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Volume 33, February 2009
Inside This Issue:
Welcome
Who is New Beginnings
What’s New-
February 2009 Feature Article-
Monthly Fitness Tips-
Monthly Physical Fitness Article-
Monthly Devotional-
Team News/Prayer Requests and Praise Reports
What Have you Been Reading?
Book Recommendation
Book Blog
Upcoming Events-
Reminders-Church Link and Newsletter Signup
Word of Encouragement
New Beginnings Scripture for February
Our Mission Statement
Welcome-
Welcome to the New Beginnings Holistic Fitness Ministries family. We consider it a privilege to support your fitness efforts. We welcome your suggestions and ideas, so please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your experience with the monthly newsletter, website, weekly messages or message board more beneficial. We can be contacted at contactus@mynewtemple.org. It is our prayer to bring you words of encouragement and inspiration to motivate you to become fit physically, emotionally, spiritually and relationally. This is your New Beginning and we want to make it an awesome experience for you. As you begin this new adventure we are praying for you.
Who are we?
New Beginnings is a fitness ministry established in 2003 to offer a holistic approach to fitness that includes mind, body and spirit. A fitness ministry also serves to help people help themselves through physical and spiritual exercise. At New Beginnings we believe good health is a gift from God and can be obtained by following biblical principles as we lead a balanced life physically, mentally, spiritually and relationally.
What’s New?
It is a new year and we are looking forward to seeing a new you.
Monthly Feature Article-
Your Most Important Relationship!
By Angela Willingham
In John 3:16, the bible says, 16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. What does that really mean? What kind of love is that? The Life Application bible says that in this verse God sets the standard for true love, love that is not selfish or self-centered, the basis for all true or real love relationships. When you really love someone you are willing to give freely to the point of self-sacrifice.
God loved us so much that He sent His only son to die in our place. He who was without sin took our place, the place of those of us that often sin freely. He knew everything about us and chose to love us anyway. He knew every mistake we would make, every wrong thought we would have and He chose to love us anyway, to sacrifice for us anyway. We think we love others and that we give and yet we struggle with taking money out of our pockets for the homeless or someone we know is in need, because we are concerned about what they are going to do with the money.
He made a sacrifice knowing that we would sin, be rebellious, do something or think something wrong. That kind of love is so unbelievable, but real. It does not require us to work to receive it. We didn’t have to be perfect for Him to sacrifice His life, it was done, in spite of us.
If you have not already accepted Jesus Christ then you may not have any idea what I am talking about. I want to encourage you to visit our website homepage www.mynewtemple.org and check out the Salvation Story link http://mynewtemple.org/aSalvation.html. This relationship is important. It is the greatest relationship of all. Once you know and accept God’s love for you as expressed in John 3:16, it will help you with all of your other relationships.
We believe if you get your vertical relationship right your horizontal relationships will come in alignment. What do I mean by that? If you accept the love that God has for you and recognize that His love is unconditional, recognize that He died for your sins in advance, recognize He knew what you were going to do and did it any way. When you realize the magnitude of that type of love it makes it a little easier for you to forgive and love others. You know the stuff you did and do, but you are forgiven and loved. If He can love us like that we can love others, like our children, friends, family members and co-workers.
If you have not already developed this life changing relationship go to our website and do it today. If you have accepted the relationship we want to encourage you to remember that it is a relationship. Don’t forget that relationships take time and they take sacrifice. If you want this relationship to grow it will take more than weekly church attendance.
For a long time we thought a religious experience on Sunday morning was all it took, however, we know better. God wants relationship. It will require you to spend some time with Him, studying the Word, Praying, Worshipping and Listening to Him. A relationship is never one sided or it will be unhealthy, so remember not to look at Him as someone who is just there to give you what you want. He is not a glorified Santa Claus or the just the deliverer of little blessings for you. He wants to be an active participant in your life. Spending time with you and having you spend time with Him. Talking to you and having you talk to Him.
Work on building your relationship with God through Jesus Christ daily. Know that like any friend He may say things that you do not like, but listen anyway and heed what He tells you. The bible says that obedience is better than sacrifice. John 15:13-17 says, 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other. When He talks to us in our time of prayer and meditation, when we read the Word, He is confiding and sharing the Father’s heart.
Each of us has been chosen by God, it is up to us to accept that fact and walk in it.
The bible is clear that God wants a relationship with us. He wants it so much that He sent His only son to be a bridge between sinful man, that’s Him and us. The choice of how or when we will respond is completely up to us, but provision has been made through the blood of Jesus Christ and God does want to call us His friends. He loves us all.
There is nothing that you have done that has moved you to a place where He cannot forgive and love you. Your life of drugs, alcoholism, adultery, sexual promiscuity, prostitution, gossip, lying or whatever your sin happens to be is not so great that God cannot forgive you and put you on the right path, but the choice to believe and accept that love is up to you. For years we have told people to work out physically. Today we want to encourage you to work out your salvation, workout your relationship with God. If there is anything hindering your relationship, repent (turn away from whatever it is) pray and ask the Father to forgive you and to take away the desire for whatever it is. He can and He will if you diligently seek Him, but you have to really desire it and be willing to do what it takes to avoid it.
Work on building your most important relationship today so that God can work with you as the center of every other relationship that you have.
Scripture:
John 3:16:
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
For further discussion contact contactus@mynewtemple.org or write to us on the message board http://mynewtemple.org/aMessages.html
Monthly Fitness Tips-
Weight Loss Tip # 33
Listen To Your Body
Eat when you are hungry. (This does not mean to keep eating, non-stop because you think you are hungry. Be careful of your emotions. This tip is referring to eating by the clock.) The problem is that we eat by the clock. You never see a fat animal in the wild because they eat when they're hungry, not when the dinner bell rings. Eating on a schedule forces you to eat when your body may not need fuel/food. If you had a decent snack at 10am, don't feel like you have to eat again at noon. Wait until you are hungry, but don't let the time of hunger pass and don't allow yourself to get to the point of starving, because that will cause you to make a poor choice when deciding what to eat or miss your eating window all together.
Check out the New Beginnings Message Board for more tips that will benefit you under the Physical Fitness Category. If you would like to add your own tips and suggestions please feel free to do so. If you have forgotten your password submit a request to have it sent to you or reset through the message board sign in screen.
As always we encourage you to see a physician before beginning any exercise program. Take the first step by getting up and doing something to take care of your most valuable resource, Your Health.
Monthly Physical Fitness Article-
Are You Wired To Relapse?
Excerpt from Get Fit-Fitness Angel Newsletter
Have you given up on your fitness goals yet?
If you are looking for an excuse to fall off the wagon, life is full of them. Life includes your responsibilities at work, home and all of your other activities. But if you want to be successful you are going to have to be a little selfish and take care of you.
Oprah shared some of the lessons she has learned in her recent confession about her ongoing struggle with weight. Oprah knows how it feels to fall off the fitness wagon; in the January issue of The Oprah Magazine she described her recent 40 pound weight gain. Think about it, if Oprah with all of the money she has and influence she has struggles, it is something that any one can be affected by. Oprah can afford personal trainers, cooks and encouragers, yet she struggles. Dealing with weight issues is not easy and she is honest and real in her testimony.
Her testimony was filled with valuable insights for anyone else prone to relapse. There was a hidden cycle that I found in her story - one that exposes the process of falling off the wagon.
1) You Fall
Your fall off the wagon could take place in a single moment, some emotional situation, or it could be the result of a drawn out process like becoming tired of the routine, tired of the continual fight with food and exercise. Oprah described her fall as one that happened slowly as a result of health problems. These health problems became her reason for not exercising.
Illness, vacation, holidays, changes at work, changes in your relationships, finances, the economy or any other change in your schedule are all things that'll get you off the wagon. It is no different than an individual who struggles with a drug or alcohol addiction falling off the wagon. Don't think it could never happen to you. It happened to Oprah and it can happen to you. Once you're off the real damage begins. ..............
Visit The Fitness Angel Fitness Community to read the article in it’s entirety www.myfitnessangel.com (Newsletter dated February 1, 2009). You will need to be logged in to view the Newsletter pages.
Spiritual Fitness-
Part II – Understanding God’s Word
By Minister Michelle Brown
As we are growing in understanding and given the Knowledge of the Word of God, we will not fully understand everything the first time we read or study the scriptures. We need to understand this is a growing process, which will increase as your relationship with God increases.
Please understand, you do not have to approach God’s word with uncertainty, the feeling of coming to the wrong conclusions or losing that which you have learned in the past. Instead, approach the Word of God, which you have studied with certainty. Knowing the Word of God will mold your thinking and direct you to view God’s word with His eyes and not your own. The key is to submit to what the Word of God is saying. Accept the Word of God as it is written, and let it develop in the manner in which God is leading you.
As you are spending time in scripture and asking God questions-Stop and listen to what God is saying to you. You will discover that spending more time in worship (with music and scripture or reading aloud) will draw you closer to God and there He will define what He has in store for you.
As you continue, you will begin to hear things. You may find yourself wondering, “Was that God or Not?” This is why scripture reading is important, because the word of God says- Hosea 4:6 “my people are destroyed from the lack of knowledge.”
If you are trying to determine if you understand the word of God and hear the Voice of God ask yourself these questions:
- Does what I heard line up with the vision God has for my life?
- Is this lining up with the wise counsel in my life? (pastoral leader, bible study teacher)
- Has what I heard left me with a sense of peace?
- Has what I heard been covered in the love of God? We have to remember the God we serve is a loving redeemer………..
Be encouraged, Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be known to God.”
Remember to continue studying the word of God and read other bible study books and guides, but know which Christian writings are truly inspired by God, and which are someone else’s thoughts or misinterpretations. Measure the writings against the Bible Scriptures as the final authority, by which you can measure anything and everything.
As you are growing in this journey, ask yourself, “Is what you are studying bringing forth the fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Scriptures for Meditation:
- (Psalm119:162) “I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasures.”
- Ask God for wisdom-“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7)
- It is better than gold! (Proverbs 16:16)
Monthly Devotional-
The Devil’s Lie Babies
John 8:44
By Minister Charlotte Hillman
Hallel Ministries
Whenever God wakes me up early in the morning, it’s because He wants to do a strip search. Yesterday, I asked the Lord to show me the stronghold in my life because I kept repeating the same sin over and over. God has clearly given me an assignment to pray on my job, but I would find myself talking to everybody but Him. I knew I needed to control the temptation of speaking negatively and to use the “fire” escape God gave me when I was tempted. Yet, I must confess I failed every single time.
This morning as I sought something to read, my eyes fell upon these words from an old Joyce Meyer magazine “If God Doesn’t Have Your Thinking, He Doesn’t Have You!” The Lord was leading me to read this article by Pastor Paul Scanlon.
When I read Ezekiel 28:17, I knew I had heard from the Lord. Pride was the baby the devil had fathered in my mind. I had the audacity to believe that I knew more than GOD. (I shook as I had to write this in my journal.)
Each and every day God speaks to me and gives me specific instructions. However, at the end of my quiet time, it was if I would leave God at home. I am ashamed to admit that I would go through the day and ignore the Lord-pride! When tempted to say something, the Lord would faithfully give me my way of escape. But I would reason, it was okay as long as I just say a little. But I’m sure you know there is no LITTLE WHEN IT COMES TO SIN! God showed me what I was actually saying was, God, I know more than You!
This sin was a way of life, it was a subconscious belief system based on a lie. Scanlon said, “Most believers …need deliverance … from a lie that looks nothing like the problem it is causing.”
I cried in repentance and with the joy because finally the lie was exposed and now the devil’s lie baby can be aborted! God allowed me to see that I was carrying the devil’s baby—pride. Moreover, before the Lord could strip me, He had to take me through a lie detector test!
The devil is the father of lies so he has Lie BABIES-
Lies Believers Are Birthing In Enormous Sizes
New Beginnings Team News-
Fresh Rain Conference-
Several of our team members were blessed wit the opportunity to attend the 2009 Fresh Rain Conference at Pilgrim Rest Church of Phoenix, AZ. The pastor is Bishop Alex Thomas. This conference was a blessing. Each of the team members came away with a new and renewed sense of who God is. We were blessed by the teaching of Bishop Charles Middleton, the preaching of Bishop Liston Page and Dr. Jamal Bryant. If you came into 2009 struggling each of them shared a word to let you know that the struggle, whatever you have been crying about is over.
The enemy should have killed us while he had a chance because we are stronger, wiser and better in the words of the song by Marvin Sapp, who was also in attendance. If you are in the Phoenix, area we want to encourage you not to miss the conference next year. We have listed Pilgrim Rest on our find a church page to give you the opportunity to visit their website to learn more about the pastor and people of the church and order materials on line. We were blessed and we would recommend this conference to everyone.
The Fitness Angel has recommended a church in the Phoenix Metro area. Check out Desert Life Church of Scottsdale, AZ. The pastor is Pastor Troy Johnson. This church is multi cultural and multi generational so everyone feels welcome. The Fitness Angel recommended the church to Minister Angela and she has been watching the sermons on line ever since. This church can also be found on our find a church link page. We encourage you to check it out and take the time to listen to some of Pastor Troy’s sermons. You will be inspired and he will move you to a place of desiring to live for God. We encourage you to start with the Vision Series he completed in the month of January 2009 and let him know how it impacted you. He is an awesome teacher and breaks the word down in such a way that you will leave knowing exactly what you need to do to apply the word to your life. Check out the churches website at www.desertlifechurch.com. If you do not presently have a church home, where you are growing, we encourage you to visit in person or on the web.
Lindia Lamb Certified Personal Trainer-
Lindia is a new addition to the New Beginnings team. She is an ACE-certified Personal Trainer, an AFAA certified Group Fitness Instructor but more importantly, she is a blessed woman of God. She has been in the fitness industry for over 9 years and has encouraged women to achieve a healthy balance in their lives through exercise & wellness. Check out her first article above under the Monthly Physical Fitness Article. We pray that this additional physical fitness support will provide the encouragement you need to reach your physical fitness goals.
Angela’s Weight Loss Watch- Check out the blog. Minister Angela and Minister Kim went on a hike. It was Angela’s first time and instead of hiking back they decided to walk around and what should have been a two mile hike became a 5 – 6 mile hike and walk. Watch the blog on the New Beginnings site for more updates. She would love to have you join her in it. Blogging is not really that exciting when you do it alone.
She would love to hear some of your work out stories. Tell us about some of the funny stuff and some of the stuff that blessed you, by kicking you into gear.
Remember you can join Angela in this endeavor by going to The Fitness Angel site www.myfitnessangel.com and completing your profile. She would love to see your pictures so feel free to upload them to the site and e-mail her to let her know how you are doing if you choose not to put everything on the site. If you have any problems updating your information please contact her and let her know, because we want to make sure this works for everyone. Her e-mail address is angela@mynewtemple.org. She will be blogging on both sites, but you can see her complete blog on the New Beginnings site www.mynewtemple.org. Let her know if you have any problems.
“Let’s have a healthier 2009!”
Remember the Biggest Loser Competition from the January 2009 Newsletter.
The Equipment Recovery team has decided not to weigh in every week. As you know The Fitness Angel always discourages this and some of the participants found it to be discouraging as well due to daily weight fluctuations. Let us know if you decide to do this or something else. We are interested and want to keep in touch. Submit any other weight loss challenges and ideas you have to us so we can share them with others that are striving just like you to get the weight off. Email us at contactus@mynewtemple.org.
What Have You Been Reading?
Many of you have read some awesome books that have really ministered to you, spiritually, emotionally, relationally or physically. Let us know what you have been reading by writing to us on the message board. Your recommendations might help someone else. Please let us know if you have read some good Christian fiction as well. Many of those books have awesome messages contained within them and we want to encourage people to grow spiritually any way they can.
The Ministries’ Monthly Book Recommendation-From The New Beginnings Team
If you ever read the newsletter and wonder why we read so much, we want you to know that it is to equip us to better serve God in the area of ministry. You never know who you will meet or what that person will be in need of, so you have to be ready. Last month we told you about the book Love and Respect and before the month was over we had the chance to minister from it. Thank God for Pastor Fredrick Fairley, the pastor of Berean Church of Phoenix, AZ (check the find a church link for more information) being such an awesome man of God that he started us reading to ready ourselves for the future that God had for us. He suggested we read The Five Love Languages and His Needs, Her Needs.
We then picked up Love and Respect, never knowing that we were not just reading it for ourselves, but for those that we would come in contact with. After Christmas Minister Angela found herself ministering from this book to a gentleman that was struggling in his marriage. Sis. Dollie has been ministering from it at her job as well. Minister Kim finds herself ministering at Walmart, so we encourage you to read and allow God through His Holy Spirit to equip you for the ministry He has for you.
This month we don’t have a specific book to recommend to you. We want to encourage you to go deeper in the Word of God by reading your bible and to suggest some books to us based on what you have been reading.
If you want to do some reading for fun- We have read books by Francine Rivers (Atonement Child), multiple books by Jacquelin Thomas, Victoria Christopher Murray, Terri Blackstock and many others. You can get many of these authors at your public library. They are excellent books and they all have a message that could be a blessing to you without being self-help books that tend to be boring too many. They deal with real life issues and you can actually see yourself or people that you know in the characters. Tell us about fiction books that you might be reading that might bless someone else.
Let us know what you have been reading by writing to us on the message board http://mynewtemple.org/aMessages.html or sending us a message at contactus@mynewtemple.org.
Monthly Book/Bible Study Blog
The book blog is on hold while we focus on making changes that will make it easier to post. Feel free to write about books you have read or to comment on the ones the New Beginnings Team suggests by going to our message board.
Upcoming Events-
Elevate-Prayer Conference will be held in Mesa, AZ at the Central Christian Church of the East Valley. There is a link to this church on our find a church link. Minister Kim and Minister Angela have been visiting this church for the last several weeks to hear the series Repulsed: Confronting the Sins of the Church. This is an awesome series and they would recommend that if you are in the Mesa, AZ area you check out Central Christian Church of the East Valley. The Elevate Prayer Conference will be held on February 20 and 21st. Stormie Omartian, author of The Power of A Praying Woman, The Power of A Praying Wife and so many more wonderful prayer books is the featured speaker. The New Beginnings Team recommends this conference as it has the potential to change lives. Check out the www.cccev.com website for more information.
New Beginnings audio Podcast with The Fitness Angel talking about On-line dating.
Is it right or is it wrong? Is it God’s design for relationships or something that man has come up with? Check it out and let us know what you think.
Watch for-
Watch for the Sister Girl Chat-Sisters just hanging out talking about the things that are on their minds.
Watch for an interview with a Breast Cancer Survivor-We are looking forward to doing a joint interview with a Breast Cancer Survivor, who survived a double masectomy. How did she handle it, how did it affect her mentally, how did it affect her family? If you have questions write to us at contactus@mynewtemple.org so we can get ready to ask your questions as well as our own.
Watch for the Why Do You WorkOut Question to be answered-We were thinking it might be fun to get some snip-its from people in the park or at a gym to find out why they work out. Why do the personal trainers do what they do? What kind of satisfaction does a personal trainer get out of your success?
Watch for Health Tips-As part of our desire to help individuals become holistically fit we are presently working to incorporate health tips into our website. This information will assist by giving individuals basic information on such topics as diabetes and high blood pressure. These segments will be short but informative.
Relational Focus-Watch for upcoming podcasts and articles focused on our relationships, beginning with our relationship with God. If we get our relationship with God right our other relationships will also be better.
Divorce From the Male Perspective-What do you say when you think everything is okay and your wife comes home and asks for a divorce? . What do you do? Normally this is the story we hear from women. We blame it on a man’s midlife crisis. This time we are going to hear it from the side of the man. The series will allow a man to share his feelings and struggles.
If you have suggestions for upcoming articles or New Beginnings content please write to us at contactus@mynewtemple.org.
New Beginnings Reminders-
The Fitness Angel’s Fitness Community and Newsletter-
You can create your own personal free account and sign up for the bi-monthly newsletter. Remember the newsletter is only a help to you if you open it so we encourage you to open it and read the articles that are included. If you have a spam filter on your e-mail account your copy of the newsletter may have been blocked. Check your spam folder and then set up the Get Fit Newsletter in your mailbox so you can receive it bi-monthly uninterrupted. Remember it is free, so don’t keep it to yourself. www.myfitnessangel.com.
Church Link-
We have added a couple of churches to our church link. Please take the time to check it out and see if yours is there. If it is not already listed add it to our list by clicking the link below. Is there a church near you that does an outstanding job of promoting spiritual, emotional, relational and physical fitness? If you're looking for a church, check here to see if our members have recommended one near you. If you know of a church that should be on our list, please add it to our list.
If you want to ask for additional information or would like to have some one from our team contact you regarding the churches on our church link contact us at churchlink@mynewtemple.org.
 Newsletter Sign Up-
If you are receiving this message you are currently signed up on our New Beginnings message board. We have set up a new E-mail program for the New Beginnings and Women’s Faith Stories sites, and it will be necessary for each of you to click on this sign up button and complete the informationor go to the website www.mynewtemple.org home page and click on the button at the bottom of the page. This will allow us to keep in contact with you in a more efficient manner.
Currently on Women’s Faith Stories (WFS)-
We are collecting articles about women who have survived cancer. If you have a faith story you would like to share send it to us at contactus@womensfaithstories. Your story might be a blessing and an encouragement for someone else.
We are still collecting pictures and stories for our Women That Have Gone Before Us Quilt. In an effort to honor her grandmother who passed away on January 11, 2008, Angela has decided to create a quilt. If you would like to submit a picture and brief tribute on behalf of a woman that meant something to you and helped you get to where you are today send it to us at contactus@womensfaithstories.com. Include their birth date and date of death. Maybe it was your grandmother, a school teacher or a female family member. It does not matter who she was, we would just like to take this opportunity to honor them. Check out last month’s newsletter for more information.
Contact us if you have a woman’s faith story you would like to share for the Women’s Faith Stories Website www.womensfaithstories.com. Send your comments to us at contactus@womensfaithstories.com.
Word of Encouragement-(from January 2009)
This quote was received by Angela our CEO on December 30, 2008 from a dear friend as she was contemplating the new year and all that it had in store. She asked her friend to keep her in prayer as the ministry makes the change in focus to relationships and like most of us any major change comes with some trepidation. Our CEO trusts the Lord but still sometimes finds herself questioning His use of her to carry out His directives. This quote was shared with her at just one of those times and it brought her to tears.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Marianne Williamson
A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles," 1992 (commonly misattributed to Nelson Mandela, 1994 inauguration speech)
This quote and the scripture reference Proverbs 4:25-27, (25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. 27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.) will be the key foundational quote and scripture to stay focused in 2009.
New Beginnings Scripture for February 2009
Proverbs 29:18:
18Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
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