title and it was a God's blessing that he was willing to do his job the company's way.

I am not promoting biking per se; that is just the instrument God chose to shape our bodies and lives.  He has the perfect way for you to shape yours, too.

God IS the POTTER and we ARE the CLAY!!  He has a way to help you get your bodies fit and into good health.  Is it an easy task?  NO!!!  We struggle against what we know God would choose for us.  We are tired and weary and step out of the process.  That's okay...but it just cannot become a permanent way of life.  Our habits have to be those that flow with God to form the person He wants us to be...and the best we can be.

Then there is the battle of what we put into our bodies.  We Christians seem to be the first to the table to enjoy the labors of our hands!  We enjoy feasting, often for all the wrong reasons.  I for one know that God loves for us to feast together and enjoy ourselves in Him.  It was a commandment in the Old Testament to observe the various feasts and I believe He still wants us to observe our feasts for Him.  They have changed with the New Testament, but these are actually shadows of those He commanded in the Old Testament.  

How difficult it is for us to have the strength and determination to put down that fork and rest from eating.  But, what a serious consequence we bring upon our bodies when we cannot overcome this habit.  And...it is a habit we are seduced into, a very easy habit to form and a hard one to break.  Add to that the lack of proper excersize and we have a dilemma!

Form good habits and don't become discouraged when you fall off the track.  Keep the goal of the vessel you know you should be in your heart and mind, then create those habits that will produce good results in the form of a body you can be pleased with and that you can use better to bring glory to God.  Remember...the end result is worth the sacrifice and struggle that is always a part of victory.  You are an overcomer!  Move forward and take charge of  that body God gave you.  He will bless you for it!