Personally, I love to gain knowledge in the subjects that I am passionate about. Either sitting in a group of 5 to 5000 listening to a speaker, or listening to an online podcasts / live feed, I find contentment listening with my pen and note book jutting down those inspiring words spoken. I eat it all up!

Every time I am made aware of an event, I would secretly ‘wish’ I could attend. It is amusing for me to day dream about how I would get there.

Would I go by plane?

What if I took the bus?

Maybe train, that would be fun!

Though, I would have no problem driving, and seeing the landscape of the United States!

I would also imagine all the people I’d meet and the conversations we would have. It would bring me so much enjoyment to ponder these things that sometimes I would become disappointed that it wouldn’t ‘work out’ and ‘maybe next time’ I would get to go.

Though lately I have chosen to stop myself from daydreaming. Not that I believe I won’t have the opportunity to go on these great adventures – because I will.  But because truthfully, I have become ‘flabby.’

We all have experience that moment of truth when we either go up a flight of stairs, or jog down the lane and feel those areas of our body that are not as ‘tone’ as we would like. Or we become out of breath and realize “wow, I am out of shape.”

Most common reason I become ‘flabby’ is that I am eating more calories than needed. I mean if I am not exercising daily there is no need to ‘eat’ more calories – right?

Recently I bumped into a person I that I haven’t seen in years. This person was telling me of all the great events that they have had the pleasure of being at [in person]. They went on about how inspiring these speakers were, and how it was making a difference in our world.

Though, in the back of my mind I couldn’t help to think; What ‘action’ are you doing with all this ‘inspiring’ knowledge?

As if I would be any different then them; excited about the ‘meal’ I ate but not doing anything to build muscle, thus becoming flabby.

Yes, the Lord dropped something in my heart in that moment of self-awareness. I have had the pleasure of eating many good healthy meals, so to speak, inspirational words served only to fuel me to exercise.

But do I? No. I may take a moment of two thinking of how I can apply the new gained understanding in my realm of influence, but the routine of life pushes those ideas aside. Even today as I sit to type this out, it is hard for me to allow myself time to gather my thoughts on the subject matter.

This past week I asked Papa God; ‘am I making a difference?’

Normally I believe [have faith] that I am making a difference, even though it may not seen by the ‘world’ it is seen in the heavenlies. Though, as I look in my office at the piles of journals, studies, books [with highlighted passages], and notebooks of words jutted down, I must ask myself; what have I done with all of this?

Truthfully all the piles represent treasures of understanding that has changed my perception of how I view things. Helpful for me, yes – but is it making a difference in the world?

That is when I told myself, or God, I wanted to do one thing a day outside my normal comfort zone.  Thinking that, by taking a step of faith daily in one the areas that I have felt encouraged, the end of the year will reveal a beautiful transformation.

Like a caterpillar to a butterfly kind of thing.

I am on another writing project. But I want to share with others ‘now’ about the things I am writing on, putting into action [exercise] this knowledge I have gained.

Well, again God has proven to be faithful in my little steps of faith.  I reached out by email to a principal of one of our local schools. Which has led me to another person whom I am going to meet today to share my faith inspired idea, with the possibility of meeting another from a different campus. How exciting for me!

I suppose I type this all out to perhaps encourage you.

What types of ‘meals’ have you eaten? How many calories have you taken in, and are you ‘exercising’ those calories to build muscle, or have you become ‘flabby’ as I have?

I don’t ask these questions to accuse you, please hear my heart. I ask these questions to perhaps have you asses your own fitness.

We all make a difference in our realm of influence, really, we do! So, let’s make a difference and start exercising!

Philippians 4:8-9 MSG    Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice [exercise] what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Italicize mine-gg