Category Archives: Personal Health

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My Only New Years Resolution

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Resolution

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” ~ Luke 10:38-42

I have a confession to make. I love Martha in this story. I really do. Why? I feel her pain.

REALLY, Mary?! Can’t you help a sister out? Are you seriously going to let me do all the work for this dinner party by myself while you lazily recline beside the Guest of Honor? I mean, I would love to do that too, of course, but there is chicken curry to make here!

From a logical perspective, many of us would consider Mary’s actions in that moment self-centered rather than others-centered. But they were something far greater than either of those things: They were God-centered.

One Thing is Necessary

Mary knew in that moment who and what was most important. She knew that she was in the presence of the Messiah Himself and she was not going to let anything or anyone pull her eyes from his face.

This story begs us to ask ourselves an important question – what is necessary?

Not “What is practical?” or “What is most productive?” or “What will others around me approve of?” but “What is essential?”

We get our answer from The Lord Himself. “Martha, Martha” (You can just hear the love and understanding in His voice) – You are anxious and troubled about many things.

Yes, Lord. We are a worried people. A troubled people. A people who work ourselves into a frenzy and get so stressed out by our rapid pace of living that:

we don’t.

know how.

to stop.

But Mary. She knows what is most important. Can’t you just see her? Happy and calm, eyes shining, fully engaged in the moment with her Savior. Now here was a woman of peace and purpose.

She chose what is best. And it won’t be taken from her.

An Invitation to Sit at His Feet Again

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There is nothing more important than sitting at the feet of Christ and listening to His Word. Nothing.

Not work, not play, not cooking or cleaning or politics or world economics or – anything!

Because it is only when we sit with Him and hear His words of truth and life that we can make sense of everything else in our lives and in this world. It’s only then that we know how He would have us to respond and act.

All the swimming thoughts and anxious fears and ideas about what I might do and become and how to love people well and how to make a difference – all of it begins to make sense when I sit at His feet.

For the times when I have no clue what to do – at least I know where to start – bowing at the feet of Christ.

My Only New Years Resolution

So there is only one thing I’m determined to do this year – seek Christ.  All the other goals or priorities that I have will become clear and aligned healthfully as I stay committed to this one thing.

Won’t you join me in this great pursuit? This one thing, when we choose it, will never, can NEVER be taken from us.

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Laughter: The Best Medicine

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The peak age of laughter is four. Four year-olds laugh once every four minutes, or four hundred times per day. Adults, on the other hand, laugh an average of 15 times a day. What this tells me is that it’s a good thing that I hang out with a four year old all day long, but it would be even better for me if I laughed every time she (and her sisters) did!

Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”

This scripture suggests that when you need a boost of energy, laughter (not caffeine) may be the solution. So, What are some ways to bring more laughter into our lives?

6 Strategies to Get You Laughing!

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1. Slow Down and Enjoy Life’s Blessings – Job 14:1 says, “How short is life, how full of trouble!” Since it is certain that we will face our share of troubles in this life, it would do us good to revel in the blessings that God gives us. I’ve noticed when I slow my pace, take a positive approach, and turn up the music during “cranky hour” (think 5-6pm) with my kids, what could have been a whining session turns into a giggle fest.

2. Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously – Learn to laugh at your silly mistakes instead of beating yourself up for them. So many moments in life turn sour with frustration when we could have just laughed in the face of forgetfulness or “acts done while deprived of sleep.” (think orange juice in your coffee).

3. Reflect on Fun Times – I have some pretty great sister-in-laws. We were laughing last night as we thought back on some of the more hilarious moments we have faced together over the last decade. There’s plenty of time to contemplate the tragedies and problems of this world so there should be plenty of time to laugh about the hilarious moments we’ve experienced in life.

4. Think About Your Health – It’s proven that people who laugh more live longer. “When we laugh it causes blood pressure reduction, endorphins to kick in and our T-cell count to go up, just for starters. People who laugh more live longer, are sick less often, have better quality friendships and are generally more content than those who don’t laugh very much,” claims Chris Popp, founder of Laughter Works.

5. Turn Your Mind Towards Heaven – in Heaven, we are promised that “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:4. If there’s no crying or pain anymore, what this says to me is that there’s going to be a lot of laughter in Heaven! As C.S. Lewis so beautifully expresses, “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.”

6. Consider Jesus Your Example – R.C. Sproul says, “In the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament—for example, in Ecclesiastes—we’re told that certain things are appropriate at certain times. There’s a time to plant, a time to reap, a time to build, a time to tear down; there’s a time to dance, a time to sing, a time to laugh, a time to cry. Since God has, in his seasons, appointed appropriate times for laughter, and Jesus always did what was appropriate, it would seem to me that when it was time to laugh, he laughed.”

Remember this: As Christians, we have every reason to be filled with joy because of the relationship we have with God through Christ. Let’s live lives of contagious joy that energizes those around us and draws them into the presence of Christ Himself! As Chuck Swindoll says, “I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let’s face it, friends make life a lot more fun.“

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Why You Should Plan a Spiritual Retreat

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“In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion.” – Albert Camus

I sat in the quiet of a simple room in the Madonna House in Washington, D.C. looking out the window with Bible and journal in hand, pen poised and ready.

I was alone. As a mother of three children 5 and under, it is hard to get alone time. At all. Even when you go to the bathroom. So the fact that I was here – that I actually made it – was a small miracle.

My original intention for this time was to plan – to put together a daily homeschooling schedule and read through all the curricula that I had so dutifully researched and purchased for the school year.

But God had other plans.

Pray Before You Plan

A few days before my “planning retreat” a friend told me she would like to come with me. “We could go to the Madonna House,” she said. I had never heard of it, but the more she shared the more I felt my soul sigh with relief.

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A spiritual oasis on Capitol Hill, this humble row house is run by two nuns who have come here with no other agenda than to pray for the people in our city and open up the home to those who desire spiritual retreat.

The night before going, as I packed up curriculum and notebooks, The Lord arrested me with these words, “Put those away – just go there and pray.”

Whenever God shifts my plans like this, I get excited. I know He is going to speak or move in my life in a way that I hadn’t expected. I lay in bed that night smiling like a child on Christmas Eve.

The next day, my husband dropped me off at the Madonna House. Even as I stood on the steps, I felt the weight of the burdens I had carried there fall off my shoulders. I was going to meet with God.

My friend and I exchanged greetings and were directed to small separate rooms – rooms that held nothing but a bed, a desk with a Bible on it, and a dresser in the corner.

The simplicity of the place alone made me breathe easier. No scattered toys or piles of laundry. My soul began to breathe, too.

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A Three Hour Retreat

I didn’t have 24 hours. I had a morning – three hours to be precise. But in those three little hours God met me in a deeply personal way, enlarging my perspective and graciously granting me the spiritual framework for our entire year of school.

I prayed over all three of my daughters and lingered long over each one, asking Christ for wisdom in how to teach and guide them.

He responded. Not with flames of fire but with soft, gentle whispers from His Word and Spirit that I would not have heard if I had not allowed my soul to get quiet enough to hear them.

I walked away entirely confident that God was with me and that He had given me His plan for our school year. I opened the curricula later with new perspective and purpose.

We often think we should plan and then pray about our plans, but we have it mixed up. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your work to The Lord, and your plans will be established.

Why Should You Go on A Spiritual Retreat?

You should go because every soul needs moments of quiet and spaces to breathe, rest, recover from the scrapes and dents of daily life.

You should go when you have a big task, trip, move, step, leap, or transition ahead and you need to gain God’s wisdom.

You should go to simply refresh your soul with vision for the task and the call He has currently given to you.

You don’t need long – even a few hours will suffice. But just go – to a retreat center, a park, a beach, a lake, anywhere you know you can truly relax and focus. Your body, soul, and family will be glad that you did.

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