Sunday before the holiday

 Yay - we have a three day weekend - and I'm grateful.  Don't have anything planned at the moment except that I am going to get some baking done.  Will more than likely take a nap after church today, since I was awake at 2AM for about 20 minutes - wide awake.  Finally was able to turn over and go back to sleep until 4PM  - and I told myself I was NOT getting up - and dozed until nearly 5AM and finally got up.  I'm getting so lazy I think.  Could it be the weather?  What excuse can I use for laziness?

My thighs and butt are still extremely sore from the lower body workout on Thursday evening.  I'm beginning to think I am too old to do all these crazy exercises.  It hurts just to stand - sitting I'm not too bad, but try to get up and I have to stand in place for a few seconds just to determine where I am going to hurt.  And when I sit for lengths of time... oh my... I can barely walk!  But I do so want to gain better core strength, better balance and better strength overall.  That's why I'm doing what I'm doing.  It's not so much to lose weight - I can diet and do that or do a lot of walking.  I want to build strength so that I won't easily fall and hurt myself later.

I do need to get on the work computer either today or tomorrow morning and approve timecards - I think I will do it today so that it's done and over with. I approved my timecard last week so my boss can easily approve mine and be done with it.  But these others I have to approve.  Oh well.  I'll 'ger 'er done'.

There are two birthdays coming up this week - a great grandson is having his first birthday on the 5th, and my middle child and oldest son, who allowed me to start the monthly celebration with him last Friday, is having a birthday on the 6th.  I am so grateful for each of my children.  I love them 'more than they will ever remember', as my granddaughter always tells me.  Hopefully that comment isn't a prediction of my mental health as I continue to age!

Life sometimes requires good ole elbow grease - do you agree? In families we quickly learn where to put the 'grease' so that things will run smoothly.  We help others when they feel down, we listen when they have complaints, we offer solutions to problems, we are there for them always.  I read a story in my devotional today that I am going to share.

The story is told of a little girl who questioned her pastor when she was confused by his sermon. He'd said she could ask Jesus to come live inside her heart. But then she inquired, "Isn't Jesus a man living up in Heaven?" When the pastor replied that He is, the little girl exclaimed that if she invited Him to live inside of her, He would be sticking out all over. And the pastor responded emphatically, "That's right!" 

The same thing is true for you and me. If we have invited Jesus to live inside us, people should see Him "sticking out all over" by the way we handle situations and interactions all throughout the day.  The apostle Peter, who tended to be an impulsive hothead when he was younger, wrote these instructions toward the end of his life to followers of Jesus:

I Peter 3:7-9 :  "All of you, live as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."

Challenge for today..... "Is Jesus sticking out all over you? How would your family, friends, and co-workers answer that question? Examine your daily interactions. How has God blessed you, and how are you sharing those blessings with others?  On this day, ask God to open your eyes to fresh opportunities to bless peole in the name of Jesus.  Then do so.

Blessings!

Starting over.... I just gotta....

 My daily walking has pretty much fallen by the wayside again, as well as my eating habits.  What can I say.... I love food and I love to sit and read, or watch movies.  And that is what I have been doing the past few weeks.  I haven't gained any weight, for which I am grateful, but again, that is just a number.  It doesn't define who I am.

Which reminds me of a button that my daughter-in-law gave me many years ago.  Obviously I have always struggled with watching my weight go up and trying to get it down.  In my dreams now, I'm afraid, for I'll never be that small again unless I really apply myself, and I'm just not to that point yet.  But, this little button she gave me said something along the lines of "my weight does not define me".  I wish I could remember exactly what it said, but it WAS a long time ago.  I've never forgotten the button and what it meant even if I do forget the exact words.

But today, I'm not talking about weight.  It was just something that popped into my mind as I started to type and I wanted to share it.  No, today I am talking - once again - about starting to walk.  For awhile I had been able to complete 10,000 steps a day - it was really hard to some days, but I always did it before going to bed.  Probably for the past month I'm shrugged it off and since we have been watching so many movies, I'm getting less than 3,000 steps most days!  UGH.  That means the 'broad side of the barn' doesn't shrink any.  

And yes, although I've still been watching my food choices, the past few weeks, they too, have suffered.  Pizza.  Ice cream.  Bread.  Turnovers. Donuts.  What in the world is going on with me that I give in so easily?!  I need to shake it off and refocus.   I'm not talking about eating salads at every meal - in fact - I refuse to do that.  I want to enjoy food and a variety is always good.  But, food will fall in line as I focus more on my walking and get back to lifting even the 5 lb weights just to build strength in my arms.

Why am I always going back to walking and strengtening my body?  Because I want to enjoy life as I continue to age.  I must admit, sometimes getting older can be depressing for it seems that everyone thinks that once you hit a certain age that you can't do anything anymore.  I've noticed it myself in my hubby for he is 12 years older than I am, and because he has quit doing things, it makes me more determined that I will not quit.  I will not spend my latter years sitting in a recliner watching TV.  I want to keep active.  I want to keep baking and cooking.  I want to keep using light weights to build strength.  I want to be healthy and able to be about doing fun things without becoming exhausted.

So why do I want all these things?  Because I want to enjoy my great-grandchildren.  And my grandchildren, of course, but they are all nearly grown.  And they are living their own lives.  At some point when they settle down with families of their own, I hope they remember their roots and stay involved with their parents.  And with their grandparents.  Ok - I'm stopping here... I'm getting that longing to hang out as in former days with the grandchildren again.  Which isn't a bad thing.  I go there often in my mind of the good times we had when they all were much smaller.  I wonder if they ever think of those times....  I need to make contact with the younger grandchildren and get them over here for baking and games.  Perhaps soon.

I often think back to the time of Jesus and how they had to walk everywhere.  No cars.  Many couldn't afford to keep donkeys and only rich people had horses, I'm assuming.   Can you just imagine how strong their legs would have been?  Their backs?  Their bodies?  A lot can be said about walking.  I like to walk alone because then I can pray or sing and don't worry about anyone hearing me.  I can process things that I need to work through.  I can stroll at a slow pace just to keep moving, or I can do a fast walk that is ready to burst into a run that I would look utterly ridiculous at.  But I'm moving.  One step at a time.

A friend recently invited me into the American Cancer Society 30 day challenge to walk 1 mile a day.  I was a few days late in joining, but have already gotten my '6' miles in.  But I want to challenge myself to get back to 10,000 steps a day.  Some of you do good to get a block in - and I would encourage you - even challenge you - to stretch yourself to start doing that block every day.  No matter how much effort it takes to do it, no matter how much it hurts to do it, the more you do it, the more consistent you are, the better you will feel.  It may take a few weeks, but stretching yourself to move will begin to make a differene in how you feel.  I challenge you to try it.  Most of my family will not.  They just are not 'into it'.  But I wish they would.  I couldn't bear to lose any of them.

So I'm going to start pushing myself again - I can't challenge anyone if I don't do it myself - to get more steps in until I'm back at my 10,000 steps daily.  It's getting pretty hot in the garage now to do the treadmill, but I can raise the garage door to let air in.  I just need to make myself take breaks and go out there.   Or it's cool enough in the mornings to take a quick walk.  I always feel guilty for taking a walk and not taking Sheeba, but I just can't take her.  If I get stronger though, perhaps I can at some point.  I just can't risk falling down and hurting myself.  

One day at a time.  One step at a time.  Ready to start over?  I am.  

Let's do this!