Rejoice and Be Thankful!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Jesus Christs." Philippians 4:4-7

It is easy to trust in God, to pray and to be thankful when everything is going great... but, what do we do when things are hard? Do we still have faith or do we feel like we have been forgotten? The verse above tells us exactly what we are supposed to do-- Rejoice always! We might not always understand what is going on in our lives, but it is important to always remember that there is a bigger picture and that God has a plan for us all. Sometimes, the plan might not be clear to us and we might not understand the circumstances... but our challenges make us stronger and the hard times make us appreciate the positive things more. Maybe the struggles are placed in our lives to make sure we don't take things for granted...maybe they are a test to strengthen our faith... whatever the reason, God has a plan.

If you have been reading this blog from the beginning, you remember from the first post when I said that I let the stress take over and hit rock bottom. Guess what? The situation really hasn't changed that much since then... but my mindset and my focus has changed completely. Since that day, I have been more focused on what the bigger picture might be-- and have made it a point to remember all the many things I have to be thankful for. Yes, parts of life are still stressful and will continue to be until everything is, "under control." But, it makes me stronger to know that just because things are out of my control doesn't mean there isn't a higher purpose and a higher power (God) completely in control of everything. I refer to this verse a lot... but it is a good one to know and always helps me if I feel myself allowing stress to take over...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6(NIV)

Nutrition Challenge:
Today, if you have been sticking to the challenges and are consciously making lifestyle changes, I want you to reward yourself! Don't forget the challenges up to this point.. but today, pick one item or one treat that you really like and eat/drink it! Occasionally rewarding yourself for a job well done will help you stick to the positive changes. I'm not saying eat an entire large pizza or a carton of ice cream... but help yourself to a reasonable portion of something you enjoy! (Bet you weren't expecting that!)

Fitness Challenge:
I hope everyone found a workout buddy or an accountability partner! It's always good to have someone there to encourage you.
Today, we are going to add in another simple (but very effective) move you can do in the comfort of your own home, a gym, a park or even the office!
The Lunge (works quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves):
1. Start off standing straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Step forward with the right foot while gradually lowering your body until your left knee almost touches the ground. At this point, your right thigh should be parallel with the ground. **To prevent injury, do not let your right knee go in front of your toes.
3. Return to starting position and repeat 10 times.
4. After you have done 10 repetitions with your right leg, repeat the same instructions with your left.

Out of Your Comfort Zone AND Change Your Thinking:
Todays post started out with a couple of very powerful and inspiring Bible verses. I think we all can use some work on truly being thankful for what we have and realizing that we do not have to have control over everything. I do not want to take the focus away from those verses... So, for the challenge today, read and mediate on the verses from the beginning of the post. I promise you that once you are able to be thankful for what you have and realize that God has a plan for your life, everything else will come together. Just because something doesn't happen in your time doesn't mean God's timing isn't perfect!