Ephesians 6:16-18

Above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the holy ones.
– Ephesians 6:16-18

Sent from Daily Bible Inspirations

Becoming Something You Can't

Becoming Something You Can't

 

"Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified could not be justified from by the law of Moses."

Act 13:39 (NIV)

 

God declares we all can become something we are not, if we believe.  Paul went to the synagogues to declare God's message of forgiveness and justification by faith in Jesus.  He told them they could be declared right and whole before God - something no one grows into on their own.  Some listened and looked at themselves as they really were - too weak to achieve their own righteousness.  Those who chose to believe received God's righteousness and became something they were not before and could never have become on their own. 

 

God has declared we can become righteous by faith in Jesus Christ.  The opportunity remains.  Our scrawny arms, our sinful hearts, our whole life will be made new in Christ.  We can look at ourselves as we really are, then to Jesus and believe.  Watch the difference that grows in your heart with God's freedom to worship Him boldly and live joyfully for Him.

 

God, I am looking to You, receiving Your declaration about me today….

 

 

Sam Farr Challenge

Join CA Congressman Sam Farr and Nutrition Educator Mary Toscano and take the 30-Day Challenge! The "Sam Farr Challenge" is a health and fitness-oriented community event to help people lose weight and feel healthier. It was inspired by my visit with CA Congressman Sam Farr in Washington DC as part of the American Diabetes Association. I witnessed how difficult it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle on Capitol Hill. From that experience, I invited Congressman Farr to a special, 30-day challenge. He said yes! We both saw the opportunity to open this Challenge to the public to improve the health of many. A pilot version of the Challenge was launched on May 12, 2014. Fifty people jumped on board. Below are some of their Success Stories.

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OUR 30-DAY CHALLENGE BEGINS MONDAY JULY 14th! How Does the Challenge Work? Choose the Basic or Extreme level, and follow those 3 simple rules for 30 days. By making just these three changes you can lose extra weight and greatly improve your health and overall well-being. BASIC No alcohol after 7:30pm No more than 1 serving of bread or pasta per day* 7,000 steps or 30 min exercise daily EXTREME No food or alcohol after 7:30pm No foods with flour or >20g Sugars (per serving) 10,000 steps or 1 hour exercise daily *Whole grain preferred. Eliminating bread will be the hardest thing to do, but is the fastest way to drop weight. Flour is the biggest source of hidden sugar in the American diet. A single plain bagel dumps 12 teaspoons of sugar in the blood. A typical serving of spaghetti will dump 22 teaspoons. Any sugar the body doesn't use for energy gets turned into fat.     Who is Congressman Sam Farr? Congressman Sam Farr, a fifth-generation Californian, represents the state's beautiful Central Coast. Throughout his 20-year tenure, Mr. Farr has been a leading advocate for California agriculture, an outspoken activist for affordable housing and a champion of the oceans. [Visit Website] Who is Mary Toscano? Mary Toscano is a Certified Nutrition Educator and the author of the book, "Sweet Fire: Sugar, Diabetes & Your Health." Because of her family history (both sets of grandparents died from complications of diabetes) and her own sensitivity to sugar, she has dedicated herself to figuring out the role of sugar in health. [Visit Website]

My pants fit better, back pain lessened and I feel stronger. Exercise is now a daily part of my life, and I love it! – JE My A1C is down to 6.6 (from 7.3!) – PM At first, I thought 30 days without bread and pasta would be impossible, but it went by faster than I thought it would. I lost 6 pounds and I didn't change any other habits! – MB I lost 8 pounds, have more energy, am much happier and more ambitious. My blood pressure readings also went down! – RP The best part was a boost of energy, and loss of the sleepiness after eating. I learned how much refined carbs cloud my mind. – AG I lost weight without even trying and have more energy during the day. I sure don't miss those afternoon slumps! – SM After serious medical problems my life has been sitting on a sofa. I am back at the gym, have more energy and am sleeping better. Plus I am waking up much earlier and much more awake than before. – MH Doing these rules for 30 days has made the "desire" a habit. – JM As the days went by, the urge to eat bread and pasta subsided. Thank you for getting me involved with healthier eating! – MY I love the emails everyday with encouragement, ideas and participant experiences. I never felt like I was alone; there was always support. – MB

© 2014 Mary Toscano Healthy Living

Ephesians 5:18-20

Don't be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing, and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father; subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.
– Ephesians 5:18-20

Fwd: Word For The Day - July 2, 2014

 

We are all a part of many groups: a family, community, town, nation, and so on.  By faith and action we can be part of a church.  We can discover our part where we worship when we look for what we can do or learn.  Jesus Christ the Lord of the Church, and the congregation that gathers with us are ready for each of us to learn and do our part.  God smiles in approval when we work in harmony using his gifts.

 

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend:)

 

 

 

 

 July 2, 2014

 

 

Looking Beyond

 

Read:   Matthew 7:1-5

Don't judge, and you won't be judged. Don't condemn, and you won't be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  - Luke 6:37

 

Audio:  Matthew 7

 

Bible In One Year:  Job 22-24; Acts 11

 

I work with a father-and-son maintenance team. The father is jovial and easygoing, always ready to carry out his maintenance duties with a smile. His son is the sullen, quiet, despondent type, and I admit that I have formed an unfavorable opinion of him. One day I was in the break room for lunch at the same time as his father. I asked how his son was doing.

 

He said, "Well, he's doing better." I asked, "What do you mean by 'better'?" He told me his son had lost his young wife to cancer about a year ago. They had been married only one year, and his son was having a hard time adjusting. The father's words made me realize how quickly and easily we can judge other people without knowing anything about them.

 

We sometimes even pass these opinions on without an iota of information about what these people might be going through. Everyone has a story, whether we know that story or not. Matthew 7:3 reminds me as a follower of Christ to look beyond outward appearances in my relationships with my family, my friends, and my acquaintances and to share God's love with everyone.

 

 

Jeannette

"People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.  Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway." ~ Mother Teresa