Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Ponderings on health..............

Got a lot of thoughts pouring out of my brain today, nothing new really, ha! But today I want to talk about living in good health. I see so many people coming into grace getting freer and freer from things that used to hold them back, and from health issues too. But many are still frustrated with issues that they can't get answers for. What does this mean? And how do we deal with it? 
What if the answer to your health issue was a simple practicality? What if it was a matter of being led into all truth in life in ways that would benefit your health as a whole? What if we don't get that instant healing when we were prayed over, does that mean we lack faith or won't get healed? How do we deal with this? Do we give up and embrace our sickness? I mean doesn't salvation mean, healing, wholeness and preservation? How exactly does that come to us? 
I believe that signs, wonders and healing confirm the Gospel being preached. I believe that we will see instant healing and I believe at times we won't. What if we were healed one day, but then the next day went back out and indulged in addictions of food that don't benefit us and ate (insert most disgustingly unhealthy food of choice)_______, and then got ourselves sick again. I mean do we not remember that all things ARE lawful, but not all ARE beneficial?? Don't you think that God wants us to live in the beneficial things of life for our own benefit, not because it changes things between us and Him? Don't you think He is kind enough to teach us all things pertaining to life? Like leading us into truth regarding healthy eating choices so we can enjoy those benefits of good health? And even if we don't go down that path, there is no condemnation for sure. But I do believe our choices reap in whatever we have sown. Don't you?
I used to wonder how 'practicals' fit into the grace message. I detested 'practicals' because they were so heavily taught in my old church as a way to attain godliness and holiness. But what if we ditched all of that thinking, which doesn't line up with the gospel anyway, and we decided we wanted to learn some practical advice for life that will benefit us. A year ago or so, I was not able to even entertain the idea of practical life advice and I still don't seek it out heavily, unless I am ready to learn in an area of life that I want to see benefit me. I trust the Holy Spirit to teach me from the inside out, and I trust that He will encourage me through my brothers and sisters and inspire me into benefits through them as well. Sometimes, I do need a bit of nudging, lovingly of course from those I trust and know that love me. ;)
So today I am here to simply bring this up, cause I personally am very passionate about living in better health. I am very intrigued by learning about nutrition and love to talk about it. I certainly don't have all the answers, nor do I want to ever be legalistic about how I approach any area of my life. However, I do want to talk about what I am learning and I do want to encourage and help other people. I mean what if all it was for you today was a simple fix to an imbalance in nutrients you may have? Would you want to know about it? Anyway............ I have to say, I have seen my life being transformed from the inside out since grace came to me and I am so amazed and so thankful. I have also seen an insatiable hunger within me to live in a whole way. To experience vibrant health and vigor in life. I have seen many things fall away that were hindering me and I am thankful. Yet I still have unresolved health issues that I would like to see resolved.  I also greatly desire to learn how to take care of my health and greatly desire to help others live in better health too. I feel, much like we want to get a good diet of grace, chew up the meat and spit out the bones, we want to do the same with our temples/bodies too. I notice when I am full of yummy nourishing grace teaching my spirit soars and I feel so satisfied. It's much like that when I nourish my physical body as well. 
That all said, I just wanted to get it out there that I love to learn about health and I love to talk about it too, ( I think we all have areas in life that we can share beneficial things with others), and may start bringing it up a bit more on here, just in a broad way. But I pray today that God will bless your food to your body, nourish you and protect you and cause you to flourish in your health!! Grace and peace!!!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Love the Lord your God...........

Years ago, I came up with a little ditty based on the verse, Deuteronomy 6:5. I have to confess I was quite proud of myself, hehe. Really it was just a way to sing the verse for kids. It went like this; 'Deuteronomy 6:5,  Deuteronomy 6:5,  Love the Lord,  Your God,  with all your heart and all your soul,  and aaaaallllll of your strength.'  Then it would repeat, quite enthusiastically I might add. I know you can't get the tune by me just writing it, but the important part is that you see the folly of my enthusiasm for the verse in song and it's intent, which was for young children. 
Now some may say, what's wrong with teaching this song to kids? I sure thought it was a grand idea back when I first belted it out to the little tune I came up with. Ha! But now, not so much. You see the folly lies in believing we can inspire anyone to love God with all our hearts, soul and strength, but preaching or singing this very verse, which was a part of THE LAW mind you (which as a new covenant believer you and I are no longer under the supervision of, and dead to it altogether, cause we are now alive in Christ!).  I know if you are a believer that you WANT to love God, and you probably would like to get some credit even for your great love for God. You also may think that it is something you HAVE to do. So I am not questioning that we probably want to love God, but what I am questioning is the have to part and the how to part. Can we sincerely say, being very honest, that we can actually even come close to doing this? I mean really folks, is it even remotely possible? And what was I thinking being so cute and flip about something so huge, so massive, so great a command that I would put it on little children through a song, that they would probably sing all cute and sweet like in Sunday school and most adults would be SO proud as they listened on. POSH! PHOOEY!! 
Really people, do you love God with all your heart, soul and strength? Have you ever once done this? Are you feeling condemned yet by any of this? If your answer is yes, it's cause you are trying to live under the law, which you are not meant to do. 
So how do we love God, I mean shouldn't we love God, isn't it important? Well yes, loving God is a very wonderful part of our lives as believers, but should we actually teach how to do it? Or should we revel in how much He first loved us (1 John 4:10), how Christ fulfilled the law so we didn't have to, and how He laid down His very own life on our behalf so that we could be alive to Him and dead to sin?!!! You see, now that we are not under law and have no demands over us, we can still love God, this time it will be a love that is not of fear of breaking a commandment, but a love that flows freely from knowing you are loved. Rest in the fact that you are so absolutely loved, treasured and adored by God! Know that what Christ accomplished for you at Calvary was the ultimate act of love and you will not be able to help but love God for all He has done and for who He really is!!! 
The following videos are so wonderful and I highly encourage everyone to take some time to watch them, I really think you will be VERY BLESSED!!! Grace and peace to all who may stop by here!!!!!