God can do anything!

^20-21"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."  This is from Ephesians 3 in the Message Bible and it comes near the end of a chapter where while sitting in jail, Paul is explaining about the wonderous riches of God that we have when we allow Christ to live in and through us.

As I sit here this morning I look at my life and I can truly say that God can do anything.  Maybe not on my time table but on God's.  This morning I have to hurry to eat breakfast and get dressed because this is my Silver Sneakers morning and I have to be there by 9:30 a.m.  Now I can't say that I love exercising but it is something I know I have to do in order to keep the blood and oxygen in my body flowing at a good clip.  The same is true about my morning time with the Lord. It is needed because I need to connect each day to the power source that runs my life.  Just as the blood and oxygen keep my body moving, the power of God flowing through my life keeps me on track to fulfill His love.

So as I live this day I know that God is working in me and through me to reach out and place me where I need to be and what I need to do.  This includes, for me, going to Silver Sneakers even though this is not what I thought was part of my "wildest dreams."

To eat or not to eat, that is the question.

²²"Your personal convictions [on such matters]--exercise [them] as in God's presence, keeping them to yourself [striving only to know the truth and obey His will]. Blessed (happy, ^[a]to be envied) is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves [who does not convict himself by what he chooses to do].
    ^23"But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful]. " This is from the 14th chapter of Romans and it is talking about your convictions concerning food.

How often do you eat something and then say to yourself, "I'm being bad!"  We all have convictions concerning food but how often do we tie them to our life through Christ and ask Him to reveal to us the choice we should make concerning food?  My body might need something different from what your body needs.  So I should work my own program (as we say in Overeaters Anonymous) and let you work your own.  So I need to look to Christ and seek His help as I choose what I eat each meal and then thank Him for my daily meals.  I know that for some of  you, this seems like nonsense.  You think,  "I'll eat what I want and never give it another thought."  But for those of us who labor over each meal (and sometimes even all day long) over what to eat or what not to eat, this is a continuous problem.

The above scripture says, "whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful."  Wow, kind of harsh but it is true.  If we are living in and through Christ in our lives we know what food that we eat is "approved by God" and we know what is not.  But I don't know what food God approves for you.  What you eat is between God and you.  What I eat is a personal conviction between God and me.

When you lose weight people always ask, what diet did you use?  They want to use the same one so they can lose weight.  How many magazines have you bought because the cover contained the promise of a great new diet?  Eating prayerfully asking God to confirm your food convictions is not about a diet.  It is about acting on your God given convictions through faith.

The 14th Chapter of Romans is all about how the Church in Rome got caught up in a food fight.  Did you have to observe the Jewish dietary laws in order to be a Christian?  Paul spells out very clearly that what you eat is between God and you.  He clearly condemns judging.  Let's use these words to speak to us today, especially to those of us who have a need to judge what we (or anyone else) eats or does not eat.  It is a personal conviction between God and each of us!!!

God Is In Control

^20-23All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. ( Eph 20-22 Message Bible)  This passage is talking about the energy and strength we have through Christ.  When we get up in the morning we get up in the strength of the Lord.  When we go through the day, it is through His power.

Listening to the news of the day and wondering what will happen in this world could bring a sinking feeling of fear.  But when I know that God is in charge of my life the fear vanishes because I am held in His hands and today will be victorious.

Today I walk with the Lord and I know that everything is working out to fulfill God's good.

What To Do First

Each day is a series of choices.  But first thing in the morning the big choice of the day is "What will I do first."  Of course there are personal things to do but once these are taken care of, what will I do with my day starting now?  This is a choice.  I could continue to browse my computer beside my bed.  I could watch the TV.  I could tune in to recorded programs on cable.  Or I could pray, read the Word and connect with my Father.  This for me is the first thing I must do each day because otherwise, how could the rest of the day possibly go right?

We sing a song at church that has a line "Dancing with my Father God in fields of Grace."  What does that mean?  I know that Grace is unmerited favor.  It's what God does for us even though we don't earn it or deserve it.  I've always been a great one to show through talent and energy that I could do something and to keep at it until the result was achieved.  But that does not allow for the "fields of Grace" that I have been dancing in.  Eph 2:8 in the Bible says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is a gift of God.  Not of works lest any man should boast." So this grace is obtained through faith.  That means to me that I have to, through faith, expect this grace to be at work in my life.  While the use of talent and energy are important, they must be put to work in God's "fields of Grace." Just acknowledging that "I cannot do this by myself" is a step in the right direction.

Today I accept that my life is given to me by God through Grace and so I give this day to God to do whatever He would with my life.  Now I go on to the next thing I will do today.  Being led by God.

God Is Good!!!

I'm sitting here this morning so conscious that as we serve God He leads us along regardless of what is coming up ahead.  A member of our church family (only 42) died almost a week ago as the result of a semi-truck hitting his car head on.  He was dead on impact.  One minute he was on earth and the next he was with Jesus.  Here I am, 76 years on earth, and I can truly say that God has led me all the way and there was not one moment that I did now know He was with me.  When times were tough God reminded me that He had never let me down, ever, so why would He start now?  I have to believe that God was and is with Leroy every moment of his life and death.  But no matter how we live, we have little control over the final moment.

I lived my whole life through the prism of being fat.  How could I lose weight?  How could I keep it off? Why was I so bad, wrong and awful for being fat?  Yet as I come to the twilight years of my life I find that all the reasons for being thin I used most of my life (being thin to catch a man, being thin to be beautiful, being thin so as to be more attractive in business, etc.) no longer have any meaning.  Now it comes down to: being thin so my diabetes is under control; being thin so my back doesn't act up from the added weight; being thin so I can live a long quality life.

Sitting here thinking about how easily life can end I realize that in the final moments, I really have no control so maybe I don't really have any lasting control over my life or my health.  Sure I make daily choices, but is there a place where I can live so close in intimacy with God that I allow Him to make my choices?  Like: "Ok, God, here is today - please live it through me.  What do you want me to do? What do you want me to eat? How can I be useful to You?"  It is not as if many people in the world today and in the eons past did not live their lives this way.  Paul said, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Phil 1:21)  This means that only by living my life for Christ and through Christ do I truly live. Only by letting Jesus make my choices do I truly experience the full life.

The missionary couple down in Mexico that were murdered a week or so ago had the opportunity to leave Mexico and be safe but their flock could not leave.  So they stayed and chose to let Christ live through them no matter what happened.  Not that every day is a life or death matter but could we live each day as if it were?  To choose or not to choose, that is the question.  In the end we realize that we only can choose each day how we will live and that to live more fully, we can turn this choosing over to the Lord because only God knows the beginning and the end.

Wow! It's been a while.

Can't believe that it's been almost three years since I last posted. So much has happened in this time, including gaining 50 pounds. How could that have happened?  Easy, just one calorie at a time and not much exercise. Well now I'm back on track.  I started to use the Prevention Health Tracker on the internet to keep track of what I am eating a couple of weeks ago.  I'm not weighing, but my clothes are showing some easing.  You know, when you gain weight your clothes feel tighter and when you lose, your clothes feel looser.  Your clothes will show it all.  I'm not weighing because since I'm keeping track of my food I don't need to weigh.  Health Tracker shows it all.  Also, I have an obsession with regard to scales.  They dictate whether my life is going well or not.  I won't give power any longer to scales.  Maybe once a month for bench marking.

Really what has happened is that I have submitted my life to God one day at a time and I can trust God with my life because I believe that everything God gives me is good.  Now it may not appear good at the time but as Rom 8:28 in the Amplified Version of the Bible says, "We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose."  Being called to His design and purpose means that I walk every day with God seeking always to do His will in my life.

My life these days is very busy.  I'm on the road many days visiting Age 65 and over Seniors to discuss their Medicare options.  That's a fancy way of saying I'm a licensed Insurance Agent and sell primarily Advantage Plans, Supplements and Prescription Plans.  I sometimes travel 75 to 100 miles each way but I love driving through beautiful Pennsylvania.  So I really need God as my co-pilot.

I will try to keep these posting up and if anyone want to comment, please do.  God bless you all.

What a great quality of life!

I've been back in PA for a few weeks now and time does fly. I am still amazed, though, at how wonderful I feel and what a great qualify of life I enjoy. The wealth and the health I can maintain is something you can have, too. Look at the links and then get back to me so you can have the same!