Scripture of the Week (SOW) formerly known as the Scripture of the Day (SOD): Form NEW habits (3/13/2016)

I hope everyone has been well; ALL is as good as Yahweh has blessed it. St. Patrick's Day is a few days away, please do NOT allow that to be your excuse for being reckless; consider your own life and the lives of others, and make responsible choices - ALWAYS. I encourage you to always read the Scripture of the Week (SOW) in its entirety albeit some sections are typically unchanging, it effectively covers significant information that is worth reading; skipping sections may cause you to miss the intended message Yahweh was trying to convey to you or the person you share this with. PRAYER REQUESTS: There are some individuals with spoken and unspoken requests, to include some of you and myself; pray for one another as the Spirit leads, thanking Yahweh for the victory while refraining from confessing the problem caused by the enemy; ALWAYS pray for your desired result, NOT the unfavorable outcome (refer to the book The Tongue – A Creative Force, by Charles Capps). ANNOUNCEMENTS: My non-profit organization's, Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated, meeting went pretty well last month, but we had hoped for more participation. If you're looking for a way to give back to the community, one option involves providing material contributions or monetary donations to assist us with our day-to-day operations. Arrangements can be made with me at any time via email or phone and/or through the PayPal link located on our website (listed below under Join Our Cause), or through the Ralph's/Food 4 Less Community Contribution Program (details available upon request). Additionally, you can give back by joining my team of volunteers or members for a permanent role or specific events (for more info, contact me). Your continued support is always appreciated. Please keep spreading the word. #SOW

HEALTHY LIVING TIPS:

Change begins within… I know many of you have the EXCUSE that you just don't have the time to workout, but from someone who was at one time a full-time correctional officer and full-time student, and then a full-time health technician and full-time grad student, YOU CAN MAKE TIME... Even if it took you years to put on weight, you CAN take it off in just 10 minutes a day, I did. But if you don't believe me, below is a program that may help you achieve that goal in just TEN (10) minutes per day. This program does, however, cost after a 21-day FREE TRIAL, but http://Hasfit.com offers ABSOLUTELY FREE workouts and meal plans all the time. Workout routines vary in difficulty level and time frames. Most routines are unisex, however, there are some that are more gender specific, and they also cover special considerations such as pregnancy. So, if this program doesn't sound like a good fit, for instance, you are a male or you are low on funds, then Hasfit is certainly a better alternative, with more options - FOR FREE.

"Fit in 10: 30-Day Belly Fix is the newest program from Prevention’s clearly successful Fit in 10 series. The 10-minute-a-day plan is designed for women who have little time to work out but want to firm and flatten their bellies while losing weight and getting in amazing shape. Created by the editors of Prevention with trainer Larysa DiDio, Fit in 10: 30-Day Belly Fix can help you end the belly frustration and reshape your body. Even if it took you years to put your belly on, with Fit in 10: 30-Day Belly Fix, it takes only 10 minutes a day to take it off! The beauty of Fit in 10: 30-Day Belly Fix lies in simple, easy-to-fit-in, 10-minute routines performed each day, so exercise becomes a habit! Even women who were convinced that 10 minutes a day wouldn’t be enough to make a difference were shocked by how quickly their belly fat burned off as their confidence and energy soared. The results were astounding!" You can find this program at http://www.fitin10bellyfix.com/.

JOIN OUR CAUSE: Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (FMBS Inc.) is on a never-ending quest to locate deserving individuals to extend our services to. Therefore we are always in need of monetary donations and/or contributions of hygiene items, sealed snacks, bottled water, winter items (gloves, scarves, blankets), mini bibles, etc.; our YEAR-ROUND mission is to serve homeless and/or needy individuals and families in underprivileged communities throughout Southern California. We are successful because of YOUR continued support. Please continue to back us up through participation, and/or by encouraging others to join our cause!

For more information about our organization, visit our website at http://www.fmbs-inc-bytye.org and/or add our Facebook page, Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (and/or Fostering Mindbodyandsoul), and follow us on Twitter @FMBSInc. On behalf of myself and my team of volunteers, I thank you in advance. ~Tylesha "Tye" Allen, CEO/Founder, FMBS Inc. Est. 2012~

BE ENCOURAGED: NEVER lose sight of God in the midst of adversity… Ponder this: "The quieter you become, the more you can hear" (Ram Dass). I'm no theological scholar, and even if I were a pastor, or an expert in God's word, I would still urge you NEVER to take someone else's word as solid truth; "Study to show thyself approved" (II Timothy 2:15), and CHALLENGE EVERYTHING by comparing it to the Word of God. If what you see, hear or read does NOT fall in line with the Word of God, then it is NOT truth... The rest of this day isn't promised, let alone tomorrow, so why not strengthen your faith TODAY? Feed your body healthy nutrition, be cautious of what things you allow your eyes, ears, and spirit to be exposed to (e.g. media, books, TV, music, etc.) so that YOU can start anew and become a better you NOW, not later. Have a blessed rest of the week.

Yahweh, please clear our minds and open our eyes, ears, and hearts so that we may see, hear, and receive your intended message from this fellowship. In the name of Yeshua, Amen!

PASSAGE – EPHESIANS 5:15-21:

"See then that ye walk circumspectly [carefully], not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."

***Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible***

REFLECTIONS:

In Part III of a sermon series entitled Boxed-in, given back in January 2015 at the Mt. Rubidoux Seventh-Day Adventist Church, the hashtag was "you can't kill time without wounding eternity"; what we do with our time NOW, will determine how we spend our eternity. Anytime you say that you don't have the time or "there aren't enough hours in the day," you're just saying that you don't know how to prioritize your time. Life is like a vapor, here one day and gone the next; once time is gone you can't get it back, so spend it wisely. By mismanaging your time, you are setting yourself up for a place in life that you won't want to be in.

Time is made up of a series of actions we choose to make each day - a mass of habits not always well thought out plans. Over time, these habits have an enormous impact on every facet of our lives. Think about how much better your life would be if you replaced a bad habit with prayer... for instance, if you smoke cigarettes or something else, you probably spend more time in the day smoking than you do being productive. What if you spent your smoke breaks praying instead? If praying was our to-go-to instead of smoking, drinking, or some other guilty pleasure, it would have a major impact on how we live our lives; our every decision and reaction would then become calculated responses to life, as opposed to hasty decisions that often turn out to be foolish mistakes. Every time we do something once, our brain lays the foundation for us to do it again. Thus, a formulation of habits, whether good or bad. Ephesians 5:15-18 says, "See then that ye walk carefully, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit"; because of the adversary's pervasiveness, there is a sense of urgency for us to develop high standards, make wise decisions, be better stewards, and do good whenever we can.

Just as we develop good characteristics, we can also be "good" at doing nothing. Habits are formed in 3 loops: cue - saw it, smelled it; routine - action; reward - pleasure in the end... in an experiment, monkies saw shapes (cue), pulled a lever (routine), and then received a treat (reward). The reason habits are hard to break is because of the reward - pleasure. If drinking is your weakness, it is the euphoric sensation that draws you back to drunkenness each time. As with every decision we make, sin also does a good job at hiding its consequences until the end. When you fornicate, you may end up with a baby out of wedlock. Smoking may very well end in lung cancer. Bad habits cannot be extinguished, but they can be changed positively. For example, instead of biting your fingernails when you're feeling anxious, you could rub your knee; the cue is anxiety and your changed response would still render comfort, except without the wounded fingers. Yahweh never asks us to stop something without replacing it with something else, if not, it returns even stronger. "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation" (Matthew 12:43-45). Habit replacement works for most people until stress levels become too high. New habits do NOT fully take over the old ones UNLESS GOD IS INVOLVED. To rework a habit, you must BELIEVE in a higher power - GOD.

We have to lay the groundwork to develop new habits; try something new once, like reading the Bible instead of gossiping or sulking in worry or anger, and your brain will prepare to do it again. Reward yourself to help form new and good habits; have a cheat day after a week of moderate exercise and clean eating. Once we get our habits right and manage our time right, then we can be certain that we've laid the foundation for a better eternity. Habits are a reflection of our characters. If your cue is depression but your routine is to drown your sorrows in alcohol, then your character is perceived as a drunkard. However, if your depression leads you to open and read the Word, you'll find positive relief in God's promises, and the character reflected is a faithful follower. Ask God to help you lay the groundwork for new habits; your triggers won't change albeit your actions and responses will. FORM NEW HABITS; make the things of God your habits.

POWER IN PRAYER:

Yahweh, we thank you for life, health, and strength. Thank you for providing the courage and strength we need to remove the guilt we've placed on self, and for removing every negative thought that has held us captive in our own minds. Lord as you reveal your will for our individual lives, give us a deep-rooted desire to love you more and to seek you first in all that we do. Father, help us to lay the groundwork to form new and good habits that will influence positive change in our lives, and render a desirable future and eternity. For every spoken and unspoken request, we ask that you intercede to ensure that our true need is met. We thank you for transforming our image into one that mirrors Jesus so that His goodness is reflected in all that we do. Thanks for blessing each of us with a double portion of your Spirit, and for closing every unnecessary door that is open in our lives. Thanks for opening supernatural doors to peace, prosperity, clarity, contentment, and happiness. We thank you for providing each of us with the clear and concise revelations we need in order to overcome the adversary. Please continue to help us see, hear, and feel your presence through every trial and tribulation, and for discernment to know the difference between your will vs. our own desires. We take back everything the enemy has stolen from us, and bind every evil and malicious plot, plan and scheme devised against us, in the matchless name of Jesus. We grant your angels permission to do our bidding on earth and thank you for protecting us from its recourse. For everyone and everything we have failed to pray for, we ask that you do not fail to address the concern. This is our affirmation of faith Yahweh, we submit our petition to you, and claim all these things in the matchless name of Yeshua, Amen!