Psalms 100:4-5, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

Hey there OTP family!! It is a holiday weekend and believe me, there will plenty of temptations and excuses to mess up on the challenge. But we are going to push through it.

It’s called balance!

We will enjoy our time with family and friends and take part in all the fun activities. We will just work on our choices. We will get our devotion, and workout in early. This will leave the whole day free.

The next hurdle will be our food and drink choices. We will address those as they come. Making the best choices we can.

Devotion:

First, let us focus on devotion – spending time with God! We are expanding on the holiday theme by taking time to celebrate the God of our salvation. This morning (afternoon), we just want to take a moment to appreciate the God who has done so much for us.

Yesterday, we meditated on the mercies of God. Today we just want to be thankful unto him and to bless his holy name. Yes, there is nothing like praise and worship.

If you are anything like me, the best location for me to find some alone time with God is in my bedroom. So it is an easy transition to getting in a position to exercise. Whatever your location, let us make time to move the body God gave you.

Exercise:

Next, let’s focus on a great meal that will treat our body right and boost our energy.

Healthy meal idea:

Directions

1. Step 1In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and bell peppers and season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove peppers and onions from skillet and heat remaining oil in skillet. 
2. Step 2Add steak in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Cook until steak is seared on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the steak is seared on the second side and cooked to your liking, about 2 minutes more for medium. 
3. Step 3Add onion mixture back to skillet and toss to combine. Sprinkle provolone over steak and onions then cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the cheese has melted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. 
4. Step 4Arrange lettuce on a serving platter. Scoop steak mixture onto each piece of lettuce. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

Enjoy your meal!

That is it. We have found time to spend time with God, to move our body, and to eat a healthy meal. Now, we can focus on enjoying our day. We can focus to doing what God has called us to.

Don’t forget – take a moment to share your thoughts. Share recipe and exercise ideas. Share your testimony!!

Comment below or email us at: otp.ministry1@gmail.com

Lamentations 3:22-23, “²² It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

²³ They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness

Welcome to day 1 of our journey to have a healthy relationship with God, with food, and with our bodies.

– With food, because this is the fuel for our life! Our choices in food will either energize us and provide our vital organs the nutrients the need to effectively do their job correctly. Or pull us down, clog our system and make it impossible to fully complete the call of God on our lives.

– With God, because he is our everything and without him we are nothing

– With our body, because we must move to stay alive. Movement (daily exercise) allows our each part of our body to do what it was designed to. When we are less active our bodies complain (sore, pain, stiffness, stops working).

3 John 2, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

Our goal is to please God by working towards a healthy relationship or prosper in every area of our lives.

As a part of the challenge I am going to post some healthy recipes and some exercise ideas for you. I am also going to share some daily devotions as well. Ideally, I will endeavor to share something each day of our challenge. However, if I miss a day or two – keep going strong. I most definitely will be right along with you.

Let’s get moving!!

Here is a healthy lunch recipe:

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 375°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss bread with 1 teaspoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread in a single layer and bake until golden and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Step 2Meanwhile, season chicken on all sides with oregano and remaining ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining 1 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Cook chicken, turning occasionally, until both sides have a nice sear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 165º, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
3. Step 3Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Once cool enough to handle, slice chicken into strips.
4. Step 4In a large bowl, toss chicken, croutons, lettuce, Parmesan, and desired amount of Caesar dressing; season with salt and pepper
5. Step 5Divide salad among tortillas and wrap up burrito-style. Slice in half and serve.

Don’t forget to get 20-30 minutes of exercise in today. Taking a walk is always fun and easy – and it’s free. No gym membership required.

Please share your favorite healthy meals and fun simple exercise ideas.

For today’s daily devotion, please take time to meditate on God’s word, specifically Lamentations 3:22-23. Think on just how good God has been to you and how he provides for us daily. All because of his mercy that is new every morning. God is compassionate and faithful towards us. Then have a quick prayer of thankfulness. Not asking for anything, but just thankful and grateful to God.

Go about your day with this scripture on your mind and a praise in your heart.