WISDOM THAT WORKS
One of the primary goals of my Strong Disciple ministry is to pass on to each of you truth and wisdom that actually works in the real world. This is in fact the primary purpose of each and every article I write. My aim, my purpose is to give you wisdom, insight, understanding, inspiration, encouragement and truth that you can effectively use to change your life, your parenting, your marriage, and your faith, and reap a harvest of godly success because of the wisdom you’ve put into action. I say this with all humility, the things I share with you in these articles, if you do them, will change your life. They are worth more than their weight in gold. The things I write and share with you have actually been time-tested in the arena of real life. I have in my possession a notebook filled with almost 100 testimony letters from young couples who sat under my Biblical teaching for years, thanking me for the quality of their marriages, the joy they are experiencing as parents, the success they are having raising and training their kids, and the depth of their faith in Christ, because of the things I taught them. Just yesterday I received a note from a father, who sat under my teaching at The Rock, who is currently involved in another church in a different state. He wrote this to me. “We have been very engaged at our church; I’m leading a 7th/8th-grade group of boys in the youth group (sure miss the well-behaved children at The Rock)! We are definitely thankful for your guidance early on in parenting to be all in and to homeschool, etc. We are thankful and seeing the fruit of it!“
Here is a testimony I received this week from a young father that was so encouraging to me. It powerfully illustrates the impact of the wisdom in these Thoughts Provoking articles when a person genuinely applies what I write about, to their life.
Pastor Mark – Here is a personal testimony on some action we have taken, using your wisdom as our north star. Thanks for your insights over the years!
My wife and I have always been conscious of our eating habits and levels of activity to ensure that we maintain good health and have the ability to be active within the responsibilities we have been given.
As we started this new year, we were able to reflect on habits and disciplines of the year prior, and drew the conclusion that we were off base a bit. Basic exercise disciplines had slipped, replaced by the daily hustle and bustle of large family life. We found we were eating more than we would have cared to if we were paying closer attention. And our times together were fewer and far between.
So to start the year – we were determined to change course and made some minor but meaningful and sustainable adjustments to ensure health across the board. Focusing on a few simple things we started to:
1) Keep simple, active tracking of our daily dietary intake – we found pretty quickly that snacks in between meals and too large dinners were contributing to too much fuel going in without the energy being spent in our daily activity to balance. We were running a surplus. Eating more than our bodies burned. So we found healthier substitutes and also started making the disciplined choice to consume less each day.
2) My wife and I started walking more. We found many added benefits by such a simple and relaxing activity. We were together more – given the opportunity to talk about any topic under the sun: prayer, the day/week ahead, what we are excited about, anxious about, what’s going on with our children, etc., etc. We were outside, clearing our heads, and getting healthy movement.
With the combined impact of eating with increased moderation by making daily, disciplined choices, plus expending more energy in the healthy activity of walking together, we were pleasantly surprised by immediate results: quickly dropping 10 lbs. each, feeling physically and mentally better, having more confidence in our choices, actions, and goals, and finding more meaningful time together.
Thank you Pastor Mark for sharing your wisdom over the years. We have been grateful to be passed on a framework that allows us to always evaluate our circumstances and, when needed, make adjustments to live more wisely in the arena of life.
Friends, may God give you the courage and determination to take the wisdom and insights you learn in reading these articles, and apply them to your faith, family, fitness, finances, marriage, and fathering. I can make you this promise. The wisdom you read in these articles will actually work when you do them.
*Wise Suggestion: It will be well worth your time, to go back to the very beginning of my Thoughts Provoking articles, and read all the ones you missed. They are packed full of wisdom, insights, encouragement, and practical applications for your fathering, parenting, marriage, life, and your faith. You can find them all here. You do not want to miss out! https://strongdisciple.com/
Helping you become a Strong Disciple,
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Mark Darling
