I usually go to the gym around 3-4pm and workout for 1-2 hrs, 2-4 times a week. I also recently started walking about 20 minutes in the morning after I wake up. I’ve used cold plunging to start my day and wake up quicker. This tends to set a tone for my discipline throughout the day. I’ve also used it as a pre workout before I go to the gym. I’ve heard this helps boosts T levels. And I’ve done it after an intense cardio. And rarely I’ll do one in the evening before bed. If you cold plunge, when do you normally get in?

A fresh look at Matthew 7:13-14 Scripture Focus Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV) “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Key Insight from the Greek English translations often collapse two different Greek words into the single idea of “narrow.” The original text uses: - Stenos (στενός) – the gate is dimensionally narrow (tight, with obstacles standing close together). - Tethlimmene (τεθλιμμένη) – the way is compressed, pressed, or crushed. This comes from the verb thlibō (θλίβω), the same root as thlipsis (θλῖψις), the New Testament word for “tribulation” or “affliction” (used 45 times). The broad way is eurychōros (εὐρύχωρος) – spacious in every direction, with no resistance and no extraction (a rare word Jesus used only once). Main Teaching Points 1. Two Different Words, Two Different Ideas The gate is a tight entrance (stenos). The road itself is an ongoing process of compression (tethlimmene). This is not primarily about moral rules or “being restrictive,” but about an inner mechanism of pressure that extracts something precious. 2. The Destination of Each Path The broad, spacious way leads to apoleia (ἀπώλεια) – often translated “destruction,” but the same word the disciples used for the “waste” of the expensive ointment poured on Jesus (Matthew 26:8). It carries the sense of squandering or losing what one could have become. The compressed way leads to zoē (ζωή) – not mere biological life (bios) or soul life (psychē), but the divine quality of life that Jesus embodies. He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life (zoē)” (John 14:6) and “This is eternal life (zoē): that they know you…” (John 17:3). Jesus also came so we could have zoē abundantly (John 10:10). 3. How We Travel the Way Many people simply “enter” (eiserchomai) the broad way. On the compressed way, the few find it (heuriskō – the root of “eureka!”), implying active seeking and discovery after searching (see Matthew 7:7 – “Seek and you will find”). 4. The Picture of the Oil Press The Greek word for compression (thlibō) is the same used for pressing olives or grapes to produce oil and wine. Gethsemane literally means “oil press.” Jesus walked the ultimate compressed way in the garden, where the pressure produced the oil of redemption. The narrow way is not punishment — it is production. What is false gets pressed away so that what is precious (zoē) can flow. 5. Connection to the Rest of the Sermon on the Mount Right after this passage, Jesus warns about false prophets, trees known by their fruit, and builders on rock vs. sand. The broad way can look externally “righteous” but lacks the inner transformation that only comes through compression.

Decoding John 3 through the Greek word anothen Scripture Focus John 3:3, 5-8 (NIV – with Greek insights) Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born anothen.” … “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the pneuma. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the pneuma gives birth to pneuma. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born anothen.’ The pneuma blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the pneuma.” Key Greek Insights (the three words with double meanings) 1. Anothen (ἄνωθεν – G509) Can mean "again" (repetition) or"from above" (origin/direction). Appears 5 times in John's Gospel. Outside the Nicodemus conversation (John 3:3, 7), every other instance is translated "from above" (e.g., John 3:31, John 19:11, John 19:23 – the seamless garment “woven from above”). Nicodemus heard only the “again” layer and pictured re-entering his mother’s womb. Jesus pointed to a different source altogether. 2. Gennaō (γεννάω – G1080) Usually translated “born,” but carries the stronger sense of “to beget” or “to generate.” Shifts the focus from the person being born to the Father as the Generator. It emphasizes received origin rather than human effort or self-generated identity (compare John 1:13 – “begotten … not of the will of the flesh … but of God”). 3. Pneuma (πνεῦμα – G4151) Means both “wind” and “Spirit.” John deliberately uses this double meaning in John 3:8. He uses a different word, anemos (ἄνεμος), for literal wind elsewhere (John 6:18), proving the wordplay is intentional. The Spirit moves like wind: you hear the effect, but cannot control, predict, or trace its source. Main Teaching Points 1. “Born Again” Captures Only Half the Meaning Tradition has emphasized the “again” (a conversion event or restart). The fuller Greek points to origin from above — a life received from God’s realm, not manufactured from our biography or willpower. 2. From Self-Produced to Received Identity The verb gennaō highlights the Father’s generative role. This is not about trying harder to become a better version of ourselves, but about being begotten by God (John 1:13). The kingdom is seen and entered only through this divine origin. 3. The Movement of the Spirit Like wind, the Spirit arrives unbidden and cannot be directed by us. It produces its own kind: “the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” This inner movement is mysterious — you notice the effects, not the mechanics. 4. Nicodemus’s Journey He came “by night” (symbolizing surface-level, darkened understanding). His story arc continues in John 7 and culminates in John 19 when he helps bury Jesus — a slow movement from night toward the light of recognition. 5. The Seamless Garment (John 19:23) The tunic Jesus wore at the crucifixion was “seamless, woven anothen from top to bottom.” It serves as a living picture: an undivided life descending entirely from above, covering the whole person without human seams or patches.

Romans 13:11 "And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed". SHORT STORY - In 2000, 8 months after my marriage to a girl I had dated for 4 years, I caught her with another man- my best friend and the best-man at my wedding, we obviously separated and later divorced, but with this incident I looked at my life and choices and saw allot of hypocrisy in myself, I was a typical Sunday-keeping Christian (kinda a church mouse, due to poverty & homelessness) I read in Matthew, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the person who does what my Father in heaven wants. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we force out demons and do many miracles by the power and authority of your name?’ Then I will tell them publicly, ‘I’ve never known you. Get away from me, you evil people. This Scripture woke me up & scared me! What would I do if I came to the end and kept following the same path & this was the answer I got when I met Jesus? So I prayed and asked God, "If I am to call myself a 'Christian' what does that mean & what does that look like- to You, Father?" Well fast forward 25 years & I'm still correcting bad choices (being recently released from prison) but God in His loving kindness has taken me on a journey that included two cross-country bicycle rides over a 1000 miles, the longest in 2006 from Grants Pass, Oregon to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, with just me & my dog, to discover the truth of our faith, & His desire for His children to seek Him with a Whole Heart, and obey, NOT 'For' salvation, but because of it. I have learned allot in these years & in no way am I saying 'I got it all together' but I understand it soo much more today than when I started my faith walk as a teen back in the early 80's. The biggest take away from it all is a Scripture He gave me some years back:

I realize I’m one of or the only woman in this group. Which doesn’t surprise me one bit. I’ve always been a black sheep, and there’s no reason to stop now. I am a spiritual woman, and I love to empower my growing community. I am a YouTuber and a spiritual influencer. I resonate with other influencers who are genuine/good people who truly want to uplift and inspire others. I truly feel that I can make a difference in people’s lives. I’ve been on a healing journey since 2020, and that’s also when I had my first spiritual awakening. This awakening opened up my entire world to the possibilities of life. I started to realize how powerful I truly am, and that I could take control of my life, and change for the better. My whole life I over indulged and had little to no self discipline. This was not something I was taught as a kid. I had to learn it on my own, later on in my adult life. To be honest, I am still learning, but I am much better off than I used to be. In my early 30’s I gained a significant amount of weight. I had severe health concerns that debilitated my daily life. I could barely get around, and I was hospitalized several times. My addiction to food almost killed me, when I got Covid at almost 700lbs, I’m lucky to still be here. Now, enough with the somber, today I am in a really good place! I have lost over 130lbs and counting! My health concerns are almost nonexistent, they’ve healed significantly. I can move easier, and walk longer. I can breathe better. Overall my life has improved in tremendous ways. You know the one thing that kept me going? It was my faith. My faith in the Divine, and in my future was the very thing that kept me going. I never gave up on myself, despite every single step being a massive struggle, literally. As I was decreasing my body, I was growing in spirit. I am in such a good place now, spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally.. All the things. I am consistently bettering myself everyday, and I’ve done this all on my own. My insurance does not allow the weight loss medication. I’ve done this with a lifestyle change and dedication. I will continue to share my journey and experiences in hope that I can inspire others to keep fighting no matter how difficult life may seem. I believe we all deserve happiness, and I’ve learned that self discipline is the highest form of self love. 💕 Thank you guys for allowing me to join the black sheep club. I’d love to make some life long friends. I’ve needed a sense of community. I think this is a good place to start.