Things morning we shared an article from iBelieve about how to tell if God is opening a door for you or if it is the devil tempting you. This is a hard thing to navigate so we wanted to help you out by sharing 9 Signs That God is Opening a Door.
Here are just a few but you can read all 9 by clicking HERE.
Today we talked about seeking the will of God in our daily life. We know that everyone struggles with this so we wanted to help you out!! Thank you to Cru for this great resource!
Here are Six Principles to help you seek God’s will…
Read the full article HERE.
We all get stressed every now and then but most of the time it’s because we are not focusing on what is important, Jesus. When we focus on Jesus our stress won’t magically go away but we can remember that we don’t have to go through it alone. This morning we talked about “Seven Ways to Keep Your Focus on Jesus” from All Things Life. To read the full article click HERE.
Here are some of the ways we talked about…
We also talked about 20 Calming Bible Verses for Worry, Stress, and Anxiety. This article is from Homemade Lovely. To read all 20 verses click right HERE.
Here are a couple of verses we shared this morning…
Today on the Morning Thing, in preparation for Thanksgiving, we talked about how to teach your kids to be grateful. Parents, it starts with you. Model this for your kids and turn them to God, the ultimate model for how we should live our lives. Check it out HERE. As always, thanks for listening!
Wesley Boston here. I recently returned from an incredible opportunity. From February 29th to March 11th I traveled across Israel and Jordan, seeing sites that brought the Bible to life and being introduced to cultures and people that were very different from me. A few things struck me as a result.
It’s hard to sum up such an experience in one post, but these are a few of the things that God put on my heart during this journey. And yes, it was good to go- amazing to go- but it is good to be back. Hopefully the lessons I’ve learned can influence the way I live day to day.
Shalom!
Detroit Free Press photographer Tony Spina photographed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a reflective moment in March, 1968, 2 weeks before his assassination.
How much do you know about Dr. Martin Luther King Junior?
How much do you know about the history of today’s holiday?
One way that we can celebrate is to enhance our knowledge and understanding of why we celebrate on the third Monday of January.
Click HERE to see the amazing timeline of how long it took to have the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday created.
Click HERE to see 20 interesting facts about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. How much do you really know about the man?
Click HERE for more interesting facts about Dr. Marin Luther King Jr., plus links to some fabulous pictures and videos of this amazing man.
The Morning Thing kicked off the week by celebrating National Library Week and sharing some “Get Healthy” tips from the Knox County Healthy Department.
Here are some interesting facts about libraries.
http://libraryoutsourcing.com/10-interesting-facts-libraries/
Find out more about the Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County!
This is a very active place with special events for readers of every age.
http://www.knox.net/
Here is more information about National Library Week.
http://www.ala.org/news/mediapresscenter/factsheets/nationallibraryweek
Want to get your kids interested in reading? Check out these 10 tips! http://www.mercyhome.org/10-ways-get-your-child-interested-reading
It was also a Get Healthy Monday on the show.
Studies show that when it comes to making decisions to improve your health, Monday is the day most people make those decisions. The Knox County Health Department and Get Healthy Knox County want you to think of every Monday as an opportunity to do something to improve your health.The Knox County Health Department and Get Healthy Knox County want you to think of every Monday as an opportunity to do something to improve your health – Make that decision to lose a few pounds, get exercising, make a doctor’s appointment, stop smoking – Make every Monday the day to start getting healthy.
Do you know your numbers…your health numbers?
We live our lives by the numbers: phone numbers, PIN numbers, stock market numbers. When it comes to health, you should live by the numbers, too.
The key health numbers to know are: blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index (BMI).
Doctors test most of these numbers at annual check-ups – which begs the question – when was the last time you had a checkup? It’s important that you know your numbers and understand what they mean. By keeping your numbers within a healthy range, you can greatly improve your health and reduce your risk for heart disease and other illnesses.
Blood Pressure When it comes to your blood pressure number, pay attention to the top number – the systolic pressure, which indicates the pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. A systolic reading above 140 is considered too high and warrants seeing your doctor. Your Blood Pressure goal is 120 over 80 or less.
Cholesterol When it comes to cholesterol, there are really three numbers to know – your total cholesterol, your “healthy” cholesterol, called HDL and your “bad” cholesterol, called LDL.
The normal range for total cholesterol is 200 or less. The optimal range for HDL cholesterol is more than 60 and LDL cholesterol should be less than 100. There are no definite symptoms of high cholesterol, so it’s important to see your doctor and know your cholesterol numbers.
Blood Sugar or Glucose Glucose is sugar stored in your blood as your body’s main source of energy. Your fasting blood sugar number must be measured after an 8-hour fast. Fasting is key since ingesting food—say, a banana an hour beforehand—would raise blood sugar levels and could create a false pre-diabetic or diabetic reading. Your FBS can be determined with a simple blood test or a finger stick test.
A fasting blood sugar number above 100 is considered pre-diabetic; treatment measures should be discussed with a physician.
Body Mass Index Your body mass index (BMI) measures your weight in relation to your height. A BMI over 25 means that you are overweight and a number over 30 indicates obesity. That extra weight can lead to high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes and other serious illnesses.
Your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index numbers are key indicators of your risk for serious illness. If you know these important numbers, you can make changes to improve your health.
Small changes can make a big difference. So start today. It’s Get Healthy Monday!
In addition to sporting events, coffee shops, and naps, Christian concerts are my favorite place to be. I love being in a high energy atmosphere that is entirely centered on our Creator and in an atmosphere where I am surrounded by people of all ages who are having the time of their life worshipping and enjoying the presence of our Lord. Plus, I LOVE music! So for me, there is not a better way to spend my free time.
This past weekend I was in my element. I had the opportunity to attend Winter Jam 2015, and I can’t begin to describe the amount of joy I experienced at this event. Traveling with close friends to experience the Lord with thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ was unforgettable! As a pastor’s kid who grew up in the youth group, I have been to many, many WinterJams and each year they continue to blow my mind. Each artist and band work hard to share their love of music and God with every person in the audience. No one should leave the stadium without feeling the hand of God at work in the arena.
Unlike most concerts, WinterJam brings ten artists to the stage to share their story with the audience. Artists such as for King and Country, Jeremy Camp, Family Force 5, and Newsong shared their music with thousands. Though each artist had an incredible message, two of them really hit home with me this weekend, and I hope they will encourage you as well.
Francesca Battistelli performed her new song “Write Your Story” reminding me that we are all an open book for God, and He writes our story. As a college student, I am in the midst of confusion and chaos surrounding my future. I do not know what I will do after graduation, how I want to use my major, who I will marry, where I will live, or what I want to do with the rest of my life. These decisions and many more are constantly swarming through my head. Though some would say I still have time to decide, that time is quickly slipping away. Because of this, I am often stressed about the future and apprehensive about the present, but Francesca reminded me that He knows my name, and He has written a story for me, far better than I could imagine.
I’m an empty page
I’m an open book
Write Your story on my heart
Come on and make Your Mark
Author of my hope
Maker of the stars
Let me be Your work of art
Won’t you write Your story on my heart
-Francesca Battistelli’s Write Your Story
The last band to take the stage was Skillet, a Christian Rock band that often travels with secular groups. John Cooper, the lead singer of Skillet, shared his love for God and his desire to spread the gospel in everything he does. Cooper shared with us that managers and band members of secular groups often tell him that Skillet could be one of the most successful rock bands if he would stop talking about God. Cooper’s faith and love for God is more important than material possessions. God has called him to live out his faith and share God’s love above all else. John Cooper often quotes Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” This hit home for me. I want to live my faith in such a way that people tell me to stop talking about God. I want others to know through my actions and words that I am a Christian, and I love the Lord with all of my heart.
I’m at war with the world cause I
Ain’t never gonna sell my soul
I’ve already made up my mind
No matter what I can’t be bought or sold
When my faith is getting weak
And I feel like giving in
You breathe into me again.
-Skillet’s Awake and Alive
As you can tell, my time at WinterJam 2015 was amazing, and I am thankful for the opportunity to experience the love of God with so many others. I hope you have or will know the energy and excitement of thousands of Christians gathering together for one purpose – to know and worship the one true God.
– Jenna Potts
Rise and Shine 