You would think that by now I would have this whole taking care of myself thing down. One thing you learn very early is that no two rounds of treatment are the same. Each time you have the poison sent into your system is different than any other. Sometimes my body holds up pretty well during the first week. There are a few occasions when the chemicals get the best of me. I would have to say that every approach to take is something tried over the last few months. Watching what you eat is important. You really do not want to try the chili burger during the first few days. Exercise plays a role in how you recover. I am grateful that my routine allows for me to move around some. It usually gets better after the first ten days. That is how long it takes for all of the medicine to leave me. I am more accepting of rest while moving through this. My blood cells of all colors need time to recuperate. A nap is an act of necessity on occasion. All of this together seems to be a huge help in speeding up recovery.

Most of life is both/and not either/or. Human nature tends to focus on select favorites while neglecting balance. For example, some people try to lose weight by diet only. They forget to exercise. Some people start in on a vigorous exercise program without watching what they eat. This usually does not end well either. Or, some believers view life only through their gifts or interests while forgetting God wires us all individually. This also leads to issues when we are struck with our own self importance. You might be surprised how often conflict develops from good people having a bad perspective even with the things of God. Churches as well as people can end up with a lack of balance which is far more harmful than healthy.

One of my pet peeves is how we elevate bible study over prayer. This may not be our intent but it does happen. What we forget is this is two sides of the same coin. It's a bit like breathing. Just to breathe in is not enough should we forget to breathe out. What we learn in bible study is for much more than accumulating information. God talks to us so we will learn to talk to Him. Be sure you read this carefully. It is not that one is more important than the other. My point is both are crucial to a healthy spiritual life. Head knowledge is no replacement for a heart that is open in praying. It all balances out in the end.

Maybe there is something safe about bible study. You can sit, listen, or even take notes without having to put stuff into practice. Praying is hard. It requires us to care about others as we do the work of intercession. This is far more than reciting familiar words but it moves us into a conversation with God. We have to put more of our self out there to engage God to make a difference. Our mid week group meets together to go over prayer concerns at a level beyond the usual behavior. There is more to our praying than just calling out names on a list. My goal is to help us stay current on what is going on in the lives of others. Does this mean that deep study is irrelevant? All of what we do as a believer comes to bear in how we pray. Here is where the proverbial rubber meets the road. This is where what we know mixes with how we care.

Anyone who knows or listens to me should be convinced of my belief in God's word. Even when it is difficult to understand you can always find truth. Reality is that the best way for that truth to set you free is combining it with praying. If we cannot balance our study with our prayer then we have little hope of seeing it come alive in our daily experience. What we pray for tells a lot about who we are as believers. How we pray tells us about our comfort level with God. Who we are when we pray is about as good as we get in our spiritual journey. Let's try putting all of this together to fully realize all God desires for us.

Bro. Trey