No pain, no gain

Have you already lost your temper with that trying individual at work, been having a sneaky cigarette in the small hours of the night when you think nobody is looking or have you completely ransacked the supermarket for all its worth in search of sugary charm when in that weak moment the healthy foods diet you are following suddenly got invaded by the enchanting chocolate charm fairy?

We are in the third week of 2012 now and I’m very aware of how easy it is to slip back into old habits and let all of that good will and positive spirit slither away. At the beginning of the year we swell up with new vigour, life and anticipation to grasp a hold of something new or let go of things not so good but as the rest of the world conforms itself to the daily grind we call life, it is very easy to give up. Whatever your New Year’s resolution is, if you have fallen down at the first hurdle, and thought something along the lines of ‘oh, there’s always next year...’Don’t give up.

Take a look at this video for some inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZlXWp6vFdE

We may not complete our resolutions as we had hoped but if we keep getting back up and making our way towards the goal, we will reach the finish line even if it is a lot later on than expected! Use other people in your life to encourage you and to help you along, like this man’s father. Tell them if you are struggling and perhaps they can help battle it with you. Keep positive for 2012 and if you have fallen already, get on back up! It’s never too late!

Happy resolution-ing!

The new you 2012

As it is only the second week of January, the New Year is a big topic within our classes. With this in mind, we will start running a series on “Transformation into a new you” as of next week. Lots of people have a list of New Year’s resolutions, things they want to do or stop doing. On top of the list is often to quit a bad habit such as smoking or drinking too much as well as getting in shape or losing weight. Whatever your New Year’s resolutions are, we hope you will follow them up this year.

However, we would like to take these resolutions a step further and instead of looking at the external of what we want to achieve this year, we would like to look at the internal; the mind, the heart, the soul.

Today in classes we asked the question: Who would you like to be at the end of 2012? This assumes a desire to strive to be a better person or improve our life in one way or another. Leaning on how we, at eximo, know that God can transform our lives, this is a key verse to look inside and start this New Year with a deeper purpose – to become a new you:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

Ask yourself who you would like to be in 12 months when you are about to salute to 2013 with a glass of bubbly. Would you like to be kinder or more loving? Friendlier? Free from pressure to be someone you are not? Less greedy and more generous? Less bitter and more forgiving? This is an indefinite list so why don’t you take a pen and paper and have a look inside yourself and make your list. Don’t stop there! On the other side write practical suggestions of how to achieve these things, e.g. if you want to be more generous, why not give someone in need some financial help this week? It might help putting this list in a place where you can see it every now and again to remind you.

It’s a great thing that every day we are given a new chance to make something of our lives, minds and bodies and it is up to us how we spend our time and energy. God’s grace is new every morning, so we have hope for transformation and don’t have to stay the way we are:

²²It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not.

    ²³They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.

    ²⁴The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.

    ²⁵The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God's word].” Lamentations 3, 22-25