Tag: faith

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What To Do When Things Don’t Go Your Way

Have you had one of these days? It’s Monday morning, snowing outside (as I’m sure it is for some of you), you have a scratchy throat, and you have to go to work. You stumble out of bed, put on the coffee pot and grab a quick shower. In a few minutes, you are on your way to work, wishing you were still in your nice, warm bed.

Public domain pictures

Everything goes well for the first couple miles, and just when you are beginning to feel glad you made the effort to leave your house, you hear a chug chug chug and your car slows to a halt. You don’t have to get out to see what happened. You have a flat. On your way to work. On a snowy morning.

So what can you do? You can try to change it (if you know how), or you can cry (that sometimes helps), or you can pray (that always helps). And I mean always. A handsome state trooper may not come your way in the next 24 hours, but when you call for Roadside Assistance, a tow truck may be just 5 minutes away. It happens.

I used the example of getting a flat tire on your way to work on a snowy morning, but you can substitute it with any situation where things didn’t go the way you expected: you didn’t get the job; your child’s baby sitter packed up and moved to Africa without informing you; your medical test result was not what you hoped for.

How many times have you been disappointed, or worse, traumatized when things don’t go the way you expected. It happens to all of us. You can indulge in self-pity, tell all your friends how unlucky you are, or you can do one or all of the following:

  1. Face the situation squarely.
  2. Consider your options: pray for wisdom.
  3. Do what you can – try changing the tire yourself, call RA or drive to the nearest tire shop (if it’s a flat tire), follow your doctor’s advice (if it’s a health problem), pray some more and wait it out.
  4. If the situation seems impossible, leave it alone or start afresh.
  5. Don’t take out your misery on others.
  6. Keep a positive attitude.

Life would not be what it is if we didn’t encounter days when things just go wrong. Unfortunate as they may be, those days don’t come to destroy us; they only come to make us stronger. If we ask God’s help and listen to what He is saying to us, we come up with solutions that will equip us to deal with similar situations when they occur. So, the next time something happens that can spoil your day, just look up and say, “With God’s help I’ll get through this.”

A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes can send your life into a tailspin. It can leave you feeling alone and overwhelmed, but it doesn’t have to. Join my type 2 diabetes network group and get the help and support you need.

A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes can send your life into a tailspin. It can leave you feeling alone and overwhelmed, but it doesn’t have to. Join my type 2 diabetes network group and get the help and support you need.

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What Will Be Your Turnback Moment?

“Everybody has a turn back moment, it’s the moment you can either go forward or give everything up. There’s one guarantee if you give up it will never happen. Faith is everything, God is always on time, he’s never too late.” This is a quotation from Steve Harvey.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Everyone knows Steve Harvey to be a very funny guy, but when he said these words, I think he was dead serious. He spoke about how he made it at the Apollo when Jamie Fox and D L Hughley, big comedy stars, got booed. This freaked Harvey out because if those popular stars could get booed, then he didn’t stand a chance getting out of there alive.

Steve Harvey went on to recount how he planned and delivered his act and soon had the audience eating out of his hands. From having little or no money, he received $750, way more than he expected.

We must never put limits on God. When we doubt him, or think He’ll never answer our prayers, or we are a failure, we are putting limits on Him. We are not exercising our faith. The Bible tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

So, what is your turnback moment going to be? When will you stop doubting you can lose weight, control your diabetes, you can finish college and get the job you always wanted? Put your faith in God today. Not in yourself, or anyone else, but in God “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3: 20.

If He did it for Steve Harvey, for me, and countless others, He will do it for you.

God bless

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When Everything Seems Too Hard

The gateway to the gospel near Joppa

Have you ever wakened in the morning, looked at the clock, groaned and covered your head, wishing you didn’t have to get up? I daresay it happens to many of us–especially if it’s Monday morning. Yep, like this morning. I’m not making fun of your struggle, but sometimes life seems just too hard.

It was hard

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you would know I just returned from a trip to Israel. And while it was a bucket-list trip for me, it was hard. Someone calculated on his smart watch that we had walked 28 miles in 10 days! And the watch didn’t say anything about how many hills we climbed, and how hot the weather was. In one place, the mercury reached 100 degrees. Yes, it was hard!

What kept me going

But what kept us, kept me going, was a sense of purpose. Visiting Israel, walking in the footsteps of Jesus, was a bucket-list accomplishment for me. That is what made me get out of my bed at 5. 30 every morning, get dressed and board the bus. Would I do it again? You bet I would!

The apostle Paul’s difficulties

The apostle Paul, speaking of all the difficulties he and his companions endured while they were in Asia, said, “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1: 8 – 9). 

Rely on God

If trying to achieve your goals seems difficult right now, here’s what you need to do: Rely on God. If you read the New Testament, you would see Paul’s recounting of the hardships he endured –beaten, stoned, left for dead, imprisoned, shipwrecked, bitten by a snake– the list goes on and on. But all of these things happened that they might learn to rely on God and not on themselves. Trying to lose weight? Get rid of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, whatever? Medicines may help, but you must also trust God. He made you, He knows your body and He wants to help you.

Keep your purpose in mind

Paul and his companions had a purpose–to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. They were not just going for a visit. In the same way you must keep your purpose in mind. Write your goals down and look at them every chance you get. Pray about them and watch God bring them to pass.

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One Small Step

Image by WikiImages from Pixabay

“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” If you were not born yet when Neil Armstrong uttered those oh-so-famous words, you have probably heard them again and again. That one small step -landing on the moon – paved the way for so many great things to be accomplished. If ever there was cause to be afraid of the unknown, that moment was it. But Neil Armstrong took that one small step and the rest, as we say, is history.

Speaking of the mission in Houston in 1962, President John F. Kennedy said, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Starting an exercise program is not as hard as landing on the moon, at least it shouldn’t be, but it requires effort, determination and consistency. So, what one small step can you take today? Will you start a new exercise routine, a new diet plan, join a class? What will you do today? Don’t let fear hold you back. Take that one small step.

When you fill in the form below, I will send you a short ebook showing you how you can prioritize your life so you can make time for things that matter. Your name will be added to my mailing list so you can keep up to date on all my offers.

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Eyes Behind Your Head

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’ve got eyes behind my head?” If you are a mother, you’ve probably said it dozens of times when you caught your child doing something he or she should not be doing. If you are a teacher (as I have) you’ve probably had your back turned to your class, writing something on the board and said, “Johnny, get back in your seat.” Did you see him? No, it comes with intuition, or maybe just experience.

This morning my exercise class had already started when a young lady came in a few minutes late. She made a sign behind the instructor’s back to indicate she didn’t want the woman to notice her, but just then the instructor turned around. She was caught! I’m sure we’ve all been in a similar situation.

Image by alvaroas8a0 from Pixabay

What about animals? Do they have eyes behind their heads? A quick Google search revealed that only two animals can see completely behind their heads – the rabbit and the parrot. Their eyes are not behind their heads, they are on the side. but they can swivel 360 degrees so they can see their predators. Amazing, isn’t it?

I know Someone else who has eyes that allow Him to see not just 360 degrees, but everywhere, all the time. You guessed it. God! The Bible says, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” 2 Chronicles 16: 9).  He sees us wherever we are. All the time. He sees our good deeds as well as our bad deeds. He sees our struggles and our cares. He knows when we are weary and when we are sad; when we are ready to throw in the towel and when we are ready to press on.

Will you trust Him with your burdens and your cares? Will you lay your plans, your goals at His feet and say, “Here, Lord, I cannot do this on my own. I’m turning it over to You. Please help me.” Try it and let me know what happens. And if you enjoy this blog post, please share it with a friend and sign up for my newsletter so you can receive more updates on how I can help you reach your health goals. God bless.

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Bible Verses About Love

No, it’s not Valentine’s Day, but every day is a good day to talk about love. Recently, I wrote a post about Walking in Love in which I spoke about following Christ’s example and showing love for others. Today, I’m happy to post this infographic written by Vivien, co-founder of Made In Agape, a site that provides faith-based apparel to help Christians share their faith with others.

In coming up with this infographic, Vivien says, “To always remind ourselves of God’s love for us, we need to refer to the scriptures in the Bible and examine God’s involvement in our lives. So to help everyone with the scriptures, we have spent a total of more than 50 hours reading, selecting 90 scriptures about love mentioned in the bible and then finally coming up with the infographics. We have also produced screen locks for iPhone and tablet, and wallpaper for desktop based on these 90 bible verses about God’s love, just for you! We really hope that you’ll find these resources useful in discovering His love for you and vice versa!  I add my wish to hers. You can read more from Vivien here: Made In Agapé

Here is the infographic below:

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Why Does It Take So Long

Have you ever stood near your microwave gritting your teeth and wishing it would hurry up? I guess we all have, even though the microwave is going as fast as it possibly can. Maybe it’s the same with your health goals. A whole month has passed and the scale has not budged nor has your tape measure. Take heart. Achieving goals (worthwhile goals) is not a sprint. More often than not, it’s a marathon.

Abram and Sarai

In the Bible, there was a couple named Abram and Sarai who were advanced in age, but desperately wanted a child. I mentioned them in this post It’s Never Too Late. God appeared to the man one day and took him outside. God said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”  Abram believed God but he had to wait twenty-five years for the fulfillment of the promise.

Track the changes

Twenty-five years, you say. I can’t wait that long to lose this weight, buy that house or find the right husband or wife. You may not have to wait twenty-five years, but it might seem twice as long when you are waiting to achieve your goals. The solution is to exercise patience. Keep track of the changes taking place in you while you wait. You may not be able to get into that smaller pair of jeans, but meanwhile, you are eating healthier, your muscles are becoming firmer and stronger, and you are sleeping better.

Celebrate the changes

Celebrate those changes. Write them in your journal so that when you finally reach your goal, you can look back and see how far you have come. If you can draw a graph, your progress may sometimes look like a squiggly line rather than a straight, upward diagonal. You may have times when you fall off the wagon. Write that down too then pick yourself up and get back on. Abram and Sarai were close to God, yet they made mistakes. Serious mistakes.

Beware of getting tired

They got tired of waiting and Sarah decided to take matters into her own hands. She ordered her husband to sleep with her maid Hagar so they might have a child by her. Of course, Abraham (God later changed their names) readily agreed, and Hagar had the baby. But as so often happens when we don’t wait on God, problems arose when Sarah gave birth to the son God promised her. (Genesis 16; 20). However, God, in His mercy, forgave her and blessed both sons.

Be willing to take baby steps when trying to achieve your goals. Progress may be slow but if you hang in there you will eventually reach your goal. If you are trying to lose weight, experts recommend losing no more than one pound a week. This may seem minuscule if you are trying to lose a lot of weight, but if you keep losing steadily, you would have lost fifty-two pounds by the end of the year. That is quite an achievement.

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Living For Today

Have you ever stopped to study the birds that fly about our gardens and our neighborhood? Have you ever wondered if they are as carefree as they seem? You and I may never know the answer to that, but Jesus had something to say about birds. He said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

This seems to indicate a carefree lifestyle, doesn’t it? Not having to sow or reap or store away in barns is just the opposite of what we do everyday. Which brings me to the question, can you live for today? Without sowing (working), reaping (working), storing into barns (saving for tomorrow?) In today’s world that doesn’t seem feasible. We must work, we must pay our bills and we must prepare for tomorrow. However, the way we go about it is what really matters.

If we are so consumed with the future that we fail to take notice of the present, then we are doing ourselves a big disfavor. Our mental as well as physical health may be affected. How many times do we hear of someone who worked and slaved all their lives never having time for family or friends or to take a vacation? That person eventually died (as we all will) and left all his wealth behind. Was it worth it? You might say at least he provided well for his family. True, but wealth can never replace the person.

Living for today does not mean flying about like a bird or being irresponsible. God does expect us to work for our living. When the human race fell as a result of sin, work became one of the consequences we must suffer. “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground” (Genesis 3: 19). But God does not want us to kill ourselves doing it. We are valuable to Him and just as He looks after the birds, He will look after us.

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It’s Never Too Late

Image by pasja1000 from Pixabay

The first time I heard about Ernestine Shepherd, the 80-year-old bodybuilder I felt ashamed of myself. This lady wakes up at 2. 30 a.m., goes on a 10-mile walk before heading to the gym where she works out and leads exercise classes until 11. 30 a.m. This lady, from what the report says, started working out at age 56, and I believe she still looks like 56.

Later, when I moved to a new community, I had even more reason to feel ashamed because the exercise class I joined was headed by a 90-year-old lady! Yes, you read that right. She is 90 and looks like a Barbie doll. See why I feel ashamed? But now, far from feeling ashamed, I’m inspired by these women. Inspired to get out of bed everyday and go for a walk or head to gym.

This brings me to the heading, it’s never too late. It’s never too late to change your eating habits, begin an exercise program, go back to school, or get the help you need. As long as you consult your physician and get his approval to implement the changes you want to make, you should be good to go.

In the Bible, there was a couple who wanted a baby. He was 99 and she was 10 years younger. God appeared to the man one day and told him that he and his wife were going to have a son. They both laughed when God told them this, but a year later, Abraham and Sarah had their baby, just as God had promised. Bearing a child at age 90 may be a medical impossibility, but with God it’s not. Never doubt what God can do in your life, if you would let Him.

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monday motivation – but god

While searching for an idea for this morning’s blog, I came across a Facebook post by one of friends with the title above – “BUT GOD.” Since my friend made her post public, I know she wouldn’t mind me mentioning it on my blog. She had gone for a mammogram – not the usual routine one – but one ordered by her doctor because they found a 1 cm mass in her breast.

I had to read more because (1) this is my friend and former co-worker, and (2) I had a similar experience almost six months ago, only it wasn’t my breast, it was my kidney. Like her, like any woman who has to go through this type of thing, I left the doctor’s office in a daze after he gave me his findings. I had a 2 cm mass in my left kidney, and unlike my friend, mine was malignant. The good news was since it was so small, it could easily be burnt off.

Like my friend, I kept thinking, He doesn’t give us more than we can bear. The procedure went well and my follow-up tests so far have showed no further growth. I am due for my six-month screen in a few weeks, and I’m trusting God that everything will be all right. #But God.

I know He’s awesome. He doesn’t give us more than we can bear. “No weapon formed against us shall prosper. ” If you have had any kind of diagnosis, remember God is able. Just trust Him. Do what you need to do and leave the rest to Him. Eat right. Exercise. Follow your doctor’s orders and – schedule your mammogram. This is my friend’s advice and it’s mine to you.

Bad things come across our paths everyday, but God. He is on your side. Won’t you trust Him today? If you enjoyed this post, share it with your friends and on social media. If you need further help, please fill in the form below. God bless.