Healthy Horizons

My friend, Scarlett, writes a free weekly devotional for “Women in the Workplace” called “Mud Creek’s Women in the Workplace” devotional.  She does not have a website or blog to post these on, so has kindly allowed me permission to post them on this blog.  The reason that she has entitled it this way is because of the area that she lives in.

She works outside the home, which gives her first-hand experience into what women who work outside the home face each day/week.  Furthermore, God has also given her WONDERFUL insight into God’s Word on how to deal with these real live issues that women face in the workplace.

If you are one of these ladies, you will NOT want to miss out on this weekly devotional that will be posted on this site!

The adrenal glands play a very vital role in each of our lives. When they are not working properly, they can have a myriad of effects on our health. To better understand what they are, what the symptoms or causes of adrenal “fatigue” are and how to “support” or “build up” your adrenals, click on the link below.

http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalhealth/naturaltreatments-adrenalfatigue.aspx?id=1&campaignno=adrenalfatigue&adgroup=ag1adrenalfatigue&keywords=adrenal+fatigue&gclid=CJrn7e201KsCFY1S7AodnCTvPQ

Even though this site is for women, the information is very relevant for men as well! Men who live very active and/or high stress lifestyles can experience the effects of improper adrenal support. Medications can cause weak adrenals (even if it is just ONE medication). Weak adrenals can even cause emotional symptoms, such as depression.

Interesting “stuff”! Check it out!

“LEAN NOT”

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5,6

Today’s Scripture is a familiar one to most of us.  It’s a passage we often learn as small children in Vacation Bible School or Sunday School.  For today’s devotional I’d like for us to focus on the words, LEAN NOT.  The meaning of these two words is that we should not depend on our own native instincts, but rather that we should “acknowledge him”, meaning to have a close walk with God in all aspects of life.  We so often do indeed lean on our own understanding of a situation.  We see a personal difficulty and we immediately begin to assume the worst.  We hear a little bit of bad news and we turn a molehill into a mountain.  Or perhaps we’re facing a terrible trial that anyone would agree seems insurmountable and we forget that nothing is impossible with God.

We must be reminded that our understanding is so finite and limited in comparison with God’s omniscience and omnipotence.  He is always at work for our good and God’s glory and so He commands us to trust Him and to not lean on just our understanding.  The promise at the end of verse six is that He will reward the devotion of trusting and acknowledging Him by making the path straight before us.  In the workplace and at home we’re constantly tempted to try to look into the future.  Only God knows the future and He intentionally did not give us that ability.  That is reserved only for Him.  Truthfully, we couldn’t handle it – good or bad.

My challenge to you today is to take a quick inventory of the things you’re worrying about and ask yourself whether or not you’re trusting God or leaning on your own understanding of the subject.  If we’re worrying at all then we probably know the answer.  Lastly, don’t be afraid to trust God; be afraid not to trust Him.

Have A Great Week!

Scarlett

“LIVING WITH AND WITHOUT LIMITS”

“And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:”  Colossians 2:10

We all live with certain limitations.  Perhaps we’re physically limited in some way from certain activities, or maybe our education level prevents us from particular job opportunities.  Financial limitations keep us within a budget, making that Honda Civic our car and not the Ferrari.  We also have limits to the stressful situations that we can handle.  Be it at home or at work, who among us hasn’t at least once said (or at least thought), “I’ve reached my limit!”?

So how do we gain perspective on those things, people, tasks, or moments that test our limits?  First of all I think it’s important to remember what NOT to do when faced when these limit-testing forks in the road. Simply stated, don’t give in to sin. We really can have triumph over our circumstances with Christ as our refuge and shield.  He alone is sufficient to handle all the crisis points in our life, yet we often even place limits on what we believe God can do in us.  We put God in a box and forget that He is all powerful.  In Psalm 78:41 the psalmist recounts Israel’s disappointing treatment of God’s promises, “Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” It seems ridiculous that anyone could (or would) limit God and yet we do it every day.  We often do it unconsciously by carrying our burdens alone and forgetting that He is ready and able to carry them for us.  We do it by refusing to trust Him when we’re told over and over again to cast our cares on Him.

If your home or workplace is testing your limits, ask yourself one simple question – “Have I truly given the situation to the Lord ?”  We do this by prayerful conversations with God, committing the problems to Him.  We stay close to Him by daily studying the Bible and seeking His Will in all situations.  He wants our obedience more than anything, and we can be obedient by trusting Him.  Then may we all hear from Jesus as did the woman who washed His feet with her tears in Luke 7:50, “And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” Christ’s love pushes the limits into a limitless peace and unending love.

Have A Great Week!

Scarlett

Mark 9:24b “… Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

The dictionary plainly defines the word unbelief as “lack of belief.” In short, it is not believing. Believing is “conviction that certain things are true; trust; confidence or expectation.” So, if I am not believing, then I am doubting.

Here recently I have been facing some situations that I believe are God ordained — doors that I know without a shadow of a doubt have been opened by God Himself. Yet, in my flesh, I still hold on quiveringly that just MAYBE God will not furnish or come through with the promises of what are behind these doors.

Yet, I cannot stop here because this morning I woke up and in my inbox on the computer, I found a devotion whose subject was “What God has promised you, He will fulfill.” Wow! That was a wake-up call this morning!

The devotion went on to tell a story about a woman who was following  a snow plow in a snow storm. She just knew that she would be able to get where she was going and more safely because the snow plow was plowing all the snow in front of her. Finally after some time, the snow plow stopped and the driver came to her car and asked her where she was going? She told him and his reply was that she would never get there by following him … because he was plowing the parking lot!”

Am I not that way? Do I not sometimes put my trust and my confidence in myself or other people? Yet, all the while God is trying to tell me that HE knows the way and to trust in HIM!

God didn’t stop there this morning! When I went to have my devotions and study part of my Sunday School lesson for this coming Sunday, guess what it was about! You got it … UNBELIEF!! God gave me a double wake-up call this morning!

The lesson was talking about the Israelites. Do you remember what they said against God? They said, “Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” Psalm 78:19b Is my unbelief any different than from others unbelief in days gone by?  Am I also doubting Him as the Israelites did?

As I continued to study the lesson, God began to speak to me. He began to show me where my unbelief would lead me … it usually begins with a complaining attitude, by the way, which leads through a whole lifetime of living in the wilderness … NEVER gaining victory. Worse yet, is that the Israelites even contemplated turning back to where they had come! What a sobering thought to even consider going back into the land of sin and sorrow and defeat!

God showed me that He does not want me to turn back now! Nor does He want me to live the rest of my life in the wilderness. But, God has promised me blessings and victories untold of! But, I will never get there until I believe and trust in His plan and His work that He is doing.

I Thessalonians 5:24 “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”

Lord, I believe … forgive thou mine unbelief! You have been faithful and never failed me in the past and I trust you for the future!

“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”

I couldn’t close without sharing the words to this song that has been on my heart all day … “Did I Mention?” (listen to the chorus)

Vs 1: David sang the praises, Of the glory of Jehovah

Paul preached that all is lost, save knowing Christ

Little John said, He is precious by leaning on His bosom

For a moment, may I humbly testify?

Chorus: Did I mention that I love Him? How I worship and adore Him?

When I can see no way … He makes a way!

Did I mention that He’s been faithful? To every promise He’s ever made me!

I love him … that’s all I want to say!

Vs 2: How many sermons have been preached about this Jesus?

How many songs have been sung about God’s Son?

There are not enough words, enough notes in the music

To tell the story of all the Savior has done

Chorus: Did I mention that I love Him? How I worship and adore Him?

When I can see no way … He makes a way!

Did I mention that He’s been faithful? To every promise He’s ever made me!

I love him … that’s all I want to say!

Not my brother, nor my sister … but it’s ME, O Lord!

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? THOU HYPOCRITE, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”  Matthew 7:1-5

Why, LORD, do I (it’s me) judge others? Why do I (it’s me) find fault in how they live — the way they act, what they wear, how they look, what music they listen to, what church they go to, who they are friends with, what their family does or doesn’t do? Whether these things are wrong or not, it is not my place (it’s me) to judge them!

The Bible clearly tells me in Isaiah 64:6 “But we are ALL as an unclean thing, and ALL our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we ALL do fade as a leaf; and OUR iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

So, WHY? Why do I (it’s me) so freely judge my brothers and sisters in Christ? Not just my brothers and sisters, but those who have fallen and even those who do not even claim you as Lord. Look at all the others who do this … from the pulpit to the pew. They call themselves Christians, Lord. So, it must be okay for me to do it too … am I right, Lord? Do you agree with me, Lord?

The Lord’s reply, “… He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” John 8:7 and “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” I John 1:8

Why then, Lord, do I (it’s me) continue to judge?

His quiet admonition is this: “5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Romans 8:5-9, 12-13

He further admonishes us that: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25 and this: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 … and one more thing:

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

I have removed the beam out of my own eye and I clearly see now, Lord. It’s ME — forgive me!! It’s not my brother and it’s not my sister! But, it’s ME! Help me to “mortify” (kill) the flesh and all it’s desires, Lord! Help me then to walk after your Spirit and show forth your love (Galatians 5:22-26).

I clearly see … if I shut up my bowels of compassion, your love — your UNCONDITIONAL love, Lord — does not dwell in me (I John 3:17) for “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” I John 4:16

Thank you, Lord, for your forgiveness! Help your compassion and love to flow through me!

You may talk about me all you please … down on your knees!                      (interceding in prayer on my behalf to the Lord)