The picture of health

 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.  He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. Philippians 3:20-21 New Living Translation

The other day at work I was asked to attend a meeting to brain storm ways to bring a new model of health and wellness to our patients. One of our doctor’s had recently given a presentation to the community on the “circle of health” and the goal was to further that idea. To achieve proper health all these different factors are involved, such as weight management, proper nutrition and exercise. Other things such as your spirituality, stress management, outlets for creativity and having a purpose in your life are all equally important.

Because my brain never shuts down and I can take the tiniest tidbit and expound on it, I changed the circle of health to the hierarchy of health. It looks something like this.

*Person who is the picture of health –

is physically active, mentally sharp, emotionally stable,

eats right, gets enough sleep, enjoys their job, volunteers,

has a loving family, etc, etc (as if this person exists)

*Person who eats ok, works out occassionally, 
but has a lot of stress at home and at work

*The vast majority of us

*Person who smokes two packs a day

and eats most meals at McDonald’s

*Person in a vegetative state in long-term care

The question is where on this list is someone who has died. When I was first picturing this in my head, the first thought is to put a dead person on the very bottom of the list, right? That would be where a lot of people end up, people who are not saved, who do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

For me and for other believers, I would put the dead on the top of the list. Except of course, those are people who are only dead by the world’s standards. As Christians we are on top of this list because we are very much alive in heaven. That is the only way this couch-potato, junk-food lover will ever get to the top of this list.

Lord thank You for giving us our human bodies, with all of the frailties and weaknesses. Thank You for making these bodies temporary and for providing us with the perfect bodies once we reach Your kingdom. Amen

The Windmill is legend in our town. No one can hardly wait for it to open in the spring to get the first ice cream cone of the season. There is a biking trail that takes you there from town. Can you really burn off those ice cream calories on a fourteen mile round trip bike ride?

home for sale

“A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” John 16:32 New International Version

This weekend, my daughter moved. Again. I may have lost track, but I think this is the fifth time that she has moved in a year. And I think that for all but one of those moves, I was there hauling something up and down the stairs. It seems she has a talent for finding places with many steep narrow steps.

I hope that this newest apartment she is renting works out as she signed a one year lease.

On the other hand, I have been living in this house for twenty-one years. I hate the thought of having to move. Being so entrenched in my house, I can’t imagine ever packing up and moving on.

It’s easy for me to say that this house is my permanent home, but it’s not. My permanent home is in heaven. And someday I will go there to live for all eternity with my heavenly Father. And there won’t be any heavy boxes to move up the stairs. Everything I need will be there waiting for me.

Lord, thank you for giving us places to live, food to eat, clothes to wear and all the other physical comforts you have supplied us with on this Earth. And thank you even more for preparing our places in heaven.

As I was on my way home from church just now, writing this blog in my head, I wondered what picture I would post. I had pretty much decided to borrow something off of the internet, when I drove past this sign, not a quarter mile from my house. I know that it seems so simple or that an unbeliever would say it was a coincidence, but for me it is one more way that God shows me He is there.

Just Visiting

Israel, the Lord who created you says, “Do not be afraid—I will save you. I have called you by name—you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1 Good News Translation (GNT)

As you may have heard, I am taking care of a friend’s cat for three months while she is working out of town. When she dropped off Brewster, she gave me his rabies tag along with a small collar she had just bought him. I’ve never had a cat wear a collar before, it never seemed necessary. To comply with his mom’s wishes, however, Brewster has dutifully worn his collar since coming here. It sets him apart from the rest of our cats, but none of them seem to notice. And when he goes back home the first of March, I’ll be back to having an all collarless cat collection.

Like Brewster, we Christians are set apart. Maybe we don’t wear a collar announcing our faith, but we still wear the mark of our Lord and Savior. And also just like Brewster, this is only temporary. We may fit in perfectly in this Earthly home. We have our beds to sleep in at night, our jobs to go to during the day. Most of the time we are very comfortable, but at times we wonder why we are here, why we feel like an outsider.

The first of March, Brewster’s owner will return for him. And someday, our Heavenly Father will return for us, we will leave this place and be taken to our eternal home.

Lord, help us to be patient with this place where we are. Help to realize that when we are faced with challenges and struggles, that this is all temporary. Someday You will call us home where we will live in peace for eternity.