Health, Happiness and Holiness
Do you remember the first time you really sensed God’s presence?
Do you remember the first time you felt the joy and acceptance of the body of Christ?
Please share in the comments below about an experience in worship that nourished you. I’ll add mine to the comments as well.
Journey To Wellness
My son and I began a special journey today
We want to work together to live healthier
We want to nourish our bodies and minds
AND WE WANT TO SHARE THIS JOURNEY WITH YOU
Journey To Wellness
So here goes…
“Your Voice Matters”
Roughly 4 months ago an app was released called Periscope. It enables you to broadcast from your cellphone or tablet live to the world.
Have you ever wanted to witness but you just couldn’t seem to learn the appropriate cool phrase to lead the conversation in the right direction? Are you like me shy by nature? Than let’s Peri”scope” our witness.
I want each person reading this to promise me that you will try out this app and that you will record your testimony regarding why you love Jesus and his Father so much.
There are many tutorial videos posted on Youtube that show you how to broadcast with the app (Click here to watch one).
If you get stuck please let me know in the comments and subscribe so I have your email and can walk you through the process.
I’m going to share a scope with you now. But before I do please envision this with me. Imagine that as you open the app to look at the different broadcasts available that the majority of them say “Scope for Jesus.” And that as you click each one someone else is scoping about why they love Jesus. How totally awesome would that be! Let’s do it and give God greater glory. If you want Better Worship, Worship That Nourishes, than open your heart to all the ways God has provided for you to reach out to heal the world in His name and by His power. Remember, your voice matters! Now Periscope for Jesus!
Here’s mine
Matthew 28:
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
17 And when they saw him, they worshiped him: but some doubted.
The real danger in our pollution of worship is that those who really need to see Jesus won’t even believe He exists.
People in the world are quick to pick up on a scam. So when we walk one way and talk another they have already discredited our statements of faith. You see they’ve had plenty of exposure to fake politicians and fake preachers. Scandal after scandal has exposed that it’s much more important how you treat me when I don’t have anything you want than how you are when the lights are on and the camera is rolling.
So when it comes to our journey to worship and when it comes to Jesus, we dare not allow tradition or pretense to obscure God’s real son. Jesus promised that if people could really see Him then they would be moved His direction.
John 12:32 “ And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
Jesus was lifted up on a cross so that all the world could see that God is love. If God had said I love you but not done anything to back it up than most wouldn’t believe. But God so loved the world that He gave His only son Jesus to die to pay for the penalty of our sins. Not only that, but Jesus came and lived before us so we could get a better idea of who God is. In I John 4:8 we read that “God is love.” So if we were to really see God as he is we would be overwhelmed with His very nature. God is LOVE. Not lust! He is not infatuation! He is love! So the mere essence of God being in our presence would woo us to His side. And we would never want to leave Him.
This is why satan has worked so hard to confuse us. He doesn’t want us to realize that God really is the love that we stand in need of. So he maligns His character. He accuses God of being harsh. He says God wants to keep us down. He told Eve in the garden that God wanted to keep us from being powerful like Him and that’s why he told them to stay away from the forbidden fruit. And today God stands misrepresented by the myriads of preachers who present Him as a genie in a bottle to get the stuff we wish for in this life.
And by getting us to focus in on ourselves and getting more and more stuff, he succeeds in keeping us from loving others. He’ll do anything so that we won’t lift up Jesus.
If we could just see Jesus we would worship Him. But we have the TV on all the time to quiet are pangs of loneliness. Is it any wonder we can’t hear His Holy Spirit whispering words of love and life to us? But if we could just take a look at Jesus we would be overwhelmed by his love. Phil. 2 shares:
“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
So Jesus was worshiped in heaven perpetually. There was nothing He desired that He could not have. He was the center of attention with His father. But for some reason He thought it better to leave His throne and all that adoration and come down to earth to be disrespected and misrepresented. He came to suffer and die after all the abuse to give an ungrateful fallen race an opportunity at redemption. Oh what manner of love the Father hath given unto us that we should be called the sons of God! And oh what manner of love that Jesus would become the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. I’m getting excited right now in my seat! I feel like doing something to express the overwhelming gratitude in my heart for His sacred and sacrificial gift.
Matthew 28:17 said and when they saw Him they worshipped. That’s it! We just need to see Him and everything else will fall into place.
Lord I need your presence everyday. Lord I want to know you. Lord I seek your face, for if I see you, I’ll worship!
I invite you today to focus on all the ways God has showed his love to you in the past week. Write them down. Then praise Him for them. Lift up Jesus! Allow your shift of focus to bring awareness to God’s presence. And if as a result God blesses you with joy in your heart and renewed courage and faith then by all means tell someone else to do what you just did…and don’t forget to share your testimony with us in the comment section below.
Today’s post is sponsored by The Griffiths Family Show
10 Tips To Better Singing
Many people have a secret desire to be a singer. Many were afraid to try when they were in school and now want to see if they can still learn. I have good news! YOU CAN! In fact I promise you that singing will give you a valuable gift that will provide hours of fun and enjoyment(And even stress relief.)
Here are some things to keep in mind:
1. Start with the end in mind
Many people don’t know what it is that they want to do when it comes to singing. Then they go online looking for a skype voice lesson or they google to find a local voice teacher. But before you find your teacher ask yourself a few questions. What kind of music do you want to sing? A voice teacher that specializes in preparing people for a career as an opera singers may not be the best voice teacher to prepare you for life as an R&B singer or the next American Idol. Be clear about what you like and don’t like. Be clear about where you want to go and you have a much greater chance of getting there.
2. Have realistic expectations
I believe that we should all passionately live life to the fullest. We should take advantage of opportunities. We should dream big and take massive action daily. But is singing your outlet or your future occupation? If it’s an outlet you won’t be able to put the time in that you would if it were to be your profession. Let your teacher know that. Set realistic goals of practice time then stick to them.
3. You are your instrument
Drummer can scream and not get sleep and loose their voice but still be able to perform. Not so for the singer. You must consider what you eat, how much sleep you get, how much water you drink, and how much exercise you get just to name a few things. If you get sick and your vocal cords are swollen it may affect your range or you make get a tickle in your throat and not be able to stop from coughing while attempting to sing. Take care of your self because you are your instrument.
4. Anchor your practice
I was watching a TED talk about forming habits. The presenter said that he had made the habit of doing several push ups every time after he used the bathroom. He ended up loosing almost 20lbs and feeling great as a result. The key to his success was that he anchored the behavior to something he knew he would have to do anyway. And he also didn’t make an outragous goal. By committing to a few push ups at each potty break he eventually worked his way up to 70 or more push ups a day.
In my next post I’ll discuss several other pointers.
If you like what I’ve shared today or found it beneficial please subscribe to our blog. Thank you so much! 🙂
What are the lessons learned from my sugar fast?
1. Even after only one day you can begin to feel completely different about life based upon removing one element.
Please allow me to explain. As I went through the day I would come across moments of discomfort. Things didn’t get accomplished that should have. People lied to me who I thought I could trust. My kids wanted my attention when I had a ton of stuff to accomplish. I had more bills than money. Etc…(Can anybody else relate? If so please leave some of your stress triggers in comment section below).
When I usually would have grabbed a shake or stopped by Baskin Robbins or Drank a sugary drink or had some pie or cake, I instead had to make another choice about how to feel better in my moment of discomfort. I choose to work on this blog. Other times I choose to vocalize. Sometimes I choose to exercise. By making the commitment even for a short period of time to change my coping strategy I learned that my life would be better off without the addiction.
2. I’m missing a lot of flavor
When I have tasted food that I use to eat it suddenly now comes alive with amounts of flavor I never new existed before. And even though I know given the opportunity I will binge on sugar again I have hope to live more moderately. If you didn’t get a chance to please read my post Fight The Dangers of Sugar With 10 Day Fast about some of sugar’s negative effects and how a 10 day sugar fast can help.
3. Life should be focused more on what you can give than on what you can get
When I live my life focused on where I can get my next incredible treat I loose motivation to create greater service in my business or ministry. During this challenge highlights to me were when a former piano student of mine said that he would try to learn to play one of the worship songs I posted and sing it to encourage himself in his journey. I was thrilled when a young lady I went to college with eagerly commented that she wanted to know what to do next in our Journey To Worship Weight Loss Fitness Challenge. I was excited when one of my choir members talked about how excited she was with what she was learning on the blog and how she had subscribed and was encouraging several of her co-workers to do the same (You can subscribe on your left side).
I want to change someone’s life because of what I’ve said or done. I think that’s worship. Someone said that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. So when I imitate Christ by living to serve others I am saying that He is worth it…so much so that I’m patterning my whole life to be like his.
Phillipians 2:5 says “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” For the next 21 days I would like to invite you on a Journey To Change Your Mind.
Look for my first post on the 21day journey tomorrow. In the meantime take a moment if you didn’t get a chance to before to read about Dr. Caroline Leaf and what she has to say about mind conditioning in my post “I Don’t Feel Like It.”
See you tomorrow! 🙂
On Day 3 of Our Journey To Worship Weight Loss Fitness Challenge let us consider the dangers of sugar. In all the reading I’ve done and in all the documentaries I’ve watched hoping to understand why I have such a hard time eating in a healthy way they have all agreed about the dangers of sugar. We all love deserts. When my mom wants to encourage me when I’m feeling down she will offer me something that invariably has lots of sugar in it. I’ve come to associate feeling better with having sugar. But research has shown that sugar is worse for us than we thought and hard to get away from.
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day for women and 9 teaspoons for men. One 12oz soda can have 9 teaspoons of sugar. Can you imagine how scary the way we are living is? And from a spiritual perspective can you imagine how difficult it is for us to make good choices and discern spiritual truths when our bodies are so out of kilter because of our sugar addiction?
On “CBS This Morning” Dr. Mark Hyman shared a startling discovery of recent studies of sugar’s effect on animals. The study revealed that rats found sugar to be 8 times more addictive than cocaine! 8 times! So is it any wonder that even though I pray with great sincerity I still struggle to let go of sugar?
Dr. Nicole Avena, author of “Why Diets Fail” and other books about the neuroscience of human food consumption shared some interesting facts. A recent study revealed which are some of the most and least addictive foods. The study points out that in nature an abundance of fat and an abundance of sugar rarely naturally occur. But this is the potent combination in the most addictive foods we face. The top 10 on the list are: Pizza, Chocolate, Chips, Cookies, Ice Cream, French Fries, Cheeseburgers, Soda, Cake, and Cheese.
I want to break free don’t you?
I’d like you to take 2 actions in our journey. For the next 10 days I’d like you to go on a sugar fast (I’m already on day 2 and feeling a whole lot better. I can actually get full–usually I feel hungry most of the time.) Please sign up for this 10 day sugar fast at this link:
The second thing I’d like you to do is to watch this amazing documentary which inspired the challenge entitled Fed Up. Below is the trailer. It’s free if you have Netflix. Otherwise the previous link gives other options for viewing. Please take the time. It’s worth it! You’ll learn about the dangers of sugar and a whole lot more.
Then after you watch it please leave comments below about things you learned that you didn’t know before that you think will help us in our battle for a healthier lifestyle.
Do it now! Don’t wait until a more convenient time or until you feel like it. I believe that God will bless your step of faith. As mentioned in the video yesterday the 4 lepers wouldn’t have found out that God had already defeated the enemy that surrounded their city if they didn’t have the courage to take action.
Please take action and I’ll see you at the next post where we will talk about important discoveries about our mind that will help us on our journey to better health and worship that nourishes.
As I begin this journey to worship I am committing to a weight loss fitness challenge. I am starting with my body and my mind. Weight loss and fitness have always been a struggle for me. So I’ve researched and I am ready to try a different approach. I want to lose weight by discovering what nourishes my body and adding more of that each day. I will walk daily and I will try other forms of exercise and see what works best for me and for my son. I’m going to make better choices about what I think. I know this is a big key for me because I can become depressed easily and quite instinctively comfort myself with unhealthy foods, especially those with lots of sugar.
Dr. Caroline Leaf has been an inspiration to me because of her work in teaching people how their brain works and how to create a healthier mind unlocking tremendous potential. I’ll be talking more about her in my next post.
But for now, please watch the video above where I talk about beginning the path to better health with a weight loss fitness challenge.
There is nothing like seeing my daughter as she stands on the couch looking out the window crying because she so wants to be going with me. She doesn’t know where I’m going. She just knows she wants to be close to me. This is priceless! She can’t say much yet, but if she could I imagine she’d say something like this. “Daddy, please take me with you. I wanna be with you, Daddy. Where you are!”
In Psalm 15 David asks the question, “Lord, who gets to be with you where you are?”(my paraphrase). David shares some answers he had received from divine inspiration:
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
(Ps. 15:2-5)
Do you want to be in His presence? Does the thought of being in a room surrounded by a circle of loving friends, all singing “How Great Is Our God” or “How Great Thou Art” followed by prayers acknowledging God’s goodness and testimonies affirming His mercy give you a warm feeling. Better yet to be in the presence of the King of Kings as He is seated on His throne and join in with the angels crying “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, God almight!” Does that inspire you?
Well the text says you can’t talk down about Suzie and her short skirts or condemn others caught in actions that don’t appear to be as wonderful as your own. We can’t take advantage of the poor knowing they have a hard time getting credit and giving them outrageous terms that they’ll never be able to handle repaying their debt. We can’t lie when people ask us how we feel about issues that have become controversial. And we’ve got to stop playing favorites in our actions if we want to be in the presence of God.
Below I’m posting a song I wrote. I believe in order for us to change the way we worship we have to change our environment. We have to change our thoughts. So I share this song and these ideas for you to meditate on. When you are driving or laying on your bed at night you can reflect on the scriptures, ideas, and songs that we’ve discussed and find that your new thoughts will cultivate new feelings and new decisions. I sing it with my friend Dana Holness. I hope you enjoy the song. Write me a comment and let me know what it means to you to be in God’s presence. Much love to you and happy listening!
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