Hannah’s Irritation

By Nina Medrano –

We can discern God’s seasons in life by seeing what is going on in the natural setting. Then we can see the parallel take place in the spirit.

For instance, for the past few weeks, we have been experiencing record counts of rainfall throughout our great state of Texas. In parallel, I have noticed every day as I read the Word of God pearls of truth are reigning down into my spirit. One of these pearls of truth comes from the story of Hannah’s irritation, found in 1 Samuel 1:3-7 (NIV):
Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.

Have you ever had a rival in your life that just irritates you every time he or she enters the room? Even when you take this issue to the Lord in prayer, this person continues to provoke you to the point of stress.

By definition, rivals compete against you. And a rival can be anyone or anything: a family member, a new boss, a home project, a work deadline, a budget and yes, even a ministry. When a rival’s provocation endures for a length of time, we tend not to see the greater work of God that is being done in us through the process of irritation.

When I think of the word “irritate,” the word picture that comes to mind is natural pearls. Pearls form when some type of irritant enters the mussel or oyster shell. As a defense mechanism, the oyster secretes nacre in layers, surrounding the irritant; resulting in some of the worlds most beautiful pearls of great price.

I have had plenty of irritants my life, but, unlike Hannah, I had not always responded to them in a way that was pleasing to God. Thank God for His mercy that is new every morning.

Recently, a new irritant has entered my life. This time around, I responded differently. Instead of complaining and whining, I prayed blessing and wisdom and favor over this person’s life. And, instead of resisting or pushing away or worse, walking away from the irritation as I always do, I struggled to see this person’s value to Him.

In the end, surrendering to God’s process of irritation is difficult. We are such strong-willed humans—dying to self does not come willingly. I am humbled by God’s overriding grace that continues to work in our character.

The Apostle Paul, no stranger to irritants, states this process so well

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessel, to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4: 6-10, NIV).

Nina Medrano, a native Texan, writes short inspirational stories for women and children and leadership articles for the workplace.

Are You Too Busy to Squeeze Fitness Into Your Day?

By Laurette Willis –

Is it a challenge to squeeze fitness into your day? There are ways to incorporate health and fitness for spirit, soul and body into your day—and actually have more time and energy to do all you’re called to do.

Hectic schedules seldom leave time for two very important parts of a well-balanced life: our relationship with God and keeping our bodies strong and healthy. God wants us to put Him first. Yet before I made time with the Lord a daily priority, I wondered why I never seemed to have enough time. Without realizing it, the rest of my life was suffering because I didn’t have my priorities in the right order. But when I began investing time in my relationship with the Lord first, I found the peace and wisdom to handle whatever came my way the rest of the day.

Faith AND Fitness!

Why not combine the two—faith and fitness? The Lord delights to be a part of everything we do—even exercise! One woman I know respectfully calls Him her “Personal Trainer.” Suddenly physical activity is no longer drudgery but an extension of our worship time with Him. In His presence, the joy of the Lord lifts and strengthens us spiritually, emotionally and physically.

Here are 5 quick ideas to make the most out of a short amount of time:

1. Cut workouts in half and squeeze in a 10- or 20-minute session instead of your normal workout. These mini-workouts can still produce lasting results and keep you from putting off working out until tomorrow, the day after or next week. Make use of the time you DO have.

2. Get up a little earlier. Either ask the Lord to awaken you earlier, or set the alarm clock 30 minutes earlier to pray and get a workout in before your day starts.

3. Lunch break: Divide your lunch hour in half and devote 30 minutes to exercise before you eat. Curb your appetite and boost your metabolism at the same time!

4. Nap time: If you have children at home, squeeze in a 10- or 15-minute workout while they’re napping.

5. Commercial break: Instead of vegging out in front of the TV, use the three to five minutes during the commercials to get some exercise in. I keep my exercise mat and rebounder (mini-trampoline) in the living room so I can stretch or bounce-bounce-bounce through some of my favorite TV shows.

Better yet, speak aloud your Bible-based confessions for the day while working out, walking, running on the treadmill…you get the idea! Combine faith and fitness in every way you can.

Changing Your “Want To”

What is your “want to”? Make a decision to add at least 20 minutes of exercise into your day (30-60 minutes is even better!). Commit your decision to the Lord and ask Him to help you. I guarantee, you’ll quit saying that you are too busy. Instead, you’ll suddenly find you are able to have a few minutes here and there that you can devote to becoming a “Fit Witness for Christ!”

Christian Fitness Expert Laurette Willis is the Director of PraiseMoves Fitness Ministry (http://praisemoves.com). Hear the latest in faith and fitness at http://ChristianFitnessTeleseminar.com. Get her free “21-Day Christian Fitness Program” and “Fit Favorites Devotional” http://praisemoves.com.

Summer Plans

By Caro Jackson –

“Laughter is the beginning of prayer,” states a quote I read yesterday on my wonderful calendar. I think it might be better than a bumper sticker, and I hope that you will find something to laugh about today.

We are traveling on the road, escaping the heat, and have settled into cooler climes. We have some friends here, who make it all the more delightful. The weather is awesome with cool mornings and warm afternoons and a touch of rain thrown in. My husband has already found some streams to fish, and I have been able to go on my own to paint, yea! I have already read three books, which may be a record—ought to be caught up for various book clubs.

We left our home base with the idea that this would be good time to try to drop those extra pounds that seem to follow us around. South Beach seemed to be a good way to start so we vowed to begin after our weekend in the Texas mountains with friends. Thank goodness, because I would have missed the desserts that we shared with good friends. So off we went toward Colorado, studying the method to become mere shadows of our former selves. Right!

When I began telling the driver, who shall remain nameless, what was NOT on the list, the light went out of his eyes and he began to feel weakness in his knees. After several meals, he said he felt like he was going to die. You do feel a little devoid of energy. Could be the fact that you are getting no sugar.

When we arrived here, we were met by friends we had met last year who came to greet us. Of course, they immediately invited us for a cocktail which is a no-no. Not good. Three days and we were back to the beginning. No longer able to blame the lack of energy on the altitude, we began a modified version which will probably not modify us enough, but it is a start.

We were invited to dinner the second night at the home of good friends who have a knockout house on a hill with a view to kill, and we were presented with fried chicken, mashed potatoes and corn from a special restaurant here. Wanting to be the perfect guests, we dug in and vowed to start dieting another day.

Breakfast is about the only thing under my control and we have altered it as well. I am convinced that the only way for us to actually get through the first two weeks is to lock the two of us up at home and throw away the key. So I have renamed ours the “trailer trash” diet and we are moving on doing the best that we can with a tiny fridge and three pans.

We are off to the mountains today with friends so perhaps we will add a little more exercise to the mix although the dogs make me take a long walk each day. I guess the bottom line is just to enjoy where we are, do what we can, and remember to laugh. Have a great week!

The Debt I Could Not Pay

By Heather Allen –

Last week my son Noah and I had a conflict of interests. I was interested in him obeying.  He was interested in playing and ignored what I asked him to do. After ten minutes of discussion and internal prayer, I sat him down. I looked into his bright teary eyes and told him the consequences of his continued disobedience: a week without any video games.

The week before this fairly normal event, I read through a few pages of parenting tips.  On occasion I have given a consequence and then released my child in order to show what mercy is. But one of the tips I read took that idea a step further, encouraging parents to take their children’s consequences from time to time. As much as I like Tetris, it is a rarity for me to play video games. But my, oh my how I love a hot bath after a long day.

I looked at his sad face and felt compassion. I said I would take his discipline. I would forego a pleasure bath for one week. Honestly, I am not sure what response I was hoping for, but  he smiled and said, “You mean I can play video games?”  I repeated what redemption is, and why we need it. I thought about pulling out a dry erase board for some illustrations. He looked so happy. Surely, he does not understand how much I like baths!

I did not expect my older children, lingering nearby, to offer to take the consequences by giving up what was important to them. One thought ran through my head as I asked them to join us at the table—I should have thought this through.  I felt we were standing on the brink of great spiritual understanding and I was not sure which direction to go.

If I were having this conversation with God, what would he emphasize? I spent moments throughout the day thinking about this.

I talked to my husband about it as I climbed into bed and kept talking as he snored. Do I remind Noah that his sin costs more than a bath and an apology? Does God remind me of my sin to reveal his salvation?

Romans 7:7 says we know what sin is because of the law. The Ten Commandments are the law. If we break one of these, we have broken them all. Saying sorry does not cover it.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood” (Romans 3:23-25, NIV).

Sometimes I will be able to carry my children’s consequences but I cannot atone for their sin. Correction can be used to show children their need for a Savior, even if it takes awhile for them to understand. In our case, it meant showing Noah that God’s word says children are to obey their parents. When he chooses not to, he not only disobeys me, he disobeys God.

When he understands he has sinned against God, my son can also understand there is a consequence. The consequence of his sin is death. The only one who can cover this debt is Christ. And He already has.

God exposes sin, to reveal his love. Christ died to pay a debt I could not. Salvation is miraculous and beautiful only to those who know how badly they need it. The law exposes sin and grace covers it, remembering it no more.

“Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him” (Romans 4:7-8, NIV).

Heather Allen spends most of her time caring for her hubby and three kids.  Check out her blog at http://www.thebloodknot.blogspot.com.

The Stress Effect and Your Health

By Don Otis –

I was having dinner recently with a friend who works for our local power plant. He told me that half of his employees are on anti-depressants. Pharmaceuticals have become a way of like for many, if not most Americans.

When I went in for a treadmill test last year, a nurse asked me to fill out a form explaining which medications I was on. After I turned it in, she said, “Excuse me, I think you missed a section.” I didn’t miss the section; I just didn’t have anything to put in there. I asked her if this was unusual. She said, “Everybody is on something these days.”

Stress is a killer. Stress will tear you down physically, emotionally and spiritually. According to a new book, The Healing Code, stress is directly linked to 95 percent of all illnesses. Stress is linked to cancer, emotional disorders and even heart disease. The long terms effects of stress are enormous. As Christ-followers, we may believe that we should be impervious to stress. I disagree. As humans, we live in a fallen and broken world where stress predominates. The question isn’t whether we will have stress; it is how we deal with the stress.

If stress is prolonged, it weakens our immune systems. When our immune systems are unable to perform as God designed them, our physical defenses are unable to ward off sickness, disease and viruses.

Many of us live in a continual state of fight or flight, grabbing breakfast on the run, driving to work in stressful traffic, working through our lunch breaks, running kids to school or sports, committee meetings, small groups–you name it. We live hurried and harried lives. This lifestyle takes a toll on us. It saps us of our energy, keeps us from sleeping soundly and can even put pressure on our relationships.

Over time, this stress leaves us vulnerable to disease. But what can we do?

First, as followers of Christ, we lean into Him and on Him. He says, “Come unto Me all, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV). He knows we worry and stress over life and He gives us hope in Himself.

The second thing you can do is to become active. I remember years ago when my father was in such depression that he was curled in a fetal position inside a room in my house for days. The room was dark. He refused to eat or to get up. One day I finally said, “Dad, I’m going to the running track and you’re going with me!” He did. I ran and he walked. It was the turning point for him. All of us feel overwhelmed at times. We just want to run away or medicate ourselves into numbness. Don’t.

When we exercise, we combat the stress in our lives, build our immune systems, and send oxygen-rich blood to our brains and extremities. The stress-effect will destroy us while the exercise-effect will help cleanse the impurities from our bodies. The more we elevate our heart rates through aerobic exercise (walking, biking, swimming, running, hiking), the more we build our heart and lung muscles. We also send the cleansing stream of blood pulsating through our bodies, which helps clean out our delivery systems.

Life is tough. Stress is toxic. God has given us avenues to overcome.

Don S. Otis (don@veritasincorporated.com) is an ACE Certified personal trainer, the author of Keeping Fit after 40 and Whisker Rubs: Developing the Masculine Identity. He is the president of Veritas Communications, a Christian publicity agency based in Canon City, Colorado.

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