I have had a week of incredible blessing! From wonderful, encouraging emails and tweets from a dear friend, to being able to help someone out to getting to spend time in God's house with His people and praying and praising with them. I've had great compliments on how I'm looking, having lost 2 1/2 stone in the last 6 months.
2010 was a journey regarding physical issues, fitness, health and diet. I gave up smoking in Novemeber 2009 and was delighted, following two silly attempts to restart (why??) that God just took away the enjoyment of it. I actually felt really unwell after getting half way through the last cigarette I shall ever smoke on this earth! Thank you, God. He knows my weaknesses so well.
I began to exercise more - I can be incredibly lazy (and yes, that is still an issue for me from time to time). I also saw a nutritionist and realised my eyes were indeed bigger than my belly - I always put more food on my plate than my body actually needs! I'm still walking this out but there has been victory and I'm so glad for it.
But now, we are in a new year. This seems to be the time when people do look at their weight, their lack of exercise and make plans to work out, to eat less, to do something about it and change their habits so they will be healthy and fit.
For me, following a conversation with a friend, I felt God say to me that this year, 2011, would be a year where I would bring my mind into mental fitness. That 2011 is a year for me to get disciplined in my thought life. I feel the challenge to fill my mind with the things of God, to quote Phil 4:8, "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." For years, ever since I became a Christian, I have struggled to get a love for the Bible, God's word to us. Considering there are people who would willingly risk all to have just a chapter, I feel ashamed that I have not valued it as much as I could have. But God is calling me, and others I believe, to pray for a deep love and reverence for His words to us. The Bible tells us of the Mind of God. If I want to grow to know God more, if I want to fall in love with Him, if I want to know His will for my life, surely the Bible is where I should start?!
At the moment, God seems to be encouraging me through the book of Philippians. It seems to be following me around. A friend has felt verses specifically for both of us from this book. Today at church, the sermon came from Philippians 3: 12-14. There has been exhortation, both from people and devotionals, to press in. Its a new year, a new beginning. There are opportunities for a fresh start, for new adventures in God. This year is a call to get serious with our training, to limber up for that race, to begin to stretch those legs and get stuck into endurance training.
God wants to move His Bride forward. I feel this is to be a year where people will see breakthroughs in areas they never even dreamed would be touched by the Power of God. Many have been on a journey where they have struggled, where they have been tempted, where they have battled and maybe grown weary of the fight. It seems that God is saying "C'mon, this is the last big push. Victory is around the corner. I'm shouting for you, I'm screaming at the top of My lungs for you to break through that tape, to complete the race. Victory is there, just cross the finish line. Go for it!"
If there is anything that you have been praying for in what seems like an eternity, with no sign of results, keep pressing in. I want to encourage you as I sense that God is about to release a shower of answers for His people. Finances will be released, loved ones saved, healings will finally come, that thing you've longed for in your heart for so long that it pains you to think about it - hold it up to God again. He's going to answer your heart's cry.
Right, well didn't quite expect to begin prophesying....(not something I step out in often!) God, blow on that and let it reach who it needs to reach.
So to continue with my post, I note also the encouragement to dust off dreams that have been held and maybe even allowed to die. The internet seems to ring with the sound of God's people hearing Him say that it's time to follow those dreams, to step out in them. I notice alot of people, including Vicky Beeching, have been quoting an article which talks about being afraid to succeed - Marianne Williamson, Return to Love. Others talk about people who are trying to stop one from realising their dreams. I can honestly say I know I am the one that has stopped me following my dream. Its through fear, fear of failure, fear of what others might say. Fear of getting it wrong or being ridiculed. My dream is to write about my experiences, to write how, inspite of being in the darkest places, God can break through and hold a person, even as they continue to experience things a person should never hope to experience nor would dream of for their own life or that of their children. I've had the encouragement from two close friends to begin writing but I continue to procrastinate.
Again, I feel God encouraging me that, this year 2011, this is the year I begin to take up the pen, put those words to paper and that, as I step out in obedience, He will breath on those words and what He wants accomplished through it will come to be.
Lastly, for me, I have posted before on the problems I have always had with witnessing for my faith in God. I am a people pleaser. I confess it. I long to be loved, wanted, part of the group. Sarah Markley had a post recently about being part of the gang, children's games, and feeling left out, unwanted. How it's time to grow up, to get beyond that and move on. I think this has been a part of my problem. Always seeking approval of others to the detriment of what God thinks, His approval so I've kept my mouth shut, I've stayed silent when I should have spoken up. 2011 I believe is the year this changes. God has been challenging me and challenging me on this and I believe, as I begin to fall in love with His words, as I fall in love with my first love again, He will remove that which has kept me locked up for so long. He will break my fear of man and I will no longer be an "undercover God botherer" as is quoted in my bio for Twitter. Instead I will be bold and ready to share my faith in God, ready to point people to Jesus. I believe it and I'm going to pray for it.
So I encourage any who reads this post to look to God for that fresh start, that new beginning. Seek Him for the renewal of love for Him and His word, the Bible. Seek Him for the rebirth of dreams maybe long forgotten or walled away in shadows from neglect. Look to Him for freedom from long term sins or habits or fears that make you slow in the race. Limber up, get those shoes on and get ready to surge past that finishing tape. Press on!
Phil 4:14 " I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us"
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