LOOK TO JESUS

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

In the Greek games, a judge would stand at the finish line holding, in 'plain sight, the laurel leaves that would be rewarded to the victor. As runners came down the final stretch, they were exhausted, tired, and feeling as though they couldn't go another step.

But suddenly there was the prize in sight, and a new burst of energy would kick in.

This is the picture behind the phrase "looking unto Jesus" in Hebrews 12:2. We have to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ. And our prize is the privilege of standing before Him and receiving the crown of righteousness that He will give us.

That is why we live the Christian life, why we try to live godly lives, and why we try to reach people for Him. It isn't for earthly riches. It isn't for applause. It isn't for notoriety. It is so we can hear Jesus say to us on that final day, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

It isn't to earn His approval, because as believers, we already have found it. But it is to ultimately say, "Lord, I took the life you gave me and tried to make a difference. Here it is. I offer it to you."

"Looking unto Jesus.... " That is what keeps you going even when the going gets though. You can get discouraged at times. People will let you down. They will disappoint you. They won't appreciate your hard work. They won't see your efforts. They won't see your real motives.

So they will criticize you. That is when you remind yourself, "I am not running for any human being. I am running for the Lord. And I will not give up. I will keep running till I see His face."

Prayer: I look up to You, Lord, my strength, the author and finisher of my faith.

Scriptural Reading: Hebrews 12:1-13

LET THERE BE ORDER

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2

After God created the earth, something happened to disturb its peace. The earth we are introduced to in this passage was in a state of chaos. It was not a state to accommodate all the great things that God wanted to put on it.

It was all water, had no atmosphere and no land for plants to grow or animals to roam.

• Without form - waste, confused, desolate. It means to be in a state where you did not fulfil any useful purpose.

• Void - empty, blank, unused. It means to be unoccupied.

• Darkness - unilluminated, obscure, vague.

The state of chaos that the earth was in did not imply that God did not create it. We learn in verse one that God created the earth.
In addition to the fact that the earth was created by God, it had the Spirit of God hovering over it.

The Holy Spirit was actively present on the earth. What does that tell us? It tells us the simple truth that, it is possible to be born of God and impacted by the Holy Spirit and still has your life out of order.

Order is the state in which everything functions productively in its divine and proper place. Simply speaking, order is 'To set things in their right place'.

God's first task on earth as recorded in the first chapter of Genesis was to bring order into a chaotic earth. That should also be our commitment as we begin this New Year.

Indeed, it should be our commitment throughout the whole year. May the Lord order your ways this year.

Prayer: Lord, please bring order to every chaotic condition in my life.

Scriptural Reading: Genesis 1:1-5

Don’t Allow The World Make You Hard

I choose gentleness… Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.”― Max Lucado

When God made me, He made a girl who loves, loves, loves for everyone around her to be happy. A girl that wears her heart on her sleeve and is gentle in speech, in action, and in touch. Before I really knew God, I totally was run over by emotions 24/7. I try to be thoughtful in everything I do and say, so when people weren’t as thoughtful back, it just rocked my emotions-I didn’t and couldn’t understand why they weren’t as thoughtful as I was! I really started to focus on not being so ‘weak’, because to me, gentleness, kindness, and thoughtfulness are perceived as weakness to others.

 I was becoming cold and callused by things of the world because I didn’t allow myself to show my soft side any longer because I was tired of being hurt by other people’s actions. I wanted off the emotional roller coaster. When someone wasn’t kind to me, I was rude back. When someone, knowingly or not, gave me a mean look-I gave one back. I was slowly but surely conforming to the world because it was much easier to simply just not care. Little did I know that I was actually choosing to constantly be hurt which snowballed to where I was choosing to be bitter about it all. I chose to let their actions affect me instead of choosing to look to God to see who I really was in Him. I look back and see how vicious this cycle was and realize now how happy I am that I finally turned to God.

“You are the only you God made… God made you and broke the mold.” -Max Lucado

As my relationship with God grew, I learned that I Am What He Says I am and I don’t have to conform to the world just to function. I was created in His image!! (Genesis 1:27) God softened my heart and returned it to its original state, and then some. I stand confidently on the promises that He has made me and I now can say that I can be gentle and kind and loving to everyone and still be More than A Conqueror through Christ. I no longer let the actions of others affect my emotions and the only expectations I have of people are good ones. When it seems as though someone has ‘let me down’, I really try to let it go because I am not a perfect person myself, and their actions don’t and shouldn’t matter to me.

I can be sure to tell you though, that this change wasn’t me. It was God working in me to renew my heart and mind. Now I can look at myself in the mirror and realize that all the qualities that I once thought of as weaknesses are beautiful. I love that in a world that can be so cruel, I can be soft and kind. In a world jam-packed with mean and harsh people, I can be gentle and sweet with all that I come into contact with. I have not accepted the calluses and ‘truths’ that life tries to give me because I am not of this world and God’s word is my truth. In all the times that my actions should have let God down, they didn’t and He has continued to love me all the same. Stop choosing bitterness and callousness, choose love today.

(Psalm 139:14) “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.”
Source: KAIT WALLA-The praying woman

 

Control Your High Blood Pressure With These Ten Tips

1. Make sure your blood pressure is under 140/90 mm Hg. If your systolic pressure (the top number) is over 140, ask your doctor what you can do to lower it.

2. Take your high blood pressure medicine, if prescribed, every day. If you have questions, talk to your doctor.

3. Aim for a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese, carrying this extra weight increases your risk of high blood pressure. One way to determine if you need to lose weight is to find out your body mass index or BMI. If your BMI is above the healthy range (i.e., 25 or greater), or if your waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (women) or 40 inches (men) you probably have excess abdominal weight and you may benefit from weight loss especially if you have other risk factors. Talk to your doctor to see if you are at increased risk for high blood pressure and need to lose weight.

4. Increase your physical activity. Do at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, such as walking, most days of the week. You can do 30 minutes in three 10-minute segments.

5. Choose foods low in salt and sodium. Most Americans should consume no more than 2.4 grams (2,400 milligrams) of sodium a day. That equals 6 grams, about one teaspoon of table salt a day. For someone with high blood pressure, the doctor may advise less.

6. Read nutrition labels. Almost all packaged foods contain sodium. Every time you prepare or eat a packaged food, know how much sodium is in one serving.

7. Keep a sodium diary. You may be surprised at how much sodium you consume each day and the diary will help you decide which foods to decrease or eliminate.

8. Use spices and herbs instead of salt to season the food you prepare at home.

9. Eat more fruits, vegetables, grains, and low-fat dairy foods.

10. If you consume alcohol at all, consume moderate amount or restrict or Don*t drink a lot words are enough for the wise...

 

KISS SOMEONE BEFORE YOU GO

The subway train sways back and forth, its wheels screeching more fiendishly than ever against the tracks. Outside the window the freezing cold of winter rules and the dreary bay looks like a yawning abyss as the train rumbles across it. The carriage is filled with frozen self-centered, bored passengers. Good morning!

Suddenly a little boy pushes his way in between discourteous grown-up legs – the kind that only grudgingly make room for you. While his father stays by the door, the boy sits next to the window, surrounded by unfriendly, morning-weary adults.

What a brave child, I think.

As the train enters a tunnel, something totally unexpected and peculiar happens. The little boy slides down from his seat and puts his hand on my knee. For a moment, I think that he wants to go past me and return to his father, so I shift a bit. But instead of moving on, the boy leans forward and stretches his head up towards me. He wants to tell me something, I think. Kids! I bend down to listen to what he has to say. Wrong again! He kisses me softly on the cheek.

Then he returns to his seat, leans back and cheerfully starts looking out of the window. But I’m shocked. What happened? A kid kissing unknown grown-ups on the train? To my amazement, the kid proceeds to kiss all my neighbors.

Nervous and bewildered, we look questioningly at his father, “He’s so happy to be alive,” the father says. “He’s been very sick.”

The train stops and father and son get down and disappear into the crowd. The doors close. On my cheek I can still feel the child’s kiss – a kiss that has triggered some soul-searching. How many grown-ups go around kissing each other from the sheer joy of being alive? How many even give much thought to the privilege of living? What would happen if we all just started being ourselves?
By Big-Sis

THE HEART ATTACKS & WATER

How many folks do you know who say they don't want to drink anything before going to bed because they'll have to get up during the night.
Heart Attack and Water - I never knew all of this! Interesting.......
Something else I didn't know ... I asked my Doctor why people need to urinate so much at night time. Answer from my Cardiac Doctor - Gravity holds water in the lower part of your body when you are upright (legs swell). When you lie down and the lower body (legs and etc) seeks level with the kidneys, it is then that the kidneys remove the water because it is easier. This then ties in with the last statement!

I knew you need your minimum water to help flush the toxins out of your body, but this was news to me. Correct time to drink water...
Very Important. From A Cardiac Specialist!
Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body
2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack
I can also add to this... My Physician told me that water at bed time will also help prevent night time leg cramps. Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp and wake you up with a Charlie Horse.

Mayo Clinic Aspirin Dr. Virend Somers, is a Cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic, who is lead author of the report in the July 29, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Most heart attacks occur in the day, generally between 6 A.M. and noon. Having one during the night, when the heart should be most at rest, means that something unusual happened. Somers and his colleagues have been working for a decade to show that sleep apnea is to blame.

1. If you take an aspirin or a baby aspirin once a day, take it at night.
The reason: Aspirin has a 24-hour "half-life"; therefore, if most heart attacks happen in the wee hours of the morning, the Aspirin would be strongest in your system.

2. FYI, Aspirin lasts a really long time in your medicine chest, for years, (when it gets old, it smells like vinegar).
Please read on...
Something that we can do to help ourselves - nice to know. Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve instantly on the tongue.
They work much faster than the tablets.
Why keep Aspirin by your bedside? It's about Heart Attacks.
There are other symptoms of a heart attack, besides the pain on the left arm. One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating; however, these symptoms may also occur less frequently.
Note: There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack.
The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep did not wake up. However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep.
If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.

Afterwards: - Call 911. - Phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by.- Say "heart attack!" - Say that you have taken 2 Aspirins.
Take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival and ...DO NOT LIE DOWN!
A Cardiologist has stated that if each person after receiving this e-mail, sends it to 10 people, probably one life could be saved!
I have already shared this information. What about you?
Do forward this message. It may save lives!
"Life is a one time gift"

Try These Dark-Chocolate Brownies with a Secret Healthy Twist ASAP

'Tis the season for eating, so we're always looking for ways to make our favorite treats a little healthier. Enter this brownie recipe by Rebecca Andexler, author of cooking, baking, and parenting blog A Homemaker's Habitat. Andexler created the dark-chocolate sweets in collaboration with Bush's, which explains their secret nutritious ingredient: black beans. The beans give the brownies an extra healthy fiber boost, and no one ever needs to know your secret.

ingredients
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 each large piece of parchment paper
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional topping)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional topping)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Line 8"x8"x2" baking pan with parchment paper and grease with butter.

3. Combine beans, chocolate chips, flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, oil and vanilla extract in bowl of food processor.

4. Secure food processor lid and blend until mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.

5. Spread batter evenly into prepared baking pan, using rubber spatula to scrape batter from bowl. If desired, sprinkle chocolate chips and walnuts evenly over top.

6. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of brownies comes out clean.

7. Remove pan from oven and allow brownies to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Servings: 16
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Culled from: shine.yahoocom