It’s Time to DO WORK

Written By Tina Cobian

What would happen if day in and day out you just never tried to do anything? By anything, I mean ANYTHING. You don’t pay attention to clocks and rise when you feel like it. You don’t go to work because you don’t feel like it.  There is no showering, or grooming for you of any kind. You simply “step over” the trash in your home because you don’t want to take the time to throw it out and cleaning is just too much work.  During the day you lay down some more, nap a little and watch TV, while of course sitting down on your trash ridden sofa. You eat whatever makes you happy for the moment and at night, or in the wee hours of the morning you retire to your disheveled, smelly bed to sleep until the next day begins…whenever you decide that is.

 Some of you may be completely disgusted by the picture I just painted.  But can I say that some who may be meticulous cleaners, organizers, and hard workers who never miss a day of employment sick or not, may also be living this kind of lazy-life existence? Sound funny? Well what if I told you that it is possible to suffer from emotional, spiritual, mental and even relational atrophy? It is. Proverbs 29:18 very clearly tells us that without a vision the people perish. So it is possible to neglect ourselves in the areas where most people don’t see.  Have you ever heard the phrase, “Use it or lose it!”? It’s true.  Just like our natural muscles suffer and degenerate with disuse so does our spiritual, emotional, and mental strength and acuity. 

 Atrophy does not only occur after disuse.  It can also occur as the result of an injury.  Have you kept yourself separated from others because you are “too busy” to make time for family or friends?  Or is the real reason you avoid too much time with people because you have experienced hurt in past relationships and you fear opening your heart again to others.  If you are nervous or anxious about building relationships here is a solution Paul gives us in Philippians 4:6 & 7. He says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” So in other words…Seek ye first…  Matthew 6:33

 Atrophy does NOT have to be permanent. Exercising the atrophied areas can build you up and make you strong where you were once weak. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be pain along the way.  It happens, but we can grow through it and emerge stronger. When you work out for the first time in a LONG time you get sore. Even if you are normally a physical person you may have switched up your exercise regimen or done something that you normally don’t do. In the fitness world this is referred to as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). This pain can be alarming to a person who is new to exercise but someone who is used to exercising knows it and will be able to skillfully work through it because they know the soreness is part of a process that will lead to greater stamina and strength in that area.

 Daily life makes it easy to neglect our health and growth in areas that we think are “unseen”. We are all busy but prioritizing is the key. For instance, how much time is spent watching television or trolling the social media sites? Could Facebook or Instagram stand a little less attention from you? Think about it. Could you replace ONE hour a week of social media time with actual human interaction? Could you attend a bible study or even sit down to read or pray by yourself in an effort to grow spiritually?  These are the areas you can explore and only you (and God) know where you can give a little more.

 Those who run marathons must train for this even if they are normally very physical.  They must discipline themselves on a daily basis, watching what they eat, how much water they drink, and of course building their stamina for the race ahead of them. They push themselves to the limit and stretch the boundaries of their muscles and mental status keeping their eyes on the prize, the goal, the finish line.  For some winning that race means crossing the finish line, no matter what number they are.

 Others race against their own previous record.  They want to push past what they were able to achieve before.  For you and I…putting on those tennis shoes and making it to the starting line may be worthy of a gold medal. 

 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

 You can do it…Flex that muscle…It’s time to DO WORK!

Friendship

The Value of True Friends

Written by Yvonne Galindo

It’s refreshing to know you have friends that you are able to share your most intimate, deepest, or creative ideas this is a gift that many desire without Jealousy. Yup! That’s right it happens. That should be my next blog. Today it’s about friendship. I have been fortunate to have had great relationships during my years of service in Women’s Ministry. Serving in women’s ministry God taught me of how to be that unconditional friend. I learned how not to judge but to except. Giving my friends and those whom I come across the opportunity to speak freely and honestly without judgment; never expecting anything in return. I have friends that I have known for years and maybe don’t see as often as I would like. But I know that if I have a need or maybe just want to chat I could call or email and even visit and I know I am always welcome. That’s what it’s about being welcome into someone’s life and being accepting of that person. With Social Media today there is really no excuse! It’s about taking the time to reach out to one another and finding ones common interest. Paul indicates in 1 Corinthians 9:22 “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings”. I have girls hiking; movie or dinner dates even if it’s just once in while we find the time to enjoy one another’s company. Has it always been easy; absolutely not? Have I been unwelcomed sure; has it hurt me, YES! I try to remember Christ Words in Matthew 10:14; if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Our goal as women of God is to live and know you are free and to free those around you. One more note- what about work friends? Well ask yourself the following:

If your friend left the company, would you still be in touch with her in a year?
If you had a personal emergency, would you consider asking your work friend for help?
Do you hang out with your friend outside the office? (Weekday lunch, dinner, and business trips don’t count.)
Do you and your friend have anything in common besides your age and your job?

If you’re lucky, someone you meet at work could turn into a friend for life. It happened to me.

For more from Yvonne Galindo, please visit her blog

The Power of the Word of God

God uses His Word to Shape our Lives

Written by Victoria Aguila

So I shared this on my Facebook page because it was one of those “aha” God moments for me. Does that happen to you? Like, you have read the scriptures before BUT this time that you read it, it just came out and slapped some revelation into you? After all, the Word is Alive and Powerful right?

This is the scripture I was reading, Hebrews 4:12 Amplified Bible (AMP) For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

I often ask myself, why am I feeling this or why am I feeling that. Issues of the heart arise and I sit in frustration and think I don’t understand why I am feeling this way. What is this God, Help me God, Show me God, Expose it God, Heal me God! Pleading for my sanity because sometimes my emotions get the very best of me. I know it’s deeper, surely I know it’s deeper than the small triggers BUT I struggle to get to the root issue to “dig deep” within myself and figure this out.

Today I am finding comfort in knowing that it isn’t about me digging deep or figuring it out but it is about me getting into the Word and letting the Word that is alive and full of power penetrate the deepest parts of my nature.

I love that it says DEEPEST, like not just the deep rooted stuff but it gets all the way to the DEEPEST rooted stuff and it continues with this…”exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.” While I love this, it is also makes me uncomfortable. I mean think about it, God, the Creator of the universe, my Heavenly Father, the Holy One of Israel, is exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of my heart. EEEEEEKKKKKKKK Matthew 15:18-19 Amplified Bible (AMP) 18 But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles [him]. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts (reasonings and disputings and designs) such as murder, adultery, sexual vice, theft, false witnessing, slander, and irreverent speech. While it makes one uncomfortable, it is necessary to get into the Word and allow it fill us up and flush out all that is unclean. I am one that tries to be careful about what I say and how I say it. I try to tame the tongue and use my words to build up and not tear down and that is all fine and good HOWEVER, we also have to be careful with that because we can walk the walk and talk the talk but when God starts searching our hearts and analyzing and judging our thoughts and the purpose of our hearts, He isn’t going to base it on how well we walked that walk or talked that talk. He will see right through all that and He will expose it. In a moment of anger or disappointment or disputing, the evil thoughts in our hearts will come out. (see Matthew 15:19 above)

It is by the Word of God that we guard our hearts. We can try and try and work on this area BUT that alone will not guard our hearts. We need to be reading and studying and meditating on the Word of God. This will build up boundaries of Truth and Holiness around our hearts so we can recognize the lies and the uncleanliness that try to penetrate our hearts when it should be the Word of God penetrating the deepest parts of our nature. Proverbs 4:23 Amplified Bible (AMP) 23 Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

While it is good to guard our mouth gates, it is better to guard our heart gates. That is where the deepest stuff is at. Today let us commit to studying the Word of God and be vigilant and above all else guard our hearts. Let the Word of God be our shield against the fiery darts, against the lies of the enemy, against our unclean thoughts, against anything that would defile our hearts.

Who is with me, to spend more time with God and asking Him that through His Word, He cover our hearts with His shield of Truth and Love?

We can do this Treasures!!

For more from Victoria please visit her blog