The BL-Thought Closet-Memorizing-Serving Spiritual Spring Cleaning...HUH?

What does all that title mean? Read on!

Over the past several months, I have been really "getting" scripture. It is like a light has been clicked on in my head. I am applying it better than ever before. I am retaining it better than I ever have. I am using it to enrich and deepen my relationships. I am just in a "get it" time in my life.

Before you think I have decided I am the Oh-Great-Enlightened-One, let me tell you, I have some pretty big strongholds that I just can't seem to allow God to break down. I have decided that this is the year to do it. And of course, any time the seasons change (such as springs arrival, along with Easter and warmer weather) I am inspired to "clean house". This time I am just going to clean house in ME.

How? I am taking a body-mind-soul approach.

Body: Biggest Loser (BL)

I am not healthy. I am overweight, under-strength, endurance and lung capacity challenged. I have had every excuse in the book as to why I can't or don't want to lose weight. Some were legit (under-active thyroid, now behaving nicely thanks so much, and shin splints which are still around and kicking) and others that were not so legit, like laziness, poor time management and just plain 'ol stubbornness.

I have come to see that the body is very important in pretty much every aspect of my spiritual life. I use it to serve, to learn, to build, to comfort, to entertain (I work with teens and I have kids, I'm either getting a laugh at my 80's dance moves or am a jungle gym for my toddler)and also to house the Holy Spirit. If I do not keep my body in good shape, I will not be ready and able to perform whatever task the Lord sets before me. So, I have enlisted some friends who will keep me accountable and I have actually committed and am sticking with a workout. We meet twice a week to do Biggest Loser workout DVDs and (prepare yourself for the horror!) I have been fasting from chocolate for the last three weeks! I still have three to go! I realized that I had turned chocolate into the major food group in my diet. And yes, Ladies, there IS something wrong with that. So, I promised God I would get chocolate under control in my life and to do that I had to say goodbye to it for awhile. Thanks to my friends it has been mostly fun, but there are days I desperately want some. That shows me that I still haven't given up that strong-hold to God, so I continue on.

Mind: (Thought Closet)

I am the very first person to tear myself down (and truthfully, probably about the ONLY person to do it) and I am pretty viscous about it. There is a whole litany of things that I constantly remind myself that I am just not good at, don't qualify for or have the power to influence in. Now, I KNOW what God says about me. I have read his thoughts over and over. But, I allow my own thoughts to drown him out. These thoughts go back a lot of years, and I just can't seem to get them out.

How do I fix that? I joined and committed to completing the new Bible study in the ladies ministry at my church. It is called Me, Myself, and Lies. It is all about the lies we speak to ourselves every day. I am determined to allow God's voice to boom out over the little mutterings of my own mind. This study is my chance to finally break down this stronghold of self-talk in my life and truly allow the word of God to be the voice I hear.

Soul: Memorizing and Serving

What am I feeding my soul with? Well, up until the first of the year, not much. I would read the Bible but not spend the time to really study it's content. It was not so much a love letter to me as it was a quick reference guide. In order to grow, I knew that had to change. I dedicated the next 12 months to learning 24 Bible verses. That's 2 a month. Now, for someone that can't even remember her husband's cell phone number (speed dial #2, thanks so much), this was a daunting task. But, I gave it to God and away I went. I am actually doing pretty well! I got a little enthusiastic with a couple and I am still trying to learn them, so I decided to keep to the shorter verses after that.

Amazingly enough, I don't struggle to decide what verse to commit to next. It always seems to just "pop up" in that way that you know God is giving you a hand. I have now committed 5 verses to memory. And yes, they do come to mind when I need to get a little reassurance or guidance from God.

I am also stepping out into some new service in my ministries. I continue to learn and develop the truth that to grow in Christ I need to be serving his people. I connect more deeply, love more strongly, and grow deeper the more I strive to have a servant heart.

So, I guess my spring cleaning is more of a complete overhaul, but if you are going to do something, the worst thing you can do is do it halfway.

I hope something I have mentioned here might spark a desire for you to check-in with your body-mind-spirit condition. Is everything in good working order? No clutter to work around? No junk that needs thrown out? Maybe you just want to re-organize or, better yet, make-over something that is worn out and just not working like it should. There is no better time than the spring, with the reminder of Easter just a few weeks away, to focus in on what matters most, and what needs to be gotten rid of.

Happy Cleaning ya'll!