“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”
Exodus 20:12
Day 53: Honor
As we sat together eating I thought about what a blessing it has been to have my mother still with me. I lost my father when I was in my 20s. I am sorry that he wasn’t able to see my children or watch me fulfill some of my dreams. But mom has been there. And she has seen me at my worst. She has encouraged me when I’ve been depressed and felt like giving up. She truly deserves honor.
The bible tells us that we receive health as a result of showing honor to our mother and father. So it would only be appropriate to mention the importance of taking care of those who have taken care of us. We must honor those who have set the foundation for our success, even our very existence.
I know that life is harder in many ways as we age. So my prayer is that God will show me how to be a blessing to my mother. I desire to give Him glory in the way I honor her.
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
I Timothy 6:6-7 NIV
Day 52: Manage Desire
Have you ever been told about the importance of setting goals? When reading books about success or having a better life often we are told that we must set goals and that they should be specific. I have found that when I set a specific goal I have a greater sense of purpose. I can know where I’m going and how close I am to getting there.
But there is another side to goals. We can become unhappy and dissatisfied with our lives–good, God blessed lives. By intensifying our desire we are able to create greater energy towards our goal. If we write down the goal daily or meditate on it we intensify our desire to achieve it. If we visualize it we also increase our desire to have it. But are we creating goals that will take away from enjoying the life we’ve been given?
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matthew 6:19-21
Don’t let someone trying to make a buck control your desire. I was happy with my IPHONE 8 until the next one came out. My apartment was nice till we went to potluck at your townhouse. My modest single family home was the bomb until I came to the cook out in your new development and I saw your mansion with walk in closets and stainless steel appliances. The things we have our wonderful. We are blessed if we can pause and count the good. When you live in famine then the food that we throw away looks spectacular. It’s easy to be tricked into not appreciating all we have.
The problem with setting goals can be the goal. Imagine if I set a goal to be a millionaire. What happens if that goal took me away from creating a loving household or a vibrant church community? Will Our Father be pleased? Can everyone be the president of the company? NO! But everyone can be happy and a blessing.
Today, I will manage my desire! I will learn to be content with what I have. And I will pray both for my needs and the needs of others.
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In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning….of the school day, I straighten out the desks. Some chairs are under the desk while others didn’t quite make it back. Some desks are in a row but others are out of place. When I’m done there is peace. I feel better. When my kids come in although they may mess it up in 10 minutes or less they feel better.
When God created he had an orderly process. As we live and look for lives that are healthy we should respect the value of order.
Today, I will make a plan and a schedule and use it. I value the time God has given to me.
8 1 all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.
2 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
4 Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.
5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up.6 Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there.8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear[a] and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:1-10
Day 50: Visit Home
There are places that are familiar to us from our past. Often they are places that we have special memories from. Even places that we discovered many of the ideals we currently hold sacred. It’s important to visit home. Visiting home can be going to a neighborhood you use to hang out in with your friends. It can also be going back to the roots of your spirituality.
In the above scripture from the book of Nehemiah we see depicted a seen where people are weeping. They are weeping because they are listening to the words of the Law of Moses. Perhaps they realize that God had been so good to them and yet they had neglected their relationship with God. Maybe they understood more clearly things they had heard many years before but had forgotten. Sometimes we need to visit home. We need to be reminded of what we have valued in the past. We need to remember what truths we already knew and see how they relate to our current situation.
In visiting home we may find the answers to many of the questions of our today.
Today, I will meditate on past locations and journeys, reflecting on lessons learned.
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14 “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of [d]the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of [e]the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:14-15
You don’t have time to waste. Changes that affect our mental, spiritual or physical health should not be put off. It is so sad to hear stories about those who waited to change. Some of them end up with very harsh consequences. Imagine the person who could be walking normally but put off changing their lifestyle and now because of a stroke no longer walks well. Or imagine the parents who lose a child to suicide wishing they had noticed the signs earlier and made an intervention. Although not all health related tragedies can be avoided many can.
Today, I will do one thing to improve my health that I have been putting off. Now is the time.
I am grateful for everyone who takes a moment to read or share on this blog. Much love to you.
22 You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24
Day 48: One Step
How many of you have heard the phrase “Whole Food Plant Based” before? When it comes to healthy eating a lot of people share the benefits of eating a whole food plant based diet. In fact there are many who claim to be able to reverse disease using this lifestyle. And if we are honest we all realize that eating processed foods that are high in sugar, salt, and fat as well as many animal products, can lead to destruction. So why don’t we change?
One of the advantages to the church experience when I was growing up was the Minister’s altar call or appeal. After he shared a lot of scripture and wisdom with you he would give you a call to action. Would you decide to follow Jesus? Would you stand up and come up front as a sign that you want God’s Holy Spirit to enter your heart and change your life? At that moment with the leverage of witnesses you had the opportunity to make a public commitment. But you have to take one step.
Over the next several weeks as we continue 100 Days Of Healing, I will provide you the opportunity to make a decision to take massive action so you will see change. At the same time I value the wisdom of building integrity. When we say we are going to do something and then we don’t, we stop trusting ourselves. I know I have. Then you don’t want to attempt anything because you don’t believe you can trust yourself to be committed to your decision.
I asked earlier the question why we don’t change. Knowledge is power but if not acted upon we will know clearly why we have disease and are dying early….but we will still die early and live a life beneath God’s design. We don’t change because forces to keep us in unhealthy habits are strong. We desire things that will kill us if not kept in check. If we ate a solid diet of junk food we might get sick of it but then again we might die first. Corporations market to our desires in hopes of steady profits. If a business gets a client that is addicted to their product they will make a lot of money. Many businesses are trying to get you and I to buy what we can’t afford and eat what enslaves us. So change becomes a challenge because many are working against our liberation and healing.
But we can make a decision right now. Learn one new thing about healthful living today and try one new healthy practice today and WRITE ABOUT IT!!! Make a post on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. I promise you that you will help your journey to wellness by making the decision to do this one practice right now. Will you join me in doing this? Let me know in the comments.
Today I begin one step at a time to a healthier way of living.
TheLordsaid, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of theLord, for theLordis about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before theLord, but theLordwas not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but theLordwas not in the earthquake.After the earthquake came a fire, but theLordwas not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his faceand went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
I Kings 19:11-13
I used to think God was in the show. I used to voraciously consume the latest and greatest Gospel, CCM and worship music seeking for that which would bring me into God’s presence. I used to church hop looking for that sermon that would turn on the brightest spiritual light unto my path so I could figure out just exactly what He wanted me to do or to be.
But as time went on I played for some of the artists I’d unknowingly worshipped. I sometimes was their chauffeur. I had conversations with several of the preachers I’d revered. I became an artist and a preacher myself. And while I’ve experienced many answers to prayer and have seen our Father transform lives my focus began to shift. I no longer was drawn to those gatherings I had chased in former years.
I have grown to yearn more for His quiet intimate communications. I realized that a lot of what I had admired was anointing surrounded by smoke and mirrors. But let me assure you: God does not need special effects! Yes he is almighty! But he wants to have an intimate relationship with us–the kind where we can have real conversations without the pretense.
And I found that He was willing to communicate directly with me. He invites me to pray. He says to come boldly to His throne of grace. He says call unto Me and I really will answer. Healing takes place when I don’t rely on someone else to connect with my Heavenly Father.
Today I will spend more then 5 minutes talking with my Creator and Savior who loves me more than anyone.
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24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25
Some of the most meaningful moments of life involve food. We celebrate birthdays with food. We celebrate weddings with food. We even morn the dead with food. We go out on a date and eat. We need advice and meet a friend for lunch. So don’t forget that moments of eating can be very therapeutic. Here are some recent ones that have been special to me.
Dan, Ace, Me and Arun @Guapo’s in Bethesda, Maryland
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2
Day 45: Carry Each Other
Every few days I wish I could talk with my friend Kishore. He passed away a few months ago. His friendship was profound. He had this kind of impact on many others. In fact, his brother, two of his best friends and I met together last night on his birthday to remember him and encourage one another.
When we are hurting it is easy to want to hide. When we are discouraged we often want to retreat away from everyone and “lick our wounds.” But we need each other. And often when sharing what we are going through with someone else we find that they may see things we can’t see because they may have gone through similar experiences. And after sharing we often feel our burden is lighter.
Today, I will seek ways of lightening others loads and allowing others to lighten mine.
I am really enjoying sharing 100 DAYS OF HEALING with you. Thanks for your encouraging comments. Please subscribe to enjoy the rest of our journey and make sure to share any post that you think would help or encourage a friend.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Luke 6:38
Have you ever watched success videos that teach you the secrets to becoming part of the 1 %? There are people who are able to make lots of money and even create wealth that generates more wealth. They are a small part of the population. When looking for motivation one factor may be the idea of making lots of money.
I’d like to talk to the 99%. If there is a king there is only one king and the rest of the people need to find a way to live that makes them happy and healthy without being the ultimate person in charge of the kingdom.
I really love the example of the Son of God. He humbled Himself to better serve and love others. We all can do that. (And He actually is the King of Kings!). We all can make choices to make ourselves more helpful to our family and community. In so doing we will find happiness, health, and purpose. While we must make sure to live a balanced life we can rest assured that when we allow ourselves to be a blessing to others we ourselves are blessed.
22 You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, 
Today I begin one step at a time to a healthier way of living.
Day 47: Not in the Show
