Joyfull Living

 During my weekly Tabata class the sound of these words occur several times - 3,2,1 Begin.  Tabata is a fitness routine consisting of 20 second intervals of heart pumping cardio exercise, a 10 second rest and then 20 seconds of a strength exercise. Computer voices countdown to the beginning - 3,2,1 Begin and then count down the ascent -   3, 2,1 Rest. In between the counts, our bodies are pushed to the limit, but we eagerly await that countdown to rest.  Physical fitness is an investment and the purpose of each class is to become stronger. Going in and simply going through the motions will bring very little change or improvement.  Recently, one of the ladies in class encouraged us as we awaited the countdown - keep going till you hear 'rest'. Usually, we would end the specific exercise as the countdown began, but she encouraged us to continue the movement past 3, 2 and even 1, until we heard REST.   It probably amounted to 1 extra second, but the concep...

 "Overflow might look messy when gas is spewing out of a tank, but when God fills us to overflowing, it's beautiful, because we're no longer rationing our energy for ourselves and everyone who needs us. We have plenty to give when we are overflowing." This was from my devotion as I began a new week and the topic was refilling, trust and being still. God wants us to be beyond full, not hovering right above empty, but refilling our souls is a process that requires us to be still and trust.  What was significant about this new week is that I was on forced rest. A scratchy throat, slight cough and then a positive test result had me settled safely at home for the next few days. My first response was "I don't have time for this", but maturity has taught me, when you can't fight against something, lean in, listen and learn what God is trying to say.  So the week began, at home with a stretched out devotion time and words that filled my heart with a desire f...