It's been a while. Encouraging others to write has been a tough ordeal. Encouraging myself to write, even harder. Many times I wondered where my spark had gone. Inspiration, that beautiful, God-given ignition of fire within, that breathes creativity and concepts was not to be found. I searched! Oh, I searched!

I just find a sweet peace when I see the gardens, the parks, "The Common", the old English style antique shops and side-walk restaurants. Newbury Street is definitely one of the trendiest shopping areas around. Walking along the Charles River, and seeing water intertwined with structure and education is magnificent.

Boston is the capital of education, with more universities and colleges in its small geographical location than any where else in the USA. This backdrop brings out a creative side in me which is wrapped up in photography and writing. I have taken quite a few pictures so far, and now I have started writing again.

Having time to think about what God has done for me is truly a blessing. Where He has brought me from, and where He is going to take me if I truly submit to His will is way beyond than I could ever envision.

Ellen G. White stated in her book Education (page 18) that higher than the highest human thought can reach is God's ideal for His children. The Apostle John said in 3 John 1:2, that "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

What is God's ideal? What does it mean to prosper? Does the Apostle simply mean to be financially free, as Robert Kiyosaki in his book "Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant" so eloquently relates it? Does being in good health simply refer to an absence of disease?

In this epoch, these two ideas seem almost impossible to accomplish. We are so caught up with our busy schedules. Our time is consumed by our jobs, our meetings - both religious and secular -, exercising to get and/or stay in shape, our hobbies, our families, our friends, and even by our significant others. The result is that many times we leave God for the crumbs or totally out of the picture.

Some may ask the question: "Doesn't God want us to participate in all these activities?" The answer is yes. However, God wants to be first and foremost in our lives so He can help us achieve the ideals spoken of by Ellen White and the Apostle John. I strongly believe that it is quite accurate to suggest that we can't even begin to understand or experience these ideas without God at the axis of our lives.

So how do we go about getting on the road to attaining God's ideals? And how do we prosper and be in health?

Firstly, God's ideal for His children is godliness or godlikeness. In a nutshell, God wants our characters to resemble His. In Romans 12:1, 2, the Apostle Paul says "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." In Philippians 2:5, he says to let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus. The Contemporary English Versions puts it another way; we must think the same way that Christ Jesus thought. This should be our aim. This is God's ideal.

Secondly, to achieve this God's ideal, we must be in good health; both physically and emotionally. If our bodies are not in balance, then we can't operate at our optimum performance level. Being physically fit, in a state of wellness, and our minds free from constant worry and negative thoughts, is where we ought to be.

Here are a few simple ideas that I have found and started to apply to my own life. They do not answer all the questions to these important questions in life, but they certainly help get us on the right track.

1. Spend some quiet and quality time finding out who God is through His Word, the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15).

2. Talk to Him in a personal way, just like you would with someone you want to become your friend. Like in all relationships, it takes time and effort to get intimate, but if you spend the time, learn to trust, you will (Psalm 34:8).

3. Accept that there is a time for everything when getting to know God. The wise man King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3 outlines the different periods we may go through in our lives. When it comes to our relationship with God, there are many different periods that we may also experience; here are a few. There is a time to be joyful (Psalm 100); a time to be solemn (Psalm 92:2 - 4); a time to be quiet (Psalm 46:10); a time to be repentant (Psalm 51), always be sincere and open to His will (Philippians 2:12 - 14).

4. Spend time with friends who have similar kind of goals and aspirations as you do. I once heard T.D. Jakes say that we have to surround ourselves with friends who are positive and encourage us. It can be difficult for some persons to keep being positive and achieving their goals, if everyone around them has a negative perspective on life.

5. Exercise for 15 - 30 minutes, 3 - 5 times a week. This helps increase our breathing and take a larger supply of oxygen into our bodies, while circulating our blood supply and exercises our muscles and joints. This is something that I need to work on; but by God's grace I will keep up with the program.

6. We must eat healthier. Eat more fresh fruits, grains and vegetables. Reduce the portions of meat consumed. Also, drink 6 - 8 glasses of water a day. Another thing we must avoid is eating late at night. This is one of the major reasons why individuals put on extra weight, especially around their stomach area.

7. Spend time reading positive, soul-uplifting, and spiritual books. Reading definitely stimulates the mind and broadens our imagination (Philippians 4:8).

8. Get involved by working with others either at church, in a community group, or some special project (hint, hint - JLM). Fellowship, teamwork and comradery really help develop our characters and opens avenues to use our talents (Hebrews 10:24,25).

As we seek a physically, emotionally and spiritually rebirth, my prayer is that we all look no other place than at the feet of Jesus to begin our journey. He says to us, "If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light" (Matthew 11:28 - 30 CEV). Let's jump start our lives by accepting true rest for our souls.