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“Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:11 (NIV)
For the past four years I’ve been selecting a word for the year - a reminder of something I value that I want to focus on, with the Lord’s help. My 2022 word is REST. Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith’s book “Sacred Rest” helped me realize my need for more intentional REST in specific areas of my life and also highlighted ways daily choices were robbing me of that REST. So, REST is my word. And summer is a great time to be thinking about REST!
Hebrews 3 and 4 reference the Lord’s ‘rest’ and how not to enter it...
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Opposites make such great comparisons.
Sweet and Salty…
Tall and short…
Up and Down…
The comparisons are easy to understand because we have experienced both things and know the difference between the two. The differences can deepen our understanding of the two opposite concepts. I love sweet things in part because I can contrast them to salty things. My understanding of what sweet means is deepened by my experience of what it means for something to be salty.
I think freedom is another concept that works in the same way...
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I have fond memories of my dad being my buddy at different stages in my life. As a toddler, I remember his strong arms picking me up and putting me on his shoulders. It felt like riding a horse, as I swayed side to side with each step he took, holding onto his forehead, trying not to block his vision or affect his balance, so he wouldn’t trip and have us both come tumbling down...
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Then summer comes and I know I have to make a decision. How am I going to use this break from my regular study to stay focused on the truths and promises in God’s Word? If I don’t make a specific plan, I know that the summer days will slip by and I will miss precious spiritual growth time. So I start by seeking God—I pray and ask him for guidance...
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I love to stay active! It’s a non-negotiable part of my life. I do it year round—I don’t take a summer vacation from fitness! I love teaching my Body & Soul® classes where I can be active and inspire others to be active. But as the weather gets warm and welcomes me to the outside, I look to include additional activities in my schedule to make the most of the summer...
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I know I am prone to wander and forget the faithfulness of the Lord. I recognize that I also need memorial stones to help me remember how God has moved in my life. There are some special things in and around my home that serve as visual reminders, a kind of memorial stone, for me of God’s faithfulness. They are small things...
MIRACULOUS LIFE
John 11:25,26 “Jesus said to her (Martha), I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in ME will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (NASB)
After winter’s freezing weather has turned my flower plants brown, it always amazes me to see new green leaves emerging at the base of 
the plant in the spring. What appears to be dead surprises me with evidence of new life.
Like freezing weather, cancer took the physical life of my husband and he died in my arms. I wondered how I would continue living. It felt like my heart had suffered an amputation. I leaned on God when I did not feel like I could stand, by reading the Bible and praying every day. Jesus is my gentle Shepherd…patient with my tears and yet nudging me onward with tasks of showing love to others such as cooking for the homeless, teaching Vacation Bible School, walking a dog for a veteran, and sharing His comfort with those who experience grief. It is HIS presence with me that has enabled me to go on. The comfort that life is not over, it just changes. It is awesome to know that I will see my husband again in heaven some day because he asked Jesus to be his Savior (and I have too).
But for now, I am here to tell you this good news…Jesus is alive and well and just waiting for you to ask Him into your heart. And if you already believe in Him, you have HIS Word that HE will give you a life worth living…an abundant life.
How has God shown you miraculous new life?
by Sheree Carlton
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Sheree Carlton is a Daughter of the American Revolution, retired pharmacist, a widow, mother and grandmother, who lives in Friendswood Texas. She enjoys singing and playing guitar, piano and flute and dancing with Body & Soul®.
Body and Soul® Fitness is an international Christian fitness organization that trains and equips instructors to lead a variety of group fitness programs including choreographed aerobics-style Cardio Strength & Flexibility™, cardio dance style Dance Blast™, free-weights-focused Power Strength™, boot camp style FIT360™ and Longevity FIT360™, and GOLD™ - lower impact programming for participants that are pregnant, have weight challenges, injuries, or other medical conditions. These exercise classes meet in church gyms, community centers, gymnasiums, parking lots, schools, etc. across the United States, Europe, and Africa. In-person and virtual fitness classes are available.
Key words: Christian fitness, women's exercise classes, group fitness, dance aerobics classes, Christian group fitness, Christian fitness app, FitTV, Body & Soul, Body and Soul, fitness instuctor training, low impact exercise
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This is the time of year for graduations. It’s a big year for our family, as our oldest grandson will be graduating from high school on a Thursday and headed to the Air Force Academy 4 days later! Despite the pandemic he has had a wonderful high school experience including lots of intense AP classes, his track team going all the way to Nationals, and being a leader in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes that met at his school. But now is a time of commencement—a new beginning, a clean slate. They call freshmen “doolies” at the Academy—lots of pushups are in store for him and lots of long runs. Physical endurance will be needed, as well as spiritual, mental and emotional endurance.
This is true of our lives, too...
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I was reminded of young motherhood recently when I had the privilege of helping my son, daughter-in-law, and toddler grandson when their second baby was due. I was grateful my Body & Soul® classes had strengthened and energized me for the three-week adventure with a toddler and new baby!
But within hours of arriving at their home we experienced our first toddler accident – under Grandma’s watch!...
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I love the changing of the seasons, especially the change from the cold of Winter to the warmth of Spring! I love green grass and flowers blooming and the warm sun. One little flower pops through the soil, then others follow. Crocuses, then daffodils, tulips, irises, each with a new burst of color and beauty as they show their faces. Then come the flowering trees that bloom and fade, giving way to green that will last for months. The normal, gradual change into spring is good change. However...
