Are you in the process of learning to live healthier? Join us for the next few days as we offer scripture, insight, and encouragement to help on that journey.

Today’s scripture: Proverbs 14:30 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?

My thoughts (Tommy Chittenden):

Bodies by themselves do not “think.” They don’t “care.” They never have any “problem with themselves.” They never beat themselves up or shame themselves.

They simply try to keep themselves balanced and healthy. They’re efficient, intelligent, kind and resourceful. Where there’s no thought, there’s no problem.

It is the story (or attachment to thoughts) we choose to believe — prior to doing inquiry — that leaves us confused. Every story is simply about body-identification. We have been taught, and have chosen to believe, that we ARE our body. So when we tell the story of our body: “I have cancer, I have an addiction, I am fat, I can’t see, I can’t walk, I can’t breathe, and on and on…” we create an identity and suffer, believing we are that with which we identify. But the truth is we are not! The mind absolutely loves this “story-telling” because it thinks it is doing exactly what YOU want it to do.

You and I believe, truly believe, that our body is the problem and that if only this or that would change, we would be happy! Our problem, our suffering, our chaotic mind is always a thought that we innocently believe. The incredible peace and tranquility that comes from inquiring into those thoughts reveal that it is our thinking we’re addicted to — never an object or substance.

Who would you and I be without our story about our body (whatever that may be)? We would be free! The mind would be at peace (tranquil). Even the science of the last decade confirms that this state of awareness frees or “gives life to the flesh” to draw upon all of its God-given resources to restore balance and health to itself.

Thought for today: God, if I choose to believe that I am not my body, that I instead am Divine Essence, moving around through that body, I can claim the promise of scripture to experience peace, oneness and health.

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.

My thoughts (Tommy Chittenden):

Have you seen the Christmas classic Miracle On 34th Street? The 1947 novel became a movie the same year, earning the author an Academy Award for the Best Original Story. Edmund Gwenn, who played Kris Kringle, won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. But who could ever forget the child actor, Natalie Wood, who won hearts as Susan Walker, the little girl whose doubt in the existence of Santa Claus is transformed by her association with Kris Kringle.

Miracle On 34th Street might just stand beside It’s a Wonderful Life as the most enduring of America’s holiday movies. Reaffirming faith in a modern, often-cynical world is what life is all about as believers. It’s not a faith in St. Nicholas or Father Christmas, but in the truth and wonder that the Almighty God of the Universe came to mankind as a babe in a manger.

So many today don’t buy it, or at least seem unmoved by the reality of Christmas judging by the way life is lived. Do you ever perceive a bit of Susan Walker taking up residence in your life?

Let’s take a closer look at today’s scripture. Elizabeth was with child. She was filled with the Holy Spirit as was the child within her. Unbelieving — and now mute — Dad by this time is quite aware that God’s Word is coming true.

At the circumcision of the child, where the “naming ceremony” occurs, the priest asks, “What name is given to this child?” Dad couldn’t speak, so Elizabeth did. Everyone fully expected that his name would be Zech Jr., but Mom surprises everyone and says, “Nope, his name is John.” Names were very important to Hebrew families. There was no name like John in their family. While the debate was going on, Dad interrupts by scribbling on a tablet: “His name is John!”

I absolutely love that. Because he did not believe Gabriel’s words (vs. 20) he had been rendered speechless “until the proper time.” Not knowing when that might be, Zechariah, in an act of faith, facilitated by witnessing the truth of prophecy unfolding right in front of him, scribbled on a tablet — and the Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah who then preached like he had never preached before! “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people.”

Is this a moment in time for you to stop, consider the song of your own heart, pleading to be set free so it can express its only true nature: how to be love? Maybe you’re not ready to give a personal testimony, sing a song of praise or preach a sermon, but you can sit with yourself and “scribble” what you KNOW God has been doing in your life, name it, write it. God was in it. God did this. I see it. There’s no other way to explain it.

The music of the Lord God invaded Zechariah’s soul, and the wonder and joy and freedom he experienced prompted him to powerfully announce that “salvation was at hand.” It can be the same for you and me as we marvel in the truth and wonder of the miracle of a life, our life, as it is daily transformed by love, God’s perfect Love!

Thought for today: A believer who is happy and joyful is a true Zechariah, one whose soul has been renewed. What testimony can you sing — or even “scribble” — about a new life because of Christ?

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.

My thoughts (Tommy Chittenden):

It’s unfortunate that life isn’t about constant progress and unending success. Have you noticed that life seems to be composed of cycles of light and dark, success and failure, order and chaos? Our human nature tends to seldom appreciate the necessity for these opposites. We’d much rather just have it be successful and wonderful — all the time. I’ve yet to meet even one person who has never passed through life’s cycles, gracefully or not. Have you?

Would you take a moment to reflect on how you respond when you are confronted by the downside of these life cycles, such as when we feel stuck. Do you get frustrated? Do you get angry or aggressive? Do you immediately find something else to distract and motivate you? Do you search for a scapegoat or target? Do you withdraw or disappear?

Or do you just sit there, content to acknowledge, “Hey, I’m feeling stuck — and I have no idea what to do now?”

I’m going to be 60 years old in December and I feel pretty confident in declaring that everything moves between periods of chaos and order. I’ve just seen the cycles long enough to know they are there. And I also can safely confess that too long in either state is destructive. Too much chaos and nothing gets accomplished; too much order and nothing new gets created. Being “stuck” is a sign that there’s just too much order — too much rigidity in our thinking. It’s time to loosen up.

When we get “stuck,” when nothing seems to be moving and there’s nothing we can do, start smiling (even laugh if you want) because something good is at hand. But this “goodness,” this fruitfulness, comes at a cost — we have to be willing to let go of what we’ve been holding onto: our opinions and beliefs, our current ways of perceiving things, our old methods and techniques.

It’s as if we are inside a large knot and the tighter we hold onto any of its strands, the more stuck we get. Loosening our grip (giving space for God to work), letting some fresh air into our opinions (“God, what do you want me to understand about this time in my life?”), bringing in new voices and more diversity (connecting with new or different loving, supportive people) — any of these approaches will ease the knotty tension and feelings of being stuck that we’ve created.

It’s another opportunity to recognize where we are and relax into the experience. When we resist the prompting that is inviting us to spiritual evolution, the chaos will persist and we will only prolong the current cycle of “stuckness” that we are experiencing.

Thought for the day: A 13th century Sufi poet named Rumi implores, “Sit down and be quiet. You are drunk. And this is the edge of the roof.” “Be still (let go) and see what God is bringing you to and through — and be thankful!”

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.

My thoughts (Tommy Chittenden):

Change.org is a phenomenal website that helps focus the power of compassionate men and women to initiate campaigns for social change. In a recent article on the site I was intrigued by the words “accidental activist” which was used to describe well-known and respected members of humanity who work for noble causes.

They (accidental activists) tell how a compulsion entered them, a clarity that they had to do “this work.” They say: “I couldn’t not do it” or “Before I even realized what I was doing, I was doing it.” In every case, they saw an injustice or tragedy or possibility when others weren’t aware of a thing. They heard a thundering call or a whispering voice that nobody else noticed.

Has this ever happened to you? Why it happens is such a puzzling thing, it almost seems that the issues choose us! They summon us to pay attention while we remain oblivious to others. We sometimes feel both blessed and cursed when history chooses us. Regardless, once chosen, we feel we can’t NOT do it.

Throughout human existence there have always been people willing to step forward to struggle valiantly in the hope that they might reverse the downward course of events. Some succeeded, some did not. As you and I face our own time, it’s probably good to remember that we’re only the most recent humans who have been challenged to change things.

Bottom line is this: we have two choices. If we have an idea, or want to resolve an injustice, or stop a tragedy, we choose to step forward. Instead of choosing to be overwhelmed and withdraw or conclude “who am i to think i can make a difference”, we act! We simply begin to speak up about what we care about. We don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of time planning or getting leaders involved or wait for official support. We just need to get started — for whatever issue or person we care about. <see change.org>

When we fail, and that is always a possibility, we don’t have to feel that WE are failures. Instead, we look into our mistakes and failures for the valuable lessons they contain. We can be open to opportunities and help that present themselves, even when they’re different from what we thought was needed. We can follow the energy of “Yes!” rather than accepting defeat or getting stuck in a plan.

This is how the world always changes. Everyday people not waiting for someone else to fix things or come to their rescue, but simply stepping forward, working together, figuring out how to make things better for one another.

Now it’s our turn. Perhaps you’ve heard it or read it before, “WE are the ones we have been waiting for.” Be the change. “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Thought for the day: How can I possibly go wrong, God, if I intentionally choose to love every human being the way You love me — unconditionally. I pray for grace to be love to one another!

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.

My thoughts (Tommy Chittenden):

Relationship is based on a mutual covenant — an agreement between two hearts to exchange life.

I was in need of God, so God stepped in with life — exchanging mine for God’s own. My God was “in need” of a broken vessel to fill up to overflowing, and by grace, God allowed me to be such a vessel. God gave me life, and now I am honored to give it back.

Because my mind had been bombarded with so many lies concerning my identity for so many years, the enemy of God often reminds me of all that I was, and tries to convince me that, inherently, nothing has changed. Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth! From time to time, I stumble in my thoughts: “Maybe I am kidding myself. Maybe I am nothing, maybe I am less than a man.” But the beauty of a relationship from God’s perspective, I believe, is that it is based on the truth of a mutual covenant. I do not plan to fall, but if I do, God will still love me — and God will be there to set my feet back on the path.

When running a race, runners do not go back to the starting line if they fall. They get right back up, set their eye on the goal, and run toward it as if their lives depend on it. This is a simple picture of repentance. I realize my dependence on the Lord. I fall. I see my need for a Savior. I turn and run to God. That kind of relationship — that kind of love — fills me with gratitude as I realize that, except for that grace and love, I would surely be defeated.

When failure comes or the enemy assails, we have a choice to make. Will we allow that failure to define who we are, or will we lay claim to who Jesus has defined us to be? We have been given the joy of walking in relationship with the God of the universe! That truth alone ought to cause us to praise God each and every day. How can we not?

Thought for the day: As you prepare for sleep tonight, ask God to remind you of all the reasons you have to offer up praise — then praise God as you lie down. See if you don’t wake up with peace on your mind!

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to start, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.

My thoughts (Tommy Chittenden):

You’ve probably seen those commercials showing students skipping from their classrooms at the conclusion of the last day of school, or employees running gleefully out the door of their workplace at the end of the day signaling the arrival of a long awaited vacation. It may only be a temporary hiatus for the students who must return in the fall or an even shorter time span for the vacationing employees, but what a wonderful feeling freedom brings to our minds and spirits — freedom from the authority of a teacher or an employer’s control over our time and activity.

While we often daydream about what that freedom will be like, basking in the thought of being able to do what we want, when we want — all it takes is the reality of that annoying alarm clock to summon us back to the obligations of school or work!

We should never let one day pass for which we don’t thank our Creator that the freedom we know — through Jesus, as God’s children — is not temporary. True liberty comes from realizing that Jesus is Lord! As a disciple, we are not bound to the dogma and obligations of institutionalized religion, but instead we are asked to believe the One who is revealed in the Scriptures (John 5:39-40). Let’s always measure our life by Jesus’ standards. Submit ourselves to God’s yoke and exercise care to never place a yoke on others that is not of Jesus Christ. It can take us a long time to stop thinking that unless everyone sees things as we do, they must be wrong. For most of us, we’ve been on the other end of this kind of treatment all too often.

There is only one true liberty — the liberty of Jesus at work in our conscience enabling us to do what is right. Paul sums it up for us, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

Thought for the day: Jesus said, “Go… and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19) not “Go… and convert them to your thoughts and opinions.”

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to start, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.