Read The Label

Hello Balanced Life Family,

If you want help finding foods that have nutritional value for you and your family, you need to start reading labels. Yes, it takes a little more of your shopping time, but believe me, it is well worth it.

Food labels can help you limit the amount of fat, sugar, and cholesterol in your diet, by making it easy for you to compare one food item with another, and then choose the one with lower amounts. Now that’s what we want.

Please know, that understanding what you read on labels can be a little tricky.  I’m going to help you. The nutritional information found on a food label is based on one serving of that particular food.  The label may say that the food has 100 calories and 3 gram of sugar per serving. But be sure to look at the number of servings contained in that package. It may contain 4 servings which means, if you eat the entire package you will have consumed 400 calories and 12 grams of sugar. WHAT? Yep! That’s quite a difference.

Food labels also tell exactly what’s inside the package. Just look at the list of ingredients. The first ingredient represents the ingredient with the most amount included in that food, the second ingredient is the second highest amount and so on. This stuff is important to know.

All packaged foods come with a nutrition label meant to provide you with the information necessary to know exactly what you’re eating. Beware of labels that have a lot of ingredients that are really hard to pronounce, that’s not a good sign. So if you want to be healthy and you want to be informed, READ THE LABEL!

The Peace Stealer

Hello Balanced Life Family,

Have you ever experienced having a great day? There was a peaceful calm in the air. You were just happy to be alive, and all of a sudden, out of the clear blue sky, POW! Something happens to ruin your day. It disturbs your peace.

It could be a grouchy boss or co-worker. It could be one of your children or a spouse. It could be a notice in the mail or in these days and times it could be something on social media. Whatever the cause, suddenly you are irritated, angry, upset and your peace is gone. You’ve just had a visit from “The Peace Stealer”!

Now, peace is a fruit of the spirit. As a Christian, God intends for you to live a peaceful life. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7  Make up your mind that nothing will disturb your peace. Events may catch you by surprise, but they are never a surprise to our father God and he is in total control. So stop stressing and allowing the devil to steal your peace.

When the devil sends the “Peace Stealer” to steal your peace, you have to be prepared with power to resist him. To possess that power, first you must have already submitted yourself to God. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 Notice, you must submit yourself to God first, then you get the power to resist the devil and make him flee.

So when trouble comes to disrupt your peaceful day, don’t forget submit, resist and keep your peace. Live the peaceful life that God intends for you to live, and don’t give in to the “PEACE STEALER”!

Curvy Girls Can Move Too

My Dear Sisters,

Exercise is so important. If you are a curvy girl and none of the exercises I’ve mentioned in previous blogs appeal to you, maybe you will consider aqua aerobics.  Aqua aerobics is exercise done in a swimming pool. It’s a type of resistance training done in waist deep or sometimes a little deeper water. And no, you don’t have to know how to swim. That’s good news for many of you.

I realize that everyone is not comfortable with the same type of workout, but practically everyone can be involved in exercise. You may not like hiking, biking, or lifting weights, but you may enjoy the water. I’m not recommending something that I haven’t tried. I took aqua aerobic classes for years and loved it. You get a really good workout and some instructors make it really fun with music.

This is a workout that can be enjoyable for young women and men as well as seniors. What’s so wonderful is that you can do it all year round. In the summer the water is a bit cool and in the winter the water should be warm. Don’t be startled, if when you first enter the water it feels icy cold. Give your body a chance to adjust, and then you’ll be fine.

You’ll find that your body moves better and is much more flexible in the water. Don’t forget that God didn’t make these bodies to be sedentary. You’ve got to get up and get moving to improve your health. So make up your mind to go get that swim suit (get a cute one it’ll make you excited about wearing it), and head for an aqua aerobics class near you. If you don’t want to go alone invite some of your friends and make it a group experience. You may find that you really enjoy it because CURVY GIRLS CAN MOVE TOO!

How's Your Love Life

Hey Balanced Family,

How’s your love life? I’m talking about your spiritual love life. After you are saved and you have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, you possess the fruit of the spirit as it is found in the book of Galatians. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."  Galatians 5:22 & 23.

Let’s talk about the first one, love.  Love is the one that is listed first and is most important. As you probably know, God took all ten of the commandments and reduced them to two, which are both based on love.  "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

Now, check your love life. Love is unselfish. It’s not all about you. When you pray for yourself, remember to pray for others as well. How about this? Try fasting on behalf of someone other than yourself. Now that’s love! Regarding your finances, every dollar you get is not for you. You should save some, spend some and give some away. Here’s a good one. When your enemy mistreats you, don’t try to get even. Insist on treating him well. Love is kind, patient and forgiving.

Now mind you, the things that I tell you are things that I practice, and I am trying to perfect them in my life. Am I telling you that these things are easy to do? NO! But they can be done with help from Father God. Jesus is our example. No one showed greater love than Jesus. He gave

Fiber Up

Family,

Why not add more fiber to your diet? This is a great idea for your health. Why? Because fiber  relieves constipation. It helps maintain healthy weight. Fiber may also help lower risk of diabetes, heart disease, hemorrhoids and stroke. We certainly don’t want any of that.

Some good choices are fresh fruits and veggies, legumes which include nuts and seeds, popcorn (don’t cover it with butter or load it down with salt), and whole grain products. Now don’t confuse multi grain with whole grain products as some people do.  

There are some wonderful whole grain products on the market. I’ve tried many of them. There are pastas (spaghetti, linguine, rotini, and lasagna noodles), whole grain rice, bread (not multi-grain), cereals and more, and they are so delicious. Preparation is about the same as usual.

Fresh fruits and veggies are wonderful. They can be eaten raw or  prepared so many different ways. Just don’t cook all of the vitamins out of the veggies. Cook them gently and don’t use too much water. And watch it, don’t top those fruits with sugary toppings or dips.

Legumes provide fiber as well. Peas, peanuts, clover, lentil, alfalfa and beans belong to the legume family. Beans are great. There is such an assortment of beans. Decide which ones you like best and go for them.

Mixed nuts are very good or if you have a favorite nut, you can choose to snack on it. Just be mindful to eat the unsalted ones. Nuts are great for holding you till the next meal (especially almonds) when you get that urge to snack between meals.

So if you hate constipation, want to do something to help control your weight, and help to lower your risk of diabetes, heart disease, hemorrhoids and stroke, “FIBER UP!”

Watch Your Mouth

Beloved Family,

I can’t stress enough how important it is to be mindful of the words that come out of your mouth. Don’t let your mouth defile your Christian character. Profanity and evil speaking should never proceed out of the mouth of a Christian. “But they made me so mad.” That’s no excuse! “Pardon my French.” That’s not French and you know it! “Oops, that slipped out.” It shouldn’t even be in there! You’ve probably heard all of these reasons, but let me assure you, not one of them is an excuse.

I’ve heard people stand in the pulpit and say, “If you push me, I’ll curse you out!” WHAT? Exactly who are you representing with that message? How do you bless God and curse your brother or sister with the same mouth? The bible speaks against it. "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." James 3:10 When you become a Christian you are a representative of Christ.

You must be mindful of your conversation. Telling dirty jokes or engaging in gossip is not christlike. The bible tells you to get rid of that. "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth."  Colossians 3:8  

Think about it. If God came to visit you here on earth for a day, would you tell him a dirty joke (or even laugh at one), or bring him some juicy gossip? My mother taught me that God is the unseen guest at every conversation. Don’t let your words corrupt your Christian character. "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."  Matthew 15:11   WATCH YOUR MOUTH!

Take A Hike

Hey Family Members,

There are many ways to get exercise, and there are just as many excuses! Swimming? “Can’t bear to get my hair wet.” Running? “ I get painful cramps in my legs.” Spin class? “Too strenuous and hot.” Step class? “Can’t keep up.” Racquetball? “I’m afraid I might get hit.”

Walking? Can you think of one valid reason why not? Finally, we’ve found a workout which probably has no downsides, providing you are not physically challenged in that area.

According to scientific research, walking properly and regularly can give you quite a few benefits that are even more impressive than those gained from sportier activities. You may want to do power walking or you may prefer a more relaxed pace. Whichever you choose, you can be sure that it will be better for your health than becoming a “professional couch potato”.

Now, I understand that you are not going to want to get out in the winter, in the midst of a cold blustery day and hike. Who would? When cold weather hits, you can always walk in an indoor mall. And when the weather is pleasant, it can be a pleasurable experience to walk outdoors. If you don’t care to walk alone, organize a group and do group walks.

Long, peaceful walks calm you down, pace your thoughts, and clear your head. Walking also has other physical benefits. It battles obesity, curbs stress eating, and helps to tone your butt and thighs. Now who wouldn’t want those benefits?

You can get benefits like these and more without breaking your bank with a costly gym membership. All you need to do is make up your mind to do it, grab your walking shoes, and TAKE A HIKE!

Knowledge Verses Wisdom

Balanced Life Family,

Are you walking in wisdom, or do you just have knowledge? Let’s talk about knowledge verses wisdom.

Often you don’t know that you need wisdom until you’re faced with difficult decisions. When you have difficult decisions to make or problems to solve and you don’t know which way to turn or what to do, then you realize that you need wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to make wise decisions. The scripture says ..."be ye wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Matthew 10:16

Sometimes you have knowledge but lack wisdom. Now you may ask, ”What’s the difference between wisdom and knowledge?”  You go to school, study, read books, listen to lectures, do research and so on to obtain knowledge. Knowledge comes from man. Wisdom comes from God. Knowledge is raw information, but wisdom knows how to use that information.

God gives wisdom liberally. He’s generous with giving wisdom according to his excellent greatness. The scripture says  "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  James 1:5   “Upbraideth not” means he won’t get angry with you for asking.

God wants you to have wisdom, that’s why he provided the Word of God. Many people don’t realize that the Word actually is a book of wisdom. In it you’ll find the answer to every question you’ll ever have. God has chosen men and women to teach the Word, and he gives them the ability to explain it, so that it can be understood. After being taught, you must study and ask for wisdom, and God will give it.

So family, the point that I’m trying to make is, knowledge is good, you need it, but you need wisdom to go along with it.  Knowledge doesn’t do much good if you don’t know how to use it. I suggest that you be sure that you’re being taught the Word and study the book that is loaded with wisdom and knowledge, the Word of God,  and begin to WALK IN WISDOM!

Wash Those Hands

Sisters,

Thank God for hands. Without them there are so many things that you wouldn’t be able to do. You greet with a hand shake. You cook, eat, pick up things, open doors, click onto my website (well you did), and so much more.

You need to take care of your hands. You need to keep them clean. Keeping your hands clean is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions spread by failing to wash hands with soap and clean running water.

Always be sure to wash your hands thoroughly when you come into the house from outside, before eating, after using the toilet, changing a diaper, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, touching garbage, pets, raw chicken or anything that might transfer germs.

Washing your hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them in most situations. If soap and water are not available, you may use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Seriously, hand-washing can be like a do-it-yourself vaccine. It includes five simple and effective steps: wet, lather, scrub, rinse and dry. It’s just that easy. So wash your hands often and avoid spreading germs. It’s quick and simple and it can help keep you and others from getting sick. Hand-washing is a win for everyone, except the germs. WASH THOSE HANDS!

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!