Getting Your Butt in to Shape

As many folks typically use the first of the year as a "kick in the butt" time to "lose that butt", I’ve re-posted an article I wrote last year on pursuing holiness in our walk with God, with an emphasis on bringing our bodies under subjection.

By the way, never weigh yourself Christmas night. It is a sure fired way to ruin your night

My thanks to Jerry Bridges and his awesome work in this area with the Pursuit of Holiness

Several years ago, I began reading Jerry Bridges “Pursuit of Holiness” in order to gain a better a understanding of what God requires of us as we walk with Him. Up until that study, the idea of “pursuing holiness” meant memorizing scripture, having a daily quiet time, and attending worship. While those are elements that naturally come out of wanting to pursue a Godly walk, I never realized the importance of addressing the physical aspects of my life and how they naturally impact the desire of wanting to spend more time with God, studying His Word, and enhancing the time I spend in worship of Him. As I have realized in my own life, and as Jerry put it so well in his book, “As we become soft and lazy in our bodies, we tend to become soft and lazy spiritually”. Let’s examine what God says about being holy, why addressing our physical bodies in that pursuit of holiness is so important, and some practical tips to help along the journey.

For even the casual reader of Scripture, there is no escaping the command God places upon those He has called. Among all the verses in the Bible, Leviticus 11:44 is the most clear when it comes to why we should live a life of holiness: “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” The command is clear: we are to be holy because God is holy. 1 Peter 1:15-16 expounds on that verse by saying, “so be holy in all you do.” Pursuing holiness means obeying God in every area of your life, oftentimes requiring costly sacrifice. It is important to know that striving to live a holy life before God requires more strength than what we have. However, as Phillipians 4:13 reminds us, we are to live out this command in sole dependence upon the Holy Spirit, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Therefore, not only does God lay out the command of how we are to live, He also provides the strength and grace in order to do so. So, what does all this have to do with our physical bodies?

I like to explain pursuing holiness in our bodies as being the foundational element to pursuing holiness in other areas of our life. For example, if the foundation of a building is flawed, it will likely succumb to the slightest windstorm. Likewise, if we cannot control our physical indulgences, how much harder will it be to battle the heart and mind with its sexual temptations, struggles with contentment, and other sins buried deep within the heart? As Thomas Boston wrote, “They that would keep themselves pure must have their bodies in subjection, and that may require, in some cases, a holy violence.” Jerry Bridges, in “The Pursuit of Holiness” put it well when he said, “When the body is pampered and indulged, the instincts and passions of the body tend to get the upper hand and dominate our thoughts and actions. We tend to not do what we should do, but what we want to do, as we follow the craving of our sinful nature.” Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, also understood that he must bring his body under subjection, lest he find himself battling spiritual battles. “No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” ( 1 Corinthians 9:27 ) Pursuing holiness in your body is key to obeying God’s command to be holy because He is holy, as it serves as the foundational element to pursuing holiness in other parts of your life. What are some practical ways to go about that, though?

One of the more effective ways to discipline the body is to teach it not to overindulge and eat on a whim, which is one of the culprits to getting fat. For example,I have found it helpful to preplan my meals for the day. When I have all of my meals planned out and prepared, I’m not likely to hit Burger King for lunch and go for the Biggie size. In addition to pre-planning my meals, eating 4 to 6 small meals throughout the day teaches my stomach to be satisfied with less because it knows more is coming later. As the stomach gets used to smaller meals, it will shrink in size and become more content with what it is fed. In addition to food, short, intense daily workouts are very important. I have found that six 20 to 45 minute workouts throughout the week are much more effective than one 2 3-hour workouts because the body does not let go of fat as easily unless it is in a frequent mode of exercise.

This has immediate applications to spiritual areas of our life as well. Learning to be content is often best done when small purchases are made frequently over time, rather than going without for a long time, and then spending a lot on credit as a result of going without for so long. In addition to learning to be content, studying scripture is best accomplished through frequent, short studies of scripture, rather than long periods of drought followed by big bursts of study. When we begin to bring our bodies under subjection, we can immediately apply those lessons to other areas of our life.

As I have found in my own life, being soft and lazy physically has often been a reflection of being soft and lazy spiritually. When I’m not planning my meals and working out on a regular basis, my desire for God’s companionship has often gone by the wayside as well. I begin making poor decisions, and I become used to living a life based on what makes me feel good instead of what pleases God. I’ve found that to bring my life back in line with what God desires and commands, I always have to start with my body, and cease making it my master.

Sharing At Church

I have lived off of Tums the past two weeks as I mentally prepared for sharing at church this past Sunday.

It went really well. The Lord removed all my fear as soon as I stepped behind the podium, and I was able to speak from my heart – which was very important to me. It was only the second or third time I had ever spoken in public before.

Some have asked me for a copy of what I shared – it is pasted below. I’ll be getting an audio recording soon, and I’ll post that up as well.

Thank you for praying for me.

Several years ago, my daughter Maggie met this man named George. It was a very special day because the elders of our church were going to pray for Maggie and ask God’s blessing on her as she began chemo the following week. Well, George was in that room, too. You see, George, like Maggie, was beginning his chemo treatment the following week as well, and the Elders were going to pray for him and ask God’s blessing upon him as he began his journey. Thus began a special friendship between a 58 year-old man and an 8 year-old little girl.

Within a couple of weeks of starting chemo, George lost his hair and proudly showed off his bald head to Maggie at church. Tired of pulling clumps of hair out of her own head, Maggie decided that that she wanted to shave hers off and be like George. She wanted a little bit of control over what has happening to her. Whenever George saw Maggie at church, he would always seek her out, bend his knee, and talk to her eye to eye. As George’s battle with cancer got worse and Maggie’s battles continued to get harder, George always made it to the hospital to see Maggie, even during times when he could hardly drive.

The Lord brought two folks together who couldn’t be more opposite, to be each others strength and encouragement: a 58 year-old man with grand-kids and an 8 year old little girl. Both aligned with Christ’s suffering and walking the blurry line between heaven and earth.

George Blouin died last year, 2 days before Easter.

It was during that Easter service that the Lord gave me a little glimpse of His church – the invisible church.

We were singing some Easter song that I don’t even remember. While singing, I started looking around. Three rows in front of me was George’s wife, Kathy. The only thing I could see was the back of her head, but I could tell that she had the biggest, most beautiful smile on her face as she stood there praising God that her husband was celebrating Easter with the Man who gave him new life.

Four rows in front of her was my good friend, Rob. He was there, worshipping Christ, with his 4 kids, ages 3 – 12. Standing beside him, clasping his hand, was his 6-year old little girl. She was wearing a purple bandana that her mother wore throughout her battle with cancer. She died four months earlier.

To the left of him was a man named Doug. Sitting beside him in a wheelchair was his little girl, Sarah. She hasn’t been able to see, talk, or walk since she was born. I watched Doug gently wipe the saliva from her face, as Sarah listened to the wonderful music, no doubt singing beautifully herself. Doug and his wife, Jodie, will care for Sarah for the rest of their lives.

On the stage was our choir director, leading the choir and the congregation in worship. Four months ago, his 24 year old daughter, Allison, who was 5 months pregnant with her first child, and his first grandchild, suddenly died of a brain aneurysm. The baby died, too.

Then, I saw a man looking upon his wife. Just a couple of years earlier, he betrayed her trust. Oh, the pain and heartache she must have gone through, and still feels to this day.

Just as we were finishing up the song, Maggie came walking through the back of the church and stood beside me. She whispered in my ear “ Daddy, I don’t feel good. Can you hold me?”. I sat down and just cradled her in my lap.

There we all were, gathered together on Easter, worshipping. It truly was the only place we could all be.

During that song, the Lord showed me that His church – the invisible church – is made up of a suffering people. We all are a group of people knitted together through pain, prolonged trials, persecution, and even betrayal. We are a people who long for heaven in deep, rich ways. We long for heaven because, through our suffering, we are finally able to really see and experience Christ.

I Will Miss You, Marc

This news just came via Oliver Starr. Please continue praying for Sue and her family, as they have lost a husband and father.

Update: 2:56PM Pacific Time December 9th, 2007:

It is with great sadness that I report that Marc Orchant, Husband to Sue, Father to Rebecca and Jason, and friend to so many, passed away just a short time ago. I was notified by Marc’s brother Craig.

His family and closest friends were at his side and his favorite music was playing. Craig said that Marc’s passing was as peaceful and easy as anyone could have hoped and he left this world surrounded by love from so many people that he couldn’t possibly have failed to know how many people cared for, appreciated and respected him.

Anyone that knew Marc also knew how much he loved music; especially the Grateful Dead. The excerpt below is from one of the songs that helped the family say goodbye to Marc and helped Marc move on to the next world. I talked to Marc almost every single day for the past couple of years. I’m sure that I’m not alone when I say that I am going to miss him so, so much.

To allow for people that may need to travel and take time of work, services are most likely going to be held this coming Wednesday afternoon at the Temple where the Orchants are members. I will provide more specific details as soon as they have been provided to me. Marc’s family expressed once again their gratitude for the outpouring of love and support that the technology community has shown in this very difficult time. Your warmth, concern and friendship will not be forgotten.

River gonna take me
Sing me sweet and sleepy
Sing me sweet and sleepy
all the way back home
It’s a far gone lullaby
sung many years ago
Mama, Mama, many worlds I’ve come
since I first left home

Goin home, goin home
by the waterside I will rest my bones
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
to rock my soul

Tags: Marc+Orchant

Sharing At Church Next Week

I’ve been asked by my church to share some of my writing during the worship service next Sunday, December 16th  – at BOTH services!

I love to write, but speaking has been a true phobia for me going back to when I was a child. Growing up, I struggled a lot with stuttering and reading, and did everything possible to avoid speaking and reading in public. Although, the stuttering doesn’t affect me nearly as much today as it did back then, I’m dealing with ramifications of it and its roots are fear.

So, I covet your prayers this coming week as I prepare. I’ve been practicing almost every day for the past week, and it will likely consume me for the following week. My prayer is that I would relax this coming week, especially Sunday, put fear in its rightful place, and let the natural story that needs to be told come out.

A Community Time of Prayer for Marc Orchant

From GottaBeMobile.com:

We are one tight-knit group of folks gathered around the Tablet PC / UMPC space. It is one reason why Marc Orchant’s current situation has stunned us all. We’ve been following Marc’s writings and listening to his podcasts for years, growing to know him more and more each day. He truly is one of the most likeable and knowledgeable people I’ve ever met. Now, one of our very own is in a critical situation, and his family is in an immeasurable amount of pain. I know first-hand the impact and encouragement that a community can give as it rally’s behind you in times of severe trial. When my daughter, Maggie, was undergoing chemo and multiple brain surgeries, the community gathered around us in some unbelievable ways, flooding the hospital with more cards than they had ever seen, and praying for us on a daily basis.

I’d like to ask all of you to join me, and many others around the world, at 1:00 pm MST today to pray for Marc and his family.  Knowing that we are gathered together at the same time, lifting up Marc and his family, you will find yourself encouraged as well. Please repost this and pass the word around to as many sites as you can.

With this latest update from Sue Orchant, we have some definite things to pray for, and to be thankful for on behalf of Marc’s family:

In this past day we have seen some baby steps of improvement. He has some response to stimuli and his oxygen levels and heart rate have improved. I am guardedly optimistic. He still has not regained consciousness but we will take things minute by minute.

With you at 1:00 pm MST,