Tag Archives: strength

Pressing On When Your Body Says No

Posted on December 2, 2014 by expressyourself4him

When you are young, recovery happens over night.  As Father Time catches up,  just the slightest exertion of energy can result in lingering aches and pain.  While mind over matter may work for a couple of days, how can you press on when your body says no?

As for me, an employee of Amazon or anyone in retail sales, Christmas is a hectic season.  Sales are like a drug for bargain shoppers, influencing business owners to remain open 7 days a week.  Married to your job, family, friends and hobbies take a backseat.  This strain has deflated my soul with several weeks still to go, hanging on by a thread.

In this state of exhaustion, I am reminded of the apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.  When your body says no, athletes push their bodies to the extreme.  Blocking out any pain, runners often enter a trace, focused on maintaining a steady pace.  Though cars, dogs or traffic may break people out of this state, this mentality helps these individuals reach a place most never find.

From a spiritual perspective, words from the Bible are building blocks.for faith.  When placed into an impossible situation, God’s Word provide a source of strength.  As you learn to trust in Jesus, Matthew 11:28-30, a fresh wind arrives via the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, the next time your body says no, find rest, hope and renewal in prayer to keep on keeping on.

by Jay Mankus

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Making the Most of A Run Down Man

Posted on November 22, 2014 by expressyourself4him

According to a 2006 report in the St, Petersburg Times, each season an NFL player spends on a team’s roster their life expectancy declines by almost 3 years.  This article suggests the National Football League is killing their players and is turning a blind’s eye.  However, you don’t have to participate in a professional sport to feel run down.  The wear and tear of life strains individuals in a different manner.

Financial stress, mental fatigue and overwhelming emotions can sap the energy of hard working souls like the summer sun.  Meanwhile, any type of accident, unexpected illness or trial can result in a crippling debt that some families never recover from.  If you reach this state, only a higher power can make the most of a run down man.  Colossians 3:17 and Philippians 4:13 provide a glimmer of hope to prop up these weary bodies.

Knocked down, humbled and fighting to stay alive, maintaining a positive outlook isn’t easy.  Nonetheless, footprints in the sand reveal that God has carried people through the storms in life.  When you don’t have the strength to tarry on, wings like eagles provide a boost of energy, Isaiah 40:30-31.  If you’ve ever found yourself confessing, “I can’t go any further,” the power of Christ thrives in weakness, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.  Therefore, if you want to make the most of a run down body, lean on prayer to lift you to new heights.

by Jay Mankus

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Up the Down Staircase

Posted on November 2, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Bel Kaufman’s novel Up the Down Staircase spent more than a year on the New York Times Best Seller’s List in the late 1960’s.  This success evolved into a movie and a play, the first one I ever saw in person.  However, as I try to bob and weave my way  through life, I often find myself going up the down staircase.

Humility and pride serve as ebb and flow, bringing me back to earth from past successes while lifting me up when I  fall.  On the days I leave my house thinking, “now I’ve got it all figured out,” trials flare up, knocking me off my feet.  Meanwhile, on the days I don’t want to get out of bed, with little strength to tarry on, a mysterious force carries me to places I never thought I could go.

From a spiritual perspective, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 illustrates what its like to go up the down staircase.  Ignorance causes individuals to repeat past failures daily.  A surely that won’t happen to me mentality breeds overconfidence, leading souls toward a moment of decision, 1 Corinthians 10:12.  In the end, there are only 2 logical choices: trusting God or yourself.  As you contemplate your current footing, may you place your feet on the solid rock of Christ, Psalm 30:1-3.  By doing so you will avoid of pain of going up the down staircase.

by Jay Mankus

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Words of Healing

Posted on October 26, 2014 by expressyourself4him

When someone is down in the dumps, its hard to break through the shell holding in their misery.  Good intentions, kind words and loving attempts don’t always work to uplift downcast spirits.  Nonetheless, when all else fails, there is one source that provides words of healing, Psalm 107:20.

Growing up, I often experienced a wide range of emotions.  On the good days, I could lift others up, elevating their moods to my level.  Meanwhile, if depressed, I made sure no one had a smile on their face, bringing whoever I could down into my pit of despair.  Only a couple friends developed a few tricks to snap me out of these gloomy states.

Today, I have learned to become more self-reliant.  Not in my own abilities.  Rather, I trust in the power of God’s Word to infuse my soul with the strength to carry on, Isaiah 40:31.   Therefore, if you’re having a bad day, feeling hopeless or stuck in a rut, open up the Bible today to find words of healing, Matthew 11:28-30.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

 

 

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When God Turns Out the Lights

Posted on October 1, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Always is one of those words that is regularly spoken, yet rarely applied.  Similarly, patience is a trait people know they need, but refuse to pray for it.  Consistent, unfailing and unconditional are terms that characterize God’s love.  However, when God turns out the lights during a trial, many respond with complaining, doubt and frustration.

On the other hand, the last thing individuals who experience death, gloom or tragedy need to hear is their loss is all part of God’s will.  While answers might be provided over the course of time, broken and wounded hearts need time to sort through the pain inside.  Yet, when God does turn out the lights, always is a good place to start.

According to the author of Psalm 105, when you don’t have the energy to press on with life, look toward the Lord for strength, verse 4.  However, this isn’t something you can do occasionally.  Rather, the Psalmist urges his audience to always seek God’s face.  If you want answers, sometimes or most of the time doesn’t cut it.  Therefore, the next time God turns out the lights, illuminate this darkness with faith ignited by God’s Word, Psalm 119:105.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Use It or Lose It

Posted on August 20, 2014 by expressyourself4him

These are words a coach, parent or teacher may express to someone they care about.  The basis for this expression, “use it or lose it,” serves as a warning to anyone who fails to practice a newly acquired ability.  The longer individuals wait before they apply information, the greater the probability someone will forget this skill.  Fearful leaders encourage their pupils to seize the moment or risk losing their lesson until next week, month or year.

One of the first students, Adam, was given a few simple commands from the Lord in Genesis 2:15-17.  First, Adam was promoted to become the caretaker of Eden’s Garden.  Secondly, Adam was given clear boundaries defined by God, “you can eat from every tree except for one,” this is off limits.  In other words, God told Adam, use it or lose it.  After a long day of work, Adam was tired, not having the strength to contain his wife’s curiosity in Genesis 3:6.  By not using his God given authority, the first family loses it all, kicked out of their home, Genesis 3:23.

Today, father’s are suppose to be the head of their family, 1 Peter 3:1-7.  Unfortunately, children born out of wedlock, divorce and absentee dad’s are signs of wasted authority.  If these trends continue, fathers will suffer the same fate of Adam, a man without a place to call home.  I can hear the following words being shouted from heaven to dad’s on the verge of disaster, “use your God given authority or lose it!”  Like the movie Courageous, may today’s blog inspire parents to leave a legacy of integrity for their children to follow.  Or else you may lose your children to a similar fate.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Shake, Rattle and Rut…

Posted on July 18, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Jesse Stone wrote a 12 bar blues rock and roll song in 1954 under his alias song writing name, Charles Calhoun.  This piece was first recorded by Big Joe Turner, yet most notably sung by Bill Haley and the Comets.  Music in its truest form involves rhythm displayed in Shake, Rattle and Roll.

The opposite of this is a rut, void of any flow, inspiration or momentum.  Over the course of time, craters, ditches and potholes disrupt individuals from developing a rhythm in life.  Instead patterns of negative behavior leads to disappointment, a lack of production and unfulfilled expectations.  Once you reach these doldrums, like the dog days of summer, sometimes a spiritual awakening is necessary to break you from this mental state.

This is where I find myself today, stuck in a rut.  To escape this, I need to claim the prayer of David in Psalm 30:1-3.  The blue print laid out in this passage involves praising God from the middle of your circumstances.  Whether you’re stuck in the mud or recovering from a major trial, praise initiates healing.  As soon as you muster the strength to possess a Paul like attitude, Acts 16:25, God transforms ruts into shakes, rattles and spiritual rolls.

by Jay Mankus

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It Could Be Worse

Posted on June 2, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Whenever the frailty of life comes knocking on your door, its never a good feeling.  In the wee hours of the morning, as a routine surgery takes a turn for the worse, fear often grips unsuspecting souls.  A doctor doesn’t need to say much before one discerns a dire situation.  Nonetheless, as long as the heart is beating, hope remains alive.

Prior to my mother being rushed to the hospital, I read a passage from Leviticus 13:45-46.  As bad as my current trial appeared, this passage gave me an unique perspective, it could be worse.  You could become a social outcast, banned from entering the city gates, due to an untreatable disease.  Once pronounced unclean by the priest, hugging, touching or kissing was prohibited.  Like solitary confinement, individuals spent the rest of their days in isolation, stripped of the relationships they once held dear.

Today, I have a new appreciation for the words of James 1:2-4 and James 4:13-14.  Seeing, feeling and experiencing pain is humbling, opening your eyes to the simple things people take for granted daily.  However, despite the ups and down in the hospital the last 24 hours, I know it could be worse.  While I pray for my mother’s condition to improve, the truth in Luke 1:37 serves as a source of strength.  Although it could be worse, with God all things are possible.

by Jay Mankus

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A Skywire Faith

Posted on June 25, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Every once in a while, someone goes to extreme measures to prove themselves.  On Sunday night, June 23rd, 2013, live on the Discovery Channel, Nik Wallenda did just that, becoming the first person ever to walk across the Grand Canyon on a two inch wide high wire.  Without any nets to catch a mistake, Nik battled wind gusts, a 50 pound balancing pole and fears his family would see him fall to his death.  His 1,400 foot long journey took twenty two minutes and fifty four seconds to complete, kneeling at one point, surviving to live another day.

According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see.  Before risking his life, Nik had to believe his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ would give him the knowledge, strength and wisdom to complete this stunt.  Wired for sound, Nik began to pray on television as high wind gusts blew through and over the canyon.  Following the model set by Jesus in Mark 6:48-51, Nik took authority over the weather, calling on His God to silence any further gusts.

Yesterday, Nik did more than just walk across a portion of the Grand Canyon.  Rather, Nik put his faith and God to the test, risking everything.  If he failed or fell to his death, atheists, agnostics and the un-churched would have scoffed at his god.  Instead, 13 million viewers tuned in, heard his prayers answered and have tweeted their amazement on Twitter.  Though, this is unlikely to be the last time you hear or see Nik Wallenda on television, thank you Nik for demonstrating a skywire faith.  Well done Nick, well done, Matthew 25:23.

by Jay Mankus

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The Real Smooth Operator

Posted on March 14, 2013 by expressyourself4him

During the summer of 1984, the English group Sade released the song Smooth Operator, reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart for 2 weeks.  The distinct voice of Sade Adu has etched a place in history for this song, a classic which highlights the unique sounds of the 1980’s.  While modern commercial studs, movie stars and players try to claim this crown, there is only one Smooth Operator, Jesus of Nazareth.

According to Mark 12:13-15, the religious police came after Jesus, pulling out all their stunts to find a way to arrest him.  In Act I, found in Mark 12:15-17, Jesus faces off with the Pharisees and Herodians, thirsty for blood ever since Mark 3:6.  These two religious groups attempt to force Jesus into a corner where he either breaks Roman law, not paying taxes to Caesar or refuses to respect the proper temple tax.  Celebrating too earlier, Jesus asks for a coin, answers both questions, leaving a jaw dropping response in Mark 12:17.

Act II begins in Mark 12:18-27 with a group known as the Sadducees, who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead.  Thus, one of their zealots poses a hypothetical question, hoping to stump and or trick Jesus into giving an unbiblical reply.  Likely yawning, thinking, “is that the best you’ve got,” Jesus quickly disposes these morons.  Toying with their minds, Jesus clarifies their flawed logic by explaining there is no marriage in heaven and Oh by the way, Moses served the God of the living, not the dead.

jesus teaching people photo: Jesus teaching the people 0636_Jesus_teaching_christian_clipa.jpg

On fire now, burning through his competition, Act III rolls out one final expert to duel Jesus, a teacher of the law, Mark 12:28-39.  Playing pin the tail on the donkey, this teacher thinks he can get Jesus to de-emphasize one of the 10 commandments, Exodus 20:1-17.  Instead, Jesus divides the commandments God gave to Moses in 2 classifications: 1-4 focus on loving God, 6-10 require loving your neighbor as yourself.  By loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and following the golden rule, individuals can insure that they will keep all 10 commandments.  Astonished by his wisdom, this teacher of the law is nearly converted by Jesus in Mark 12:34.  After this, no one else dared to ask Jesus another question, proving once and for all, He is the real smooth operator!

by Jay Mankus

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