Tag Archives: God

The First 100 days – day 38 – Love?

What is love?

1 Cor 13 says love is

patient
kind
does not envy
does not boast]
is not proud
is not rude
is not self seeking
is not easily angered
keeps no record of wrongs
does not delight in evil
rejoices in the truth
always protects
always trusts
always hopes
always perseveres
never fails

love
joy
peace
patience
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
self-control

I’ve been thinking about ‘love’ for a while, and in a conversation on a thread I wrote these thoughts:

“The thing is, the love is no better than the sinner that professes it. I know I don’t love 1 Cor 13…shoot, I’m still working on ‘love is kind’….and to expect that my partner is less human, as in more divine than I am is to have WAY too high of expectations. I don’t know about ya’ll, but my husband married a sinner, and I married one too. We’re still workin’ our way out of the past things that have got to be taken care of so we can move forward to more wonderful…we had divorce papers on the table 5 months before our 25th anniversary. It AINT easy…but my commitment wasn’t to Jim…my commitment was to God – and as long as HE says stay…my faith is held in the balance. KWIM?”

“It is so much easier to love when you are ‘in love’….those feelings make things easier…but also blind us sometimes! It’s the long haul work that deepens the relationship. Just this weekend, Jim decided to be less than divine…and you know what? I responded in a very less than divine manner! But after 32 years, we KNOW we are going to work through it…so it is safe to have hurt feelings, angry feelings, disappointed feelings…because LOVE is no longer a feeling..it’s a state of being that governs everything else.”

There is that ‘love’ that one feels when one is attracted to the other person, and doesn’t see any faults, because all they can see is the positive. It could be the beginning of love, it could also be the fruit of lust. My point is, it’s a FEELING.

The day one get’s saved, there is this feeling of exultation, deliverance from death and resurrected into life! It’s a wonderful feeling! Walking and talking with God all along life’s narrow way!

Then a trial comes along. And God doesn’t feel so close by. And it hurts. Life just happened. And now, this is the work of working out your own salvation with fear and trembling! This is the exercise program of our faith – when we don’t ‘feel’ it, when we want to quit because it’s too hard – when everything around us is dark and stormy, and obviously God is busy on the other side of the planet!

THAT IS WHEN FAITH AND COMMITMENT ADD UP TO LOVE.

We love because HE FIRST LOVED US. When did He first love us? while we were yet sinners. Job didn’t ‘feel’ God was near. And Job was not happy that God would not hear his prayer for death! And in the middle of that dark valley of the shadow of death – God spoke. His rod and His staff straightened Job out, and then comforted him.

Job loved God before this trial. And the trial had to be tough enough to refine Job. And afterward, Job loved God more. Job never denied God, nor cursed God, but Job struggled with the trial.

In marriage, there are trials. And it’s in these trials that you work out your OWN marriage with fear and trembling. You may feel that the other person has abandoned you. You may want to abandon the other person. You may even want to kill the marriage with divorce at times. This is that dark valley of the shadow of death, where REAL marriages are made. When feelings have NOTHING to do with REALITY. This is where you practice 1 Cor 13, and this is where fruit is proven.

I don’t always feel saved – but I KNOW that I am.

I don’t always feel loved – but I know I am by God, and I know that my human counterpart tries to love me, as much as I try to love him. I KNOW that we have chosen love.

We don’t have a choice. Not if we intend to stay on God’s good side!

We are commanded to love.

WE ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE.

love one another…..

we love because he first loved

freely recieved freely give

love the church

love your neighbor

love your enemies

greater love hath no man but that he lay down his life for his friends

LOVE is NOT a feeling. LOVE IS A STATE OF BEING. LOVE IS A WAY OF LIFE. GOD IS LOVE – and God is NOT a feeling.

And when the first reaction to anything is love, then 1 Cor 13 and Gal 5 will follow in kind.

The first fruit of the Spirit mentioned is LOVE. And love has a huge definition. If we just work on being love – all the fruit will flow and life will be a little more like heaven in our hearts.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or ‘like’ me! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

100 days of moving challenge – day 39 – fighting cats and dog
100 days challenge- blog – check
25 verses in 52 weeks – Ps 15:1-2
90 days Bible Reading – Job
50 days T-Tapp – check – OIP/HF, AL
30 days – T-Tapp January Jumpstart- day 12

The First 100 days – day 37 – ADHD Bible Reading

Hi.
My name is Christi.
I have ADHD.
(Hi Christi!)

I get distracted. Even when I read my Bible.
I don’t get distracted when I read a fiction book.
I think this is the work of the devil.
Nevertheless, it is what it is, and I need tools to help me ‘read’ my Bible.

Are ‘tools’ acceptable to God, or do I need to be puritanically religious about sitting down and reading and studying and notating MY Bible? Well, when Timothy was having some issues, Paul wrote this: Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities. (1Tim 5:23)
If that isn’t enough, God thought it was good enough to be put into the Bible!!! Now, I’m NOT talking about drinking wine instead of water!

I have been doing Bible in 90 days, and I have had some difficulties. I am committed, therefore, I have looked for some tools.

First, Speed! the Bible in 90 days website has some tools. Of course, these are for reading through the Bible in 90 days. As for benefiting someone with ADHD…it is a faster way to get through all the begats and such. It moves faster, more at the speed of an ADHD brain!

Second, for ADHD persons, there is a need for multiple sensory experiences for things to hold our attention, and to stick in our brains. Here are some multi sensory tools that I have used, or have just found:

VISUAL – obviously the Bible reading is visual, but black letters on white paper is not very stimulating.

Christian Cinema has Matthew, Acts, and John on DVD.
For children(young and old) there are picture Bibles – such as The Beginners Bible, The Picture Bible, The Comic Book Bible, The Children’s Illustrated Bible.
For adults, there is this really neat Bible – The Archeological Study Bible. It adds details that keep this ADHD person from mentally straying!

AUDITORY – Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God…

Various places provide Bible reading tools AS YOU READ! Blue Letter Bible, and the Bible in 90 days
If you have a nook or a kindle, some Bible programs are formatted for text to speech.
The dvds mentioned above…combine visual AND auditory
There are cds that have the Bible on them, such as Alexander Scorby, Stephen Johnston, and Zondervan has an NIV dramatized Bible set!
Scripture Memory Songs – Steve Green’s Hide ’em in Your Heart, Max Lucado’s Hermie, Twin Sisters, and our favorite, though it’s out of print is Integrity Music’s Scripture Memory cds! I did find a place where mp3s could be downloaded.

KINETIC OR TACTILE – Touch it…..

Write out the Bible Verses. Have a journal, or a flip chart, such as the one Beth Moore offers.
Coloring charts – yes, even for adults. PapaJan has free ones. Another site, Coloring.ws, has some pages with scriptures.
Kay Arthur’s Inductive Study Method, which my husband calls me coloring my Bible.

And here’s two more that I have just started to incorporate:

SCENT – a candle burning that stimulates memory.

Ps 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee [as] incense; [and] the lifting up of my hands [as] the evening sacrifice.

TASTE – I have a personal communion time – with a small piece of bread, and a small amount of grape juice.

1 Cor 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

Taste and Scent are strong memory encoders.

For me, the key is to have various opportunities and tools that will flood me with the Word of God. I hope this helps anyone with a tendency to be distracted as they read the Word of God!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or ‘like’ me! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

100 days of moving challenge – day 38 -Sick
100 days challenge- blog – check
25 verses in 52 weeks – Ps 15:1-2
90 days Bible Reading – Ecclesiastes
50 days T-Tapp – check – SICK
30 days – T-Tapp January Jumpstart- SICK

February 1 Memory Verse

MY verse 3 of Beth Moore’s challenge to memorize 25 verses in 2011.

Psalm 15:1-2

LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle?who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh truth in his heart.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE abiding verses.

Ps 91:1

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Ps 61

4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
7 He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, [which] may preserve him.

John 15

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

So, for these two weeks, I’m ‘abiding’ in the first two verse of Ps 15.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

The First 100 days – day 32 – short thoughts

Zachias was a wee little man, a wee little man was he,
He climbed up in a sycamore tree, the Lord he wanted to see.
Jesus said “Zachias, you come down from there,
for I’m going to your house today, for I’m going to your house today.”

Zachias was short.

Zachias was a tax collector.

Zachias was hated.

But Jesus saw his heart.

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

The shortest verse of the Bible is the most heart wrenching:

John 11:35 Jesus wept.

The Shortest chapter is Ps 117

Ps 117:1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

Ps 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD [endureth] for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

The Shortest book(by words) is 3John. Here are two of my favorite verses:

3John 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

3John 11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

I am short.

I am hated by some.

But Jesus sees my heart.

He knows me from my mother’s womb – Ps 139:13.

Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

And He has chosen me!

1 Pet 2:9 But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

And what’s really cool is that this applies to tall people, too! So, today, I may not have to climb any trees (Thank you Jesus), but I am going to watch for Jesus’ hand in my day, and I pray that He and the Father with the Holy Ghost will come and abide with me all the days of my life! How about you?

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

author note: the comment button is after sharing buttons, I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

100 days of moving challenge – day 32 – find a place to walk
100 days challenge- blog – check
90 days Bible Reading – 2 Kings headed to 1 Chronicles
50 days T-Tapp – check – MORE, OIP/HF, AL
30 days – T-Tapp January Jumpstart- day 6

The First 100 days – day 31 – Represent

Christians divorcing and then claiming that they are acting as Christians, so why isn’t God giving them peace with their children?

The divorce rate among Christians is the same as non believers.

Christians protesting at funerals that God is happy with deaths of soldiers side by side with Christians saying God is love.

Christians dressing like Beyonce’, Madonna, or any other ‘American Idol’ type person – and then wondering why nobody takes them serious when they talk about holiness.

Christians going bankrupt because they cannot afford the great and wonderful church that GOD WAS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE FOR THEM.

Christians speeding down the road with the little fish on the back of their vehicles almost flying off. What a witness to the officer that pulls them over.

I have an old book – IN HIS STEPS, by Charles M Sheldon.

The popularity of this book started the WWJD movement. Of course, sometimes, it’s an embarrassment to see what folks with WWJD jewelry are doing, as they are ambassadors for Christ. Sometimes I wonder if the WWJD crowd ever read the book.

Here’s the intro:

What would happen if members of your local church pledged for an entire year not to do anything without first asking, what would Jesus do? An intriguing question, and the very one that motivated Charles Monroe Sheldon to write his Christian classic, In His Steps.

For some, following in Jesus’ steps caused misunderstanding and suffering: for all it meant an entire dedication of money, talent, and life’s work, rewarded by immeasurable peace and joy.

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

1Peter then goes on to describe HOW Jesus walked.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

“The church was the first in the city. It had the best choir. It had a membership composed of the leading people, representatives of the wealth, society and intelligence of Raymond.”

I am weary with being invited to churches that have the best choir, the most people, the best youth ministry and Sunday School (so you never have to deal with your children while you worship).

I want a church that embraces the Word of God. I want a church that asks “What would Jesus Do?” and they can KNOW what Jesus DID because they KNOW the Word of God.

The church we thought we would attend has had several things come up this year.

3 million dollar expansion project…even though God has repeatedly closed doors. So, everyone give give give!
Peace Peace when there is no peace. Preaching about peace being Jews and Palestinians living together with no borders, America with no borders between Canada or Mexico. People with nothing to divide them….that is Peace.
The first love in Revelations 2 is love of people. It wasn’t return to your first love – the joy of your salvation.
Youth program was watching movies like Transformers to teach Biblical principles.

The people are wonderful. The people love the Lord. But where does this lead?

Owing a huge debt, when the present building could be paid off.
Forgetting that we are a peculiar people, set apart to God – there is a difference between Christians and the world. And true Peace comes from being at peace with God – salvation, which sets a person at odds with everyone.
God is love of everyone..forgetting that God is the Just Judge, and He will call each man into account. God’s love is a tough love…not a fluffy good ol’ boy love.
Children are to be nurtured in the admonition of the Lord…the need to learn the ways of God from His word FIRST, not secular movies and tv shows.

Matt 7:13-14KJV Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Matt 7:13-14 NLT “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.”

ONLY THE NARROW GATE – SMALL, NARROW, FEW!!!

Broad is the gate that leads to…..apōleia

destroying, utter destruction; a) of vessels
a perishing, ruin, destruction; a) of money; b) the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell

The wide way is EASY! The path with Christ leads to persecution –

John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

And we are to have a DIFFERENT RESPONSE when the fight comes:

Matthew 5:10 Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This is the key – persecuted for righteousness sake.

John 15:21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

The only way to be persecuted for Jesus’ name sake, is to be walking LIKE JESUS.

What would Jesus do when He was depressed? We know he went to the garden and prayed!

What would Jesus do when verbally attacked? We know that he held his tongue.

What would Jesus do if the congregation got to big? He got in a boat…he sent them away….they all created home churches.

What would Jesus Do about paying taxes? he paid them…supernaturally.

What would Jesus Do in a divorce situation? Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit are what a family is supposed to represent…they are one, and they cannot be divided.

John 10:30 I and [my] Father are one.

Luke 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

He REPRESENTED THE GODHEAD!!!

And it’s by being ONE with the FATHER, SPIRIT AND SON, that we can truly learn to walk in Christ’s steps as HE walked with God:

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Mark 1:12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.

And this is how we are to REPRESENT CHRIST obeying His Father, and being filled of the Holy Spirit:

Rom 8:14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

How did Jesus walk? What did Jesus Do? He fulfilled this:

Eph 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Eph 5:24-25 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

We have No excuses:

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.

Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Moses pleased God – and he was the one that wrote the first five books of the Bible!

David pleased God – and he was the one that wrote most of the Psalms.

Peter, John and Paul pleased God – and they wrote most of the New Testament.

They DID NOT HAVE THE WORD TO TEACH THEM THE PATH! But, we do.

The rest of Romans 1 describes our country, and unfortunately, much of our ‘Christian’ identity.

WARNING WARNING WARNING!

Acts 28:26 ” ‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

Acts 28:27 “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'”

Rom 11:8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.”

2 Tim 4:3-4 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

2 Thes 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2 Thes 2:11-12 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Jesus NEVER took pleasure in unrighteousness.

I confess, I do. Movies that do not represent Godly values. Doing things that are not the best for my body, or not doing things that ARE the best for my body. Gossip. Selfishness. Complaining. Nagging. Worrying. Laughing at jokes.

If I didn’t take some sort of pleasure in them I would quit doing them, right? As Dr. Phil would say “How’s that working for ya?”

It’s time to rise up and be the Christian that God defined….in His WORD made flesh. That is What Jesus Did Do. So, if we study what Jesus did do, in the whole Bible(Old and New) – we will have the answers ready for What Would Jesus Do, when we ask. But the real question is, does anyone REALLY want to do what Jesus Did?

And yet, that is the NARROW GATE, that is the NARROW WAY.

Matt 7:14 NIV But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

BE FOREWARNED BY THE 5 FOOLISH VIRGINS! We must keep our oil full until the Bridegroom comes…or we may hear:

Matt 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Matt 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Many…MANY…..

Matt 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Matt 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Here is God’s promise:

Is 42: 5 – 6 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

Is 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, [and] them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Is 42:8-9 I [am] the LORD: that [is] my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

God has a plan, and God will bring it to pass. And we have a responsibility:

2 Chron 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

This promise is addressed to God’s children, called by God’s name. Who more responsible than those that go by the name of Christ?

We are not without help…God gives us many promises of His help…the point is, we must do as Jesus did…and turn towards Our Father, and focus on the WORD of God, so that we can know how to walk as Jesus walked.

Is 50:7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

Four commandments have to deal with our relationship with God.

One commandment deals with our relationship with our parents.

Five commandments deal with our relationship with others.

God has a lot to say about our relationship with Him…because He is a jealous God!

God, through Jesus, told us that blaspheming the Holy Spirit is without forgiveness…so, God is not happy with anything that blasphemes His name. He will not shame us, and we should try to live so that we do not shame His name.

Phil 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Phil 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Phil 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

We have been given everything we need to walk IN HIS STEPS. It is my prayer that every decision I make, I will begin with What Would Jesus Do? What Did Jesus Do? And then to say YES, LORD, and walk in that path, no matter how narrow or straight.

We need to make sure our ears are open, our eyes are open, and our hearts and minds are discerning God’s way. I pray each person that reads this will KNOW that Jesus is Lord of their life, and that they hear His voice, and follow Him. I KNOW that MY redeemer liveth – do you?

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

author note: the comment button is after sharing buttons, I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

100 days moving challenge – day -my goal, walk 30 minutes.
100 days challenge- blog – check
90 days Bible Reading –
50 days T-Tapp – check
30 days – T-Tapp January Jumpstart- day

The First 100 days – day 29 – keep your vows

Today is Saturday, January 29, 2011.

On January 1, 2011, I committed to writing a blog every day for 100 days.

Some would think that was a walk in the park for me…because I seem to have so much to say…but, on the other hand, I have spent the last 20 years having trouble walking in the park!

Actually, it didn’t have anything to do with ability, or things to say…it had everything to do with —————————–> timing.

So, to whom did I make this commitment? To myself, of course. And I am totally familiar with disappointing myself…so I’m not really a good accountability partner for myself.

To Jim, because I love him so much I’m going to write 100 blogs? exercise 30 minutes a day for 100 days? Read the Bible in 90 days? Well, that doesn’t really fit, and everyone knows that committing to losing weight for someone else doesn’t fit here, either.

Seriously, when I make a commitment, it’s to God. I wouldn’t use the term VOW…because then, I’d really be responsible to fulfill the commitment!

I recently posted this definition in a blog, Commitment Day.

From Dictionary.com –

commitment – noun

the act of committing
the state of being committed.
the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself.
a pledge or promise; obligation:
engagement; involvement:
perpetration or commission, as of a crime.
consignment, as to prison.
confinement to a mental institution or hospital:
an order, as by a court or judge, confining a person to a mental institution or hospital.

I really don’t understand where these dictionary people went to school. I was never allowed to use the word in the definition…DUH! But for good measure, here is the definition of commit:

–verb (used with object)

to give in trust or charge; consign.
to consign for preservation: to commit ideas to writing; to commit a poem to memory.
to pledge (oneself) to a position on an issue or question; express (one’s intention, feeling, etc.): Asked if he was a candidate, he refused to commit himself.
to bind or obligate, as by pledge or assurance; pledge: to commit oneself to a promise; to be committed to a course of action.
to entrust, esp. for safekeeping; commend: to commit one’s soul to god.

I still don’t see the word: VOW

From Thesarus.com:

Commit:

Part of speech – verb
Definition – perform an action
Synonyms: accomplish, achieve, act, carry out, complete, contravene, do, effectuate, enact, execute, go for broke, go in for, go out for, offend, perpetrate, pull, pull off, scandalize, sin, transgress, trespass, violate, wreak
Antonyms : cease, desist, end, idle, loaf, rest, stop, wait.

Just for good measure…what does VOW mean?

a solemn promise, pledge, or personal commitment: marriage vows; a vow of secrecy.
a solemn promise made to a deity or saint committing oneself to an act, service, or condition.
a solemn or earnest declaration.

Commit means – a pledge or a promise

Vow means a SOLEMN promise or pledge.

The Bible says:

Ps 22:25 My praise [shall be] of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

Ps 50:14-15 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Ps 66:13-14 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows, I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,

Ps 116:12-14 What shall I render unto the LORD [for] all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.

and also Ps 61:5 & 8

Moses really explained the importance of keeping vows in Numbers 30.

Deut 12 includes the vows as part of the offerings, sacrifices and such brought to the altar. It happens to come after:

Deut 12:1 These [are] the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.

Deut 12:6 there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.

Deut 12:7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

Paying vows to the Lord IS part of worship and sacrifice. IT’S SERIOUS BUSINESS!!! That’s why I don’t want to think of my commitments as vows…because then, I need to give account to the Lord for my actions. And I have to see it as part of the sacrifice of praise at worship(Heb 13:15). Hmmmmmm. That sounds like semantics!

Matthew 5:33-36 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

Matt 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

The word ‘oaths’ is the greek word horkos, Strongs G3727.

1) that which has been pledged or promised with an oath

James 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

This verse, by Jesus’ brother, explains “falling into condemnation” is the consequence that ‘comes from evil’ brings into a life. I’m all for escaping condemnation! The Bible is FULL of examples about how to escape condemnation, but here’s one:

Ps 15:1 LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

Ps 15:2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

Ps 15:3 [He that] backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

Ps 15:4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. [He that] sweareth to [his own] hurt, and changeth not.

Ps 15:5 [He that] putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these [things] shall never be moved.

‘Shall never be moved’…that is an AWESOME promise. Wait…promise…God gave us a promise!

Do I want God to keep his promises, commitments, vows or oaths to me? DUH!!!

I want Deuteronomy 28 to be true…

Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Of course, I have a responsibility…

Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

And I am to have faith in HIS promises:….Just read through Heb 11.

Heb 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

I want to obtain God’s promises…..

Phil 1:6 ESV And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Here is a promise:

1 Cor 1:7-8 NLT Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. (8) He will keep you strong right up to the end, and he will keep you free from all blame on the great day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

verse 8, in ESV says who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

verse 8, in KJV says Who shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye may be] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

verse 8, in NIV says He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God promises to sustain, confirm, keep strong, free from all blame, and guiltless – WOW!

1 Cor 1:9NLT God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says, and he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

(In case you do not like the New Living Translation, here it is in KJV; NIV & ESV)

What do we know about God?

Numb 23:19 God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

This passage makes a difference between doing what he says and lying. If one doesn’t do what they say, they are lying. Let your yes be YES and your no be NO WAY!

God makes promises, and keeps them. He is faithful to His vows, for good and bad. And what He says, He does. His word is His bond, and it is followed by action. So it should be with us.

Col 3:23-25

A COMMAND (23)”And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
A PROMISE – (24)”Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
AND A WARNING -(25) “But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”

How does keeping your commitments, promises, oaths, VOWS…keep you from evil, or condemnation?

First – it prevents you from all the consequences of lying, and being a liar. Since God was serious enough about lying to put it into the 10 commandments, it’s something to seriously consider.

Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

We KNOW in our hearts when we are not right with God….

1 John 3:21-22 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, [then] have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

I KNOW I want to KNOW that my prayers will be answered! The consequence of sin is that our prayers are hindered. That’s a tough consequence to not keeping your oaths.

Second – It makes us faithful to HIM. We can trust HIM because HE is faithful. Remember the story about the servants, in Matthew 25? The faithful ones heard this:

Matt 25:23 Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

The wicked, unfaithful one heard this:

Matt 25:26 [Thou] wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

Matt 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

We need to be faithful servants, to the best of our ability. And even doing what is asked is only what is asked of us.

Luke 17:10ESV So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; [fn] we have only done what was our duty.'”

Third – We are ambassadors of Christ. We need to REPRESENT. We are the only Jesus that some people may ever see – so what does OUR faithfulness to our promises say about God’s faithfulness to HIS promises?

Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Our Word needs to be followed up by action:

1 John 3:19 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

I started this out with my struggle with what I have committed to do this year. I realize, when I make a commitment to God, to Jim, to me, I am making a vow. And a vow is a very serious thing.

Breaking a vow, breaking a promise = lying in God’s economy.

Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Owe and oath sound like they are very similar. If I give an oath to do or pay for something….I OWE that person whatever I gave an oath to. Let my YES be YES, and my NO be NO. OWE no man anything.

Vows are serious business. If there is any question left, one must consider a couple of foolish vows given:

King Saul and his son Jonathan:1 Samuel 14-15

Jephthah’s daughter: Judges 11

And yet, the greatest vow given, was given to Adam and Eve, right after they sinned:

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

God made a vow, to us, that He would provide a deliverer. When Christ was born, lived, died and resurrected to sit on the right hand of God to intercede for us…God fulfilled His vow.

God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son…and Abraham immediately obeyed. And then, God provided the sacrifice for both of them.

God kept His vow…His oath…His promise…His commitment. It came at a VERY high cost. But He kept His WORD.

Therefore – so should we keep our word also! So should I keep my word, also. It’s my daily worship!

Ps 22:25 NLT I will praise you among all the people; I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.

Heb 13:15 NLT Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.

{Oh no – here’s another long study…the fruit of my lips…they are supposed to be sweet…how can blessing and cursing come from the same mouth (James 3:10), good and evil from the same tree(Mat 7:15 ; 12:33), good and evil treasure from the same heart (Matt 12:35), or sweet and bitter water from the same spring( James 3:11-12)? My mouth is supposed to show forth the praises of God…that is what my mouth was created for. So, my words, my commitments, my promises, my oaths, my VOWS are very important between ME and GOD!

Matt 12:36-37 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

When I face the Lord, face to face, in HIS presence of Glory – what words do I want to give account for? I really do need to think before I speak – in my heart or out loud(because Jesus does know the thoughts of our hearts). I need to think – “do I want to give Jesus an accounting for what I’m about to say? Do I want to see His face, when he reads back that nasty stuff I said about Jim? Do I want to be in front of Him when He asks me about the commitment to ….well, anything?” If I don’t want to explain it to Him, face to face…I ought not be doing it. But that is another blog!}

By offering up this sacrificial commitment in praise – I obtain another promise:

2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Partaking of the DIVINE nature…THAT is the new creation, we escape the corruption of the world.

Rom 8:1-2 [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

The way to avoid condemnation is to be a new creation, partaking of the divine nature, and walking NOT after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The fruit of the Spirit – Gal 5:22-26 & Eph 5:8-14

The fruit of Righteousness – Heb 12:11 & James 3:18

And if our hearts condemn us not we may ASK what we will and it will be given us.

Ps 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

That is the bottom line for me. I want everything I do to be acceptable in the sight of the Lord. If I make a promise – I promise to the Lord. If I make a commitment – I commit to the Lord. If I make and oath or vow – I do so as unto the Lord. And before I do so, I need my heart in right relationship, so that it will be pleasing to the Lord.

That right relationship is so easy, and yet, so hard.

2 Chr 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, HE is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory, To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Jude 24-25

We can only do it through Christ Jesus! and Praise God that HE had a plan, He committed to the plan, and HE acted on the plan to fulfill the plan!

My commitments for this year are good ones. But they are commitments to the Lord, therefore, when I feel like quitting, I need to be ready to tell the Lord, sorry, I can’t keep my promise to you.

On the other hand, if I have made some foolish vows..all I have to do is humble myself….

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

When coming before the Lord for repentance, James 4:7-10 is a very good passage to keep in mind! Psalm 51 is great, as well. What a peace to know that even though I WILL mess up – HE is faithful that called me. In all things, I need to desire to be faithful to Him.

author note: the comment button is after sharing buttons, I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

100 days moving challenge – day 30 -my goal, walk 30 minutes.
100 days challenge- blog – check
90 days Bible Reading – 2 Kings, going into 1 Chronicles
50 days T-Tapp – day 30 – check
30 days – T-Tapp January Jumpstart- day 3 “Play Day”

The First 100 days – day 27 – I Hope you Dance

Today, I am reposting a blog from a friend of mine…Chuckie Daniels.

Dancing With God (2day @ noon)…

Now of course I can take no credit for the following story. However, I thought it might encourage all of you, my fellow passengers here on the LiFeTrain to pray with me at noon…and dance with the Father!

Read on…

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing ‘dance’ at the end of the word.

I remember reading that doing God’s will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.

The movement doesn’t flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music.

One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.

It’s as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.

When I saw ‘G: I thought of God, followed by ‘u’ and ‘i’. ‘God, ‘u’ and ‘i’ dance.’

God, you, and I dance. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life.

Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God’s blessings and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday.

May you abide in God as God abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.

This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.

If God has done anything for you in your life,please share this message with someone else, for prayer is one of the best gifts we can receive.

There is no cost but a lot of rewards;so let’s continue to pray for one another.

2day @ Noon

And I Hope You Dance…

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

100 days challenge – moving – check my goal, walk 30 minutes.
100 days challenge- blog – check
90 days Bible Reading –
50 days T-Tapp – check
30 days – T-Tapp January Jumpstart- day

The First 100 days – day 23- burn that fat

Since this Fasting-For-Food project, I’ve been enlightened a bit about my eating habits. I’ve been enlightened a whole bunch!

Exodus.

Captivity. Slavery. Bondage.

It just kind of happened.

First, everyone loved Joseph…then, generations forgot Joseph…and then, “why are we bein’ so nice to these people?”

First, I just ate…it felt good, it never argued, and, with fast food, it was always there!!!!

Why didn’t the Israelites just get up and say “No More”, and walk out of Goshen? Why didn’t they just quit taken’ the stuff…and just leave?

Why don’t I just get up from the table and say “No More?” Why don’t I just stop eatin’ the stuff that’s killin’ me?

Captivity. Slavery. Bondage.

I have been held captive by food ads.

Seeing that Wendy commercial,

I can taste the fries! (side note – the new ones just aren’t as addicting to me…but then, I’ve eaten them anyway.)

THIS USED TO BE A HUGE PROBLEM!!!!!!! Well, true confessions, it still is.

The thing is…sugar, caffeine, chocolate, ice cream, french fries, Mike-Sell’s Potato Chips……

Yeah, a bag of Mike Sells, a tub of bacon cheese dip, a 2 liter of some diet pop….to make up for the calories of course…and I was in fat heaven! Comfort Food Chaos!

These are my issues. These are my food idols. These have held me captive.

Writing about this now, having not eaten any of these for 23 days, I can taste the banana split, I can smell the potato chips…and I am struggling to say NO – even though they aren’t even here!

I am 130 pounds overweight – at least. That’s the weight of a normal sized woman of 5’2″ stature. I cannot move like a 120 pound woman. That’s right, I’m over 100% excess person.

Here's my fat face!

Me at a campground with Gabriel

Sitting on the beach wall at Lake Livingston, TX

As is obvious, I need some help. I am trapped by my ‘addiction’ to my ‘idols’.

~it is now January 30, and I have since eaten a banana split, and pancakes for the sake of research. I even went to Wendy’s, but I could not bring myself to eat the french fries…so, I ate the salad!

I have suffered with health issues, because of the food I eat.

About.com has an article about how diet and disease correlate in a few cases. What does your doctor say when you have a major issue? Stop the high sweets, caffeine, fatty foods and eat more fruits and veggies.

MedicineNet.com has an article, Healthy Diet for Disease Prevention, about what foods TO eat for Healthy Living.

If we consider disease as a path to death, and health as a path to wellness and living life…then fat, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes type 2 are all consequences of choosing ‘death’ in our food.

CHOOSE LIFE!

Deut 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Deut 30:20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, [and] that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he [is] thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

The Bible does have a few things to say about what we eat….not just the legalistic following of the Jewish Kosher Diet.

The first thing – is fasting.

Deut 29:5-6 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I [am] the LORD your God.

Part of the Israelites’ process in the wilderness was not eating bread nor drinking alcohol. It was part of knowing that God was their LORD.

Isaiah talks about reasons for fasting:

Is 58:5 NIV Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?

Is 58:6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Is 58:7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

God doesn’t want fasting for fasting sake…but there is a promise for fasting to set the oppressed free…and break every yoke. Consider fasting as part of your sacrifice to God. There are many studies about it’s benefit…one is The Daniel Fast.

That brings me to a variation on fasting, the Daniel Fast, taken from Daniel 1, where Daniel refused to eat anything other than plant based foods, and water.

This book, The Genesis Diet, by Gordon Tessler, explains a lot about the types of food from the garden.

BUT HEAR THIS!!!! After the flood – God gave MEAT to man to eat!!!! Genesis 9

Romans 14 & 1 Corinthian 8 handles many of the discussions about what to eat.

And if anyone tells you that you should NOT eat meat…it is a doctrine of a demon! 1 Tim 4:1-5

1 Tim 4:1 -2 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

1 Tim 4:3-5 Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God [is] good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

My point, in all of this, is that God is interested in what we eat. And it IS between US and God…

Rom 14:5 Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. with

Rom 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

It is IMPORTANT, because we are putting it into HIS temple – because WE are the temple of the Holy Spirit!

1 Cor 3:16 – 17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are.

I admit, I’m in an Egypt of eating, I have idols of food, I have addictions to additives. I confess that I am the temple of the Holy Ghost, and that I want the Godhead to dwell in me fully! And I have read how carefully crafted the temple items were made that were put into the Tabernacle and Temple. I admit, I do not take that much care, nor do I take care of myself as if I AM the temple of the Almighty God.

Exodus

Captivity. Slavery. Bondage. IDOLATRY.

It just kind of happened.

But what do I do now?

2 Cor 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

2 Cor 6:17-18 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Glutton is sin. It is one of the most accepted, if not THE most accepted sin in the church today. God commands me to put off sin…tear down the strongholds and high places and go no more to them. For me…that means….Wendy’s. Yes – I’ve said it. That means to NOT start up the Steak-n-Shake habit again. No more drive through Cinnabon Pecan messes. BECAUSE they pull me down a path I do not want to go!

Pr 23: 2-3 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou [be] a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they [are] deceitful meat.

Remember the verse – let every man be persuaded in their own mind. I have no problem passing cigarette displays. I have no problem passing Captain Morgan or a Budwieser Poster. I do have a problem passing the apple pie at Krogers!

My definition of idol is anything that comes between ME and God. I am going to have to adjust it.

Idol: Anything that comes between me and God, or hinders my ability to be ready when God calls me.

Idolotry: choosing anything over what God has asked of me.

Ps 106:36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.

1 Sam 15:23 For rebellion [is as] the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee….

But with confession, with repentance, comes forgiveness.

Ezekiel 36:25-27 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them].

My life is a living sacrifice to God. I do not know why I thought eating didn’t have anything to do with it! The great thing about God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, is that HE loves me enough to continue to call me further on and further in!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or ‘like’ me! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

The First 100 days – day 20 – 20%

WOW! 20% done. 1/5 of the way there.

If this were a marathon, 20% is 5.2 miles….of 26.

If this were an ultra-marathon, 100 miles…this wouldn’t even be the first 26 miles.

Of the people that start the HURT (Hawaiian Ultra Running Team) 100 race, over 20% or so finish. But that is like 21, 22, 29 out of 100!

In my 100 days, I’ve already fallen very behind in my Bible reading. I’ve had to compromise on my Daniel Fast because I need more protein, and I am not getting enough from plant protein. I’ve missed one day of 30 minute movement, because I was so sore from the previous day’s walking on the beach. I’ve messed up my continuous 100 days.

So – quit. Why bother? What’s the point? I’m behind on the race! I can’t catch up!

Ah – diets…a good example of quitting. I have no idea how many other people start diets and then give up because they mess up…BUT, me, well, I know I do. “I ate two cookies, I might as well finish the bag so they aren’t a temptation tomorrow!” HA!

Millions of people make New Year’s Resolutions on Jan 1, and by Feb 1(at the latest) they are broken. Hmm, how did they get broken? Did they fall off the mantle, and crash to the tile floor? Oops! No. They weren’t broken, like some accident, they were thrown away. Sometimes gently, sometimes with full angry force, thrown against the wall with screams of ‘I CAN’T DO THIS!’. But even that scream didn’t BREAK the resolution…the next day broke the resolution, the resolve of the person. Waking up, with the headache, the stomach ache, whatever, and thinking “I’m a failure.” THAT BROKE THE PERSON’S RESOLVE!!

Then there are the little voices in our heads from childhood, and the photos on the magazines of those that kept their resolve and lost 100’s or more…or tackled the Appalachian Trail – barefoot…or climbed a volcanic mountain – while erupting…or whatever. “Wow – that person really had resolve(self-control, will-power)!”

Maybe. Every person that succeeds first fails. Repeatedly fails. The difference is that they get back up, and do it again, and again, and again, until “Oh look! they made it to the top of the mountain!”.

20% doesn’t seem like much.

20 days doesn’t even make a new habit! (referring to, “it takes 21 days of consistent behavior modification to create a new habit”).
The majority of 20 year olds will not make it to be 100 year olds.
20% of a year is 2.4 months…January is only 1/12th, 8%!
20% of the way to my son’s house is 229 miles.
1 in 5(or 20%) of people having gastric bypass surgery will develop severe complications or death.(this was told to me by the doctor that was going to do my gastric bypass – I passed!).
20% off is a good discount, right?

The value of 20% depends upon the circumstances to which it refers. The other way to look at it is, if I were on my way to my son’s house, I would be 229 miles closer than when I started. If I lost 20% of my weight, that would be 50 pounds. THAT’S A FIRST GRADER! And losing 50 pounds would almost get me half way to my goal weight! That 20% would be almost 50% of my goal. 50% is a BIG percentage!

What value is your life? And what in your life do you value? We’re told it’s shown by our priorities.

Priorities….what is the number one thing in my life? I say Jesus, but then I yield to the flesh (or someone inviting me to play a game on facebook, or take me out to dinner, or whatever excuse to turn me away from my focus).

Rom 7:15-17 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

Rom 7:18-20 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Rom 7:21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.

This is Paul writing – one of the most devoted followers of Christ. He was chosen by Christ…not by men, after Christ’s death and resurrection. Paul shares the story in Acts 26. Paul struggles with doing the right thing! Paul lists all his fleshly credentials in Phil 3.

I want to do the Bible reading in 90 days…to wash my mind with the water of the word in the first 90 days…but I fail. I choose to watch stupid TV shows.

I want to move for 30 minutes of every day. I have a dog that needs a walk every day. I have videos that would get 30 minutes in every day. 30 minutes out of 1440 a day = 2%. I struggle with just sitting down – and doing nothing.

I want to eat right – to take care of my temple(a blog coming) and to glorify God and feel better. I still struggle with wanting whatever is sold to me in commercials, magazines, or even store flyers!

I feel better when I eat right, move right and read right. I thought that positive reinforcement should strengthen my resolve! I feel sick when I eat ice cream. That type of negative reinforcement should strengthen my resolve.

THEN TELL ME WHY AM I CRAVING CHICK-FIL-A PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE CHIP MILKSHAKES?

These photos were my true confession last November…for my 1 time guilty pleasure. Yeah, right. Then another, and another, and another…all through the season. In fact, I even ate one on Dec 31, as my last peppermint chocolate milk shake….like my last meal. I got terribly sick! My stomach told me that ice cream is NOT my friend. And still, we drive past it, and I think, hmmm, do they still have them?

I missed 1 day of movement during this 20 days. 5%

I am 3 days behind in the Bible Reading – 15% of what I’ve supposed to have read. 3% of the whole 90 day reading plan. And it only takes 30 minutes…or 2% of my daily quota of minutes!

So, I’ve messed up…in this 20% of my 100 days. I am tempted to quit. Until I do the math.

DO THE MATH!

People die because they eat the wrong stuff and don’t move. It cuts down a person’s odds for living any kind of life. Just read the statistics for heart disease, diabetes and such that often comes hand-in-hand with life choices.

Christians fail to grow into Christ by not reading His word.

Ps 119:105 Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Ps 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Pro 29:18 Where [there is] no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy [is] he.

People go to hell because they don’t know the Lord. Matt 7:21-23

We struggle. Period.

Rom 7:22-23 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

At first glance, Paul’s writing here is depressing!

Rom 7:24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

THANK GOD WE HAVE THE ANSWER!

Rom 7:25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

HERE IT IS…THE BIGGIE!

Rom 8:1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

AMEN! HALLELUJAH!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Rom 8:10-11 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Jesus said “It is finished.” There’s a period at the end of his statement. He IS the author and the finisher of our faith. All we have to do is run the race. And if we fall, he’ll pick us back up…I said, HE’LL PICK US BACK UP!!! and then, we brush ourselves off, and keep on running.

The one that doesn’t make it in is the one that never got in the race, or the one that quit and walked away.

It doesn’t matter how many times we fall down, what matters is that we keep putting one foot in front of the other…working and walking towards glory, closer and closer each day.

Do I sin like I did when I was 18 and in the Navy? No, sir!

Do I sin like I did when I was an exhausted mom of 5 toddlers? No, Ma’am!

Do I sin? Yes sir and ma’am, every day. But by the grace of God, my sins are forgiven, and I …..well, I’ll say it with Paul:

Phil 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

All that matters, once you have that saving relationship with Christ, is that you get back up after you fall down. Grab a hold of HIS words for you, and cling to them like they are your life, for they are.

When the devil comes around to condemn you…find your scripture to answer with. If that’s what was good enough for Jesus did, then it’s good enough for me!(tic) We are seated in the heavenlies..we have been given the victory…let’s not give it away, whether in life, health or spiritual walk. Jesus bought this victory because he said we were worth it – we are worth it because HE chose us – therefore this race is worth running, to the very end.

Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;)

1 John 5:4-5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Rev 2 and 3 talk about all the rewards for overcoming…and holding fast to the end.

Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

What is 20%? What is 50%? What is 80%? What counts is where we stand on the day we meet Jesus face to face. I’ve written about races before…the crown isn’t to the first…but in our race, everyone that finishes receives a crown..the crown of life. These verses were written by the same Paul that talks about having trouble with his flesh.

1 Cor 9:24-25Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

1Cor 9:26-27 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Christianity is a race. A race is hard work. It takes training. It takes a plan. It takes daily, bringing yourself under subjection…which means that something doesn’t want to submit! The race isn’t to the strong…or the pretty…or the most vocal. The race is to those that keep on keeping on…until the end. To Him that overcometh…..

Heb 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jude 24-25 Now unto Him that is able to KEEP YOU FROM FALLING, and to present you FAULTLESS before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Savior be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. AMEN!

I know this one is VERY long…but I hope it’s been worth it for you, it has for me. I’m going to complete day 20, and walk on to day 21. Then, on day 21, I’m going to walk step by step, until I wake up to day 22. And I’ll just keep doing that over and over until I see Jesus!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

100 days challenge – moving – check my goal, walk 30 minutes.
100 days challenge- blog – check
90 days Bible Reading – I’m going to reset my program.
50 days T-Tapp – check
21 days Fasting for Food – check – 1 more days!

The First 100 Days – day 19 – at a loss for words

As my friends know, I’m rarely at a loss for words.

As my closer friends know, I’m rarely at a loss for words to speak about the Lord and what He has done in my life.

Today – I’m at a loss for words. When I think of what God has done in just a short year…to enlarge the borders of my tent with mobility, strength and energy…I am at a loss for words.