This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine ... Luke 8:4-21

I have to admit, that I caught wind of the Parable that would be discussed in church this weekend-Thanks “JKC!”- in efforts to conceal your identity ;) With that said, this parable is one that has always stood out to me, and I wanted to study it further!

Luke 8:4-21
New International Version (NIV)
4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.”

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

A Lamp on a Stand
16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

My question to you, is what kind of soil are you? What shall be said of your heart? Is it like the wayside? The rocky place? The thorny ground? Or like a good field that has been well prepared for the seed?

The clear theme of the Parable of the Soils is hearing the Word of God. This theme is shown when 8:1 Jesus is traveling from village to city "proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God" to 8:21 where Jesus says that his true family are those who hear God's Word and do it. His disciples are to not skew the message of the Kingdom, but proclaim it openly!

So, why does Jesus warn us again about hearing? This is because self-deception is dangerous. Remember the Pharisees who thought they knew better than anyone else, and "rejected God's purpose for themselves.” Sounding a bit like the seed that fell on hard-packed soil and bounced off?

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." (James 1:22-24)

Lord, let me hear your word and put it into practice. Let me fearlessly spread the Good News and give me strength to be good soil. Let me wholeheartedly believe the truth so much so that I live out your will, not mine, daily. In your sons precious name, I pray, Amen.

iPad Raffle to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

Contest has Ended! Thanks to Everyone who Participated! 

My best friend, Janelle, is running her first marathon! While doing so, she is raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, as a proud member of Team in Training. To learn more click here.

To help her reach my fundraising goal she is raffling off a NEW iPad (16GB, Wi-Fi) in exchange for a donation.

Here is how it will work:

She is raffling off 50 tickets. The tickets are available for purchase price of a $30 donation.

Only 50 tickets will be sold, so you can enhance your chances of winning the more tickets you purchase!

The rules:
The first 50 participants and/or tickets to respond to her by e-mail (Contest has Ended!) and pledge a donation will be entered into the drawing. The first 50 participants and/or tickets will be determined by the time stamp in HER email inbox.

She will confirm your participation with a direct message back to you (e-mail, etc.) with instructions on how to donate. If you don’t make it in the first 50 tickets she will let you know if there will be another drawing for another iPad (if so, you’ll be entered for the next one - if you desire).

As soon as all 50 tickets are sold she will post a video announcing the lucky winner!  The winner will be able to select the color and engraving text. The iPad will be shipped directly to your home from Apple.

To read about Janelle's training, fundraising, and cup-caking visit her blog here!

A Cherokee Legend- Fairs Well Spiritual Warfare

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

This Cherokee Legend holds truth when you apply it to Christianity & Spiritual Warfare.  One wolf is Sin & Satan and the Other is Truth & God.  The bible teaches us that we will we face wickedness, but we must hold on to the only thing that can overcome this evil, God.

“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Ephesians 6:10-13, 17.

In this spiritual war, which wolf are you going to feed? Are you going to choose to be sinful, and ultimately “dead in your transgressions?” Not only do we have to battle our own sin, but we also must fight evil spirits working against us.  We are unknowingly under Satan’s control in a fight against God, if we feed the wolf of sin. 

Or are you going to feed the wolf of truth?  By faith, we believe that Jesus Christ has already won the victory on the cross and all our sins are wiped away and we are saved.  And again, like I have said so many times before, truly believing in God means that your actions will be more like him, it’s a “side-effect”, if you will!

I say to non-believers, have you ever thought that maybe Satan is filling your mind with lies?

Most of the attacks of the enemy are aimed at filling the minds of people with lies so that they cannot think clearly about God's truth. Jesus told us that the devil is the father of all lies and there is no truth in him. (John 8:44)

I hope you choose to feed to wolf of God! He is a loving God & his way is a better way that will always overcome evil! So I pray that you will pray this with me.  God, take the wheel, guide me to the truth, keep my eyes focused on you!

Amen! 

 

Working out is not Glamorous!

My “personal trainer” literally kicked my butt this morning!  I was drenched in sweat and really had to work hard to get through the workout! The best part is that my personal trainer is FREE! This is because I recently discovered the best Nike App!   

The Nike Training Club: Your Personal Trainer.  Anytime, Anywhere.

Choose a Goal: Get Lean, Get Toned, Get Strong, Get Focused.

 Choose Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced.

Choose Workout: There are 100+ custom- built workouts! You can also unlock exclusive extra workouts, by of course, working out more! 

The best thing about this app is that it guides you through the workout using three techniques.  The first gets you motivated, you can select any playlist you want from your iTunes library.  Second, you can temporarily pause your workout and watch quick instructional videos, if you are not exactly sure how a certain move should be performed.  And lastly, the personal trainer coaches you by giving you important tips (“stay on the balls of your feet, keep your abs tight”) while encouraging you and telling you when it’s time to do the next drill!

The Nike Training Club App also synchronizes with NikePlus to track all your progress in one place.  This is especially helpful if you use other Nike Apps, such as Running!

 I have recently decided to drop the gym- Goodbye $50/monthly bill! Hello Marathon Training and Nike Training Club App! 

The "Green Monstah".... Smoothie

In honor of Boston, I declare this smoothie the "Green Monstah!"

Ingredients
1frozen banana
1/2 c. frozen spinach
1 tbps peanut butter (organic, unsalted, no sugar added)
1/2 c. -1 c. unsweetened coconut milk (depending on the consistency that you like)
4 ice cubes

Toss all ingredients in a blender, liquify, enjoy!

Why should you drink this smoothie?

• It's delicious, less than 300 calories, and fills you up 
• Bananas are a great source of potassium. Potassium helps muscle and nerve cells work the way they need to. 
• Spinach contains high levels of vitamin A & K essential for Vitamin A aids in the growth and repair of body tissues and helps maintain smooth, soft, disease-free skin. healthy bones 
• Peanut Butter, besides being delicious & keeping you full, is full of protein and healthy fats. Our body uses the amino acids found in protein to build and repair muscle tissue. The poly- and monounsaturated fats can lower your risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes. 
• So Delicious Coconut Milk is packed full of vitamin A, calcium, & potassium - great for active people!

"Does Eating Fruits and Veggies Make Us More Attractive?"

According to the ABC News Article by  By Kim Carollo, they Do! 

Luckily, this one is plain and simple to understand:
"The yellow-red pigments found in fruits and vegetables, called carotenoids, are associated with changes in skin color. They also found that the skin pigment changes may be viewed as healthier and more attractive."

In two separate studies:

One. Measured fruit and vegetable intake vs. skin color changes. The results were that increased consumption of carotenoids is associated with a more yellowish skin tone, and eating more fruits and vegetables correlated with skin that appeared to have a healthy red tone.

Two. Investigated how attractive people found the skin color changes associated with the 

increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. 

** It's important to note the difference 

between the underlined scientific phrase.

It Gets Better!  You only have to moderately increased your fruit and veggies intake to get the benefits of skin color change (not sure what "moderately" means in this case, buy HEY, I'll take it)! Also, carotenoids offer protection against UV radiation (however, I'd still suggest sunscreen)!  Oh yeah, and don't forget the fact that Fruits and Vegetables are really good for you- providing vitamins, minerals, & fiber essential to your overall health!

More Fruits & Veggies = Attractiveness, This Could Catch On! 

HelloMornings! God, To Dos, & Exercise.

 

The HelloMornings Challenge encourages Christian women to wake-up early and…. 

1. Experience quality time with God

2. Intentionally plan their days

3. And exercise regularly

The 2012 Session Dates are August 20^th- November 16^th. You choose a group that fits most with what you are looking for or form your own group.  An Accountability Captain will contact you before the challenge begins with more details.  However, the Challenge is a daily check-in via Facebook.  On top of it all, each group will be provided with resources: Bible Study for each session, simple exercise routine, and various planning tips!  

Ready?  Sign-up here. Want to know more? Read the eBook!