My "A HA" Moment

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpRI4THVdDs&feature=youtu.be
check this out on youtube as well! :)

The other day my husband and I were walking and having a chance to talk~

uninterrupted…

If you are a parent, or around children often, you know how precious that time is!   LOL :) We were talking about our kids, our jobs, church, etc. After listening to something the day before, I had taken the time to reflect on who I was and who I wanted to be remembered as…
I think many of us do this from time to time.

I had a confession… I am NOT all about fitness!

WAIT... HOLD UP!!  It's crazy, I know!

I workout daily, I eat well ~most days ;) ~, I hold Challenges so that other people can stay motivated on their own fitness journey. So~ what is my deal?!?!
I am not all about fitness, but I LOVE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE!!! 100%, HANDS DOWN~I love being the cheerleader. I love celebrating what society might deem as small moments, because, honestly, those small moments are the ones that build GIGANTIC ones!
I also love the Lord with all my heart! I truly desire to not only serve Him in my daily life, but to share His precious love and gift with others knowing how His Word, His presence is LIFE!!!

One amazing thing about my journey with Beachbody Coaching is that I get to choose my team: what it looks like, how we inspire and train each other. I want a team built on the foundation of Jesus Christ & His Living Word! One FULL of the fruit of His Spirit~ love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. One where we can share our joys and our struggles, knowing that there is someone on the other side of the computer or phone ready to encourage, or support you, offer you a scripture, pray with you.

So I’m asking for you to prayerfully consider joining my team~ Team Zoe. It is not for everyone, I totally understand that. That is why I ask you to pray. I know how much you already have on your plate and everything you are doing is AMAZING!! I want what is right for you, your family, your time, etc.  I will not push you ~feel free to send your friends my way if you don't want to sign up ;)  ~ But, If you LOVE encouraging other people (as I know you do), if you have or are on your own fitness journey or just want to start a journey (as I know you are or hope to be on one), if you want to make some great money, earn great trips and prizes (who doesn't) then Beachbody is the perfect company for you to be a part of!! The workouts, the trainers, the nutrition and meal replacement shake are hands down the best on the market!!

Beachbody has been instrumental in my life in so many ways… it gave me a way to help out financially, it allowed me to stay home with my children and spend more time with my family instead of working out of the house, it’s programs (nutrition, schedule, dvds, trainers) along w/ my determination got me into the best shape of my life, and it’s coaches had encouraged & supported & believed in me the way I want to for others.
And if you want to be a part of a team, family, group that will encourage you, support you, and pray with you then my team of coaches, Team Zoe, is the perfect place for you to join! :)

I would love to know what you liked best and set up a time to actually talk to you about what this opportunity looks like, how exactly one is a coach and how it would fit into your schedule!

send me a note on here, check me out on facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/HeatherKraft777

or check out my website for more contact info:

www.changedglory2glory.com

 

What Do You Dream About?

What do you dream about?

I have often heard/read how King Solomon was asked by God for anything he wanted... ANYTHING he wanted...
and Solomon chose wisdom, wisdom to govern the people that God entrusted to him.

There was one thing that I always missed when reading that part of history. This all occurred while King Solomon slept... WHILE HE SLEPT!

That might not seem extremely profound to you, but to me it was significant. I don't know about you, but for myself, the thing(s) that I am focusing on the most in my life or even sometimes the thing(s) that I am not receiving in my life (probably b/c I am focusing on NOT receiving them) I will dream about. I am talking about the inner most thoughts... sometimes the uncontrolled thoughts that go on while we sleep.

King Solomon said this to God... “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. ⁷ Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. ⁸ Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. ⁹ So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

Even while he slept, he was humble... humbled that God chose him to serve, humbled that he really didn't know what he was doing and wanted help and guidance. And, while he slept, he asked for wisdom!!!

So, I ask again... what do you dream about?

I know for myself, the nights that I go to bed with praises to my King on my lips and in my thoughts are what I will dream about at night... I wake up with a song on my lips! I start off the day praising the Lord Most High! :)

When I really press in to what God wants for my life... bringing others to His awesomeness, forgiveness, love, joy, peace... I dream about exactly that.

But, when I am surrounding my thoughts with things that are totally unrelated to Him, to His goodness and mercy, sometimes even negative things or worries in my life, I will dream about those. Please don't get me wrong... I am practicing my choreography for the TurboKick round I am going to teach and sometimes I go to bed thinking about the moves that I will use in class... it's not that this is a bad thing to dream about...

what it really boils down to is this...
Where are our thoughts... are we worried, are we disorganized in our thinking, have we lost our way,
OR
are we keeping our eyes on His calling, are we keeping our eyes on what the Word says about us and our situations, are we keeping our eyes on His LOVE AND MERCY?!?!?!?!?

I know how I am going to go to bed tonight... with praise on my lips and a smile on my face b/c I KNOW whose MIGHTY hands I am in!!!! Because I know that the Lord speaks to me even while I dream!

What are you going to dream about, my friend?

thanks Pastor Richard for an amazing lesson!

WORDS

"The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences." Proverbs 18:21

We all might remember a saying we learned when we were kids, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"... ummmm... WRONG!!! When I was a school teacher, at the beginning of the year, I did an activity called Freddie. I drew a picture of a boy named Freddie on a large piece of paper. He was completely flat. No wrinkles. No tears. I had each student go around and say something that someone had said to them that hurt their feelings & then they had to crinkle a piece of the paper. By the time we got around the circle, Freddie was a crumpled up, wad of paper. Nothing like where we started. Then we had to go around and say something that someone said to us that made us feel good. By the time we got around the room, Freddie was visible to us again, but there were lots of wrinkles and tears when he used to be smooth.
The lesson learned...
The words we say to people make a HUGE impact on them whether we believe it or not... whether we apologize or not. "The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences." Proverbs 18:21.
I want to speak LIFE into people: my husband, my children, my family & friends! "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones." Proverbs 16:24
My prayer comes straight from the Word... "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3
Let me speak LIFE to all those I encounter!!! Are you with me?!?!

What If...

Every morning and every evening before bed, while I was away from my home, I spent time with Jesus. I would rest in Him. I wouldn't even dare to think about starting my day without His presence, His guidance, His favor going before me! I knew how extremely important inviting Him to go about my day with me was! It was precious!
Why? Oh, Why did I stop when I came home? I fell right back into my routine of waking up at the last possible moment~ quickly thanking Him for my day and moving on. NOT making sure I started off my day fellowshipping with Him. NOT making sure I sang praises to Him at night before I went to bed. NOT thanking Him for His awesomeness, grace & love.
I recently read in a Daily Bible Devotional (which I was behind in reading) , "God longs for us just to want to be with Him." ~ From Faith to Faith. What if we stopped constantly going to Him with our cares and worries~ don't get me wrong, there IS a time and place for that.
But, what if...

WHAT IF...

We actually took the time to wake up 30 minutes earlier to spend time with our Heavenly Daddy. We talked to Him about what is going on in our lives and then listened to Him in return. We let the Living Word of God wash over us and wash us anew. We fellowshipped with him throughout the day~ giving Him thanks & praise. We didn't fall asleep at night without counting our blessings~ even if the only one we could think of for that day is that He loves us and died for us.

WHAT IF...

We were able to turn our worries into praises. When troubles come (and they do come) we took our mind off of them and put our mind on the Author and Creator of this amazing Universe. I am not saying our troubles will "magically" vanish. What I am saying is that when we cast our cares upon Him, when we stop to think of His mercy in our lives when we soooo don't deserve it, that our troubles seem to vanish and our hearts are mended.

I have been too guilty of not waking up to spend time with Him and not talking to Him throughout my day. I have noticed in moments of distress and pain, I have yet to go to my Lord and Savior. When I do, I am at peace. Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord Our Peace! Have you been guilty of this as well?

As I write this, I am encouraged! I am encouraged because I know that when I run to Jesus, He is there with open and loving arms. He will not turn His back to me! When I wake up to spend time with Him tomorrow morning (and the rest of my mornings) and as I fellowship with Him throughout my day (and the rest of my days) and end my evening (and the rest of my evenings) singing Him praise, I look forward to getting to know my Savior more! Will you, too, get to know our precious God?!?!

God believes in Me! Isn't it about time I started believing in myself!

Isn't it funny ridiculous that too often we will look at ourselves as inadequate? We will look at ourselves as far less than God looks at us!

Recently I received some INCREDIBLE news! Truly a dream come true. I was chosen to be on the next set of TurboFire DVDs that are coming out sometime next year. I have worked very hard to get my body in the shape that allows me to feel confident and comfortable. A whole different conversation could be written about how we need to be pleased with the way God made us... that is for another time. This conversation is about the fact that even though I was chosen to be one of 20 out of over 275 people, the fact that even though my body is now in the best shape it has ever been in and I feel more energetic and strong, I still have insecurities! I look at the photographs of the other 19 people who were chosen and I wonder how I even fit into the same category~ they look amazing and are in amazing shape. Am I really like them?

In the Bible, Exodus 4:10 gives us a similar picture... "But Moses pleaded with the LORD, "O Lord, I'm not very good with words. I never have been, and I'm not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled." Moses did not believe in Himself, but God believed in Him and used him and his brother, Aaron, to lead the entire Israeli people out of Egypt.

While listening to a radio interview of Rebecca St. James, an amazing Christian singer, she talked about how one night she had a cold and didn't think that she would be able to perform the way she really wanted to. She went on to perform and had an amazing time full of God's touch and His presence. This was the scripture she remembered, " But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness..." 2 Cor. 12:9

The answer?

HIS WORD!

What does God say about you?!?! He says in Deut. 28:13, "If you listen to these commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom."

God doesn't need us to be perfect, He needs us to be willing! He needs us to be ready to follow Him and respond to His callings and opportunities! When we do our part and commit Him to it, amazing things will happen!! He believes in me! He believes in YOU! The Creator of the Universe... the Giver of Life... the Healer of our Souls... the most precious Savior... HE believes in us! So, why not believe in ourselves! ?

Where can I give, Lord?

This past Sunday at church there was a message about The Great Commission found in Matthew 28: 18-20. It reads, "¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
The message that day was about how we, as believers of Jesus, can go out and tell people and show people how much Jesus loves them. Sadly, I have not been doing that lately. I have been consumed with issues w/ finances and health that are going on at home. I have not at all been focusing on where God wanted me to go and who He wanted to me help, but how He could help me. Don't get me wrong... there is nothing wrong w/ crying out to Jesus for help~ David did it all the time!

Mine was a heart issue.

Compared to many, I have much. I looked in my closet the other day not having worn all of my summer clothing as of yet, and loving each piece too much to even think about putting it in the "donation pile"~ let alone the "give to a friend who needs it" pile. I have been too consumed with what my needs were to see what others needs were and how I could help. We may not have a lot of money to give right now, but I can give of my time. I can give of my labor. In some capacity, I can give. I can always give.

Just as God has always done in my life when He is trying to teach me something, He uses every avenue possible to get His point across... this time he used a blog posted by a friend on facebook. It wasn't even her blog, but one posted by her friend who along w/ her husband, ministers to those trapped in prostitution in Bolivia. This is what Andrea wrote...

"A couple nights a week, we can expect a visit from our friend Martin, a homeless man who regularly stops by the house and asks for something to eat. Since we moved to La Paz, I'm further away from those with less and I'm honored to serve Martin a hot plate of food when he visits. Usually he prefers the fried chicken from across the street though.

So tonight, the doorbell rang at its usual time and I went to the door. As we've been pinching pennies ourselves these days, I had to explain, "I'm sorry, I don't have money to buy chicken tonight, but I do have some food if you'd like." Martin agreed and I went to prepare him a plate.

Martin has on occasion been a little agressive at times, so this evening as Andy was not home, I knew I needed to be careful. I handed him some dinner and carefully started to close the door. But Martin pushed and said, "I have bread." I kindly explained that we didn't need any bread and started to close the door again. But Martin insisted, "Pero tengo demas!" "But I have extra!"

So I paused and then graciously received his gift.

I came in the house a bit teary-eyed and told the boys what happened. "That's cool," one said, "Martin blessed us." My 5-year old said, "Martin learned to be helpful!"

I smiled. Actually, Martin taught us a lesson: when you have extra, you share."

Those last words hit home...

When you have extra, you share.

I realize how much I have in my Earthly home and how all of it will be dust eventually. I have so much more than others and absolutely want to give in whatever way the Lord asks of me... He has always taken care of us and even if I were to give away our last bit of "whatever" for His kingdom's glory, He will not let us go~ He will always provide!

Who/what is the "Martin" you need to give to, to help minister to them and have them minister to you as well?

Decide. Commit. Succeed!

I have recently become a Rep. for Beachbody! I love the company. I love the products. I love the way I feel after I have used them. But, I really love their statement. Decide. Commit. Succeed!

Decide~ period!

Decisions are all over the place~ what to have for all of our meals. When to run our errands. When to workout. When to spend time with the Lord. Sometimes the decisions are painful~ what flight to take to make sure I make it to FL before my mom passes away. A phone call to make a confrontation you are dreading. There was a time in my life that I had to make a decision about my health. I have four children. After the first three, I lost all of my weight fairly quickly. Man~ that was fabulous! After my fourth child, I didn't! Could it have been that I was in my 30s? Could it have been that I didn't consistently workout during my pregnancy? Or, could it have been that I hated the thought of eating salad/veggies my entire pregnancy and only wanted to eat ice cream, jelly beans, etc? Not sure! ;) I got to a point where I just thought~ this is how I am going to look for the rest of my life. Was I happy about that~ NO!!! But I had not made a decision to make any change in my life. I was up one morning and saw an infomercial for Turbo Jam. I watched the infomercial for a number of days before I made the decision to buy it and dedicate my time to actually working out and eating healthier.

Commit~ period!

Once I made the decision to buy my new workout, I had to decide to commit to it. I had to put in the time and energy it would take to follow the meal plan, and kick my butt in the exercises. I had to commit to not eating things that were unhealthy for me. I often asked myself~ "IIWI" (Is It Worth It?) Is this piece of pizza worth the extra calories and workout I am going to have to do~ sometimes it was a "no" & sometimes it was a "yes!" :)

Succeed~ exclamation point! :)

The decision paid off! The commitment paid off! In 10 days I had lost 8 pounds!!! It was such an amazing feeling to know that I felt better, looked better and was happier!

I think that "Decide. Commit. Succeed." applies to all areas of our lives. Decide to wake up in the morning and spend your first moments with the Lord in prayer and reflection about the day ahead, committing to Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you. Decide to eat healthy and workout. Decide to spend more time with your family and love on 'em. When you ask yourself "IIWI"~ I would venture to say YES!!!! Yes, my friends, it is. :)