Detox

Detox: To rid the body of poisonous substances.
Poison kills, we all know this.  So it would only make since to get poison out of our bodies. 
If you think of your body, not just as your physical body, but of everything that makes you who you are then you find that there are many parts to your body and there are many things that can poison your body.
There are things that poison our physical, mental, spiritual, emotional and social selves.
When I did the Daniel Fast, it was about detoxing all parts of myself.  But why should we get rid of the poisons in our body?  What purpose does in serve?
I think that the reason can be found in the word: Sanctify.
The generic meaning of sanctification is "the state of proper functioning." To sanctify someone or something is to set that person or thing apart for the use intended by its designer.
In the Bible, we are called over and over again to sanctify ourselves.  And one of the first places to start, is with detoxing.  You were made for a purpose, your body was made for a purpose, your mind was made for a purpose, but we put so much poison into our bodies and minds that we no longer function properly.

When you put poison into your body, you get sick, you feel tired, your mind is foggy, you can't think or function properly.   
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
So detoxing becomes necessary.  You have to get the poison out.  There are many programs out there for detoxing, some healthy and some not so healthy.  Below you will see what I use to detox. 

If you have never tried a detoxing program before, try one and see if you don't start feeling better.  But you must be committed to staying with a program for at least 10 days, three weeks or more would even be better.  Because often times when you detox, you feel worse before you feel better, so give yourself time.  Sometimes we are so saturated with poison, that we don't even realize that we don't feel great.  We have accepted how we feel as normal. 

Now besides physical detox there is Spiritual and Mental Detoxing.  What are you watching, listening to, reading?  
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Next time you are feeling out of sorts, not quite sure what is going on, think back on what you have put into your mind in the last day, week, month.   Does your mind need a detox? 

So finally, we live in a world where there are poisons all around us, some we can avoid and some we can not.  So why now try a detox starting today?   Do you need ideas? Support? Prayer?  Please contact, I am here to serve.

My physical detox is:

For complete details on how and why the Arbonne Detox program works, please email me for a free copy of the program. 

Is Jesus your Reason or your Excuse?

^{Romans 6:15
15} What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

Many times I have been counseling with someone only to have them say, "yes but God will forgive me".  And I think that, that was the same problem that Paul was dealing with in his letter to the Romans.  Do we knowingly sin because we know that we will be forgiven?  
I think that can be the excuse for people actively engaged in an activity that they know is wrong.  But on the other hand I think most Christians, if asked the question would say "No".   As least I would hope that they would say no.  But question I want to propose to you today is, "What is sin?"   

I believe that sin is anything that falls short of God's best for you.  Now there are some sins that are sin for everyone, and the Bible is very specific about those sins.  But some sins, may not be sins for everyone.  What is sin for me, may not be sin for you.  The sin comes when we are not living and doing what God has called us to do.  Look at Jonah, God called him to go to Nineveh, but instead Jonah decided to go a different way.  Not everyone was called to go to Nineveh, so not going to Nineveh would not be sin for everyone.  But Jonah was called and decided to run away from God's calling on his life and that was sin.

So what happens when God calls us?  Do we go immediately and do what God is calling us to do, or do we run away in the other direction?  Or maybe we don't run away, but we stay in the same place.  

God tells us that he has plans for our lives, plans that give us hope.  He has direction for us.  He has goals for us.  But how many of us, consult him when writing goals?  How many really seek him first or do we start out on our plans and directions and then ask God to bless it.  

Or are we so concern about knowing every last detail, that we never even get started?  Are we living our purpose?  

Jesus knew his purpose, and he lived that purpose to the end of his life on earth.  He was not distracted by everyday life, but was focused on what needed to be done.  Everything he did, was getting him to his ultimate purpose.  And he got to that purpose at exactly the right time.

Where do we fall in the spectrum of living our purpose?  Are we going the right direction?  Are we going the right speed?  Are we standing still?  or Are we running away from God's best for our lives?

Is Jesus our reason or our excuse?  Jesus tells us to follow him.  To watch him, to learn from him.  If we do that we see the Jesus was our perfect example or how to live our purpose.  Don't let the "love and mercy" of God, excuse you from being exactly who he made you to be.

If you are not sure what your purpose is, there are ways to discover your purpose.  
1. Know that your purpose will always align up with God's Word.  God is not going to call you to be or do anything that is against his word or commandments.
2. God gives each of us gifts and talents, so what had God already given you?  Now this may or may not be the ultimate determination, because sometimes God calls us out of our comfort zone in order to grow us into who he wants us to be.  Think of Moses, speaking was not a gift, he would probably of thought he had.  
3.  What is your passion, what concerns, ideas, thoughts keep you up at night?  What are you drawn to?   Now I'm not talking about what worries keep you up at night, but what concerns make you wish you could do something, change something, donate something, invent something?
4.  If there was no money involved what would you want to do?

Sometimes sitting down and just writing, using the questions above will lead you to where God wants you.  But we must also listen.  What is that nagging thought that just won't go away?  Maybe God is trying to tell you something.  Listen to other people, sometimes, if we are paying attention, you will get confirmation from others.  
God doesn't want his plans to allude us, he wants us to pursue them.  So if we ask and we listen he will tell us.  He won't tell us everything, so don't wait around for every last detail, but he will tell you enough to get started today, and then each day he will reveal more.

 

Fear is not an Option

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. II Timothy 1:7

Fear, it can over take us, it can stop us, it can cripple us, and it is not from God.  

Yesterday was a hard day, I just didn't feel like doing anything, but couldn't quite put my finger on what was wrong.  But then last night, I remembered the dream that I had the night before and God revealed to me what was causing me so much angst.

So here is my dream and what God and I talked about last night.  I hope it encourages you.

In my dream my husband and I were looking for a place to live.  We walked into this house and it was dark, ugly and dated.  It had dark wood paneling all over, even on the ceiling.  And although I hated the place, I was telling myself, well just be happy to have a place to live.  You'll get used to it.  

But then we walked out into the backyard and there in the backyard there was this beautiful walkway that lead to this beautiful glass building.  This place was so big and bright and cheery.  I wanted to go there immediately.  So I ran toward the walkway, but then I was stopped, I noticed that there were no sides on this walkway and it was extremely high.  Now you must know that I am terrified of heights, so I stopped on the steps to the walkway and just cried.  There across the walkway was this beautiful place, and here was I was, was this dark and dreary place.  Instead of going toward what I wanted, what was there for me to have, I let my fear overtake me and stop me.  

I woke up yesterday very sad and stayed like that all day.

Last night, as I was driving, God reminded my of my dream.  He reminded me that He wants more for my life.  He has more for my life.  This spirit of fear is not from Him, it is the enemy stopping me from having and being all that God has for me.  So God asked me, what are the fears that I have, that are preventing me from being what God made me to be?

1. Fear of Heights prevents me from enjoying God's beautiful world.  You would never find me looking at the Grand Canyon, or at the top of a mountain looking to the valley below.

2. Fear of looking stupid or appearing dumb, being wrong, keeps me from trying new things, asking questions, giving answers.

3. Fear of rejection keeps me from making phone calls, sharing what I do, talking to others, sharing who I am.  

Ok, well there are  probably more, but I think this is a good start.  So in order to stop my fears from controlling me, I will take control of them.  I will look out a window and enjoy the view.  I will ask more questions, try something new, make a fool of myself.  An I will make my phone calls.  I will call you even to just say hi, how are you?  

God has created me for greatness, he's created all of for greatness.  Please share your fears, that I may be able to pray for you, and if I can help in anyway, please contact me.  

Ok just looking at these pictures freaks me out.  But here they are.

A Privilege to Pray

Esther 4
¹⁰ Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: ¹¹ “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.” ¹² So they told Mordecai Esther’s words.

Esther 5

Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house.^{[a] 2} So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.

One day as I was speaking to this gentleman, he was telling me about some things that were going on in his life, and I asked if I could pray for him.  After I prayed, he thanked me and I told him that it was my privilege to pray for him.  This caught him off guard, and he asked, "Really?", yes I responded.

It is a privilege to be able to pray for someone one.  To be able to take your petition before the King of Kings.  You see coming before the king without being summoned first was something that was punishable by death.  If the king did not show you favor, it could be "Off with her head" time. 

And the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the God of this Universe invites us to come near, to come to the foot of His throne and bring your petitions.  You can petition on your own behalf, on behalf of someone else, the person you are petitioning for doesn't even have to know you are doing it, you don't even need to know the person directly or and get this, you don't even have to know what you are petitioning for.  You just have to come to the throne.  God knows what you are coming for, before any words leave your tongue.

God wants to hear your petition and God wants to grant your petitions.  God has already called for you to come near, won't you do so now? 

One thing that I have learned is that the best time to pray, is NOW.  So if someone asks for prayer, pray right then and there, don't wait for later, for often I have found, when I wait, I forget.  So if I am with someone, I pray for them right where we are.  You don't have to wait for a quiet place or be in a church, I have prayed for people in Starbucks, in a restaurant, in Barnes and Noble, on a bus, there is no place that God will not hear your petitions.

So I tell you, it would be a privilege to pray for you.  Please send me your requests.

What does favor look like?

But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.  Genesis 39:21

God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.  Daniel 1:9

You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit.  Job 10:12

When you think of someone who has favor what comes to mind.  I hear this a lot when people pray, God grant me favor, but what does in look like?  Does it mean that I am trouble free, that things are going my way, that I am successful, have great husband, family, home?  What does it mean?

I think sometimes, when we pray for favor, we are praying for the things listed above.  If God grants us favor then things will start going right in our lives. 

But as I read the Bible I have noticed favor doesn't necessarily look like what we might think. 

Joseph was a prisoner when we are told that God gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.  Wouldn't it had been better to just get him out of prison?  Isn't that what we want, Lord grant us favor by getting us out of this situation.  Take this prison that is holding my captive and remove me from it?  But God doesn't always do that, and even if He does, it may not be in our time. 

Daniel had been taken from his country and became a slave, is that favor? 

Then Job, who had everything taken, says that the Lord has granted him life and favor.

So while we are praying for favor, hoping that God will remove us from our circumstances, maybe, just maybe you have already have favor.  Maybe instead of praying for something to change, know the God is working in your life and has a purpose for what you are going through. 

When we stop looking for God to take us out of something, we can be open to what God is going to do in your life, right where you are. 

Rest in that assurance.  God has granted you life and favor. 

God bless you. 

Your First Love

^{Revelation 2:3-4}

³ and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. ⁴ Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Aww First Love, do you remember it?  Maybe not even your first love, but what about your current love?  Remember when you first met, first started talking, first went out?

It seems that as a relationship goes on, we tend to stop doing the things and enjoying the things that we did when we first got together.  No longer do we get butterflies when we hear his voice, talk for hours on the phone, look for ways to just run into her.  

You know it can be the same with God.  Remember how you felt when you first became a Christian?  Remember wanting to read your Bible just to see what God had to say to you.  Praying just to talk to God and let Him know how you day was going?  

I hope you have memories like this, but if not, may I say fall in love with God.  He's been wanting that since before He created you.  He wants to be the first one you talk to not the last one, when all else fails.  It's amazing what happens when you really fall in love with God.  This week I was driving in my car, talking and praising God, and I actually was feeling giddy.  I felt like a school girl falling for her first crush.  
I was thanking God for all his blessings.  It is amazing the peace you feel, and the blessings you see, and the things you are thankful for when you just relax in the love of God.  

So why not spend some time with God today and really fall in love with him.  

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National Day of Prayer

2 Chronicles 7:14
if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Today is the National Day of Prayer here in the USA.  I have only recently come to be what I would classify as a prayer warrior.  In the past, I always listen to people pray and thought, I would love to pray like them, they sound so great when they pray.  Or I wished that I was the one, who said, let's pray and then just did it, right where I was at.  But God has a way of changing a person and helping you become who you never thought that you were.

Like making Moses a great speaker, or Gideon a great warrior, that is one of the remarkable things about God.

So God has called me to pray.  But if you read the verse from II Chronicles, He has called all of his people to pray.

It's noteworthy to notice that God does not say, "If my people elect the right people" or "If the whole nation prays", no God only calls on His people to pray, and then not only must His people pray they must also seek God's Face and turn from our wicked ways.  Again, God does not call for the Nation to turn from their wicked ways, although that would be a good thing, but first it must start with His people.

So what about you, is God calling you to pray?  Why not start today, on the National Day of Prayer.  But before you can pray, you must humble yourself.   To humble means to bend a knee, to bring low into submission.  We must know our position with God, bring ourselves low to Him and submit to His will.
And then we are called to seek God's Face.  Basically we are to search Him out, to strive after Him, beseech Him, request, inquisition.  When was the last time your prayer life was like that, on your knees, beseeching God, inquisitioning God for his will,  wanting to submit to His will?  And finally turning from our wicked ways.  I know, I thought "wicked" I'm not wicked.  But wicked is just something bad, naughty, hurtful, harmful, grievous. 

But then the promise, God's wonderful promise to us, He will forgive our sin and He will heal our land  Like I said before, it will not be a politician that heals our land, it will not be Greenpeace, or the United Nations, it will be God.

So on this National Day of Prayer, will you take time to pray?  Will you humble yourself before God?  He's calling us to, each of us.  Maybe today God will turn you into a prayer warrior.