Who’s The Coach!
My exercise regime continues – up till now I have been training by myself and not really having a clue how to achieve those goals that I had secretly hidden in my heart but hoping desperately to achieve.
So I took the plunge and engaged a personal trainer – Sarah is fantastic – very patient and encouraging – someone who will not tolerate my rot!
We sat down and she analysed what I had been doing by myself over the past few weeks. The look of shock was obvious – ‘You do all this! What about a rest day?’ I thought ‘Rest Day! Novel concept but unnecessary because I have certain goals I want to achieve.’ How unlike me to be like a bull at a gate?
Sarah reviewed my schedule then personally went through the exercise and training regime with me. Helping me, demonstrating to me, coaching me and encouraging me through the process – each exercise was for a specific purpose which fitted into my goals.
It was more specific, more concentrated and it would take less time due to the specific nature of the routine and it incorporated a rest day.
As I walked away from this session I thought about how good this was for me. I felt so empowered – so able – so capable and competent. I had a coach who cared about me. Everyone needs a coach – someone to guide them in doing life so we don’t go the wrong way, exert more effort than we should, waste precious time and energy or make too many mistakes.
I realize you perhaps know what I am going to say next but for me one of the best coaches in my life is my daily devotions and journaling. I find reading my bible in a systematic way and then journaling is indeed like having a personal trainer. It guides me, assists me, encourages me, corrects me and teaches me. Even yesterday devotions provided me with some wonderful counsel in an area of my life that I needed guidance upon.
Who coaches you? Don’t do life alone! What a recipe for disaster that could be?
For more information on Devotions http://www.ircc.org.au/joomla//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=155&Itemid=287
Guest Blogger – Liz Dell
A New Friend
I had a really significant ‘A-Ha’ moment this morning, while having a devotional time, at the beach. It’s like the beach has this special way of attuning me to God. I think it must for others too, based on the ‘silent worshippers’ I saw there on the beach with me.
Anyway, I realize there’s a few other experiences that have lead to the, ‘A-Ha’ moment, I had this morning
· I have often prayed for God to put a female mentor in my life, someone I can form a good relationship with and call on for advice or support, & wisdom for Ministry life. I haven’t lamented over it, just asked in prayer and also asked that when I met this person that I would know that she is ‘the one’ for me.
· I am reading ‘The Shack’ at the moment; a story about a man who encounters the trinity in the form of people (two female forms & one male) as well as meeting a personification of Wisdom.
· I know that our mind cannot even begin to conceive God, but I tend to talk to Him as Father & Jesus as friend, kind of external to me; while the Holy Spirit is within me, enabling me, guiding me, equipping me & more.
Well, this morning while reading Proverbs, these verses spoke to me:
I, wisdom dwell together with prudence
I love those who love me
And those who seek me will find me
I walk in the ways of righteousness
Along the paths of justice
And this is what I noticed – Wisdom (God’s Wisdom) is speaking of herself, like a person and I know that in other places in the bible wisdom is referred to by the personal pronoun of ‘she’. All of a sudden, it clicked that ‘Wisdom’ is a person of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit lives in me.
I prayed – ‘Lord, I no longer seek to be wise. I seek to know Wisdom, to be her friend, to walk with her and her in me, in the way of righteousness along the path of justice.’
And God said to me, “She’ll not only be your friend, she will be your mentor”.
I stand in wonder of an amazing God & am so humbled by His presence in my life.
