Commitment: What It Was and What It's Become

"If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth." 

~Numbers 30:2

God has and always will take His promises very seriously. He promised Noah that He would never flood the earth again with a worldwide flood, and sealed that oath with what we know as the rainbow. He promised Abraham that he would be the father of great and mighty nation. [Though we know there are actually two lines, the Israelites through Isaac and the Arabs through Ishmael.] "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing" Genesis 12:2. And we see in Hebrews 6:13, "For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself," Again, God never takes His promises to us lightly.

But not only did He make promises to those in Biblical times, but His promises for love and blessings and hope live on for us today. When God makes a promise, it's for keeps. But what about us...? We see promises being broken every day. Commitments are forgotten, like children's toys that are stuffed away somewhere in a closet. Vows are made but set aside so easily like unwanted food on our plates. In our time, words mean very little. Lawyers have become more necessary in designing contracts to keep the agreement binding, as the good old "handshake" is nothing more than skin touching skin. Who can trust anyone outside of their signature on a contract nowadays?

I remember my Grandpa telling me stories about the farming days when your neighbor would come over to help plow the fields and plant crops and then you'd go help your neighbor do the same with his land. And if your neighbor said he was going to help you out, he stuck to his word. You could trust him to keep to his promise and he would in turn trust you to keep yours to help him out. Neighbors are much different nowadays, aren't they. Our society certainly has come to the thinking that this is a "dog eat dog" and you might have to break a few promises to get to the top. In the "old days", a man's word was his reputation. If he broke it, he become well known as a very untrustworthy guy and you'd stay away from him.

People will of course fail us, but God expects His children to keep our word. We desire to trust our fellow humans to do what they said they would and perhaps we build our expectations up too high, but in exchange for all that trust, we are crushed to find so many individuals fool-heartedly committing to do things, but not actually taking responsibility. What's that? Yes, responsibility. 

If we as Christians see God taking His promises, His commitments so seriously, perhaps we should remember our own and follow through with them. Nobody can force us to commit to something; so it is only by choice that we choose to take on responsibility. Let us then reverse the direction that commitment has become and commit like how it used to be.    

Everlasting Arms

“What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

“Oh how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

“What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?  
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, 
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

“Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.”

In 1887, this simple yet powerful hymn was published by Elisha A. Hoffman and Anthony J. Showalter. Songs so old can still be sung today, because the meaning of their words are still relevant. 

I remember last April, I was looking up hymns that I could play for the prelude part of my church’s morning service. I stumbled upon a hymn that my church hadn't sung for awhile and thought it would be a great choice since it is a familiar song. I have to admit that I had developed a bad habit of picking out pieces for the service on Saturday night, or even Sunday morning. This never gives me a chance to practice, for one thing; but maybe more importantly, it doesn't give me any time to actually read the lyrics of the song I'm playing. But I want the congregation to not only hear the melody, but to listen to the words as well.  

We all have fears. Fears of losing someone, fears of heights, fears of failure, and maybe fears of not making it financially. One question every Christian needs to ask themselves is: "Am I leaning on Christ’s everlasting arms?" To be honest, I've always felt that I've handled all of my problems, all of my concerns, all of my burdens correctly by giving them to Christ.  But "do I leave those problems at the alter? or do I take them back?" Did I tell Jesus that I wouldn't worry about my problems and five minutes later find myself thinking about those same things again? These questions make us reflect on on how we've handled trials in the past and might make us wonder how we can handle them in the future.   

The third verse of this particular hymn really got to me the most: "What have I to dread, what have I to fear..?" When we think about how great our God is compared to not only our day-to-day problems but those unexpected difficulties that come around once in awhile, we see that God is much more powerful than all of the disastrous problems in the world combined!  If God determines who wins wars, if God cares for even the smallest sparrow, He certainly cares about our problems, our needs, and we should never be afraid when He is on our side. Because when we rely on His wisdom, then comes that “blessed peace” when we take our fears to Christ and rest in His arms.

As we read in the last few chapters in Genesis, we see Joseph's conflict of being sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused of a crime, and thrown into a prison. But after Pharaoh's disturbing dreams, Joseph was given a position over all the land of Egypt that equaled the power of Pharaoh himself. When Joseph was reunited with his brothers, he had compassion on them; realizing that without the trials, he wouldn't have been there in Egypt to save their lives. He said to them: 

"But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it this day, to save many people." ~Genesis 50:20


Though our trials don't look like they will have an incredible outcome, God wants us to remain positive and "lean in His everlasting arms"; because there is no difficulty that we experience in this life that God doesn't have a perfect ending for. 

“I have blessedness with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.”

Blessings,
Anna

The Art of Humility

Psalm 147:10............."Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."







Humility has become a lost art. What is it? According to Wikipedia, humility is "...seen as the act of posture of lowering oneself in relation to others, or conversely, having a clear perspective, and therefore respect, for one's place in context." Humility, in short, is putting others before yourself. C.S. Lewis explained in his book, Mere Christianity, that pride--which is the opposite of humility--is "anti-God". In Proverbs 16:18-19, God says that "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty [prideful] spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud."

I would like to include a documentary that Dr. Charles Stanley wrote on why God hates human pride:


"The Bible makes it very clear that God hates human pride. James 4:6 states very clearly, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." The same message gets stated in the Scripture no less than three times....

"Why does God hate human pride so much? Because it is the one sin that keeps us from allowing God to use us for His purposes. When we commit ourselves to doing things our way, we are in no position to do things God's way. Pride renders us useless in the kingdom of God. We fall prey to pride when we forget that God does not exist for us, but we exist for Him." 

[Note: Emphasis added in some parts]



Last February, I started a Leadership and Management course through CollegePlus and I learned a great deal from it on what to look for in leadership and qualities to have to be a great leader. As you have probably figured out by now, yes humility was a strong virtue that made a leader likable. Because honestly, who really likes to work for an employer who has a big head?

Mr. Thompson tells his employees of how he worked his fingers to the bone and built up the company over the years. He brags of his advertising skills, communication capabilities, and his technological know-how. His employees get tired of listening of his one-sided conversations. His brother, on the other hand, runs a simple gas station on the corner. He has fewer number of employees, but they work hard to please him. This Mr. Thompson has never bragged of his accomplishments, but has rather given credit to the wonderful people who have made the business what it is today. See the difference in the two men? The first Mr. Thompson may have more workers at his larger business, but is undoubtedly going to have fewer friends than his brother at the smaller store. 
 
The above story is fictional, but the sin of pride is very real. It exists in the heart of those who live in a disillusioned state that THEY did it all on their own.



I think we would all agree that God created us; therefore, He created everything about us. Our physical features and our talents to name a few. Now why does pride live in the lives of even Christians who believe the above statements?

Simply, because we're humans. At some point in our lives, we think that everything we find we can work through, accomplish, amaze others with is all done on our own strength. We forget that the God we cannot see with our naked eyes was our Designer, our Creator. When He made you, He decided if you could sing, be an Olympic athlete, or super good at math! Everything you and I do are all gifts that our God above has bestowed upon us. It's NOT something we should ever boast about.

"I can sing better than Suzie", "Nancy can't sew nothing like I can", "Bill is soo much less talented than I when it comes to playing basketball"....all are thoughts of the devil, making us believe that we have somehow become superior to everyone around us. But just maybe we're overlooking the abilities they were blessed with that we aren't able to perform. Suzie wins the debating award every year. Nancy makes people laugh and feel better about themselves. Bill may not be tall enough for basketball, but he is the track star.


We have nothing without Christ. We cannot save ourselves, we cannot give ourselves life, we cannot choose the talents we will be able to share with others. As Psalm 89:47-48 says: "Remember how short my time is; for what futility have You created all the children of men? What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?"

"Humility a strange thing. The minute you think you've got it, you've lost it."

Let us strive to humble ourselves before God and give Him the credit, the praise that is due Him, and to use the talents He grants us for His glory.

God bless,
Anna

Intro to Health pt. 2

Last time, we discussed why we should care what we eat, that eating well along with exercise is essential, health concerns, and what the next step is. So.....what is the next step?

Again, the next step is to take action! Unless we take the first step in anything that we want to achieve, we will never finish. So if our goal is to live a healthy lifestyle, we need to focus on achieving the "result". I think a good look at an excellent source of vitamins is a great place to make our first step.

Vitamins are "an organic compound required by an organism as a vital nutrient in limited amounts." (Wikipedia).  So, we're going to look at a few of the vitamins and look over just some of the fruits and veggies to put on your next grocery list! Where's the best place to start? Let's go with Vitamin B12.


Vitamin B12: 


Vitamin B12 is also known as cobalamin, and is not only a notable source to aid in the formation of blood, but also plays a key role in our nervous systems and brain functions. The lack of B12 in our systems may result in depression, poor memory, and fatigue. It can also be linked to symptoms such as mania and psychosis. So what are some good sources of B12? Not in food or animals, which are both incapable of producing the vitamin. Instead, B12 is taken from archaea and bacteria, which are then made into tablet form. Local stores carry this product in pill form and I feel that this vitamin is a necessity.

Vitamin C:

Vitamin C? Oh yeah, everyone's heard of that one. Isn't another name for that an orange? Well, though the orange is an excellent source to get your C's from, it is only ranked at #7, according to Health Alicious Ness website. There are ten sources of Vitamin C you need to consider. And I never would have guessed the first! 

 1. Yellow Bell Peppers
 2. Guavas
 3. Dark Green Leafy Veggies (like Kale)              
 4. Kiwi
 5. Broccoli
 6. Berries (like strawberries)
 7. Citrus (like oranges)
 8. Tomatoes
 9. Peas
10. Papaya    


Vitamin A:

This vitamin "is involved in immune function, vision, reproduction, and cellular communication. Vitamin A is critical for vision as an essential component of rhodopsin, a protein that absorbs light in the retinal receptors, and because it supports the normal differentiation and functioning of the conjunctival membranes and cornea. Vitamin A also supports cell growth and differentiation, playing a critical role in the normal formation and maintenance of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs." (according to http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/)

Foods that are rich in Vitamin A are found in:

1. Sweet Potatoes--213.5%

2. Carrots --113.2%

3. Spinach--104.8%

4. Kale--98.3%

5. Mustard Greens--96.2%

6. Collard Greens--80.2%

7. Turnip Greens--61%

8. Swiss Chard--59.5%

9. Winter Squash--59.4%

10. Romaine Lettuce--45.4% 

Vitamin E:

Deficiency with this vitamin is rare, but is known to cause conditions such as: neurological, neuromuscular, anemia, retinopathy, and impairment to immune response problems. Though a poor diet can never cause a deficiency in Vitamin E, this substance benefits your body in five ways: helps to prevent sunstroke and coronary artery disorder or heart disease; alleviates fatigue and aids in getting blood to the scalp; can help heal sunburn and just in general, protect your skin from the sun; has an anti-aging effect on your skin; and lastly, makes your skin and cuticles healthy and fresh.

You can find this vitamin in the following ten food items:

1. Tofu
2. Spinach
3. Nuts
4. Sunflower Seeds
5. Avocados
6. Shellfish
7. Fish (like rainbow trout)
8. Plant oils (like olive oil)
9. Broccoli
10. Squash, pumpkin, and butternut squash

(according to Health Aliciousness)

There you have it! A place to start on a healthy diet of fruits and veggies. I do recommend, however, that you continue to eat your lean meats. People who only eat plants (vegetarians) are at risk for problems down the road such as low cholesterol levels (may lead to early death), colorectal cancer, and "lower bone mineral density" (according to Mother Nature Network).

I again urge you to do research for yourself to find a multitude of other healthy treats that God has provided for us. He knew what He was doing when He packed them with so many nutritious goodies! I hope this helps you know what to start looking for at the grocery store and I pray that God blesses you if you decide to take a healthier view on food.

God bless,
Julianna

   

Intro to Health pt. 1

I know it seems rather odd for me to write about healthy living on Anna's Insights, but it's about time to discuss some other topics! When I think back on how much I used to keep active and ate more fruits and veggies, I keep wondering how I got so hooked on Twinkies and root beer. Perhaps, it was the snacks my Grandma would pack in her car for me whenever we would go on road trips. It was almost like keeping that part of the trip hidden from my Mother. I would hurry out to the car first and Grandma would tell me that the "little, black snack pack" was full of goodies. What a child's dream come true, right? I'd grab the bag, jump to the back seat in the van, and open up the delights that were inside. The bag had Velcro to keep the contents inside fresh, so I had to be very careful opening it if Mom was already in the car.  Yes, quite sneaky.

But I fondly remember those times...

And I'm not going to say that I don't have those sugary, delectable treats any more. I enjoy an occasional blueberry pie or raspberry doughnut. However, I also think there is a fine line between an appropriate amount and an excessive amount. Proverbs 25:27 starts by saying, "It is not good to eat much honey..." Honey is a natural sweet creation and even it is stated that one can have too much.  In our day now with stores like Wal-mart having at least one whole row dedicated to the candies of the rainbow, how much less should we be eating of them to not hit that red, excessive mark? So.......

Why care what I eat?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 is a good place to start:


"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." 


As Christians, our body is not our own. God's Spirit lives in us. I doubt that if I remembered this at a fast food restaraunt, I'd want to graze on artificial sweeteners or chicken that's been drowned in trans fats. If the Holy Spirit lives inside of us, we need to watch what we feed our bodies. Our bodies are God's temple. Do I want to fill my stomach with junk food, or should I instead be eating the pure products that God has created for us to enjoy?

Again, an occasional snack does fill my mouth and I don't think it's going to kill you if you partake of them a couple of times a week. However, I believe that 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 answers the question as to why we should care what we eat.

"You are what you eat":

Probably a quote we remember hearing from time to time, right? Although I do believe that what we put into our bodies effects our health 75%, what we eat is not the answer in and of itself. So what makes up for the lacking 25%? Exercise.

Exercise is crucial in having a healthy body. Food that we take into our bodies helps to preserve our organs. Such as bananas that contain a high level of potassium which are excellent for the heart. But walking every day, jogging, bicycling, riding horse, swimming to name a few, are what we need to help maintain a healthy lifestyle.

As with all things, exercise should be done in moderation. Don't overdo it. Again, eating right is the biggest part of living healthy. I hope to discuss exercise further in the following blog post, but would like to stick to the "why's" of eating healthy for this post.

Health Concerns:

Many people I know stick to Gluten-free products or they may have certain allergies to certain food choices. And still others' stomachs may not be able to tolerate general kinds of foods (like hot and spicy). If you're seriously wanting to get away from the chemicalized foods in the grocery and convenience stores, you should first of all ask your doctor about a healthy diet plan. Remember, eating healthy isn't about losing weight. It's about living a healthy life. Of course, life is not pain or sick-free; but, when eating the way God has designed us to eat, we will be avoiding a lot of the diseases that may have been knocking at our door ten years down the road if we didn't correct our food habits today.

When I first started to seriously think about eating differently, I just wanted to lose weight. I went off on a couple of different tangents--even not eating at all--until I would get caught. People who quit eating entirely or throw up after eating have developed either one of these mental disorders: Anorexia or Bulimia. Compulsive Overeating disorders are just as damaging.

But that's not what eating healthy means. There was a reason mom put broccoli on our plate and milk on the table when we were kids. To build strong bones and again, stay healthy. God has designed our bodies to be healthy, not sick. So I believe that, "whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." [1 Corinthians 10:31]. Whether we're sleeping, exercising, reading books, or yes, even eating, all we do should be to the glory of God! 

Next step?

 The next step is to do something about it! Take action and make the change. It's hard to cut out sweets and I don't think a person should give up on them entirely. God has given us so many wonderful things to eat, that in comparison to the food man has processed and ruined to give things a "better" flavor, we need to turn back to the days before processed, artificial, and genetically modified food.

God knew exactly what vitamins and good proteins our bodies needed and continue to need after all generations of farmers. And with this being June Dairy month, let's take the time to not only thank farmers, but to enjoy the food that they harvest.


Next time, we'll be discussing different food choices that are some of the best sources of nutrition.

3 John 1:5 "Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul."

Julianna