God and Kettle Bells

A good friend of mine is a personal trainer.  She is in phenomenal shape!  How did she get that way?  She WORKS at it ... consistently.  A little over a year go, she introduced me to the kettle bell.  Mine is a 20-pound weight in the shape of a ball with a handle.  And it produces results ... when I use it!  Christy was kind enough to show me WHERE to order it.  She even came to my house and gave me a one-on-one on HOW to use it properly.  She was encouraging and patient with me as I tried to make my 40 year old body do things it had NEVER done before!  It was painful for me but I grew stronger with each workout.  

The problem is that I haven't been as consistent as I need to be to see the results I would like to see.  So ... I've dusted it off, put it out in plain sight, and determined to use it three times a week.  I integrated it into everyday life.  I've put a plan in place to help me, I'm growing stronger, and I'm actually enjoying it!  

Spiritual implications abound.  In order to grow spiritually, I need to actually use the resources God's given ... His Word, prayer, study.  I need to make a plan for how I spend my time ... and stick to it even if I don't see results right away.  I need consistency over time to grow strong.  And I needed someone who already knew these things to help me get started.  If Christy had not come alongside me, shown me what she knew, spent time helping me, I'd still be sitting on the sofa just watching TV every night.

I wonder ...

1 Thessalonians 5.8  "...let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet."

Recently, a friend of a friend was involved in a motorcycle accident. Unfortunately, like many other Texan motorcyclists, he was not wearing a helmet.  And, sadly, his injuries were substantially more significant because of his choice even though he was not in any way at fault in the incident.  Following three extensive brain surgeries over the past week, his prognosis is improving.  Because we know our Saviour Christ and are witnessing His great power,  we are all hopeful that John will be completely healed and fully restored.  

I just wonder how many other people I know don't even have a helmet.

Gifts ...

My son, Sam, cracks me up sometimes.  This week I got a call from his school telling me that Sam could be placed in the GT (gifted & talented) program.  He will finish 4th grade barely 9 years old, so his dad & I already think he's a pretty smart kid.  When I told him the news that he will be in the GT program for 5th grade, his reply:  "Well, I already wear glasses, I like to read, I have an old-fashioned haircut, now this  ...  I guess I AM a geek."  Just so you know, he totally sees this as a good thing!  

Gone Fishin'...

Jesus said, "Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."  

My dad and my husband are avid fishermen.  They especially enjoy trout fishing in the streams of the North Georgia mountains.  To be a successful fisherman requires some ingenuity and some hard work.  First, you have to go where the fish are.  When you're talking about the heavily wooded Appalachians, that may be easier said than done. Just getting to the stream takes the navigational skill of an Army Ranger and a backpack full of energy bars!  Secondly, you have to make an effort to catch fish.  There's the license, the bait, the tackle, the gear, the hat.  You buy the license, dig the bait (or buy the can of corn if you're fishing for trout), make sure you have extra line, then trudge through the chilly woods for an hour or so to your favorite spot. Then the work starts.  Casting, reeling, casting, reeling, casting, pulling the tangled line out of the trees, recasting, reeling, hoping to catch something.  Anything.  This is not "sitting on the dock sipping lemonade" fishing, this is work! Third, you have to be persistent.  If you don't catch something the first Saturday, you go back the next.  And the next.  And you keep going every weekend until you don't have to tell your wife about "the one that got away".  Finally, you bring those fish home (yes, even the small ones that took the bait), clean 'em, cook 'em & eat 'em.  That is why you caught them in the first place.  Fish best serve their ultimate purpose alongside some french fries and homemade hush puppies. 

When Jesus says, "Come follow me & I will make you fishers of men", I think he had some of these same requirements in mind.  

*Go where the people are - people who are spiritually hungry or at least interested

*Make the effort - tell them about Jesus

*Be persistent - tell them about Jesus again

*Help people realize their ultimate purpose - to know Jesus & make Him known

If you need me, I've gone fishin' 

My own blog

Am I the only one on the planet who doesn't have her own blog?  I know I'm hip and all, but something was just missing.  Until now ...