GospelFit #THANKSgivingDiet Day 21 ~ Thanks, Praise, and Faith for the Journey

Here we are! 21 days of thankfulness and praise under our belts. My prayer is that you are richer for the experience. I pray that in the most difficult situations you find that you have trained your spirit through faith to the look at the situation through grateful eyes with a thankful heart. Our scripture today really sums up nicely our last 21 days. We didn’t plan this. Can We Talk?!

As I meditate on this today’s scripture, which is Ephesians 1:15-17, I hope that you found that during the last 21 days:

• You were strengthened in your faith
• You increased your love for God’s people
• You improved your prayer life, your ability to recognize blessings, and your desire to give thanks in all things (changed your perspective)
• God gave you wisdom and revelation
• You had the opportunity to spend time with the Lord so that you may know Him better.

For our journeys to heaven we need thankful hearts. When our hearts are thankful we can’t help but praise God. We can’t help but love God’s people and demonstrate that love through word and deed. When we can find that place of grateful expression our faith is strengthened and we are closer to our Father and more like His son Jesus.

Here is Joy’s post. http://joysblog.gospelfit.com/2012/11/21/gospelfit-thanksgiving-diet-challenge-day-21–thanks-praise–faith-for-the-journey.aspx

Shalom

On the Journey to Divine Health with GospelFit ~Guest Blogger Day 20

Believers all over the country are concerned about the obesity epidemic and the high rate of diagnosis of diabetes in our communities. Joy is one of the people who is not only concerned about the health of our nation, but she has started a movement to bring change in New York, very similar to 4 His Temple’s passion project. We all should be concerned about the health of our nation and make strides to change the direction of these epidemics. We can start with our own change then we can help our families to change then we can touch and influence our communities. Joy is our guest blogger today. Can We Talk?!

When Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly and we accepted that offer of salvation (John 10:10), we were changed and need our life to demonstrate those convictions.  Of course, it is not easy.  It requires building a daily practice and a transformation that may take place in the heart immediately, but outwardly may take time.  Fortunately, nothing can separate us from the love of God on our journey.  (Romans 8:38-39 ~ 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.)                                        

No matter what is happening in our lives God loves us.  God loves the crack addict, but He doesn’t want him to keep doing crack.  God may even save the crack addict from their addiction, however, the addict has to work every day to stay on the path.  

This is also true for the man or woman who God saved from heart attack death.  God love is abundant and this person has to change their behavior or another heart attack is in the future.  

When Type II Diabetes invades the body of someone you love, God loves that person too.  God can and does intervene.  Sometimes a person gets a miracle everyday, until a crisis occurs or change happens.  Even when there is physical and spiritual salvation, changes in diet and exercise need to happen quickly and dramatically to improve life here on earth. 

Some how, the health and fitness examples don’t seem as obvious to most of us.  According to The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) 68.5% of African-American males are obese and overweight and 78% of Black women are obese and overweight.  This is leading to increasing diabetes, heart disease and stroke and as well as other disease processes. In fact, there is no disease that benefits from being overweight and inactive. 

I started GospelFit to fight this negative health trend.  The focus is to connect Black Christians to one another and to God in their journey for Divine Health.  We need to be reminded that God loves us exactly the way we are and precisely where we are and wants the ultimate best for us.  Sometimes, we need to change and other times we need to remain dedicated and committed. 

GospelFit works to provide the environment to help us make the changes needed and stay the course.  One of the first things we did was a GospelFit Challenge.  Members of Memorial Presbyterian Church in Roosevelt, NY formed teams and competed against each other to reach their health and fitness goals much like the challenge you are on now.

We did have competitions in addition to watching our diets and exercising.  One I remember most was a healthy cooking competition.  Just like many Black churches, we serve food after service every week for fellowship hour.  For the GospelFit Challenge, each team had to prepare healthy and tasty selections.  While I don’t remember who won, I do think that experience helped our church get into better habits.  The entire church is helping to build the testimony that food that tastes good can be good for you too. 

GospelFit is not just a competition and we’re working on being even more.  I started a website and blog years ago and am in the process of updating it now.  In addition, there is a Facebook page and twitter account.  These tools are wonderful because I can receive and share with so many people.  It is actually how I connected with 4 HisTemple.  

GospelFit recently held a month of family fitness days to encourage the entire family to work out together.  At my churches women’s conference, we held many exercise activities that include aerobics, kickboxing, walking, running and an adult play date.  The women loved the adult play date.  Try it yourself.  Jump rope, use a hula-hoop, play hopscotch and any other active games you can remember. 

We’re not done there.  We’re in the process of planning a GospelFit Festival this fall and expanding the GospelFit Challenges to other churches.  Keep on the look out for our updated website and additional offerings.  The journey to Divine Health is a daily one and no matter where you are know that God will continue to love you into your greatness.  In fact God plans more as we read in Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

Connect with Joy

http://gospelfit.com/

https://www.facebook.com/GospelFit

https://twitter.com/GospelFit

https://twitter.com/joymachelle

IT’S IN YOU ~ Day 8

Are you waiting for some external motivation or force to start living a healthier lifestyle? Our next guest blogger, Minister Ron Marshall believes that everything we need to make lifelong lifestyle changes, we already possess on the inside. On the inside? Hmmm? Would that be the Holy Spirit living in you? Your body IS the temple of the Living God! Can We Talk?!

 

It’s in you…I believe that within each of us is a spirit that wills us to eat right and exercise. We don’t need a book to tell us how to eat right for our blood type nor do we need another workout DVD. We just need to tap into that spirit more than we feed the flesh. It is in us to take the time to go grocery shopping, so that our meals can be prepared instead of purchased. It is in us to schedule 30 minutes to an hour of physical activity a day. We allow ourselves too many excuses for our bad habits.

 

Take control of your health! Be proactive and not re-active because of a health issue such as; high blood pressure, diabetes or obesity. This challenge that we have taken is just for 30 days, so if the lifestyle changes we’ve made are not too extreme, it is within us to have better health/fitness for our lifetime.

 

I lead fitness classes every week day except Fridays at  Hope Church Pearland. I also personally train individuals at their homes, but my most enjoyable work is Kids Fitness Fun! These daily commitments I keep because I sincerely want to see everyone healthier. I will not ask you to do anything that I would not do! And I would not expect you to do what I do! But I have been doing this (health/fitness) for over 10 years now and I kinda know what you can do.

• Daily walks (30 minutes)
• Resistance (weight lifting) 2x week
• Stretches (daily)

Most of us know how to eat right.

• Prepare your meals
• Eat 5-6 small meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner with 2 healthy snacks)
•  Drink plenty of water

It’s In You!

Ronald Marshall is the of owner of The One Training, LLC. His ministry, It’s In You at Hope Church Pearland  provides weekly fitness classes for children and adults. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Its-In-You-Ministry/246076755472815

 

You can find Hope Church Pearland on FB http://www.facebook.com/HopeChurchPearland and on the web http://www.harvestofpraiseexalted.org/

From Victory To Victory

I was recounting my victory of a recent test to my spiritual mentor. Yes, after 10 months I can say that the test is over and the victory belongs to Jesus Christ. Throughout the whole 10 months from the day after the test began, I knew that I would be victorious. First I recognized it as a test. That’s key! We’ll talk about that in a future post. I sought wise counsel, immersed myself in the Word, listened for the voice of God, and began the process of winning. I knew I still had to go through the process of the test, but I never wavered that when this thing was over our God would be glorified!

I told my mentor that I find many people first don’t want to go through anything and second people don’t understand that it takes hard work and faith to get through tests and trials. It’s a process. She said, “yes it takes work, obedience, and humility, but what most people really don’t understand is that we are fighting FROM a place of victory”. Can We Talk?!

We are already victorious in every trial, every test, every battle, every situation, and every circumstance that we ever face. We are going from victory to victory! If you have an unfavorable doctor’s report in your hand right now…You are already victorious! Are you unemployed or underemployed, you are already victorious! Is your marriage in disarray? Take heart friends the victory is already yours in Christ Jesus. You have the victory before the tests begins. You have won the war, before for first bullet flies. You just have to walk and talk like you believe God. Let Him be glorified IN your situations and circumstances.

How can we be over comers if we never over came anything? How can we be more than conquerors, if yes, you’ve heard it said before, we never conquered anything? God uses tests and trials to grow us and mature us, so we ALL have to go through something. The distinguishing characteristic of faithful believers is HOW we go through.

If we know that we are fighting from a place of victory we can walk in power. We can see our obstacles as stepping stones. We can see our challenges and enemies as tools God uses to bless, teach, mature, and strengthen us. So go ahead and ride on the lofty wings of criticism, sail on the strong seas of doubt and fear. When we are fighting from a place of victory we can walk boldly into the fiery darts of the enemy and not get burned! Know that the victory is already won! Praise Him for the victory!

We can’t wait for God to sprinkle us with our healing or wait for some magical mountain top sermon experience to be the catalyst for our change and growth when we are being tested. It takes work with and through God. It takes faith to endure tests and trials. We have to roll up our sleeves, submit to God, and walk boldly through our process with Him. When we come out on the other side of what we’ve gone through healthier and whole, looking more like Jesus, God alone gets the glory!

Jesus was our greatest example of fighting from victory to victory. He was born in victory and today He rules and reigns over death, grave, hell, and sin. He faced many difficult tests. His own people did not receive Him. His disciples betrayed and abandoned Him. He was beaten, humiliated, and finally suffered death on a cross, all from a place of victory!

If you are struggling through a test or trial now and your faith is getting weak, start speaking victory in and over your situation. Put in the work it takes to move through your process without delay. Forgive and be reconciled. Humble yourself. Show love and compassion. Release pride, arrogance, and control. Ask yourself what is God trying to teach me, then submit and surrender to the teaching. Whatever God is asking you to do, you MUST do or it simply delays your process.

As you go through remember that it is God who will bring you out. He promised to never leave us or forsake us. When you come out, you will see how God was there all the time, leading, instructing, guiding, and yes cheering you and you will see how you STARTED from a place of victory. When we start in victory, how can we ever lose? How can we?

Holiday Eating Caution

Hello Conquerors!

 

Last week we celebrated the resurrection of our risen Savior! I pray that your Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday were all that you wanted and needed. We know as faithful believers that we could not have the power and glory of the Resurrection without the sorrow and pain of the Crucifixion. Jesus came to die. We thank God for this sacrifice and we are grateful that death was not the final answer. He got up with all power, might, dominion, and sovereignty in His hands. He holds the keys to hell, death, and the grave. He is alive and He lives in us! Glory to God!

 

As we continue on our journey to caring for our temples we must be mindful of the snares and pitfalls of holiday eating. For me staying on track with my diet becomes more difficult on holidays because food can be the center of many of our celebrations. Once I get off track after a day or two of partaking in the holiday fare, I find myself on a slippery slope of undisciplined and unplanned eating. Does this happen to you?

 

First we have to be aware of the issue. (OK, I just told you, were you listening?). Holiday eating can be a danger to staying on track with your new healthier lifestyle. The danger lies in the amount of food, sometimes the preparation of the food, and in the fact that we often choose to forgo exercise during the holiday.

Secondly, we have to come up with a plan to enjoy our favorite foods in moderation. Listen, I eat the foods that I like, I just don’t eat as much and I try to prepare my favs in a healthier way. If I am not the chef I just keep the portions small. Try not to make a big deal out of what you can and cannot eat, being picky can take all the joy of sharing a meal together. Make the fellowship the most important part of your gathering, not food.

Thirdly, be prepared to start your healthy eating routine immediately after the holiday is over. Stock the fridge with the food you routinely eat. Prepare a healthy meal and have it ready. Skip the take home plates or as my family calls them “to go CARTS”. What?! You need a cart to take the leftover food home? These yummy treats keep us off track well after the holiday is but a distant memory.

Lastly, enjoy yourself! Enjoy your time with friends and family as you celebrate, fully committing to enjoying the food you are eating without feelings of guilt, shame, or defeat. We are not defeated because we get off track. We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus who loves us. God wants us to live in health and abundance, not in guilt and shame.

I speak God’s blessings over you, your family, your journey in Him to a healthier temple. Whatever you need, God will supply it according to His great love and abundant riches. 

Your body is the temple of the Living God! Live Well in His Name! 

Sacred Season of Success 2010 Day 1 Take A Look At Yourself

God Morning Believers!

This morning at 0600 we started our Sacred Season of Success (S3) 2010. We are so so excited about what God is going to do with us, TO US, and through us during this fasting season. Turn your attention to Isaiah 58:1-10 for foundation for the fast. We will be loving, serving, and giving to God and His people like never before in this season!

This year’s fast is deeply personal. We have to start with ourselves so that we can be useful to God’s people in transparency and with integrity. God wants us to be different and behave differently at the end of this fast. Use this time as an opportunity to fall in love with Him again and through that intimacy allow Him to transform your life. God is speaking to us clearly saying, there are attitudes, behaviors, habits, and ways that we have as believers that do not please Him and this is the time to surrender them so that we can be used more effectively for Kingdom building. He has greater works for us to do, but we are hindered by these attitudes, behaviors, habits, and ways.

I will not be sending a daily focus this year. I will check in frequently. Start this week focusing on identifying areas in your life that need God’s attention and where you need deliverance. Honesty with Him AND yourself is key. Don’t be afraid to confront what you see. “The truth requires confrontation”…Where are you falling short? Damaging your witness? Making excuses? Wearing your weaknesses as a badge of honor, instead of addressing them? Where does Satan have a stronghold on you or your family? Are you a vehicle and vessel for His Word, grace, and love?

No doubt this process will be painful, but the truth will make us free!

See you at the top!

Agape
Aqua

Guest Bloggers…The Faith Journey

Continuing the guest blogger series with Melanie and Crystal Monae’. We are all in different places on this faith journey, we have to meet people right where they are (Jesus did that for all of us), and God’s grace is sufficient. Interested in guest blogging? Holla back, let’s talk! http://aqua-canwetalk.blogspot.com//

Written by Crystal Monae’
http://crystalmonae.blogspot.com/

There are no cookie-cutter Christians. In fact all Christians have differing levels of faith. However, these differences are increasingly preventing Christians from being truly set apart from nonbelievers. The light that once shined brightly is becoming dim. We must keep the faith nonetheless since Light shall forever prevail.

When I came across Mellanie’s blog post last week, this very subject reignited a passion to continue letting my light shine to draw men unto Him. Who is Mellanie? She is a hip, bright young college student who tells it like it is, and her popular blog is sought after by hundreds of readers daily. You can check her out for yourself at http://www.meldenisesays.blogspot.com/

Here is what Mellanie said in the post that got my attention. I asked Mellanie’s permission to share it with you here:

I’m a Christian but…
I was reading one of my friend’s blog posts about his journey through Faith (Check it out @ Ivy League Neck Tats: End to Beginning: My Battle to Find Faith), and I decided to write a post explaining how I feel about religion. Here’s a little background on my religious experiences…

1. I rarely go to church.
2. I don’t believe in prayer as heavily as the average person does.
3. I went to a Catholic elementary and high school.

Religion– a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny; “he lost his faith but not his morality”

My definition of religion: A means of faith in a higher power which causes others to put themselves on a pedestal and look down on others who do not believe in the same beliefs as they do.

Church. It’s ok. Nothing too special. I don’t need it to be able to have a good week and it doesn’t make me feel any better about life after I leave Church. I mostly go once I come home and want to make my mom happy if I go with her. That’s it.
I have a hard time at church because I feel that church is full of hypocrisy and judgmental people. Church is only a reason for some people to feel that they are better than others. I’ve met too many people who look down on those who aren’t really interested in church and for what?? Just because you never miss church makes you no better than the person who doesn’t go at all. I don’t think so. And i’m not pointing the finger at anyone specifically, but most of my church going friends actually do more “sinning” during Monday through Saturday than the average person. I’m not tooting my own horn but I consider myself to be raised ALOT better than most people my age and I don’t participate in alot of things that people would consider “bad”, yet I don’t go to church. I’ve had a pretty good life for the past 20 years without much church activity and I’m just fine.
I also believe that Church is about making money. The pastor can preach the word for about 10 minutes, but when it comes to giving tithes and offerings, he will talk for hours. The Bible says that everyone should give 10% of their earnings to the church. I don’t agree. Not at all. Times are hard and I don’t believe that you will go to hell because you didn’t give your money to the church. Most people could really use that 10% towards alot of other things that would be more useful in their lives. Too many people don’t hardly make any money but yet still giving 10% to the church. For what?? Use that money to pay your bills and keep your lights on. I think God would understand.

Prayer. I believe people rely too heavily on prayer and less on personal actions. Just “praying about it” isn’t gonna make things better and fix everything. I believe that prayer should be a means for encouragement and an emotional uplift, but I don’t believe praying solves every problem or dilemma. When things go wrong, people’s first thought is prayer and they think that’s all it takes. No. How about making things happen on your own? Don’t just sit and wait for God to help you get out of difficult situations-just because you “prayed about it” doesn’t mean anything is gonna happen. YOU have to do something. You’re failing all your classes. Praying about it isn’t gonna make you start getting A’s. You need to go to the library and study or get a tutor.

Baptization. I don’t believe that being baptized will do anything for me. Most people become baptized because they want to start living their life right and sorry if this offends anyone, but I’m already living my life right, baptized or not. I’m not saying i’m perfect because I am far from it, but I don’t need it to finally give me that push to start doing right.

I do believe in a higher power and that being God and I want to become closer to Him and have a stronger faith and that’s my own personal journey that I am taking, but as for right now, this is how I feel.

How do you feel about the issue?

Here is the comment that I left for Mellanie…by Crystal Monae’

Mellanie,

Thank you for being transparent because there are many more people who feel the same way that you do but they are embarrassed or afraid to admit it. Religion has in fact too often become commercialized which takes focus away from God. The “church” is not the building but the people in it. They all have varying degrees of maturity which is why there is discord among members giving them an appearance of being hypocritical. The “church” is a hospital for sick people. It is a fantasy to assume that the people in it should be perfect or 100% whole. None of us are. The reason that people need to consistently assemble is so that we become healthier individuals that can lead people to God instead of away from them. We are all unworthy so no one should think better of themselves. Sin is sin, whether you cursed someone or murdered someone, sin is sin. The Bible is God’s word for us, and he commands us to do certain things like tithing. He did not say that we had a choice in the matter. Tithes are suppose to go towards building the Kingdom (drawing people unto God), but like I said the “church” is full of sick people and unfortunately this sometimes means that the leadership is sick too. However, if you find yourself in a church where there is corruption monetarily, God is only concerned about if you are doing what he asked. He will deal with the misappropriations of funds in His own time. God is not a God who dangles us over Hell waiting for us to fail. We would all be gone by now if that was the case. He loves us. A special part of being in relationship with Him is that He gives us grace for when we mess up. (However, sometimes there are consequences for messing up.) You are right, the Bible says that prayer without works is dead so you must couple your faith with action in order to have effective prayers. Baptizing is not a necessity, it is symbolic of accepting your salvation. All we have to do is confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and that He was raised from the dead. If we believe that in our hearts, then we are saved. End of story. At that moment you receive the Spirit of God. It’s just that simple.

Now Mellanie, you woke up this morning…not on your own but because God did it. You pass exams at school because God allowed you to retain information, not on your own. Prayer is a petition for God’s help and an acknowledgement that you need Him. You can do NOTHING independent of God, so we go to church to worship Him for being so wonderful to us…allowing us to live on His Earth and providing for us. Also, to be a light for all of those messed up people that are in the building too!  I love you Mellanie. The Bible says to work out your own salvation. Work it out lil’ sista. You can email me if you ever want to talk about anything, but I’m pretty sure that others need it too so be bold as you are and lend it transparently as you have done here. BTW, I have an older sister named Mellanie!

How is your faith?