"To be frank..."

Every time I hear that statement or "To be honest..." the question that pops in my head is: "Who/What were you before?"

The "Who" part is my play with words since "Frank" is a male name. J Let's think about it, if someone is always trying to convince you that they are being honest it can make you doubt them if they don't preface anything they want to say with that framing phrase. I'm personally concerned when I hear this in church or Christian gatherings and try to tell those I'm close to.

Matthew 5:37 says
"Say only yes if you mean yes, and no if you mean no [Let your word “yes” be “yes”; your “no” be “no”]. If you say more than yes or no, it [Anything more than this] is from the Evil One.

So even God expects us to be honest at all times without framing phrases.

As I wrote this piece, the Holy Spirit dropped a thought in my heart: imagine if people went around saying "To be a Christian, I do this or that." Or say to their bosses, colleagues or employees, "I'm doing this because I'm a Christian." What would they think whenever the "Christian" doesn't frame their words or actions with that phrase? I can imagine some of them thinking or saying to each other, "maybe this is not a day/time to be a Christian." You see how it's the same concept to me? So please before you say the next "To be frank" or "To be honest" remember this piece and let you last framing phrase be your last one. God bless

Love the Lord with all your heart...

I'm sure that as I do, you know that "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength"* - is the 1st & greatest commandment.

Have you ever wondered why when giving this commandment, God** and then Jesus*** started with the heart? I believe it's because the issues of life, and life itself, flow out of our hearts.****

Therefore it goes without saying that we need to first fully and truy love our hearts...in order to love with our hearts or even put it to any other use.

So I decided to share 5 tips on how we can and should do that:

H - Have regular spiritual & physical check-ups.*****
E - Exercise physically & spiritually******
A - Attend to your weight spiritually & physically - don't take things heart so they don't fill you up with bitterness and weigh you down. We also need to watch our food intake...it has a way of showing.
R - Rest & relax so you can be refreshed*******
T - Take God's word seriously and live by it daily.  
Proverbs 3: 5-8  - ⁵Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don’t depend [rely] on your own understanding. ⁶Remember the Lord [Know him] in all you do [on all your paths], and he will give you success [keep your roads straight]. ⁷Don’t depend on your own wisdom [be wise in your own eyes].  Respect [Fear; Hold in awe] the Lord and refuse to do wrong [turn away from evil]. ⁸Then your body will be healthy, and your bones will be strong [refreshed]. ********

Proverbs 4:20-22 - ²⁰ Dear friend, listen well to my words; tune your ears to my voice. ²¹ Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! ²² Those who discover these words live, really live; body and soul, they’re bursting with health.*********

Love your heart so you're here to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, spirit and strength.
This is key because we need that heart health in order to love everyone else.**********

References:
* Mark 12:30 - And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. (NLT)

**Deuteronomy 6:5 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (NIV)

*** Matt 22:37 - Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (NIV)

**** Proverbs 4:23
- Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. (Message)
- Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (NIV)
- Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it. (GWT)

***** Psalm 26:2 Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart. (NLT)

****** 1 Timothy 4: 8 -
Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. (Message)

[For] Training your body [Physical exercise] helps you in some [or small] ways, but serving God [godliness] helps you in every way by bringing you blessings [since it holds promise] in this life and in the future life, too. (Expanded Bible)
******* Psalm 23: 1-4 - The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need [will lack nothing]. ² He lets me rest [makes me lie down] in green pastures. He leads me to calm [quiet] water. ³ He gives me new strength [renews my soul]. He leads me on paths that are right [righteous; or straight] for the good [sake] of his name [reputation].

******** Expanded Bible - emphasis mine
********* Message - emphasis mine

********** Mark 12:31 - The second command is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself’ [Lev. 19:18]. (Expanded Bible)


For further reading on Heart Truth & Heart Health:
"Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) is a leading cause of death for Canadian women, and yet many are not aware of this threat."
(http://www.heartandstroke.on.ca/site/c.pvI3IeNWJwE/b.3581757/k.DA04/Heart_Disease__Women_and_heart_disease_and_stroke.htm)
"Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States."
(http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_women_heart.htm)

It has NOTHING to do with it!

You'll need to excuse me as this may come across as venting...I'm simply trying to air an opinion. I guess, vents are used for letting air through - so whatever you consider this to be is ok by me. I'm sure it will also be ok with other Mrs. Pastors who (may) agree with my "opinion."

"Live with"

When I was looking for leadership quotes for a piece I was writing on my Professional* blog, I came across this one. I read it more than once and then decided, this is one to be shared "Pastorally."