With love from, Greece

Today's podcast is here:  https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/441b0b14/with-love-from...

Perhaps you have heard this -- Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.  Matter of fact, I agree with Helen Keller who made the statement; I want to wring all there is out of life.

Life is a gift. Making choices about how we spend our hours and days is a luxury. With each passing year, I become more and more aware of how precious is the gift of life.  

Jesus did not say, 

        'Friends, I have come to offer you a life of stress...'

        'Brothers, I gave up royalty and came to earth to 

                 bring you a mediocre life.'

        No, Jesus does not offer us a life of mediocrity, right? 

Instead, he came that we may have life, and have it abundantly.1 As always, Paul's words motivate me, "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise."2

Wise living does not just honor God, but it increases our longevity. A little research on longevity points to communities (blue zones) where people hold several priorities in common:  faith in God, steady, years-long relationships in community, maintaining a garden, growing grapes for red wine, daily exercise/movement, and a mostly-plant based diet. Moraitis, a man from Ikarias, Greece, was the first to get my attention from a NY Times article more than a decade ago, swearing by his daily afternoon nap and a couple glasses of red wine (yes, from his own vineyard).

Let's take the first: our relationship with God-our faith. Jesus' brilliant reply when asked about the greatest commandment: "Love the Lord thy God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."3 As we learn to love God more through personal spiritual disciplines, our faith in him grows stronger. 

>Pray - set time apart to talk to your Father, like you do a friend, and seek his wisdom and direction daily. It is great to shoot little prayers up throughout the day, but why not start your day with a few minutes of prayer? Learn to cultivate a little solitude in your life. The psalmist wrote, "Commit your way to the Lord.  Trust in him, and he will do it.4 Ask God to grow your desire for him and for his Word.

>Read and study Scripture. The sacred pages are fascinating and informative, worth what it takes to pull out the meaning and application for yourself.

>Do you worship God?  Oh, how he loves that!  Sure, I know you do not need to go to church to be a Christian, but why would you want to miss out? By the way, people involved in faith communities (attending/participating at least four times a month), extend their lives between four and 14 years!)

>Serve God by serving others; giving of your time and physically serving is valuable in so many ways.  

Would you like to grow in any of these areas? How so? _______________________________________________________

How will you make it happen?_________________________________

Without a vision, the people perish . . . so live your life on purpose.  We are in month three of a new year, so let's do some thinking and praying ... then determine how you want to finish this year with the life you have been given.  Go ahead--enVISION yourself crossing the finish line, with your chest pressed out, breaking the tape--!

Let's be a little more Greek, a little more like Moraitis~

"This Could Change Everything", song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQYvB46HBHE

Christine

PastorWoman.net

p.s. - thought the longevity angle was a fresh take on considering growth in the New Year; did you find it interesting? Here's a link for more:  

https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_buettner_how_to_live_to_be_100

Personally, it is not necessarily about extending my life, but feeling good, being well and thinking well during my lifetime. What do you say? Hit 'reply' and comment.

1 - John 10.10b

2 - Ephesians 5.15

3 - Mark 12.30

4 - Psalm 37.5