May Newsletter
Greetings and let me apologize
for getting
this newsletter out a little
late. Sometimes
the days just slip away from
you. The weather
is getting nicer and the trees
and flowers
are showing their colors. Just
like they
do every year. And every year
I enjoy it
more and more. I am in it for
the long haul,
this enjoyment of Spring, as
the earth awakens
from its winter slumber. It got
me to thinking
about many things, including
my walk and
weightlifting. How many of us
start things
and never finish? Starting is
easy, continuing…now
that’s the challenge! Are you
in it for the
long haul?
A guy at work asked me how I did it. I looked
at him puzzled, not understanding
what he
meant. He shook his head and
asked how I
got up day in and day out and
lifted weights.
I have to admit that he could
have asked
that question in Japanese and
he would have
gotten the same look from me.
You know the
one, like when you hit that certain
pitch
noise and the dog tilts his head?
I thought,
"you’ve got to be kidding,
right? How
do I do it? It’s like breathing!"
It
isn’t an event I dread each day.
It is a
part of me. It isn’t what defines
me, but
it is simply a part of my life
and always
will be. Short of death, I cannot
envision
myself not lifting some sort
of weight until
the end. I explained this to
him and he didn’t
quite understand but I told him
to start
and exercise program, and stick
with it for
at LEAST six weeks and see what
he thought.
Now for many, six weeks is an
eternity. For
others it is the point when they
start thinking
of mixing up the exercises! I
promise you
that if you stay with it, you’ll
be bitten
by the bug too. Not to
mention these little bumps and ripples that
will develop on your body called
muscles!
Among the benefits of lifting
are better
sleep, physical work will be
easier, your
clothes will fit better as the
fat melts
away, and you’ll burn more calories
at rest!
Weightlifting is not just about
moving bars
of iron. As Dave Draper says,
"It’s
also a character builder."
It takes
more than just moving weights
from point
A to point B. It’s you against
the iron,
a battle each and every time
you put those
bars of steel in your hand! Can
you do battle?
Will you do battle? Don’t let
it be a New
Year’s resolution gone bad. Use
that membership
you bought on January second!
Get in it for
the long haul, you won’t be sorry.
Sadly, many people fall away after being
saved. They start out fervent
and on fire
for God, but slowly fade away.
The Parable
of the Sower is a perfect example
of the
different stages.
(Matthew 13: 1-23 1 On the same day Jesus
went out of the house and sat
by the sea.
2 And great multitudes were gathered
together
to Him, so that He got into a
boat and sat;
and the whole multitude stood
on the shore.
3Then He spoke many things
to them in
parables, saying: "Behold,
a sower went
out to sow. 4And as he sowed,
some seed fell
by the wayside; and the birds
came and devoured
them. 5 Some fell on stony places,
where
they did not have much earth;
and they immediately
sprang up because they had no
depth of earth.
6But when the sun was up they
were scorched, and because they had no root they
withered away. 7And some fell
among thorns,
and the thorns sprang up and
choked them.
8But others fell on good ground
and yielded
a crop: some a hundredfold, some
sixty, some
thirty. 9He who has ears to hear,
let him
hear!"
The Purpose of Parables
10And the disciples came and said to Him,
"Why do You speak to them
in parables?"
11 He answered and said to them,
"Because
it has been given to you to know
the mysteries
of the kingdom of heaven, but
to them it
has not been given. 12 For whoever
has, to
him more will be given, and he
will have
abundance; but whoever does not
have, even
what he has will be taken away
from him.
13Therefore I speak to them in
parables,
because seeing they do not see,
and hearing
they do not hear, nor do they
understand.
14And in them the prophecy of
Isaiah is fulfilled,
which says: "Hearing you
will hear and
shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15For the hearts of this people
have grown
dull. Their ears are hard of
hearing, And
their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should
see with their eyes and hear
with their ears,
Lest they should understand with
their hearts
and turn, So that I should heal
them. 16But
blessed are your eyes for they
see, and your
ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly,
I say
to you that many prophets and
righteous men
desired to see what you see,
and did not
see it, and to hear what you
hear, and did
not hear it.
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18"Therefore hear the parable of the
sower: 19 When anyone hears the
word of the
kingdom, and does not understand
it, then
the wicked one comes and snatches
away what
was sown in his heart. This is
he who received
seed by the wayside. 20But he
who received
the seed on stony places, this
is he who
hears the word and immediately
receives it
with joy; 21 yet he has no root
in himself,
but endures only for a while.
For when tribulation
or persecution arises because
of the word,
immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among
the thorns is he who hears the
word, and
the cares of this world and the
deceitfulness
of riches choke the word, and
he becomes
unfruitful. 23But he who received
seed on
the good ground is he who hears
the word
and understands it, who indeed
bears fruit
and produces: some a hundredfold,
some sixty,
some thirty." )
Yes, this section of newsletter may seem
familiar, but it is worth repeating,
no apologies.
There will be times in our lives when we struggle, there
is no doubt about it. However,
how do we
react? Do we bail out? Do we
fade away as
the struggle continues, just
giving up? Or,
do we stand firm, set our feet
and fight
the good fight. (Ephesians 6:13 - "Therefore put on
the full armor of God, so that
when the day
of evil comes, you may be able
to stand your
ground, and after you have done
everything,
to stand."). Draw closer to God then, pray hard and then
when all else fails, pray harder.
Have faith
that God will not abandon you!
He says in
the Bible that He is with us!
(Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear not, for I am
with you; be not dismayed for
I am your God.
I will strengthen you, yes I
will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous
right
hand." / Jeremiah 1:19 -
They will fight
against you, but they shall not
prevail against
you. For I am with you,"
says the Lord,
"to deliver you.") Get in it for the long haul, the reward
is great and you won’t be sorry!
And now our prayer. Dear Lord when times
are tough let us draw closer
to you our Father,
give us strength in our times
of need. Though
our minds may be clouded with
uncertainty,
be our beacon! In Jesus name
we pray, Amen.
Until next time all! Go with God and Lift
that iron!
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