How’s Your Heart?

Beware that the heart of no man, woman, clan, or tribe among you turns away from the LORD our God today to pursue and serve the gods of those nations; beware that there is among you no root producing poisonous and bitter fruit. When such a person hears the words of this oath he secretly blesses himself and says, "I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit." This will destroy the watered ground with the parched. Deuteronomy 29:18-19 NET

You may note that this passage doesn’t mention the Holy Spirit—but how can anyone think that they could have the Holy Spirit in them if they willing harbor a stubborn spirit? A selfish attitude. Can this be a lesson to us? How can anyone have peace if they walk with a stubborn spirit? Do they have no regard for God, His holiness, and His will for our lives?  The Hebrew people went through that stubbornness at times, as noted by David in this Psalm. Then they would not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not loyal and whose spirit was not faithful to God.  Psalm 78:8 HCSB. A person whose spirit is not faithful to God. Look deep in your heart, mind and soul. Do you see any evidence of this in your life? If so—deal with it. If not—good job! Encourage others in their walk with the Lord.

Prayer ~ Heavenly Father, cleanse my heart, once again that I would be holy before You. I pray that my family, friends, and neighbors would also seek to be pure before You and know You more completely. I praise You for Your unconditional and continued love for us. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit…as we walk with You.

Friday’s Feast at the Lord’s Table

Dieting? I’ve lost about 100 pounds—trouble is I’ve gained 102 pounds in the last ten years. So it is back to the changing my eating habits. AARP Magazine had a good article back in January/February 2011 that reported on Losing Weight Without Really Trying. One of their ideas was to have a Power of Three Checklist where each month you would modify your goals, choosing a different eating tip.

Power of Three Checklist

Try these simple tips:

1. Include a fruit and a vegetable with your lunch and dinner.

2. Don't eat white foods at dinner.

3. Use the half-plate rule (fill half your plate with veggies.)
4. Have a sweet or salty afternoon snack only if you first eat a piece of fresh fruit.
5. Drink one glass of water before every meal or snack.
6. Use the Restaurant Rule of Two: Limit yourself to two items other than your entrée.
7. Never eat in front of the TV.
8. Eat a piece of fruit on the way to work every day.
9. Save desserts for weekends.
10. Freeze half of what you make, and serve the other half.

So choose three and try to follow those for the month. It takes a month to change our habits…so press on. My choices for the rest of April are:

April	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	Total
Use ½ plate rule (fruit/veggies)
Never eat in front of TV
Don’t eat white foods at dinner

 How are you doing with weight maintenance? Remember that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit—so we need to take care of them.

© 2015 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.