Spiritual Exercise – Day 5

So when you put all this together, what exactly does it mean?  It means you must follow the ABC rule of salvation.

Rule # 1:  Accept – You must accept that you are a sinner and need the saving grace that only God can give through His son Jesus

Rule # 2:  Believe – You must believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins.  He did this as a free gift to you.

And for rule number 3:  Confess – That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Romans 10:11 tells us this – For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

It is important to not only confess our wrong doings, but it is essential to speak out our witness that Jesus is Lord and believe that Jesus cleanses us from those wrongdoings.

Making the choice is not something to be taken lightly; it is life changing. Choosing to accept the free gift of eternal life influences how we think, act and speak.  The choices made in our hearts and spoken out through our lips will be reinforced in our acts of obedience as we put this wonderful gift to work.

If you have ever been asked “How do I become a Christian?”, then you can see how complicated humans make the process.  It is actually a simple one.  However people have to make changes in their lives.  Getting rid of a bad habit, changing the way the speak, not speaking of others in a degrading or disrespectful way (gossiping)…..etc.

Confessing is more than just speaking.  It MUST be a way of life.  Others must see Christ in the way you live not just what you speak from your mouth.  We must take God’s great message of salvation to others so that they can respond to the Good News.  How will they know unless you tell them?  The payment for their sins (and yours) is a free gift from God.  There is nothing you can boast about achieving on your own. Absolutely nothing we do is of our own volition.  God provides us means to accomplish anything.

Be confident in Your decision – The results will last forever!  You can trust God’s Word.  Read and reread 1 John 1:9 everyday: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” That cleansing is like a spiritual shower.  Oh , it feels so good to be clean!

Getting started in this spiritual exercise program might have been more than you bargained for.  But if you truly have made a commitment to accept the free gift offered by Jesus, rest assured that you are showered up and spotlessly clean in God’s sight!  You can know for certain that you will live eternally in heaven.  Even though your physical body will die someday, you will never have to experience the horror of spiritual death.  YOU are living eternally with God, so read on!

If you have never made that commitment, I invite you to do so now by praying the following prayer:

Almighty God, I do believe Jesus Christ is Your Son, the Savior of the world.  I know that while Jesus was on the cross, He took all my sins upon Himself and suffered the agony of separation from God in death so that I don’t ever have to experience that myself.  He took the punishment I deserved for my sin.  I believe that Jesus didn’t stay in the grave.  He was resurrected from the dead after three days and proclaimed victory over sin’s power in my life.  That’s so awesome! Your love for me is beyond my ability to comprehend!  Jesus, I need you in my life.  Without you I am nothing. I am so sorry for my sins.  Come and live in my heart.  Be my guide and constant companion and give me peace of mind and hearts.  Thank You, Jesus!  Amen.

Now tell someone the good news!

Monday we are going to start talking about going into battle prepared. Suiting Up.

Excerpts on this blog have been taken from the book Spiritual Exercise.  Permission has been given by the author Helen Krudop

Spiritual Exercise – Day 4

The Choice Is Yours!

Everyone likes choices.  No one – especially one who is strong willed – wants to be told what to do!  Somehow it seems less threatening if we have options.

God offers us all kinds of options.  From the very beginning of time, man was created with a “free will.”  We have a freedom of choice in spiritual matters.  We make the decision, and there is always a consequence for our choice.

God offers choices to us such as; We can choose life, or we can choose death.  We can accept or reject His plan of salvation.  There is no “middle ground” option.  To the church folk in Laodicea, God put it this way, “you are neither hot nor cold.  I wish you were one or the other!  But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!” (Revelation 3:16 NLT.)

My husband preached on the fall of man yesterday morning.  He mirrored Shakespeare in “To be or not to be…that is the question”, with “to sin or not to sin.”  God placed Adam and Eve on earth in a very beautiful garden with the most beautiful landscape, and all they could ever want to eat.  God told them not to eat of only one tree, the one in the middle of the garden.  The tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  God wanted them to choose to be obedient to Him.  As long as they were obedient to God, the outcome was good.  The would continue to enjoy all of the benefits placed before them in the garden.  However, if they chose to eat of the tree God had specified  as forbidden fruit, the result would be just the opposite – death. Two choices…and it was theirs alone to make without the influence of God.

In Mark 16:16, Jesus makes it very clear on our options and the consequences of which option we choose.  “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.  Those who refuse to believe will be condemned.

Each of us has been given the choice to accept the free gift of God’s forgiveness and love through Jesus Christ, or we can turn our back on it.  Each has the ability to choose life or death.

Read the following Bible verses and write down words or thoughts that stand out to you in each.

Mark 16:16

John 3 :36

Spiritual Exercise – Day 3

The Ultimate Payment Has Been Made!

After Sin entered the world, God instituted the law.  But no matter how hard anyone tried, no one could keep it perfectly.  Therefore, God established a system for people to offer sacrifices to make up for their sins.  According to Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, sacrificial offerings were “offerings to God in Old Testament times by which man hoped to atone for his sins and restore fellowship with God.”  God’s people offered the best of their lambs as an offering to God until God provided a method by which man’s penalty for sin could be paid in full and fellowship with God could be restored.  What is the ultimate sacrifice?

According to Hebrews 9:11-15, God’s Word tells us, “When Christ came as High Priest of the good things that are already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation.  He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.  The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.  How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!  For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”

Though you know Christ, you may believe that you have to work hard to make yourself good enough for God.  But rules and rituals have never cleansed people’s hearts. By Jesus’ blood alone we have our consciences cleansed, we are freed from death’s sting and can live to serve God, and we are freed from sin’s power.

It goes on to say in verse 24-28: “For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.  Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.  Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.  Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,  so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.”

All people die physically, but Christ died so that we would not have to die spiritually.  We can have wonderful confidence in His saving work for us, doing away with sin – past and future.  He has forgiven our past sin – when He died on the cross, He sacrificed Himself once for all.  He has given us the Holy Spirit to help us deal with present sin.  He appears for us now in heaven as our High Priest, and He promises to return and raise us to eternal life in a world where sin will be banished.

What is the ultimate sacrifice or payment for sin according to Hebrews 9:11-15?

Is it necessary for you to add to this payment according to Hebrews 10:10 and 17-18?

What could have been God’s motivation for such a selfless act displayed in His only unique Son?

Excerpts in this study have been taken from the book “Spiritual Exercise.”  Permission has been given by the author Helen Krudop.

Spiritual Exercise – Day 2

We all start in the Same Condition.

There is one attribute we all have in common, regardless of who we are.  It has nothing to do with our race, gender, creed, physical ability, mental capacity or economic status; it isn’t influenced by what part of the world we call home or what our experiences have been.  It’s a quality that may not always be apparent in some folks; nevertheless, it’s there.  What is our commonality?

In Romans 3:23 tells us that “For all of sinned and fall short of the glory of God.“  Isaiah 53:6 says: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.’  1John 1:8 goes on to say, “if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

The human race as a whole doesn’t always do the right thing.  We choose to sin everyday.  I have heard others say, “Each time we sin it is like putting another nail in Jesus’ hands and feet.”  We repeatedly crucify Him over and over with our choices.  At times, we get inflated views of ourselves, reasoning that our slate is relatively clean compared to the next person so we must look better in the eyes of God then they do.  However, we only deceive ourselves into thinking that we don’t sin. (1 John 1:8) We may be able to fool others, or even ourselves, into believing that we are not all that bad, but there is no way that we can fool God.  He knows the truth.

He knows how we really are.

Everything Has Its Price

No sin is greater than another, because the  consequences from God are the same (Romans 3:23).  In society the consequences are much more serious for murder than they are for adultery; it doesn’t mean that because we commit lesser sins that we deserve eternal life.  All sin makes us sinners, and all sin cuts us off from our holy God.

God created a perfect world in the beginning.  There was no sin.  The first people on earth had everything they could possible want.  But God did issue some guidelines for Adam and Eve.  They could partake of anything they desired in the garden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  God told them that if they did eat from it, they would surely die. (Genesis 2:15)  In Genesis 2:16-17, God goes on to say what the consequences would be if they didn’t adhere to that one rule.  “And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat fro mt he tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

Why would God place a tree in the garden and then forbid Adam to eat from it?  God wanted Adam to obey, but God gave Adam the freedom to choose. Without choice, Adam would have been like a prisioner, and his obedience would have been hollow and without true meaning.  The two trees provided an exercise in choice, with rewards for choosing to obey and sad consequences for choosing to disobey.  When you are faced with the choice, always choose to obey God.

Some people believe that death is simply a state of nonexistence – no big deal.  Yet nothing can be further from the truth.  In actuality death is the opposite of life.  Spiritual life is conscious existence in communion with God.  Therefore, it stands to reason that spiritual death is a conscious and perpetual existence of being separated from God.  Because of their sin, Adam and Eve were no longer allowed to be in God’s presence in the Garden.  Sin and death entered the world through Adam, and we all inherited that same condition because of those first actions.  The price for sin is spiritual death — separation from God.  If you look further into Adam and Eve’s story in the early chapters of Genesis, you will quickly learn it is not a pleasant thing to experience.

Look up the following Scriptures and write down 1-2 words or thoughts that stand out to you in each.

THE CONDITION

ROMANS 3:23

ISAIAH 53;6

1 JOHN 1:8

THE PRICE

Genesis 2: 15-17

Romans 6:23

Tomorrow we will look at the payment Jesus made for our sins, and Are we willing to make the choice to accept His free gift.

Spiritual Exercise – Day 1

I wanted to let everyone know upfront that I will not be writing on Saturday or Sunday.  This will be a Monday – Friday study.  Saturday is our family day and Sunday is the Lord’s day and we try to adhere very strictly to both.  I encourage each and every one of you to find time during the week to make “family” time.  You will be richly rewarded for it.  Also find time to observe the Sabbath.  It doesn’t have to be Sunday.  God wants us to set aside some time for rest.  Richard has chosen his Sabbath to be on Monday.  He spends the day relaxing and allowing God to speak to him in ways he might not be able to listen on days where he is so busy.

I want to begin this study with a brief introduction of who we are.  I will write my introduction here in my post and I encourage each of you to leave a comment introducing yourself and telling a little bit about why you chose to participate in this study.

My name is Jeannie Davis.  I am homemaker and a mother to 9 children, and grandmother to 1, whom I would lay down my life for.  I think being a mother is the hardest and most rewarding job God could ever bestow upon a woman. I consider it an honor or privilege to take on this responsibility.

I was born and raised in a Southern Baptist church and fell away from the faith at the age of 28 when my 5 year old daughter passed away of cancer.  Ten years passed after her death before I would come crawling back to my Lord for forgiveness, which He so graciously provided.  I married a wonderful man of God, and my best friend, 5 1/2 years ago and I can’t imagine my life absent form the Lord’s presence ever again.  Together we serve 3 churches in North Missouri, (North Linn Count Charge, for you UMC peeps) and it is a great joy, honor, and privilege to serve our Lord in this capacity.  I enjoy gardening, scrap-booking, fishing, camping, and being with my family.

Several things we need to look at to begin this study.  What do we hope to gain from it?  What are the requirements?  What kind of commitment are we talking about?

If we don’t ever do anything specifically to keep our bodies active, what happens?  We get progressively weak and frail.  Likewise, if we don’t ever do anything to strengthen our spirits, we become weak and vulnerablele to sin.  Our purpose in this study is to work together daily, and encourage one another as you strive for a healthier spirit and a stronger relationship with God!

The topic we will discuss are:

Back to the Basics — Is Spiritual Exercising for me? It will be well worth your time to take a look at the foundational truths of Christianity — your relationship with God through Jesus Christ — and the long-lasting results you can expect!

Suiting up:  Just as wearing suitablele clothing is essential for physical exercise, so it is important to dress properly for your spiritual walk.  Learn what you should “take off” and “put on”

Faith-Stretching Warm Up: Now that you are familiar with some of the basics and you are properly clothed, it’s time to methodically s-t-r-e-t-c-h those faith muscles!

OH…This Is Painful! Workouts often produce pain and soreness as muscles are stretched and toned.  Learn how God is at work in the physical, emotional and spiritual pains you encounter.

God, I Think I’m Dying! What a proclamation!  If your imperfect, human nature is slowly being put to death, you are becoming more like Christ.  It’s well worth the price!

What’s My Heart Rate? As you exercise, don’t ignore what your heart is telling you.  Does your outward behavior reflect the pulse of your inner attitude?

The Importance of Diet: A good, healthy exercise program requires proper nutrition as well.  Learn how to fill up on the “Bread of Life” and “Living Water.”

The Jogging Path: Some may walk; other run.  NO matter what your pace is, ask yourself these important questions:  Do you know where you are headed?  Are you staying on course?  What’s at the finish line for you?

Walking…and Talking – An Exercise in Prayer: Most of us are engaged in a very long walk through life.  It would get pretty lonely with no one to chat with along the way.  The good news is that you never have to walk the road alone; you have a companion with whom you can always converse!

Resting Under the Shadow:  The “cool down,” resting and abiding in God’s presence, is a must in order to maintain proper balance and allow time to reflect on God’s goodness, mercy and love.

There are two requirements for any exercise program — Desire and Discipline.  First, you must recognize the need for active participation.  For any exercise to be beneficial to your health and well being, your involvement is absolutely essential.   Good results don’t just happen without effort.  Unless you work at it, the outcome is generally unsatisfactory.  Secondly, it’s important to have confidence that the exercise program can indeed make a difference in your life.  Once we set our minds to being successful in our efforts, we generally do succeed because we have an incentive to continue through the process.

The exercise program in this study is designed to tone and shape you spiritually rather than physically.  If that’s what you’re looking for, you are on the right path.  It will be to your benefit to make good use of a specific “handbook” in this exercise, tool  In fact, you might even have one already.  It is the Bible.

To begin with, you will learn some basic information that is foundational to your Christian walk.  So go ahead!  Ask yourself the question, “What do I have to gain from this spiritual exercise?”  Then take the challenge to exercise your way to a better understanding of God and what He has to offer you specifically.  And whatever you do, don’t quit exercising!

Heavenly Father, I pray that each and every woman that reads this study will grow in their relationship with you.  I pray that their faith will sustain them throughout this adventure and may their spirits be renewed and they find themselves ready for battle on this earth for the good of Your kingdom.  Amen

Excerpts in this study have been taken from the book “Spiritual Exercise.”  Permission has been given by the author Helen Krudop.

Winner of the Book Drawing!

The winner of this wonderful book about forgiving grace is………..drum roll please……

Heidi S.!!

Congrats Heidi!  Email me at mrsmacdood@gmail.com with your addy and I will get it out to you soon.

Book Give Away

The book I mentioned on yesterday’s post is a book called “Embrace Grace”, by Liz Curtis Higgs.  She is the best selling author of two dozen books, including Bad Girls of the Bible and Thorn in My Heart.

For every woman who confesses, “I know God forgives me, but I can’t forgive myself,” Liz answers, “Yes you can!”

Compelling stories of faith from readers of her award-winning Bad Girls of the Bible are combined with Liz’s encouraging responses in short readings to address such issues of self-forgiveness as trusting a God you can’t see and remembering that only Christ is perfect… He doesn’t expect that of you.  Captivating photos and provocative questions help you find new ways to live in God’s grace every day, wherever you are in your spiritual journey.

With her warm writing style and commitment to bringing good news without compromising Biblical truth, LIz will inspire you to embrace God’s unconditional love and forgiveness with your whole heart.

To enter the give away, all you have to do is leave a comment on today’s post or yesterday’s post and your name will be entered in the drawing.  On November 2nd, the day the new Bible study “Spiritual Exercise” begins, I will randomly select one blessed reader be the new owner of their very own copy.

New Bible Study Starting November 2nd

Just wanted everyone to know I am RE-starting the bible study titled Spiritual Exercise written by Helen Krudop.  The date for first lesson will be on November 2nd. You have plenty of time to order the book which can be done here.

I had problems the first time I started this study with posting to the blog then several personal problems interfered with the completion of the study. Now that my life is somewhat back to normal, I have decided to take the study back up.  I refuse to let the little fuzzy nosed, toothless, jerk that satan is to keep me down.  Jesus holds the keys to hell in the palm of His hands and kicked satan in the teeth on the day of his crucifixion.  I apologize to all of you who were taking part in the study for letting him have some control over my life during that time.  I am spiritually recharged and ready for battle.  Who will put on the armor of God and go to the front lines with me?  If you are interested in taking part in this study please leave me a comment to this post.  I am having a drawing for a book give away, to be named later, about this very subject.

What is the study about you ask?

Have you started …and stopped…numerous fitness programs in an effort to be healthy and fit? Look no more! Here’s a unique program to get you in shape where you need it most — in your spirit! This Biblically sound study will lead you through 10 steps designed to tone up your spiritual life, stretch your faith and strengthen your heart toward God.

Helen is a Missouri United Methodist Pastor’s wife, a Bible teacher, and talented musician. Helen has ministered extensively in churches throughout Missouri with her husband for over 40 years. The Krudops are blessed with two married children and four grandchildren, all of whom reside in the St. Louis Missouri Area, close to their parents.

I had the privilege of meeting Helen at Annual Conference this year. She spoke at the pastor’s spouses luncheon. She is a dynamic speaker and I was intrigued by her book. I searched her out in the expo and got permission from her to use her book to do a Bible study on line at Seek His Will. I was worried, as I am with all authors that I do my on line Bible studies from that it would cut into her profit sales from the book as I told her in my area not all people would have access to the book. She was gracious enough to let me know that this book was NOT hers but it was the inspired work of and from God. The book belonged to Him.

Helen is a wonderful lady and I admire her for taking the time and courage to write a book to help others in their spiritual journey. I thank her for this opportunity to use her materials to help others in their spiritual walk in finding their way closer to our Savior.

The Bible study will be starting on November 2nd. I encourage you to buy the book. You can purchase it at her website, Spiritual Exercise. It will change the way you look at exercise, and at the spiritual aspect of your life. I have read it twice already! Looking forward to studying with all of you. Please feel free to leave comments as the study goes along.

Week 11 – Post 6

Questions for Discussion or Reflection

1. Read the “Listening to Your Soul” checklist in post 2 or week 11.  According to the checklist, do you need to spend more time in the Living Room or the Kitchen?  what are some practical ways you could lean into your weak side to bring balance to your Christian life?
2. On one side of balance we find the importance of loving people.  Read the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37.  Describe how the Samaritan fulfilled the following statements:
   1. He took Notice________________________________
   2. He took Action________________________________
   3. He took Responsibility___________________________
3. According to the following verses, why is it dangerous to spend all our time on one end of the balancing spectrum?
   1. Matthew 7:21-23
   2. James 2:14-17
   3. 1 John 3:16-18
4. We all need time to let our souls catch up.  From Isaiah 58:13-14, list three ways we can “keep the Sabbath” and also three blessings we will receive from honoring the “Lord’s Holy Day.”
5. What spoke most to you from this week?

Excerpts on this blog have been taken from the book “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. These excerpts appear in italics.  Permission has been given by the author, Joanna Weaver.

Week 11 – Post 5

Practicing Hospitality

Here are a few tips from Karen Main’s classic book “Open Heart – Open Home”

1. Never clean before company.  Instead, try to clean on schedule and clean up as you go, so you’ll always be ready for unexpected guests.
2. Keep the emphasis on welcome, not performance.  The purpose of hospitality is to open your arms to others, not to impress them.  It’s better to keep things simple and warm than to go overboard.
3. Do as much ahead of time as possible.  Plan ahead for hospitality – even cook ahead.  Karen says, “Hard work indicates I’m not managing my time well, not planning or preparing ahead, doing too much, not being dependent on the Lord’s strength, but on my own.”
4. Include little touches of beauty.  A few candles and a jar of daisies picked from the yard can make grilled cheese a gourmet delight.  (Nd them help hide the grease stain on the tablecloth as well!)
5. Use all the help that comes your way.l  When someone offers to help, say yes!  Many hands make less work – and sharing the labor can be a great opportunity for fellowship.
6. Keep records.  Karen has files of easy recipes and creative entertaining tips.  Other women keep records of the guests and what was served.  I’ve found that to do lists organize my scattered thoughts and help me focus my energy more productively.

Hospitality isn’t an option for anyone who wants to say yes to Christ.  It’s part of His call to us, though it may be hard to work into our busy lives, it will be worth it!

Leaning Into Our Weakness

There are times in our lives that we have to make a concentrated effort to lean into our area of weakness, to give more weight to the area of intimacy or service that doesn’t come easily for us.

That’s what Martha did.  She leaned away from the comfort of her kitchen and shifted the weight of her attention toward the Living Room.  Mary did the same thing when she left her place at the Lord’s feet and leaned toward the active service of anointing her Lord.  I am trying to learn this lesson of corrective measure, building up the weak sides of my life.  I have said to more than one person during the time I have been leading this study that I am learning to be a Mary.  I am a Martha at heart and I don’t suppose I will stop organizing and putting on dinner parties, and functions at church.  However I am learning to accept help and not trying to do it all myself.  I have learned if things aren’t according to my standards, that sometime less than my standards are good enough, especially when it causes me stress.

But I don’t need to do it alone.  Whenever I hear the sweet convicting voice of the Holy spirit pointing out my inconsistencies, I know He remains ready and willing to help me change.  If asking for help is my weakness, He’ll help me scoot towards the living room and find the help I need.  When I need a little more weight on the side of Sabbath rest, He’s faithful to help me lean in that direction, making me “lie down in green pastures.”  As I keep my eyes focused on the Lord, I’ll have a passion for God and compassion for people, and the kind of balance the Lord intended for me all along.

Below The Water Line

So how do we balance work and worship?  All of the things we’ve talked about keeping an attitude of yes, finding a rhythm, leaning toward our weaknesses, can help us keep the balance.  But it all comes right back to the same pivotal reality that changed the lives of Mary and Martha of Bethany.  It’s the same reality we’ve returned to again and again in this study.

The secret of balancing worship and work, devotion and service, love of God and love of people is maintaining our connections to Jesus Christ.  Our relationship with Him is the anchor, the steadying point that makes balance possible in the first place.  And the deeper that relationship goes, they more stable the balance will be.

In the autumn of 1992, a man named Michael Plant commenced a solo crossing of the North Atlantic.  An expert yachtsman, Plant had made the trip several times before.  His brand-new sailboat, the Coyote, was so technologically advanced there were few like it in the world.

Plan set off alone, leaving his support team to monitor his trip by satellite and radio.  Everything was going well.  Even when a storm disrupted communications, no one worried much.  After all, this guy was one of the best sailors and navigators to be found. His boat was equipped with state-of-the-art navigational and emergency equipment.  Plant would resume radio contact when everything settled down.

But Michael Plant was never heard from again.  After numerous attempts to reach him by radio, the Coast Guard sent helicopters out to look for him.  They found the coyote floating upside down.  Its captain and sole passenger was never found.

Why?  How could this happen?  the experts wondered.  Everyone knows that sailboats are very hard to turn over.  Their deep keeps and massive rudders right themselves.  But as the ship was examined, the cause of the tragedy became clear.  For all its technological advances and beauty, the Coyote didn’t have enough weight beneath the water line.  There wasn’t enough ballast below to outweigh the fancy gadgetry above.  And so it flipped over as it lost its ability to balance in the water.

This story is a perfect example of how our lives can capsize as well. Acclaimed by Ministries Today as “America’s Number One Youth Pastor,” Jeanne Mayo says “if what lies below the spiritual water line of our lives doesn’t outweigh what lies above, our lives will capsize.”  No matter how good we may look on the surface, no matter how balance we may seem, it’s what lies below that really counts.

If we want to live a balanced life, we must concentrate on whats beneath the surface.  Jesus did.  He was the constant communion with His Father.  We must do the same if we hope to sail successfully through life.  And we can!  The cross purchased the same privilege Christ enjoyed:  an intimate one-on-one relationship with God.

As we spend time in the Living Room, walking and talking with Him, we fill the hulls of our lives with the rich things of God.  And out of that abundance will come both a steadfastness in the midst of storms and a surplus we can share with others.

We’ll be loving God and loving our neighbor.  Spending time in the Lord’s Prayer and playing the Good Samaritan.  Keeping the Sabbath.

Excerpts on this blog have been taken from the book “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. These excerpts appear in italics.  Permission has been given by the author, Joanna Weaver.