Why Christianity? A 3-Part Blog to Investigate the Evidence

There have been several people put in my path, lately, that have had questions about their faith, the bible and what it means to be a Christian. I know it is not by chance or coincidence. I do not believe in that. I believe certain people are to be in your life if even for a short while and for some much longer. People different from us allow us to see things from a different perspective. This helps us to understand different beliefs, cultures, lifestyles and even political views. (and right now that is a hot topic).

Recently I was having lunch with a "new" friend and she started asking me deep and even deeper questions about being a Christian and understanding what the bible means. I am always careful to answer her questions as I do not want to give an opinion or wrong information. I also believe that many people shy away from answering questions about their faith because they fear they may get it wrong.

You cannot get it wrong if it is your faith journey or your testimony. One should not believe what they believe just because they were raised in a certain family or culture of beliefs. So, ask yourself, why do you believe what you believe. Have you ever thought about why you celebrate holidays? birthdays? vacations? going to church on Sundays? Many problems and challenges have risen out of parents disagreeing on Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy in what to teach their children. We believe what we were taught and what we were raised to believe.

So, what do you believe about your Christian faith? Have you ever investigated the evidence? Or asked, why Christianity? I have been blessed to have been a member of BSF or Bible Study Fellowship (bsf,org) for over 10 years, 5 of which have been as a discussion group leader where we receive additional training on not only biblical principles but how to shepherd and lead people from where they are at the moment to where they can grow to an understanding of  where they want to be and to become.

As I wrote in my first blog post, there is such power in your mind and what you believe. You become what you believe. What you hear. What you see. What you think about. I once heard it like this, "Garbage in. Garbage out." If you fill your hearts and minds with the truth you will know the truth.
But what is the truth when it comes to Christianity? Why are there so many different churches? Different bibles? Different sermons being preached? This can be very confusing, especially for a new believer. Do I get saved? Do I not get saved? Do I have to be baptized by immersion? Is sprinkling as an infant ok? Why pray? Does God really hear me?

Although I am not an "ordained" minister or have I ever been to theological seminary I am going to attempt to answer some of the difficult questions from what I have learned and studied over the years.
This will be a three part blog to dig deep into why Christianity and perhaps uncover why you believe what you do. We will investigate the evidence. And yes, faith, will come into play big time because there are things that cannot be explained. And yet, we, as Christian believers must begin to go deeper as to why we believe what we believe. Never to defend our faith but to depend on our faith,

Until next time, ask yourself? What does it mean to be a Christian? Why are you a Christian? Is the bible true? Who is Jesus? What about the Holy Spirit? What happens when I die? And much more.

A Different Perspective on Body Fat

I found a most interesting article on where else, Pinterest, presented by beautyhealthpage.com

I was minimally aware of this, although since I have worked with hundreds of women's groups, over the years, I have always noticed that women do not carry fat on their bodies in the same way. And now I understand the differences. Read over the the 6 type of body fat to see which one might be yours. Then plan to do something about it. Be sure and share your knowledge and successes in the comment section We are here to learn about women's issues and concerns, but are also here to share and support one another in our efforts especially in retirement when things can surely spin out of control.

1. Obesity of food

This type is the most common type of obesity in the world. It happens because of excessive food intake and sugar. In order to solve this, reduce the food intake and exercise minimum 30 minutes a day.

2. Obesity “nervous stomach”

This type is caused by stress, anxiety and depression. Those people who have this type practiced frequent intake of sweets.

3. Gluten obesity

Usually present in women during menopause, adolescence and with the present hormonal imbalance. It is really important to avoid smoking, long sitting and alcohol, and to indulge exercises with weights.

4. Atherogenic metabolic obesity

Those people with stomach usually are swollen like a balloon, and they store all fat in this part of the body. From this type of obesity are affected those people who consume alcohol, suffer or have problems with breathing.

5. Obesity due to venous circulation

This is usually genetically inherited obesity. It happens in the course of pregnancy, and people who have swollen legs. The essence of the decision is exercises like climbing stairs and running.

6. Obesity of inactivity

This is type of obesity that affects those parts of the body that in the past have been very active, for example, they have been active with training and exercises.

The key to the removal of this type of fat is not to allow long periods without eating, because it can speed up the metabolism and burn them really faster.

For me, I will have to say, at this season in my life, I can relate most to number 6. Not paying attention to what I have been eating combined with inactivity will certainly make a difference. During a recent hip replacement this is certainly what has happened. Darn, I knew I was going to be wearing all that ice cream and ate it anyway. I generally do not even like ice cream. 

In my book, Faith Full Retirement, one of the chapters is: Your Health: How healthy are you from A to Z? Here is where I list a health tip from A to Z and yes, you guessed it, I is for ice cream only not in a good way. Actually ice cream is one of the worst foods you can eat: sugar, cream (not hormone free + animal fat) and loads of artificial color and preservatives. I knew better and now have to deal with it as I am certainly not going to contine wearing that fat. Stay tuned to how I will get rid of it again without losing muscle. It is my "go-to" plan whenever I have gotten out of control. And I was doing so well......hmmmmm....

Why WIIFM is the Secret Ingredient to: Living More Out of Intention in Retirement

WIIFM was a hook I included early on in my seminars and workshops presenting mostly to women. The WIIFM is the power behind anything we do.

 Read on as we begin to explore the meaning behind WIIFM.

To live less out of habit and more out of intention actually means this:

Intentional living is about knowing why you do what you do and why you don’t do what you don’t do.

In other words: WIIFM or What’s In It For Me? Or what is the benefit of that choice? We live in a microwave society needing and liking that instant gratification. That is more like living out of habit. Living out of intention is acting on the benefit and more importantly for the long term.

Intentional living is also willing to take a step back and evaluate the choices you are making. Here’s an exercise you will want to do. Grab a pen and paper or open a word doc and begin. First question:

1.    Analyze what’s not working in your life right now? Relationships? Finances? Career? Just be honest and jot some things down.

2.    Analyze what is working? What brings you joy? With what do you feel at peace?  

3.    What would my life look like if…….fill in the blank. Focus on the feelings you get when thinking about those things in your life. What emotions are there? Hang on to those feelings as we move on to step 4.

4.    What are your goals? What would you need to do to make intentional choices to accomplish that goal? How would you feel about that? Or WIIFM?

5.    How will I get there? Break the goal down into small steps. Then write them down preferable on a calendar or anywhere you can see them. (One is more likely to do something if it is written down).

6.    When will you do this? Set a deadline. Without a deadline your goal becomes dead. (Some people never make those better choices because they live on an island; “Someday Isle”.)

Nothing could be more important than making intentional choices when planning for retirement and continuing evaluating those choices throughout your retired life.

Intentional living in planning retirement has three stages:

Before retirement (perhaps 5 years before) is the first stage. Intentional decisions about saving enough money, choosing to relocate and/or downsize and what about putting your passion and purpose into action or analyzing relationships; how strong or weak they are.

During retirement are those first few months or years putting those intentional choices into action. Adjusting to “being together” all the time if you still have your spouse, adjusting to living within a new set of finances or perhaps adjusting to a new area (city, state or even country).

Third stage is after retirement. Those 10 years and beyond. Still being intentional using the above 6 steps to know what and why you make the choices you do. You may have lost a spouse, decided to move closer to grandchildren and/or family or need to further adjust finances.

Intentional living helps you set a course for your life rather than just wandering aimlessly through retirement. It gives you the freedom to make time for the things that are truly important and to discard the rest. How will you live intentionally in your retirement?

The Mind is a Powerful Thing

Your mind is a powerful thing. More powerful than we realize. Did you know before you can change your behavior your first have to change your mind? Or how about the Proverb that says, "As a man (or woman) thinks so he becomes". Of course you knew that. People that hang onto the past sometimes have a difficult time with the present. 

We have to learn to let go. Let go of hurts, disappointment, anger, resentment. And the list goes on. What are you doing to let go? What are you putting into your mind? Here's a story I used to tell in my seminars:

"There were two monks out walking, when one saw a woman who was badly beaten laying by a bridge they were to cross. The first monk hurried to help her; picked her up and carried her across the bridge to safety. They then hurried home without speaking. After dinner that evening, as soon as the silence could be broken, the second monk said to the first monk, in an irritated tone of voice, "I cannot believe you picked that women up today. Did you forget that in our order, we are not even to touch women?" The first monk turned to him and said, "I picked the woman up and carried across the bridge to get help. YOU have been carrying her around all day." 
Learn to let things go. The only thing you can change is your way of thinking. Let it go. No matter how many times you have to say it. Let it go. Let it go until you let it go. That's the power of the mind.