News You Can Use

I received a startling, but affirming tweet the other day about a report in Men's Health Magazine. Houston is the 9th fattest city in America and Texas has 5 cites on the list. You may have already heard about this and said...so what? I live in Pearland, LaMarque or League City, not Houston. Can We Talk?!   

What is happening in the world as a result of our uncontrolled appetites and flesh feeding frenzy should be a concern for everyone. It is a concern for this passion project because I know that many of you, your families, friends, and communities are affected by this epidemic. We are eating are ourselves to death! As a society, we are fatter than we have ever been in history. People are dying from weight related health issues, which touches us all and should concern us all.  

Certainly, we have to examine and determine the worthiness of the information before we go out and make changes in our lives based on that information. Examine how (criteria) the information was gathered for the report and determine the actions you need to take for you and your family.

WE already know that we need to live healthier lives. We really don't need the report to tell us that. God has already spoken and I pray that as you are reading this you thinking of new ways to improve on what you are already doing for your temple...to the delight of God, I might add!

I wanted to share this with you so that you know that we are on the track and to encourage you to press forward, incorporating more healthy lifestyle changes into your daily routines. Still drinking soda? Give it up! There is no nutritional value in soda. Check out the sugar content of your cola. Not to pick on the soda drinkers...Are you smoking, a fast food junky, or sedentary? Make some changes that can impact the rest of your life and bless generations to come. We will be blessed, our children will be blessed, and our children's children will be blessed if we follow God's leading, choosing Him. That is His promise!

If you haven't gotten started with your health and fitness lifestyle yet or you are having trouble with consistency email me. Remember to send your temple related questions and comments. Let's talk and pray about how to stay faithful to this journey through the power of God. I am passionate and committed to seeing you live your best and blessed life...a healthier life to the glory and honor of God.

Your body is the temple of the Living God! Live Well in His Name!   

Quitting is not an option...Are you a Finisher?

By the title of this blog, you know that we are going to talk about quitting or a least NOT quitting. This blog came to me during a night of insomnia. That night I had the whole blog worked out in my head. When I woke up, I could not remember a thing. NOTHING. Two days later, listening to the Bible Experience (a must have by the way) the story of Peter walking on water jolted my memory. We will talk about Peter shortly.

I had been talking to family and friends about my doctoral journey. I said, if I could have seen and anticipated the work, the commitment, and how exhausted I would be at this point I might not have started. Here is a freebie…this is one reason why God does not show us the end or even the middle of a thing at the beginning, because we might not ever start the journey. Although I never said anything about quitting (just venting, you know me) several people immediately said, “You can’t quit”…“you’ve come so far”. Quitting is not an option. In fact, quitting is not in my DNA. However, it did start me to thinking about why people quit particularly when they have asked for and passionately pursued the thing (job, degree, relationship, marriage, and self-improvement) they now want to quit.

When Peter walked on water, it was his request to go to Jesus on the water. He said, “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water”. Peter was walking on water! However, when the wind picked up, Peter became afraid and began to sink, asking Jesus to save him from drowning.

We do the same…We ask God to direct us and show us what we should be doing. We ask for guidance in returning to school, starting a ministry, getting married, quitting a bad habit like drinking or smoking, leaving or getting a new job or career, OR _____. You fill in the blank. At the first sign of trouble (the wind picks up) we are ready to throw in the towel, wanting to be rescued, wanting to quit!

We have to decide (choose) to stay the course, particularly the courses that we ask God to set us on and bless. If we trust that He knows best and knows us best then we have to trust the course He put us on and we have to learn (through faith) to persevere.

Conversely, we do have to know when something is over. Quitting implies that we are leaving something half done or undone. If we have unfinished emotional, financial, relational, spiritual “business” with something that we are involved in or someone then it may not be time to leave or let go. We have to seek guidance before we decide the time is right to move on. Then we can move forward without having to look back. Don’t quit and you never have to wonder what if.