Bliss and Blisters

Self-control

Self control, it's like a dirty word. I mean so few people use it but those who do.eat the fruit it produces. It's really not a dirty word but something we all should strive to practice in our daily lives.

In my life I am daily practicing self control is it relates to healthy food choices. It is said that whatever you practice you tend to perfect. During my 9 months of pregnancy with baby 5, I perfected the art of eating without a conscious. I went from vegetarian to a food junky and now I'm paying the price as I slowly transition back to 'eating for performance'. Cravings are a beast and food does talk.like in the commercials but I shall overcome.

What area of your life are you lacking self control? Could it be that your tongue is a weapon unleashing gossip, hurt, and lies upon others? Maybe your eyes are burning holes into others because you just can't get enough. Are you too lazy to take care of your temple, do you sit all day in front of the TV or computer? Or maybe you don't make time for God because your too tired from lack of proper sleep or you simply rather do something else.

Whatever your area of lack is know that you can reverse the curse. Ask the Lord to forgive you, pray for strength and consciously choose to be a better you.

Have a great Tuesday.

Kisha

www.balancedandpurposed.com

10 day detox

I'll be detox for the next 10 days.  I will consume no meat, no white products, and no packaged snacks foods.

Today is day 1 and I feel ok.  Dinner will be the test!

Lord give me the strength to stick it out!

You can follow my transformation at:My transformation!

Kisha 

Praise Him Always

There are so many things we can do to make ourselves feel good or to make us feel good about ourselves. Ultimately these mini highs wear off and we find ourselves seeking again. Being intimately involved with our Heavenly Father is the only thing that will keep us on a natural high. Even though nothing may change about your circumstances when you decided that negativity, anxiety, worry and doubt are no longer going to consume your thinking, you get on the road to feeling good.you become a winner in the spiritual realm. When you praise the Lord with thankfulness in your song, in your heart and you worship in your form of worship, you just feel good. There is nothing mystical about it. It is simply how we are designed.

So whether you are living in a shack or a mansion, whether you are a MLB player or a store clerk within yourself or even out loud break into a praise moment. You'll find that living this life is so much easier that way and more enjoyable!

Have a great Monday!

www.balancedandpurposed.com

Dying To Self

Living Sacrifice - A Biblical Truth As Christians, we're called to give ourselves to God as a "living sacrifice." The Apostle Paul helps us understand this truth in his letter to the believers in Rome:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

Living Sacrifice - Dying to Self So, how do we truly present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice? In a nutshell, we must die to our prior selves. This concept is wonderfully presented in this anonymous poem.

When you are forgotten, neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you don't sting or hurt with the oversight, but your heart is happy being counted worthy to suffer for Christ;

That is dying to self.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinion ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence;

That is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any annoyance; when you can stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility, and endure it as Jesus did;

That is dying to self.

When you are content with any food, and offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, any solitude, any interruption by the will of God;

That is dying to self.

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or record your own good works or itch after commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown;

That is dying to self.

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met, and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and you are in desperate circumstances;

That is dying to self.

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit, inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart;

That is dying to self.

http://www.allaboutfollowingjesus.org/living-sacrifice.htm

Every child needs a hero

Do you ever get tired of sitting by while children get tossed to the curb, live in neglect and even suffer abuse?

Get up, speak up, stand up.

Visit: Ordinary Hero

Learning from others

If you are in a partnership (whether it's in sports, business or marriage), are you focused on improving yourself? Or are you trying to change your partners weakness? Are you undercutting your relationship by talking badly about your partner? Or are you taking the opportunity to learn from his or her strengths?

Why not make a personal commitment today to focus on doing your best and giving 100 percent? Then leave the rest up to God.

Don't criticize and speak evil about each other. James 4:11 TLB

By Mark Knowles, 4x Bahamian Olympian in Tennis

Nakisha R. Guzman a.k.a Kisha

www.balancedandpurposed.com

"Don't waste your life is not a catchphrase for me; it's a cliff I walk beside every day with trembling." John Piper

A dollar is a dollar, memories are for a lifetime by Linda Rodgers

Over the years, my pocket book has been stretched until it looks like a suitcase!   Life is challenging with our world's economy, the cost of living, and the ever present bills that seem to crawl into our mailbox.

 

I have always believed in a comment made to me years ago that it was important to create memories and make that a priority with family. Empires fall, money fades, but we have our memories.   That has been a foundational practice for me as I raised my kids.   My purse may have been empty, but my heart was full.   We created memories with adventures in the park, flying kites, walks along the beach, and campfires with my extended family.   One such special memory was watching my kids bring their backpacks to my bed while I read and they did homework.

 

Sin in our world can create unpleasant and sad memories for us.   Sometimes we cannot choose those and carry heavy scars because of that.   One great thing is that we can create new positive memories ourselves.   We have choices to heal, to move forward, and begin a new page in our scrapbook of memories.

 

I love watching my children open up our scrapbooks smiling and laughing, saying things such as "remember when...."   I didn't have money for trips but what I had for them was TIME.   Time creates memories.       People climb corporate ladders in their workplace.   How about climbing the corporate ladder as a parent?   It takes time and creativity as we fill the pages of our scrapbook.

 

Solomon voiced these words in Ecclesiastes 5:18, "What is the best thing to do in the short life that God has given us?   I think we should enjoy eating, drinking, and working hard.   This is what God intends us to do."   Our time on earth is limited, and each day gives us a great responsibility to do our job, to take care of our bodies, and enjoy life!

 

Memories don't have to be elaborate.   They just need time.   We have had our share of picnics and ants, bike rides, table games, baking in a total chaos, and new family traditions created.

 

Solomon continues to say, "It is better to enjoy what we have than to always want something else, because that makes no more sense than chasing the wind."

 

Summer holidays are coming up.   Vacations need to be scheduled, kids activities need to be prepared to keep everyone's sanity and the scrap book of memories added to.   What a great privilege to look back over the years and smile, though so needy financially and still have had the opportunity to choose positive memories with my kids despite the dollar value.

 

Make a list of memories you can create in the next days for your own scrapbook.   Rejoice that despite the dollar value, there are so many memories that are at your fingertips.   Be positive with your kids as you live out the importance of building memories.

 

Father God, thank you that you love making memories with us.   You cherish listening to our hearts, You always have time for us, and You want us to enjoy the life we have here on planet Earth.   Help us to discern positive memories that we can carry in the scrapbooks of our memories and thank You for those opportunities.   Help us to remember that a dollar has just a dollar value and a memory is a lifetime!   In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

Questions: What is keeping you from making memories with your family? What are your priorities in life? What is the most important thing you can do in the short life that God has given you?

 

Caring about what God cares about

With so many organizations & individuals helping the impoverished countries around the globe, I have to wonder why we see such little change. It's a heavy burden to see starving, lonely children and do nothing about it. How can I move beyond my luxuries to make a real difference to a needy woman or child? Proverbs 24:12 (The Message) weighs heavy on me today. Rescue the perishing; don't hesitate to step in and help. If you say, "Hey, that's none of my business," will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely, you know-someone not impressed with weak excuses.

God is not impressed with me sticking to my daily schedule, nor is he impressed that I went to bed on time, He doesn't care about hair do, my pretty toes, or my clean house. God cares about relationships; he cares about the orphans, children, the poor, and His lost children who know Him not. I need to care about what He cares about, I have to break out of my norm, I have to look beyond my need to control & seek to surpass my comfort levels.

Pray with me as I ponder.

Nakisha R. Guzman a.k.a Kisha

jollyhomemaker.blogspot.com

"Don't waste your life is not a catchphrase for me; it's a cliff I walk beside every day with trembling." John Piper