“Go for Broke”
30 Sep 2011 1 Comment
So while driving home tonight I began reflecting on some of the awesome conversations I have been having lately with my friend Kit. We were talking about our struggles, our dreams, our goals, what Gods doing in our life etc. We have also been talking about what the devil has been using/doing to distract us.
Lets get real for a minute. The devil is here to kill,steal, and destroy. It’s that simple. If you are a Christian, he will try to make your life a living hell. If you feel like your life is a living hell, then open your eyes and start assessing the situation.
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
What has your life been looking like lately? It got me thinking about my own life. What has been distracting me lately from fully pursuing God? It has been my own insecurity and doubt about my future and how God is going to get me to where I know He has called me to be. I have been freaking out and doubting God’s faithfulness and love for me because the devil was able to put a thought in my head and that has been all I can focus on! Shut the front door, I let the devil distract me and spin me into a crazy cycle of doubt and confusion while God has been saying, “Why the HECK are you listening to someone whos sole purpose is to kill, steal, and destroy??”
If you let the devil distract you by placing a thought into your head and then you only seem to focus on that thought/subject/issue and stop listening to what God has to say – then you just need to stop, take a breath and tell the devil to go back to hell where he belongs.
This week in my quiet times I have been realizing how …… I don’t even know how to describe it….. Gods love is. It is so much “more” than I have ever realized. I have been realizing that if the devil can distract me from that love then I can become unfaithful with the small things that God has entrusted me with (reading my bible, pursuing God on more than sunday, reaching out of my comfort zone in faith etc). If I become unfaithful with the small things, then how is God going to trust me with the BIG things He has planned for my life? From a simple distraction, I could let the devil keep me from my future because I am too focused on whatever I might be struggling with. The devil will try to keep you from growing, prospering, living abundantly in Gods love. When you forget how much God loves you, you become apathetic to serving Him. As my brother has tattooed on his calf “Go for broke”. If we aren’t going broke (giving everything we have) for Jesus and living a life for His cause, then we are merely living a life that is pleasing to the enemy. He has distracted us enough to keep us from doing the most important thing while on this earth and that is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
John 3:16(NASB)
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
So- Christians:
Hebrews 12 (message)
1-3Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
Don’t let the devil distract you. If you are struggling with something in your life, don’t let it consume you so much that you stop running the race. Drop it at the cross and remember that HE is faithful to His promises. His love for you is more than you can ever imagine and I pray that this week you experience it in a whole new way.
“Go for broke”.
Love,
A.
Why it’s more important to do it today.
26 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
Obesity, overweight, out of shape, not healthy – describes a large part of America….
Just a year ago I could never imagine being larger than a size 4 – Almost a year into marriage and I have found myself fully immersed into the weight loss struggle of America. I went from running a half marathon, to getting winded going up the stairs in my house. It was a HUGE wake up call when I realized that I wouldn’t consider myself healthy anymore. It was even a bigger wake up call when I looked at the scale. Time after time I was getting asked if I was pregnant (which I’m not). I wanted to shrivel up inside and cry. Which I have cried and asked myself how I let myself get to this point. Now, some of you who might be reading this might say – I didn’t even notice you gained weight! (you’re too kind! and thank you) Well in the past month 1/2 I have taken my weight and more importantly my LIFE into my own hands and here is why you should too.
My dad passed away from a heart attack when I was 17. He never walked me down the aisle, never danced with me at my wedding, never met my husband. He hasn’t seen my house, he hasn’t seen my photography business grow (he was a photographer as well), he never saw me graduate from high school. He never knew I want to be a teacher, Patrick never got to ask him for my hand in marriage, he won’t be there when I graduate from college. He won’t be there to see his grandchildren. When the special day comes, I won’t be able to call him and tell him that we will bring a child into this world. I can’t call him to tell him I love him. I can’t hug him or kiss him or have him there for the important milestones in my life.
My dad passed away from a heart attack. He had high blood pressure and cholesterol. I don’t remember my dad ever running around with my brother and I outside when we were little. Don’t get me wrong, he is the MOST AMAZING, LOVING, WISE, KIND man I have known, he’s my dad (so he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread). However, I know that if he was healthier, he might have been around a little bit longer to experience this miracle known as life.
If you have kids and are out of shape, over weight, can’t run around with them…. here is a wakeup call. Get in shape for your kids because you’re only thinking about you. I would give anything to have my dad here. Your kids want you around to experience the huge milestones that happen in their life. Death comes a lot earlier if you aren’t taking care of your body. If you aren’t feeding your body right, taking the proper maintenance of it then what do you expect if it isn’t working properly. Your body is just like a car – if you ignore when the gears aren’t shifting right or don’t take it to get the oil changed or ignore all the maintenance that it needs – eventually it will stop working.
Since I have taken my life into my own hands and have started taking care of my body again I can see a huge difference. I have gone down a pant size, can run again, and feel GREAT. I WILL BE AROUND TO MEET MY GRANDCHILDREN.
I’m going to be the mom who can ride bikes with her kids or run around the playground and not just sit on the bench. I will be the mom who takes time out of the day to exercise because 30 mins to an hour of “me time” will give my children a lot more years of having me around. I will NOT let myself give up on my weight or health because that means I’m only thinking about me. Me only thinking about me results in my kids and grand kids not having me around. I want to live my life to the fullest – so when i’m 80 years old I still want to be functioning. I don’t want to be confined to a wheel chair or on a million medications.
So, stop thinking only about you. Get in shape, get healthy and stick around so one day you’ll get to enjoy your grand kids. Do it for yourself. Do it for your spouse. Do it for your kids. Do it so you can enjoy life to the fullest.
