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GIVING SACRIFICIALLY

Must reads:

My Pulpit Message: Giving Sacrificially Pg 3-4

Desiring God: Wise Women Build Homes

Pg 9

Entrepreneur: 3 questions for a compelling vision

Pg 10

CONTENTS

My Pulpit Message notes | Giving Sacrificially | 3 - 4

My Devotional: Serve and Compete | 6

King’s Inspiration: Where do you find wisdom? |7

Wambui’s Reflections: Secrets of Divine Protection - The Cover, | 8

A Desiring God article: Wise Women Build Homes : Motherhood’s Lasting Influence | 9

My Entrepreneur: 3 questions for a compelling vision | 10

My Health: Adopting a Mediterranean diet has the same benefit as 4,000 extra steps per day | 11-12

My Kitchen: African Chicken Peanut Stew | 13

My Sports: Emotional Day snaps five-year winless streak on Mother’s Day at Byron Nelson |14

My Pulpit Message Notes

GIVING SACRIFICIALLY

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything— all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44 NIV)

Having been a teacher for many years, I always start with definitions. So when talking about sacrifice or giving sacrificially what do we really mean?

Definitions of sacrifice

1. Parting with what you would rather keep.

2. An offering presented to God as a token to express our thanks.

3. Religiously, a sacrifice tended to include bloodshed. And that is why in the Old Testament they had so many sacrifices and we know that God sent His Son as a sacrifice.

4. A sacrifice is giving until it hurts. Giving beyond your convenience.

We cannot worship God effectively without giving a sacrifice.

In the Scripture passage Jesus has been in the temple the whole day. The religious leaders have been at Him, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Scribes had been asking Him questions to trick Him, but they did not succeed. It seems that in the end Jesus went and sat strategically to see what people were giving into the temple treasury and we are told that in that story some people gave normally, the way you and I normally give, there some people who gave lots of money, then came this widow and she put in two coins.

This got Jesus excited that He called the disciples to come and see the two coins that the widow had put in the temple treasury.

Lessons

1. God sees how much we give and from what motives all the time.

Just like Jesus sat strategically in the temple to see what the people were giving. He still does that today. He sees what we give. The widow did not even realise that Jesus was watching her. She just gave.

- When I came to NBC in the late seventies there was a debate that was roaring at NBC church, whether to have fundraisers and invite politicians to come and help us or should we not. During our AGMs there were many discussion and there were those who felt strongly that we should invite even the president to come and help us fundraise. Others even said they had access to the president, while others said no we cannot have politicians to come and help us raise our funds.

- Reasons why this debate was going on is that when we invite politicians and the money we are giving is being announced, people tend to give more. The other reason is because we want to be seen.

- Our God is always watching. We don’t need a politician. Thank God NBC never fell to that temptation and for the 45 years I have been here, we have never

invited a politician to come and help us raise funds. We have a greater incentive. God is watching us.

- Unfortunately this has been misused even as we talk about Shakahola.

- As a young lady at university I started attending a church, one of the new upcoming churches and there was a young handsome man who used to preach. So one particular Sunday I went there and the preacher would announce, ‘The Lord has given me a new suit again.’ And we would respond, ‘Halleluyah’. He went on, “He has given me a shirt, a matching tie and handkerchief,” And we all went, ‘Halleluyah. And he lifted his foot and said, “And he has given me new shoes,” and we all responded, “Halleluyah”.

When it came to the time of giving, he made us give. He would say give even your transport, don’t worry about your transport. God will take you home. What broke my heart is when I saw a man taking his bicycle. That was his transport. A man who did not have much, that was his transport to go to work and everywhere. Yet this preacher would announce God has given him new suit, etc. He was milking his congregants. I never returned to that church again. Thank God that does not happen at NBC.

However, because that has been misused does not mean that God does not want us to give sacrificially. God always wants us to give sacrificially. Abraham was asked to give up his only son. Paul gave up his career, everything. Esther said, “If I die, I die.” When was the last time we gave until it hurt?

We have a choice like the widow who did not have to give sacrificially, but she did. God will not force you, Pastor will not force you, but He requires that we actually give sacrificially. Unfortunately there are those who are misusing the misuse by pastors and the recent Shakahola case not to give. They ask, why should we give? The fact that this has been misused does not mean that we should not give to God sacrificially. God still demands us to give sacrificially. Are we giving until it hurts?

God is watching us as we give. What is He seeing?

2. We can all give sacrificially though not equally.

God does not expect to all give equally. That is why He gave the tenth, so that if I have a hundred shillings, ill give ten, if you have a thousand shilling, you’ll give a hundred, you have ten thousand, you’ll give one thousand. It is the equalizer. But sometimes we give poverty as a reason not to give.

The lady that was commended by Jesus was obviously not rich. Giving is not a luxury for the rich. Giving is a privilege for all of us. Poverty and riches are relative.

My husband and I lived in Kibera in our early days when we go married and we lived in a small house. I used to call a one and half bedroom because the second bedroom was so small a bed couldn’t reach there. Then one day my cousins came to visit us and came to our house and was amazed. He commented, ‘The walls are so white. You live in such a big house.’ In Kibera and he thought I was living in a big house. Poverty and riches is relative. To this man who was living in a one room came to my house with a sitting room and one and half rooms, it is a big house. In fact it was at that time that I started thanking God for that house, because before that I was only complaining about how small the house was.

My Pulpit Message Notes are transcribed and edited from the sermon preached at the Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC) Ngong Road on Sunday, 14th May, 2023. Preacher - Mrs. Grace Ojiambo. Scripture: Mark 12:41-44. Topic: Giving Sacrificially

My Pulpit Message Notes

You don’t have to be rich and the hard times, in Kenya today to give. Yes the times are hard, but that lady gave to God. What are you giving at this time when the times are hard?

One of the group of people that I love are the Macedonians (2 Corinthians 8:1-3) “And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,”

The Macedonians out of their extreme poverty and trials, they had overflowing joy and this welled up in rich generosity. We have no excuse not to give. The woman had two coins. The Macedonians were extremely poor and they were being tried and they still gave generously beyond.

The world looks at how much we have given, but God doesn’t. God does not look at the quantity, otherwise Jesus would never have praised this widow. She gave only two cents.

Someone has said that there are three levels of giving; some of us give less than our ability, others give according to our ability (where most of us are) and others give beyond their ability. They sacrifice in giving. What level are you and I giving?

Giving sacrificially demonstrates that we have faith in God. That we believe in what He says He will do. He says, give and it will come back to you , good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. Giving sacrificially shows that we have confidence in God and His promises. It also shows that we have confidence for the poor and the lost. Giving sacrificially shows our devotion to God and to our church.

Are we devoted to God? Do we understand what God has done for us? We have just come from Easter. Do we understand what He did? He gave us His only Son. That should help us to give sacrificially. Are we devoted to our churches? Do we know where our pastors live? Have we visited our pastors in their homes? Are we happy that they are living there? Can we give a little more to take care of our pastors so that we can be proud when we go to their homes? We can be proud because God is using us to reach them.

Evangelism is a very expensive undertaking. Many years ago a Nigerian came to teach us during one of our conventions and challenged us. He told us, how dare we depend on non believers to give us money to go and reach the lost. He asked us, how many of us own ‘matatus?’ Only one person raised their hand and he said us, how can you hope to change the matatus if only one of us owns matatus? We need money to reach out to the world and wherever evangelism needs to go and where is that money going to come from if not from you and I as we give sacrificially.

It is not only about giving of our money, but also time, our homes, our talents, resources and of ourselves.

In this church one of my favourite group of volunteers are Sunday School teachers. Before COVID I would come to church every Thursday and find the leaders here sitting with their pastors, planning, arranging the material. They would go have lunch, come back and leave at 5.00 pm. On Sundays when we come we see the teachers ready. Do we know that they have sacrificed their time to plan so that our children can come and enjoy the Sunday School and be taught the Word of God? They do it so willingly.

I wonder what would happen if more of us gave our time and talents to NBC? Those of us who are Calebs, we have worked and retired, where are we taking our time? What are we giving to the church? How much time are giving to the church of Jesus Christ. Our pastors are usually overworked. The only way to help

them not over work is not to pay them more, but to give our time sacrificially until it hurts.

3. Sacrificial giving is motivated by love.

We are celebrating Mother’s Day today. Can anybody beat the sacrifices parents make for their children? Whether they are your biological children, or your nieces and nephews? I started being a mother when I was about 17. The sacrifices we make for our children, or brothers and sisters. I remember when in university and we used to have vouchers, in the Christmas season I did not eat much. I would keep those vouchers so that I could get money to buy t-shirts and dresses for my younger brothers and sisters and when I would go happy I could get so happy to see them happy.

Parents whether biological or not, we sacrifice. We give them the best education for our children even when they are not so good to us, we still give them. Today we have a generation of children who have an attitude of entitlement. The parents give everything. Sacrifice comes out of love.

God loved us first, we give ourselves to Him, then we give sacrificially like the Macedonians. The Bible tells us they gave themselves to God first and then they gave. So if we don’t know Christ, if we don’t love Him, if we don’t appreciate what He has done for us, we cannot give sacrificially. So we begin by loving Christ, by accepting Him as our Lord and Saviour and we realise how much He loved us, we love Him back. And that is the only way we can give sacrificially.

Romans 12:1-2 we are told to offer ourselves, our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. And when we do that, God sees like he saw that widow. When Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son God said, “Now I know that you fear me”. What have I given the LORD lately that can move His heart towards me? Like this lady, Jesus’ heart was moved towards her. Like Abraham. Sacrificial giving speaks on our behalf.

Benefits of Giving

1. When we give sacrificially God notices. He told Abraham, ‘Now I know’. He said about David, “a man after my own heart.” He said Jesus, “My beloved Son.”

2. It attracts unprecedented favour and breakthroughs. Luke 6:38 says “Give and it will come back to you. Galatians 6:6 “We reap what we sow.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 you sow sparingly you reap sparingly, you sow generously you reap generously”. v 11, “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous and give some more.” God expects us to be generous and He will bless us even as we give.

Maybe one of the reasons that our faith is weak is that at times our spiritual lives is so dry is because we haven’t experienced the joy that comes from sacrificial giving.

One of the reasons we don’t give is because we don’t trust God. We say, I have a mortgage, I have a loan, I have fees, I have food etc. That is why God tells us about ten per cent. That is why that widow was praised. Another reason we give is that we are poor. That widow was poor. Another reason is we are busy making more money and ourselves more comfortable. Lastly, is because we have not given ourselves to God.

Am I giving until it hurts? Do I have excuses?

Giving sacrificially is not an option. God expects us to and there are benefits.

My Life

How to get saved and spend eternity with God

His Love

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NASB)

My response

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Romans 10:9-10 (NASB)

My prayer

Lord God Almighty, thank You for Your love for me. Thank You that You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to die for my sins. Please forgive me for all the sins I have committed against You. I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He died on the cross and You raised Him from the dead on the third day. Please write my name in the Lamb’s book of life. Help me to live a life that is holy and pleasing unto You. In Jesus’ Name I pray and believe. Amen

Serve and Compete

“Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” — Philippians 2:3-4

It was a summer, offseason practice in June when I walked through the doors of a particular Division I basketball arena to observe their practice. I immediately noticed the coaching staff’s shirts — not so much the front, but the words written on the back. I was intrigued, and even inspired, as I read the words “Serve & Compete.”

The word “serve” is very special to me — it was my 2019 word for the year, the first year I incorporated Jon Gordon’s “one word” concept. As a former high school coach and athletic director, I started realizing that leading was actually all about serving.

Serving is about others. It’s about relationships, humility and being unselfish. Serving is putting the needs of others before yourself. But serving really isn’t a natural process. We tend to naturally focus on our needs and wants first. Coach Pat Riley describes the “disease of me” being real. I’ve watched this ugly disease kill many teams — many good and talented teams. I’ve seen it ruin relationships, marriages, families, businesses and churches.

Several ingredients make a great team: Talent, effort and connectedness, among many other qualities. Serving may not initially be considered part of that list. However, the true greats are the ones who serve. Everyone strives to be great — players, coaches and teams all want to be great. In my humble opinion, there

is nothing wrong with wanting to be great. Author John Maxwell reminds us, though, “You don’t have to be great to serve, but you have to serve to be great.”

Culture is the “hot topic” today, especially among businesses and teams. Culture is actually the Latin word for “care.” Strategies and systems are important, but culture trumps them both.

Leaders will post signs, hang posters or banners, and share quotes in the hallways and in locker rooms, stressing their beliefs and culture. Coaches and leaders will try different ways to emphasize their culture. However, what makes a culture special is not just leadership or the head coach defining it, but when the rest of the organization defends, embraces and displays it.

And for the basketball team I got to observe last summer, it was clear that “Serve & Compete” was a culture they all embrace — their brand. It’s way more than just a quote on a T-shirt, it’s what embodies their program. It’s the core and foundation of what they do, but more importantly, it’s who they are.

Prayer: “Dear God, my prayer is to be a servant. Please forgive me when I make this life all about me. May I love You by loving others, and may I serve You by serving others.”

— Jim Good

King’s Inspiration

WHERE DO YOU FIND WISDOM?

By william King |

How often have you been on the brink of a decision that had a major impact? Perhaps you are wondering right now about whether you should make an offer on a house in a certain neighbourhood, or whether you should take a job offer from another company, or how you should help your sibling choose the right university, or how to care for an elderly parent whose memory is failing.

You have done your homework and found limited amounts of information and that are helpful. But now what you need is wisdom, not more information. So where do we find wisdom?

When I was thinking about finding the wisdom I need, I was reminded of Solomon. He was probably only around twenty years old when he took the throne from his father. Suddenly, it was all on his shoulder to reign over this great nation.

God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want Me to give you” (1Kings 3:5). He could have asked for fame, riches or a large kingdom; but he answered, “God, what I need is Your wisdom to rule Your people.”

God was so pleased with his answer that He not only gave Solomon wisdom, but He gave him power, influence and great riches. Just as Solomon needed wisdom, we need it. Solomon says we are to “search for it as for hidden treasure.” For the Lord gives wisdom (Proverbs 2:4).

Wisdom comes by understanding the knowledge of God and applying it to our life. You can have stacks of information and even know God’s Word, but if you don’t apply it, it’s not going to do you any good. The Scripture says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God” (James 1:5).

We are to ask God to give us wisdom so we can have an understanding heart to make right decisions. And one of the best places to find wisdom is the book of Proverbs which was written by Solomon. It’s a book that’s full of wise counsel and life lessons. That’s what wisdom is. It’s a simple revelation from God that can apply to our everyday lives.

Ask God for wisdom and read the book of Proverbs. Read, reread and apply it. It is loaded with powerful nuggets of wisdom for your life.

SECRETS OF DIVINE PROTECTION - THE COVER Wambui’s Reflections

By Wambui Kimani | image courtesy: Wordpress.com

Continued from last week.

The Cover

Confess Psalms 91

Spend time Praising and Worshipping God

1.)It is written; do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of the trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the LORD will be your confidence. And will keep your foot from being caught.

(Proverbs 3:26) - Therefore, O Lord, cover me and my loved ones from the activities of terrorists in Jesus’ mighty name.

2.) It is written; avenge me of my adversary.

(Luke 18:3) Therefore, O God, arise and avenge me of all my adversaries in Jesus’ mighty name.

3.) It is written; they fought from the heavens; the stars from their courses fought against Sisera. (Judges 5:20) -Therefore O heavens fight for me and my family in Jesus mighty name.

4.) It is written; I will purge the rebels from among you and those who transgress against Me..I will bring them out of the Country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I Am the LORD.

(Ezekiel 20:38) -Therefore O Lord, purge and sanitize my household in Jesus mighty Name

5.) It is written; then it was so, after all your wickedness - woe, woe to you!” says the Lord God.

(Ezekiel 16:23) -Therefore woe unto all the vessels that the enemy is using to do me harm in Jesus Mighty Name

6.) It is written; behold, therefore, I stretched out My Hand against you, diminished your allotment and

gave you up to the Will of those who hate you......

(Ezekiel 16 : 27).

Therefore, let my enemies be delivered into the hands of their enemies in Jesus Mighty Name.

7.) It is written; you shall be for fuel of fire; your blood shall be in the midst of the land. You shall not be remembered, for I the Lord have spoken. (Ezekiel 21:32) Therefore, let all my spiritual enemies become fuel for divine fire in Jesus mighty name.

8.) It is written; then they will know that I AM the Lord, when I have set fire in Egypt and all her helpers are destroyed.

(Ezekiel 30:8) Therefore, O Lord, let all the helpers of my enemies be destroyed in Jesus mighty name.

9.) It is written; and the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; they will have no one to bury them nor their wives, their sons nor their daughters - for I will pour their wickedness on them.

(Jeremiah 14:16) Therefore, O Lord, pour the wickedness of those who seek to destroy me / my loved ones upon their own heads in Jesus mighty name.

10.) It is written; call together the archers against Babylon. All you who bend the bow encamp against it all around; let none of them escape. Repay her according to her work; According to all she has done, do to her; For she has been proud against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel.

(Jeremiah 50 : 29)

Therefore, let all the hosts of the Lord turn against my spiritual enemies in Jesus Mighty Name.

11.) It is written; Let God Arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those also who hate Him flee before

Him. (Psalms 68:1). Therefore, O God arise and let all Your enemies in my life be scattered in Jesus Mighty Name.

12.) It is written; and He that searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the WILL of God.

(Romans 8:27) - Therefore, the intercessory prayers of Jesus, who is seated on the Right Hand of the Throne of God, will not be in vain over my life and family in Jesus Mighty Name.

13.) It is written; the Lord is your keeper; the Lord is the shade at your Right Hand. The sun shall not strike you by day nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

(Psalms 121 : 5 - 8) Therefore O Lord, spread your covering of fire and blood of Jesus Christ over me and my Loved ones in Jesus Mighty Name.

14.) It is written; rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the WILL of God in Christ Jesus for you.

(1 Thessalonians 5:16 -18) Therefore, I thank You Father, for raising a Spiritual Shield over my loved ones and me. Thank you for giving me the heart to appreciate everything You are doing for us. Thank you for filling my heart and my home with Joy and Peace that surpasses all understanding. Blessed be Your Name for all the answers to my Prayers in Jesus mighty name .

Conclusion

May the Sovereign King Surprise you and fill you with His presence each moment of your life in Jesus mighty name

Wise Women Build Homes Motherhood’s Lasting Influence

www.desiringgod.org/articles/wise-women-build-homes | By Scott Hubbard, Editor, desiringGod.org

“Do you ever remember your mom helping you put your clothes on?”

The question came from my wife, a mother of two young boys who have not yet mastered the art of getting dressed. I thumbed through the files of those early years and came up blank, the thousands of pant-pull-ups and shirt-put-ons lost to conscious memory. My wife came up blank too.

It was a humbling moment, as we imagined our boys, thirty years from now, remembering almost nothing of these everyday routines. It was also a moment — and they seem to come often these days — that put motherhood in a new and hallowed light.

“The wisest of women builds her house,” Solomon tells us (Proverbs 14:1) — and house-building, I am learning, is both beautiful and forgettable. Essential and often unnoticed. One of the world’s most important tasks, and one of the most easily overlooked. Clothing children, feeding children, teaching children, disciplining children — this is brickwork: painful and painstaking, slow going and mundane.

But if you follow godly men and women back to their beginnings, you will often find a mother pulling a foot through a pant leg, reciting a psalm from a smudged index card, and through ten thousand other small moments, building a house whose walls gleam with godly wisdom and whose floors rest on the fear of the Lord.

Two Women, Two Homes

The book of Proverbs, like much wisdom literature, describes two ways to live. And at the heart of these two ways are two women and two homes: Lady Wisdom and “her house” (Proverbs 9:1), Woman Folly and “her house” (Proverbs 9:13–14). Both women call out to the simple (Proverbs 9:3, 15); both invite the young and immature to “turn in here” (Proverbs 9:4, 16). But while those in Wisdom’s home find life (Proverbs 9:6, 11), Folly’s door leads to death (Proverbs 9:18).

We might assume these women are no more than creative literary devices, personifications of two life paths. But Proverbs invites us to see more. In this book addressed mainly to sons, one of the greatest recurring dangers appears in the figure of the “forbidden woman,” a real-life temptress who seduces simple men (Proverbs 7:5, 21). Proverbs portrays her as Folly incarnate (Proverbs 7:11; 9:13), the ruin of many sons (Proverbs 7:26).

Meanwhile, however, Lady Wisdom also appears in bodily form, ultimately in the figure of the godly wife. Just as wisdom crowns a man (Proverbs 4:9), so too does an excellent wife (Proverbs 12:4). Just as “whoever finds [wisdom] finds life and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 8:35), so “he who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22). Proverbs ends with a poem

portraying such a woman, who not only “opens her mouth with wisdom” (Proverbs 31:26) but is Lady Wisdom in wifely form (Proverbs 8:11; 31:10).

Yet before a man meets Lady Wisdom as wife, he is meant to meet her as mother.

Mother Wisdom

The book of Proverbs culminates with a mother’s teaching to her son (Proverbs 31:1). Long before Proverbs 31, however, the book teaches us to see a godly mother as Lady Wisdom’s first embodiment. Note the similarity between Proverbs 9:1 (about Lady Wisdom) and Proverbs 14:1 (about wise mothers):

Wisdom has built her house. (Proverbs 9:1)

The wisest of women builds her house. (Proverbs 14:1)

“More is happening in the small moments of motherhood than meets the eye.”

More is happening in the small moments of motherhood than meets the eye. As an imperfect but God-fearing woman builds her house, she becomes for her children Wisdom’s first face, first voice, first touch. Through her daily presence, children learn what Wisdom looks like and feels like; through her daily words, children hear Wisdom’s plea: “O sons, listen to me. . . . Leave your simple ways, and live” (Proverbs 8:32; 9:6).

At the crossroads between life and death, then, Proverbs would have us picture a woman, a mother, teaching and calling and living such that her children choose the fear of the Lord, choose wisdom, choose life. Her voice may not sound as loud as Woman Folly’s (Proverbs 9:13); she may often be hidden from public view; her work may sometimes seem as forgettable as fastening a Velcro strap on a toddler’s shoe. But over time, her home becomes the very womb of Wisdom, forming children who scorn the house of Folly.

Heart of the Family

Of course, a father stands at the crossroads between life and death as well. Much of the direct teaching in Proverbs, in fact, comes from a father to his sons. Like Lady Wisdom, he too instructs and warns and pleads with his children to choose life (Proverbs 3:13–18), and he appears throughout chapters 1–9 as the family’s primary teacher and exhorter (Proverbs 1:8; 3:12; 4:1; 6:20). Even still, Proverbs personifies wisdom as a woman and then embodies her in the real-life figures of wife and mother. Why?

Surely in part because a father’s influence in the home, though deep and foundational, is also limited by the typical calling God places upon him. In Proverbs 31, the husband and father is standing “in the gates” (Proverbs 31:23), away from home, while the wife and mother “looks well to the ways of her

household” (Proverbs 31:27).

This father, no doubt, spends much time at home — and this mother, we know, is not afraid to venture into the marketplace (Proverbs 31:18, 24). But in the complementary union of husband and wife, his daytime calling leans more toward society, while hers leans more toward family. And therefore, as home-builder, home-maker, home-keeper, she is wisdom’s steady presence through so many hours when her husband cannot be.

“Day by day — at mealtimes and nap times, through tantrums and tears — she is wisdom’s beating heart.” Even in families where a mother sometimes works outside the home, Herman Bavinck’s observation still often holds true: “Far more than the husband, she lives along with all her children, and for the children she is the source of comfort amid suffering, the source of counsel amid need, the refuge and fortress by day and by night.” Indeed, “if the husband is the head, then the wife is the heart of the family” (The Christian Family, 95–96). Day by day — at mealtimes and nap times, through tantrums and tears — she is wisdom’s beating heart.

A mother’s profound influence on her children, then, comes not in spite of her seemingly small work in small places, but precisely because of it. Each jacket zipped with cheerfulness, each cracker or Cheerio served with love, each promise of God whispered over little beds adds another brick upon the wall of wisdom’s house, and gives children another reason to follow in her steps.

When Her Children Rise

My young sons do not yet grasp the gift God has given them in this mother “who fears the Lord” (Proverbs 31:30). In all likelihood, they will not remember how she lifted them onto the potty or gently sang God’s praises this morning. But day by day, they are feeling the touch and hearing the voice of Lady Wisdom. And when, God willing, they learn to embrace her for themselves (and the Christ she represents), they will no doubt add their voices to the children of the wise:

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. (Proverbs 31:28)

The praiseworthy hero, as often happens in God’s kingdom, is not the one our society would expect: not the big, but the small; not the well-known, but the obscure; not the woman wrestling men in the movies, but the woman wrestling a T-shirt over a toddler’s head. When we rise up and call her blessed, we anticipate the day when everything hidden will be revealed and the forgotten labors of every wise mother will be proclaimed from the housetops.

“The wisest of women builds her house,” Solomon tells us. And our wisdom is to rejoice in such a woman.

Entrepreneur

3 questions for a compelling vision

www.biblicalleadership.com

By Scott Cochrane

Whether or not your new leadership vision will fall flat, or will generate wild fanfare, has less to do with the vision itself, and more to do with how you go about casting the vision. Because before people will be moved to action, you must be able to move their hearts.

And to unlock their hearts, there are three key questions you need to ask. Each of these questions were effectively addressed by the team I worked with in Hong Kong, who were organizing one of our training events for the Global Leadership Summit.

When I arrived, the team pointed out a significant challenge they were facing. As with much of Hong Kong architecture, the venue for the conference was a tall and slender building, which featured 3 auditoriums; one on each of the building’s first three floors.

The event would take place in the auditorium on the first floor, and then shown by closed-circuit screens in the upper two auditoriums.

The organizers needed to convince the majority of guests to move to the upper floors. They accomplished this by leveraging the three questions of a compelling vision:

1. What’s the big deal?

Before responding to the vision, people need to know what’s at stake.

In this case, the organizers told each guest that the leadership training was of

such value that each of us must do our part to allow everyone to participate.

2. What’s the plan?

People might be warming up to the idea that the high stakes are worth pursuing, but they won’t get off the sidelines until they are convinced there is a wellthought-out plan.

The Hong Kong team accomplished this with the use of color-coded name tags, which people could voluntarily use if they were willing to shift to a higher floor.

3. What’s in it for me?

People need to know how they can contribute to the vision, and how they can benefit.

The Hong Kong team provided free snacks and refreshments for those willing to move to the upper floors; a creative way to incentivize anyone still sitting on the fence.

While the example of moving people around a conference venue might be of a small scale, the principles apply to any vision you are casting. So, master the art of casting a vision based on these three questions.

And let the fanfare begin.

My Health

Adopting a Mediterranean diet has the same benefit as 4,000 extra steps per day

Researchers say adopting a Mediterranean-style diet produces the same benefits as walking 4,000 extra steps per day.

Experts say you can adjust to this type of eating plan by eating more fruits and vegetables, consuming less red meat, and preparing your own meals from scratch.

They also note it’s still important to exercise regularly even if you are on a healthy diet plan.

A healthy diet can be the physical equivalent of taking 4,000 extra steps per day for middle-aged adults.

That’s according to a new study published this week in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

“This study provides some of the strongest and most rigorous data thus far to support the connection that better diets maylead to higher fitness,” said Dr. Michael Mi, a study author and cardiologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, in a statement. “The improvement in fitness we observed in participants with better diets was similar to the effect of taking 4,000 more steps each day.”

The researchers pointed out cardiorespiratory fitness reflects the body’s ability to provide and use oxygen for exercise.

It also integrates the health of multiple organ systems, such as the heart, lungs, blood vessels and muscles.

The researchers said these are a “powerful predictors of longevity and health.”

They also said even with people who exercise the same amount, there are still differences in fitness, suggesting that additional factors like diet contribute.

How the healthy diet study was conducted

The study looked at the link between a healthy Mediterranean diet and physical fitness in community-dwelling adults.

Researchers studied 2,380 people in the Framingham Heart Study. The average age was 54 and 54% of the participants were women.

Participants did a maximum effort cardiopulmonary exercise test on a cycle ergometer to measure peak VO2 (the maximum rate of oxygen someone uses during exercise).

They also completed the Harvard semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, which quantified intake during the last year of 126 dietary items ranging from never or less than once per month to ≥6 servings/day. Dietary quality was assessed by the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI; 0 to 110) and Mediterranean-style Diet ScoreTrusted Source (MDS; 0 to 25), which are both associated with good heart health.

The researchers also quantified the fasting blood concentrations of 201 metabolites.

Higher scores indicated a better-quality diet including fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, legumes, fish and healthy fats, and limited red meat and alcohol.

The results from the health diet study

Researchers examined the link between diet and fitness after considering other factors such as age, sex, total daily energy intake, body mass index, smoking status, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, diabetes and routine physical activity level.

My Health

The average AHEI was about 67, while the average MDS was about 12. Compared with the average score, an increase of 13 points on the AHEI and nearly 5 on the MDS was associated with a 5% and 4% percent greater peak VO2, respectively.

“In middle-aged adults, healthy dietary patterns were strongly and favorably associated with fitness even after taking habitual activity levels into account, Mi said. “The relationship was similar in women and men, and more pronounced in those under 54 years of age compared to older adults.”

Researchers examined the relationship between diet quality, fitness, and metabolites, which are substances produced during digestion and released into the blood during exercise.

They found 201 metabolites (amino acids) in blood samples collected from a subset of 1,154 participants, with 24 metabolites associated with either poor diet and fitness or with favorable diet and fitness.

“Our metabolite data suggest that eating healthily is associated with better metabolic health, which could be one possible way that it leads to improved fitness and ability to exercise,” Mi said.

“This was an observational study and we cannot conclude that eating well causes better fitness, or exclude the possibility of a reverse relationship, i.e., that fit individuals choose to eat healthily,” he added.

The benefits of maintaining a healthy diet

Mi said the study provided another reason to eat better.

“A Mediterranean-style diet with fresh, whole foods and minimal processed foods, red meat, and alcohol is a great place to start,” he said,

Jack Craig is a certified personal trainer for Inside Bodybuilding, a health clinic for professional athletes. Craig told Medical News Today that 4,000 steps are about the average amount of activity most sedentary people in the United States get during the day.

“With such a low amount of activity, it’s important to have a healthy diet,” Craig said. “Mediterranean diets are among some of the most notorious heart-healthy diets, which is why they can market benefits like those you’d get from 4,000 steps a day.”

Craig added that a Mediterranean diet is “rich in ingredients” that can help reduce risk of dementia and cardiovascular disease such as heart failure or stroke.

Exercise is still important

Craig did note that it’s important not to see diet as an alternative for physical activity.

“Walking regularly throughout the day, even in short, five-minute breaks throughout the day, can reduce blood pressure and blood sugar, as well as elevate your mood and help you think more clearly,” Craig said. “Walking also provides important stimulus which can help improve balance, muscle development, and bone density in the lower limbs, which is essential as we age.”

Dr. Theodore Strange, the chair of medicine at Staten Island University Hospital in New York, told Medical News Today there’s “very good” evidence linking healthy diet with better fitness, whatever a person’s fitness goals.

“Eating a good diet can provide one with the energy needed to perform better in daily tasks and to just enjoy casual or more rigorous activity,” Strange said. “As a marathon runner, it’s very important to have a healthy diet to achieve the goal of finishing; but one does not need to run marathons but just be active with at least 4,000 steps daily with a healthy diet to feel and perform better.”

Strange added the Mediterranean diet improves health, especially for people predisposed to hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease.

“Eating smart and healthy and being active reduces the risk of chronic diseases, prevents weight gain, and promotes weight loss, while improving one’s overall well-being,” he said.

How to build a healthy daily eating plan

Dr. Daniel Atkinson, the clinical lead at online medical clinic Treated, told Medical News Today there are easy ways to convert one’s eating habits to more of a Mediterranean-style diet.

“Switch to olive oil,” Atkinson said. “The obvious one is swapping butter – or lard if you use it – vegetable oil or rapeseed oil for olive oil when you’re cooking. Olive oil is easier on blood pressure and cholesterol than other types of cooking fat.”

Atkinson said cooking from scratch helps, meaning using basic and fresh ingredients, instead of processed foods.

“Another staple of a Mediterranean diet is fish – for example salmon or white fish – with boiled or roasted potatoes and a boiled vegetable like broccoli,” he said. “The main advantage of cooking meals yourself from scratch is that you’ve got more control over the salt and sugar content because you add it yourself. Salt is a major contributor to high blood pressure while eating a lot of sugar can increase your diabetes risk.”

Atkinson also said it’s worth it to pay a bit more for higher quality ingredients.

“Plum tomatoes and passata will taste better than chopped tomatoes in a tin for example,” he said.

Atkinson also said cook in bulk to avoid quick and easy processed meals and to use fresh herbs for taste and grill meat, rather than frying it.

“Turkish and Greek dishes tend to use grilled rather than fried meat and fish — and there are a couple of reasons why this is healthier,” Atkinson said.

“First of all, fried or deep-fried meat or fish soaks up more oil, which increases the saturated fat content,” he said. “Secondly, when you grill meat, you’ll tend to go for leaner cuts like chicken breast, because it stays together better on the grill – and these cuts don’t contain as much fat in the meat itself.”

My Kitchen AFRICAN CHICKEN PEANUT STEW

https://lowcarbafrica.com/african-chicken-peanut-stew/

Ingredients

1.5 lb chicken thighs

½ cup tomato sauce

1 red bell pepper chopped

½ cup peanut butter

¼ cup olive oil

½ onion chopped

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon bouillon powder

2 cups chicken stock or water

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions

Wash and pat dry the chicken.

Mix some salt and pepper in a small bowl, then rub it on both sides of each chicken part.

Pour some olive oil into a large skillet and then brown the chicken pieces on both sides on medium-high heat.

When sufficiently browned, remove the chicken thighs from the oil and set them

aside.

Pour ¼ cup olive oil in a large soup pot and when heated, add the chopped onions and red bell pepper. Sauté for a few minutes on medium heat.

Next, add the tomato sauce and spices (except the salt), simmer for a few minutes and pour in the chicken broth.

Add the chicken pieces, give it a stir and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Taste for salt and add some if you need.

Finally, add the peanut butter into the pot and stir till it is well mixed in.

Cook till the stew becomes thick.

Your African chicken peanut stew is ready to be enjoyed!

Notes

This recipe serves 6 and contains 7 net carbs per serving.

If you’re using stock, make sure to taste for salt before adding any. Stock usually already contains some salt.

Add a teaspoon of ground coriander or chopped cilantro, chopped garlic cloves, fresh ginger, and a teaspoon of ground cumin for a tasty variation.

If you like spicy stew, add chili pepper or habanero pepper.

If you use water instead of stock for this recipe, adjust the spices if you need to.

You can swap the chicken for beef or fish if you prefer. It’s equally delicious!

My Sports

Emotional Day snaps five-year winless streak on Mother’s Day at Byron Nelson

https://www.reuters.com/sports/golf/

May 15 (Reuters) - Former world number one Jason Day said he had considered giving up on golf a couple of years ago after he ended his five-year title drought with a one-stroke victory at the Byron Nelson in Texas on Sunday.

It was the Australian’s first win on the PGA Tour since the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship and his 13th in all since he won his maiden title, also at the Byron Nelson, in 2010.

Since his last title win, Day has endured illness and injury as well as the pain of watching his mother’s five-year battle with cancer, which ended when she died last year.

“It was very emotional to go through and to experience what she was going through, then I had injuries on top of all of that going on in my life,” he added.

“To be honest, I was very close to calling it quits. I never told my wife that, but I was okay with it, just because it was a very stressful part of my life.”

The 35-year-old was briefly reduced to tears after sealing victory on what was Mother’s Day in the United States and celebrating with his wife Ellie, who is expecting the couple’s fifth child.

“Ellie, she never gave up on me trying to get back to the winner’s circle again. She just always was pushing me to try and get better,” Day said.

“It feels strange to be sitting here. I don’t know how else to explain it. To go

through what I went through and then to be able to be a winner again and be in the winner’s circle is very pleasing.”

Day hit the top of the leaderboard when he chipped in for a birdie at the 12th hole of the TPC Craig Ranch course and sealed the win when he picked up a ninth shot with a tap-in at the final hole.

“I came into the week after missing last week’s cut, and I was kind of fed up with having to go over like a lot of technical thoughts with my swing,” he told reporters.

“So I just decided I’m just going to go out and just try and play some golf ... For some reason, I just thought that I was going to win the tournament.”

The timing of the win could not be better with the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in New York coming up later this week.

Day won his only major title at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in 2015.

“After this week, I know that I can win,” he said. “There’s a few subtle things that I have to change technically to feel like I can actually come out and dominate and play very consistent golf.”

Jason Day poses with the winner’s trophy during the final round of the AT&T Byron Nelson golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports