Spiritual Health

Living a Full Life with JOY!


Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40.31

Joy Johnson knew this passage of scripture well. She had a portion of this verse hanging on her wall in her kitchen. Joy died this week; one day after running her 25th New York Marathon, which took place on Sunday. Joy was an inspiration to many people. Not only because of her incredible accomplishments, but also because Joy was 86 when she ran her last race. This inspiring widow and former PE teacher was said to have lived up to her name. Her friends and family say she was a joy to be around, and brought others so much happiness. In 2011 she told USA Today, “I want to keep running as long as I can drop in my running shoes when the time comes.”
I'd say this is a woman who knew what it meant to live life to the fullest. A passion for the Lord, a passion for life and the things that brought her joy during her time here on this earth. I'd love to go out like this – living fully and enjoying every moment.

Jesus talks about this kind of life in John 10:10. He is talking to a group of teachers of the law – Pharisees, who often in scripture were rebuked by Jesus for thinking they had all the answers, who lived life by strict man-made laws and regulations. He says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
So... who is the “thief?” The thief is Satan, and he disguises himself in many different ways. Think of things that rob you of a full life. Like the Pharisees, it could be legalism or trying to keep up appearances. It could by an over-booked schedule, your unhealthy friendships that do nothing to build you up and encourage you, your procrastination or laziness, contentment or even greed.
I think of another story in the Bible of a runner of sorts. This man is described as 'a rich, young ruler.' Mark 10:17 says the man saw Jesus while he was on his way somewhere (isn't that a typical picture of Christ – always on a mission, but willing to help those who seek him out along the way). The man ran to Jesus and fell at his knees, asking what he was to do to enter the Kingdom of heaven. It was established that this man was a “good man,” and appeared to have lived a very full life. He was young and wealthy, he had a genuine desire for the Lord, but when Jesus asked him to give up the one thing that had such a grip on him – his wealth, the man walked away sad and unable to commit himself to the Lord.
A full life has nothing to do with our wealth, it's not measured by our trophy case (of which I have zero trophies, so thank goodness for that), it's not even necessarily measured by our accomplishments. I would define a full life as described in John 10.10 as living life with the joy of the Lord. For me, it's finding His purposes in all that I do and abiding by the word as I participate in things that interest me. The Lord definitely has a plan for each of us, and what joy is to be found when you are striving to live every day in the will of the Lord. I think it would be impossible to feel any other way than completely full of life when every step taken is one on the path of God's purposes. Step one: tie up your laces, ladies. There's a full life ahead and our Savior is waiting at the finish line, cheering us on!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY set before him endured the cross, scoring it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12.1-2 


Proverbs 31 (Super)Woman

Many lessons are to be learned in the description of The Wife of Noble Character as described in Proverbs 31. In my Bible I have nearly all of the chapter highlighted, underlined and have written in the margin different things the Lord has shown me. I have read it many times, and feel like I may never be of the same caliber as this woman. There is so much that we can take away from this chapter, but for the purposes of this study, lets take a look at the first section to see how a healthy lifestyle can prove beneficial in striving to become a woman of noble character.

Proverbs 31:10-18
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her task. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

Wow! No wonder later in the chapter it says, “her children arise and call her blessed” (v.28) Duh! She's super woman! Verse 27 says, “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” This is not a lady who sits around playing Candy Crush or scouring through Facebook while still wondering what's for dinner. She is intentional in all that she does. She selects, she provides, she considers, and sets about her work vigorously. The Word doesn't say that she throws it all together at random on her way out the door. She carefully selects the clothes on their backs, the food that they eat, and purchases she makes. She is thoughtful, and intentional about the way she provides for her family. In a modern society, she would be the woman looking at the labels of every food item she puts into her cart. She would be shopping for quality, not necessarily quantity.
I realize that not all moms are on kitchen duty. Sometimes it's dad's responsibility. Typically, though, mom is the one in the kitchen cooking dinner, packing lunches and handing out snacks for the family. If we are to bring our family good, not harm, wouldn't it be also our responsibility to ensure our families are eating foods that are nutritious and healthy for their growing bodies?
I'm sure in Biblical times there were women who spent their day chatting with their friends in the field or lollygagging at the market, but not this lady. She was a woman on a mission! The woman in Proverbs 31 earns money from items she makes (she is self employed), she does the shopping, she has a vineyard (so we can assume she is a gardener), she volunteers to help the needy, and still she finds the time to prepare food for her family.
Busyness is no new thing. In our fast-paced culture, and constantly being on the go, convenience foods definitely make life a little easier, and we can justify eating so poorly because “I'm just so busy!” But I promise you that providing options for your family that will fill their stomachs while keeping them healthy and happy will be beneficial for the whole family, and leave you feeling good about the way you are nourishing your family. Plus, it puts you one step closer to being supermom. And who doesn't want to be supermom?

Put it into action:
Putting extra effort into food preparation may mean waking up a few minutes earlier (Lord, help me!) to peel some carrots for school snacks, or to send them with a school lunch that contains healthy, nourishing foods. What is one way you can improve the quality of foods your family eats?


Salty Parenting

 A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Provers 25.11

Moms have a lot of responsibility. The demands of life and the expectations we often pile on top of ourselves can leave us feeling overwhelmed and tired. Some days I have a to-do list that is a mile long. Those days usually coincide with fussy-kid-days (coincidence? I think not).
I remember one day when our son was probably two or three, and I was having such a day. Both him and our infant daughter were fussy, and who knows what else I had going on, but I do remember feeling very stressed and ready for bedtime (it wasn't even close to time for bed). He started fussing for the millionth time that day, and I quickly took him by the hand, marched him to timeout and said in frustrations, "ugh! I'm so sick of this!" And that's when the water works happened. This wasn't a I-just-got-in-trouble-and-now-I'm-crying kind of cry. I could tell this was something else. When his timeout was over with, he asked, "Mommy? You're sick of me?" ugh! Parent fail! I HATE it when I do that. No, I hadn't said "I'm sick of YOU," but my actions hadn't shown him any different.
That wasn't the first (or the last) time that something has flung out of my mouth without being properly filtered. I know I'm not the only one, either, because the Bible talks a lot about controlling the tongue. Words are so powerful and can be used to build each other up and are also very effective at quickly tearing someone down.
Colossians 4.6 says,

"Let your conversation be always full of grace,
seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."
It's a reminder that in every interaction with our children, our husbands, friends and strangers should be mimicking what God has shown to us - His Amazing Grace. I'm sure God has felt like taking me by the hand, plopping me down into timeout and shouting, "AAAhhhh! I'm so sick of this!" But what he has done instead is show me time and time again his Grace that covers all my sins. Yes, there have been lessons I've had to learn (and ones I'm still learning), but God has always been faithful to gently lead and correct me.
How are we, though, to season our conversation with salt? That's weird. (I said that in my best Jim Gaffigin voice.)
Salt is used throughout the Bible to show a commitment to something, a friendship or loyalty. In 2 Chronicles 13, salt was used as a symbol to proclaim David as King of Israel. Elisha used salt to purify water for the city in 2 Kings chapter 2. He sprinkled a bowl full of salt into the well, proclaiming that "never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive." (v.21)
Jesus talks about salt in Matthew 5.13-16. He says, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put in on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may glorify your Father in heaven."
Knowing the significance of salt in the Bible, this verse in Matthew shows us that not only are Christians to be an example of the covenant with Christ, but even more specifically, to our household (v.15), which for every mom, is their most important mission field. Take care to always be the example of Christ to your children and family, and remembering to 'season your conversation with salt' when you are interacting with your children. You will be building them up in ways that effect them for all of eternity by showing examples of God's perfect grace.


Bring It Home 
Teach your children to be a light in their home, school and community. You can read together the passage from Matthew. Light a candle, and cover it up with a bowl. Talk about what happens when the light is hidden. What happens when you place a candle on a stand in the middle of a dark room? Your kids can learn the importance of their own influence with their friends and family. Leave a comment on how you have taught your children this passage. What were your experiences?

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