No excuses

We all have excuses.  We can all come up with excuses to do things that are not really something we want very badly or just something we don't think we will be successful doing.  I hear lots of excuses in my career.  Excuses as to why a student cannot come to class, or did not do their homework, or just didn't get the work turned in.  I hear excuses as to why a person cannot eat healthy or workout.  My reply...we all have excuses.  I admit that I need to pay more attention to this as well, as God gently reminds me, and sometimes very strongly reminds me, that we all have excuses.  I tend to fall short many times at not holding up my end of things for Him.  I fail Him daily and fall short.  I pray that I will be better about this.  One are weighing on me where I fall short recently is I had a bible study lingering over me for years and I finally got started on it a week ago tomorrow when I stayed home sick from work.  It has five days of "homework" to complete and then the next lesson.  I am only half way through the first homework.  I should have everything completed for this week. This is an area of my life that I need to commit to and do better on.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines commitment as "a promise to give or do something", "a promise to be loyal to someone or something", or "the attitude of someone who works very hard to do or support something".  I have to say this is a word that maybe if I use with my bible study I would do better at honoring it.  Honor...well, now that's just another word that has importance.  There are a lot of definitions of honor, but the one that stands out most to me is "one's word given as a guarantee of performance".

The whole beginning of this blog was about fitness, but as usual God turns it into something more.

So, where did this all start.  The other day I had a great, blessing of a day.  It was day nine of my commitment to Sophia.  I came home late, started supper, and decided to jump in the shower while supper finished cooking. I had already been asked earlier why I had to walk or run at least a mile for Sophia still after having hiked about four or five through the woods that day.  Well, those miles were not about exercise, or Sophia, those miles were coming in and out of the woods to try and provide food for my family.  Yes, I hunt.  Not for a trophy, but for food.  We eat everything we kill, and are very diligent in remaining legal with all our hunting.  I say all this to say, I was tired.  It had been a long day, had gotten up really early and put a lot of strain on my body already.  As I was getting ready to shower and call it a day, I remember Sweet Sophia.  I still had to do her mile for her.  I could have easily done a quarter of a mile.  I could have even easier continued with my plans and went to bed and just wrote it off for another day, and another thing I didn't get completed.  But I didn't. We all have excuses, I just decided to not make one.  I decided to honor the commitment that I made to this little girl and her family.  I am proud to say I did.  I went outside and again made laps around my house.  I am sure the neighbors and vehicles driving by thought I was a crazy person.  But I didn't care.  It was a commitment I made and I was going to honor it.  I felt good about it.

I could have made an excuse, or I could have made time.  I made time.  Everything you spend time on in life is a choice.  You choose to honor your commitments, or not.  You choose to honor your role as a parent, or not.  As an employee or not.  As a friend or not.  You decide whether you will take care of yourself or not. You have 24 hours in a day...and you choose how you spend it.  Will you honor God in your decisions or will you try to hide your face from Him?  Will you take care of the things God has blessed you with, or will you turn your back on His plan for your life?  What will make an excuse, or will you make time?

"But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lordsaid to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart."  Exodus 4:10-14

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20