Monday, May 27, 2013

Keeping Fit While Traveling

Contributed by Mike Manning

mikemanningmusings.blogspot.com 


Even for a dedicated person with an established fitness routine, it can be difficult to stick to it while on the road. There are several reasons for this including lack of time, being too tired, and lack of facilities. Fortunately, there are many different ways to overcome these and other obstacles. Continuing to exercise while out of town can keep one feeling fit and can help work off some of the extra calories from dining out for three meals a day.


Today most hotels have a fitness center, but many of them have only the minimum equipment like a few treadmills, bikes, elliptical machines and potentially a universal machine. Additionally, the gym is usually in a tiny, low-funded room that does not have the type of equipment needed to continue one's routine. This is where research comes in before booking a hotel. On a recent trip to Maui I was able to book a hotel with a great fitness studio by checking through a travel site beforehand. I looked through all the Maui hotels and was able to find out which ones had the best fitness areas in my budget. I would suggest anyone traveling to do this same type of research in the future.


An alternative to working out in the hotel gym is exercising in the hotel room itself. Many hotels offer a fitness channel on the television. These channels will have several fitness programs cycle throughout the day. All of the routines will be designed to be performed in a smaller space with minimum equipment. Some of the programs will utilize equipment that can be borrowed from the front desk. One can also prepare their own workout routine or use one from the Internet like this one from Shape magazine.


Fitness while on the move is becoming somewhat easier as airports are responding to customers' desire to be more active. Some locations are offering marked walking paths while others meditation rooms for travelers to practice yoga or simply stretch and relax. Many in-terminal restaurants are also beginning to offer healthier options. For passengers travelling through Baltimore, Dallas Fort-Worth or San Francisco will be able to follow well-marked paths through the terminals to complete short half to one-mile routes. Adding this activity during a trip will not only help a person stick to an exercise routine, but will help offset issues that can be caused by air travel like cramped limbs or blood clots.


 

Friday, May 24, 2013

Performance Thermostat

My warm-up and cooldown splits this past week are faster than many of my previous runs--still plenty of room for improvement. I recognized that my performance thermostat became stuck on "complacent plodder" instead of "competitive runner."

Have you recently checked and/or adjusted the setting of your performance thermostat?


See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

P.S. I originally discussed "Performance Thermostat" in a Toastmasters speech in or about 2000 AD in Hastings, NE.

Monday, May 6, 2013

The Past

A brief break during the exhaustion of the end of the school year and finals week.


 

My past, like your past, includes heartaches and disappointments. However, reflecting on my past results in my being grateful, joyful and prayerful (1 Thessalonians 5:16-20). Reflection illuminates God's hand in everything, working for the good to those who love God, and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).


 

Reflection illuminates God's purpose in your life, which includes you being joyful, grateful and prayerful (1 Thessalonians 5:16-20).


 

Yes, life is tough as we endure the challenges. However, God's prosperity results in those who believe the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, receiving internal peace, joy and gratitude beyond human comprehension.


 

Even though I am exhausted now, I know that I will reflect on these challenging days of intense studying at Dallas Theological Seminary with joy and gratitude. Because, time will brightly illuminate God's hand in this time—even more so than now.


 

What challenges are you experiencing? Trust Christ as your Savior, receive the indwelling Holy Spirit and His internal peace. Internal peace exists independent of external circumstances, independent of all the "junk" that may occur in your life. How will you reflect on this challenge in six-months, or twenty-years.


 

I better return to studying!


 

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

Rick E. Meyer

See, Believe, Achieve Inc.

www.rickEmeyer.com


 

Friday, May 3, 2013

Hope



Course Summary
Eschatology
 

Foreword

"The message of hope in Jesus is so simple, and remains timeless," Amy Grant.
"When the dream is big enough, the facts do not count!"


Dexter Yager shared this wisdom thousands of times while building a multi-billion dollar international business. He and his wife Birdie led—by the power of the Holy Spirit—many to Christ in their Sunday morning worship services held in conjunction with weekend business conferences. Dexter adamantly spoke about, inspired, and led people to develop a "BIG DREAM!!!" In other words, when "Hope" is big enough, the facts do not count. The dream and hope overcome the facts, only to the extent of their truth. Conversely, deceptive promises and false hope yield destructive discouragement.


As Christians, our greatest hope and dream originates with an eternal relationship—eternal life—with God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. This dream enables us to overcome the emotional effects from the facts of sickness, death, financial challenges, hunger, cold, hot, floods, droughts, loneliness, and all the other effects of total depravity on us as humans. Biblical eschatology illuminates this hope from Genesis to Revelation; Adam to Noah to Abraham to Melchizedek to Moses to David to Christ in the flesh and his ultimate return and our serving Him. These present God's love, grace, faithfulness, sovereignty and provision. Thus our hope grows on the diamond—non-erodible—base of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.


Hope in Christ and the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit enhances our internally overcoming sin's physical manifestation. Their presence and hope internalizes our spiritual and emotional peace despite the aforementioned effects of depravity. Additionally, the eschatological, eternal, perspective magnanimously shrinks the time and price of any earthly suffering.

Introduction

My immediate and eschatological hope increases proportionately, perhaps exponentially, with increased faith. Faith increases with each hearing and acquisition of greater understanding of God's word. Logically, knowledge of the holy, omniscient, omnipotent, Creator of the Universe and Savior of all who believe should yield increased hope. Our deepest, innermost yearnings—apart from sin—long for God's presence, character and attributes. This course increases my knowledge—thus belief—of God's fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled promises, as well as His sovereignty and provision.


Consequently, increasing my hope and optimism increases the enthusiasm with which I am able to convey the message of hope and knowledge to the world. This past weekend I wrote and posted an article, "Holy Spirit in YOU!", prompted while pondering this paper and studying for this course's second exam.


This courses' journey from Genesis to Revelation, studying the conditional and unconditional covenants and promises, along with God's men of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Melchizedek, Moses, and David provides amazing perspective in considering this same God indwells all believers in the Trinitarian person of the Holy Spirit. Even though I have long had this knowledge, and some degree of understanding, I became amazingly overwhelmed Friday while studying and pondering the significance of this gift—another layer of my understanding crystalized for greater revelation. As a result, this blog quickly transformed from thoughts to words:
Holy Spirit in YOU!


This course, and DTS, inspires and enables me to share hope with others, especially in the MarketPlace. I seek to convey the message of hope as emphasized in the course notes and material in an impactful dialogue with businessmen and women. Greater recognition of God's sovereignty and provision increases my cognizance of His working through me to impact men, women, families and business. I am humbled! God willing, I plan to continue this type of applied ministry.

Holy Spirit


The consideration of the indwelling Holy Spirit leads to the following rhetorical inquisitions:
 
  
  
  
  

Christ

The message of hope begins with Creation, and the first suggestion of the trinity (Gen 1). Continuing with God creating man in "our" (God's) image. God's sovereignty, while continually evident shines through with Melchizedek whose name, 'king of righteousness' and place of kingship, Salem, 'king of peace' foreshadow Christ.

Semester Blogs

While pondering this course and this paper due at the end of the semester, I wrote several blogs in response to the material, reflecting application to my ministry.
Hope = Joy

"Hope is empty, unless Joy follows. Joy always follows authentic Hope. A person's Joy reflects their placement of Hope." ~ Charles M. Gibbs (My mentor from Little Rock, AR)


Prayer Yields Joy (Joy derives from Spirit filled Hope)
Be joyful
always; pray
continually, give thanks
in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NIV))


Leader Servant: Encouragement


(Encouragement generates Hope to the encourage and encourager)


"If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best." (Romans 12:8)
"Encouragement is an instrument of divine change." ~ Charles M. Gibbs
Leader Servant: Hope and Joy

As Leader Servants, how do we generate infectious hope and joy in ourselves and organization? Let's examine scripture, the pure word of God. Wisdom originates from God.
    "aAnd not only this, but 1we also bexult in our tribulations (afflictions), knowing that tribulation (affliction) brings about cperseverance; and aperseverance, bproven character; and proven character, hope; and hope
adoes not disappoint, because the love of God has been bpoured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
  
 
    "aConsider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter bvarious 1trials, knowing that athe testing of your bfaith produces 1cendurance. And let 1aendurance have its perfect 2result, so that you may be 3bperfect and
complete, lacking in nothing."


    "aRejoice (Be Joyful (NIV)) always; apray without ceasing; in everything agive thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. aDo not quench the Spirit; do not despise aprophetic 1utterances. But aexamine
everything carefully;
bhold fast to that which is good; abstain from every 1form of evil. "


"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult
in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1–2 (NASB95))."


Summary

This course instills greater hope in both the immediate present, the rest of earthly life, and eternal life. My relationship with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit continually deepens as a result of greater knowledge and understanding. Just when I begin errantly thinking that I understand a great deal in my relationship with God, He reveals greater depths of understanding. To be clear, I never thought I knew everything, rather this course helps me understand how little I knew before. The underlying message of God's sovereignty and provision throughout history and eternity magnifies my hope. I have submitted my running to the Lord many times, and achieved success as a result.


Yet, for some reason, I lack this same level of submission in most other areas of my life. I no longer have to doubt whether I am a capable speaker, writer, minister, friend, son, brother or any other area I am asked to serve. Rather, acknowledge that it is not me, rather Christ who is in me, knowing that I can't, He (Christ) can, We (Christ and I) are. Yes, I must exert myself physically, emotionally and spiritually to the best of my ability. However, submission assures that God provides all the sufficiency. This course enabled deeper understanding and relationship provides the God-confidence to speak and provide God-led counsel to international business leaders.


I better understand that I don't have to have all the answers of how I will support myself after completing my degree in December. I better understand that the same God who led and interacted with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Melchizedek, Moses, David, all the apostles and disciples and who will return again for His people, lives in me. Wow—Powerful Hope!!! The God of provision and sovereignty past is the God of provision and sovereignty present, future and eternal.


Furthermore, His unfulfilled promises in the Abrahamic Covenant provide powerful reminders that He remains active and Christ will return—Powerful Hope! This course helps me better understand the realness of God's love and activity in our lives. This continual growth of greater understanding provides excitement and hope in future growth and hope in the Lord. What will I understand this afternoon, tomorrow, next week, next month or next year that I fail to consider or comprehend now? This consideration yields significant hope in my growth, and the ability to serve the Lord in helping others grow.


An additional gain of this course consists in the reminder to allow God, through His Word and Spirit, to mold my views instead of attempting to mold His Word to my preferences in any one moment. This includes the lesson from those who would like to change their minds but refuse to because they are published under an opposing position. This course content magnifies the need to remain humble, saying "As I now understand…" or "To the best of my ability, I view this position this way because—or based on…." Writing this reminds me of one professor stating last semester that he changed his understanding regarding a particular point he stated in a well-known Bible commentary. I hope to continue as a just fraction of this type of life-long student!


This course helps me better understand and comprehend personal hope in God as existing in a foundation of diamonds—non-erodible—for personal growth and relationship. My HOPE overflows.

 
See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!
Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com