The Snow Reminds

I am reminded.
Reminded of why I lost weight.
As I ran through the snow and as I sat low on the sled to be pulled behind a 4-wheeler...reminded. When my daughter was learning to ride a bike I was struggling to run behind the bike because I was short of breath. My doctor had mentioned I had gained weight and I began to look at photos and sure enough...I had. This wonderful winter snow reminded me of the great reasons I started to work toward getting fit and why now I enjoy the benefits of working on my fitness each week.

Since my journey began I realized God's call for me to serve the Lord while getting fit. It has been the greatest blessing of this journey! I am reminded how thankful I am to the one who asked me to join her on her journey of following God's ministry call. And as snow accumulated and we were unable to have our Faithfully Fit classes I really missed everyone. All the prayer time, devotions and laughter during crunches! I look forward to a normal schedule returning soon. But even though I was not able to be with each lady individually they were in my heart, prayers and thoughts! I thought of each of you as I ran through the snow. I was so thankful for all those who encourage one another each week by working out together. I thought of you each as I laid on the ground after hitting a bump, falling off the sled and knew that you would each laugh with me at our next class as we all reminisce about our snow experiences.

In writing this brief blog I am reminded. Reminded that there is joy, fun, laughter and more with the ladies of Faithfully Fit. Here are a few photos to make us smile on a cold winter day:

Making goals together and cheering one another to the finish!  Color Run 2013

Posing for our first magazine article.

Acting like the kids at VBS...because we can!

Traveling together, keeping in touch, exploring God's world!  

Fellowship!

Encouragement!

 

I am reminded that God is so good!

See everyone at the next appointed time!

~Jodie

 

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Cor 10:31

Lessons in Radiance: Sarah

"And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered Him faithful who had made the promise." Hebrews 11:11

Sarai ("my princess") or Sarah ("princess"), is mentioned more times in the Bible than any other woman even Mary, Jesus' mother. She was the half-sister of her husband Abraham, and she was barren. (Genesis 11:30) Sarah is known for her physical beauty, her radiance, her faith and her mistakes. Sarah was..well... just like us!!

God had promised Abraham on more than one occasion that he would be the father of great nations and that through his offspring the Messiah would come (Genesis 12:1-3). Much like Eve being a part of the Seed that would crush the serpent (Satan), Sarah had a role in this promise that God had made Abraham. But for years we see that Sarah remained barren, but we also see that she remained faithful. Faithful to her husband, as his wife, and protected by God when Abraham would try to "pass her off" as just his sister. (Genesis 12:10-20). She had her faults too, the biggest being the seed of doubt that she let grow in her heart that God would not provide Abraham a son. (Genesis 16:2-5) She tried to concoct a man-made solution to a divine situation...and well, it did not work. God was waiting to put His power on display. God wanted no doubt that He had allowed Sarah to have a son at such an old age (much like He wanted Jesus' mother to be a virgin so that there would be no doubt to His divine nature). And when God did all that He had promised there was much laughter! (Genesis 21:6)

Radiance: "Light reflected by something"...or Someone.

 We all have times in our life when we feel barren. When we feel that God is never going to fulfill His promises. When we wonder why we continue to be faithful because it seems that no one else is. But when we are radiant - looking to God to fill us up, looking on His face to make us what He wants us to be, good and FAITHFUL servants - we are then joyful, and we can laugh! Sarah should remind us that when we become doubtful or afraid that we should remember to let God take care of it. Because well, He already has!

~Donna

Looking up

Looking up.
Most of my life I have looked up to people. I am short...just kidding.
I have admired many. Been jealous of some (if I must be honest).
Looking up means something different to everyone. Thankfully, for me it means looking up to Jesus. But is hasn't always meant that...read back to the jealous comment. My prayer is that this post will help others look to Jesus first and always.
When I was little I looked up to my great-granny. She was able to slow down life for me. When I was with her she gave me her full attention and did things to make me laugh and feel special. She let me drink Coke from a bottle while sitting in her chair reading books. She didn't even get mad at me when I spilled my Coke on the carpet by mistake. We picked up pecans together for countless hours and I enjoyed every moment because she let me help. When she fried cornbread she would make me an extra large piece for me because it was my favorite and when she popped popcorn (the old fashioned way) she would take the lid off the pot and let the kernels pop out because it made me laugh. She drove to church every Sunday and was just a joy to be with; I looked up to her.
My neighbor held a special place in my heart. Her name is Miss DoDo...and that is true and not to be funny. Her back door was always open and led straight to the kitchen. She fed me many a cake, cookie, and meal. I admired all she did, keeping a clean and lovely home, playing piano at church, laughing with all us girls as we were in her home all the time. She never seemed to tire of us being there. Rain or snow, the door was still open. She just took our shoes off and hung our socks to dry. I learned to swim at an early age because she and her husband took me along to the pool. To this day when I see her she puts a smile on my face. I look up to her.
After becoming a Christian I looked for others to look up to, to learn from, to be like. It's that last part that created trouble in my heart and mind and I didn't even know. It was not until much later in life that I realized as I was looking up to other people I was forgetting to look up to the one who needed the first and most consideration. My father in Heaven, my Lord, my Jesus. His Spirit indwelled within me and I rarely stopped to consider this amazing gift. I was too busy seeing others with great joy in their heart and all their "ducks in a row" and I wanted to be just like them. I was comparing myself to them and compromising myself and my relationship with Christ and achieving disappointment rather than Joy.
God wants us to have mentors.
He does.
Titus 2 teaches us how God would have women to mentor one another.

   "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.  Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

Titus 2:3-5        

 

But God always desires our hearts first love to be Him, as we are His.

Even before our good works for Him the Lord desires our love. This is demonstrated when He speaks to the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:2-4.

My life has been filled with women to look up to. I could name a dozen others. But where I got off track was when I was looking to them and not to God. I was looking to them so much and trying to achieve a stronger relationship with Christ through them and that, my friend, led me astray. Our upward gaze should be focused on Jesus. Those he sends our way to mentor us are not to be placed before the Father. Most likely, a good and honest mentor will be quick to let you know that they will disappoint but the Father above will not. The dictionary defines mentor as "a wise and trusted counselor or teacher". When you search for a Christian mentor search for one that puts the Lord first in her life. Look for one who admits her failures and shares how she learns from them. Look for one that always points you to Christ, through her words, through her actions, through her wise counsel. As you look up to her remember your first love, the Lord. And also remember the grace and forgiveness that He gives to you. It is an example of the grace and forgiveness we are to give to others.

Looking up.

Consider those two words today.

Are you taking time to look up to your first love....Jesus?

Spend time today evaluating your personal time that you give to Christ. Time in the Bible. Time in prayer. Time sitting quietly to listen to the One who is waiting for you to look up to Him.

Blessings~ Jodie

The Joy that comes with seeing a single snow flake as a gift.

A few flakes fell from the sky.
That's all it took...a few flakes and my husband turned from his car and came to the back window and knocked with a smile of his face.

I got up from my chair thinking he forgot something and locked himself out.
"Look close", he said and pointed to the sky.
I saw nothing.
"You have to look close".

So I went to the sliding door and looked again and quickly I saw something fly in and out of my sight. Then in the distance, in the glow of his car headlights I saw the snow flakes falling. Just a few. But that was enough to put excitement in his heart, a smile on his face, joy in his step and something to share with me. I returned to my chair after he left and picked up my bible. It wasn't even then that I thought of these tiny flakes and the gift they are from God.

Just a bit later I signed into to cyber world...It's snowing was posted over and over. Then came posts of hope...hope for more snow, some accumulation. And then counter-posts...I want the beach, you can have the snow, I will take the sun...and so on. A few flakes and everyone saw a little something different. I saw the gift.
I often think of the sunrise as my morning gift.
The red bird sitting in the dry and lifeless grass, my gift.
The morning dew watering the ground, my gift.
All these things say to my heart, you are loved, I am near, this is My gift to you.
How do you see them? Do you even think of God? His Love pouring out to you?
I spent many years seeking the pleasures of the world...only to be disappointed. Only when I started seeking the Lord in each day did I find the Joy I was truly seeking. The Joy that comes with seeing a single snow flake as a gift.
I still know that the single snow flake can accumulate into a blizzard. I know that things can be seen in all ways, good and bad. But there is so much Joy to be seen when we seek through eyes searching for the King and the Kingdom. In my living room sits a printed piece of art, a reminder.

A reminder to seek the Kingdom of God. A reminder to look for Joy. A reminder to see the snow flake and not worry about the blizzard. A reminder that I am loved by the One true King! What gift do you see today? What little thing will stop you today from heading on your way. What little thing will speak to your heart and be a whisper from the One true King who loves you? When you see it make sure to stop what you are doing...turn to someone near and tell them to look closely. Share the gift that all may seek the Kingdom and know the King who sends gifts in all shapes of sizes...even little, white flakes we call snow.
Looking closely,
Jodie

Lessons in Radiance: EVE

"And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the

  mother of  all living." Genesis 3:20

If you have been involved with Faithfully Fit in the past, you know that we have discussed Eve. The last time I spoke on Eve and lessons to be learned from her was due to the fact that we were studying "Bad Girls of the Bible."  Eve had her faults (don't we all?), but we can learn from her and what the Bible has to say about her "sheer radiance" even through the temptation, fall, and curse that she is most well-known for.

Remember our key verse for this session? 

Eve was radiant. She was made...created..by God's hands. She was formed out of Adam, to be Adam's perfect helpmate....suited just for him. She was not just spoken into existence, but God created her from the living tissue of Adam to be radiant...unashamed.....beautiful. (Genesis 2:20-25)

The Bible does not give a physical description of Eve - you know 5ft 10 inches, 150 pounds, golden blonde hair, and knockout abs -  but rather her beauty is described through her duty to her Creator and her role alongside her husband. Eve was created by God to fulfill the Biblical role of a wife. Not to be under Adam..but to walk alongside him and support him...to become one with him. Eve's radiance was not found in her "outward appearance" but in what she was made to be for Christ. Made not only to he a helpmate to Adam but to be the "mother of all living."

Even in the darkness of temptation and the fall, God still used Eve in the curse. God could have ended it right there. He could have been done...but our God is full of grace and mercy. God knew her heart and knew that sin was going to enter the world but from the very beginning He had a plan. A plan to "save the world and not condemn it" (John 3:17)

 Genesis 3:15 says this (directed to the serpent) 

"I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your descendants and her descendants will be enemies. One of her descendants will crush your head, and you will bite his heel.”

Through Him, Eve had a hope. Hope for one of her descendants to make her wrong.....right. Because she continued to"look upon Him" she was full of radiance...full of Joy...even in darkness...even in sin. We too can become radiant, but not on our own. Are you ready to look into His face today?

~Donna

A Well-Stocked Life!

Close your eyes. (Hard to keep reading!)

Picture what is inside your pantry or cabinets where you store your nonperishable food items.

Are the items you see helpful or harmful to your healthy eating plan?

I have a combination of items, some that help and some that hinder.

As we start the New Year many have asked us to focus on nutrition and fitness tips...keep reading if you want to see how they can also relate to faith!

 

What did you see when you closed your eyes and examined the pantry? Good? OK? Really Bad?

The goal is to have more in the pantry that helps! This looks about like mine..some good things, some not so good things!

A pantry stocked with canned beans, brown rice and tomatoes helped me discover a yummy recipe online for black beans and brown rice. I used it as a side dish one night, but it was hearty enough to be a meal! I was searching for something tasty to serve along with chicken and my pantry helped me with a healthy side. Now flip the coin, a pantry with chips, cookies, and sodium rich rice packets or noodle packets would have been a detriment to my healthy eating plan. Make plans for your grocery list to include canned beans, whole grain pastas, brown rice, tuna, salmon, canned tomatoes, and whole grain cereals. The same idea works for our refrigerator. A good supply of skim milk, good cheese, eggs, lean cuts of meat, low-fat yogurt and fresh veggies will help you avoid tempting alternatives. A good rule of thumb for avoiding your food enemies is to simply not buy them! Do you love potato chips? Avoid buying them at the store. A well-stocked counter top can be your best friend..really! Keep apples, bananas, oranges, and other fresh fruits out on the counter so that they are always in your eye’s sight! Grab them on the way out the door for a midmorning snack. A well stocked purse can keep you out of a drive thru line! Go ahead, throw in a granola bar, an apple! You have everything else in there, right?

Now close your eyes again. (I know, hard to read!)

Consider the pantry of your heart.

You know…the area where you store up all the things that will help or hinder your spiritual walk with the Lord. The things that will get you through each day or the things that will hinder you each and every day. Do you have a “well-stocked” heart?

Is your heart prepared to get you through the best of days and the worst of days? Stocking your heart with God’s word and God’s love is crucial to our daily life. The bible tells us that God is our refuge and our strength. Just like we go to the store and stock up on items we need each week, we must go to the Lord and fill our carts (hearts) with His word. These are staples that you want on hand. God’s love is always present and His word is always truth!

 

I know that my heart is sometimes like my food pantry…..some things are helpful and some things harmful….some things help me with my daily struggles and some things do not. I love reading the Psalms. I relate well to David. Sometimes he is crying out to God and sometimes he is praising Him. Often he is asking for forgiveness and always he is seeking the Lord. I find that each day the word of God has applicable truth and love. Stock up!

Psalm 119:11 says

Take inventory this week…clean out the things that clutter your pantry and your heart….the things that hinder your faithfully fit lifestyle!         
     With you I struggle and I rejoice- Jodie

Radiant

Well, it has begun! A new session of Faithfully Fit! 

Excitement abounds! 

Women have called in response to our advertising to find out more. Our past Faithfully Fit girls have returned. A brand new class starts this afternoon! God is working! And those who are seeking Him will become RADIANT!!!

This year, I want to become radiant. Not just shiny. Not just polished...but Radiant! I want my focus to be consistently on Jesus. I don't want to take my eyes off Jesus (like Peter) and sink into a world that offers me only the temporary "buff." I want to be transformed so that I can send out THE LIGHT. I want Jesus to shine BRIGHTLY through me into all the world!

Will you join me? God promises us that when we choose Him over all that we have made the right decision. I challenge you to be eager for change. I challenge you to not make a "resolution" but to be transformed "by the renewing of your minds" (Romans 12:2) -minds, bodies, hearts that choose to be RADIANT while seeking Him!

Looking forward to tonight!

~Donna

Seek with a Whole Heart

The house is quiet on this first morning of 2014. Time is on my side today and I lay with my Bible to seek the King. The hunters cleared out early this morning to take in the last day of the season, those who stayed up late to ring in the New Year sleep away on this first morning of 2014. I treasure the quiet. I seek to see the King in all His glory.
There are still a few decorations from Christmas remaining in my home. The tree in the living room stands fully decorated and as I pass I see the star, the one with Jesus.

The wise men are there. Seeking.

And I am reminded.

Reminded of years that I spent seeking other kings, chasing other things.

And I seek the truth to learn.

First, the wise men asked direction. "...Where is the one who has been born the king of the Jews?" Matt. 2:2

They asked with great purpose. "We have seen the star in the east and have come to worship Him."

 

Jeremiah 29:12 details the posture of seeking that we should take saying, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Seeking with all my heart. Looking with everything I am, searching for the King as the wise men did the night they saw the star. They were not emptied handed. They carried their treasures with them and presented them to the King when their search was over. I think it was more than a gift, the Word refers to them as "treasures". Could it be that they laid down their treasures in worship, presenting their whole heart to the One they were seeking?

 

We may not have a star shining in the East to guide us toward Jesus. But we do have guidance and direction from the One who promises to listen. Jeremiah says that

when

we call

when

we pray

He WILL listen. (Jer. 29:12)

And Jeremiah gives us confirmation that just as the wise men found the Lord so too will those who seek Him with their whole heart. (Jer. 29:13-14)

In the quiet of my house this morning, I seek.

In the sunrise of the morning, I seek.

In the truth of the Word, I seek.

Seek to see, to taste, to feel the King.

With my whole heart I seek, that I may lay my treasures down and worship.

 

In winter session 2014 of Faithfully Fit we will seek. We will gather together many times a week to strengthen our faith and fitness. And we will seek. We will seek the one who makes us RADIANT.

"I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces will never be covered in shame."

Psalm 34:4-5

All ladies are invited to join us. Begin seeking Him in the quiet of your home, in the still of your heart. Then join us as we fellowship, prayer and have devotion to continue the search of the One who takes away the fears, the One who answers, the One who listens, the One...the only One true King!

Happy New Year ladies ~ Jodie