Letting Go to Take Hold

By Rosemary Flaaten –

Letting go is hard for me, especially when it is something very precious to me or has brought significance to my life. Although I’ve heard the saying that from the moment a child is born we are preparing them to leave us, the process of letting go isn’t easy. It seems like only a few sleeps ago that I chose to let go of my firstborn, who was three hours old, so the neonatal nurse could take him to the nursery. Then there was his first day of preschool, feeling like my arms were heavy in their emptiness as I walked alone to the parking lot. The stakes were even higher on his first day of middle school. The realization that this was truly the beginning of the end of my hold on him brought moisture to my eyes and tightness to my gut.

Not too long ago, tears dripped down my cheeks as I commiserated with a mother’s emotions as she described her sense of loss as she pinned her son’s corsage on his wedding tuxedo. She had to let go in order for her son to grasp onto to what lay ahead of him. She realized that no man can be held by both his mother and his wife. It was her job to let go.

This truth permeates our lives. How many times have we tried to take hold of something new without letting go of the old? We must move our belongings and leave an old house in order to move in and fully live out of our new home and neighborhood. We must let go of the emotional ties to our old job and move with conviction and perseverance into our new opportunities. When we ask Christ to be our Lord and Savior, we leave the old life that is ruled by sin and take hold of the grace and love that God offers through His Son. One stage must be left behind in order to move into the next.

The apostle Paul gives his version of this life reality when he says, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13, 14 NIV).

Has God put before you something new for 2011? Is there something that has brought you pleasure, significance or meaning this past year, last month or even yesterday but you sense that today God is saying He has a new thing. Don’t get stuck in a rut where you continue to do something simply because of tradition or comfort. Be open to change. Be alert to where God is at work and then set about to join Him. To do so you may need to let go of the old so you can take hold of the new. Change is propelled by the movement of the Holy Spirit. Be alert! Be Present!

PRAYER: God, may our hearts be open and receptive to listening and discerning the movement of Your Spirit and then may we have the courage to obediently follow You.

Verse:  “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand new. It’s bursting out!  Don’t you see it” (Isaiah 43:18,19 MSG).

Today’s Devotional is by Rosemary Flaaten. Her successful book, A Woman and Her Relationships helps women process their outside-of-work relationships, so now she’s delving into these 9-5 relationships in A Woman and Her Workplace. Her Relationships book won The Word Guild Award, which is Canada’s top Christian literary honor. A dynamic speaker—Rosemary challenges women of all professions to view their work as a calling and their workplaces as opportunities to live out Christ’s love. Rosemary lives with her husband and three children in Calgary, Canada.

Would Anyone Know You Are Related To Him?

By Susan Dollyhigh –

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18).

As I made a drive-through deposit at the bank, I noticed that the teller kept looking up at me. As she returned the deposit slip to the metal bin, she said, “You sure remind me of a girl I went to school with.”

I asked her what the girl’s name was and the teller looked down as she tried to recall a name from long ago. Suddenly she looked up, smiled and said, “Geraldine Atkins.”

Time seemed to stop as I comprehended her words. Then I shared with her that my mother, Geraldine Atkins Shelton, had recently passed away.

With a smile the teller said, “She was such a sweet girl.”

The conversation left me feeling so many emotions. Sadness that my mother is gone. Happiness that I had talked to someone who knew her as a girl. Thankfulness that my mother had such a sweet and gentle spirit. And just a little pride that this stranger could tell that I was related to her.

As we go through life, others are looking to see who we might be related to. I hope that those I encounter might think, you know, she sure reminds me of Someone. I hope that there’s enough of Him and so little of me that His light shines through. I hope they can see His sweet and gentle spirit living in me. And if anyone ever asks if I’m related to a carpenter from Galilee, I’m sure going to feel just a little pride as I answer, “Yes.”

Benefits of Physical (and Spiritual) Cardio Training

By Laurette Willis –

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23 KJV). This proverb of King Solomon’s is not referring to physical cardio training, but spiritual. We want to keep watch over what we are meditating on in our heart.

Is there unforgiveness or bitterness? Envy? Worry? If so, the answer is to exercise…. Exercise forgiveness, repentance and then cast your cares upon the Lord.

Being what I call a “Fit Witness” is wonderful not only for you—but the people around you! And they will want to know your secret. You can begin explaining your blessing with words like, “by the grace of God,” and then mention how you like to combine faith and fitness (such as doing PraiseMoves or prayer-walking).

As a child of God, you are a steward or caretaker of the body the Lord has given you. Did you know your body actually belongs to Him? “For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20 KJV). Both your spirit and your body are God’s property. Don’t let that scare you if you haven’t been taking as good care of His property as you could. Instead, realize He has a vested interest in helping you take care of your body! Ask Him to help you.

Physical Cardio Training
Cardiovascular training involves any activity that requires the use of the large muscle groups of the body in a regular and uninterrupted manner. It elevates the heart rate between 60 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. Some examples of cardio training include brisk walking, running, aerobics, cycling, elliptical training and rowing.

How Much Cardio
Most experts agree that cardiovascular training should last for 20 to 60 minutes, with the normal range being 30 to 40 minutes per session. Cardio should be performed a minimum of three days per week, with four to five days being optimal.

The Benefits of Cardio Training

• Burns calories
• Lose excess body fat
• Strengthens heart and lungs
• Elevates your mood—a real blues buster!
• Adds variety to your workout routine

When to Do Cardio Training
Most people find exercising earlier in the day is best. It helps them not to put it off. Some find after work is best for them. But any time you purpose to exercise is fine—just do it! Here are some tips:

• Avoid doing cardio exercises before bedtime. If you do, you may have a difficult time sleeping as the energy level of the body will be elevated for a while.
• If you are doing weight training too, try doing some cardio exercises right after, not before.
• A protein shake 30 minutes before cardio ensures you’ll have energy and won’t burn muscle protein during your workout.
• Exercise 2 hours after a larger meal.

Combine Physical and Spiritual Cardio
Select a scripture for the day and meditate on it while you are working out. Consider the scripture piece-by-piece and ask the Holy Spirit (our Teacher and Guide) to reveal hidden truths to you.

Build your faith muscles by speaking the scripture out loud as you are working out so you can hear yourself saying it. Remember, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17 KJV).

Combining these two forms of cardio exercise will thus ensure you will keep your physical and spiritual heart with all diligence.

Christian Fitness Expert Laurette Willis is the Director of PraiseMoves Fitness Ministry (http://PraiseMoves.com and on Facebook http://bit.ly/aAlS4u ). Take part in her free monthly teleseminars at http://ChristianFitnessTeleseminar.com .

Unidentified Flying Dog

By Sherri Holbert –

Imagine a soft ball of white, hyper fur who answers to the name Roxy. She was one of my favorite pets. She was a fluffy, spirited, extremely loving Eskimo Spitz. She was predictable. She had specific routines that she stuck to day after day. She loved to eat—a girl after my own heart.

Her morning routine at breakfast time was a sight to see. She looked liked a cotton ball on steroids running the 100 yard dash. The minute the garage door opened she would bounce off the front porch, fly at rocket speed around the corner of the house, bolt to the edge of the eight-foot-tall retaining wall, skid through the turn and cross the finish line with a catapulting jump off the low end of wall that landed her onto our driveway—very close to the food bowl.

One particular cold winter day, Roxy bolted out the door on her 100 yard food dash. Only this morning was different. A new twist to her dash soon caught poor Roxy’s undivided attention. A thin layer of black ice had carpeted the wall. As the song goes, “You can only imagine” the flying cotton ball on steroids in an instant had a new identity. She was now a spastic four-legged UFD (Unidentified Flying Dog). As she flew off the high side of the retaining wall her eyes were as wide as saucers! She was experiencing sheer panic as she tried to understand how to make four paws flap like wings of eagles.

Unsuccessful as a UFD, Roxy recovered from her brief identity crisis and by the next morning she was back to her typical self.

Roxy had her routines, things she did every day. I think we are the same way. We get comfortable in the fast paced secure routine of life. Sometimes, God has to send some “black ice” our way to get our attention. He changes our direction, gives us an unexpected circumstance and, yes, even sends us catapulting through the air in sheer panic. Why? So He can remind us of His identity and who we are in Him. He wants to shake us from our routines; our comfortable life, so we can experience His strength, His comfort, His presence.

So, whatever “black ice” you are experiencing today, just remember it is there for a purpose.

PRAYER: Father, thank you for the unexpected things that You bring into my life. Help me to seek You during my trials so I may become the person You desire me to be.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4 NLT).

Today’s devotion is by Donna McCrary and Sherri Holbert. As Life Coaches, they equip women to discover their life purpose. Learn more about their study DIVAS of the Divine: How to live as a Designer Original in a Knock Off World at: www.walkofpurpose.com.

Book Review: Through the Fire

Thorough the Fire
Written by Shawn Grady
Reviewed by Nora St. Laurent –

Back Cover: Firefighting burns in Aidan O’Neill’s blood. The son of a fireman, O’Neill has a sixth sense about fire and often takes dangerous risks. When one act of disobedience nearly gets a rookie killed, O’Neill is suspended. His weeks off are supposed to be a time to reflect, but instead he escapes to Mexico, where another rash act of bravery actually kills him. But only for a few minutes.

Review: Wow, I just finished reading Through the Fire.  I’m thankful for the review copy of this fascinating, enlightening book. I realized how clueless I was as to what firefighters go through day-in and day-out to save peoples lives and risk their own! It’s astounding!

Only someone who’s been in a firefighter’s shoes could show the realistic side of this demanding, sacrificial job that most of us take for granted. Shawn Grady’s been in the fire as a firefighter in Reno, for many years, which gives him a unique perspective. As I read, I felt as if I were in Aiden’s skin and the enemy he faced. Shawn describes fire, “The fire danced. It mocked. It shot from the room with wicked lit fingers, clawing and scratching, curling around my air bottle. It tugged at me, pulling me to it. Flame edges whipped down the walls, forming a sickle in the air, swinging in a slow arc down toward my sternum.” Now that’s a perspective only a firefighter on the scene could write. Shawn gives you a glimpse of fire gone crazy; it’s a horrifying, fascinating, terrible thing. The fire’s sole desire is to consume everything in sight. It’s surreal, chilling, and unbelievable.

This author pens a suspenseful, action packed story filled with intrigue as Aiden tries to track down the Arsonist that killed his father. Aiden’s obsession to right a wrong and his self-destructive lifestyle has everyone worried. His dad was good at what he did. He had to make sense of this tragedy.

Aiden was angry at God letting his dad die. Aiden knew his father trusted God and now he was dead! Aiden wasn’t going to go that route. He would stay far away from God. He would be in control of his own life, he didn’t need anyone. It was just him and the fire. Firefighters are a strange breed. While anyone in their right mind runs from fires. Firefighters, on the other hand seem drawn into the flame. In Aiden’s case, he got into the ring with the fire to win one more round. I learned how critical it was for a firefighter to be aware of his surroundings, use all of his senses and think quickly on his feet to save his life and the life of others.

What a fascinating, suspenseful, captivating story, with complex believable characters. I found myself rooting for them to save the victims and for both to live another day. I couldn’t put this book down until the mystery was solved. Can’t wait to read his new book Tomorrow We Die.

Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network
www.bookfun.org

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