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Here is today's communion meditation.

In Mark 14 the woman pours the very expensive jar of perfume onto the body of Jesus and the disciples start giving her a hard time because they thinking she is wasting the valuable perfume.

But Jesus tells them in Mark 14:6-9...

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” 

Notice in this verse that a beautiful thing is linked to a lasting memory. This year we have been talking about the Beautiful Land and beauty is memorable. 

In today's communion we are asking God to help us understand this verse and to discern what is beautiful to him...

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Here is today's communion meditation.

 Tomorrow night we start the 8 nights of Hanukkah. The word Hanukkah means dedication, and it is a reminder for us of the power of a firm decision. It takes a firm decision to set faith in motion, because as long as we waver nothing happens.

In today's communion we are asking God to help us understand the power of a firm decision and to firm up any decisions we need to make. 

Today's Health and Fitness Tip

Fitness takes a firm decision. And it takes a firm decision to lift heavier weights. Lifting heavier is a great way to practice firming up our decisions. 

I am praying for you.

Daniel

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Here is this week's Yearly Cycle Update.

We are getting close to the end of the year. The eight days of Hanukkah are coming on Sunday night. Hanukkah, known as the feast of dedication and also the festival of lights, is a time when God wants to see a higher level of dedication to our gift. It is a time to firm up our commitment to what he has called us to do. To commit means that we go all in and don’t look back. The number 8 is symbolic of new beginnings, and Hanukkah as an 8-day feast when we firm up our commitment to what God is calling us to do and embark on a new beginning.

Hanukkah is not technically mentioned in the Bible, but some Jewish scholars say it is hinted at. The feast is a remembrance of when the Jewish people revolted and took back control of the temple. When they restored the temple, there was only enough olive oil to light the lamps for one night, but God performed a miracle and made the light last for eight nights.

The miracle of Hanukkah ...

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Here is today's communion meditation.

This week our Yearly Cycle filter is to relax into the stretch. God often stretches us and it's similar to a golfer starting with a backswing to stretch the body and store up power that is available to transfer into the ball. But once the golfer has completed the backswing all of the power must be transferred into the ball at the point of contact. In a similar way we must learn to transfer God's power into the point of the demands of life that are coming at us. 

And after contact it's very important to follow through. Getting to the point of contact and stopping is a big mistake. We can follow through by keeping our mind fixed on the things above and walking in love, because faith works through love. 

In today's communion we are asking God to help us become great at following through, keeping our minds on the things above, and walking in love. 

Today's Health and Fitness Tip

Many people start eating better and exercising...

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Here is today's communion meditation.

This week our Yearly Cycle filter is to relax into the stretch. The other day we talked about a golfer starting with a backswing and about how the deeper the golfer can stretch into the backswing the more power is available to transfer into the ball. But once the golfer has completed the backswing all of the power must be transferred into the ball at the point of contact. 

In baseball one of the best hitting instructors, I have ever been around used to use the verbal cue "Stay in Your Seat," to help his hitters transfer power into the ball at contact. He had a way he taught his hitters to use their hips, where they imagined sitting in an invisible chair. 

When the hitter left hiss eat, he lost the connection with his power.

This is also our No. 1 cue in the mechanics of transferring God’s power: “STAY IN YOUR SEAT.”

We have been seated in heavenly places with Christ at God’s right hand, where he is working for our good. ...

Listen to the Podcast

Here is today's communion meditation.

This week our Yearly Cycle filter is to relax into the stretch. The other day we talked about a golfer starting with a backswing and about how the deeper the golfer can stretch into the backswing the more power is available to transfer into the ball and target. But, once the golfer has completed the backswing, it's not good to release all of the potential energy right away. He wants to begin to move toward the ball while keeping the club in the stretched position lagging behind his body. This creates torque and club head speed. If he were to release all of the energy at once he would lose a tremendous amount of power. 

In a similar way, I think God stores things up in Heaven for us, and sometimes it seems like he is slow in releasing them. But he knows the perfect timing and sequence to release what he has for us that it has the optimal impact at the point where we need it. 

In today's communion we are asking God to help u...

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Here is today's communion meditation.

This week our Yearly Cycle filter is to relax into the stretch. Yesterday we talked about becoming elastic by pulling into and embracing those times when God is stretching us so that we build potential energy that can be released. And there is a balance to this of both pushing and pulling. At times we must pull into what God is doing and at other times we must push or press toward the high calling of God. Think of your biceps and triceps. They move the arm in opposite directions, but they are meant to work together as one to allow with arm to move with strength, power, endurance, speed, flexibility, etc. The arm wouldn't move the same with only biceps and no triceps. 

In today's communion we are asking God to help us understand the push and pull of life, and how to walk in it at greater levels in our life. 

Today's Health and Fitness Tip

Our workouts are a great opportunity to practice exercising push and pull.  As an exa...

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Here is today's communion meditation.

This week our Yearly Cycle filter is to relax into the stretch. At times God stretches us to expand our capacity and build potential energy on the inside of us. And I think there are three ways we can respond to the stretch: We can resist the stretch, do nothing and allow God to stretch us, or we can actively pull into/embrace the stretch. When we move into the stretch, we store up energy and become elastic with the ability to release power when called upon. While thinking about this I was reminded of a passage from my book "The 8th Date." Here is the passage:

Think of a golf swing, where the golfer must swing back in order to then swing forward. The goal is to store up as much potential energy as possible before releasing into the ball. The storing of energy puts the golfer into a stretched or elongated position, and the body’s elasticity turns the golfer's body into a coil or spring that is ready to be released.

The rich...

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Here is today's communion meditation.

In Matthew 20 is the parable of the landowner that hires workers for the day.

The master tells the first group of workers... " Go work in my vineyard and I will pay you a denarius." Notice they had an agreement.

The second group he tells... "Go work in my vineyard and I will pay you what is right." This group had to trust the landowner, because most people wouldn't take a job if the boss just said "I'll pay you what's right."

The third group he tells... "Go work in my vineyard." This group has no promise of pay at all. They simply obeyed and they ended up getting paid the most per hour. 

Then in Matthew 21 Jesus tells another parable of a Father who has two sons. He tells both sons to work in his vineyard, but only one goes, even though the other said he would. 

In today's communion we are asking God to help us walk in simple obedience because we trust that he will take care of us. And to understand how we are to work i...

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Here is today's communion meditation.

Malachi 4:2 says, “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall."  

In today's communion we are asking God to help us understand and consistently walk in this verse. 

Today's Health and Fitness Tip

Our filter for this week is to relax into the stretch. When we are stretching our bodies it's important to relax into the stretch. Also, whenever we are doing weightlifting it's important to pull or relax into the stretched portion of the exercise rather than resist it. When this is done properly your body become elastic and springier, which makes me think of a calf leaping from the stall. 

I am praying for you.

Daniel