We feed our bodies more than food…

We feed our bodies in friendships, social activity, psychologically and spiritually …. do you balance by quality or quantity?  Does it create an opportunity to barely survive instead of thrive?  Is it making your Soul “stick” with the word of God or “stink” from the toxins that subtly enter us?

When Jesus came back

to the Apostles from the tomb, he stayed with them for 40 days.  What they learned during that time STUCK to them enough that they chose to die martyrs rather than to deny the truths of what Jesus taught.

What is sticking to you?  Do you like who it makes you?  If not, what are you doing to change it?  Are you a slave to money at any cost or working with your heart and soul for a better life for yourself and those you love?  If we hate our jobs it will reflect on the rest of our day.  Our attitudes – positive or negative – will have an effect on how we get through life.  Appreciate both the tough days and the joyful ones.  Think about how much patience and energy you have when you get home and face your loved ones.  Are they bearing the brunt of your dislike for what is sticking to your Soul?

We face many choices in a day.  Often our decisions are based on routine, doing the same thing, day in and day out, maybe not even remembering why we do it that way.  We sometimes end up “sticking” to something toxic or routine because it becomes easier than to change.

Reminds me of the story of the ham.  One Easter as mom was preparing the ham for the oven, one of the cousins was watching her.  She carefully sliced off each end before placing it in the pan.  My cousin asked, “why are you cutting off the ends of the ham?”  My mom answered her “that’s the way we always do it.”  My cousin wasn’t happy with that answer.  “But why?” she asked again.  My mother gave me a look like will you please get her out of here, but I was kind of curious myself.  “Because that’s the way my mother did it” she answered.  My cousin said “well, can we ask Grandma why?”  “Go ahead” she said.  So my cousin and I went to the living room and sat next to Grandma.  We had to shout because she couldn’t hear very well.  “Grandma” my cousin shouted, “why do you cut the ends off the ham before you put it in the oven?”  “What?” screamed Grandma.  It seemed she thought we were deaf.  My cousin asked again.  Then Grandma just gave us a stare like how dare you ask.  She said “because we always did.”  My cousin wasn’t happy with that answer.  “But why?” she wailed again.  Grandma said “You better go ask my mother.”  Well, Great Grandma was in the nursing home because she couldn’t get around very well, but we could call and talk to her on the phone.  “Let’s call her” I suggested.  My cousin was happy we might finally get the answer.  My mom came in to join Grandma, my cousin and me and we put the phone on speaker.  When Great Grandma came on the line, we asked “Grandma, mom is putting the ham in the oven. She cut the ends off the ham.  She doesn’t know why she does this, and neither does her mom.  Do you know why the ends have to be cut off?”  The phone was silent for a few moments and then we heard some chuckling.  Grandma answered us “We always cut the ends off the ham because we didn’t have a dish big enough to put it in.”  Now it was our time to be silent!

+ plus + = New Life

Why do we do the things we do?  Why do we think about the negative instead of the positive?  I asked my husband to name 3 things that I had as strengths.  He said well I can think of the negatives, things that you don’t do very well.  It took several minutes to come up with three positives.  Now I know he loves me and appreciates me, but do we allow the things that bug us to be the routine thoughts, or instead focus on the positive ones?

Our time on this earth is 80 years plus or minus.  After that time, the world will end, that is, for each of us approaching that age.  However, Jesus Christ promised that those “born again” will have everlasting life.  When we leave this world we are only dead to it, but alive to life with Him.  We often times don’t think about it, but let the day pass and move into the next one.  I’ve recently set alarms on my phone to pray hourly, even if it’s just one “Thank you Lord for this moment to give you glory.”  I don’t want to go from morning till night without thinking of Him who gives me everything that is good, allows me to carry my cross and unite it to Him for those things that are not so good. 

I invite you to step out of the box, step out of your comfort zone and do something different.  Make the good stuff you do stick, and shake the routine stuff up some.  Clean up your Soul while your days are young.  The only thing you take with you when you leave this world will be the goodness you created.  And while you are at, drop a knee and give thanks.  Have a peaceful and prayer filled day!