Healthy: The Guide by those Encouraged by God, to Discover a Life of Fitness!: Health and Wellness, #1

By Robert DeCrescentis

Do you need encouragement?

Would you like some motivation?

How about some help creating goals?

Making the right choices?

 

One word comes to mind when these questions are asked. The answer is HEALTHY! This book answers these questions in a very simplistic way which is engaging and easy to follow. Living life in a healthy and positive way can be impactful and the most important thing is to do it right! Be motivated! Be encouraged!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert DeCrescentis
• Release date: May 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781465385062

Book preview

Conquering the Inevitable

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I chased my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until they were conquered.

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Psalm 18:37

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As I was entering the gym one day for a workout, I felt really tired . . . I mean really tired. My conscious told me to stop, but my body said, Sure why not? Go for another round. There are some days that are just harder than others when working out. One thing that I have learned throughout the years is that in order to conquer your goals, you have to defeat your enemies. My enemy in this case is being obese again. Granted, I am an adult now, but as I am getting older, I do find that risk of my metabolism slowing down. Can you relate to this?

When doing my studies at the University of Northern Colorado, I was able to learn, at that time, valuable information that helped me when it came to health, fitness, nutrition, and just living a healthy

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lifestyle. Things do not come overnight, and yes, it does get really frustrating sometimes losing that one pound or shrinking one pant size (depending on what your goals are). But one thing that came easy for me to know and remember something that an old professor of mine said, You will have your ups and downs when trying to reach your goals. Even marathon runners have their days. That is true.

When David wrote Psalm 18, he was in deep trouble with King Saul and other kings in the neighboring lands. The Lord stepped in and rescued him once again from being killed in war and virtually losing everything that he worked hard for . . . including his life. David was able to face his battles and then conquered each and every one of his enemies through the Lord’s guidance and instruction. He listened and God helped.

The next verse (v. 38) states, I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet. David is still speaking about his enemies. The power of God was in David that day, and it was evident because the enemies did not have a chance. Imagine the look on David’s face, the intensity, and the determination (the will to win, to fight, to conquer) to stand up for what he believed in and lived for his entire life.

We have to have that same intensity, determination, the will to win, to fight, to conquer, just like David did. If we give up and feel depressed, then guess what the end result would be . . . (you guessed it) no goals, feeling down, and wanting to give up. Satan wants us to feel

that way when we are to that point of giving up when trying to conquer our goals. He feeds off that type of thing because Satan is a coward and cowards feed off people who are at their lowest because they are scared of strength and everything the Holy Spirit represents. Don’t let the coward win your battle.

Psalm 18 is the perfect psalm to read before starting your exercise regimen (for the day) because it is the blueprint of what the Lord does when helping you conquer your goals. (v. 14) He (God) shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightening flashed, and they were greatly confused. (v. 15) Then at your command, O Lord, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare. What a statement! The Lord is that powerful! He is mighty, just, powerful, strong, and will help you conquer the inevitable no matter what kind of day you are having! If you feel you have a mountain to climb, He will help you climb that mountain with you because He knows that you will see the result at the other side. What is your result? Is your result losing fifty

pounds? Gaining muscle? Feeling better? Quitting smoking? Quitting drinking? Binge eating? Overcoming an eating disorder? Whatever the result is, the Lord will help you achieve it. How you may ask? I will explain later on, but I will leave you with this story . . .

I was a personal trainer with a large gym chain based out of California. I was a personal trainer III, and had many clients I

was responsible for to help achieve their goals on a daily basis. I remember specifically one of my clients, a female, middle-aged, and overweight, had bad arthritis in her knees and hips, and basically had a hard time walking. She once looked at me when I was placing her through a one-hour training session and said, This may hurt me now, but I will feel better later. No more pain, I will lose weight, and I will reach my goals. It was the encouragement from both her and I that helped her reach her goals. By the end of her twelve-week session, she lost over

twenty-five pounds, the pain in her knees and hips was going away, and she did not give up. After the twelve weeks, she decided to complete the process on her own. One thing I remember telling her was that to never give up no matter what the circumstance was. She listened and was able to lose an additional 10lbs. That was 35lbs she lost because she was able to catch her enemies and conquer them!

How’s that for some encouragement? If she can do it, you can also! Don’t let your weight, health condition, disease, indecisiveness, procrastination, (or whatever is keeping you back), prevent you from reaching your goals, and conquering your enemies. There is no room for it and you know it! Go out there and conquer them all just like David did! Read Psalm 18! Know it and own it! I promise, you will feel better afterward!

Lord, please help me overcome and conquer my enemies. No matter if it’s through exercise, day-to-day living, work, school, marriage, or parenting, I would like to conquer and defeat my enemies just like David did. You make all things possible Lord, and with your help, I know I will conquer each and every one of them. It’s in your name I pray. Amen.

Renewing Your Mind 2

transformation is only possible by a renewed mind.

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Pastor John Leach

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Over the past few weeks at church, my pastor has been going over a series called Renewed. He gives us a chance to experience the Lord in a renewed mind-set as well as relating real-life situations and applying them in our lives. This week, he focused on transformation and how that is only possible by a renewed mind. The basis of this message was on the scripture from Romans 12:2:

And do not follow the customs of the present age, but be transformed by the entire renewal of your minds, so that you may learn by experience what God’s will is—that which is good and beautiful and perfect.(NTMS)

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As I reflect on this, I notice that the Apostle Paul is instructing not to follow what the world has but be transformed by the renewal

of our minds, so that we can fully experience what the will of the Lord is. Wow, what a statement, so that we can fully experience what the will of the Lord is! Imagine if we applied this toward our lives at work, at home, with our families, with parenting, with leading . . . et cetera; we would be able to lead like Christ and live like He did. Christ is the blueprint of our lives (Meaning that we should live our lives just like Christ did). Now that doesn’t mean being a legalist but rather have a relationship with the Lord, with the Father, just like Christ