When God Says No

Dear Balanced Life Family,

Have you ever prayed for something and it didn’t happen? God said NO! God knows what is best for you because he has infinite wisdom. He understands you better than you understand yourself. That’s when you have to put yourself in the will of God, because that’s the best place to be. Will God’s will always be what you want? Absolutely not! But, what you want is not always what’s best for you.

You know that God loves you, and you know by faith that God is real. You know that he hears you when you pray. So, what do you do when you pray for something that you really want, and it doesn’t happen because God said NO?

The first thing your flesh wants to say is “I know this can’t be God.” “Satan, the Lord rebuke you!” But deep down inside you know that it’s God. What you have to do then, is surrender to the perfect will of God, knowing that even this will work out for your good, because … "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Face it! God is not going to say yes to every request you make. So you must ask for wisdom, to recognize his will, and grace to accept it. The answer NO isn’t a bad thing. When it comes from God, it’s actually a blessing in disguise. He has a great plan for your life. The scripture says in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Trust God! Submit to his will! Even WHEN GOD SAYS NO!

Get Some Sleep

Hey My Balanced Life Family,

Are you getting enough sleep? Sleep helps you to be your very best and helps everyone else in your life. If you are cranky, your patience are short, and your temper is hot and flares up easily, the cause of it could be a lack of sleep.

I’m a people person. I love people and I consider myself to be pretty friendly. When I’m sleep deprived, (hear comes a true confession) I don’t want to be bothered with anyone. The cheerful, patient, outgoing person that you’d expect me to be, suddenly disappears when I haven’t had enough sleep.

Teenagers require 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep per night. Most adults need 7 – 9 hours of sleep at night. Who’s getting that? That’s what the experts say and I totally agree with them, but as I stated in my bio, that’s a discipline that is a challenge for me. It always seems like bedtime comes before I’m finished doing everything. I’m doing better, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement. I’m working on it. Promise!

When you don’t get enough sleep it shows. Your memory isn’t as sharp, and your energy level is low. Sometimes you’ll doze at the wheel while driving, and some of you take unauthorized naps while at work.

Rest is a necessity. It’s a known fact that all creatures must rest. Without proper rest the human body will break down. You know that you’ve had enough rest when you wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, ready to face a new day. Family, many of you know that you’re sleep deprived and you just ignore it. Don’t ignore the signs!

A lack of sleep spills over into your spiritual life as well. You don’t feel like praying, studying your bible, or even being in church services, which make Satan, the enemy, extremely happy. You may find yourself sleeping on your knees, drooling in your bible, and nodding off during church service. Sound familiar? I hope not.

So, if you’re not getting enough sleep, change your priorities. Ask God to help you alter your schedule so that you can stop feeling so tired, dozing off, screaming at the kids, and snapping off at your man. GET SOME SLEEP! It’ll benefit you and everyone around you.

Surrender It All

Greetings My Sisters,

Many of you have heard the scripture "I beseech you therefore, brethren (that means sisters too) by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1 Well my sisters, that scripture has to come alive in your life. Many of you among the sisterhood have accepted Jesus as savior, joined a church, but there are parts of your old life that you haven’t given up. You’re still hanging on to those things because they please your flesh. So you tell yourself, “it’s no harm,” “nobody’s perfect,” and deep down inside you know it’s sin. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:2  It makes no sense to fake Christianity and die with no hope of eternal life.

You’ve got to surrender it all to God, if you want eternal life. Put your entire life in the will of God. Maybe you’re afraid to do this because you don’t really know what the will of God is. You think to yourself, “What if the will of God is something that I don’t want to do?” “ What if it’s something hard or painful?” These thoughts come straight from the devil. I know because for a long time those were my thoughts. But praise God, one day I realized that in his will, is the safest place for me to be.

I began to pray this prayer. “Lord put me in your will, but before you do, fix my mind so that I’ll be so pleased with your will, I’ll almost think  it’s mine.” After months of praying this prayer, I was able to tell God that I fully surrender my life to his will. I told God to use my life for his glory.

God has a wonderful plan for your life, to do you good and not evil. God wants all of you. DON’T BE AFRAID TO SURRENDER IT ALL!

Sugar Is Not Your Friend

Hey Sweet Sisters,

I’ve got a sweet tooth and I’m sure many of you do too. However, I had to actually realize that sugar is NOT my friend. Ok, I’ll admit that I knew it, but it didn’t really register with me until one day I heard someone explaining the effects of eating sugary foods.

The young lady was saying that these sugary foods cause weight gain and that weight goes directly to your stomach. (OUCH, that truth hurts!) It primes your body for diabetes. It can overload and damage your liver. It’s bad for your heart. It can contribute to high blood pressure, and it’s bad for your cholesterol. Too much sugar can cause sagging skin and wrinkles, (that’s scary) and needless to say, it wreaks havoc on your teeth. Need I say more?

If you love sugar you probably could really go for some cookies, a slice of cake or pie, some chocolate candy, ice cream, or a donut right now. My mouth is beginning to water as I write this, but when I think of all of the damage sugar can do, I find the power to resist. I also want you to be aware of the fact that sugar is hidden in foods where you wouldn’t expect it to be, but that is another blog. We’ll talk about that later. Presently, we are talking about sugary treats.

Many people become addicted to sugar and don’t even realize it? Eating sugary foods gives you a sense of pleasure. Ummm, that first bite. Sugar triggers the release of chemicals that set off the brain’s pleasure center. After a while people develop a tolerance for sugar, and it takes more sugar to feel good. The more sugar you eat, the more you want. Your body begins to crave it. I’ve heard that experts say sugar is more addictive than cocaine. I bet you never thought of that!

Listen, nobody’s telling you to abstain from sugary treats altogether, but remember that moderation is the key. Don’t overdo it. Use some wisdom. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally" James 1:5  This is not a spiritual blog, but you may have to ask God to help you with this one. I know I did, and he gave me the help I needed. “Thank you Father!” So cut back on the sugary treats and watch your health reports and appearances improve. Remember, SUGAR IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!

The Devil's Toolbox

Sisters!

Have you ever tried to imagine what the devils tool box looks like? Now, I don’t know that he actually has one, but if he does, I can imagine that in it, you’ll find an assortment of tools. I know that one of the tools he uses on the children of God is fear. Hummmm. . . let me see, where would it be located in the toolbox? Oh yes, right next to disobedience.

The devil is a dirty fighter. He fights against the kingdom of God and the people of God, to hinder growth and stop blessings. When it comes to obeying God, don’t let him make you afraid.  If you do, you’ll end up in disobedience.

Sometimes God puts a good thought, plan or deed in your spirit, and before you can follow through on it, thoughts of fear attack your mind. What will people think? What if it doesn’t work? What if someone gets angry? Will they talk about me? And so it goes on and on. You can’t allow the devil’s tool of fear to cause you to disobey God. Remember, The devil activates fear, but God activates faith! "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind"  2 Timothy 1:7

When God inspires you to do something good and you feel fear, please know that fear comes from the devil. OBEY GOD! If God has given you a testimony, TELL IT! It may be the key to someone’s deliverance. If God puts a good deed in your spirit, DO IT! You may be the supplier of someone’s need. If God has placed ministry in your heart, PERFORM IT! It will be a blessing to people. If God has given you talent, USE IT! If you don’t use it, you may lose it. (Read the parable about the talents. Matthew 25:14-30)  

When it comes to making a decision, consult God first.  He will guide you. "In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6 He will guide you. After obeying God, you’ll feel peace within. When you feel that peace, don’t let anybody make you feel bad about your decision.

When it comes to obeying God, don’t be overtaken by fear. Be determined to stomp on the devil’s toolbox. Demolish that tool called fear and obey God. The devil and his tools, belong under your feet. By the power of God and the blood of Jesus YOU CAN OVERCOME FEAR!

Watch Your Portions

Hey Sisters,

Don’t you just love to go out and eat a meal at your favorite restaurant? There are so many great restaurants to choose from these days. When you go out, there is something you must be mindful of, and that is food portions. They’re usually TOO BIG!

So many of you grew up being told to clean your plates, and you’re programed to think that you simply must eat everything on your plate.   Not so! Overeating is bad for your health. How many times have you left a restaurant and felt like a “stuffed turkey”? I can’t count the number of times I’ve done it. Believe me, it’s not a good feeling. 

It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the message that your stomach is full, which is why many people tend to overeat. If you eat fast, you’ve gotten all of that food inside of you in less than 20 minutes and before your brain can tell you “STOP! YOU’VE HAD ENOUGH!” you’ve cleaned your plate.

So what can you do? First, stop eating so fast. Slow down, that’ll give your brain time to communicate that your stomach is full. Sometimes I actually use the stopwatch on my phone to time my meals.

 Secondly, you may want to drink a glass of water before your meal. That will give you a feeling of being full, which helps to discourage over eating.  That’s a simple little trick, but it can be very effective.

And finally, here’s another method that I often use myself. When I dine out and my food is served, I divide it down the middle before I start eating. I’ve already decided that I’m only going to eat half of it. No, I’m not going to throw it away and waste my money. I’m going to take the other half home to enjoy it the next day. That way I get two meals for the price of one. Smart!

No, it’s not necessary to clean your plate. And no you don’t have to  leave the restaurant feeling like a “stuffed turkey”.  So enjoy dining out. Use wisdom. WATCH YOUR PORTIONS, and get two meals for the price of one.

Words Have Power

Greetings Balanced Life Family,

Have you ever been working on a project that was not going well and  said, “I’ll never get this done.” or “I can’t do anything right.” or “This is impossible!”? Watch your words! Be mindful of the words that you speak. WORDS HAVE POWER!

Words are wonderful when used properly. However words can do damage when used improperly . "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit." Proverbs 15:4   You can use words to encourage, motivate, instruct, uplift and inspire. You can also use words to discourage, demean, hinder, and destroy. WORDS HAVE POWER! 

When you speak, your words not only go into the ears of others, but into your ears as well. They don’t stop there, but they find their way into your soul which causes you to feel peace or torment, joy or sadness, depending on the words you have spoken.

If you go around all day speaking negative words, they will affect you. If you speak words like “I can’t do it”, you are defeated before you start. “This is going to be a horrible day.” You’ll probably get what you say. “Nobody likes me.”  You’re contributing to your chances of being disliked. “ I’ll never get a break.” You probably won’t. “My sickness is incurable.” You may never get healed.

God wants you to have a positive attitude because he made you to be victorious! So be mindful to watch what you say. "Death and life are in the power of the  tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21 Speak positive words. Speak faith! Speak strength! Speak life! Speak success! WORDS HAVE POWER!

Amazing Fish Facts

Hey Sisters,

One Saturday, not so long ago, I went a Chicago fish market on State Street. This was my first time going there, so I was totally surprised. What an experience? It was a small place, and it was crowded with people. Old people, young people, angry people (I guess they were tired of waiting in line), passive people, but most of all noisy people.  As I entered, I had to take a number, but the noise level was so high that it was hard to hear when my number was called. I saw every kind of fish I could think of and some that I had never heard of or seen before.

People were buying fish like it was going out of style. Why? Well, I guess people just love eating fish and fish can be prepared so many different ways. It’s so delicious and good for you too. I love fish!

Experts have said that fish is the world’s best source of omega-3 fatty acids, and it has wonderful health benefits. Fish is loaded with important nutrients such as protein and vitamin D. They also say that: fish may lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, increase gray matter in the brain (tissue in your brain that processes information, stores memories and makes you human), helps prevent and treat depression, is linked to reduction of type 1 diabetes, may help prevent asthma in children, may help protect your vision in old age, and it may help to improve your sleep. Whew! That’s a mouthful and quite an impressive list of benefits.

Some fish are healthier to eat than others. The best fish are fatty fish such as salmon, lake trout, mackerel, herring, sardines and tuna.

Fish can be an important element of a healthy meal, just remember not to deep fry it. Fish can be baked, pan seared, or grilled. I don’t recommend frying your fish because grease is not your friend. It can clog your arteries, and you certainly don’t want that.

So who says we have to wait until Friday to have fish? Work towards keeping your heart healthier any day of the week and BRING ON THE FISH!

Repentance

Hello My Sisters!

I’d like to share an experience with you that I had the other day. One Saturday morning I was ironing one of my favorite white shirts. I didn’t know that someone had left water in the iron a few days before, which caused rusting. Unknowingly, I added more water. As I was ironing, I pushed the steam button and a blast of steam came out, but with the steam came this yucky brown water. Have you ever done that? Don’t you just hate it? Well, now the shirt had a big ugly spot on the front. Oh my gosh! It was ruined! I immediately ran into the bathroom, turned on the water, put it under the running water with a little soap, and without too much effort the spot came right out.

What does this experience have to do with repentance? Well, I got rid of a spot before it became a stain. Stains are stubborn and hard to remove. And so it is with sin. When you receive new life in Christ, your body is the temple of God. The church is in you. It’s pure, it’s clean, it’s holy. However, when you get out of your godly character, and commit sin, whether you mistreat someone, spread gossip, falsely accuse someone, lie, cheat, fornicate or sin in some other area, you must repent right away. That sin is a spot on your spiritual life. Your church is blemished, but thank God it can be cleansed if you repent. "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin"…. Psalms 51:2

What is repentance? Repentance is the action of sincere regret.  This action has two elements, sorrow and change. Yes, you have to be sorry, but proof that you are sorry is in the change that you make. You must change your behavior so that you don’t commit that same sin again. Just saying “I’m sorry” is not repentance. It’s not enough. If you’re sincere and you want God to blot out that sin, you must make a change. The longer you wait to repent, the harder it gets to do it. Don’t put it off. When you first feel that condemnation, stop and repent.

Don’t allow that sin to linger. It will cause a stain. Catch that spot before it becomes a stain so that your growth in the Word won’t be hindered. The scripture says "Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”  Ephesians 5:25-27

God has given his people a spiritual spot remover. It’s called repentance. DON’T FAIL TO USE IT!

Why Drink Water?

Hey Balanced Life Family!

 Are you thirsty? How many glasses of water did you drink today?  I’m not talking about juice, or soda pop or various other beverages, I’m talking about water. I’m suggesting that you drink the best thirst quencher in the world. God’s gift to your thirst, WATER! God has created this thirst-quenching gift, especially for us and we need it to survive. Water is essential to your health. Do you realize how many benefits water provides to your body?

Water helps promote weight loss.  Now, water doesn’t work magically to help you reduce weight. It’s not a magic potion, although that would be really cool if it were. But if you drink proper amounts of water, you won’t feel the need to overeat. Try drinking a glass before a meal. It helps to fill you up. I’ve heard that a lot of people mistake thirst for hunger, and they eat more than they need. Also, the body tends to store more fat when it has not been properly hydrated.

Water is also an energy booster. Some people reach for coffee or some sugary drink when they feel their energy fading. Hear me scream, “DON’T DO IT!” Those drinks tend to give you a quick burst of energy and then you’ll crash, and you’ll feel sluggish again. Water is an all-natural safe energy drink.

Do you want to look younger and have healthier-looking skin?  Drink plenty of water, it nourishes your skin. Water flushes out toxins, hydrates your insides and shows up on the outside making a lovelier you. Now, look at that, you almost got a slight facelift for free!

Family, let me tell you, constipation is no joke! I know this is not a popular subject for discussion, you may not want to talk about it, but it sure is important. Water will hydrate the colon and cause waste materials to pass smoothly through your system. Just the thought of constipation should make you stampede your way to the nearest water reservoir.

Most healthy adults get enough water by following their thirst. I can’t tell you exactly how many glasses you should drink a day because the exact amount you need depends on your size, level of activity, the weather, and your health. So, listen to your thirst. Don’t be so quick to drink some alternative drink. DRINK WATER! It’s odorless, colorless, and tasteless, but it’ll do your body good.

Are You Chosen?

Dear Sisters,

How many of you have been chosen? Chosen by God to be a light unto this world of darkness. Chosen to live holy.  Chosen to make a difference. Chosen to do a holy work. Predestined to inherit eternal life. For many are call but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14

You may feel like predestination isn’t fair because you don’t have free will to choose. Oh yes you do! …"choose you this day whom ye will serve;" Joshua 24:15 So what you do is make your choice. If you choose God, then you are chosen. If you reject him then you are not chosen.

What people fail to realize is that God already knows what you are going to do with your free will.  If you are going to use your free will to choose him, then he chooses and predestines you to live holy, because he knows that you are going to choose him. The same applies to those  use who are going to reject God. He knows that they will reject him and they are not chosen. And neither decision is a surprise to God. You can’t shock, astound or surprise God, because he already knows.   

People who are chosen of God want to please God with their lives and are determined to trust God and live according to his Word. They pray for God’s will to be fulfilled in their lives. They aren’t afraid to turn their lives completely over to the will of God. NEVER be afraid of placing yourself in the will of God, because actually, that’s the safest place that you can be.

If you are a Christian, you once were a sinner, but you made a choice. Now you are the light of the world.  "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."  Matthew 5:14  You can live holy. You can make a difference. You have the promise of eternal life. You are CHOSEN! Give God a praise!

Mammograms

Balanced Life Family,

This blog is geared primarily to women, however it can be helpful to men as well. Did you know that after skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women? Breast cancer in men is rare, because they don’t have breasts like women, but it does occur and can be fatal. Since this is breast cancer awareness month, I want everybody to be aware.

This is a very serious subject for me because my sister Debra, who was one of God’s precious saints and my best friend, passed away because of breast cancer. PLEASE, don’t let this happen to you. She was in the fourth stage before we knew about it. She knew that something was wrong, but she didn’t know what. She never had a mammogram.

Symptoms of breast cancer can include a lump or mass in the breast, breast swelling, breast pain, retracted nipple, nipple pain, changes in the skin, nipple discharge, and swollen lymph nodes. If you have any of these symptoms, please get checked by a doctor immediately. Don’t be afraid. All is not lost. Pray, trust God and see a doctor. If you don’t have any of these symptoms, I want to encourage you to do preventive care.

My sisters, when did you have your last mammogram? My brothers, I want you to encourage the women that you are close to and love, to get checked. Now if you are under the age of 40 sisters, you probably don’t have to worry about having mammograms yet. But what you should do is discuss with your doctor, your family’s health history, to determine when you should start having them.

 Sisters, if you are age 40 or over and are not already getting mammograms,  talk to your doctor about scheduling an appointment for one. You’ll need to have one every year or every other year. You may say, “I don’t need one. I do self-exams.” Self-exams are great, but you need more. You need a mammogram!

When the word mammogram is mentioned, some of you automatically think PAIN. That’s not always the case. Let me tell you, the process has gotten a lot better than it was when they first started.

Maybe you had a painful experience with mammograms. So did I at first. But I have a secret to share with you that should eliminate most of your pain. I found out that if you take a pain reliever like Tylenol, Motrin or Advil, about a half hour to an hour before your exam, the procedure is so much better. I’ve tried it and it works. (Be sure that your body can tolerate these pain relievers.)

Mammograms play an important part in helping to insure good health. They can detect breast cancer in its earliest stages long before either you or your doctor can detect a lump or tumor. And the earlier you find breast cancer, the better your chances are of beating it. If you’re afraid pray first, trust God and then just do it. Take good care of the body God gave you.

If you would like to read more blogs directly from my website, click on the link below.

www.getsomebalance.com

Hey Balanced Life Family,

Can you think of anything better than a contagious laugh that you absolutely can’t control? I’ve laughed so hard, that tears have streamed down my face. I’ve laughed so hard, I had to roll on the floor to get relief. That was quite a sight to see. Glad you didn’t witness that. Laughter can be awesome and it also has some long term health benefits.

Researchers have discovered that laughter can lower your chance of a heart attack. Laughter also boosts heart rate and the production of certain antibodies, which strengthens our immune system. Laughter has been said to lower your blood pressure. Just as getting upset (“blowing your stack”) can cause your blood pressure to rise, laughter can cause it to lower.

Want a quick work out? Laughter can work out the diaphragm, abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles and you’ll be so tickled you won’t even be thinking about exercise.

Laughter can certainly improve your mood. Now tell me, how can you remain angry, when a truly serious laughing spell hits. Impossible!

So if you’re feeling stressed out, you need a dose of laughter. It will definitely reduce your stress level. There’s plenty to laugh about. A good clean joke, a funny movie, a hilarious experience, and sometimes we just have to laugh at ourselves.

Here are some inspirational quotes that I found on laughter:

It has been said that a good laugh is sunshine in the house.

A good laugh is cheap medicine.

An optimist laughs to forget; a pessimist forgets to laugh.

As soap is to the body, so laughter is to the soul.

In this world, a good time to laugh is any time you can.

Laughter ignites a fire within the pit of your belly and awakens your being.

A smile starts on the lips, a grin spreads to the eyes, a chuckle comes from the belly; but a good laugh burst forth from the soul, and bubbles all around.

Laughter won’t make your problems go away, but it will sure give you a little relief and a better disposition so that you can deal with them. So come on, stop stressing so much. Loose that “stone face” expression. Where’s your sense of humor? You can do it. You’ll feel better. LAUGH!

Are You A Thief?

My Balanced Life Family,

Are you a thief? Do you steal? Your first response, if you are a Christian, should be of course not. Let’s look at the scripture. "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings." Malachi 3:8  

As Christians we are required to pay tithes. The word tithe means one-tenth. That means that one-tenth of your pay check or your increase belongs to God. Actually, it all belongs to him, but he requires us to give one tenth back. Then there is your offering, but we’ll talk about offering in another blog. Let’s concentrate on tithing for now.

Often times, people don’t have a problem paying tithes when they don’t make a lot of money, but when that check starts growing, the tithing obligation does as well. That’s when the devil begins to tell you to “Use your head and be reasonable”. “Are you really going to pay 7, 8, 9 hundred dollars in tithes?” “You need that money.”

You must remember that ten percent doesn’t even belong to you. That’s only ten cents out of a dollar, but if you spend it, you’re a thief. You’re robbing God!

Don’t let the devil fool you. You can’t afford NOT to pay tithes. Read  Malachi 3:9 "Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation." He’s speaking of those who fail to tithe. That means you won’t receive the blessings that a tither would receive, so don’t even look for them. You'll be cursed.  If you pay tithes the scripture says that God will "open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Malachi 3:10  That means you’ll have more than enough.

So don’t let the devil fool you. Don’t be a thief. Don’t rob God. Pay your tithes!                             

Command Your Day

Greeting Balanced Living Family,

How are you feeling today? Is your spirit up or down? Are you rejoicing or are you sorrowful. The scripture says "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24    Now, exactly which day was the scripture speaking of? It’s speaking of the day that the Lord made, which is every day. That lets us know that we should rejoice and be glad every day. Is that possible? Yes!

We all know that life is not going to be just a “bowl of cherries”, but we who are Christians have help. When we face hard times, trials, disappointments and so on, we can rejoice and be glad to know that we are not alone. God will never leave you or forsake you when you belong to him. Trust in God and he won’t let hard times, trials, or disappointments break you, they’ll make you stronger in Christ. Now that’s something to be glad about!

Determine in your mind to rejoice and be glad daily. Didn’t you know that you have the power within yourself to command your day? Yes you do! Tomorrow when you wake up, make up your mind that no matter what happens, you are determined to have a good day, then have a good day ON PURPOSE! Go ahead, say it out loud. “I will have a good day! “ Command your day! I’ve tried it. It works.

 Remember that no matter how bad things seem to be, they ALWAYS could be WORSE. As for children of God, we know that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28  Everything that happens won’t be good, but through the process of time, it’ll all work out for your good.  So go through your day rejoicing and thanking God that things are as well as they are, because they certainly could be a lot worse.   

Sometimes we hold ourselves back from greater blessings from God simply because we are not thankful for the things that God has already done for us. We mumble, grumble and complain when we should be grateful.

Life is short. Each day is precious. A wise somebody once said, “Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it is called the present.”  Just as you treasure a present, let us treasure and make the most of each day of our lives.

Be grateful, rejoice, be glad and COMMAND YOUR DAY! Then have a good day on purpose.

Get Movin

Hey Balanced Living Family,

We need to be equally balanced, both physically and spiritually. Today I’m talking about taking good care of that body that God has given you. We only get one you know!

Our bodies were not made to be sedentary. We're meant to get up and move around. You’ve heard the saying, “If you don’t move it, you’ll lose it.” Well it’s true. Our bodies need exercise if we don’t want to lose our figures and our mobility.

Now, I’m not going to tell you to do anything that I don’t practice. I work out at LA Fitness 5 days a week. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5am, and Saturday 8 am.  I include cardio, stretches, and weights in my workouts. I try never to spend more than 1 hour & 30 min. in the gym.

 I’ve been working out for many years so if you're just starting, please don’t try to follow my schedule. Start out a little at a time, as I did. You may start out by taking walks a few times a week. If you’re not comfortable walking outside, try walking inside a mall. You may prefer taking a bike ride. I want you to understand that you don’t have to spend money on a membership at a gym if you don’t want to. Getting involved in sports is great for people who really don’t want to start off with basic exercises. Maybe you know how to swim. Start swimming 2 or 3 times a week. Bowling, tennis, biking, skating, volleyball, aqua aerobics ... there are so many good sports. Choose one that is of interest to you.

For those of you that want to get a gym membership, get one. And when you get a membership use it. I know people who have paid faithfully each month for membership for years and never used it. Don’t let that be you. Start going 2 or 3 times a week. You’ll feel so much better. Let me caution you. “DON’T OVER DO IT!”  If you start out doing too much, you’ll probably burn yourself out and you won’t want to do anything. Just do a little at a time and gradually increase. So, if you want to look better and feel better, let's GET MOVIN!