I Need a Boxing Name

So, I was inspired by our church series "Fighting to Win" where PD (my hubs) brought in trainers and world champion fighters from the Boxing Club to illustrate his sermons.  It's been a great series, and since I've been finding all kinds of excuses to avoid getting my exercise on, I now had no excuse since I'd met some great guys who were really encouraging for me to give it a go.  So I did.  Erik offered me a free training session to check it out.  Let me just say, after an hour I crawled into my van and cried.  But only after I had signed a contract.  It was exhausting, but fun!

That's why I need a boxing name. 

In the meantime, I'm working on building strength and stamina.  I've got a long way to go, but am making good progress (says my trainer), and I love feeling of strength flowing through me again.  And hitting a bag is fun!  What keeps me going is a strong goal with a timeline - it keeps me pressing forward.  Getting better at different skills keeps it interesting.  Trying new combinations is challenging. 

Are you pursuing a new goal?  What's keeping you motivated?

Fighting to Win - pt. 1

Okay, I'm a girl and not into boxing (some girls are, but not me).  But the truth is, we all have battles in our life that need to be fought and today, Pastor David (PD) started a new series in church titled "Fighting to Win".  It is based out of Ephesians 6:10-20, and he invited competitive boxer and trainer Ron Casper to come and share with us some basic instruction about what it takes to win in the ring.  PD then took that natural application to a whole other level in our spiritual lives.  Here's an outline of what I learned today.  Yes, even a girl can learn from boxing analogies!  :)

Your FOUNDATION is key.  Your stance needs to remain balanced, centered, positioned to move easily in whatever direction you need to go in.  If your weight is off-center, you are easily pushed off balance.  This effects how you hit your opponent as strength comes from a stable foundation.  There are three areas where we fight:
1.  The world (the negative cultural elements that pressures us in our daily lives)
2.  The flesh (me, myself, and I.  I need to take responsibility for my  stuff, my screw-ups, my sin)
3.  The devil (yep, he's real, and you can't let your guard down - stay connected to God.  Fear is
 not God and often the devil uses fear to shake our foundation (1Peter 5:8).  Recognize that and believe God - don't fear!.)

Philippians 6:10 says God wants us to be STRONG in the Lord and His mighty power, not powerless and knocked over!  If I'm strong with His strength, then I'm not going to lose!  This doesn't mean there's no battle though.

In boxing you have to understand that there is an opponent, you will get punched, and you are in the ring to win.  Can we not apply the same attitude?

God has given you all the tools you need to win.

James 4:7  Allow God to teach you (He's the best trainer you can have)

Here are some weapons we have at our disposal, illustrated by 4 kinds of boxing punches:

#1  THE JAB.  In boxing, the jab is used to feel out the opponent.  Without the jab, you've got nothing.  You have to be able to read your opponent and jabbing helps you to do that.  It sets the stage for the power punch! 

Spiritually, our jab is PRAYER.  We go through our day, praying, feeling things out.  At times a weak spot will be revealed where we can send a power punch to defeat the enemy, but we don't know where that is unless we first jab at it with prayer.  Prayer positions us for the power punch!

#2 THE CROSS.  While our "left hand" is jabbing, our right hand is waiting at the chin for an opportunity.  When it's time, the punch is thrown, not from the arm, but from the strength of the foundation.  The power comes up from the hip through to the fist.

FAITH is our foundation.  Without it, we are simply hoping to land a punch.  Faith puts action to what we are hoping for, stretching out to hit its target.  The cross is a calculated punch.  You search out when to land it instead of just flailing at the problem.  It's strategic, it hits its mark.  WORSHIP is a calculated punch.  It's in the words we use and speak into a situation, it's thanksgiving.  When the enemy is messing with us, we keep in prayer, and then Wham! we let go with worship and the full weight of who God is comes into the situation.  We've brought God right into the ring!  It's a choice, it's calculated, it's strategic.  You set yourself to worship!

#3  The HOOK.  This punch can come from either the right or left and it also uses our foundation to bring the power behind it.  When the enemy is throwing a power hit at you, that's when you go for the jab.  Your arm goes with the body, follows the body.  You could hit with just the power of the arm, but there's not real strength in it like if you use the whole body.

Our "hook" is the WORD.  When you are getting hit by the enemy, bring your right and left hook out!  Take your faith stance (we need that solid foundation -God doesn't change!) and speak the word into that situation! [and when the whole body is involved, we're not flying solo, our hook is that much more effective].

#4  THE UPPERCUT.  This is exciting!  This punch can be thrown at the body or the face, and the fighter is always looking for a hole, an opening the opponent has left - an opportunity - and this punishing blow is thrown.

WISDOM is our uppercut punch!  There is such power in Godly wisdom!  It sows good seed into our life.  Do you like what you're reaping in life?  Then look at what seed needs to be sown to get the good harvest.  Wisdom knows the power of words, and it reaches beyond hope into faith with works.  But you need to know what seeds need to be sown.  We can't always figure things out on our own, but God's wisdom can come in and show us exactly what needs to happen, exactly what direction to thrown the punch, and it's a game-changer. 

PD ended with a challenge from Ephesians 4:27, to not give the devil any foothold in our lives, but to confront head on our faulty disciplines (such as anger) and to trust our Coach (God) who spurs us past our limited capacity into His winning capacity.  Go God!

A big thank you to Ron for coming out, and his bride Erica, for sharing from his gifts and talents, bringing a very real spiritual application alive for us.  Next week, two-time world champion Muay Tai fighter Mel Menor will be with us to bring more powerful illustrations about what it takes to win in the fight.  If you're in the midst of a battle, these messages are all about preparing you to win.  Bring a friend and perhaps I'll see you there!

p.s. the messages will be on-line at http://www.c3mb.com/ if you want to listen - FREE - and keep watch for a possible video of Ron's demonstrations on display.

Keep fighting to win!

Mountains out of Molehills

There's a long hill next to my house.  It's a hill I've been familiar with for years, and now I live at the crest of it.  I have a history with this hill.  For years I've driven past it, driven up and down it, and all the while it's taunted me.  Seriously.  It has looked me boldly in the eye, causing me to look away.  See, I had this thought that the hill was too long to walk.  When you get around one corner, there's another.  It would be hard, I wouldn't make it.  I'd probably have to stop part of the way up.  So I never tried.

I moved to my home at the end of February, perched at the top of my nemesis, and felt challenged in my heart to walk that hill.  To conquer it.  Nearly 6 months later I hadn't tried.  Until today.

Can I just say, No.big.deal.  I mean, I had really worked myself up to believe how it would be.  And it wasn't.  It took maybe 15 minutes.  Down.Up.Done.  This is important to me because my bigger goal is a 3 mile loop which includes this hill, and I had to get past the hill to begin walking the loop.  This is what I learned:

Never listen to the voice that says "you can't".  It's always lying.  No matter what our hill is, we can't allow intimidation to stop us from trying the things that are in our hearts to do (obviously within God's grace).

When you launch out, don't think about the hill.  Focus elsewhere. A note here:  focusing on the finish line doesn't work for me.  I'm the type who see's the whole course when I focus on the finish line - I can't separate the two.  So, I focus elsewehre.  I put a fantastic message on my ipod and listened as I walked.  I was encouraged in my spirit, thinking on the good things being said, and paid no attention to the hill I was walking.  "Think on good things" can help propel you past your obstacles! (music doesn't work for me either, but it might for you.  I'm a thinker, and thinking upward is a positive and encouraging way to move forward for me).

The battle to guard our thinking is constant.  Today, maybe you can take a look at that area you've been avoiding because it seems too difficult.  And just possibly you'll lace up your tennis shoes and go for a walk.  It will be just the beginning!

The Purpose of Light and Dark

I'm a dark chocolate fan.  I really don't like white chocolate much at all, but the intensity and bitterness of the dark chocolate is such a great foil to the sweetness.  But this blog isn't about chocolate.  :)  I recently read this concerning light and dark, and I admit it's just beginning thoughts, but I'll restrain myself to these initial observations:

"God spoke: "Light!" and light appeared.  God saw that light was good and separated light from dark."

then this....

"God is light and in Him is no darkness at all"

then this..

"The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it.  The Lamb is its light..."

If God is light, and light is good, why the darkness? There will come a day when there will be no more darkness.  Can you imagine that?  Nothing hidden, nothing scary, all illumined.  But in the meantime, we live with darkness as a part of our existence.

What if darkness was given to us to continually put us in the tension of choosing light?

Perhaps darkness is the test that leads to our testimony.

What if the church wasn't made to "be perfect" in the first place, but to grow into perfection? 

I once was afraid of the dark, but no longer.  At one time I settled within myself that God created everything, and I trust Him, so I am not afraid.  I don't always like the dark, I like to see clearly, but being in the dark has taught me some things:

• I have learned to look for the light and to move towards it
• I have learned to keep focused on it so I don't lose sight of it
• I have learned to carry light with me in case I encounter darkness
• I have learned that God is in the dark as much as He is in the light and I needn't fear
• I have learned to use my other senses when in the dark - we are so visually dependent, that our other senses sometimes become dull

 Jesus came to give sight to the blind, to bring light to their darkness.  There's a world that loves darkness and hides in it, that shrinks back from the light, but it's light they need.  It's light we are called to walk in, light we are called to broadcast as "cities on a hill" or "lamps on a lampstand". 

This is my encouragement today - don't be afraid of the dark, but embrace the light, run towards it, hold onto it, and spread it around. 

It's too easy to focus on what's dark.  Let's focus on the light and see it push back the darkness!

The Holy Spirit Abides With You and In You

There is an incredible promise in the Bible, a red-letter, direct-from-Jesus promise for you and I to grab hold of receive right now.  There is no special atmosphere to set, people, activity or hoop to jump through in order to receive it.  It comes directly from the Father through His Son, Jesus.

"And I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--"

The Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter/Counselor/Helper/Intercessor/Advocate/Strengthener, and Standby is promised to us, that HE will abide with US forever.

I don't know about you, but in times of personal weakness I have felt concern over whether the Holy Spirit was still hanging around with me.  Maybe I wasn't living "right" enough for Him to be with me.  This verse assures me, He is with me forever!

There is only one qualification for this - that I love and follow Jesus.

"If you love Me, keep [obey] my commandments.  And I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you  know Him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."

Many people in the world profess to love Jesus [He's a great guy/teacher/prophet], but here love is defined in the truest sense - it moves us to action which supports our profession of love.  If I love Jesus, my life will follow Him, I will no longer live for myself [nor for other people].

Notice that it says He DWELLS....He's not going anywhere.  If I love and follow Jesus, He is glued to me.  I can't shake Him. He lives with me.  I'm His P.O. box, His address on earth.

It also says, he dwells WITH me and will be IN me [the IN happened at pentecost, Acts 2, fulfilling Jesus promise].  With and In.  He's with me and in me because I love and follow Jesus.  With and In.  Inside and outside.  There are no times when He's not there.  I don't have to issue a special invitation every time I want to hang with Him.  He is there.

So, what if I'm not feeling it?  Set your heart to love and follow Jesus.  Begin to think on Him, sing songs of love to Him, align your heart to His.  The Holy Spirit is right there.  Can you feel Him?

The Holy Spirit is Given to Those Who Obey God

Acts 5:32 says that the Holy Spirit was given by God to those obey Him.  If we want to life Holy Spirit empowered lives, then are we willing to hear and do the will of God in our everyday life? 

The Apostles were empowered to be witnesses for God, miracles and signs of wonder were happening, and even an astounding deliverance from prison occurred, freeing them to go speak "all the words of this life". 
Impulsive Peter, who had denied Jesus after the crucifixion, was now operating in the power of the Spirit with boldness.

What about you and I?  I think a lot of people wonder how to even start in the realm of walking in the Spirit.  Early in chapter 5 we have an example. 

The believers being saved during this time lived in communion together, sharing all that they had.  It wasn't required, but was a spontaneous expression of what God was doing in their midst.  It was beautiful!  Ananias and Sapphira wanted to be associated with these people.  I believe they were moved out of a conviction from God to sell a possession and give it to the Lord.  Notice they didn't sell everything, but "a possession".  They felt compelled to give something.  They sold their possession, collected the proceeds and wavered on what to give.  Do I give it in full?  I can just see it now.  Perhaps they owned a set oxen, they weren't really using them anymore, they were disposable to them, so let's sell them and give those proceeds.  We can afford that.  But once they were sold, and the money is in hand....well, we can all use money, right  "I don't have to give it all.  I'm going to give only a portion."

So they lied.  Husband and wife agreed to lie about what they were giving. 

They pretended to give what they perceived was the "acceptable amount" to gain favor.  They pretended to give it all.

They weren't giving out of obedience to God's voice.  They weren't giving from a right motivation.  They were giving to get something.  To gain a reputation.  And they were caught lying to the Holy Spirit (there's no secrets from God) and they died in their sin.

The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey God.  Are we being obedient to what God has told us, or are we holding back even a bit? 

If we want to walk in greater power of the Holy Spirit, we have to get real in our hearts.  What has God required of me?  Acknowledge it fully.  Don't hedge it, rationalize it, justify a means of escape.  Obey.

If we've been holding back from fully obeying, repent!  Quickly!  God's mercy has sustained us, now we must turn back to the truth and do it.

And begin to walk in a greater fullness of the Spirit.  Begin your best life, now.

Volleyball in the Pool

I'm sitting watching my husband and oldest son play volleyball in the pool.  They are mixed in with a crowd of strangers, batting the ball back and forth over the net.  There's smiling, cheering each other on, laughter as they all enjoy the game.  What if like could be more like that?

There is simple unity and enjoyment in what they are doing.  Anyone can play.  If someone knocks the ball out of the pool, someone else scrambles to get it with a smile and they keep playing.  No one takes themselves too serisouly and there's room for young and old to play together.

It's a refreshing place to escape the heat, and they are in it together.  Two separate teams, one game, one pool. 

Nice.  We CAN play nice if we want to.  :)