MaxLife Moments

  As people enter into a New Year, they often make New Year's resolutions or create a plan for the year ahead. Some people enjoy creating and using vision boards to help them reach their goals. However, there is much debate about vision boards and if Christians should use them. Before I give my opinion (and that is it an opinion), let me first say: 1. Always be led by the Holy Spirit. If you feel convicted about doing something, then don't do it. He knows your inner most thoughts, desires, attitudes and motivations.  2. Don't do anything if it becomes a stumbling block to other believers and I would add if it could possibly give Satan a foothold in their lives.  1 Cor. 8:9  But  beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become  a  stumbling block to those who are weak.  3. Is what I am doing bringing glory to God or to self or to Satan? The chief end of man is to "glorify God and enjoy Him forever." Westminster Shorter Catechism What is a Vision B...

During my years of marriage to Marc Thomson, we had many financial struggles, especially when I was pregnant with my daughter. At the time, we were renting a single wide trailer in Honea Path. It was not the nicest trailer, really it was probably the worst place we ever lived in during our marriage. I was not working; Marc was working temporary jobs through a job agency. My car was not running, and we were borrowing a really old and tattered looking truck from his dad. But during that time God showed up in many ways to provide and taught me some lessons about trusting Him. First, He let me get a taste of discrimination (socioeconomic discrimination). Our bank at the time was in a small shopping center in Greenwood and beside it was a fitness center. One day we went to the bank, but Marc parked the truck in front of the fitness center. Now, I don't know if Marc typically did this or if he just did it that day because the shopping center parking lot was full. Either way, he went to t...

What is Christian Meditation? Mary Fairchild in her article "Christian Meditation From a Biblical Viewpoint" writes that " Christian meditation is altogether different from the increasingly popular practices of mindfulness and self-enlightenment, as well as transcendental meditation. The Scriptures encourage spiritual reflection, both in the Old and New Testament, but with a different motivation, application, and result from other forms of meditation."  Mary Fairchild  (www.learnreligions.com) The main difference of Christian meditation and other forms of meditation is the focus. In Christian meditation the focus is on Biblical Scripture. Tim Bryant and other Biblical and Christian counselors have methods or processes of meditation they teach, which focus on memorizing and reflecting on the meaning of Biblical Scripture.  In Psalm 1:2, God tells us "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night." The word meditate he...

 Update on my de-cluttering mission! Well, my daughter has been helping me about once a week with getting rid of things. For several weeks, we threw away, gave away or consigned several items and organized winter clothes into plastic bins. My challenge was to remove 20 items and I know I removed more than that! We are still working on each room and its been a slow process, but progress is being made. It is good to accomplish mini goals along the way.  One area to still work on is de-cluttering my time. It don't seem to have enough hours in the day no matter what time I get up. Finding and reducing or eliminating distractions is a new goal! Pastor Smith at Word of Life Ministries just preached on reducing distractions and this is something God has already been dealing with me about.  Challenge: What is distracting you from what God is calling you to do? What do you need to reduce or eliminate to give you more productive time? 

I grew up in a home where clutter was a constant. Although, there were areas of clutter and areas that were clutter free. Both of my parents grew up poor (my mother the oldest of 12 children and my father the youngest of 6). Both grew up on farms and in homes that were sparse with personal possessions and "the finer things of life." My parents had good work ethics, and they expected their children to do chores and take care of the things we had. My dad often bought the latest tech. I grew up with a Commodore 64 computer and an Atari. We had a VCR early (the heavy kind that you could use as a weapon in a home invasion lol). My mom collected things (probably because she rarely was allowed to keep anything as a child and had to pass down clothes, toys etc to her younger siblings). I would say we were rural middle class. Because they grew up with little, both my parents gave my sister and I many things. Materialism was part of life and letting go of "stuff" was not real...

Good morning and welcome to my new MaxLife Moments blog. I am excited to start this blog and share about how God is at work in my life.  I am Crystal Maslow, and I have been in Christian ministry for over 30 years working with children, teens and adults. I have been through many mountain-top and valley experiences, but through it all I have learned to depend upon God and His word.  I have chosen to call my business "MaxLife 1010" because of the verse John 10:10b KJV, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." The word for life in this verse is zoe and Strong's Lexicon states that zoe "refers to life in its fullest sense, encompassing both physical and spiritual dimensions...a quality of life that is abundant and fulfilling, characterized by a relationship with God."  Strong's Lexicon also states that John and Paul, "infused the term with a deeper theological meaning" and that "They emphasized ...