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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  "IN THE KNOW"]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I spend most of my days here at the First Place office communicating with a wide assortment of folks about a variety of topics. I communicate most often over the telephone and through email. I answer a menagerie of questions and I am often calling on…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/157/in_the_know</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/157/in_the_know</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - "In the Know"]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I spend most of my days here at the First Place office communicating with a wide assortment of folks about a variety of topics. I communicate most often over the telephone and through email. I answer a menagerie of questions and I am often calling on…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/71/in_the_know</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/71/in_the_know</guid>
</item>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Changes Bring Challenges...]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Answers to Some of Your QuestionsThe new materials have brought excitement, renewed interest and motivation to First Place leaders and members. However, with this excitement comes new challenges and questions. I will seek to answer some of the common…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/156/changes_bring_challenges</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/156/changes_bring_challenges</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Changes Bring Challenges...]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Answers to Some of Your Questions     The new materials have brought excitement, renewed interest and motivation to First Place leaders and members. However, with this excitement comes new challenges and questions. I will seek to …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/70/changes_bring_challenges</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/70/changes_bring_challenges</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Be Strong and Courageous!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Thanksgiving is about giving thanks to God for His abundant blessings. The Lord has given us life eternal and abundant through Jesus Christ. Many, however, do not experience this abundant life due to fear, doubt, and deception. This is where leadersh…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/155/be_strong_and_courageous</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/155/be_strong_and_courageous</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Be Strong and Courageous!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Thanksgiving is about giving thanks to God for His abundant blessings. The Lord has given us life eternal and abundant through Jesus Christ. Many, however, do not experience this abundant life due to fear, doubt, and deception. This is where leadersh…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/69/be_strong_and_courageous</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/69/be_strong_and_courageous</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - A Graduation Ceremony]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Last evening I had the wonderful privilege of observing a graduation ceremony. Now it was not your typical graduation ceremony. It was a Christian Women’s Job Corp graduation. The Christian Women’s Job Corp is a program that trains women …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/154/a_graduation_ceremony</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/154/a_graduation_ceremony</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Scripture Memory Activities]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[To encourage member to memorize the scriptures and to help them review the verses that they know, plan some fun games or activities during the wellness spotlight time of your class. Here are some activities I have tried with my group:Scripture Memory…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/68/scripture_memory_activities</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/68/scripture_memory_activities</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Dear God...]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[It is a New Year and with each New Year I begin a new prayer journal. I have kept a prayer journal for over 20 years now and can say it is the one discipline that has brought me the most joy! Each journal reveals the various ways God has worked in my…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/153/dear_god</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/153/dear_god</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Creative Journaling Ideas:]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[
Write to your children in the journal, sharing with them what the Lord is teaching you. This will become your very own memoirs. 
Create a blessing journal, by filling the prayer journal with a list each day of things for which you are thankful.
W…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/67/creative_journaling_ideas</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/67/creative_journaling_ideas</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Do It Now!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.- Deuteronomy 30:11In January, many of us made New Year’s resolutions that unfortunately have already been broken! Many times people make resolutions that are …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/152/do_it_now</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/152/do_it_now</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - What is a First Place Workshop?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[
Usually a six-hour event, which includes a First Place lunch.
Includes First Place testimonies, music and instruction.
Instructional sessions include topics such as: the history of First Place, First Place material essentials and First Place lead…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/66/what_is_a_first_place_workshop</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/66/what_is_a_first_place_workshop</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Developing a First Place Team]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Being the leader can be a lonely position, especially if one is without a network of support. Leaders may find themselves burnt out and feeling overwhelmed when faced with the burden of leading and coordinating a First Place ministry on their own. Wh…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/151/developing_a_first_place_team</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/151/developing_a_first_place_team</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Question & Answer]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Questions: "We are getting ready to start our second session. What do we do? Do we repeat what we did the first time? How do we use the leader guide after the first session?"Answers: When you have completed your first 13-week session, you start again…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/65/question__answer</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/65/question__answer</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - How to Get Your Member Through a Bad Week!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This past month I heard a sermon that has impacted my life more than any in my recent memory. Jay Strack shared a sermon entitled, "How to make it through a Bad Day." I have actually taken the key principles presented in the sermon and applied them t…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/150/how_to_get_your_member_through_a_bad_week</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/150/how_to_get_your_member_through_a_bad_week</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Motivational Idea]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[After the holidays, I realized that I had allowed some pounds to creep back on and decided I needed some help! Where does a leader go for help? Her class, of course! I decided to wear a suit that was snug (about a size too small) to my first meeting.…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/64/motivational_idea</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/64/motivational_idea</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Recipe for Restoration]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Spring is here again. The flowers are blooming just like always. Everyone is battling with allergies, as always. Everyone in my First Place class signed up for another session, like always. Do you see a pattern here? It reminds me of a phrase I often…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/149/recipe_for_restoration</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/149/recipe_for_restoration</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Ways to Develop leaders within your group:]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[
Have members volunteer to lead a discussion on a portion of the Bible study each week. This will build their confidence and help them discover their gift of teaching.
Ask a faithful member to help you assist with weighing in and begin to mentor th…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/63/ways_to_develop_leaders_within_your_group</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/63/ways_to_develop_leaders_within_your_group</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - My California Dream]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This is my personal journal tracing how God fulfilled the desire of my heart. Psalm 20:4, "May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed."

June 1997: "Lord, you have given me a heart for the people of California. There a…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/148/my_california_dream</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/148/my_california_dream</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Question & Answer]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Question: How can I modify the First Place program for a shorter summer session?Answer: Many times churches take summer breaks from their usual programming, and this may result in fewer weeks available for a First Place session. Think creatively! Fir…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/62/question__answer</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/62/question__answer</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Continual Feast]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I love to receive emails and phone calls from leaders all across the world! They always have wonderful testimonies to share about the success of their First Place members. Many times the good report is followed by, "but, there is this one member who&…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/147/continual_feast</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/147/continual_feast</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Sharing Articles Idea]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[To encourage class participation, I asked my class to bring in newspaper or magazine articles related to any aspect of First Place, such as weight-loss, exercise and nutrition. In class, I gave each person an opportunity to give a report of their fin…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/61/sharing_articles_idea</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/61/sharing_articles_idea</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Finishing Well!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[My husband has often said, "Most people begin well, but few finish well!" It is easy to be excited about any project in the beginning, but as time goes by, our interest wanes and so does our motivation. Sadly, we often end projects either in a less t…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/146/finishing_well</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/146/finishing_well</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Is Your Secret Life Showing?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[After a long week of work, I wearily made the long trek home in the Houston traffic. My eyes were glazed over as I half-heartedly listened to the Christian radio station playing on my car stereo. Then the deejay began interviewing a man who was to be…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/145/is_your_secret_life_showing</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/145/is_your_secret_life_showing</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Lessons Learned on Mission]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I just returned from a wonderful week in New York City as part of a mission team. Our team worked with a new church called The Journey, which started the week after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. We helped promote the church by handing out …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/144/lessons_learned_on_mission</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/144/lessons_learned_on_mission</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Half Time Celebration]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[To creatively inspire our members this session, we planned a "Half Time Celebration." We decided to celebrate at the midpoint of our 13-week session. We chose a football theme, which coincided with the time of year and the term half time. We decorate…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/60/half_time_celebration</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/60/half_time_celebration</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Don’t Go it Alone!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[As a child, I was told that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to and that I didn’t need to rely on anyone in the process. As a result, I have become rather independent as an adult. This can be a good thing, but when taken to extreme, it…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/143/dont_go_it_alone</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/143/dont_go_it_alone</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Commitment Record Motivation]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[To motivate your members to turn in their completed CR each week, have a weekly drawing. Go to a dollar store and store up on some inexpensive prizes. Kitchen gadgets are always a hit! Collect the CRs each week, place in a basket and draw one. The pe…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/59/commitment_record_motivation</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/59/commitment_record_motivation</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Give the Gift of Encouragement!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Mark Twain once said that he could. . . “live a good month on just one word of encouragement.” The Apostle Paul once recommended to “not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/142/give_the_gift_of_encouragement</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/142/give_the_gift_of_encouragement</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Give someone the Gift of a First Place Class]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Did you know that people are looking for you? They are searching high and low for a First Place group in their community. Have you registered your group online? Did you know that only 30% of our groups are registered on line? That means that there ar…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/58/give_someone_the_gift_of_a_first_place_class</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/58/give_someone_the_gift_of_a_first_place_class</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  A Leader + A Follower + A Goal = Success]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[There are many components of a First Place class. However, I would like to suggest that only three essential ingredients are necessary for creating an effective First Place class: A leader, a follower, and goals. These three components together form …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/141/a_leader__a_follower__a_goal__success</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/141/a_leader__a_follower__a_goal__success</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - “Balanced Goals?”]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[If you are beginning a new First Place ministry an important tool necessary for keeping track of weight goals, is the scale. I usually recommend the Health-o-Meter scale, as it is the main brand we have used here at Houston’s First Baptist for …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/57/balanced_goals</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/57/balanced_goals</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Leading With Love]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[It was my great joy to recently watch God work in the lives of my teenage daughter and her basketball teammate. My daughter, Sarah, a high-school sophomore, changed schools this year and, needless to say, it has been a traumatic transition. She plays…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/140/leading_with_love</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/140/leading_with_love</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Creative Leadership Tips]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I have recently received some very creative leadership tips from First Place leaders. I thought they were great ideas and just had to share them with you!Nancy,Just wanted to let you know that my First Place group is "Walking to Texas!"We're not real…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/56/creative_leadership_tips</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/56/creative_leadership_tips</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Every Leader Needs a Spring Break!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[As a high school student living on the gulf coast of Texas, I anxiously awaited the week of Spring Break. Spring Break meant spending long carefree days in Galveston at the beach with my friends. We would stuff our beach bags with beach towels, sungl…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/139/every_leader_needs_a_spring_break</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/139/every_leader_needs_a_spring_break</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Leader FAQs]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This month, we will address some frequently asked leader questions:What is the Health First Magazine (Magalog) and how do I subscribe to it?    Health First is a quarterly publication that contains articles about nutrition, leadership,…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/55/leader_faqs</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/55/leader_faqs</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - A Risen Leader]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the new life we find as we begin a relationship with Him. Jesus’ followers were distraught as they considered life without Jesus. Then, on that glorious morning, Jesus rose from the dead! His…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/138/a_risen_leader</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/138/a_risen_leader</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Register Your Group]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Leaders, please register your group if you haven’t already done so. Also, if you registered your group, but have never updated information or deleted outdated or incorrect information, please do so as soon as possible. Many people contact First…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/54/register_your_group</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/54/register_your_group</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Degrees of Leadership]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In my quiet times with the Lord, I have been reading through the book of Nehemiah. The Lord has always been faithful to show me leadership lessons in this book. Today, as I read, it dawned on me that Nehemiah had led the people to rebuild the wall in…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/137/degrees_of_leadership</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/137/degrees_of_leadership</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Growing]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[How to grow as a leader:Are you burned out? Are you stuck in a rut? Lonely? Do you need a listening ear? Would you like to share with other leaders your challenges and your triumphs? Well, First Place has just the thing for you. . . . for all leaders…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/53/growing</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/53/growing</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - A Respite for Leaders]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[June conjures up in our minds a longing to go on an extended vacation. The school year is over for our children; Mother’s Day has come and gone, and graduation celebrations are all but a memory as we face a long, hot summer. After all of the ac…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/136/a_respite_for_leaders</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/136/a_respite_for_leaders</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Summer Session Ideas]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The summer is often a time when people want to take a break from First Place. However, I recently talked with many leaders who say that their members want to continue to meet through the summer months. Leaders often feel they need a break. If your me…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/52/summer_session_ideas</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/52/summer_session_ideas</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Freedom in a Risk!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[While shopping at a manufacturers’ outlet in the mountains of North Carolina, I found one of those pretty pillows with words stitched on the front of it. The message on this particular pillow is stitched on the limb of an apple tree with one lo…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/135/freedom_in_a_risk</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/135/freedom_in_a_risk</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  What’s Hot in First Place Leadership?!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[On a hot and humid summer day in Houston I sit in my windowless office feverishly pecking on my computer keyboard. I am trying to keep up with the emails received from leaders all across this country. Then, it happens . . . the inevitable . . . it is…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/134/whats_hot_in_first_place_leadership</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/134/whats_hot_in_first_place_leadership</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Encourage Yourself!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Being a leader can be a lonely endeavor, and when one is derailed, it can seem an impossible task to get back on track. Recently, I was having one of those derailed days emotionally and couldn’t seem to get it together. Then, I received an emai…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/133/encourage_yourself</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/133/encourage_yourself</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  How to Reap a Fruitful Harvest]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Matthew 9:36-38"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/132/how_to_reap_a_fruitful_harvest</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/132/how_to_reap_a_fruitful_harvest</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - First Place Scavenger Hunt]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[To help reinforce the importance of preparation in First Place, I created a First Place scavenger hunt. I made a list of 10 items and gave them each a certain amount of points. Then I asked my members to see how many of the items they could find in t…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/51/first_place_scavenger_hunt</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/51/first_place_scavenger_hunt</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Don't Whine, Be Thankful!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[1 Thessalonians 5:18: Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's Will for you in Christ Jesus.Every Thanksgiving, my family and extended family come together to celebrate what God has done in our lives over the past year.   Before w…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/131/dont_whine_be_thankful</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/131/dont_whine_be_thankful</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Good New of Great Joy!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be af…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/130/good_new_of_great_joy</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/130/good_new_of_great_joy</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Leaders Need Encouragement]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[We are always looking for ways to encourage our members, but many times we need some encouragement for ourselves!   Leadership can be hard and lonely, especially when leading alone.   Take heart, there is help for the discouraged …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/50/leaders_need_encouragement</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/50/leaders_need_encouragement</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Inspiration for the Derailed Leader]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I can't say I am sad that 2003 is now over and a new year has finally arrived. After Thanksgiving I began receiving emails and phone calls from discouraged leaders. They wanted to throw in the towel. They had all gotten off track and felt like failur…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/129/inspiration_for_the_derailed_leader</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/129/inspiration_for_the_derailed_leader</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Leading With All Your Heart]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.- Colossians 3:23I looked out on a classroom full of 8 th grade students and silently questioned God, "What on earth am I doing here?" "What was I thinking when I d…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/128/leading_with_all_your_heart</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/128/leading_with_all_your_heart</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - "What Ever Happened to Commitment?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This year has brought about many changes in my life. First, in January my insurance changed, so I had to find all new doctors. Second, in February I had scheduled a First Place leader meeting and had to cancel it at the last minute due to poor weathe…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/127/what_ever_happened_to_commitment</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/127/what_ever_happened_to_commitment</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - The Birthing Pains of New Beginnings]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Have you ever noticed the sigh of relief that comes with a new beginning? After hours of labor, I let out a great sigh of relief when I looked at the newborn son cradled in my arms. Watching my son drive off for the very first time, I slowly relaxed …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/126/the_birthing_pains_of_new_beginnings</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/126/the_birthing_pains_of_new_beginnings</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Teaching the 2nd 13-week Session]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[After completing our first session of First Place, what do I teach the second 13-week session?This question continues to surface very often, as new leaders are drawing close to the end of their very first session. Here are some suggestions:

Plan t…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/49/teaching_the_2nd_13-week_session</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/49/teaching_the_2nd_13-week_session</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Success: It's all about God!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[First Place began over 20 years ago here at Houston's First Baptist Church and is still a thriving ministry that continues to help hundreds of people develop successful lifestyles that honor Christ. God has honored and prospered this ministry for His…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/125/success_its_all_about_god</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/125/success_its_all_about_god</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Spicing up your Spring/Summer Session]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Recently, I realized that I needed to spice things up in my First Place class; do things a little different to energize my class members, and to get myself out of a leader rut.  Sometimes we get so comfortable in doing the same things session af…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/48/spicing_up_your_springsummer_session</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/48/spicing_up_your_springsummer_session</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Be Accountable - Plan a Reunion!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Recently, Carole, Pat and I discovered the value of meeting daily to not only pray together, but to share our CR with each other. This has increased our accountability, just knowing that we will have to show one another what we have done daily. As I …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/124/be_accountable_-_plan_a_reunion</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/124/be_accountable_-_plan_a_reunion</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - First Place Fitness Rally]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[You may be interested in planning your own "reunion" event, so that you and your members may receive the encouragement and accountability needed for success.   Last month, Beverly Henson shared about the new First Place event she hosted in …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/47/first_place_fitness_rally</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/47/first_place_fitness_rally</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Choose to Celebrate]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[To be honest, I really do not feel like celebrating or writing an article about celebrations. I have been under a cloud and can't seem to come out from under it. This is not like me at all. My personality would be described as sanguine. I am usually …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/123/choose_to_celebrate</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/123/choose_to_celebrate</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Victory Celebrations]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Leaders often ask for new ideas for their victory celebrations. I have written tips on victory celebration themes, and ideas for the celebration itself. One question that I have not addressed is, "What types of awards do you present at your victory c…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/46/victory_celebrations</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/46/victory_celebrations</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Gearing Up for Leadership]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[When I married my husband, he drove a Volkswagen Rabbit with no air conditioner and no automatic transmission. As you can tell, I didn't marry him for his car! That first winter together we made plans to go snow skiing in New Mexico. On the day we we…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/122/gearing_up_for_leadership</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/122/gearing_up_for_leadership</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Leadership Teammates]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[As a First Place leader, you are a part of a team.   You may think that you are all alone, but let me introduce you to some very helpful teammates.•  Body and Soul: B ody & Soul Ministries® is a nondenominational ministry,…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/45/leadership_teammates</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/45/leadership_teammates</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - No Excuses - Just Teamwork!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[My daughter and I recently participated in a mission project in our city. We were ministering to children and adults in an inner-city housing project. It was a wonderful experience in which we learned so much about ourselves and about how much the Lo…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/121/no_excuses_-_just_teamwork</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/121/no_excuses_-_just_teamwork</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Halftime Coaching Hints]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This time of year I often reflect upon my days as a high school cheerleader. Each week we looked anxiously toward a new football game that would bring excitement, along with challenges. We planned all week for the pom-pom routine, the drill team prac…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/120/halftime_coaching_hints</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/120/halftime_coaching_hints</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Seek Christ First - One Year Commitment]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Ask your members to make a one-year commitment to seek Christ first. Those members who desire to make this commitment will fill out a form like the one below. This will help you keep a record of those who have made the commitment and who actually fol…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/44/seek_christ_first_-_one_year_commitment</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/44/seek_christ_first_-_one_year_commitment</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Second Helping Leadership]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[When I was trained to lead aerobic classes, I learned to over-emphasize all movements. We were told that the students would always do less than the leader; therefore, if we did all the steps with great enthusiasm and energy, then the students would r…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/119/second_helping_leadership</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/119/second_helping_leadership</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Looks are Deceiving!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This month our theme is "second helpings." Thanksgiving could be renamed as Second Helpings Day! In preparation for Thanksgiving, have a weighing and measuring activity for your Wellness Spotlight. Go to the local cafeteria or restaurant and order a …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/43/looks_are_deceiving</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/43/looks_are_deceiving</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  The Gift that Keeps on Giving!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Miss Martin was my P.E teacher and cheerleading sponsor when I was in junior high school. I have never forgotten her words of encouragement so many years ago. The words she spoke came after a great defeat in my young life. I had competed for a positi…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/118/the_gift_that_keeps_on_giving</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/118/the_gift_that_keeps_on_giving</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - A Holiday Lesson]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[To give support to our members between our fall session and our winter session, we offer a four-week holiday session. Our leaders rotate the leadership, so they will also get a break from leading each week during the holidays. The meetings are only o…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/42/a_holiday_lesson</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/42/a_holiday_lesson</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - New Creation: Some Assembly Required!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Have you ever had "one of those days?" You know the kind I am talking about- nothing seems to come easy and you are faced with one challenge after another. This past Saturday was "one of those days" for me.   It had been two weeks since I h…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/116/new_creation_some_assembly_required</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/116/new_creation_some_assembly_required</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Leadership Spotlight]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This year I am inviting leaders to send in leadership tips to me at ntaylor@firstplace.org   and I will post them in this spot each month. When you send in your leadership tip, include your name, the church where you lead and the city and s…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/41/leadership_spotlight</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/41/leadership_spotlight</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Friendship Leadership]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In one of the evangelism training workshops that I participated in, the term "friendship evangelism" was referred to as a way to lead others to Christ. The basis to friendship evangelism is to build a relationship with someone in order to open the do…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/115/friendship_leadership</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/115/friendship_leadership</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Leadership Spotlight]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Each month we will spotlight leadership tips and ideas from leaders all across the country. Send your ideas to ntaylor@firstplace.org and she will publish them in this spot each month.  I found a little pass-along card with a picture of a little…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/40/leadership_spotlight</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/40/leadership_spotlight</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Madness Matters!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Have you ever gone a little overboard on something and before you realized it, you were in too deep? Recently, my daughter learned a valuable lesson when she and her basketball teammates went a little overboard with a youthful prank. They had just ce…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/114/madness_matters</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/114/madness_matters</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Leader Spotlight]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I just received my first leader newsletter. I am so excited to see what other leaders try, and what works for them, etc. I saw where a lady wears a suit to class, following your lead. I have a pair of jeans that I used to wear. I kept them for a sign…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/39/leader_spotlight</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/39/leader_spotlight</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Got Attitude? Winning or Whining?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[1 Corinthians 9:24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.Everyone has seen the billboards and magazine advertisements with sports figures, movie stars, and other famous p…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/113/got_attitude_winning_or_whining</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/113/got_attitude_winning_or_whining</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Fun Diet Jokes]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[ Living healthier is serious business and putting Christ first in all things is even more serious.   But knowing Christ had a wonderful sense of humor and that it's healthy to laugh and even, at times, healthy to laugh at ourselves, I've ma…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/38/fun_diet_jokes</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/38/fun_diet_jokes</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Victory Celebration Award Idea]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Beverly Henson, networking leader and personal trainer from Meridian, MS sent in a great idea for a victory celebration award.For your fitness award (or in my case I am using them for all of my awards) purchase free weights. They also make great pape…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/37/victory_celebration_award_idea</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/37/victory_celebration_award_idea</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Leadership: A Never Ending Journey]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Journey-Process of development- a gradual passing from one state to another regarded as more advanced, for example, from innocence to mature awareness. - Encarta DictionaryMy daughter graduated from high school just a few short weeks ago. She complet…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/111/leadership_a_never_ending_journey</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/111/leadership_a_never_ending_journey</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Exercise Motivation]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Does money motivate you? I love to shop, don't you? Get a large jar and display it in a prominent place in your home. Develop a scheduled workout plan that you will do consistently. After each workout, put one dollar in the jar. If you skip a schedul…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/36/exercise_motivation</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/36/exercise_motivation</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Jubilation Retrieval]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Are you a jubilant leader? Jubilation is defined as, "uninhibited rejoicing in the celebration of a victory or success."   It has been hard to be a jubilant leader this past session, as each week the members would gain as many pounds as the…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/110/jubilation_retrieval</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/110/jubilation_retrieval</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Seeking Support as a Leader]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This month I did not receive any creative ideas or tips to share with you from fellow leaders.  So, let me give you some suggestions of how to seek support as a leader:

Start an area leader's support group. If there is not a networking leader…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/35/seeking_support_as_a_leader</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/35/seeking_support_as_a_leader</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Anticipation]]></title>
<description><![CDATA["Defense wins championships," is a statement I have heard many basketball and football coaches drill into the minds of their players. A winning team must not only be able to score points, but also be able to keep their opponent from scoring more poin…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/109/anticipation</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/109/anticipation</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - What Would Jesus Do?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[As much as I would like to just say, “Stop it!” to some of my First Place members, I don’t think I would win many friends or influence people with such tactics. As I think about how to best communicate with my members, I use Jesus a…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/108/what_would_jesus_do</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/108/what_would_jesus_do</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Leadership Spotlight]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Hi Nancy!My name is Sandy Dybdahl. I'm a new leader at Gloria Dei in Houston. I created a nice bookmark; silver with nine different colored beads to represent the 9 commitments. Hoping this will go over well; will let you know. We also asked all memb…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/34/leadership_spotlight</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/34/leadership_spotlight</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Healthy Holidays Book]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[As the holidays are approaching, your members are becoming very nostalgic. They are longing for Aunt Mary's pumpkin pie and Mom's cornbread dressing! To help your members get through the holidays successfully, you will want to consider using the new …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/33/healthy_holidays_book</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/33/healthy_holidays_book</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  A Leader’s Delight]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Last night, my heart experienced delight as I watched my First Place class members interact with genuine love and concern as they arrived for class. My heart continued to be overjoyed while they worked together on a group project during the first fif…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/107/a_leaders_delight</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/107/a_leaders_delight</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Scripture Memory Challenge]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Scripture memory is the one tool that has transformed my leadership. Each time I teach a scripture memory seminar to leaders, several will tell me, “This is what has been missing in my leadership!” Many have the “want to,” but…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/32/scripture_memory_challenge</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/32/scripture_memory_challenge</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Twenty-five Ways to Celebrate First Place!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[First Place is celebrating twenty-five years of ministry in 2006.  This is a year of celebration in the life of First Place staff, leaders, and members!  I love a party, so I have compiled a list of twenty-five ways you can celebrate this s…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/106/twenty-five_ways_to_celebrate_first_place</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/106/twenty-five_ways_to_celebrate_first_place</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Scripture Memory Challenge]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Last month I invited leaders and members to join me on a one-year scripture memory journey.  The journey entails the challenge to memorize one verse a week for 52 weeks and be able to quote all 52 verses at the end of 2006.  To help with th…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/25/scripture_memory_challenge</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/25/scripture_memory_challenge</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - You Would Have Just Had to Have Been There!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[After finishing the Half Marathon, people kept asking how it went. I tried to communicate with them all the emotions I felt and the insights God revealed to me throughout the race, but I found that words could not express all that I had experienced. …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/105/you_would_have_just_had_to_have_been_there</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/105/you_would_have_just_had_to_have_been_there</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - A Year-Long Scripture Memory Journey]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[When memorizing your weekly verse, start by meditating on the verse.  Here are the steps to meditating on the Word, which Waylon Moore suggests in his Bible study, Living God’s Word:Step 1:  Understand the perimeter of the verseReadin…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/24/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/24/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Oxygen for the Soul]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[At 6:00 a.m. on a cold Sunday morning in January, a pastor brought a devotional from Hebrews 12:1-2. He said, “We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses today as we run our race.” Encouraging words flowed from his mouth as he s…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/104/oxygen_for_the_soul</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/104/oxygen_for_the_soul</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - A Year-Long Scripture Memory Journey]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Make memorizing Scripture fun and enjoyable! It is like dieting—if you can eat foods you really enjoy, then you will stick with it! First, determine your learning style. If you are an auditory learner, then singing the Scripture memory verses o…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/23/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/23/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  First Place Prayer Warrior]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The Prayer Commitment is truly the power commitment. It is through prayer that our members strengthen their relationship with Christ and the fellowship with other believers. Prayer also changes lives! As I was training for the half marathon, I would …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/103/first_place_prayer_warrior</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/103/first_place_prayer_warrior</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - A Year-Long Scripture Memory Journey]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[When talking with people about memorizing scripture, most people say that they can remember the verses they have memorized, but the reference doesn’t seem to “stick” in their mind for very long. I have found that knowing the referen…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/22/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/22/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  God’s Live-it!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The Live-it plan is the nutrition plan to which First Place members commit each session in order to lose weight and become healthier, so that they can serve God better and longer, physically. The spiritual sister to the Live-it commitment is the Bibl…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/102/gods_live-it</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/102/gods_live-it</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - A Year-Long Scripture Memory Journey]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[We are now beginning our fifth month of the Scripture memory challenge! May also signals the end of school and for many, it finally brings that long awaited graduation day. Unfortunately, it is also the time for tiredness and boredom to set in. Maybe…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/21/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/21/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  The Secret to Successful Leadership]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Come close and I will share with you a secret that will transform your leadership. Are you listening? Do you really want to know the one thing that will provide you with wisdom and answers to your members’ questions? Well, the secret is actuall…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/101/the_secret_to_successful_leadership</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/101/the_secret_to_successful_leadership</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - A Year-Long Scripture Memory Journey]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In my first year of memorizing scripture I discovered that I had to live out a scripture in order for it to be cemented in my heart and mind. I call this proving the Word. Start the proving process by these simple steps:

Pray and ask God to use th…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/20/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/20/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  The Secret to Successful Leadership]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This month as we focus on the Bible Study commitment of First Place, I feel led to set the record straight. I have spoken to leaders over the years and many have expressed concern over “teaching” the Bible study portion of their First Pla…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/100/the_secret_to_successful_leadership</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/100/the_secret_to_successful_leadership</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - A story from Jenn Krogh, Networking Leader in Michigan]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[First Place Leader StoryLadies Morning OutAs Networking Leader, I encouraged groups to use the 25th anniversary of First Place to host an event that would include their community. Then, I wondered what our little group could do in this agricultural, …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/18/a_story_from_jenn_krogh_networking_leader_in_michigan</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/18/a_story_from_jenn_krogh_networking_leader_in_michigan</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - A story from Jenn Krogh, Networking Leader in Michigan]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This is a story from Jenn Krogh, First Place Networking Leader in MichiganFirst Place Leader StoryLadies Morning OutAs Networking Leader, I encouraged groups to use the 25th anniversary of First Place to host an event that would include their communi…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/19/a_story_from_jenn_krogh_networking_leader_in_michigan</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/19/a_story_from_jenn_krogh_networking_leader_in_michigan</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - The "X" Factor]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I am convinced that First Place leadership is one of the most difficult leadership positions to maintain over a long period of time. I attribute this difficulty to what I term the “x” factor. The “x” factor is the one thing th…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/99/the_x_factor</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/99/the_x_factor</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - A Promise to Remember]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I approach this month with fear and trembling as I celebrate the half-century mark of life! Turning fifty has caused me to be very reflective of life. My mom recently brought me a box of treasures from her attic. The box included some pictures of me …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/98/a_promise_to_remember</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/98/a_promise_to_remember</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - A Year-long Scripture Memory Journey]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[As we approach the ninth month of the scripture memory challenge, I am reminded of what happens after nine months of pregnancy! For nine months the baby develops and grows and once the development inside the womb is complete, the labor begins! First …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/17/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/17/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Aunt Mary’s Exercise Tips]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This week I took a road trip with my mother, sister and niece to Enid, OK, to celebrate my Aunt Mary’s 100th birthday. She recently moved out of her home into an assisted living facility. We entered her room to the sound of her laughter. She st…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/97/aunt_marys_exercise_tips</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/97/aunt_marys_exercise_tips</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - A Year-long Scripture Memory Journey: Maintaining Momentum]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[People often ask me how I have continued to memorize scripture over these past nine years. This is the last step in getting a grip on God’s Word and it may well be the key to developing a lifestyle of scripture memory. It is not just maintenanc…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/16/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey_maintaining_momentum</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/16/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey_maintaining_momentum</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  A Thankful Leader]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/96/a_thankful_leader</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/96/a_thankful_leader</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - A Year-long Scripture Memory Journey]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Over the past six months, the Lord has spoken three truths to me on three separate occasions. Now as I look at these truths, I see how God’ s Word is crucial to our emotional and mental health. I also see how most people in a First Place class …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/15/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/15/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journey</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  A Leader's Wish List]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I was recently shopping for First Place Victory Celebration prizes for the biggest losers from my class this session and as I was making my purchase, I mentioned to the shop owner that I would love to have many of the wonderful Brighton jewelry items…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/95/a_leaders_wish_list</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/95/a_leaders_wish_list</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - A Year-long Scripture Memory Journey—The Journey Continues]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[During the first year of my personal scripture memory challenge when I committed to the Lord to memorize one scripture a week for 52 weeks, I learned to persevere through challenges. My goal was to be able to quote all 52 verses at the end of the yea…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/14/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journeythe_journey_continues</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/14/a_year-long_scripture_memory_journeythe_journey_continues</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  My New Year's Revolution]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In 1968, there was a song by the Beatles called Revolution that a few of you may remember. It was on the B-side (A long, long time ago, music was released on these little round disks called 45 records.) of a very popular single called, Hey Jude. John…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/94/my_new_years_revolution</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/94/my_new_years_revolution</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Leading Strong with a Heart of Integrity]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Dishonesty is everywhere. We have almost come to expect it. It’ s hard to find someone you can trust. I have found myself using the expression my kids use when they are being impressed by someone: “ Is he for real?” As First Place l…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/93/leading_strong_with_a_heart_of_integrity</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/93/leading_strong_with_a_heart_of_integrity</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - I’ve Changed My Mind]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I’ve changed my mind. How many times have we said that? Fortunately, the winds of change are blowing through a new generation of researchers, physicians and health-promotion specialists who are diligently working to change our thinking by promo…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/92/ive_changed_my_mind</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/92/ive_changed_my_mind</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Spring Forward with Spring Cleaning]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[We recently had a flood in our house, one that caused quite a bit of damage. Water had crept into most of the rooms while we were away on holiday. The clean up was a grueling, but enlightening process. We were forced to do some early spring cleaning.…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/91/spring_forward_with_spring_cleaning</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/91/spring_forward_with_spring_cleaning</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Most Frequently Asked Questions about Leadership]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Are there other resources for me to use as a Leader in First Place? I have had the same group for about a year now and they are tired of the repetition.Yes, the Health 4 Life book is a wonderful resource in your Member's Kit. It is full of worksheets…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/90/most_frequently_asked_questions_about_leadership</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/90/most_frequently_asked_questions_about_leadership</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Most Frequently Asked Leadership Questions]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Question: Can I continue to lead my first place class if I am gaining weight or have not reached my weight goal?Answer:  Yes, you can, but you need to do some serious self evaluation to see if you can discover the reasons why you are no longer l…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/89/most_frequently_asked_leadership_questions</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/89/most_frequently_asked_leadership_questions</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - How I Spent My Summer Vacation]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer! That pretty much describes the Heath household during the summer months– especially the crazy part! As First Place leaders, a great place to practice what we teach is with our own families. Lead your family on …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/88/how_i_spent_my_summer_vacation</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/88/how_i_spent_my_summer_vacation</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Lessons Learned From My Rabbis]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[A high value was placed on education in the Jewish culture and started at a very young age. To be given the title “Rabbi” was the ultimate and highest honor and achievement in their educational system. Most learning took place just by fol…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/87/lessons_learned_from_my_rabbis</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/87/lessons_learned_from_my_rabbis</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - What does it take to get a leader back on track?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Nothing gets me back on track quicker than God’s Word. This summer I have been reading through the Epistles, which I think were written just for us who seem to have a hard time staying on track. If you have experienced a “derailment&rdquo…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/86/what_does_it_take_to_get_a_leader_back_on_track</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/86/what_does_it_take_to_get_a_leader_back_on_track</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Training Myself for Leadership]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[When I think of what is involved in training of any kind, several things come to mind. Training takes practice. It’s something we need to do consistently. Training takes diligence. We can’t give up even if it becomes tedious. Training pay…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/85/training_myself_for_leadership</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/85/training_myself_for_leadership</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Thankful for My Past, Present & Future in First Place]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[PastIt seems like just yesterday that I attended a First Place workshop in Ocala, Florida and had my first exposure to First Place. I came back to my church in Charleston, South Carolina and started that first group with fear and trembling. Like so m…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/84/thankful_for_my_past_present__future_in_first_place</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/84/thankful_for_my_past_present__future_in_first_place</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Merry Christmas Memories]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The holidays provide excellent opportunities to make memories. What we want to do as parents and leaders in our homes, churches and communities is to do what we can to make the memories good ones. Most of my Christmas memories growing up are good one…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/83/merry_christmas_memories</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/83/merry_christmas_memories</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Top Ten Reasons it’s First Place for me in 2008]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This is the time of year when we are all deciding how we are going to keep our New Year’s resolution of getting and staying fit.   You might be tempted to try another weight loss program instead of First Place.  Let me assure you…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/82/top_ten_reasons_its_first_place_for_me_in_2008</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/82/top_ten_reasons_its_first_place_for_me_in_2008</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - What a Loser!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Steve Reynolds is just that!  And now he is leading his whole church to be a bunch of losers too!   Over a year ago, Pastor Steve realized that because of his lust of the flesh (For him it was over indulging in ice cream!) and sedentar…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/81/what_a_loser</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/81/what_a_loser</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - What’s New in Fitness for First Place 4 Health]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[One of the changes coming in First Place 4 Health in the area of exercise is our new philosophy:  Something is better than nothing and more is better than less.  What could be simpler than that! Gone are the days when we thought our exercis…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/80/whats_new_in_fitness_for_first_place_4_health</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/80/whats_new_in_fitness_for_first_place_4_health</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  The NEW First Place 4 Health Fitness Plan - FAQ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[What a challenging but joyful experience it has been for me to write the Fitness portion of the new First Place 4 Health program. I have talked with First Place members around the country and these two questions come up more than any others:I have ne…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/79/the_new_first_place_4_health_fitness_plan_-_faq</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/79/the_new_first_place_4_health_fitness_plan_-_faq</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Why We Need People]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I have had a lot of traveling opportunities speaking for First Place 4 Health. While taking a travel journey can be an exciting time to see new places, it can also be a lonely time. Traveling by myself is not much fun. I am a team person – no d…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/78/why_we_need_people</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/78/why_we_need_people</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Drop and Give Me 20!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I attended the AFPA, American Fitness Professionals & Associates annual convention last month, and wow – did I learn a lot!  There were a lot of different kinds of classes being offered from Kickboxing to Pilates to Dace classes, but B…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/77/drop_and_give_me_20</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/77/drop_and_give_me_20</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips -  Losing to Live]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Please welcome our new E-Newsletter contributor, Steve Reynolds.  Steve is the Senior Pastor of Capital Baptist Church in Annandale, VA.  He is also the author of the book Bod4God and the creator of the Losing To Live Weight Loss Competitio…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/13/losing_to_live</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/13/losing_to_live</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Home School Your Children with Healthy Summer Habits]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[School is out and I have two of my sons home all summer. I love having them here and I am looking forward to a break from the routine. If your household is anything like mine, summer can be a great time of relaxation, but also can be a dangerous time…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/76/home_school_your_children_with_healthy_summer_habits</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/76/home_school_your_children_with_healthy_summer_habits</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Your Body is Made By God For God]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (M…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/12/your_body_is_made_by_god_for_god</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/12/your_body_is_made_by_god_for_god</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  Beads, Veils and other Fancy Things]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Many of you prayed for me while I was in the Middle East. First of all, thank you! It was quite an experience for me and my fifteen year old son, Mackenzie. I want to share with you just three of the 1,000 things I learned and discovered about the pe…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/75/beads_veils_and_other_fancy_things</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/75/beads_veils_and_other_fancy_things</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Dedication:  Honoring God with Your Body]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Gal 5:16)My journey to weight loss began with dedicating myself to God. In Galatians 5:16, Paul calls this concept walking in the Spirit.  It means allowing the Ho…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/11/dedication__honoring_god_with_your_body</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/11/dedication__honoring_god_with_your_body</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - “Give us a year.”]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Part of our new wellness philosophy for First Place 4 Health is “Give us a year.” As a leader, this may seem a bit overwhelming. Does that mean I must commit to lead FP4H classes for an entire year? That will be a question that you will n…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/74/give_us_a_year</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/74/give_us_a_year</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Dedication: Honoring God with Your Body Conclusion]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.Philippians 2:5Last month I wrote that change is difficult to accomplish without discipline. I had to come to a place of disciplining my body parts. I had to realize and I want you to do the same…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/10/dedication_honoring_god_with_your_body_conclusion</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/10/dedication_honoring_god_with_your_body_conclusion</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -  My Thankfulness Top Ten]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[If you are using our new materials for First Place 4 Health classes, you have no doubt been introduced to our “Top Ten” lists. Erin DuBroc shared her Nutrition Top Ten to ensure our success in the area of eating, and I introduced my Fitne…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/73/my_thankfulness_top_ten</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/73/my_thankfulness_top_ten</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training -   Receiving the Gifts of Christmas]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Does just the thought of Christmas wear you out? Are you already living in fear and dread of the following:Coming in at number 10…- A brutal Christmas schedule- An overwhelming amount of food everywhere!- Financial pressuresIf those thoughts a…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/72/receiving_the_gifts_of_christmas</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/72/receiving_the_gifts_of_christmas</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Called and Accountable Leadership for 2009]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Let's face it – leading a class on losing weight can be really hard work and present a lot of pressure, especially if you try and do it alone. For many of us leading First Place 4 Health classes, an accountability person or prayer partner can b…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/31/called_and_accountable_leadership_for_2009</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/31/called_and_accountable_leadership_for_2009</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Let’s Have a Change Your Life Event]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[During 2008, we had six opportunities to connect and train hundreds of First Place 4 Health members at Change Your Life Events. We went from one end of the country to the other, north, south, east and west. I had the best honey crisp apple I have eve…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/30/lets_have_a_change_your_life_event</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/30/lets_have_a_change_your_life_event</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Two Months Out – Goals Revisited]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Okay, it’s now March and I have to ask the hard question: How are you doing on those goals you set in January? As First Place 4 Health Leaders, how can we encourage others toward a goal when we ourselves are not reaching our own? George Barna i…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/29/two_months_out__goals_revisited</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/29/two_months_out__goals_revisited</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Inspiration: Motivating Yourself for Change]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10I want to live! I want to live! How often have you faced a medical diagnosis and cried ou…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/9/inspiration_motivating_yourself_for_change</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/9/inspiration_motivating_yourself_for_change</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Nine Things Every Leader Should Do]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I am certainly in a list mood this year. There is no better feeling than having a list and checking it off! As leaders, we are all different and can do a variety of things, but I think there are some things we must do to be successful leaders. Every …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/28/nine_things_every_leader_should_do</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/28/nine_things_every_leader_should_do</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Eating and Exercise: Managing Your Habits]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Proverbs 23:2The Bible mentions many different kinds of foods, which show that God wants us to enjoy eating. For example, Deuteronomy 8:7-8 says, For the LORD your God is bringing you…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/8/eating_and_exercise_managing_your_habits</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/8/eating_and_exercise_managing_your_habits</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - First Place 4 Health Stimulus Package]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Let me introduce you to Paulette McDonald who is writing for us this month. Paulette is one of our FP4H Networking Leaders in Louisiana. She is a pastor’s wife and mother of three, so she knows all about the pressures of leading, living, and lo…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/27/first_place_4_health_stimulus_package</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/27/first_place_4_health_stimulus_package</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Ministry Maintenance]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[2 Corinthians 4:1"Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart."The Lord has led me to memorize the fourth chapter of Second Corinthians. This chapter is all about ministry and it relates beautifully to First Place…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/112/ministry_maintenance</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/112/ministry_maintenance</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Eating and Exercise: Managing Your Habits Part II]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27Eating healthy and exercising regularly are activities we must engage in if we want to continue using …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/7/eating_and_exercise_managing_your_habits_part_ii</link>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Teaching Wellness to the Next Generation]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I know that Mother’s Day was last month, but I must tell you about a mom and daughter team that I have in my FP4H class this session.  I have the opportunity to teach a Body & Soul Fitness class and a First Place 4 Health class back to…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/26/teaching_wellness_to_the_next_generation</link>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - The Fourth Key to a Better Body]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverb 27:17As a teenager I realized the importance of carefully choosing the people I would allow to influence the choices and decisions I would make.  As a young Christi…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/6/the_fourth_key_to_a_better_body</link>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - What To Do When You Want To Cheat - Part I]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Over the last few years as I’ve embarked on this journey of weight loss, I have been so tempted to cheat.  Then I realized I’d only be cheating myself.  If I compromise and give in to the desires of my flesh and eat the wrong fo…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/167/what_to_do_when_you_want_to_cheat_-_part_i</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/167/what_to_do_when_you_want_to_cheat_-_part_i</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Your Last Excuse Just Went Back to School]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Summer has been spectacular around the Heath house.  At one point, I had all four of my children home at the same time.  We have recently moved to Edisto Island and needless to say, having the beach a block or so away was tons of fun. …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/161/your_last_excuse_just_went_back_to_school</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/161/your_last_excuse_just_went_back_to_school</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - What to Do When You Want To Cheat - Part II]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[How many times since being involved with First Place 4 Health or any other type of weight loss program have you had a desire to cheat?  Surely, it’s only natural to want the things you are not supposed to have.  
 
If you&rsquo…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/162/what_to_do_when_you_want_to_cheat_-_part_ii</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/162/what_to_do_when_you_want_to_cheat_-_part_ii</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Shortcuts to FP4H Resources]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The fall season means back to school for many of us.  I always loved getting ready to head back, because that meant one thing … new shoes!  I still love a new pair of shoes, but I love the opportunity to learn something new.  Th…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/163/shortcuts_to_fp4h_resources</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/163/shortcuts_to_fp4h_resources</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - What to Do When You Want To Cheat - Part III]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Shop Carefully. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.  Romans 13:14 (KJV)One thing to remember is this: if food gets near you, it will eventually get in you. So understand the battleg…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/164/what_to_do_when_you_want_to_cheat_-_part_iii</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/164/what_to_do_when_you_want_to_cheat_-_part_iii</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Holidays Can Prove to Be Tough Times - In More Ways Than One!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[How would you finish this phrase:  “When the going gets tough…?” 
 
The most common way to finish would be, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”  Here are a couple of others for consid…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/165/holidays_can_prove_to_be_tough_times_-_in_more_ways_than_one</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/165/holidays_can_prove_to_be_tough_times_-_in_more_ways_than_one</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - What To Do When You Want To Cheat - Part IV]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.  II Corinthians 10:5
 
Think correctly about food.  We have…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/166/what_to_do_when_you_want_to_cheat_-_part_iv</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/166/what_to_do_when_you_want_to_cheat_-_part_iv</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - A Joy Filled Christmas]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Christmas is fast approaching and I can’t wait! I have never dreaded Christmas.  I know many of you struggle through the holidays for a variety of reasons.  For some, it can be an extremely lonely and depressing time and for others, a…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/168/a_joy_filled_christmas</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/168/a_joy_filled_christmas</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - What To Do When You Want To Cheat - Part V]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The first temptation of mankind involved food.  Man was instructed not to eat the fruit of the tree.  Isn’t it ironic that our current struggle is to eat enough fruit?  This struggle has been with us from the beginning of time. B…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/169/what_to_do_when_you_want_to_cheat_-_part_v</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/169/what_to_do_when_you_want_to_cheat_-_part_v</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Most Important Things]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[When we first came to Edisto Beach Baptist Church as Pastor and family, our church welcomed us with an old fashioned pounding.  We received goodies, staples for our pantry and some special items that we needed for living on an island.  Our …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/170/most_important_things</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/170/most_important_things</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - A New Year, A New You!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;” Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6
Am I the only person who feels that 2009 passed by with a bl…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/171/a_new_year_a_new_you</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/171/a_new_year_a_new_you</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - R R & R for 2010!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[As a certified fitness professional, it is within my scope of practice to write “exercise prescriptions” for those who need fitness advice.  My dear First Place 4 Health Leaders, here is my unsolicited wellness prescription for each …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/172/r_r__r_for_2010</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/172/r_r__r_for_2010</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - The Anti-Fat Pastor's Call for Anti-Fat Christians]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I’ve been called a lot of things in my life, but I never thought I’d be called the “Anti-Fat Pastor.”  Not me, the one who for years wouldn’t go to bed until I’d eaten my nightly giant bowl of ice cream as I s…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/173/the_anti-fat_pastors_call_for_anti-fat_christians</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/173/the_anti-fat_pastors_call_for_anti-fat_christians</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Is Your Brain Fried or Fit?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[
I have a really bad habit of fixing my oatmeal and walking around the house eating it.  Last week, I sat it down somewhere and couldn’t remember where I left it.  Occasionally, I misplace my car keys or lose my phone, but when I los…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/174/is_your_brain_fried_or_fit</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/174/is_your_brain_fried_or_fit</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Are You Glorifying God with Your Body?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Philippians 1:20-21 says, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (KJV) 
 
Our bodies were made for the glorification of God, not the gratification of self. 
&n…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/175/are_you_glorifying_god_with_your_body</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/175/are_you_glorifying_god_with_your_body</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - The Power of the Cross]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[It’s Easter this month and, of course, we see pictures and hear sermons on the cross.  There are crosses draped with purple in my community. There are old rugged ones and splendid ornate gold ones. There are crosses placed in yards with be…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/177/the_power_of_the_cross</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/177/the_power_of_the_cross</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - I Want You To Be a Loser]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.  Hebrews 12:1 NKJ
A “loser…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/176/i_want_you_to_be_a_loser</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/176/i_want_you_to_be_a_loser</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - Inspiring Leadership]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” 
…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/178/inspiring_leadership</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/178/inspiring_leadership</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Created for Good Works]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
God created our bodies, and He created them for himself.  Your body is the temple …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/179/created_for_good_works</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/179/created_for_good_works</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - And Can It Be.]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I woke up this morning with a song in my heart and the words playing over and over in my brain.   Has that ever happened to you?  You hear a song and it makes its way into your subconscious.  This one is an old hymn written by Cha…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/180/and_can_it_be</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/180/and_can_it_be</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Time To Take Up The Cross of A Healthy Lifestyle]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny 
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life 
will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.&rdquo…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/181/time_to_take_up_the_cross_of_a_healthy_lifestyle</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/181/time_to_take_up_the_cross_of_a_healthy_lifestyle</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Training - What Freedom Means To Me]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Growing up in a military family, I was exposed to and absorbed a great amount of patriotism.  My father was in the military for over twenty years serving first in the Korean War and then Vietnam as a corpsman. 
Most of my life, I lived on …]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/182/what_freedom_means_to_me</link>
<guid>http://www.firstplace4health.com/training/182/what_freedom_means_to_me</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Leadership Tips - Dedicated to Success]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”Galatians 5:16
Our society seems obsessed with fitness or at least the appearance of fitness. Why on earth would I say that when a large segment of the…]]></description>
<link>http://www.firstplace4health.com/tips/183/dedicated_to_success</link>
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