Never Give Up

You are capable of more than you know.  You can achieve what you have never thought you could accomplish.  You are important. Your life is significant, no matter how insignificant you think it may be. What you do matters. You are here for a purpose. You are not an accident. You may not have been planned by your parents, but you were planned by God.  Each and everyone of us hold something incredibly special that we have to offer this world. We have something even more special that we can offer ourselves. Believe in yourself. Trust yourself. Hold yourself accountable. Put God first and all will fall into place.

I posted this video because every time I see it inspires me.  It inspires me to know that even when this cold dark world tells us that "you can't"...YOU CAN!  It may hurt, you may fall, but get back up because the end result you will be running.

Rest

As a family we take a Sabbath day it’s either Saturday or Sunday, but I've never really been one to rest. Honestly I find it quite difficult…I like to be moving and going and exploring.  With having three kids it’s really hard for me to find a little quiet time, it’s hard to find time to just rest.  But I've been learning that I must rest my body….also I have to teach the children that they must relax too.  You don’t really realize how important it is until you’re in a bad situation. Genesis 2:1-3 “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

I got a cold last week Thursday and I never really took care of it. Sure, I did the usual vitamin C, chicken soup, took a little nap on Friday, but other than that life has been business as usual.  Well I went to the doctor yesterday after I left the gym, I was coughing up a storm during my workout and I felt a bit faint, which for me is not normal.  Anyhow, I ended up going to the urgent care clinic to get a checkup and turns out I have pneumonia. Pretty scary since I already have asthma; so I had to get an injection while I was there and was sent home with a variety of medicine and I was told to rest. I honestly was not prepared for that when I went to see the doctor I really thought I just had a cold. Matthew 11:28-30 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

But this taught me something; that even though I think I take pretty good care of myself with being mindful of my diet and exercise I also have to slooow down when my body tells me too. I think that it’s just as equally important as diet and exercise. With that being said I really do understand why we are told to keep the Sabbath day.  If God had to rest, well then we certainly have to as well. I know it’s super hard to turn down the birthday parties and say no to all the activities and such but it’s equally as important to keep up with your health and your sanity. Mark 6:31 “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.”

Last year I recently started to implement the Sabbath day into our weekly routine. The kids have activities about 4 days a week and of course when the school year is in session it’s much more demanding.  But I was noticing that they were getting wiped out, as was I by running them everywhere.  So I told them that on Sunday or Saturday is our rest day. We attend church on Wednesdays and Saturday evenings and we have home Bible study on Sundays…The kids like to watch Joel Osteen, so sometimes we just sit while having breakfast and watch him.  But I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to know that one day we don’t have to get out of  our jammies and we can just relax and enjoy one another’s company. Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Don’t forget our bodies and our minds are temples and it’s so refreshing to know that we are called to rest one day a week.  God knows what he’s talking about more than we can ever realize.  He knows that our bodies cannot go nonstop before illness takes over our bodies and even our minds (stress and depression) Resting your body does not make you lazy at all. It makes you rejuvenated and motivated for the week and it really gives you something to look forward to at the end of a long and busy week! Rest your body and Rest your mind and soul in Lord.  Exodus 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”

Locked Up

For 365 days I was locked in a prison cell. I was in that cell because I took something that wasn't mine. I was mad, lonely, I was angry; I thought by having something that wasn't mine it  was giving me some type of power, but instead of having power I had nothing. I had nothing in that prison cell. At times I blamed everyone else for locking me up; until I realized that I put myself in this prison.  

The prison cell was not an actual prison. Although it felt like it was. This was a prison that I had encapsulated myself in from holding grudges; from having un-forgiveness towards those that I felt that didn't deserve my forgiveness. I thought that by holding on to everything that anyone has ever done to me, was going to give me a leg up on them. But it was quite the contrary.  You see, I was really the one that was being held in a cell of misery, of pain, of anguish because I refused to let go. Luke 6:27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you”

As I was in meditation I was shown something in the Bible ““Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; Luke 6:37.  On that day I knew had to change.  I had to forgive those who had hurt me.  I had to forgive, not for them, but for me.  Once I forgave them and truly forgave them I was released from my prison.  I became more relived, I felt lighter, I felt happier, I wasn't carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders anymore.  I was able to live a happier life. I also wanted to make sure that I had forgiveness reciprocated to me. Colossians 3:13 Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive”

Sometimes we feel that forgiveness is doing a favor to those who have harmed us.  When in reality we are releasing ourselves from the burden of holding on to such pain, stress, and heartache.  I never knew what real happiness was until I truly forgave the ones that hurt me.  I realized that you can’t go back and change the past. You can’t change a mistake. Most importantly what I have learned is that if we want to be forgiven we must give it and sometimes we have to do it daily.  Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you”

Living in anger and in un-forgiveness is just as bad as being in prison cell. Let go of the anger, the pain, the hurt, the grudges that you are holding onto. Because, we never know when we might need the same forgiveness shown unto us.  Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

The Challenge

Earlier last  year I did a 5k mud run.  A mud run is exactly what it sounds like.  You run in the mud and in the process of this you have to complete obstacle courses.  Well, it was quite the experience when I had the opportunity to participate in this.  We did a number of things, such as swimming for a mile in a lake, crawling through a dark ditch which contained barb wire, and hopping a wall.  But, the most challenging part of the course was the gauntlet.  In this gauntlet we had to climb 11 feet using a rope and then in order to get to the other side of the gauntlet, you had to hop down about 4 feet onto a log.  Now here’s where it gets good. I decided to slide onto the log backwards (bad move by the way) and in this process I fell 11 feet onto the floor and on the way down I hit my shins on platform and I was badly injured.  However; I brought myself back up and finished the race.  If you don’t believe me I have the scar to prove it!

  

                                                            Let the race begin!

As I was thinking about this mud run today, I began to remember how hard it was for me to get back up on my feet. I was in so much pain. But, as I look back I was so happy to get that medal at the end of the race.   Every so often our lives become similar to a mud run.  We have to get down and dirty. Sometimes, we even have to fall 11 feet from the top.  But, the most rewarding part is when you can reflect back to that one moment in time and say “I survived!”  You may have come out with some scars, but it’s a scar that you brag about, because you turned that struggle into a triumph. Adversity is often times a test that turns into a lesson.  Meaning that you have overcome the obstacle, and now it’s your job to reflect and learn what you can improve on. A mistake should be used as a building block for the future, not as a weight to carry upon your shoulders for the rest of your life. Proverbs 24:10 says “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”

 

Crawling through barbed wire

Waiting to do the final challenge "The Gauntlet" this is where I fell from, but on the other side. 

                                                   

God loves us in spite of all our flaws.  God doesn't look at us and say “look at that sinner, he’s a thief, he’s a liar” no, he looks at us and says “this is my son, this is my daughter and I love them” Friends we first have to forgive ourselves for the error of our ways and turn from them for good.  By doing this we open the door for God to bless us. We have to make sound decisions, and use our aberrations and turn them into something that can be used to glorify the Lord. Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" 

                                    This was me 59lbs heavier last year. but we made it to the finish line!  

Just like a mud run; life will get dirty, you will get hurt, and you will even have scars.  But don’t let your scars be a sign of defeat, let your scars be a symbol of courage and hope to those who are in the gauntlet of life. 1 John 5:4 “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

Have a blessed day friends.