Twelve Week Improvement, Week 5

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DON'T CRY OVER SPILT MILK

LUKE 15:13-17 "And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all there arose a might famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!"

JOB 1:9-12 "Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou has blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord."

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Are you letting thoughts of the past ruin the present? Everyone has regrets. Some have tragic pasts. Some have had people, relatives even, do horrible things to them in the past and can't seem to let it go. We've set aside this 12 week period to become closer to being the person we want to be. The best we can be. This week we are going to explore our past. Get out your notebook and write down the earliest memory you have. Mine is of my brother shooting an arrow into my leg. I was about 3 or 4. Remember how you felt, what it looked like. Remember places you lived and the schools you went to. Make copious notes. Write down names of the people who entered your life and what you thought about them. It is necessary to get all this down on paper. It will probably take you several sessions to go from your first memory to the present but it is important to remember everything that you can and record your feelings of the major events. Make a list of hurtful things that were said to you and embarrassing moments. (I have more than a few of those.)

When you have completed this assignment, go back and write down the things you've listed that still bother you. This is the list we are going to work on this week. First I want you to pray over your list. God does not want you to let what has happened to you in the past take away any of the joy of your life. Even as Jesus hung on the cross, convicted of sins He was not capable of, He forgave those who crucified Him! God allowed Satan to afflict Job's body to prove Job was faithful to Him.

BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE!

The Prodigal Son could have sulked in the pig pen, kicking himself for wasting his inheritance, the rest of his life. Instead, he finally came to the realization that he could sit there and starve to death or get up and go home to his father! Don't blame God for the things that have happened to you and stop hating others. The hate doesn't hurt them, it is just eating away at you and ruining your life! It is time to let it go! You've held on to the past long enough. Let's let it go this week so we can move closer to being the person God wants us to be. It is not His plan to have us wallowing in the pig pen. He wants us to come home to Him. He is waiting to put a ring on our fingers, and shoes on our feet and to kill the fatted calf and provide for us a feast!

Your SPIRIT EXERCISE this week is your journal writing and praying over your 'not so happy' past. I did this several years ago and believe me, it is such a relief not to have to carry that baggage around anymore. It wasn't easy and I didn't accomplish the 'letting go' over night...as a matter of fact, it took me longer than a week...but eventually, I was able to forgive and let it go. Oh, I still remember, you can't forget because God gave you a memory, but you CAN let it go!

Your MIND EXERCISE is to memorize Philippians 3:13 & 14.
"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Now...about that body...
How's it going? I sure do wish you would e-mail me and let me know how you're doing on the program! Were you able to fit in all the exercise last week?
This week I want you to continue the same exercise regimen. I also want you to add 6-8 glasses of water a day and substitute a fruit for a high calorie snack. Are you feeling better? Let me know, ok?

Remember...small steps. We are just trying to get a little closer, be a little better, one small step at a time! Good luck with your assignments this week. And if you don't get to them all, then that's ok, too! Just do the best you can and that's all you can do!!!

LOVE, MEME

Help a friend be the best they can be.
Mail them this 12 week program!

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