Jan 24, 2014 | Living Well
Caring for myself is today’s focus. This sounds so anti-spiritual, but I believe it is an important part of living a vibrant Christian life.
Through Moses writings, God gave his people many rules for foods and cleanliness. The food rules were to set the Israelites apart from the pagan world, and they were good rules for a healthy diet. God commanded his people to work and actively serve others. The need for exercise was taken care of as a part of their daily work life. I try to eat a healthy diet and get some moderate but regular exercise.
Time for fun, holidays, and family trips can also be found in the Bible. Celebrations, feasts, and pilgrimages were frequent events chronicled in both the Old and New Testaments. We are to enjoy recreational time with family and friends.
Moses took time away from the pressures of leading his people in the desert when he climbed up the mountain to be with God. Jesus often would go off by himself to pray. This was a time of relaxation, refreshment, and communication with his Father. After these times he was renewed and had clear direction from God.
And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Matthew 14:23
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35
It is very important for us to take time away from the pressures of daily life—whether it is praying on a mountain or carving out time to sit and pray in our backyards. To what solitary place do you go to communicate with God?
Resolved Day 24: Today I will set aside some special time for renewal, refreshment, and communicating with God.
Jan 23, 2014 | Living Well
It seems that the more stuff I have, the less time I have to enjoy it. Stuff needs to be cleaned, repaired, organized, and put away. An appropriate storage space must be found—one that is of the right size and easily accessible if the item is used often.
Two years ago when my husband and I were involved in a house remodel project, we decided to get rid of some things. It was either that or add rooms onto the existing house instead of updating and decorating. We gave away usable articles, recycled many things, and hauled an amazing number of items to the dump. Nooks and crannies were cleaned. When we finished, our closets were not overstuffed and the basement storage room had some order. Now, the whole process needs to be done again.
This time I have a plan. Instead of doing a whole-house cleaning and removal of unused items, I will do a closet. Then I will organize a dresser. Next a set of kitchen cupboards will be cleaned. Tackling a small project regularly will not be unduly overwhelming. If most weeks I clean out one small area in my house, it should stay organized.
She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:25
Resolved Day 23: I will choose one area of my house to clean out and organize. today.
Jan 22, 2014 | Living Well
Garbage in. Garbage out. I contend that we allow too much garbage to infiltrate our minds. Have you thought about what gets into your brain each day? I challenge you to consciously evaluate the sensory information you encounter for one day.
I monitor what enters my brain more as a matter of time and energy. I am busy and have little use for totally frivolous sensory input. Do not misunderstand. I am not opposed to fun. However, I do object to using valuable time filling my mind with garbage. I am purposeful about what I read and what I listen to on the radio. My area of weakness is television.
Watching an entertaining show is a good way to relax with my husband in the evening. But what I often do is watch a show as I eat supper. When I finish eating and the show I was watching is over, I do not turn the television off. I continue to watch show after show. The shows may be enlightening, but the commercials seldom are. Nevertheless, I continue to watch and fill my brain with garbage. Even the news programs are brimming with much mindless content that can be gathered in a more timely fashion by using the internet. But the internet has its own set of pitfalls.
The medium is not important. What is important is the content.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8
Resolved Day 22: I will not mindlessly watch TV when I unwind today. Instead I will substitute reading or another uplifting activity.
Jan 21, 2014 | Living Well
When was the last time you listened—really listened—to another person? Most of us like to talk. We like our ideas. We like our activities. We like our opinions. And we like to share them.
I have been known as a motor mouth most of my life. My poor mother! As a child I talked constantly. My teachers had to carefully plan who was sitting around me because of my incessant talking. My mind worked through my mouth.
It has taken decades for me to cultivate the art of listening. Listening is valuable because it builds relationships and understanding. By listening I learn what others know, think, and feel. Besides, I am seldom misunderstood when my mouth is shut because I am taking in information. Listening has so many positive aspects.
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. James 1:19
When are you tempted to talk when you should be paying attention to what others have to say?
Resolved Day 21: I will talk less and listen more today.
Jan 20, 2014 | Living Well
What criteria do you use when deciding how you will treat another person? I do not mean how you know you should treat others. But how DO you treat others? What is your automatic response to someone who looks different?
It is wise to notice how a person is dressed and how a person is acting. That is part of protecting yourself from danger. Some types of clothing signal that you should be alert for possible menacing behavior. People displaying erratic actions, loud speech, or posture which shouts a “don’t mess with me” attitude are best avoided.
What I am concerned about is how do you treat a person who has a different ethnic background than you, who is of a different race, or who is obviously from a different socio-economic class. It is a natural response to be curious. It is not unusual to be nervous because of unfamiliarity. Sadly I am not always as friendly as I should be because I do not know how to greet an outsider. I do not want to offend so I do not acknowledge that person. Avoidance is a poor choice. A gentle, thoughtful approach is usually effective.
Being socially clumsy is very different from being antagonistic. I do pray that as a Christian you are blind to obvious exterior differences and are more interested in the inner person. God values us as individuals. We should likewise treat others with dignity.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28
Resolved Day 20: Today I will be kind and thoughtful to all people without consideration for their ethnicity, race, or socio-economic status.
Jan 19, 2014 | Living Well
Memorizing God’s Word should be considered a pleasure. We have no problem memorizing many insignificant things we love—funny commercials, a favorite movie dialog segment, song lyrics. So why do we fight the concept of memorizing Bible verses? Here are reasons I have used.
- I do not know what verse to memorize. Solution: Choose a verse that is meaningful to you. Ask a Christian friend for a suggestion. You could download one of the outstanding Bible memory apps.
- I do not h
ave time. Solution: Write the verse on a small note card and keep it handy. Carry it in your pocket so you can pull it out while you are waiting in line. Set it on the seat in your car so you can review it while you are sitting at a stoplight. Place it on your refrigerator door. Tape it to your bathroom mirror.
- I am not good at memorizing things. Solution: Break it down into small parts, set it to music, or create a visual mental picture related to the content. This was my favorite excuse until I read in a reputable source that if you do not use your brain it may not function well for you when you become elderly. The “use it or lose it” concept has spurred me to memorize verses on a fairly regular basis. God gave me a motivator to memorize, and it has been a blessing.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11
Resolved Day 19: I will memorize a new Bible verse today.
Caring for myself is today’s focus. This sounds so anti-spiritual, but I believe it is an important part of living a vibrant Christian life.