Surrender the Recipe (4/22/2019)

SALUTATIONS: I hope that everyone had a great week. This is week two of the NO Negativity Fast, wondering if anyone had decided to join in? If so, what has been your achievement and what has been challenging? For me, I have successfully avoided unedifying TV/movies and radio, but my struggle has been avoiding gossip and unedifying music; I have been in environments where those things are going on around me and because I must be there, I cannot control that aspect of it. My suggestion to you is, if you do not have to be in an environment that goes against this fasting challenge, then remove yourself or avoid it altogether. On another note, if you haven’t already done so, please make sure to whitelist this email address to prevent future correspondence from being marked as spam. Also, don’t forget to check out the announcements regarding this month’s CHALLENGE and the Ralph's/Food 4 Less Community Contribution Program where you enroll your member number or phone number to help Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (aka FMBS Inc. serving communities throughout Southern Cali since 2012). raise funds for our cause. Thanks in advance. You may check out the Announcements, Healthy Living Tips, and other information detailed below, following the Reflections and Power in Prayer; after our fellowship, at your leisure, please take a moment to review them. Always SHARE GOD’s GOSPEL and feel free to share the Scripture of the Week with the hashtag SOW. Enjoy! **Disclaimer: Production and distribution days of the SOW are subject to change without warning**

PRAISE REPORTS: The fact that you’re reading this message means that you’ve been blessed as well, with another moment of life, not to mention, functioning senses. Thank you, Yeshua! If you have a specific praise report, please share, because we “overcame him [the adversary] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of [our] testimony” (Revelation 12:11). **NOTE: All praise reports are shared with reference to your name unless anonymity is specified**

PRAYER REQUESTS: Keep praying for one another, thanking Yahweh for the victory while refraining from confessing the problem caused by the enemy; ALWAYS pray for the desired result, NOT the unfavorable outcome (refer to the book The Tongue – A Creative Force, by Charles Capps; you can purchase your copy here https://goo.gl/qf4rxB). If you or someone you know needs prayer, let me know, and your request will be added to the following SOW. **NOTE: All prayer requests are shared with reference to your name and need unless anonymity is specified**

BE ENCOURAGED: NEVER lose sight of God in amidst of adversity… Ponder this: “Experience is not what happens to [you], it is what [you chose to] do with what happens to [you]” (Aldous Huxley). I'm no theological scholar, and even if I were a pastor or an expert on God's word, I would still advise you NEVER to take someone else's word as solid truth; "Study to show thyself approved" (2 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 true... 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, rather than later. 
 
FEATURED SONGS OF PRAISE: "Nobody" by Tye Tribbett, you can listen to it here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmmfC4U7g_o) “1-2 (Victory Check)" by Tye Tribbett & G.A., you can listen to it here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkNARuiqhw4). I would also like to recommend Classical for Studying Radio on Pandora to better facilitate your meditation on the Word as you study, you can listen to that station here https://www.pandora.com/station/play/2639311889517434029.  

OPENING PRAYER: 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(S) – JAMES (NLT): “¹³ Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ ¹⁴ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. ¹⁵ What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ ¹⁶ Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans...”

**Unless otherwise indicated all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage**

 
REFLECTIONS: We tend to openly discuss our plans for the future as if we’re certain we’ll live long enough to see it. How inflated we are to boast of selfish plans that we’ve failed to even consult the Head honcho about. It would be much more appropriate for us to consider God in it all... “God willing, I will make partner and start my own practice”; “If God wills it, I’ll find a spouse and start a family of my own”; “If the Lord approves, I’ll relocate to the Country, buy some land, build a farm, and harvest crops”; “I plan to be the next Lebron James, but God’s will be done”; those are examples of plans from individuals who are consciously aware that God’s will considers our BEST interest (refer to Jeremiah 29:11 here, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jere+29%3A11&version=KJV).

There is nothing wrong with making plans, in fact, to some degree it would be foolish not to plan ahead. For instance, if you’re thinking of starting a business or buying a new home, it behooves you to calculate the costs associated with your day-to-day operations of said business or the monthly expenses that come along with home ownership, prior to taking a leap in that direction. Luke 14:28-29 (NLT) says, “28 But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? ²⁹ Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money...” “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty” (Proverbs 21:15, NIV). The issue is that you’re planning for a future that isn’t promised, and God isn’t part of the equation (my desires + my plans for the future = temporary pleasure vs. God’s will for my future + following His lead = my blissful/best life); when we’re planning our future, we should do so praying first and then taking steps AFTER the Lord has revealed them.

Proverbs 15:22 (NIV) tells us that “Plans fail for lack of counsel...” Here’s an analogy, we’re all sous chefs in Heaven’s Kitchen [the Church], and God is the Executive Chef. We all have ideas of how to better execute a recipe [live our lives]. So, instead of following the Executive’s recipe [life’s provisions] step-by-step, each of us creates His dish using our personal techniques deviating far from the original recipe. What happens next is unsatisfied customers return their plates because their meal didn’t taste the way that it should’ve had we followed the directions; We are all equipped to carry out God’s work, but, we must do so according to the plan and provisions that He has provided. We all have a meal to prepare [work to do], and that meal [work] comes with a recipe [set of instructions] written by the Executive Chef [God]; each time a sous chef deviates we [the Church – all followers of Christ] become increasingly disorganized in our efforts as a team [one body].

When we follow plans with selfish intent, those pursuits become our god as we take steps to pursue them. Following God’s will doesn’t exempt us from tribulation, and that walk will often be uncomfortable as we enter the realms of uncertainty and unfamiliarity. However, God knows the intricacies of every situation, it’s up to us to be willing and ready step out of our comfort zones and abandon our personal agendas, customs, as well as letting go of trying to rationalize spiritual things with secular philosophies. We must STOP relying on ourselves to spruce up the recipe and we must SURRENDER the position of Executive Chef to the Master Cook – Yahweh the Father; “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” (Proverbs 16:9, NIV).

POWER IN PRAYER: Yahweh, we thank you for redemption, and for the freedom to choose life over death by way of our faith. We thank you for your provisions of health and healing and for allowing us to breathe yet another week. For the many unspoken requests of our souls, Father, read them then deliver us according to your will. Forgive us for our unbelief and remove the things or people from our lives hindering us from recognizing our potential and purpose so that the spiritual things that require spiritual discerning will be clear to us. Create in us new hearts that are grateful and faithful to your will. Help us to turn away from our selfish nature and allow the Lord to mand His post as the Master Chef for the recipe of life; make us aware of your presence so that the life we live will be one of sound wisdom, that displays an appropriate example of Christ-like behavior, demonstrates encouragement, edification, and strength so that who we were yesterday is not who we are tomorrow. Baptize us today with your indwelling Spirit and use us as vessels to share your light with the world. Give us the strength and desire to forgive those who have wronged us, and to forgive ourselves; cause us to let go of the past that haunts us and release us from any binds and attachments that negatively impact our growth. Keep us humble, focused, disciplined, and driven as we work to become everything you have called us to be. Bless each of us individually providing the strength, courage, organization, commitment, motivation, clarity and understanding needed to balance our personal, professional, and spiritual lives. Bless our loved ones and even our enemies; provide revelations and awareness as you deliver us from our strongholds. Transform and convert us 100% according to your will and achieve in us the ability to pray game-changing prayers – prayers that change people, change outcomes, and help your will to manifest. This is our trusted prayer, and as the angels and Holy Spirit do your bidding on Earth and in Heaven, protect us and them with your recourse. All these things we ask in the matchless name of Yeshua, Amen!

HEALTHY LIVING TIPS: Change begins within… A lot of people love to make excuses for why they “can’t,” rather, won’t workout, or why they cannot keep the pounds off. I’ve heard things like “I’m too busy, I just don’t have the time,” “A gym membership is just not in my budget,” “It’s hard to lose weight after 30,” or “If I had a personal trainer I’d be on.” The truth is: If you have enough time to sit and binge watch a TV show, you have enough time to find a FREE exercise video on YouTube to workout with, or, to use TV commercial breaks to gets reps of crunches, couch dips, squats, or some other body weight exercise that you can do from the comfort of your home; You do NOT need a gym to get fit, NOR do you need an expensive supplement to help you get there. In 2006, I lost 18% body fat just by changing my eating habits: I ate baked over fried, home-cooked over fast food (salad if I had to make a fast food stop), cut out most junk foods, and started with smaller portions, eating slower to allow my food to settle to ensure that my getting seconds were necessary as opposed to eating because it tastes good; I had my son when I was 35, so I agree that it is more challenging at 38 to shed pounds or tone up than it was when I was in my 20’s or early 30’s, but it’s NOT impossible. I currently have 20 minutes max and sometimes only 5 minutes to get a workout in, and in a few weeks’ time, I can still see results with consistency and utilizing that time to maximize my routine to achieve desired results. News Flash! A personal trainer will cost you money, and true, you may feel more inclined to show up for a workout, but he/she cannot force you to commit to anything outside of your sessions that you haven’t already made up in your mind to do before you started.

You must put forth an effort and commit to something, replacing idle time with a workout or even going hard on a high intensity (HIIT) workout even if it’s just for 5 minutes – there are FREE videos online that cater to age, workout level, gender, time constraints, and body focal points. However, it is necessary to adjust your nutritional intake as well. Below are two videos that include quick, yet effective workout routines that should be completed at least 5 days a week; at 10 minutes a day, you can make time for these short exercises. Get home late? Wake up earlier and exercise before you start your day. Got kids? Get them involved too, my 2 y/o loves getting in mommy’s way when I’m working out: I give him some 2 lbs. weights when I’m working on arms, and I have him stand next to me or in front of me to copy my moves, and he’s cool with that. Your body aches from going hard the day before? Take a break! Listen to your body! It’s ok to rest, injuries can be a beast. Go hard and exercise longer when you can, and rest/recover when necessary. I recently went to my cousin’s gym two days in a row just to support her business (I normally workout at home and around the neighborhood), my muscles were so sore by day 3, I could barely move. So, I took a day off which then turned into 2 after the pain hadn’t subsided. But guess what? I used those off days to stretch instead. STOP MAKING EXCUSES! Like Nike, JUST DO IT! Check out these all gender exercise videos and give them a try: 10+ Quick But Effective Workouts for Busy People at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_y4o4mSGKI or 7 Minute Workout Routine for Men at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg0Zc3pXbTM.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

1. I am on a quest to relaunch Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (FMBS Inc.) and I NEED volunteers and serious board members; Currently, I am in need of people who have a background in business, have some knowledge of operating a non-profit, and/or have resources or connections that can help facilitate our making an impact in surrounding at-risk and underprivileged communities **NOTE: this is a business NOT a hobby** FMBS Inc. has a mission to help supply the homeless as well as needy families with food and hygiene bags. Our recipients are selected by referral, and/or by canvassing the streets for deserving families and individuals throughout Southern California. I encourage you to reach out to me regarding your interest in service or to arrange any monetary donations or item contributions at any time via email at fmbsinc_2012@outlook.com, my voicemail or text at (951) 790-2127, or by making a donation using the Donate button on the upper right corner of our Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/fmbsinc.sustenance/.
2. Another way FMBS Inc. raises funds is through the Ralph's/Food 4 Less Community Contribution Program; you must go to their website here http://www.friendsindeedpas.org/get-involved/ralphs-community-contribution-program/ and link your rewards cards or telephone numbers (Alt ID) to our organization each year, and we will earn money for every purchase made under your rewards cards. Your continued support is always appreciated. Please keep spreading the word. #SOW

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, seasonal items (gloves, scarves, blankets, umbrellas, sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm, etc.), mini bibles, reading books, and so forth.; our YEAR-ROUND mission is to serve homeless and/or needy individuals and families in underprivileged communities throughout Southern California. We also need DEDICATED volunteers and members – is this your calling? Eventually, when we have met our need for volunteers and board members, we will extend our services to assist/mentor at-risk youth, and to address some of the needs of veterans and their family members. 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 contact fmbsinc_2012@outlook.com, as our website is currently under construction. Feel free to LIKE our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/fmbsinc.sustenance/ and follow us on Twitter @FMBSInc.
 
Very Respectfully,

Tylesha "Tye" Allen   Behavioral Interventionist | Mobile Notary | CEO/Founder of FMBS Inc. ·         Mobile: (951) 790-2127 ·         Address: Los Angeles, CA ·         Website: http://www.ready411.weebly.com | http://sodbytye.blogspot.com  ·         Email: professional1_99@hotmail.com ·         Change begins within; work on becoming a better You ·         "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8) ·         Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/fmbsinc.sustenance ·         LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/tylesha-"tye"-allen/a4/599/875 ·         Twitter: https://twitter.com/TyeDreamsBig