The rest of the day went as planned. I got some cleaning done, play time, the gym, and relaxed with dinner and So You Think You Can Dance after some devotional reading with Peter. Makenzie and I even got out for a quick, light 20 min stroll before lunch. It is absolutely beautiful out right now and I adore fall so I couldn't pass up a light walk, even if my body is a little on the tired side. While strolling this afternoon, my mind wandered to prayerful time and I spent it all just thanking God immensely. It was nice to see that drop this morning and while I want to say "thank you" to everyone for the compliments and virtual high-fives I realize that I most need to say thanks to the Big Man. Without Him I am nothing, but with my faith in Him I can do or be ANYTHING. In reality - He is the only reason I am making the progress I need to make. Consider the things that go into prep -

• TIME - he blesses me with the opportunity to stay at home and not have the added time/stress of work so I can continue to focus on the important things and fit in the workouts for prep
• SUPPORT - he blesses me with a caring husband who is there for me doing whatever it takes to help me get what needs to be done done, with friends who understand my endeavor and don't try to hinder my goals, with family who will be there rooting for me on show day
• HEALTH - if He wanted to He could incapacitate me physically, but instead God chooses to give me the physical strength to do all of my workouts
• FINANCES - we are able to afford the healthy meals for our family, the suits, the gym memberships, the tanner/makeup/waxing/etc that goes into a good prep...in this economy Peter finding his new job with better pay is truly a miracle and blessing done by Him
• DETERMINATION - it is said over and over in the Bible that God is your strength and will lift you up...my will power can't carry me through, only knowing that when I am weak there is someone backing me up gives me the motivation and strength to keep on keeping on

As previously mentioned, each Sunday I will devote a post to what was discussed in the Sunday class I lead called The Goodlife. Continuing with the series based on Max Lucado's book Just Like Jesus and how our hearts should be aligned to be in Jesus' example, we looked at the importance of worship and being "God-intoxicated" in our lives. What perfect timing for this lesson after all my realizations this week, huh? 😉 


We started looking at worship? What does it mean to you to worship? Is there one certain way to worship? We all agreed that there is no prescription for the "right" way to worship, as long as it is done with a pure heart and joy and is honoring God. Things got tricky though when we delved into what do you hope to get from going to church, reading the Bible, studying religion, praying, communing with fellow believers....worship? Many of us will go to a church service, listen to an inspirational song, read a few Bible verses, talk about our faith with the expectation of feeling "nice". Thinking we have done our part, checked it off the list, etc. Max Lucado made a strong point that we should be worship hungry. We should be LONGING for our time to worship. We should approach each Sunday morning (or Friday night or Saturday afternoon or Wednesday evening...whenever you worship) with true passion. We SHOULD be coming to worship like a child awaiting Christmas morning, like a bride awaiting her walk down the aisle, like a competitor ticking off the days til show with excitement (yes, guilty as charged here). We SHOULD be excited about worship and seek more than just "nice". And NO - that doesn't mean we should be going in with expectations to get new revelations, guidance, etc. Worship is to GIVE TO God....not GET from a pastor, verse, etc. Yes, it can help us grow and open our eyes but that is not the purpose. After all, our number one purpose on this Earth is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength (Matthew 22:37)....in sense, to WORSHIP! That is a whole new way of looking at worship - to go excited, with a heart ready to give instead of receive, and to let your passion for God just flow from within you and in the process be renewed with His love. 


How do we approach worship in such a way? How do we carry this passion into our everyday lives? By becoming "God-intoxicated". By believing that God is with us all the time and that we are in constant communion with Him. Our relationship with Him is compared to branches on a vine (John 15:5-7), us a heavenly temple He resides in (1 Corinthians 6:19), and a marriage (Revelation 21:2). We work TOGETHER. He is by our side, connected to us, and we have the power to tap into that and use it in our lives. To be strong, determined, and steadfast in His love. Know that you are connected to God. Know that you are close to Him and He is always there for you....and thank Him for that security and never-ceasing support. Worship Him for it.