Faith & Fitness Challenge - Week 1 (Water and the Word)

I've missed you, friends! 

If you’ve regularly read my blog in the past, you know that I stepped back from posting weekly for a season to launch a second daily radio show I’m a part of: Everyday Relationships with Dr. Greg Smalley. Tune in if you need a good laugh and some encouragement in your everyday relationships. 

Starting today, I’ll post every week for the next six weeks (and I'll give away 2 copies of my book, Balance That Works When Life Doesn't. Today marks the beginning of a fun six-week faith and fitness challenge. Here’s how it works:

Sign up for FREE at: http://myfaithradio.com/commit-to-live-fit/ 

Every Monday I’ll post on this blog and share a bit about the physical and spiritual discipline for that week. Every Wednesday you’ll receive a reminder email to encourage you along the way. At the end of the six weeks, we’ll draw two names to win gift baskets filled with fitness goodies. 

Each week you’ll add a very easy and life-giving physical and spiritual component to your daily routine. These disciplines are easy to do, but they’re also easy to let go of. These very doable disciplines add strength and vitality to our lives if we can make them a part of our everyday routine.

So here are your two disciplines for this week:

Physical Discipline:

Drink Water – Many experts suggest we need 8-10 glasses of water a day. My husband added this one discipline to his daily routine and lost 10 pounds in one month! Fitness expert Wendie Pett suggests we drink the equivalent to half our body weight (in ounces). So if you weigh 200 pounds, you need about 100 ounces of water a day. Either way, it’s time to up your water intake and here’s why: 

• ·      Great for hair and skin
• ·      Helps digestion and metabolism
• ·      Helps muscle function 

Dangers of Dehydration:

• ·      Muscle spasms and cramps
• ·      Neurological impairment
• ·      Digestive issues
• ·      Dry skin and hair
• ·      Headaches
• ·      Water retention

When we drink too much soda, we lose our taste for water. I challenge you to find a fun water bottle and raise your water intake starting today! 

Spiritual Discipline:

Read the Word:  If you don’t have a regularly established quiet time, take that first step. Set aside 10-15 minutes each day, open the Word and prayerfully read. If you’re new to reading the Bible, start with the books of Psalms, Proverbs, or the Gospel of John. If you already have an established quiet time, the challenge to you is to extend your time by adding a few extra minutes each day dedicated solely to reading God’s Word. Scripture is living and active and will change your life! Here’s why God’s Word is so important to us:

• ·      It’s living and active and brings life, strength, and direction to our soul
• ·      It offers us wisdom and reveals God’s heart
• ·      It teaches us how to live and brings clarity where there’s confusion 

John 4:13 ~ “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Matthew 4:4 ~ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Ephesians 6:17 ~ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Hebrews 12:13-14 ~ For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

Dangers of doing life apart from the Word:

• ·      We lose our way
• ·      We adjust our theology to match our lives (rather than the other way around)
• ·      We’re easily deceived by the enemy

I’ll be praying for you as you add these healthy yet simple disciplines to your life. Also, each week I’ll give away 2 copies of my book, Balance That Works When Life Doesn’t: Simple Steps to a Woman’s Physical & Spiritual Health’ to someone who posts on this blog. 

Let’s do this!

May you flourish in health, both physically and spiritually!

Blessings to you this week~

Believe the Best: No More Reading Between the Lines!

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post whenever I get the chance and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

Now, on to my topic...

We all go through seasons in life when we feel especially vulnerable and our insecurities feel close to the surface. During such times it's easy to misread people and situations. 

A trusted friend suddenly seems disloyal and distant. A co-worker pulls back and seems to be spending time with someone who doesn't like you. You walk into church and nobody seems interested in talking to you. Your pastor walks right by without noticing you. You no longer feel like you have your boss's favor.

When one or more of these scenarios happens in a short amount of time, it's easy to connect the dots, draw certain conclusions, and then react accordingly. Just recently I talked with someone who had a number of 'dots' out there. He had some legitimate reason for concern, but deep in his soul, he sensed that God was telling him to believe the best about others, not to jump to conclusions, and to continue on with doing the right thing.

His response was exactly right and at the end of the day, the little mishaps fizzled to nothing. Imagine if he would have taken the bait, gotten big and reactionary with his friends and co-workers, and stepped out of the authority and assurance that he had in Christ Jesus. 

We may have some real 'dots' out there, just begging to be connected, but that doesn't mean that the picture actually exists or is an accurate one. We need the mind of Christ not to draw wrong conclusions.

From now on, we regard no one from a worldly point of view (2 Corinthians 5:16).

I cringe when I think of how many times I assumed people had bad motives when they didn't, or I assumed they we're mad when they weren't. Thankfully, many of those times, I kept my feelings to myself and brought them before God and found my footing once again. Interestingly enough though, I learned that in many of those situations, those people we're enduring their own struggles and would have greatly benefited from an extra dose of grace and love (which comes out of fullness; reactions, on the other hand, come out of emptiness).

We all tend to misread people and situations when something in them resembles a past painful experience for us. We must take responsibility for our actions and reactions, and we must pursue deep inner healing so that our past no longer has the power to diminish our current perspective and relationships.

Remember too, the enemy overplays his hand when it comes to our unhealed areas. He prowls around, just looking for an opportunity to magnify a problem or skew a perspective. His goal is to get our eyes off of God and onto our fears and hang ups. He wants our past to keep speaking to us. He wants our wounds to perpetuate themselves. And he wants us stuck in the prison of an earthbound perspective.

You've probably heard me say this before, or read it in one of my books, but it bears repeating. If the devil can get us to live in reaction to our circumstances rather than in response to God, well, then, he has succeeded at stealing our joy and robbing us of the abundant life to which our souls are heir. 

Determine to believe the best in others this week. Even if their motives are off, you stay in the shelter of the Most High God and declare, My salvation and honor depend on God alone. HE is my mighty rock and refuge (Psalm 62:7). Determine too, to believe the best about God. He has your best interest at heart every single day. Even if your circumstances scream something different, refuse to draw a conclusion that disregards God's promises to you.

For the Believer, the only conclusion that matters is the one God has come to regarding us. We are worth everything to Him. We are loved, called, equipped, and chosen. We have everything we need and then some.

Have a blessed week~

Fan the Flame Within Me!

Happy Thursday, Friends!

And to those visiting, I say welcome! For years, I posted weekly on this blog, every Wednesday, in fact. But this past year I’ve had to put my blog on the back burner for a bit. I’ve had a lot going on. Let me tell you a bit about it.

Many of you know I host a daily (deeper life) talk show called Live the Promise. I’m telling you, friends, we have church together every day! If you’ve never listened, I pray you’ll join us!

Last month I released a new book that I’m thrilled about, titled, Your Beautiful Purpose: Discovering and Enjoying What God Can Do Through You. I pray you’ll check it out and let me know your thoughts!

And here’s one more reason I’ve put my blog on the back burner for a season. Focus on the Family recently launched a new, daily, live talk show called, Everyday Relationships with Dr. Greg Smalley. And I’m his co-host! We’re having a great time, lots of laughs, and hopefully offering some wonderful takeaways to help you walk out your everyday relationships.

So, it’s been a while since I’ve shared my thoughts on this blog. Yesterday I received an email from a precious woman who wondered why I’ve not posted for a while.

I asked her what she’d like me to write about and she replied, “How do you get the fire/zeal back in to your prayer time?  Why do we go through these dry places where our prayers seem blah (and very "me" centered). Why is reading the Word sometimes a chore instead of a delight?  

Great questions, no? 

So here’s my best answer: TRUST…

A while back I had author Emily Freeman on my show and she said the best thing: Is it more important to please God or to trust Him? She went on to say, “If we focus on pleasing God, we’ll quickly get into striving; but if we entrust ourselves to Him, and trust Him for all He is, we’ll stay in that place of grace, and we’ll please Him in the process (my paraphrase).”

Using ‘TRUST’ as an acronym, here are few things I learned about reigniting my prayer life:

T- Thanksgiving: Almost always, when I sense that the fire has gone out and my passion has waned, it’s because I stopped being grateful, stopped thanking God for all of the blessings I enjoy. When we focus too much on what we don’t have and on what God is not giving us as the moment, we lose sight of the fact that God is always wonderfully good, is beautifully for us, and will never forsake us. Start today by thanking Him for everything you’d miss tomorrow if you woke up and it wasn’t there.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

R – Repentance: Another fire-quencher is sin and selfish attitudes. Scripture says that His kindness leads us to repentance. When you’ve spent some time thanking God, conviction returns to your soul. Take the next step and dare to say, ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts; see if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in your everlasting way.’ (See Psalm 139) Confession is a cleansing, beautiful thing. God draws especially near to the humble, repentant heart.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (James 5:16).

U – Understand: Oftentimes when we feel our flame flickering and not burning brightly, it’s because we’ve approached God only for what He can do for us and not for who He is. A sure way to fan our spiritual flame is to seek Him for all He is worth! Still bring your requests before Him, but then lay them down at His feet, and seek to know His heart. He is the star-breathing God, the Lord of Lords, the King of kings, and the God of angel armies! He is high and lifted up and yet intimately right here. He loves you. Get to know Him more and you’ll have a better understanding of how He is working in your current circumstances. To better know Him is to love Him more; and to know Him is to be filled to the fullness with Him (see Ephesians).

Knowing the Holy One results in understanding (Proverbs 9:10).

S – Stand: When we don’t feel God’s presence and His promises don’t exactly feel true, it’s time to stand on the Word of God because it is true. When I find myself feeling more earthbound than heaven-bound, I rise up, walk around my house, and proclaim the promises of God written over my life. I will not die but live, and declare the works of the Lord! (because I struggle with health issues) God’s grace abounds in my life so I can abound in every good work! (because I’m constantly in over my head). When I stand on God’s promises, and my ears hear my mouth say what’s true, in due time, my heart believes again that His Word is true. I challenge you, walk around, stomp your feet if you have to, and proclaim the promises of God. Take your stand right where you stand!

For your promises are backed by all the honor of your name (Psalm 138:2).

S – Surrender: Another thing I’ve noticed is that surrender and spiritual passion are closely linked. When I find myself hanging on to my own understanding, or when I rely more heavily on my fears than I do on God’s faithfulness, it’s like a throwing a wet blanket on my spiritual flame. What’s my answer? I get on my knees, open my hands, and I surrender my everything to the Lord once again. I give Him my worries, my ‘what if’s’ and the deep desires of my heart. I’m only dealing with partial information. He knows what’s best for me (and for you). Try actually getting on your knees, opening your hands, and releasing the things you’ve been white-knuckling up to this point. Say to the Lord, 'Father, what does obedience look like here? And who do You want to be to me here? My Deliverer? Defender? Strong Tower? I surrender to You. Show me Your greatness in this place.'

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

T – Trust: Here we are, back at trust again. When I lose perspective on life, I’ve somewhere along the line stopped trusting God. Here are a few things that are important to remember:

• He has a plan for your life that is your best case scenario
• He is faithful, true, and made Himself available to you
• He is good and kind and true; you can trust Him to get you safely home

You can trust Him. If your passion has waned it's time to re-engage your heart, to renew your mind, to humble yourself in His presence, and then to rise up knowing that you are His, and He is yours. You are blessed, indeed.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

I hope this helps you to fan the flame within you! You are so very precious to God!

~Until next time I post.

Thanks for the nudge, Roberta

How Certain Questions Bring Life...

Happy Wednesday, Friends!

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post most Wednesdays and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

On my last blog post I offered to give away 2 copies of my new book, ‘Your Beautiful Purpose: Discovering and Enjoying What God Can Do Through You’ to a couple of you who posted a comment. Well it’s time to announce the winners…

Sundee Bickler

Lindsey Givens

Congratulations! Email me your mailing address and I’ll get you a copy of the book in the mail. Email me at: Susie@FaithRadioNet.com - Thank you and God bless you!

Now on to my topic…

Do you ever find yourself asking God questions that leave you feeling more despair than hope?

Though God has done some amazing things in our midst over the past year, we’ve also experienced our share of heartache and despair. Certain battles raged, the enemy flaunted our disappointments in our face, and the sense of loss threatened to swallow me alive.

While I don’t want to go into the details of my heartbreak, I will say I learned something very valuable that I never want to forget. Perhaps it’ll help you too.

When in the midst of my disappointments I’d stare at the barren field that was supposed to be flush and fruitful and wonder aloud, Why didn’t this field produce fruit? How did this happen? I planted seeds. I watered them with the Word. I lived by faith. Why am I not seeing the results I pictured in my head? What happened, Lord?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve realized that those kinds of questions suck the life right out of me. Though God invites us to pray all kinds of prayers in every situation because He delights in every detail of our lives, for me, at least, certain kinds of prayers leave me feeling more burdened, not less so. 

In fact, maybe they’re not really prayers at all but more so misdirected questions.

On the flip side, when I step back from my barren field and I look up; when I remind myself of whose I am and Who He is, something in me changes. The Spirit-life within me flutters and awakens once again.

When I let go of my ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions and I realize they’re not for me to ask right now, I’m able to find my place of peace once again.

Years ago my son Luke said these wise words to me, “Mom, I’ve learned that the ‘how’ question isn’t ours to ask because it isn’t ours to answer. The how is always God’s to perform as He will. It’s our job to show up and to do what He says. And the why question is for young children who don’t know how to wait or trust. At some point we have to grow up and trust Him with our whys.”

Okay, so his wise insights left me dumbfounded. J

I’ve found that the questions that bring me life are these…

Will you remind me again, Lord, who am I to you?

Jesus, will You reveal Yourself to me in this place?

What does obedience look like here, Lord?

What are You saying to me right here, right now?

What am I clinging to that I need to let go of, so I can lay hold of more of You?

Is there any anxious way in me? Point out anything in me that offends You, Lord.

What impossible thing do You want to accomplish in and through me, Lord?

I’m telling you, what! The Lord makes strong and secure promises to us. He loves us with an everlasting love. And He loves to reveal Himself to those He loves.

He also promised we’d experience hardship during our time on this earth. He warned us that we’d have to live and walk by faith (which means we’ll at times need to go forward without having all the answers). He knows we have a tendency to lean on our own understanding and logic so He asked us to trust His heart more than we trust our sight.

Maybe these thoughts don’t resonate with you, but I pray they do. Are you asking certain questions that God doesn’t intend to answer right now? Are those questions holding you back when God beckons you forward?

Maybe it’s time to let go and let God. Maybe it’s time to ask some different questions. Jesus says that things are proven right by their fruit. You’ll know you’re asking the right questions when peace and perspective return. You’ll know you’re on the right track when your disappointment takes a back seat to your divine appointment.

May the Lord lift your chin and give you a new perspective today.

God bless you!

Disappointments and Divine Appointments

Happy Wednesday, Friends!

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post most Wednesdays and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Every once in a while I give away fun stuff to those who post on my blog.

This week I’ll give away a couple copies of my NEW book, ‘Your Beautiful Purpose’ (releases in January). So share a thought or insight, bless lots of people, and you might win a copy of Your Beautiful Purpose: Discovering and Enjoying What God Can Do Through You. I’m excited about this book. I pray it blesses you!

Now on to my topic…

Several years ago my mentor said these compelling words to me: Susie, there’s a big difference between expectation and expectancy. Expectation is premeditated disappointment, where expectancy involves faith. Expectation means you’ve decided how things need to turn out for you to be okay; expectancy engages your faith in the fact that God is involved in your life, but it opens up the possibility that He may come through for you in a way and at a time that you least expect.

Wow, wise words, wouldn’t you say?

I don’t know what kind of year you’ve had but for me, it’s been a bittersweet one. On one hand we’ve seen God move in ways that have completely inspired our faith, and on the other hand, we’ve experienced loss and heartbreak in ways that have left me breathless.

Can you relate?

What are we to do with the very real sense of loss, disappointment, and heartbreak we encounter along life’s way? How do we keep our disappointments from tangling us up, from strangling our joy, and from skewing our perspective?

The answer, I believe, is this:

To release expectation

To embrace expectancy

It’s time to open our clenched fists and release the crinkled picture of how we thought things would look by now. It’s time to hand it over to the One who knows us best and loves us most. God has a bigger canvas and a far bigger brush. He can paint something beautiful with our lives and with our story that we can’t even comprehend right now. We need to give Him time and space to work in, through, and around us. It’s time to release our puny, detailed expectation of what we think our lives should look like.

And, it’s time to pick up expectancy and to wrap our arms around the fact that Jesus is alive and active in our lives. He moves on faith. Fear doesn’t motivate Him. Faith does. So as we embrace His love and trust His promise to hear our prayers and respond to our faith, we can know, that any day now, Jesus will break through in ways that surprise us.

We’re never out of His care, never out of His reach. He is the God of breakthroughs and He loves to break through when the time is right.

Embrace expectancy. Tell yourself that any day now, you’ll see glimpses of glory and evidences of His activity in your life. Because it’s true; right now, He’s moving on your behalf.

Look up. Seek Him. You’ll find Him. He’s got you. And your faith pleases Him greatly.

~Have a blessed week!