Fit to Live

As Live the Life Clothing Company develops we want to consistently come up with new ways to help our followers and customers “live the life.” So, during the planning for the fall clothing line, we developed the idea of “Fit to Live.” This idea became concrete when we featured the phrase on our first technical shirt to be released this fall. But it’s much more than a phrase or concept. It’s a way of life. It’s adhering to the belief that in order to live the life; you must be fit to live. It seems simple, almost redundant really, but in today’s world of what Solomon would call “chasing after the wind” it’s becoming a forgotten way of life. A way people dream or aspire to live, but daily fall victim to the endless callings of a well-worn routine.

So Fit to Live is about breaking free. It’s not just about dreaming of breaking the chains of habit, but about making fit choices in all aspects of life—mind, body and soul—a reality. People that are fit to live seek deeper understanding about life and all its nuances, so maybe instead of staring blankly at reruns of Three’s Company, next time you dive into a book which pages are filled with thought provoking and inspiring genius, whether it be your favorite novelist or a hysterical travel author (my favorite is Bill Bryson!) to carry you away. But that’s just a thought.

Those subscribing to a “fit to live” lifestyle also desire a healthy body. This very thing is what allows us to live the life. Without a body to experience life, living it would be worthless. There would be no eyes to see the sunset or ears to hear crickets chirping at night or tongue to taste the rich creaminess of a cheesecake. Therefore, to be fit to live, one must make efforts to take care of their body—to enjoy a sweat and eat right (not looking for perfection, but we can all do better). This may come in the form of playing a game with your kids, jogging with friends or having an intense individual workout. Whatever you decide to do, make exercise and becoming fit something you not only enjoy but also look forward to. I can say from experience, no muscle fiber in my body, especially my legs, likes to run a 10 miler, but on Saturday mornings when the guys call, I look forward to that hour and a half of laughing, talking and energy that’s shared. I dare say I even enjoy it. You see, it doesn’t matter what you do, as Nike says, “Just do it.” Whether its going to the park and working the court with some friends or taking your pooch for a walk after work, go out and get fit to live.

Lastly, “fit to live” should be a phrase that encompasses our soul’s health. It, too, is something that must be nourished in order to live the life. It needs to grow and develop, and does that most through experiencing who God is. Maybe this is done through listening to songs or reading or enjoying the company of a beloved friend, but however it is that you develop your soul, do it more often with more intention. Savor the minute moments of the everyday where God breaks into your life. Record them, and be in constant awareness for the next. It’s these experiences that produce soul nourishment and health making one fit to live.

Unfortunately, not many prescribe to being fit to live. Far too many fall away with discouragement and regret. Don’t allow yourself or your loved ones to do the same. Encourage and persevere. Allow fit to live to become lifestyle choice that will make the way you think, feel and experience life a more fulfilling and adventurous endeavor.

Worry Wart

Worry is a conscious choice to try to control life events rather than believe that God is in control. It is a thief that robs us of joy, energy, peace of mind, and strength for today. The antidote for worry is absolute faith in God by turning everything over to Him in prayer. But in the midst of our prayer, God wants us to have an attitude of thanksgiving not complaining. God promises to guard out heart and mind if we give everything over to Him. 

Is worry consuming you? Pray for the peace of God to give you victory in your everyday living. Remember God's faithfulness in the past and His promises for the future.

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Psalm 9:9-10 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in time of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Fall Line

It’s that time of year again! It’s August and school is about to start. Whether you want to admit it or not, summer is almost gone and fall is just around the corner. That means here at LTL we are hard at work, creating the Fall Line! We have found some really nice products and we have some great design ideas for them. We are very excited to premier the Fall Line to you!

The passages we chose for the 2011 Fall Line are chapters 1 and 3 of Ecclesiastes:

Ecclesiastes 1

Everything Is Meaningless

 ¹ The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

 ² “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
   says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
   Everything is meaningless.”

 ³ What do people gain from all their labors
   at which they toil under the sun?
⁴ Generations come and generations go,
   but the earth remains forever.
⁵ The sun rises and the sun sets,
   and hurries back to where it rises.
⁶ The wind blows to the south
   and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
   ever returning on its course.
⁷ All streams flow into the sea,
   yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
   there they return again.
⁸ All things are wearisome,
   more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
   nor the ear its fill of hearing.
⁹ What has been will be again,
   what has been done will be done again;
   there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰ Is there anything of which one can say,
   “Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
   it was here before our time.
¹¹ No one remembers the former generations,
   and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
   by those who follow them.

Wisdom Is Meaningless

 ¹² I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³ I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! ¹⁴ I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

 ¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be straightened;
   what is lacking cannot be counted.

 ¹⁶ I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” ¹⁷ Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

 ¹⁸ For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
   the more knowledge, the more grief.

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

 ¹ There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:

 ² a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 ³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
 ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 ⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.

 ⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

 ¹⁵ Whatever is has already been,
   and what will be has been before;
   and God will call the past to account

 ¹⁶ And I saw something else under the sun:

   In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
   in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

 ¹⁷ I said to myself,

   “God will bring into judgment
   both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
   a time to judge every deed.”

 ¹⁸ I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. ¹⁹ Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. ²⁰ All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. ²¹ Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

 ²² So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

We are very excited for you to see the 2011 Fall Line. Keep checking the website, this blog, facebook and twitter to find out the date of the premier.

Tornado Warning

This past April bad storms devastated many places in the US. The storms produced tornadoes that ripped through some areas, causing major damage. People lost their homes and some people even lost their lives. It was a horrible time and I’m sure everyone was praying for the people affected.

During those storms last April, multiple tornadoes touched down in Glade Spring, Virginia, only 45 minutes from the Live the Life Offices. Hundreds of houses and businesses were destroyed and 7 people lost their lives.

At Live the Life we believe God calls us to help our neighbors in need. Two days after the storms hit, 3 of the Live the Life team members drove to Glade Spring to work in a Distribution Center. The Center collected donations from generous people in the area and gave them to people who were affected by the storms and were in need. They had collected everything from food, pots and pans, to clothes, toys and furniture. It was truly amazing to see all the donations people had given. 

During the day we met a lot of people that came into the Distribution Center to get the supplies they needed to live after the devastation the storm brought. One woman told us how she had 13 people living in her house because they had all lost their own homes. She came to the Distribution Center to get food to feed everyone. Another woman told us how her trailer was rolled over three times with her and her family inside. She came with her two year old for food, clothes and toys because she lost everything.

Driving around the area after our shift at the Distribution Center was over, we were amazed at how terrible the damage actually was. Trees were blown everywhere. Houses were in pieces; with holes in their roofs and walls you could see into every house. Semi-truck trailers were flattened. The roof of a hotel was blown off. And storage garages were ripped to pieces. It was worse than we could have even imagined. 

We will always have these people and their stories in our minds and pray for them everyday. Please keep them in your prayers as well.

Live the Life Clothing Co. Summer Launch Party

Hey Guys!

The employees at Live the Life have worked really hard over the winter to bring you an amazing Summer Clothing Line! To celebrate the premier of the line, Live the Life is throwing a party for everyone in the Richlands area! We will have barbeque sandwiches, music, games and everyone will get a chance to view and purchase the new shirts! You won't want to miss it! Its this Saturday, June 4th from 1pm-4pm. It's going to be in the parking lot of the future Live the Life store in Richlands. If you don't know where that's at, its in the old Scotties Pharmacy, across the street from Hardee's.

We are so excited to show everyone our new shirts and to just have a great time! Hope to see you there!

God Bless,
The Staff at Live the Life

Love for Lunch

Next week, April 27^th-29^th, Live the Life Clothing Co is hosting an event called Love for Lunch. Each day individuals from schools, businesses, and churches are asked to pay for an orphan’s lunch before paying for their own. All the lunch money donations will go to the Makwale Vision Orphanage, in Makwale, Tanzania.

Live the Life will be at Richlands High School and Middle School, Lebanon High School, Cedar Bluff Elementary and Champion’s Academy. At the schools stop by the Love for Lunch booth outside the cafeteria to participate on your schools designated day! Individuals from businesses and churches can stop by one of the drop sites in Richlands or Lebanon to make their donation, or mail them to the address below.

At the schools and the drop sites, participants can take their pictures and write notes to send to the orphans of Makwale Vision Orphanage!

Checks can be made out to:
Makwale Vision

Richlands High School - April 29th
Cedar Bluff Elementary - April 27th
Champion's Academy - April 27th
Lebanon High School - April 28th

Richlands Drop Site
Future Building of the Live the Life Health Store
2029 Front Street
Richlands, Va 24621

Lebanon Drop Site
Community Heights Church Office
914 E Main Street
Lebanon, VA 24266

Mail Donations to:
Live the Life Clothing Co.
304 Litton Ave
Richlands, VA 24641

The Generator Boys

In February of this year, I had the opportunity to travel to Arusha, Tanzania, with some friends to speak at an ethics conference. It was my first trip to Africa, and one that I was very excited for. I had heard many stories from friends and coworkers about the wonders of that continent and the way it changes lives, and I wanted to experience that for myself.

Before we arrived in Arusha, my first task was to put together the lectures I would be giving for the conference. In order to prepare well, I emailed Barbara, the missionary in Arusha, and asked what kind of audiences I would be speaking with. She told me about the pastors and elders we would be speaking to at the conference, but more intriguing to me was the group she told I would speak to called the “Generator Boys.”

The Generator Boys are a group of eighteen young guys, ages 13-21, which were either orphaned or abandoned, and have come together to live in an abandoned, unfinished house in the middle of Arusha. Everyday, they have to work together to get food and water, and they will be there until they can get someone to sponsor them so they may go to school. The oldest, Muhammad, has assumed the responsibility of the others. He has organized house rules that involve cleanliness and discipline, as well as informs Barbara when a specific need or problem arises. In fact, their name comes from the fact that Barbara and her husband Elton used the money they had saved for a generator to feed these boys at Christmas time.

When I heard their story, I knew the opportunity to speak to them and give them hope was going to be a unique experience. However, I struggled with the idea of trying to give them hope. Hope for me, so much of the time, means hoping for some material excess or for something insignificant to happen, such as hoping my team wins. But hope for them means finding food, water, and education. How could we possibly relate? How could we possibly connect the different levels in which we experience hope? But then, my boss told me that no matter what the culture or level of poverty, hope is essentially narrowed into two categories—material or spiritual. And with that I developed my thoughts to share with the Generator Boys.

Fast forward to my trip. I was two days into my immersion of African culture, and we went to visit the boys for the first time. It was an experience like I have never had in my life. David Platt says, “We learned that orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes.” That totally embodies the emotions I was going through. Hugging, laughing, and playing with these guys brought life to their story like no words or pictures could. After we had been there awhile, I began to speak to them about hope. It was awesome to challenge them not to lose hope in Christ despite their position, and encourage them to remain focused on Him more than their needs. It was also challenging to me, realizing how insignificant the things are that I place hope in, compared with the struggles these boys go through daily. I left that day changed.

As the trip went on, we visited them more. Each time we were able to take them something else they needed, as well as just spend more time with them and hear more of their stories. As we did this, I began to learn more about what true love means. Here was a group of guys that had nothing, but when some from our group decided to sponsor one of the guys, all the others watched with the most excitement and joy for their brother, even though you could tell they wanted to be the one being sponsored. I also continually saw true love in their leader Muhammad. He had already finished secondary school and was postponing his university education (one of the things that could take him out of his situation) in order to make sure all his brothers were taken care of. To me, that was a picture of Christ—sacrificially giving themselves to the care and love of others. Again, I cannot explain what kind of impact that makes when you experience it firsthand.

By the end of the trip, we had returned three times. We had already taken them Live the Life t-shirts, soccer balls, and had paid for two guys to go to school. But on our last day, the whole team wanted to visit them one last time. Some of the team bought fruit and other foods to give them, some bought mosquito nets to give them, but my friends and I decided to buy them Swahili bibles and notebooks. We went to the bookstore and bought 18 bibles. When we got to their house, we gave them everything. Then my pastor, Craig, gave Muhammad his bible and told him how proud of him and inspired by him we were that he sacrificially invests in his younger brothers. I think tears abounded with everyone that day, but more importantly joy abounded—the joy that comes only from those who love each other, and get to experience life together through Christ, even if for only a week.

Since those two weeks in Africa I have thought extensively about the Generator Boys. I think about their names and stories, guys like Lampard who was seventeen and had lived at the house for ten years after being abandoned at age seven, or guys like Frankie who, with his mother, ran away from his alcohol father then came home one day to find his mother had left him, too. I think about Muhammad sacrificing his dreams and education to love the other guys and meet their needs. Then I think about my life. I think about my parents who are right across the room and love me dearly. I think about the food I have in my pantry. I think about the university education I have. I think about the fact that I had the opportunity to go to Africa. I think about what kind of impact my life will make. And then I thank my God that I met these guys, because meeting them has put all these things in perspective.

Live well,

Craig