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“It’s Over!!”

The New Year is coming!

It is hard to believe that another year has passed.  The year has gone so quickly that it feels like a dream.  How many of you are looking back at your year and wish things could have been different?  Maybe there are things that you have done or said you wish you could take back?  Or maybe you’re looking at the New Year thinking about what next goal you can set to try to achieve?

It seems like a lot of people have a New Years resolution.  And most of the time it doesn’t last for long.  It seems that the most popular resolutions are to eat better, exercise more, and lose weight.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with these resolutions.  I do have one for the coming year and that is to be more regular in my exercise.

Failure

What tends to happen is a person starts out well but they may eat something that is not healthy, or a day goes by without exercising and they give it all up because they failed once.  This is a problem.  When we fail we should not get discouraged and stop we should reset our goals and start again.  Every day is a new day and a fresh start.  We don’t have to live on yesterday’s mistakes or tomorrows goals we just live today.

Setting goals are well and good and we should do it because that is what keeps us motivated.  But don’t beat yourself up when you do fail, just get up and keep going.  I am going to give you some tips on setting goals and how to keep them.  Keeping your New Year’s resolutions is a choice every single moment, day, week, month, year.  But I believe that you cannot do it alone.

Get your priorities straight

There is a “must” in setting goals.  It starts with making a commitment to allow the Lord to lead in your life.  We are unable to stick to our commitments without the aid of God.  We may think we can and we may try.  But I can tell you by experience that it is way easier to have the Lord to depend on.

I know you have heard these excuses and have made them yourself.  “I don’t have time to exercise.”  “I didn’t have time to eat a decent meal I just had to grab it on the go.”  “I accidentally slept in.”  “The food looked so good I could not resist.”  “I can never lose this weight, it’s impossible.”  “I don’t have time to spend with God.”

Alarm clocks

You might be thinking, “What do alarm clocks have to do with New Year resolutions?”  Well, I believe that “alarm clocks” are the key to success when setting goals.  And I have the best “Alarm Clock” ever made and I want to share it with you.

When starting the New Year you have to get your priorities straight.  You have to make a commitment.  I believe to make your day, week, month, year successful you need to make a morning commitment.  It is important for you to get up in the morning so you want to make sure you set your “Alarm”.

The best Alarm that I have found is God.  I have found this to be so true in my life.  I ask the Lord to wake me in the morning and He does it faithfully every day.  And when He wakes me I am wide-awake.  Now, can I hit the snooze button on God?  Yes, I can and I have done it.  It usually comes in the form of, “I’ll just lay here and pray for a few minutes.” Or we make similar excuses.  Something that sounds so legit.  And without fail, I go back to sleep.  What is amazing to me is that when I wake up the next time I feel groggy and I don’t feel as good the rest of the day.  Make God your alarm clock.

Simple 30-minute startup

I want to give you a simple 30-minute startup that you can easily commit to doing every single day.  Upon rising:

  1. Get a large glass of water. For me, I like to drink a quart of warm water and drink it in a fairly short period of time.  It is a good cleanser first thing in the morning flushing toxins that have built through the night.  But you can choose how much water and what temperature you want.  I am not going to count this into your 30 minutes because this should not take long.  If you choose to heat your water you can lead into #2 while you are heating and drinking your water.
  2. Spend around 5 minutes in prayer and gratitude to God. I definitely spend more time in prayer than this but this is a great place to start.  We need to be grateful every day.  Our tendency is to look at the negatives in the past year.  Instead, look at what the Lord has done in your life, look at the positive.  As you start to be grateful you will see more and more positive things.
  3. Spend 10 minutes reading your Bible or your favorite book that draws you to God. Again I spend more time than 10 minutes.  And I have found that the Lord will wake me up in plenty of time to spend more time.  And He also multiplies the time.  He is so faithful.
  4. Spend 15 minutes in some form of exercise. I like walking.  Just try to pick something that you will do.  I have a treadmill and I like to get on it. One reason I like the treadmill is that I can listen to something while I do it.  So while I am on my treadmill I listen to the Bible on audio.  This is a good way to do two things at once.  I also have used this time to memorize Scripture or even spending more time in prayer.  After you exercise, make sure to get a glass of water in.

Now you can go on with your day, as usual, making sure that you have invited the Lord to attend you throughout the day.  I have found that not only is God a great wake up alarm but as I invite Him to accompany me throughout the day that He also sets off the “alarm” when I start to do something that is not in line with the commitments I have made.

You have it made

If God is reminding us of our commitments what is there to worry about?  I know that God is always faithful but my commitments can be like ropes of sand.  Knowing God will “alarm” me I don’t have to worry.  But I do need to make sure that when He does warn me that I listen and don’t hit the snooze button and go ahead and do my own thing.  God is always there we are the ones that walk away.

Dear Father,

Thank You for always being there for us.  Thank You that You are always willing to forgive.  Help us in this New Year to stay more committed and connected with You.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Let God lead you in the commitments you make in this coming year.  And allow Him to help you stick to it.

Have you great New Year!  Love you all.

Have you asked God to wake you in the morning?  How has it worked for you? Comment below.

 

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“Today is Your Last Day!”

Your last day!

What if you were told that today was your last day to live?  What would become the most important things in your life?  Would you do things differently?  I think for most of us the answer would be “yes”.

I think we often get so caught up in our days that we forget how important we are to others and how important others are to us.  And when someone you know or even yourself goes through some hard times or facing death, it is a wake-up call.

An acquaintance

What has really gotten me thinking?  I have some dear friends who have a relative that I am acquainted with who has gone through a tragedy.  It was something so sudden that it was a shock.  This acquaintance could have died but after much time survived.  But still, it is going to be a long road to full recovery.

I’m sure that it has given the spouse a new perspective.  I don’t know them well so I don’t know what their family life is like.  But I do know that we all tend to get caught up in life and it is things like this that make us stop and question what are the most important things in life.

And what about the children?  How has this affected them?  When you realize that you may lose a parent your perspective of them suddenly changes.  You realize how much they mean to you and how much they have done for you.  Even if there have been mistakes made you start to realize you don’t want to lose them.

Perspective

I think tragedy suddenly makes a person’s perspective change.  What are the most important things in my life?  What can I change to make things better?  If this were my last day what would I really want to be doing?

Unfortunately, we all have to work and may not have the time with our spouse, children, parents, etc. that we really want to have.  But what can we do differently?  You can reprioritize your life.  Look at what is most important.  If you really look at your day you can probably find some time wasters.  Cut all the time wasters out.

Another thing that is so important is to take care of yourself.  You can’t be there for a parent, children, friends, etc. if you are not taking care of yourself.  Make sure you are living a B A L A N C E D life.  Bedtime, Aqua, Light, Air, Nutrition, Control, Exercise, and Dependence on God.  A lot of times we think we are only hurting ourselves when we fail to take care of us.  But that is far from the truth.  When we fail to take care of ourselves it affects all the people around us.  It may not seem like it at the time but when we become sick or even die it affects everyone we know.

Change

Just stop right now and be thankful for all those friends and loved ones you have around you. And then decide to make a change.  I would suggest you put your day before the Lord and ask Him to help you reprioritize.  Plug into place all the “must” things you have to do, like go to work, if you have a job outside the home.  And then prioritize all the rest of each day.  Make sure to include God in your decisions.

Dear Father,

Today I consecrate to You.  Help me not to calculate for the months and years ahead, I know these are not mine.  I know You have given me this day.  Focus my mind to see this day as if it was my last here on earth and to work during its hours for You.  I Lay all my plans before You to be carried out or given up as Your providence shall indicate.  Help me to accept Your plans instead of my own even though their acceptance requires the abandonment of cherished projects.  Through You, mold me more and more after Your divine example and give me the peace of God, which passeth all understanding keeping my heart and mind through Christ Jesus.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Surrender each day to God.  Give your family an extra hug today because you never know when it may be the last one.

Love you all!

What has happened in your life that has given you a wake-up call?  Share your experience below.

 

 

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“Mothers”

Mothers!

There is one thing that we all have in common.  We all have a mother.  But just because everyone has a mother does not mean they have been a good mother.  Now in defense of mothers, none of us, when having a baby, have experience of being a mother.  We all make mistakes and grow as we are mothers.  There are still mothers out of desperation that have given up, abandoned, or even, sad to say, killed their child.  It may be hard for us to comprehend but I think for the most part we can all understand how hard it is to be a mother and we are not perfect.

My Mother

I have the most amazing mom.  Has she been perfect? No.  But her imperfections are covered with the love that she has shown me through the years.  In my teen years, she was my best friend.  I didn’t need to go off and have “fun with friends”, I had fun with my mom.

Growing up she was there when I was sick with Scarlet Fever, Rheumatic Fever, and Iritis.  My Mother treated me and soothed me through it all.  She was there when I was sad or discouraged.  She was just always there.

As an Adult

Even when I grew up and got married she was there.  We lived a little over an hour from each other but we would meet up in a town in the middle and we would shop together.  Neither one of us liked to go grocery shopping or any shopping for that matter, but doing it together brought joy.

Any time that I got Iritis and was not able to function, due to so much pain, my mom would drive to our house and stay, helping out, until I was well.  I would get Iritis like this several times a year.  As I started to have children she would come and stay with me before and after the birth.  I had all 6 of my children at home with a midwife and my mom was a big part of my experience.

Tragedy

Then in 1996 tragedy struck.  Five weeks after giving birth to my third child, my first daughter, she died.  It was the most tragic and devastating experience that I have ever had.  My mom was there as much as she could be and she was strong and a blessing for me.  I was going to quit having children when I got my girl but after losing her I went on to have two more boys and then another girl, which I thank God for those three children every day.  The following year my parents moved onto our property, which I have been so grateful for.  Now that my mom lives closer we have been able to spend more time together.

More Tragedy

In 2008 another tragedy struck.  I became so ill and the doctors could not figure out what was wrong with me.  I went for over a year where I could not function.  The fatigue and pain took over my body.  My memory was affected and even to this day, there are memories that I can’t remember.  Now my family shares with me things so that I can try to put it back in my memory bank.  My heart was also affected. During this time my faithful Mom was there for me.  She took care of me and ran my household.  By this time I had 5 children, which I was trying to homeschool.  There were doctors that thought I was dying but they still could not figure out what was wrong with me.

Then I was put in touch with a doctor, who felt, after hearing my symptoms, that I had Lyme disease.  She made an order for me to be tested from a lab that specializes in testing for Lyme disease.  Within a week I heard from my local Health Department, I had Lyme disease.  It has been a long journey and my mother has been there right beside me, guiding, encouraging, and helping.

My life back

As the years passed I did improve.  I don’t think you really ever get over Lyme disease.  There are things that seem to linger and damage that is done.  Whether it is the disease itself or just the after effects who is to say.  But nonetheless, the years passed.  I know it was hard for my mom to see me suffer but she never complained she just was always there to help where she could.  I couldn’t function as I once did.  Although I improved I was still so fatigued that I couldn’t really function, as I should.

Then in 2015, my life changed.  Someone introduced to some products.  These products changed my life.  Believe me, over the years I had tried all kinds of products with little to no success.  So when I was introduced to these new products I was skeptical but I was also looking for hope.  These new products were so supportive of my immune system that after a short period of time things started changing.  I have not experienced Iritis for at least 2 years.  Since iritis can cause you to go blind and the treatment can also cause you to go blind I am more than happy, I am elated.

And as far as the fatigue goes, now I work part-time to full-time, along with running my own business, being involved with two other family-owned business, homeschooling, and running a household.  And my mom, she is still helping me just in a different way.  Now instead of always taking care of a daughter who is sick, she grocery shops for me, does my laundry, and some cleaning, with pay, except for grocery shopping.  I have much to be grateful for.

Dear Father,

Thank You for my Mother.  She is an amazing person who loves unconditionally.  You have given me the greatest mom in the world.  I know she is not perfect but I have seen You work in her life.  Because of her love for You and her willingness to surrender to You she has grown more and more after Your likeness.

Thank You for leading me to products that are supporting my body so that I can live more fully for You.  Thank You for the lessons that You have taught me through this journey called life.  Continue to guide me and help me to grow through the trials without complaint.  You have been so gracious to me and I praise Your name.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Your mom maybe hasn’t been perfect but focus on the good.  We all are imperfect sinners.  Are you going through struggles? God can see you through.  If you want to hear more about what has helped me support my body naturally go to,  Go here.

Love you all!

Share something that is wonderful about your mom below.  I would love to hear it.

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“Get Into The Light!”

It seems with the busy life of today it is really hard to get outside and spend time in the sun.  If you have a garden or need to do some yard work you might find the time.  But to just lay out in the sun, forget it, we don’t have time.  What we don’t realize is the benefit of the sun.

I have been writing about the “BALANCED” life.  Today I am going to focus on “L” for Light.  When I am talking about light I am talking about the natural light of the sun.  It is the best kind of light that we can have.

So the question is, “How important is it to get out into the sunlight?”

  • Increases vitamin D levels.  That being said it is really hard for us to get the amount of vitamin D that we need just getting into the sun.  I definitely recommend that you ask you doctor to test you levels.  Most people need supplementation.
  • It increases our ability to handle stress.  Along with the vitamin D that helps with stress, sunlight helps as well.  Being in the sun can help you relax.
  • Depression can be eliminated. Now it does depend on what kind of depression you are talking about.  If you are so depressed that you are having trouble functioning get professional help.  The sunlight can still be wonderful but you need professional help along with it.  For those of us that may have days where we just are feeling a little down get out in the sun.

It seems that it is getting harder and harder to even get out in the sunshine.  Most of us go from home to work and the only sun we get is through the window of our car. It may make you sweat but it doesn’t benefit you unless it has direct contact.

We all have a day or two off each week and we need to make sure to get out in the sun on those days.  This still will not be enough to give you the vitamin D that you need but it will still be beneficial.  And be careful not to get a sunburn.

Here are some tips:

  • Write it into your schedule. Things that are scheduled get done.  So set aside a little time each day and get out into the sunshine.  You will find it to be very uplifting.
  • Don’t wear sunscreen. Your probably are thinking, “What? Your crazy!!”  You do need to wear sunscreen when you are out for long periods of time.  But if you have sunscreen on you will not get the benefits that you need from the sun.  Just spend about 5 to 10 minutes without it, and then put some on.  I would highly recommend something more natural than what you get at the grocery store.  You can contact me for some ideas on some sunscreen.
  • Make sure to attend to burns. If you do make the mistake of spending too much time in the sun without proper protection make sure to do something soothing for the skin.  One thing I really like to do is take some good healthy none scented lotion and add some lavender essential oil drops rub it carefully on.  It is so soothing.
  • Take a vitamin D supplement. The truth is we cannot get enough vitamin D in the sun.  Make sure to get your levels checked by your doctor and then supplement if you need to.

I am so grateful for the sun.  It was given to us for a reason.  Of course we need to be BALANCED in all things.  Just because it is a good thing does not mean more is better.

Dear Father,

Thank You for the sun that you gave us.  You have made everything we need to have a good healthy life.  Just like we can’t do without the sun we need Your Son to give us spiritual health as He shines on us.  Thank You for Your love for us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Get out in the sunshine starting today.

What benefits have you received when you spend time in the sun?

 

 

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“Well, That’s Just A Small Things!”

Have you ever felt that God does not answer your prayers?  You keep praying and praying about a particular thing but nothing happens.  At least we think nothing happens.

What I have found is that God is working every day in my life but I fail to see it a lot of times.  What we do is take for granite all the good that comes our way.  We don’t realize the good things are blessings from God.  We tend to look for big things rather than seeing all things.  If the blessing isn’t big we think of the blessing as just what life brings us.

On the other hand a lot of times we look at the bad things that come our way and whether it is a big thing or a little thing we tend to blow it out of proportion and the majority into the “big” category.  The devil brings the bad to try to discourage us.  God allows them to try to teach us to trust Him.  We are really such a stubborn people.

The other thing we don’t really want to think about is that some of the bad that comes into our lives we have actually brought upon ourselves.  We think that we can make any choice in life and God will make things turn out good, even though, we brought it on ourselves.  God does help us through our foolish mistakes but He doesn’t always remove the consequences.

I want to share what might seem like a little miracle that God did for our family.  This was something that I shared on Facebook a while back but it bares repeating.  Our family has gone through some really hard financial struggles.

“I debated whether or not to share this but I can’t help myself when it comes to sharing what God does. We have run into some hard times so we have been going to the food bank. My son, Caleb, was planning to make bean soup. He asked me if I thought I could get some greens after I went to the food bank, being one of the ingredients. I told him I would see what I could do. He proceeded to put the rest of the ingredients together. And as the Lord always works, when I got to the food bank looked at what was there they had just what we needed. I was able to get three big bags. There wasn’t much more food than that for what we eat but the Lord wasn’t done. I was just ready to walk up and check out when a whole bunch of other fresh things came in, lettuce, tangerines, and fresh-cut mango. I even had a lady come up and say can you use this orange juice. They were small containers. I said how many is allowed. She said just take this whole case. There were 24. They even had some vegan sour cream that Jeffrey had request for his birthday meal to go with burrito casserole, that we are celebrating this Friday. Some may call it chance but I call it God.”

Dear Father,

Help us to see You at work in our lives.  Prompt our minds each day with the blessings.  We can be such a negative people.  Help us to look at life through Your eyes.

Thank You for Your love and for all the things that You do for us each day.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

I would challenge you to get a blessing journal and start writing down the blessings that come your way each day.

Love you all.

What blessings has God done for you?  Please share in the comments.  It is the sharing the blessings with others that will help us grow as well as encourage others.

 

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“Push, Push, Push, Keep Going!”

 

How many of you have started an exercise program knowing you really need it?  You know it needs to be something that really gets your whole body in shape.  

 

I just recently started a 90-day challenge to get into shape.  I am really finding out what muscles I haven’t been strengthening.  The older we get the more necessary this becomes.  The muscles are a part of what holds our body together and when we are not keeping them in shape things can start falling apart.  As we work those muscles it is a painful experience but as we keep going the benefits are immeasurable. 

 

I have found this very challenging because of the damage that I have received from having Lyme disease but I am determined to keep going despite the difficulties.  

 

When it comes to exercising all our muscles it takes making a decision.  Do I really want a healthy body?  Do I want to have more energy and stamina?  

 

My boys love to hike.  I’m not talking about a nice leisurely walk.  I am talking about, “Let’s climb this mountain”.  Because of my health condition it has been more difficult.  But I have determination to become more fit.  I do it with them now with difficulty.  But I want to get to the point that I can do it with them and keep up with them.

 

As I am strengthening my muscles and stamina I am accomplishing a desire in my heart to be more fit and to spend time with the people I love doing what they love to do.

 

This made me think about other muscles that I want to strengthen.  I want to strengthen my spiritual muscles.  If we don’t strengthen them they will get weaker and weaker.  And as we get older if we have not strengthened our spiritual muscles our lives will fall apart just like our bodies do without physical exercise.

 

Due to the fact that we all have the sin disease it makes it more difficult to strengthen our spiritual muscles.  It takes determination.  And believe me it will be painful.  But what we have to think about is what are we accomplishing and why are we doing this.

 

Just like I want to strengthen my physical body so that I can have the ability to feel younger and do the things that my young people do, there is good reasons to strengthen the spiritual muscles.  

 

Our goal is heaven, the most glorious place.  The place where we can be reunited with those that have fought the good fight, finished the course, and have kept the faith.  And the most glorious of all is to meet the One Who has done great things for us.  The One who has made it possible to be in Heaven, Jesus.  I am looking forward to that day.

 

Dear Father,

 

Thank You for Your love.  Give us strength as we continue to draw closer to You.  As we continue to strengthen our spiritual muscles, we need You.  We cannot do this alone.  Draw near to us.

 

In Jesus Name,

 

Amen

 

Make sure to strengthen your spiritual muscles each day with spending time with God in the study of His Word and prayer.

 

Love you all.

 

What is your favorite part of the Bible to read?  What other books have you read that have been a spiritual blessing to you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“Aqua Please!”

It is a really nice day so you decide this would be a great day for a hike.  You head out to a mountainous area where you know there is a great trail.  It is 6 miles into a beautiful lake.  You decide you want to travel light so you don’t take anything with you.  You reason with yourself, “I won’t go all the way just a mile or two down the trail.  But as you go, the beauty is just breath-taking.  You don’t pay any attention to how far you might have gone.  The day starts to get hotter.  Then you realize what a mistake you have made by not bringing water.  But now you realize that you are probably about 4 miles in.  You feel like your dying and you can’t go another second without water.

I am sure we have all been at this point one time or another in our lives.  As you read you probably can really feel what the frustration would be like.  You’re probably even getting thirsty just thinking about it.

Today I am going to be covering Aqua in the “BALANCED” life.  What I described above is what we do more often than we realize to our bodies.  We get busy with life and the day goes by and we have hardly drunk any water.  You may say, “I have drunk down several sodas and a few cups of coffee doesn’t that count?”  Or some of you may say,  “I drink juice, I am not a real water fan.  The question is would you wash your dishes with coffee, soda, juice, or any other substance that is not water?

Here are some facts that are important to know.

  1. The human body is 70-75% water
  2. The brain is 85% water and needs water to perform its tasks.
  3. The blood is 83% water; lack of water makes the blood sluggish.

There are a lot of things water does for the body.

  1. Water is cleansing. Water is the best way to cleanse our bodies.  Just like we wouldn’t wash our dishes with other substances other than water, we should cleanse our bodies with clean clear water.
  2. Water helps cognitive thinking. Because our brain is made up of so much water, if we lack water it becomes harder for our brains to function.  So it should go without saying water is important.  It seems that a lot of times employers even supply water.  Why is that?  They know that it will help the brain function of their employees.
  3. Water helps our joints. Our body is made up of almost 75% water.  We have fluid around all of our joints and if we are not supplying our body with the fluid it needs we are going to start having trouble with our joints.  They need the water.  Our bodies are constantly rejuvenating and replenishing and if we are not giving it what it needs we are going to start having trouble.
  4. Water keeps you regular. By my own experience I know that if I don’t drink the water I need I become constipated.  Our body needs water so desperately that it takes it from where ever it can absorb it from.  Thus constipation.
  5. Water keeps you healthy. Drinking water helps keep us healthy because we are cleansing the toxins out of our body as I mentioned above.  As we are flushing our bodies each day, it gives our bodies less to have to deal with.
  6. Water gives strength. I have always seemed to do well at reading my body and realizing I have to make a change.  I can tell you if I don’t drink enough water in the day I lose my strength.  I start feeling weak.  I also start feeling cold.  I realize everyone is different but I am very affected if I do not drink enough water.
  7. Water can relieve headaches. This is another area that I can be affected when I don’t get enough water.  I may feel a slight headache coming on and if I realize I haven’t been drinking enough water, I get some water and it makes a difference.  I may need to drink more than one glass but my headache is relieved.

One thing that is really important about water, if you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated.  So we can’t go by how we feel because at that point our body is already starving for water.

“So how do I know how much water to drink?”  A good rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces.  So if you weigh 160 pounds you would need to at least drink 80 ounces per day.  Of course everyone is different.  I can’t get by with half my body weight in ounces.  Read your body and decide what is best for you.  But at least drink half your body weight in ounces.

Dear Father,

You have made our bodies so amazingly unique.  We get so caught up in life that we often forget to really take care of our bodies.  Prompt us each day.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Remember to keep hydrated.  Go ahead I know that you are having a craving for water since you have been reading about it, so go right now and get you a nice big glass of refreshing water.

What has water done for you?  Share some benefits that you have had from drinking water.

 

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“What’s That In Your Ear?”

As we age our bodies start to fall apart.  The healthier we choose to live the longer parts of our body stay healthy.  But then the time comes where we may need glasses or our hearing starts to go.

A little over a year ago I had a physical and they found that in one of my ears they could not see my eardrum.  They tried to get the wax out but they could not.  They told me to buy some over the counter drops to put in my ear to soften it up so that I could get it out.  I tried but finally gave up and just went on with life.

A couple of months ago I was having trouble with my ear so I decided to get some of the “earwax removal candles”.  The burning, hollow candle creates a vacuum, softens the wax making it possible to remove.  They do work.  I think I did it three times and was getting more wax every time.

Later I went to the doctor for something else and they check the ear and it still had some wax in it so they were, at that point able to get out the last bit.  I cannot believe how much I had in there and it is shocking that I could even hear.

My daughter and I were just reading this in her science the other day.  It was talking about how that wax buildup can keep you from hearing.  So if you are having a hearing problem start by seeing your doctor to see if there is some wax keeping you from hearing.

You might be thinking, “Why in the world is she talking about such a gross thing?”  The illustration that I gained from all of this is worth it all to me.  It was quite an eye-opening thought.

The wax is just like sin in our lives.  As we do one thing, that we don’t really think to be that bad, it always leads to another and another.  And pretty soon we have a build up of sin.  With each layer of build up it is harder and harder to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.  And pretty soon we don’t hear Him at all.

We need some “sin removal candles”.  God’s Word is like the candle.  It is a light that shines and burns in our hearts.  As we allow God to place that “candle tip” into our spiritual ear, He will light it.  As the “Candle” (God’s Word) burns it will create a vacuum that will draw the sin from our lives.  When the sin is extracted we will start again to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.

When you want to remove wax from your ear with a “earwax removal candle” you have to have help.  It would be dangerous and destructive to do it on your own.  The same is true when using the “sin removal candle”.  You need to have the help of God or it will be dangerous and destructive.  We need to cooperate with God in the process.

God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet.  It is a fire that refines our character by taking away the dross and making us pure as gold.  As we read God’s Word it is like a vacuum, it softens our hearts, and makes it possible for God to remove the sin in our lives.

Just like you can use the “earwax removal candle” in a wrong way or have wrong expectation for the results, you can also use God’s Word in a wrong way and have wrong expectations.  If you mechanically start reading God’s Word without an open mind to change, expecting some magical miracle, it is not going to happen.  We need to go into God’s Word with a cooperative spirit knowing that it is through the power of the Holy Spirit, as we allow Him to work, that our lives will be changed.

Dear Father,

I pray that each of us will allow You to do the work in our lives that will prepare us for Your soon coming so that we can go home and live with You.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Surrender all to Him today and let Him soften your heart through His Word, so that He can remove the “wax” of sin from your life.

What has the Lord used in your life that has helped softened your hard heart?

 

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“Sleep? Do We Really Need It?”

All of us have the same 24-hour period.  And what we do with our time is our choice. It seems that we try to get more done each day than is humanly possible.  A lot of times what gets cut is how many hours of sleep we get.

In my own life I have been working on implementing the “BALANCED” life, which starts with Bedtime.  I do struggle with getting enough sleep.  I keep trying to cram as much into my day as possible.  Before I know it, it’s 10:30 at night and I am still working on getting into bed.  And 3:30 comes very quickly for another long day.  I have learned that this is not the best for me physically, emotionally or spiritually.

For each person the need for sleep will be different.  We should get between 6-10 hours of sleep per night depending on age, and health conditions.

Those that are very young need a lot more sleep.  A baby grows very rapidly at first and believe it or not a lot of growing happens while they are sleeping.  For the first couple of years it is good for them to spend more than half of their day (24 hours) sleeping.  Then it cuts back to more of half of the day (24 hours).

Another time when big growth spurts usually happen is in the teenage years.  I have read that a little over 9 hours a night is best for a teenager.  Wow, talk about difficult. It seems impossible to get them to get that many hours of sleep.  They think they are invincible and they don’t need all that sleep.  But the attitudes we have to deal with tell us something different.  They don’t understand that they will have to pay for this later on in life.  I think those of us that are older can attest to that.

For the average adult, we need anywhere from 6-10 hours of sleep.  I think we all know when we do the best and how much sleep we really need.  Now we may be ignoring the signs but deep down we know.

You all have heard the saying, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise.”  I don’t know about the wealth part, but I can say by experience that when I get to bed earlier it does make a difference in how early I can get up and have a great day.  I seem to do better when I get more hours in before midnight.

I know a lot of people will say, “That all sounds good but I have a hard time getting to bed any earlier than 11pm.  I just can’t seem to get relaxed enough to get to bed any earlier.  I just go and finely drop at 11pm.”

It is really good to have a morning routine and an evening routine.  The evening routine can be really good in helping a person to relax, whether you’re a teen or an adult.  This can also apply to children and some things to babies.  Most of the time if we are relaxed our babies, as well as our children, will be relaxed.  If we as adults learn to be calm and relaxed in the evening it has an effect on the rest of those in our home.

But there are some factors that can help in bringing about this relaxing atmosphere.

  1. Journal.  One thing that I have found beneficial is to journal.  This can be added to your morning and evening routine.  I have been using a very simple free app called “Five Minute Journal”.  It helps me get a focus on my day and then in the evening I can write down my best accomplishments for the day.  It also asks you what is one thing that could have been better.  This clears you mind from thinking on the day’s activities.
  2. Make a list. I also find it good to make a list of things that I need to get off my mind.  These may be things that I need to get done the next day, or any day in the future.  I use the free version of “Evernote” for my memory.  You can make separate notebooks and name them.  I love it.  So you can make a list, put a date at the top of each note and then just lay out some notes.  This is a good way to empty those things out of your mind that keep your mind running a hundred miles per hour.  You can even make it a checklist.  Each day as you accomplish these tasks check them off.  If you don’t get them done just copy and paste them into the next days list.
  3. Turn off all electronics. It is best to turn off all electronics at least one hour before going to bed.  The lights and activity of phones, computers, and television keep the brain stimulated.
  4. Read a book or listen to some calm, quiet music. This is really good for everyone.  If you have small children, read to them.  As you are reading they will start relaxing and so will you.  Even a teen can crawl into bed and have a book that can calm and relax them so that they are ready to sleep.
  5. Drink a hot cup of calming herb tea. This can be a great thing to do to get you calmed and relaxed.  One of my favorites is “Sleepy Time”, which you can get at most grocery stores as well as health food stores.
  6. Try implementing an essential oil routine. This is something I have learned about more recently and I love how certain essential oils work for me.  I put some on the bottom of my feet just before going to bed and it gives me restful sleep.  It is great!
  7. Prayer.  I have found this to be amazing as well.  After you have gone through your routine, crawl into bed and spend the next few minutes in prayer.  I can tell you this is a wonderful way to lay all your burdens on the One that cares.  He is the answer to all your problems and perplexities.  It is so relieving to give everything to God.

Dear Father,

Thank You that you are there to take all of our burdens.  Give us Your rest as we cast all our burdens upon you.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Remember to cast all your burdens upon the One that can give you true rest.

What routine do you do to relax yourself before bed?  I would love to hear your ideas.

 

 

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A “BALANCED” Life!

It seems like with the hustle and bustle of life can keep us from doing the things that we really need to be doing to keep a balanced life.  We get up run through the routine of taking a shower, dressing, getting the kids ready, getting a quick breakfast and out the door to school or to the baby sitters and then we are off to work.  At the end of the day we pick up the kids, get home fix a quick supper, get a little house work done, then sit in front of the TV, read a book, or play with the kids.  A lot of times the kids are left on their own because we don’t have time for them or we are just too tired.  We end up in bed late and then we start the cycle all over again.

We all have a busy life and it isn’t until we finally collapse that we have to take the time to reevaluate things.  I am going to share some ideas with you that have been a blessing to me.  I have an acronym that I will be going through in this blog but will be getting into more detail on each one in future blogs.  There are eight letters in my acronym and it leads to a BALANCED life.

  1. Bedtime.  We tend to think that we can just keep on going everyday without a proper amount of sleep.  We should be getting between 6-10 hours of sleep per night depending on age and health conditions.  There are so many benefits that come from getting plenty of rest.
  2. Aqua.  Aqua is Spanish for water.  Water is so important for the body.  Our body is made up of so much water.  We should be at least drinking half of our body weight in ounces.  Our bodies cannot function properly without water.  And it has to be water.  It is cleansing to our bodies.  Can you imagine washing dishes with soda pop, juice, coffee, or any other beverage?  Our dishes would not get clean.  We need to drink clean, clear water to keep our bodies clean.
  3. Light.  Our bodies need the light of the sun.  It is good for us to get out in the sunlight everyday.  We do have to be careful not to get too much sun.  But on the most part I think that a lot of us do not get as much sun as we should.
  4. Air.  We need to get some fresh air each day.  It can be easy just to go from our house to our car, from our car to our job and back again at the end of the day.  We need to be getting out each day and deep breathing the wonderful fresh air.  It is the way to clean out our lungs.
  5. Nutrition.  Nutrition is important for our bodies.  We need to be eating foods that will give us what our bodies need to function properly.  We need to be very balanced in what we eat.  It is also helpful within the times that we live to take a supplement
  6. Control.  We need to have self-control.  This can be a very hard thing to do.  We may be eating a lot of junk food and it can be hard to get a way from it.  We crave these things.  There can be some reasons for that, which I will get into in future blogs.  We can be struggling with our weight and staying fit because we are struggling with self-control.
  7. Exercise.  We need to keep active.  This not only strengthens our more visible muscles like our legs and arms but it also strengthens the heart.  Strengthening the heart is so important.  Exercise will help with many more things other than just muscles, like sleep and self-control.
  8. Dependence on God.  This is probably one of the most important.  We can do all of the other 7 things on this list but if we don’t have dependence on God our health can be destroyed.  We have to lay all of our burdens at His feet and let Him untangle the web that our lives may be in.

This is just a brief overview of the things that can bring a BALANCED life.  I will be getting into more depth on each of these in the coming blogs.

Dear Father,

You are the One that we can come to in any struggle that we may be going through.  To keep our lives BALANCED we need You.  Thank You that You are always there and all we need to do is reach out to you.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Start one step at a time to get your life BALANCED.

Do you feel like your life is out of balance?  What are some ways that you have done to accomplish a more BALANCED life?