Are you familiar with the book of Hosea? It's one of those little books tucked away in the Old Testament. The book may be little, but the message of Hosea is anything but small. I find so much comfort reading the account of Hosea. If you're unfamiliar with the message, I encourage you to read it. For today though, we'll enjoy the "cliff notes" version for reflection. Hosea is a man after God's own heart. God told Hosea to find a wife, sounds good, right? Not so fast. He also showed Hosea that...
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.-Matthew 22:37
For me, the ritual was always the same. I’d tap the scale and carefully climb on. With bated breath – I would wait. Then, I would repeat the process a second time to make sure everything was “accurate”.
The dictionary defines an idol as anything in the natural world that is given sacred value and power. My weight, that elusive number staring back at me on the...
We call our daughter “Miracle Maddie” because there is no way in the natural I should of gotten pregnant with her, (I hadn’t had a period in over ten years due to hormonal imbalances); and when I was 38 weeks bleeding profusely, I was told I should have lost her, (the placenta was 80% torn away at the uterus when she was born, yet she was 100% perfect on the monitor, and after being induced, she was born healthy 5 hours later!)
Yet despite the miracle she is, the Lord revealed to me this...
I love running. I love the feeling. I love the results. I love everything about an early morning run. Running, however, did not love me back. It was a one-sided love affair that left my body aching and broken-down. I'll never forget my last run. I pushed through searing knee pain as I prayed. I still remember so clearly hearing the Lord speak to my heart, "Sarah, you're not meant to run, you're made to walk. Walking is your perfect exercise." My heart and head wrestled. I knew it to be true,...
Scripture: "Our purpose is to please God, not people. He is the One who examines the motives of our hearts." 1 Thessalonians 2:4
Reflection: When it comes to weight loss and healthy living, one of the most important steps we can take is establishing what I call a "sustainable why." It's so easy to make our "why"something temporary like feeling good in a swimsuit for summer, looking good for a wedding or reunion, or fitting back into our skinny jeans, this list goes on and on. When we really...
Scripture: "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." Colossians 2:8-10
Reflection: If you're honest do you struggle or feel unhappy with the "package" -- the body, the appearance, the abilities, you've been given? Do you...
Scripture: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5
Reflection:One of the most powerful ways to have victory in the area of our minds is to regularly challenge our thoughts by holding them in light of God's truth. We can ask ourselves, "Is the thought I'm having true? Or is it being influenced by what I'm seeing, hearing, or believing from social media, TV...
Scripture: "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:12-13
Reflection: Friends, so long as our bodies remain this side of heaven, we can count on one thing. Flesh and spirit will always battle! The two are mutually exclusive and will always oppose one another. Galatians 5:17 tells us, "The desires of the flesh...
What if I told you that one question had the potential to impact your destiny? Would you ask yourself that question? The question that I believe has the power to shape our future is: How do you see yourself? Not only in the mirror- but on the inside? The reason this question is so powerful is because I don’t believe that we will ever be able to move beyond the mental images we have of ourselves if we don’t ever stop to take an inventory of our thought life. For many years I allowed my...
“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. Psalm 37:4-5 (NLT)
I love this verse. Interestingly though, I’ve noticed how often we refer to the first portion of the scripture without considering the second. There is great hope and promise to be found in this passage, but there is also instruction. There is a call to action. First, we are to delight in the Lord. The word translated “delight” comes...
