Reposturing Body, Mind, Spirit

I am back to it! That odd word…REPOSTURING!

It just keeps coming back to me, and every time it does – I feel even more passionate about what it means and how much it relates to our lives in every way.

The Bible tells us that we are multi-dimensional, but unfortunately we often don’t act as if this is true. It seems the world has a better grasp on this, even if they are “off-balance” – so to speak.

This word has so captured me, that I began Googling to see what I could find on this subject. I didn’t expect to find anything with spiritual connotation, and I didn’t. However, I was fascinated and intrigued with a handbook about how to address the “mistakes” in our posture that are probably affecting our health. This handbook teaches how to reposture and therefore improve health. I purchased the book and have begun studying how every part of our body, from our muscles to our spines to our myofascia affects posture – good and bad. This is “reposturing – body”.

The mind, and reposturing go hand-in-hand. It has the duty of keeping us on task for our jobs, family responsibilities, social events, volunteer commitments, extended family obligations…and the list goes on. Proper sleep, nutrition, quiet times of relaxation and/or fun, and balanced hormones all play an important part in keeping the mind properly postured. If we are sleep deprived, or overly stressed we have poor “mind posture” and find ourselves needing to re-focus.

One of the ways the Bible counsels us to re-focus is to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). The Lord desires us to use each of our senses to maintain/return to good “mind posture”.
1. fresh, simple foods from the garden to satisfy our palettes, hunger and nutritional needs
2. beauty in botanicals, landscapes, oceans and mountains for our eyes to behold
3. fragrant odors to titillate our noses making us desire more
4. songbirds singing and crickets chirping are just two of the wonderful sounds that give pleasure to our ears.
5. soft skin of a newborn baby, velvety flower petals and a family pet’s furry neck to throw arms around bring comfort and joy when we touch them.
This spa for the senses is available to us all day everyday… and this is  “reposturing – mind”!

I have previously written a few posts about the spiritual aspect of reposturing, but it is important to look at again. Without good spiritual “posture” we cannot have spiritual health! Daily we slump, slouch, twist wrong, etc, spiritually speaking. The only way to get back to correct spiritual “posture” is to reposture; using the Bible as our guideline. The Bible tells us to meditate on the Lord day and night. Spending quiet, uninterrupted time praying, meditating on the attributes of God and reading scripture is “reposturing – spirit”.

It is my desire to always have correct posture as it relates to body, mind and spirit – but that isn’t ever going to be the case. LIFE causes misalignment – period! Reposturing of body, mind and spirit must be ongoing.

A friend I had tea with today shared Luke 2:52 with me as we discussed this subject:
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” – ESV  This speaks to Jesus’ mind, body and spirit AND it says all three of these increased! This verse should be a very important reminder that our bodies, minds and spirits are all important to God and thus in our humanness need to be repostured daily through the work of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

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You Take My Breath Away!

I was reading in Psalm 104 last week and had a beautiful insight when I read verse 29 that I want to share with you. The end of this verse says “when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.” – ESV

Now, before you decide this is going to be a real downer post, please stay with me for a few moments. I believe you will be smiling and humming a tune in your spirit by the time you finish reading.

When we describe something of great beauty or grandeur, be it another person or something in nature, we often use the phrase “they/it took my breath away”. To describe this phrase as a word picture, see this in your mind’s eye: as you looked intently upon the person, or thing, you literally could not take another breath because the beauty/grandeur of who or what you were beholding had caused you to gasp – sucking all your breath in suddenly.

That is exactly what God should do to me moment after moment, day after day! …take my breath away. As I gaze upon His glory, His power, His love, His redemption – my breath should literally be sucked in as I BEHOLD Him! Of course, it takes time to behold God in your moments and days. I have written a lot about time – or the lack thereof – but I can think of no better way to spend my time. I pray that I can carve out more moments to behold Jesus my Lord and Savior and Almighty God of the Universe.

As I reflect on the true meaning of this verse – it is the reality that physical death is the permanent loss of breath. When God takes our breath away, life ends.

But, if in those last moments of life, as I behold God…knowing soon I will no longer be beholding from afar, but rather face to face…I cannot help but think of it in terms of “you take my breath away” My hope is that I will be gasping one last time from this earth, in this human body, at His beauty and grandeur! And when I cannot catch another breath, I will shed this human body for a heavenly one. One that never feels pain, or is sick, or grows old – and one that never dies. I will be forever in the presence of God, “then face-to-face” I Corth 13:12

“Lord Jesus, may you take my breath away in the moments and days immediately before me as I behold you. And as the years progress may your beauty and grandeur never cease to take my breath away, till on my final day I gasped one last time as I come into your presence. Amen.”

 

This Year is More Than Half Over!

How is it possible that we are nearly through July?  That means 2016 is more than half over!

Time, or the passing of time, is the cause of many emotions and feelings in our culture. Unfortunately most of these emotions and feelings are negative because we can feel helpless as we watch day after day, week after week run past us, leaving us spinning with thoughts of what should have/could have been accomplished.

In comparison, 3rd world cultures often act as if time stands still. Because of their poverty and lack of resources most things they would like to accomplish simply never happen…leaving them with a sense of hopelessness and futility. Over the years and decades this spirals into losing desire to dream and lack of drive. Because they view one day as the next and the next…and so on until, any goals they might have made seem unattainable or unattractive.

And then there is God’s view of time. As a human constrained within time, I cannot explain except to quote a few verses.
II Peter 3:8 “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Psalm 90:4 “For a thousand years in your (God’s) sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.”

So, what should be my/our response to being within these human boundaries of time that press in on us and God’s timelessness?

Frustration, helplessness, anxiety and other negative responses can nearly paralyze us. Just last week I had a few panic moments when I couldn’t imagine how I was going to get everything done that was not only urgent but important. I am in that stage of life where this also causes some of my strongest hot flashes – and, in the heat of summer, I feel like I possibly going to suffocate. I am reduced to tears and praying for strength – which, I believe, is exactly where the Lord can meet me.

Melting into my savior’s arms in a heap of sweat, tears and helplessness is the safest place I can be during these times. He gently reminds me that His strength is sufficient in my weakness and inability. He does not magically give me more time…but He gives me insight to see how to use my time more effectively and efficiently. If I am willing, He can also lead me to give up some things that I don’t think I can and be more about HIS PASSION…people! He desires that our first passion be to minister to those His son, Jesus, died for. How quickly I forget that in the busyness of the hours, days, weeks, months and years.

My one true desire is that:
“On that day
When my strength is failing
The end draws near
And my time has come
Still my soul will sing
Your (His) praise unending
Ten thousand years
And then forevermore!” – Bless the Lord O My Soul (italics mine)

No more timelines, schedules, deadlines…simply praising the God of the universe.

But, I want as many people there praising God with me as possible…so, that means that I MUST find time to carve out for ministering to people.

“Lord, I realign my passion with yours once again – to be about the business, not busyness, of ministering to people. May you redeem my time and show me ways to serve you more in addition to accomplishing all this “time-constrained life” demands of me. Give me clear vision regarding personal and business tasks to commit to and show me when I want to do things only for my own good and glory. Oh Lord – that is so hard to face, but I need to, and ask you to give me willingness to do this.

I have five more months of 2016 before me. Whatever you have for me, I don’t want to miss it! I am weak but you are strong, I am willing, I am ready! In Jesus name, AMEN.”

It is Well With My Soul

Back in January I shared my word with you for 2016. If you remember, that word was “reposturing”. I must admit that five months later I long to see more signs of how my life, and all that fills my days, is being impacted by that word – no, that attitude, for that is what it truly is.

This year has been hard for me with illness, pain, family health issues, relational challenges and more. I find peace, as I seek to know how the Lord desires to adjust my posture in all these areas. But the challenges I face can take back over in a split second, and I find it hard to get re-focused on this life-changing attitude.

Even  daily time spent in prayer and the Bible doesn’t guarantee I stay focused on reposturing, because often I am preoccupied with pressing concerns and my quiet time with the Lord is reduced to “It is Well With My Soul”.

Praise God! There is no shame in that…for, this is true no matter what else is in my life. No matter how heavy the concerns, no matter how bent I may be under them…I KNOW it is well with my soul.

How do I know that? Because I have believed that Jesus came as God’s son in the flesh to live on this earth as a man. He lived a sinless life and taught of the eternal life He could give anyone who believed they were sinners and needed a savior. He was brutally crucified by those who didn’t want to believe. However, He rose from the dead in three days just as He said He would. His pure/sinless blood shed for me offers me salvation and eternal life. THIS I BELIEVE!

No matter what this life deals me and no matter whether I live a long, full life or die tomorrow – I know that my soul is safe in the arms of my savior, Jesus. What a solace!

Reposturing will never be over as long as I live in this human body on earth…but there are no “discs” or “vertabrae” misaligned…for my soul is aligned with the God of the Universe!

 

The Surgeon

Although I wrote this over a decade ago shortly after my first major surgery for breast cancer, I found myself sharing it with someone last week again and decided it was time to share it with you.

I trust it will be a blessing to you…as it has been to me – over and over!

We’ve all heard the analogy of God as the Great Physician.  Let’s take a little different route and explore the analogy of The Holy Spirit being a surgeon.

When we need surgery on our physical bodies, the Doctor prepares us by telling us the problem, the procedure, the possible complications and the expected outcome he’s hoping for.  We then place our trust in him to perform the procedure.

Then with our modern day technology we are anesthetized and when we wake up, the surgery is over.  Pain can be lessened with pain-killers and so we begin to heal.  However, no matter how skillful the surgeon is we have unsightly scars that last a lifetime.  Many times the outcome is not what the doctors or you had hoped for…or planned on.

Spiritually speaking, when the Holy Spirit knows we need surgery, He too tells us the problem.  Sometimes through prayer and Bible study; sometimes by other people’s witness.  There are many avenues He uses.

If we truly desire His best for us, we agree to “surgery”.  Often the procedure is long and painful.  Unlike physical surgery, we are “awake” through all of it!  Oh yes, He is gracious, gentle and loving, giving us peace and comfort, but we feel His spiritual scalpel intensely.

We often cry out in the middle of it “STOP”!  I can’t take this, it’s too much to bear, and being the merciful God that He is, He does our bidding, leaving us with open wounds and diseased spirits that will need more surgery later on.

BUT, if we let His skilled hand finish the work and close the wound, the healing can begin.  The Holy Spirit is never unsure of the outcome.  He KNOWS what we will become once we have healed.  Something even more wonderful is that the scars from Spiritual surgery will always leave you more beautiful than before.  There is no disfiguring, no never!

Thank you God for the scars.

 Carin g

Have You Ever Contemplated…?

Have you ever contemplated the few things man has made mixed amongst ALL God has created?  It is quite a lesson in humility and smallness.  Of course, God created everything in the beginning from which man makes things…but I am talking more about the plants, trees, flowers, mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, oceans and so on that make up the majority of everything on earth.  You may be saying – well, of course, I have known that for my whole life!  Maybe you have known it – but again, have you contemplated it?

Here are some synonyms for contemplate: view, regard, examine, inspect, observe, study, scrutinize. All these take time to perform.  When you really view something you take it in.  You spend time looking at it.  If you regard someone, or something, you give them honor and respect because you are thinking about them.  Examine, inspect and observe are words that are used in the science arena.  They can also be used when talking about medicine as in “to study”. Scrutiny is an uncomfortable word because generally it connotes looking deep within and looking for the bad along with the good.  We don’t like to be scrutinized, but God says “bring it on” in scriptures such as: Luke 12: 27-40 and the story of creation.  God not only tells us He created everything, but he continually tells us that He looked back at His work and “it was good”.

I have been contemplating some over the past couple of weeks and none more than during the trip we took through the mountain passes of Western Colorado on our way to a family wedding.  I kept my i-phone busy snapping photos as we maneuvered through hairpin curves.  But, even though the photos were stunning, they only reflected a small portion of the beauty that was 360 degrees around me.  I couldn’t help but sing

“Oh Lord My God, when I in awesome wonder…
Consider ALL the worlds thy hands have made.
I see the skies I hear the rolling thunder…
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My saviour, God to thee…
How Great Thou Art, How Great Thou Art.
Then sings my soul, My saviour, God to thee…
How Great Thou Art, How Great Thou Art.”

Now I confess, I don’t spend as much time as I should contemplating all God has made.  I mean to…and I do for awhile, and then LIFE takes back over – until God gently raps me on the shoulder with a gorgeous sunset or and owl hooting in a tall tree at dusk. I am pulled back into contemplation and bask in God’s greatness, power and love. In this year of re-posturing (see post dated Feb 24th) my desire is to find my way back to contemplation more and more as I allow God to be my center of balance so that I do not sway to the left or right but stay centered in His presence, contemplating Him and all He has created!

Resurrection Day is Coming!

Oh my! Resurrection Day is past…and I never got this posted. We have been dealing with a lot of illness in our family, but am thankful that everyone is on the mend. I decided to go ahead and post this post-Easter because it is always good to reflect on what Christ did for us as sinners, in His death, burial and resurrection.

What an incredible photo depicting Jesus’ resurrection! Can you imagine what it would have been like to be there that day? This artist’s rendering of the moment the stone was rolled away brings new thoughts to mind that I want to share with you.

It had been three days since Jesus was crucified. The tomb where He lay had a stone weighing somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 lbs in front of the entry along with Roman guards. In the early morning light, all is still…and then…

“There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.” – Matthew 28: 2-4

“Generally speaking, the rolling stone was set inside a groove in front of the entrance, and secured from falling over by a stone wall that stood in front of tomb opening. Often, the groove was…slightly sloped. To close the tomb, the stone would be rolled down the groove at a decline and come to rest in front of the entrance. To open the tomb, the stone would have to be rolled up the groove at an incline.” – Theo-sophical Ruminations

Imagine the force it took to thrust the stone aside! And, imagine how frightening it would be to the guard as the earthquaked! But, imagine also the light that was radiating simultaneously. The Bible says the angel’s appearance was like lightning. Because lighting flashes last just moments, we never get to really “look” at lightning. We only see how it lights up everything around it…but I am sure it would be blinding. It goes on to say that his clothes were white as snow. Picture a fresh snow after the clouds have passed and the sun is shining brightly. The snow is nearly blinding…and that is with just sunlight shining on it – not lightning! No wonder the guards fell to the ground and shook and then passed out.

God is LIGHT – 1 John 1:5
Light itself…Jesus as God, was present in the midst of the earthquake as God the Father raised His son to life! It wasn’t just light from some earthly source, but there was also the light of very God.

Supernatural light…try to get a mental picture if you can. The artist showing light radiating from the tomb and going under, around, through and over the stone gives us a glimpse into what that glorious event might have looked like. For certain it was an event of tremendous earthly force from supernatural sources. An event that changed the world forever. Had Jesus only died and not resurrected, we would have no salvation and no eternal hope.  Jesus was God’s plan for man’s salvation from the moment Adam ate of the apple.

Have you believed in Jesus as your savior? If so, take several moments to thank Him for His gift to you.  A gift that cost Him all on earth.

If you have not believed that you need a savior and/or you have not accepted Jesus as that savior, please take some time to read the book of John from the Bible. Here is also a list of verses that will paint the picture well for you regarding your sin and your need for a savior. You can look all these up online and I suggest the English Standard Version as the tranlation to read.
John 3:16
John 14:6
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
Ephesians 2: 8 & 9
Romans 10: 9 & 10
John 1:12

He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!  Hallelujah!

 

My Word for the Year

I was looking at different study plans and Bible study themes on my YouVersion phone app a few weeks ago and ran across a challenge that I would like to share with you.

The challenge was to choose a word and focus on that word for all of 2016. Now I am being completely transparent with you when I say that the word I thought would be “my word” was “JOY”. I have struggled with joy in these past couple of years through elderly parents illness, the subsequent death of my mother, ongoing care and health issues with myself and my father..and on the list goes.

However, just a split moment following that thought, a very odd word came to mind. So odd, that I knew it had to be the Holy Spirit. I would never have thought of it on my own, nor even contemplated it.

REPOSTURING 

…see what I mean about odd?! Yet in these short few weeks I have fallen in love with this word and what it can and should mean to me. I have begun studying posturography, the center of balance and the center of gravity, in an effort to truly understand this word from a non-spiritual viewpoint, so that I can understand it fully from a spiritual viewpoint.

What happens when our posture is bad for many years? Our spines get “stuck” in that bad posture and it begins affecting every part of our body. (As I wrote that last sentence I found myself sitting up a bit straighter!)

Posturography is “a general term that covers all the techniques used to quantify postural control in upright stance in either static or dynamic conditions”. In other words, it is the assessment of posture and how posture affects the central nervous system.

For twenty years I have been teaching women about how posture is an indicator of self-value in addition to teaching proper posture for runway modeling. I have  taught the pelvic tilt, saying “your spine needs to supported by your pelvis/legs to have strength and stamina for physical activities…be it walking a runway in heels or skiing down a snow-covered slope”.

Are you beginning to see the spiritual tie-in?  Our spiritual “spine” must be supported by God’s Word, prayer and fellowship or our spiritual “posture” gets bad. Without our center of balance being God, and God alone, this bad posture will affect every part of our spiritual being.

In addition we must rely on God for ongoing reposturing so that we are not only protected against bad posture, but so we don’t find ourselves losing our center of balance leaning to much to the right, the left, backwards or forwards. This can happen if we don’t stay focused on Biblical truth but rather allow ourselves to be “…tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” Eph 4:14 – ESV

I have been so encouraged and strengthened already as I continue praying about what this word should mean to me each moment of every day…and for all of 2016. What will this reposturing mean to those around me …my husband, children, grandson and friends? When midnight strikes and 2017 begins, I trust my life will have changed because of how I have let God work to reposture me spiritually.

…I would challenge you to focus on this word with me, OR another word God lays on your heart this entire year. No matter the word, we will all have better spiritual “spine” health and hence better spiritual “posture”!

 

Overwhelmed?

Do you feel like your brain has too much going on in it and that you simply cannot process anything more? Overwhelmed with the urgency of life, its responsibilities and demands?

…me too! It’s hard to describe, but my days are so full and yet not many important and/or fun things get done. There simply is no time left for these once I have finished all the urgent things.

Pastors, authors, psychologists and psychiatrists have been telling us for many years that busyness is bad for us in so many ways. But no matter how much we hear it, LIFE takes over and we find ourselves overwhelmed.

Today I found the lyrics to a song by Big Daddy Weave going over and over in my mind. I love all the words, but want to focus on these:
“I delight myself in You
Captivated by Your beauty
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You”

That paints quite a different picture of this word, doesn’t it?  Life can, and does overwhelm us – but God also can, and will overwhelm us – if we let Him.

Just what does “overwhelm” mean?  It means to engulf, deluge, to inundate.

When the things of my life overwhelm me I am engulfed in them and cannot see anything else.  It can certainly feel like a deluge of rain to me.  I can barely see a few feet in front of myself and I am heavy with rain-soaked clothing making it hard to run for shelter.  Even when the things of life are good things; a lot of mine are – they can still engulf me and inundate me.  …so much that I can’t seem to see past their deluge.

Conversely, when God overwhelms me it is the very “engulfing” that allows me to see.  To see: God’s beauty, God’s life at work in me, and God’s power despite me.   His overwhelming lets me breathe and move freely.

In order to be overwhelmed by God I must delight in Him.  And, to be delighted by someone, or something, takes time.  Time that is so precious.  Time that is needed for the urgent things.  What a struggle I have then.  I must find time to open the door to this spiritual overwhelming!

But the great news is that, generally the more overwhelmed I am with life, the shorter the amount of time it takes to become overwhelmed by God…if I am truly still in that time. Because in my moments of thorough exhaustion, quiet vulnerability and openness to my precious Father God – He is ready and completely able to overwhelm me with His love, His strength, His guidance; His LIFE in Me!

This past week has been one where God has met me in my still and quiet times in such an overwhelming way that I have been like a giddy child, even unable to sleep an entire night because of my delight!  I know what you are thinking.  I lost a night’s sleep and then was unproductive and overwhelmed with life the next day because of lack of sleep.  No, that was not what happened.  I can only presume that it was His strength that gave me energy and concentration until the moment I shut my eyes the next night.

I am a slow learner and the joy and delight of this experience will fade much too quickly.  Life will continue to be busy with both good and bad things and once again I will be challenged to find the time to be overwhelmed by God.  I trust the Holy Spirit will make me a quicker learner and I will not stay overwhelmed by life day after day, perhaps week after week.  Rather that I will take time…quiet moments, and meet God afresh and be overwhelmed by Him.

Try it with me…won’t you?

My Life…where will it GROW in 2016?

I am sure that many of you are still in the throes of “recovering” from the holidays.  Whether they were wonderful with lots of family, friends and activity – or, a time of sadness and loneliness because of losses in your life…the holidays take some getting over.  Because of different schedules, foods, sleeping arrangments, family colds and ailments being passed around, etcetera – we can find ourselves exhausted and a bit overwhelmed as our normal schedules resume.

The last thing I want to do right now is try to garner the energy and strength to make a bunch of New Year’s resolutions.  I don’t want to do it, and I won’t do it because; as we all know, they generally don’t last more than a few weeks.

What I DO want to do is spend time with God asking, searching and evaluating areas of my life that He desires me to grow in.  When the impetus to grow and change comes from God, it points to Him and His power in me to do it…and not my own strength.  That means in this weakened state I find myself in after the last family members have left and the house is back to “normal”; God can work despite me.  “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me”.  Just knowing that He is at work gives me strength to let go of the controls and allow His “fertilizer” to feed my soul while I water it with prayer time and Bible reading until the tiny green sprouts of new growth appear.

So, let’s get practical!
1. Are you being quiet and taking time to seek God’s desire for you?
2. In what areas do you feel the Lord tugging at you?

Our oldest son calls this self-awareness.  But please don’t confuse this with selfish self-awareness like the culture teaches us.  This is an awareness of the activities, habits and personality traits that God’s glory has a hard time shining through.

I desire to be more aware of when “self” is shining instead of God.

Join with me in devoting some time over the next few days to seek God’s direction for growth.  I know each of us will be blessed abundantly as we allow His strength to begin growing us in areas that have been all about us rather than God in us.  AMEN!