Day 21: Protecting Your Church

-
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval."  Romans 14: 17-18

The unity of God's children is the soul of fellowship.  He is looking for us to focus on what we have in common, be realistic in our expectations of others', resist gossip, encourage eachother, and support our religious leaders.  He is also looking for us to nip problems in the butt by going to the person the conflict is with rather than a thrid party.  It is about leading by example and being ever so humble when doing so.

We all know how hard it is to balance a lot of life's situations and people.  We often find ourselves picking other's apart, so much so we forget the things we have in common.  It could be a thing as little as your favorite food or music.  It is important to remember we are imperfect beings and most of our qwerks and flaws are the very things that make us who we are.  They are the things to celebrate because without them, you would not be unique.

I say we are all imperfect.  We all make mistakes.  It is important to realistic in our expectations of others'.  We all have an ideal of how things should go and how people should act.  We must be realistic with ourselves.  We cannot ask someone else to be perfect when we in fact are not.  We should be able to be in fellowship with many different personalities, cultures, and characters without divorcing them or the church.  There should always be a gap and/or balance of ideal and real.

Encouraging other's takes a lot of maturity.  So many of us, including myself, are quick to judge other's or place the blame on anyone but ourselves.  We are also quick to talk about it.  This takes us away from God, from fellowship, allows us to be judged, and let's loose our insecurities and pride.  We must learn to tame the beast of pride and insecurity by genuinely being happy for other's triumphs and winnings.  By also resisting the gossip that usually comes with it from our tongue or others'.  I am lucky to have met so many women and men willing to encourage each other even when they are on the same stage.  They are in fact part of the reason I decided to go beyond my judging and take the stage.  I am thankful each and every day.

Most importantly we should always support our leaders of God's words and wisdom.  They are the messengers which will at some point in time keep you on a Godly path or divert you from a godless one.  They are the ones torn between the human world and the divine and I can only imagine there are times where that is the most difficult place to be.  Be grateful we have messengers and guides for a world that sometimes seems to lose all hope.

"So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves."  Romans 14:22

Popular posts from this blog

2011 NPC JR NATIONALS: MissFits & Mayhem Give It Their All

-
Image
Hundreds of competitors flock to Chicago, Illinois for the 2011 NPC Junior Nationals Competition [about 30 of those competitors from Colorado].  When first getting the skinny on what was going on, only about 4-6 competitors from Colorado were called out for Top 10.  This is a huge feat as Erica Cobb pointed out "the competition is STIFF".  Erica competed in Bikini Class D with her team mates Jesse Lehman who competed Physique Class A and Lana Hofman who competed Figure Class E.  Though none of them earned their Pro Cards, they will make a comeback at the USAs in July. 10th Place Bikini Class D 7th Place Figure Class E 4th Place Physique Class A Congratulations MissFits & Mayhem on a beautiful performance.  You all worked very hard and know exactly what needs to be done to blow them out of the water in July. **Other Top 10 Colorado competitors included Alex Carneiro, his wife Katherine, and Christina Hefner
Read more

Say A Little Prayer For Me

-
Image
It was a busy day for The Gym as it began well before sunrise.  Lana Hofman, Erica Cobb, and Jesse Lehmen head to Chicago, IL with their coach, Chris Williamson, and The Gym support team to compete at NPC Junior Nationals.  Upon sending them off, Erica met me with a gleam in her eye and a huge smile.  "I just want Saturday to get here.  I'm feeling really good."  It was refreshing to see how pumped she was. What most people do not understand is this show is a qualifier for your Pro Card and by two weeks out; your body and mind are usually fighting themselves.  They ache, feel sick, mentally & physcially are drained, and sometimes fight to keep motivated.  It takes a lot for these competitors to compete let alone compete nationally.  I commend these athletes for their time commitment, their motivation even if they have a few doubts, and their willingness to be vulnerable in front of thousands of people.  They are some the strongest, most inspirational people . . . th
Read more

The Challenge: Melaleuca Sustain VS Gatorade G2 Low Calorie

-
Image
 VS   Electrolytes are the smallest of chemicals that are important for the cells in the body to function and allow the body to work. Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and others are critical in allowing cells to generate energy, maintain the stability of their walls, and to function in general. They generate electricity, contract muscles, move water and fluids within the body, and participate in myriad other activities. The concentration of electrolytes in the body is controlled by a variety of hormones, most of which are manufactured in the kidney and the adrenal glands. Sensors in specialized kidney cells monitor the amount of sodium, potassium, and water in the bloodstream. The body functions in a very narrow range of normal, and it is hormones like renin (made in the kidney), angiotensin (from the lung, brain and heart), aldosterone (from the adrenal gland), and antidiuretic hormone (from the pituitary) that keep the electrolyte balance within those normal limits. Ke
Read more