Just keep thinking about this picture I took when we were in China.
Take a good close look.
Do you see it? It's kinda gradual, but it's there.
One lady is dressed in the "traditional" old Chinese clothing.... Then the middle one is dressed a little bit more "modern", while the last "girl" is wearing short shorts and belly tight shirt.
When we were there we saw all three types of dress. The younger generation was wearing more "modern" clothing. It didn't match, and their shoes, holy cannoli, their SHOES!!!! Never have I seen sooooo many types of DIFFERENT shoes!! Even the MEN! ;) Anyways, getting off point here...
And I am not posting this to get an argument on what I define as older, and what "traditional" clothing is. I really could care less what you wear (but I won't agree with the skimpy clothing, but am NOT judging you!!!!), but my point is on change. It changes over time. Lots of things change over time.
Not just our clothing, but our time, we want things faster, and better, and clearer, and our food, same thing.
But what about our time with God. Has that changed? Do you now not have time for Him and your devos? What about working out? Do you find the time for that too?
Since we want things NOW, and we are always in such a hurry, do we really take that time we need to SIT down and FOCUS on HIM?
What is your devotion time look like with Him? Do you do it first thing in the morning? Or last thing at night? I don't care when you do it, as long as you do it. You NEED to find the time, or even schedule time to do your devos. Not only that, but your work out. I believe that you can't only just Spiritually feed your body, but you need to physically feed your body. You do that by working out and watching what you eat.
What is taking up your time?
How often are you on Face Book? Or watching a football game? Or going to a football game? Or playing Candy Crush, or whatever the latest game is? ;) or sitting on the couch watching a movie?
I'm not here pointing fingers at ANYONE! And before you go saying, well that't not me! I don't play Candy Crush, or I don't like Football.... I'm to blame just as much as anyone else. At night after a long day of watching my littles, teaching them something, or so I hope I'm teaching them something, breaking up a fight between one or two or three or all six of them, getting one off the couch before they do a double back flip onto a pile of pillows on the floor, chase them before they run away, stepping on those nasty little tiny Legos, feeding them THREE meals a day, etc etc etc... I get it, you are tired at the end of the night. And you are tired when you wake up. But I can guarantee you if you would set your alarm for even 15 minutes earlier, read some scriptures and even start small with a workout, your day will go so much better!
Start off small, like lunges, or squats, yoga, or my personally fav is the kettle bell. You can do all kinds of AMAZING workouts with just a tiny kettle bell! And start off with a size (weight) that is good for you! Anywhere from 5 lbs to 200 lbs! Just START! :)
I've been setting my alarm for 5:30-5:45am. I get up, work out, then I do my devos and spend time in alone quiet prayer with God. Ok, so some days it's not fully alone, but it's still what I need to start my day! (My kids aren't supposed to come downstairs until 7am, but sometimes they come down a little sooner. But they also know they need to leave me alone until I am done with my devos.) Get a workout on and done, do my devos, pray, do facebook, and move on to making breakfast. I can't tell you how much better my day goes! BUT I will tell you if you are just now starting this, Satan will try to bring you DOWN. He will tell you LIES to keep you in bed until you REALLY need to get up to get your day going! Don't let him win. He is a scumbag full of lies. I have a pair of Red TOMS shoes, and I wrote on the bottom of them this verse: Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
I love that verse! I also LOVE wearing those shoes! The first time I wore them after writing that verse on the bottom, my feet felt HEAVY. No joke. We were also going through adoption process and was hearing all kinds of lies from him, so I wrote that on my shoes, b/c those were the only shoes I wore for the LONGEST time (it was also very warm outside... ;) )
I want to set an example for my kids. They watch what I do. They watch what I eat. They aren't the only ones who watch me. I want my kids to know that they need God to survive! They need physical training too. They also need a good balanced "diet". I don't like saying diet b/c it isn't a diet, I guess some say lifestyle. ;) I want them to eat healthy, so they feel good and not full on all that sugary foods and drinks.
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! (1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV)
Take a good close look.
Do you see it? It's kinda gradual, but it's there.
One lady is dressed in the "traditional" old Chinese clothing.... Then the middle one is dressed a little bit more "modern", while the last "girl" is wearing short shorts and belly tight shirt.
When we were there we saw all three types of dress. The younger generation was wearing more "modern" clothing. It didn't match, and their shoes, holy cannoli, their SHOES!!!! Never have I seen sooooo many types of DIFFERENT shoes!! Even the MEN! ;) Anyways, getting off point here...
And I am not posting this to get an argument on what I define as older, and what "traditional" clothing is. I really could care less what you wear (but I won't agree with the skimpy clothing, but am NOT judging you!!!!), but my point is on change. It changes over time. Lots of things change over time.
Not just our clothing, but our time, we want things faster, and better, and clearer, and our food, same thing.
But what about our time with God. Has that changed? Do you now not have time for Him and your devos? What about working out? Do you find the time for that too?
Since we want things NOW, and we are always in such a hurry, do we really take that time we need to SIT down and FOCUS on HIM?
What is your devotion time look like with Him? Do you do it first thing in the morning? Or last thing at night? I don't care when you do it, as long as you do it. You NEED to find the time, or even schedule time to do your devos. Not only that, but your work out. I believe that you can't only just Spiritually feed your body, but you need to physically feed your body. You do that by working out and watching what you eat.
What is taking up your time?
How often are you on Face Book? Or watching a football game? Or going to a football game? Or playing Candy Crush, or whatever the latest game is? ;) or sitting on the couch watching a movie?
I'm not here pointing fingers at ANYONE! And before you go saying, well that't not me! I don't play Candy Crush, or I don't like Football.... I'm to blame just as much as anyone else. At night after a long day of watching my littles, teaching them something, or so I hope I'm teaching them something, breaking up a fight between one or two or three or all six of them, getting one off the couch before they do a double back flip onto a pile of pillows on the floor, chase them before they run away, stepping on those nasty little tiny Legos, feeding them THREE meals a day, etc etc etc... I get it, you are tired at the end of the night. And you are tired when you wake up. But I can guarantee you if you would set your alarm for even 15 minutes earlier, read some scriptures and even start small with a workout, your day will go so much better!
Start off small, like lunges, or squats, yoga, or my personally fav is the kettle bell. You can do all kinds of AMAZING workouts with just a tiny kettle bell! And start off with a size (weight) that is good for you! Anywhere from 5 lbs to 200 lbs! Just START! :)
I've been setting my alarm for 5:30-5:45am. I get up, work out, then I do my devos and spend time in alone quiet prayer with God. Ok, so some days it's not fully alone, but it's still what I need to start my day! (My kids aren't supposed to come downstairs until 7am, but sometimes they come down a little sooner. But they also know they need to leave me alone until I am done with my devos.) Get a workout on and done, do my devos, pray, do facebook, and move on to making breakfast. I can't tell you how much better my day goes! BUT I will tell you if you are just now starting this, Satan will try to bring you DOWN. He will tell you LIES to keep you in bed until you REALLY need to get up to get your day going! Don't let him win. He is a scumbag full of lies. I have a pair of Red TOMS shoes, and I wrote on the bottom of them this verse: Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
I love that verse! I also LOVE wearing those shoes! The first time I wore them after writing that verse on the bottom, my feet felt HEAVY. No joke. We were also going through adoption process and was hearing all kinds of lies from him, so I wrote that on my shoes, b/c those were the only shoes I wore for the LONGEST time (it was also very warm outside... ;) )
I want to set an example for my kids. They watch what I do. They watch what I eat. They aren't the only ones who watch me. I want my kids to know that they need God to survive! They need physical training too. They also need a good balanced "diet". I don't like saying diet b/c it isn't a diet, I guess some say lifestyle. ;) I want them to eat healthy, so they feel good and not full on all that sugary foods and drinks.
Start them young...
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6 ESV)
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! (1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV)
Ask God to help you. Not just in working out, but with getting your devos done, or even to get through the day, or sometimes the hour.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 ESV)
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 ESV)
How do you start your day? It is on a solid foundation? Not just physically, but Spiritually as well.
Again, not pointing fingers at anyone b/c I struggle too. They say it takes 30 days to form a habit, make it a good habit that you form. Schedule a time to do your devos and your workouts.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10 ESV)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 ESV)
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 ESV)
How do you start your day? It is on a solid foundation? Not just physically, but Spiritually as well.
Again, not pointing fingers at anyone b/c I struggle too. They say it takes 30 days to form a habit, make it a good habit that you form. Schedule a time to do your devos and your workouts.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10 ESV)
Comments