The Passion…

Today is the day after Easter.  An entire belief system was founded based on the faith of believers in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The believers celebrated His Resurrection yesterday and many arose early in the morning to honor the Living God that they serve.  Whether you believe or not, it is amazing to witness the faith of those who do, and to observe how over centuries, the story is still recounted every year with the same zeal as if it happened yesterday.

Easter concludes the Lenten season, and the week before Resurrection Sunday (as some call it) is often called Passion Week. This use of the word “passion” is a little misleading given that the common use of the word involves romantic love or zest.  When we think of “passion”, we generally don’t think about pain – which is what Jesus’ last few days on this earth was filled with.  So why is it that we describe Jesus’ last week on earth as a human being, the week between Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday, Passion Week?

In etymological terms the Latin root of the word “passio” or “pati” means “suffering”.  However in practical terms, think of it this way.  You are generally willing to suffer for whatever you are passionate about.  Think about it.  What have you been willing to suffer for?  Who have you been willing to suffer for?  Those things and those people are your passions.  They are what/who you are passionate about, and what you would do almost anything for.

If you have never suffered – whether it be late night with books or a person, an job or workplace hardship, intense physical training, hospital visits, money invested, long conversations, hours of communication or strict discipline – you have not found your passion.  What and who are you willing to suffer for?


http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110418/wl_uk_afp/britainreligionchristianseaster

Last Words

As you let go of your past, hold on to one thing – the last word that God sent to you.  The last instruction that God gave you is the only thing to hold onto when you move forward.  That word, promise or instruction is your lifeline to your future.  The vision you are working towards is predicated on your ability to continue on the path that God gave to you.

God is changeless and He is always speaking to us.  Are we listening?  What did he tell you last?  These words empower us to move forward and inspire us to continue towards the mark.  Did He tell you to stay? to go? to take a risk? to play it safe? to reach out? to observe silently? to prepare? to seed?

Do what God told you to do and see what He has in store for you.  Don’t delay!  The sooner you move forward holding on to the promise, the closer you move towards your vision and the blessing waiting for you.  What were God’s last words to you?

Let’s Dance!

Since “Dancing with the Stars” some people have decided that dancing is the new thing to do.  If the “stars” can do it, then anyone can do it, right?  Dancing reduces stress, releases endorphins, burns calories, is great socialization and engages the mind.  Why aren’t you dancing already?  Scared?

Try something new like dancing.  It is debatable which dance or style is the best, but the physical, emotional and mental health benefits are results from all types of dancing.  Why not take a class and see what dance fits you and your personality?  Maybe it’s ballroom, line-dancing or salsa.  You’ll never know unless you try!

Stimulate your mind, meet new people, burn calories, release endorphins and live longer – Dance!

http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-amazing-benefits-of-salsa-dancing-421617.html

http://www.nbea.com/archives6.htm

Moving Forward

Where are you headed?  Equally as important, where are you looking? While learning from your past is very important, looking ahead is the only way you can see where you’re going.  How long will you mourn the loss, the disappointment, the setback or the detour that happened how long ago?  Are you moving forward?

To move forward, sometimes we must forget the past and move towards the future.  It is all too easy for us to carry around the woes of the past and stall our progress.  As long as we hold on to our worries, we will not move into the blessing that God has prepared for us.  What has the past done for you lately?  Are you ready to let it go?  

Open your eyes and see yourself in the future that you envisioned for yourself that God has prepared for you.  See yourself shedding the pounds you’ve been carrying around and moving forward lighter and stronger.  Look ahead and forget your past because you can’t carry it into your future.  Move forward!

Do you REALLY want it?

So you say you want it.  You say that that all you need to do is this or that.  You just need someone to help you get there in order to achieve it.  Do you really want it?  Have you persevered in excuses?

Have you ever heard people talk about doing something or going somewhere and they’ve been talking about it for a while?  They may say that “all they need is…”, and they’ve been needing it for five or ten years.  Have you asked them if they really want it?  If they say yes, then what are they willing to do to get it?

What is it that you really want?  What are you willing to do to get it? When you are serious about living the life that you say you want, you will do what it takes to go where you say you want to go.  There may be delays at various points, but that is part of the journey.  Live your life and don’t make excuses.  Don’t just want it, do it, and live it with your whole heart!

Discipline – Do you have it?

“training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character”

Do you have it?  Do you have what it takes to be successful?  Do you keep going to it every day knowing that it will eventually bear good fruit?  Are you practicing the technique, perfecting the plan and diligently pursuing your goal?  Do you have it?

Discipline is that word that is a personal challenge for many people.  To maintain or lose weight you have to have the discipline to live a healthy lifestyle.  To save money, you have to have the discipline to spend less than what you earn.  To become good at anything you have to have to discipline to practice the technique or lay the foundation.  You must do what you have to do even though you may not feel like doing it.  Discipline is doing it in spite of your feelings.

Great rewards require great sacrifice.  Great results require even greater discipline.  Feelings are deceitful, and will trick your mind into relenting from the path that you are on.  If you become undisciplined, you will take a detour and delay your arrival at your final destination.  Do it – even though you don’t feel like it... Do it anyway! 

The Procrastination Thief

What was the last thing you said you would do that you still haven’t done?  Are you a procrastinator?  Psychologically, procrastination is linked to personalities that include traits such as perfectionism and control just to name a few.  Wow!  These descriptions are very unbecoming.  What is procrastination all about?  Mine has been about all of the things I mentioned at various points.  I procrastinate for various reasons, but I am sure that psychologically, some of these things apply to me.

What I know for sure that procrastination is a thief.  It is a joy-killer and a fun-stealer.  As long as something that you have to do is hanging over your head, then it is extremely difficult to fully enjoy the moment that you are in.  How long will procrastination be the reason that you can’t go out and enjoy something to the fullest?  How long will you put off what you have been saying you’ll do for ages?  When will the time finally be right?

Procrastination keeps us tied up so that we are unable to complete the task or goal before us.  We have plenty of excuses for why we do what we do, but there is no time for excuses.  We mush suck it up and get to work!  Don’t let the thief steal what God has put in your heart to do!

The Last Laugh

When was your last laugh?  God gave us laughter to combat the tears that life sometimes brings.  There are so many different types of laughs.  The most important element with laughter is that you laugh from your spirit.  I’m talking about the belly laugh that doesn’t even let you breathe.  You just keep going and then you start laughing at the fact that you’re laughing.  Then you remember what you were laughing about and laugh again.  Laughter is our body's natural medicine for heartache, pain, and emotional downs.

When we are hurting emotionally we need “pick me ups.”  Laughter is the natural anecdote to melancholy, helps to alleviate pain and helps us to lose weight!  It releases endorphins and burns calories.  Endorphins are chemicals released in the brain that kills pain and cause us to feel good.  We can lose weight and have a natural way to feel good just by laughing!

Laughter should always be on our “to do” lists.  Better yet, something that we naturally do every day.  When we’re down, we should find something to smile about.  When we start smiling, maybe we’ll remember something that tickles our souls.  Then from within, we should be able to laugh away whatever is trying to take our joy.  

Don’t be defeated by melancholy.  After the tears, a hard day, a challenging time, or a stressful moment, take a moment to laugh.  Find something to smile about.  Have the Last Laugh!

What are you saying?

Our mouths are a conduit for a lot of things.  It can spew love, hate, new ideas, encouragement, new revelations, hope and inspiration just to name a few.  What are you saying about yourself?  What is the last thing you said about yourself?

Do you say that you can’t do the thing you have decided to do?  Is it too hard?  Will you’ll never get to this place or that place because you need this or need that?  Will you do it tomorrow because you’ll never have enough time to do it today?  Are you stupid or not smart enough?  Do you have what it takes to take the step?  Can you overcome the hardships in your life?  What are you saying?

Do you say that you are an awesome being created in God’s image?  Are you the head and not the tail?  Are you above and not beneath?  Are you a child of the living God and an heir in His kingdom?  Will everything work out for your good because you love God and He has called you according to His purpose?  Will god renew your strength and restore your mind as He is transforming you into His image?  What are you saying?

What we say about ourselves and our situation is critical in our ability to go where God sends us.  How will you ever meet your goals if you don’t believe that you can?  Start speaking truth out of your mouth.  The power of life and death are in the tongue… Choose LIFE!

Rest Routine

Often times we live our lives, running around every day.  We wake up and go to work or doing whatever it is that we do.  We provide for our children and other loved ones.  We buy groceries and gas and go to this function and that ball game.  We fix what needs to be fixed, and we get up and do it again the next day.  Do we ever rest?

You may think that that’s what vacation is for, but one week away from the rat race really is not enough for our minds, bodies and spirits to replenish and rejuvenate.  We need to REST.  We need to relax our entire being so that we can continue to do what we do every day of our lives.

The challenge is to weave rest into our daily and weekly routines.  We must rest so that we can continue.  When was the last time you rested?  What did you do?  Consider your Rest Routine and make sure to Take Rest so that you can continue your life’s work!