MEDITATION/MESSAGE
As the time between our experiences of God grow, we seem to get amnesia! We seem to forget where God was, who He was and what we’ve seen and felt Him do in our hearts and our lives! In the bible time and again when man would have a miraculous encounter with God they would stop and build an alter, not just to honor Him; but to remember. Because as humans we do forget quickly, especially as we face new challenges and obstacles within every moment of this live. And it also seems that the less we look back and remember, the harder our hearts get to His miraculous abilities in our modern world! We forget, and so when our eyes fall on the sheer beauty of His creation it no longer draws us into His presence but instead we just partake of its splendor without ever visiting His Majesty! We all have these alters in our lives and if we can simply close our eyes and invite Him into the moment, lending Him our hands, our thoughts and then ask Him to revisit those places in our stories where He was most assuredly moving and working! Where we knew in that moment there was no other explanation but GOD! When no one could convince us otherwise. When every fiber in our bodies was basking in awareness of who He is and what He thinks of us! Before logic or common sense came to negate the miraculous, before the world told us it was impossible. Before the simple embodiment of time allowed our hearts wonder away from the parted sea and get lost deep into the desert. So as we bow down in this humbling pose we ask our Father to break off the hardened parts of our hearts, to remove the scales from our eyes and to show us once more...who He is, what He’s done, where He has been, How He has saved and healed us and why He does it all again and again! May our hearts be broken and may we believe in a God of miracles right now, right here! May we remember.....
Jesus said all this, and then went into hiding. All these God-signs he had given them and they still didn't get it, still wouldn't trust him. This proved that the prophet Isaiah was right: God, who believed what we preached? Who recognized God's arm, outstretched and ready to act? First they wouldn't believe, then they couldn't—again, just as Isaiah said: Their eyes are blinded, their hearts are hardened, So that they wouldn't see with their eyes and perceive with their hearts, And turn to me, God, so I could heal them. John 12:36
Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. Duet 8:2-5
HUMBLE WARRIOR DESCRIPTION
~ Starting from Mountain, step your right foot back about 3-4 feet. Lining the heals up with one another and allowing the right toes to turn slightly away from the midline of the body.
~ Bending your left knee and allowing the knee to guide out towards the pinky toe of the left foot.
~Turning your hips to smile at your left knee. Closing the hips off towards the front of your body.
~Engaging your abdominals, keeping your stomach tight.
~Gently send your hands behind your back. Interlacing your finger tips as if you are holding an imaginary gun. ***if you cannot interlace your fingers or reach your hands to one another, simply squeeze your shoulders together and elbows towards one another.
~ then leading with your forehead bow your torso down over the thigh towards the left foot.
~Keep the knee bent as deeply as you can and take deep, long breaths, with the inhales allowing God to remind you of all He has done in your life and exhaling the doubts, fears, blindness and the hardness that have kept you from seeing Him in all things! Humbling yourself before His Majesty and awaiting what He wants to reveal to you in this moment.
~ Holding here for 10 deep, long breaths, or as long as you feel led! ***Repeat on the opposite side
My prayer is also for those of you that simply cannot recall an experience such as this, that Our Heavenly Father would see fit to move and reveal Himself to you today in a miraculous way! And that all of the alters along the way will give you faith, hope and courage to face whatever is standing between you and the next miracle He will perform in your story! Rest In Him sweet friends....
SONG RECOMMENDATIONS
Desert Song by Hillsong United
How He Loves by David Crowder Band
Everything by LifeHouse
MEDITATION/MESSAGE
Definition of Balance- Opposition of equal forces, having harmony
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “The Message Bible”
1 There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:
2 A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
3 A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
4 A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
5 A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
6 A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
7 A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
8 A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 & 18
14 On a good day, enjoy yourself;
On a bad day, examine your conscience.
God arranges for both kinds of days So that we won't take anything for granted.
Stay in Touch with Both Sides
18 It's best to stay in touch with both sides of an issue. A person who fears God deals responsibly with all of reality, not just a piece of it.
Proverbs 11:1 “King James Bible”
“A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.”
As God calls us to have a balance in life, enjoying and making the most of the good and the bad; practicing yoga postures will assist in achieving and maintaining the balance Gods calls us to have. One of Yoga’s major benefits is improvement in balance. Improved balance not only in physical coordination but also balance between the left and right, front and back and high and low features of one's body. As far as balance of the body is concerned, we may be stronger on one side, or turning or twisting the head and body is unevenly balanced. Also, bending into a forward fold may be done with ease, but bending backwards is more challenging. Yoga is referred to as a "practice"; it’s an opportunity to practice whatever qualities we want to see more of in our lives. Developing a personal yoga practice allows us to develop a specific program to give ourselves what we really need at any given time, resulting in a better balance! A proper Yoga practice ensures not only physical balance, but also emotional and spiritual balance. Irregularity and imbalance can create a lot of stress and strain in the body, which gives us another reason God says proper balance is important. Yoga creates symmetry throughout the body, helping to bring balance through strength and flexibility.
TREE POSE DESCRIPTION
There are a number of postures that aim at achieving balance in the body. One of them is “Tree pose”, it allows us to take notice which side of your body is more powerful and where we tend to concentrate our weight on. Tree pose strengthens the leg and calf muscles, making it easier to balance the body.
1. Standing in Mountain pose (see week 1, below) begin to shift your weight to the right leg
2. Raise the left foot off the ground, bending the knee and placing the sole of the left foot to the right inner thigh with toes facing towards the floor
3. Pressing the muscles of the straightened right leg against the left foot for support
4. The center of the pelvis should be directly over the straightened leg
5. The tailbone should be tucked and lengthened towards the floor
6. Bring the palms together in front of the chest, in Pray pose
7. To help balance, pick an immobile spot in the room to concentrate on, keeping the breathe smooth and steady
8. Hold for about 8 breathes, ***Repeat on the opposite side
MODIFICATIONS/VARIATIONS
-Place the sole of the left foot on the ankle or shin of the right leg
-Stand with the back against the wall
-Use a chair for added support, with the back facing towards you
-For an increased hip stretch bend the left leg and place the left ankle on the top of the right thigh. Hold the left foot and rotate the knee toward the floor.
Benefits of Tree Pose
· Improves sense of balance
· Strengthens thighs, calves, ankles, and spine
· Stretches the groins and inner thighs, chest and shoulders
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