#237 - Strength

Good morning!  Things are getting back to normal here at the McCart home. Not "normal" quite yet.... but we're at least moving in the right direction! Due to "lack of time" this morning, I wasn't going to begin back or post anything today... but I figured I would share my short revelation and for me this morning, it was a bit of a kick in the pants. Like I shared with Alison yesterday... I do look forward to fully getting back in the groove of regular posts!

Proverbs 31:17 - She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm.

Strength. Quite an interesting word. Our Proverbs 31 friend girds herself with strength. Due to where life is for me right now and all of the life changes over the last 3 months (2 surgeries, adjusting to having another child, building a house, moving, family vacation, Christmas vacation, etc)... I am still excited to get back to habits that were very regular before "life" happened. As I look at the word "strength," while reading about the Proverbs 31 woman, it takes on a bit of a different meaning to me today than maybe it would have 6 months ago. I began to think about my "excuses" for not having gotten back into my regular writing schedule. I began to think about what draws from "strength" and why routines maybe have been hindered. Why maybe my alarm may go off at the "right time" in the morning... but this morning for example, every FIVE minutes for an HOUR & 45 MINUTES my alarm rang! Snooze. Snooze. Snooze. Snooze again.

So... what is my deal? I decided to read again Proverbs 31. Surely I've read it 100's of times before. But just like the Holy Spirit does, He has a way of pointing out just what you need to hear today. Just want you need to read or adjust in life today. A tweak to turn you back onto the course you should be heading. Have you heard if a pilot is traveling to a destination and according to his instruments is only a 1/2 of a degree off in the direction he's traveling, he'll NEVER get to where he wants to go. That 1/2 of a degree could potentially take him 100's of miles off course. The Holy Spirit is tweaking my 1/2 of a degree. He's getting me back on course.

Strength. What are some things that could "take away" from strength. Here are some things that were obvious things in my life, although the list is much more extensive than just these three items.

1. Proper Eating. Sure, it's a new year. For a lot of people "proper eating" usually goes out the window over the holidays. I think is OK for a time. It's OK to splurge and enjoy yourself... but at some point, things have to get back to a normal standard of eating healthy. With the move, our closing date was pushed back 4 different times.... though I continued to pack with much of our kitchen items in boxes in the garage as we prepared to move into our new house. The more that got packed, the less options I had in food prep. Guess what that meant for the McCarts? A regular diet of pizza! Every week... maybe a couple times/week. It was easy, and less of a hassle. But again... at some point, a regular standard of a healthy diet has to come back! Now is that time!
2. Proper Supplementation. I think we are fooling ourselves if we think we can avoid supplementing with vitamins. Most people, probably 99%+ of the population, don't eat the recommended amounts of food for our dietary needs. Even if we TRIED, we wouldn't get everything we need. From the time an orange comes off of the tree, the amount of Vitamin C diminishes DAILY, when it's not attached to the source of growth (the tree.) Knowing that, when we buy an orange in the grocery store (since most of us don't have an orange tree in our back yard), how long has that orange been off the tree?? Weeks? Maybe a month? This makes proper supplementation essential. I've been majorly dropping the ball in this area. My standard has been an all-natural company. I toured one of their farms once. It was amazing. From the time a plant is harvested to go into a supplement, it only takes ONE hour for that cherry, orange, apple, etc to begin the process of getting into supplement form. ONE HOUR!!! To me, this means I am getting the MAXIMUM amount of vitamin into my system when I take the supplement! And since I'm not a farmer, farming my own food, I get MORE of the good stuff than I would if I actually ate it! Anyways... their quality assurance is pretty amazing too. From Seed to Supplement, before it gets to my front door, it's checked 500 times to ensure quality. I was amazed at their standards of excellence! So... for me... in reference to the Proverbs 31 woman, I need to re-discipline myself about taking my vitamins! I know I have a TON more energy when I take them. I also know that I am not eating ALL of the proper food to give my body energy, so supplementing is essential! 
3. Rest. Sleep. Have I been getting enough sleep? For me, it means, NO MORE DILLY-DALLYING before bed! Get to bed. Get done with what I need to do, and get in the bed. This may mean avoid the next Netflix episode on "24," not beginning or completing the next craft.... whatever it is. I need to get in the bed! 

So... those are some areas that I need to work on! My goal is to achieve in life what the Proverbs 31 woman does.... so I'm going to get things back together! 

#173 - Praise as Sweet as Honey!

Good morning! I pray you had a great Easter! Time to enjoy family, food & a celebration of our ALIVE JESUS!?! :) What a blessed time. We had a great time visiting with family, and I must say that my mother-in-law, Jeannine, outdid herself with an UH-MAZING lunch yesterday! It was pretty awesome. What a blessing to have home-cooking! It really does beat any restaurant! Thanks J! :)

Let's get started:

Proverbs 25:16 - Have you found [pleasure sweet like] honey? Eat only as much as is sufficient for you, lest, being filled with it, you vomit it.

Proverbs 25:27 - It is not good to eat much honey; so for men to seek glory, their own glory, causes suffering and is not glory.

Proverbs 31:28 - Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her.

Proverbs 31:31 - Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city]!

In our Proverbs 25 verses, both talk about honey. Sweet, honey. In the Hebrew, that is exactly what it means. Honey means honey. Unlike some other words in the Hebrew, it does not give us a plethora of other definitions of the word. Although, verse 27 does take honey and compare it to men seeking their own glory. It compares it in the latter part of the verse as something that men/women can crave. Notice. Recognition. Praise. Admiration. It compares the sweetness, the gratifying feeling that "praise" brings, that recognition brings.

So... we have two avenues to walk down on this one. We can first walk down the avenue that is just a blanket fact. Craving pure honey, sweets, sugar, desserts. Desiring and filling oneself with these pleasure in excess is highly not recommended in both verses. Proverbs 25 verse 16 does not say that sweets, desserts are bad, but it recommends using wisdom when eating them. Eat ONLY what is sufficient for that sweet tooth, pull the reigns back from allowing yourself to indulge.

OK. One word: GUILTY! Here we come, off of a great holiday.... for me, a week and a half of baking just because I felt like it! Baking, leads to needing to get rid of the "baked goods." Right?! Have you ever been eating, and you are no longer hungry, but you just want to eat more anyways because it is so good? You don't desire more, but you know that once you leave, the yummy treat will be all, so, you indulge! Guilty! Our Proverbs 25 verses remind us of to hold back! Consequences? Vomiting. Not feeling good. Feeling heavy, bloated, maybe depressed. Self-control is an underlying theme in both verse 16 & 27. I heard a trick from Dr Duke Johnson about desserts. He said to enjoy them, but to eat the best bites first! The first bite sends a "sensation" signal to your brain like, "Ooooh! This is so good." The taste-buds are heightened. Then the 2nd bite, the sensation signal that is sent to the brain isn't as strong. The 3rd bite, less strong. And before you know it, you get to the last bite and sure, it's still good, but not "THE" good like the 1st bite. So... make the 1st bite the best! He said, after having several of the best bites, you can often push the rest of the "cheesecake"back. You've already eaten the best bites of it, now just the "scraps" are left over.

That was a bit of a tangent.... but, hopefully one you can use. I'd like us to take a look at the Proverbs 31 women. Proverbs 25:27 compares eating honey, consuming in it's sweetness to seeking glory. Everyone loves to be praised. Everyone likes a pat on the back, appreciation, recognition - whether in private or public. I was even reading about potty-training this morning.... to have a POTTY dance after your little one goes potty as a way of praising them, or showing them they did a good job. Now... I'm not recommending that YOU adopt a "potty dance" (that would be funny though, especially if you don't have a little kid!)... but look to what the Proverbs 31 woman did! Two things happened for her to receive praise. FIRST: her children & her husband praised her. She was praised by those closest to her. Not praise sought out, praise that was freely given. SECONDLY: her WORKS praised her. She let her accomplishments speak for themselves. She did everything to the best of her ability, and she let the quality of her work speak for her. The quality of her work, the consistency of her work, the results of her work, she let her results, her work speak for themselves.

Allow your family, friends, co-workers to do a "dance" for you! Allow them to sing your praises. Allow your works to do a "dance" for you. That you do such great work, that it shines through. You receive praise, recognition, but in a way that is received with humility. Others given instead of self given.

So... if you want praise, let your work shine. If you want praise, sow praise. Praise others for their good work. Create your own "dance" for your friends and family when they do good! Praise others and you too will get praised! Praise... as sweet as honey!

#39 - Power of Association

Good morning! As I sit here at my kitchen table...I just realized why I almost always have my quiet time outside on the screened in porch... lack of clutter! It is so nice to just have "your place" that you go to spend time with God. To spend time in the Word. Listening, reading. A place that is special. Or at least, the more time you spend there, the more special it becomes. A time that can be filled with revelations and "ah-ha" moments. This morning I stayed inside, at my kitchen table because I knew it would be a quicker morning than usual. We are going out of town this afternoon, and I have a lot to do before we leave. And... yes.... clutter of a kitchen table. I heard once this lady say how to cut down on "clutter".... she said, "When you come in to your home, don't lay something down, put it away." We are still working on that!!! I definitely don't like clutter...not to mention, clutter creates a little bit of "chaos." If not in the actual home, just in your spirit. If words could be married.... I think these words go together: clutter & chaos, organization & peace. It's like when you walk in a cluttered house, you just feel uneasy, yucky. But when you walk in and things are put away and neat, you just feel at peace. Well, I am still working on certain areas staying un-cluttered in our home, especially the kitchen table and kitchen bar.


Ok... well, let's roll....

Proverbs 23:20 - Do not associate with winebibbers; be not among them nor among gluttonous eaters of meat.

Proverbs 31:18 - She tastes and sees that her gain from work [with and for God] is good...

This morning there were so many good directions we could go; food (v 1-3), wealth (v 4-5), thoughts (v 7), discipline (v 13-14), envy (v 17), hope & expectation (v 18), truth (v 23), wine (v 30-35). Since Proverbs 23 talked so much about gluttons, eating, drinking... it actually began the chapter with the danger of being a glutton, and ended the chapter talking about being drunk.... the verse almost in the middle talked about both. That seemed like an appropriate verse to park on for today. 


Since we don't use the word "winebibbers" on a daily basis... I thought I'd look it up and see what the meaning was in the dictionary. To my expectation, it means "drunkard" or "a person who drinks much wine." How powerful is the beginning of Proverbs 23?! Do not associate with. Wow. We have read a lot of books, listened to a lot of CD's that talk about the POWER of association. And here, in the #1 book of all times, is also directing us in who NOT to associate with. Do not associate with drunks... and do not associate with gluttonous eaters. The dictionary calls a glutton, "a person who eats and drinks excessively or voraciously." A glutton, most often are probably the people who are overweight. A glutton or winebibber, they lack discipline or restraint from drinking or eating. They overdo it. They are excessive. 


So what's the deal with the POWER OF ASSOCIATION? I have heard a very common quote many times over the last 10 years... you may have heard it as well, but it goes like this: "You can determine where you will be in 5 years by looking at the people you associate with and the books you read." Another one on association: "Your income is most likely within $5,000 from the circle of friends you hang out with." A good rule of thumb:

• If you want to be a drunk, hang out with partier's.
• If you want to be fat, hang out with people who overeat.
• If you want to be poor, hang out with broke people.
• If you want to be negative, hang out with people who always complain or have something bad to say.
• If you want to be wealthy, hang out with wealthy people.
• If you want to be fit, hang out with fit people. 
• If you want to be motivated, hang out with people who have a dream, who are going somewhere.
• If you want to have a great walk with the Lord, hang out with passionate Christians.
• If you want to quit smoking, hang out with NON-smokers. 
• If you want to have a better, more positive attitude, hang out with optimistic, positive people.

If you are always with people who drink alcohol, you will most likely mirror what they do. Looking at your association is much like looking in the mirror. You most likely will begin to mirror and look like, and do the same things that those people you hang out with do. 


Who is your DREAM YOU? Find who that person is. Go out of your way to spend time with them. Ask if you can buy them a cup of coffee. Once a week. Once a month. Just get around them. Surround yourself with people who are in life where you want to be! Ask if you can buy them lunch. Even if it was just once/month. Ask them questions. "How did you get where you are? What books did you read? How did you overcome the hurdles along the way?" Everyone has an innate desire within themselves to help someone else. ESPECIALLY if the person is asking them questions. It is an honor. People love to feel special. 


Our Proverbs 31 friend... she tastes and sees. She enjoys the fruits of her labor. If she bakes a chocolate cake, she enjoys a piece. She doesn't eat the whole thing! :), but she enjoys it. Enjoy life, but don't be excessive. 


Is overeating a problem? Begin to take small steps. Cut your food in half. Serve your plate from the stove, don't bring the whole dish to the table. Get chips or pretzels out of the bag, measure them out, then put the bag back in your pantry versus sitting on the couch with a WHOLE bag of chips! Out to eat? Cut your food in half and ask for a box before you even get your plate. Put half of it away before even starting. Or split a meal with your spouse. You will be surprised that you really are satisfied. Chips and junk-food a problem? Don't even buy them when you grocery shop then! Buy fruits, veggies, yogurt, jello, sugar-free pudding, carmel rice cakes. Set yourself up to win. 


Is drinking a problem? Change your association. If all your friends are drinkers and partier's, begin add some new association, become part of a new group, get involved with a young singles group at church, or business team, or softball team. Do something that gets you away from your "old association."


Take control of your life! If you do not do it now, 5 years from now you will be older, fatter, poorer, and not a bit happier. Choose wisely who you associate with. 


Be who you've always dreamed you could be. Be the dream YOU! Start today with your association!