You Want Me To Do What!?!

What do you think of when you hear the name Moses? I always picture a strong, confident man who carried himself tall and proud. After all, he did rescue the Israelites from slavery. He's a pretty important character and revered Old Testament figure.

(Plus, being able to speak directly with God on multiple occasions and an eye witness testimony to God’s powers in Egypt…I would say he’s pretty B.A.)

However, surprisingly (at least to me), that’s not the type of person he was…at least in the beginning. When God first called Moses to bring His people out of Egypt, Moses was scared, self-conscious, and flooded God with all of kinds of excuses about how he was just not ‘good enough.’

1.  Exodus 3:11, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”                                                                                                                                            aka “Who am I to do something great? I’m a nobody.”
2.  Exodus 4:1, “…they will not believe ..."                                                                                           After all, Moses was a murdering, run- away prince on the lam.
3.  Exodus 4:10, “I am not eloquent…I am slow of speech and of tongue.”                                                              aka “I’m just not good enough.”

Finally, we have Moses final plea in Exodus chapter 4 verse 12, “…please send someone else.”

Moses was scared. He did not know what to expect. In fact, every time Moses lifted up his hands over Egypt, something terrible happened. His task was far from glorious. And yet, He is still one of the most influential characters in all of Biblical History.

He had to learn to trust God. He had to get out of the way and out of his head so God could use him to fulfill His work.

Sometimes, I find myself asking God those same kinds of questions. Who am I to change the world? I can never accomplish what You're asking me to do! I'm not the right person. Find someone else.

But, like Moses, we have to remember to let God do the work…after all, He could be preparing us for something mighty and powerful - bigger than we ever dreamed possible.

Keep on pressing on...even when it seems impossible.

“Nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

Not Looking Back!

 Last week was rough: I did not feel the greatest, my kids were sick a couple days, and I lacked motivation - BIG TIME. I did not workout as usual, I wasn't very strict about my diet, and did nothing but the bare minimum I had to do. 

Doing nothing felt great - for a short time. Then came the feelings of self-consciousness and failure. Not only was I physically ill, but emotionally I was stretched. 

While resting is needed every now and again, I think I've finally had my fill of it! I'm finally ready to get back on my feet and start thriving instead of just surviving. 

So, in keeping with my theme for this year - I'm not looking back to last week. I'm going to leave the past right where it should be and move on. I've found some great motivation and encouragement from friends - even when they did not realize they were being encouraging. 

I think we all have bad weeks - maybe bad months or even years. It's finding the motivation to get back that counts. 

Jesus died. He had a bad day. He could have stayed there - in the grave and rested for eternity. But he chose to get up. He got up for me - now I'm getting up for Him!

Struggling with Quiet Time

I think everyone struggles with getting their 'quiet time'  done every once in a while. (At least, I kind of  I hope so, otherwise I'll feel like a heathen pagan!) Whether it's a physical hindrance, such as finding time, or an emotional barrier, such as desire, we all have times where we find ourselves exhausted at the end of the day and realize we haven't read our Bibles yet.

There have been times when I locked myself in the bathroom, (trying to block out the sound of screaming children on the other side of the door), just to be able to have 5 minutes of peace reading a Psalm. It's hard to have peace with God when the anxieties of all my daily tasks I have yet to get done are constantly running through my mind.

Over the years, I have gone through many different seasons of 'quiet times.' I have done the getting up extremely early route - only to rush through my reading in order to go back to sleep, and I have tried to read at night - again, only to be too tired and either skip it or skim it.

A few years ago, I went through a phase where I would not eat anything until I had done my reading. I attempted to do this while my kids had their breakfast. There were days when this worked, but for the most part, I was distracted by trying to keep them occupied - serving them seconds, getting them something to drink, etc... and soon that ceased to work as well. This approach might work now that my kids are older and are more independent. But there were also days when I wanted us to enjoy breakfast as a family, and on those days, reading while they ate was not an option.

With younger kids, especially infants, it's hard to plan a schedule around their needs. When I had a baby in the house, my quiet time would come at any point during the day - morning, nap time, after bedtime...whenever it was convenient.

Yes, Elijah's Bible is upside down!

Over the years, I've learned that the way I approach my time with God can be the deciding factor in whether I'm consistently seeking Him out through His Word or if my reading drops off the radar. It can't be something that I do in order to 'check it off my list' of daily tasks. It has to be something I want and look forward to. But in reality, that's not always the case. However, I have found that when I am obedient to go to His Word, then He is gracious enough to meet me and reveal things to me - always leaving me amazed at the scriptures afterwards.

It has only been in the past two years that I have been consistently in the Word on a predominantly daily basis. (not consistent in the time/place I do my reading - but doing it at some point throughout the day.) Don't get hung up on the logistics. I used to feel bad for not being able to get up in the morning to have my 'quiet time.' Sure, morning devotionals are a great way to start your day off, but it's not the only way.

Right now, I am in a fantastic routine that was put in place by my wonderful husband. My kids are older now and we encourage them to have their own personal quiet times. Even though my five year old can't fully read, he spends time looking at the pictures in his Action Bible. We all do our quiet time together. We wake up and spend the first part of our morning routine having individual quiet time in the same room.

This allows me to read without the distractions of making sure the boys are behaving. Also, it encourages accountability with my family and establishes a solid foundation in teaching my kids the value of personal Bible reading time. Once we finish our quiet time, my husband usually leaves for work and then the kids and I do a devotion together at the breakfast table.

So, if you're struggling to find a time or a desire to read your Bible daily, know that everybody else does too.

How do you do your quiet time? If there are any other tips out there,  I'd love to hear them!

Checking In

Alright, it's almost Day 4 of 2015! How are those New Year's Resolutions coming? According to the University of Scranton only 75% of people make it past their first week and a daunting 8% succeed by the end of the year. That's not very encouraging. In fact, it's not encouraging at all!

One thing I love is the reset button. I have learned that you don't need a new year to roll around in order to make a positive change in your life. You don't have to wait until Monday or even until tomorrow. Once you set your mind to do so, you can begin your change now.

So, don't be discouraged about any 'failures' you think you've already made for this year. Just look at those as lessons learned and move on. Here is a way I like to organize my resolutions:

1. Overall goal: I like to know where I want to be a year from now. (This could be physically, financially, socially, spiritually, etc...) Make it a tangible goal! Even if your goal is to be happier - know how you are going to accomplish this; maybe you're going to get a massage once a month - whatever it is, know how to actively pursue what you're after. 
2. 6 Month Goal: What will be my 'half way point.' What steps do I need to take to get me there. This is a great place to reassess how well you're doing, and possibly hit that reset button again. 
3. Monthly Goal: What do I need to achieve each month in order to reach my half way point, and then my end goal? 
4. Weekly Goal: What can I do this week that will get me further to where I want to be? 
5. Daily Goal: How can I invest in myself TODAY to be better tomorrow? 

And remember, you can hit the reset button at any time. Even twice in the same day!

When you are trying to develop healthier habits (literally or figuratively), take baby steps. If we try to change everything all at once we are most likely to become overwhelmed and ultimately fail. That is one reason I love this healthy habit poster. Small changes can make a big difference over time.

When you're trying to do more good, don't forget to purge the bad habits as well. Think about it like this, Do you really need to spend that much time ____________? You fill in the blank. Pray about what you can eliminate in your life to make time for all those better habits.

God created the world. He made the beginning. However, He pushed His reset button too. (Noah's flood) God kept the good and got rid of the junk. Throughout 2015 try to keep the mindset of 'in with the good and out with the bad.' And start your journey now. After all, a year from now you will wish you would have started today!

New Beginnings

January is a wonderful time to start thinking about new beginnings - a time to renew commitments, make a change, and do something better for yourself and for the world. The word beginning is a synonym for the word Genesis. It's new. It's exciting. It's good.

However, starting over, starting again, or simply starting can also be scary. It's unknown. It's different. It's change. In the beginning the world was without form, void, and dark. (Genesis 1:2) Is there anything in your life that seems chaotic (without form), possibly a void of feeling accomplished, appreciated, or heard? Are you in a dark place?

In the midst of a dark and formless world, God's spirit was right there. He was hovering over the waters and it was then that He called forth the light. He was able to separate the darkness from the light and the light was good. (Genesis 1:4)

Whatever situation you are in - whenever the water seems too deep to swim up, remember that God's spirit is there - waiting to call you out of the darkness. Nothing is impossible with God and now is the time for you to make your new beginning. Write your Genesis story, and let it be good.

Sometimes our goals can seem so far away. It's not always easy to see the light - but let the Spirit guide you. He will call you forth for the greatness of His Kingdom. Sometimes I get discouraged when I think about how far I still have to go. Financial goals, family goals, and future goals often seem frustrating because I want to be there now - not in a year or ten years from now. But it helps to look back at some of the things I've already achieved and remember that those accomplishments didn't happen overnight.

Whatever goals you have for the New Year, I hope to be there as an encouragement along the way. I don't have all the answers, (but no one does.) So, let's grow together in 2015!

Luke 9:62, Don't Look Back!

Well, it's happened again. Christmas has come and gone and now it's time to start thinking about those New Year's Resolutions. 2014 is almost over. It's time to stop fretting about everything you didn't do; stop hanging onto any regrets. Leave the past behind you. (Mostly a pep talk for myself!)

My theme for 2015 is "Don't Look Back," and it comes from Luke 9:62. What can I do better in 2015? I don't want to make the same - very broad/vague resolutions that I have in the past; I want to make a tangible difference. I don't need to do more, I simply want to do better. (smarter, not harder)

This year, I'm not only going to set goals I want to reach by the end of 2015, but I am going to break it down into monthly, weekly, and daily goals as well. I want to have a plan in place and when life happens (as it always does) I can always modify my goals as needed.

First things first, I'm going to have a solid bible reading plan. I've done cover-to-cover and OT/NT/Psalm in a day; I think I'm going to try a chronological approach this year. Most of this blog will probably be about what I'm reading at the time.

I have other personal goals as well; fitness goals, healthy eating goals, etc... I will track all those closely on my Fit For the Kingdom Facebook page and occasionally on here.

I am also going to keep editing my book and seeking out publishers - hopefully being able to speak on it's contents a few times throughout the year. In summary, it's about Faith, Fitness, and Food.

I want to make a difference for God's Kingdom this year. I want to live radically and not waste any time I have been granted - time only given to me by God for the purpose to further His kingdom in the first place. Feel free to keep me accountable; feel free to ask me how I'm doing, and feel free to join me. Click HERE for my reading plan if you want to follow along!

I want to hear about all the lives you will change in the upcoming year. Are you in?

I Choose You, Jesus

We often read the account of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion and are continuously stunned by the events that led up to this beautiful tragedy. I still find myself amazed when I read the account from the gospel of John. In chapter 18, verses 39-40, Pilate asks the Jews, “So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” In amazement, the Jews reply, “Not this man…”

They had an opportunity to choose Jesus and didn't! I know I often find myself judging the accusers with arrogant thoughts of, “How could you?” and “Not me. I would have chosen Jesus.” But in reality, how often do we have the chance to choose between Jesus and our own selfish desires?

This looks different for everybody. I am passionate about fitness. For me, sometimes I have to ask myself, “Is working out worth it today?” Sometimes it is, and sometimes it’s more important to spend quality time with friends or family. If I find myself stressing out about my workout instead of focusing on my relationship my family or God through regular devotional time, then it’s time for a priority check.

Whether it’s watching sports or other TV shows, reading your favorite book, or playing x-box…whatever you enjoy as your pastimes, remember to keep your priorities in check. It’s great to enjoy the pleasures of life God provides for us. But are we placing those things ahead of our relationship with Him?

If we forego our Bible reading for extra workout time, extra sleep, or possibly that late night movie, maybe it’s time to rethink our priorities. We need to constantly ask ourselves, “Are there moments when I have the choice to pick between my own desires and Jesus?” If so, what am I choosing?