Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts

Monday, May 12, 2014

HEALTH: Eating and Disease

According to the Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, people who exercise regularly throughout the week reduce the risk of developing symptoms of the leading causes of illness and death in the U.S. such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

Combine that with eating a healthier diet and risks are reduced even further. Why does exercising and eating healthy give people such a hard time? Why can’t people commit to a healthier lifestyle?

It’s easier to not exercise. It’s easier to eat whatever we want. We live in a culture that wants instantaneous gratification and is not always willing to pay the price for good health. Nothing of value comes cheap though. The Bible tells us to take good care of our bodies and it does so for good reason. No one wants to be sick or develop a condition or disease. If God tells in his word that eating healthy and exercising are good for our well-being, then we ought to take this serious and begin making changes today toward a healthier lifestyle.

Monday, May 5, 2014

LIFE: Use positive affirmations

Positive affirmations are simply positive sentences about yourself and your life and they help develop a positive attitude! Take time daily to speak positive affirmations such as, “I am confident, beautiful, positive, happy, blessed, healthy, etc.” I have printed out various affirmations and taped them to my bathroom mirror so that I can see them and speak them frequently. You become your thoughts and what you speak so make sure you are thinking and speaking positive things!

I encourage you to take some time to listen to your internal dialogue. Are you thinking more negative or positive? You can train yourself to think more positively but it does take practice and persistence but is well worth the effort.

Monday, April 28, 2014

HEALTH: Exercise

Exercise is important for optimal health, but if we are solely exercising to “look good” for others, then God would consider that to be vain. First Timothy 4:8 states that, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

Timothy is not saying that we don’t need to exercise because we do. What he is saying is that godliness is more important than exercising and to be off balance is not God’s will. We ought to be putting forth effort in being fit physically and spiritually.

Spending time exercising as well as connecting with God are both beneficial to our overall well-being.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

MARRIAGE: The power of prayer

If you want a strong marriage then you would benefit from learning about the power of prayer. Couples that pray together tend to keep God at the center of their marriage and act as partners with him. Problems can be taken to God and each partner can be held accountable for their part in possible solutions.

It takes humility to pray together before God as a couple. God will honor your humble hearts as you agree in prayer. Jesus said if two people agree in prayer, God would hear and answer their prayer according to his will. (Matthew 18:19-20) Sit down with your spouse and discuss when and how often you’d like to gather together to pray. Make a commitment to follow through with what you decide.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

WORK: Don’t stress

No need for anxiety. You will have great progress and success at work, perhaps even advancement. It may take longer than you want, but trust that success is guaranteed. Continue taking steps and action toward your goals as this keeps the momentum going in your favor.

Be teachable, submissive, and receptive. Do what is right and be firm and correct in your attitude and behavior. Success and fortune will come. Only believe. (I ching reading)

Thursday, April 3, 2014

MARRIAGE: Encouragement

I bet you know who to go to when you need encouraged. There are usually certain people in our lives that we know will encourage and admonish us when we are facing depression or discouragement.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 states that we ought to encourage one another and build one another up. This is especially important in marriages. Can your spouse come to you for encouragement when he/she is down or hurting? Or are you the type that will point out that they are simply complaining. God wants us to encourage our spouses, even if we don’t feel like it. If you think your spouse is simply complaining, take it to prayer and ask God to reveal this to him/her. Let your spouse know that you are behind him/her and will take time to pray.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

WORK: Impress your boss

Do you want a promotion? Good references? Peace at work? Then perhaps you ought to think about ways to impress your boss. Management likes it when their employees kick it up a notch and not only take their job serious, but partner with their co-workers and boss to increase productivity.

Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Ask God to help you come up with ways to go the extra mile at work. You might want to come in early or stay late. Come up with ways to boost productivity or decrease expenses. Ask for extra work or volunteer to do what no one else wants to do. There are a various things you can do to be noticed. By doing so, your boss will be impressed and that is always helpful at promotion time.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

MARRIAGE: Little things matter most

Sometimes it’s the little things that make a relationship soar to a blissful state. Life gets busy with work and kids and oftentimes our relationship gets neglected. It doesn’t require a lot of time to put some romance and fun back into a relationship, but it does take commitment and a little creativity.

Here are some ideas that are sure to show your spouse that you not only love him/her, but that he/she is on your mind throughout the day.

Make your spouse a cup of coffee in the morning and bring it to him/her in the bed.

Slip a love note into his/her car at night so they will see it in the morning.

Book a night away for just the two of you, for a romantic evening. Buy a little gift and set it on the bed.

Write positive qualities about your spouse and give it to them.

Rent a movie for just the two of you to watch.

Cook his/her favorite dinner.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

WORK: Ants are wise

Don’t be surprised if you go to God asking for wisdom regarding fiancés and productivity and he tells you to learn about ants. In Proverbs 6 God states, "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man."

Laziness can become a habit but it is a habit that can be broken. You have been given gifts and talents but those are not going to amount to anything unless you develop and act upon them. If you need help, ask around to see if someone will sit down with you and help you formulate a plan for success. It will take hard work and diligence, but it will be worth it.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

MARRIAGE: Putting children in their place

When a married couple has children, things change. Life sometimes becomes more about taking care of the baby than taking care of each other. It’s more difficult to find quality time to spend together and if you are not careful, conflict can arise. Wives need to especially be sensitive here because if your life becomes totally consumed with the children and you neglect your husband, you may notice changes in him.

When a wife puts her children ahead of her husband, it tends to make him feel neglected, lonely, disrespected, unloved, and even resentful. It is understandable that children require a lot of time and energy, especially when they are young, but to completely neglect your husband or relationship is not God’s will. The key here is balance.

Remember to take time to invest in your marriage. Hire a babysitter sometimes and go out on a date, or take the children to a friend’s house and have a nice, romantic evening at home with your spouse. Leave him little love notes or buy him little tokens of appreciation. Be open and communicate with your husband about this. Come up with various ways to keep the romance alive despite the extra time spent raising the children.