Lifestyle Change

It's been over two months since I started this crazy change in my life. Crazy because I never could have imagined the plans that God had in store for me. In my October posts I talked a little about how the Spirit of the Lord convicted me to fast: He had something amazing planned, my spirit knew it all along. When these moments come and God opens doors we can either obey and walk through them or ignore the calling and miss out on a great opportunity. My whole life I've struggled with insecurities about my weight until finally at this transforming point in my life God just woke me up and said, "it's time." All I could say was, "yes Lord," and so the story unfolded and my new journey began.

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(1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

(Romans 12:1-2) Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 
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In this new season God gave me the strength to first complete the 21 day Daniel fast which consisted of fruits, veggies, and tons of water. And again, this was like sailing through fog, all I knew was that the Holy Spirit was guiding me. And thank the Lord that my mom is no stranger to fasting so she walked me through it. Literally, right after 21 days my mom got me an appointment with a Naturopathic Doctor who turned out to be an incredible woman of God who just can't get enough of God's glory. I laugh because my mom and I are exactly the same, in that respect. In addition to all of this, I also had been watching a show called "Desafio 90d" on the Spanish Christian Channel (Enlace TBN) that truly inspired me to start exercising again and for good. Can you imagine? The Lord just aligned everything so perfectly. When we obey God all of His blessings follow, but we've got to respond to Him in the exact moment when He speaks to us. Because if God is the one guiding us then He will provide us with the strength to jump through any hurdle. For anybody who's struggled with the same problem all I have to say is that with God it is possible for you to change your life. I just told my best friend a week ago, "How can we expect to be used by God if we're dead? How can the Holy Spirit move within us if we've turned our bodies into a trash can?" How much more can we give God? What more can we offer our Lord...is there really a line that we must draw? I needed a good mind renewing session with the Lord and He woke me up to conquer my reality instead of just letting me survive it.   As christians we can not let the enemy take control of our health because whether we'd like to admit it or not, this situation becomes a disability that keeps us from freely jumping during praise, attending family outings, and restricts us from so much more. Now, especially because I'm going through this I can say that it's not that God doesn't love us for who we are and how we look but God cannot accept anything that keeps us from the freedom that Jesus Christ gave to us. Our freedom was worth the blood of Jesus, we were worth it to Him. Why would we not take care of our bodies if Jesus paid for them with His body, with His whole life? One thing that spoke deeply to me was what Pastor Cash Luna said at His conference:

(Isaiah 7:14-15) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right

The blood of Jesus, his wounds, healed us. What would have happened if Jesus did not take care of His health? What kind of blood would He have been able to offer us? Jesus knew what was right for His body and He continued to live a lifestyle of true Worship in which He offered Himself as a living and breathing sacrifice. God asks the same of us. There has to be a moment in our life when we wake up and realize that we no longer live for ourselves. More than anything I want to encourage you. You can change your life, age does not matter. Choose to live a healthy life and choose to live in the freedom that was bought for you at a high price. Start conquering things in the natural (running or walking more than usual, eating healthier, etc.) and you will conquer things in the spiritual. Read the Word and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom in this area and because you are seeking you will find what you're looking for. With God ALL things are possible! I have already lost over ten pounds in these two months for the glory of the Lord so I know this to be true! I recommend that you seek professional help because each body is different and requires a different meal plan.

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"Motivate the mind and the body will follow."

There's A Reason Behind Every Season

{Seeds of Joy. Blessings. An overflow. Love, endless love.}

This is exactly how I describe what God has placed in my hands. It's everything. In the midst of  terrible thunderstorms seeing a gorgeously striking sunset painted by the finger of God made me literally feel calm in the midst of a storm. My Sister in Christ, who also happens to be one of my bestest friends, and I hopped in her car and drove off on the highway toward our friend's church. When I first got the phone call to go lend a hand from my Psalmist School teacher I honestly admit that I wanted to stay home so bad to do some homework and spend some nice quiet time but I decided to do something radical, something bold, something so unheard of: consult God. I fell to my knees and then slowly twisted over and clutched both of my legs, resembling a fetal position. Whenever I do this it's mostly because I just need to talk to God, my friend. I asked Him whether or not He thought I should go, I talked some more, waited, sang a little song, and silently listened. I wasn't waiting to hear an audible voice. I was waiting to listen with my heart's ears. I was patiently waiting for God's peace. A few days before all of this took place I was prophesied to by a very anointed and amazing prophet from Indiana. I got my little audio souvenir for keeps. What came to mind after asking the Lord what He thought of me going was a brief small portion of all the prophetic word given to me, "Get ready for some new seasons. Seasons of going about." If you knew me, then you would know how much I love my house. I wouldn't call myself an introvert, but I definitely love my alone time when I can catch up on things I need to do and want to do. With school, driving off in the middle of the day seemed impossible to me, but I just told God that whatever it was I was willing. Some things never change. When God says "go" it's a "I better get going." To make long story short...I was willing to mop and sweep while God pushed me up to the altar to Worship Him with my voice. I love how fun and tricky my sweet Holy Spirit is...He knows very well when and where to use me. That's what I've been called to do, to Worship the Lord with my very life and with every ounce of breath. I love it. I had a great time with the girls, singing inside of church as well as outside in the car while the rain danced away. Laughter, we all need to just belt out our awkward screeches and let loose with some good friends. Those awesome friends who pray with you, share the same vision with you, and chow down on some yummy snacks by your side. When God says "go!" obey and He'll take care of the rest. Always be willing by extending your hands out to the the Lord and be prepared to serve others. When you are faithful in the small things God will reward you with bigger and better things that will require much more dedication and responsibility. I've learned this in the many seasons of my young life and I don't regret any minute of it.

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On another note...I finished my fast on Monday!!! Instantly I saw the hand of God in my life. The day I finished was the same day that I started something new. My mom and I were planning on seeing a nutritionist when we actually met with a Doctor who deals with Naturopathic Medicine. She was the sweetest lady and turned out to be Christian. I loved seeing all the shiny, wooden, and engraved crosses on her wall. Only God can arrange time so perfectly. It's not a coincidence that on the same day I finished my 21 day Daniel fast my appointment was set and made. God is more than good. The transition from fruits and veggies to my new healthy diet is enjoyable. At any other moment I know I could never be doing the things that I'm doing now. As Christians we've got to get fired up and passionate about keeping our body's temple spiritually and naturally healthy. I love it. You best believe:

(1 Corinthians 9:24-27) Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

Spiritually this portion of the word is profound but naturally I also know that Paul must have been fit to walk miles and miles to preach the gospel. Spiritually he had to train his body for the amazing calling on his life but naturally he also had to prepare for the long journey ahead. Are we fully prepared for what God has called us to do? Can we be of service to God unhealthy, sick, or dead? Harsh I know but this is my reality. I had a choice to make. I chose to change and to let God just work with me in this season so that He, the ultimate teacher, could show me how to take care of my temple. Because when we do things in the natural you better believe it altars the spiritual realm. Consistency and dedication in the natural cause the same effect in the spiritual. This is what I have been learning in this new season and I am so thankful for it. My mind cannot fathom and cannot imagine the road ahead but I am still clinging to the one who designed the road. Be encouraged and more than anything be blessed.

It's So Much More Than a Song

Scenario: Your pastor walks into your church Sunday morning and slowly approaches the pulpit. All eyes, including your own, are on him or her. At the moment the only sound audible to your ears is the sound of the pastor's footsteps. In silence, you and the rest of the congregation watch with much anticipation. Suddenly your pastor begins to write something on a cardboard poster with a black sharpie, only looking up once to let out a chuckle before he or she lifts up the poster. In confusion, all of you read the seven letter word: Worship. Now, the pastor asks one simple question," What does this word mean to you?" For a moment no one spoke except for one little boy who shouted, "It's what we do every Sunday! Right?" And the silence continued.

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When this one word is thrown out at us, what do we make of it? Is it singing? Is it dancing? Is it ministering? Is it a quiet moment? Could it be a loud fast-paced period in which we encounter the Lord? It's so much more than all of this. During the weekend I heard a preaching by Kim Walker that completely impacted my life. I loved it! I've always been taught the type of Congregational Worship that is done in a church setting but as the years have progressed the Lord has shown me the complexity and intricacy of the word, like a tree divided into its roots and branches. It's all about His love. Worship is a wholehearted "response to THAT love." It's a continuous outpour that comes from the Father to us that we return back to Him. It's a call back to a relationship where as two we now become one with Him. Painting, prophetic dance, singing, playing an instrument—these are all "expressions" of Worship. The dictionary defines "expression" as the process of making known one's thoughts or feelings. Just like love is a word in itself and buying a date flowers or caring for one's husband are expressions of that love, Worship and the expressions we make known are two different things. We sing because we're grateful and dance because we're free. Free to express our love through worship.

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(Psalm 5:7)Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;
I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.

The word of God tells us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. By maintaining our relationship with God we worship Him because Worship was never meant to be kept between four walls of a building: it was meant to be living and breathing within us. Just as Christ lives, our Worship lives because of His love. It's saying, "Thank you Father ...I adore you...I praise you!" And it's having conversations with Him and kneeling before Him in prayer. These are things that keep the fire burning. Our lamps must never burn out. Just as love is constantly given to us, we must constanly love on Him. It's like the song says, "You provide the fire, I'll provide the sacrifice." Our sacrifice is our life, our time, and our love. The more we seek God the more we depend on God...it'll just be like the constant flowing of a stream. It's so much more than a song.

(Psalms 95:6) Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

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