Make Today Count…No Matter What

By Cami Checketts-

At my local gym an older gentleman comes with his bottle of oxygen strapped to his back. When I watch him lift weights, I always think “That’s how I want to be when I’m in my 70s.”

I’m impressed by so many different people. A friend with breast cancer who not only keeps running, but is training for an ultra marathon. A 60-plus year-old lady who is in better shape than most 20 year olds. My husband who finds time to exercise even though his schedule is overflowing with work, church, and family responsibilities (not to mention that lengthy honey-do list). An expectant mom I see on the treadmill every day, walking through the pain (As the mom of an eight month old, I remember that pain all too well!).

In exercise and other areas of life it is extremely easy to make excuses: too busy, too tired, I’ll do it tomorrow. How often do we say these things? “Tomorrow I’ll visit my elderly neighbor.” “With my next paycheck I’ll donate more to charity.” “Tomorrow I’ll eat healthier.” “After things calm down I’ll be more fun with my children.” All great intentions, but today is the only day we have.

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44 KJV). Today is the day to be the person we want to become. If we wait for tomorrow we may miss opportunities to serve, love, and grow.

As I relate this back to exercise, I think it’s easy to put off doing something that we know we should do, something that will not only improve our health but make us feel fabulous. Don’t put off the important things. Make time today to exercise. Make time today to serve. Make time today to show your family and friends your love. In our modern age it’s easy to waste time. Don’t do it! Get out and do something to better yourself or help someone else. No excuses. Make each day count, no matter what. I promise you won’t regret it.

Aging and Fitness: Finding Balance

By Don Otis –

Life is full of surprises; unknown twists and turns that affect our health, our finances, jobs, and even our relationships. The one certainly is that getting older levels the playing field of life. Whether you are 35 and pine for the days when you could run like the wind, or 70 and wish you could climb a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing, age makes a difference in our abilities and performance.

In past columns I have stressed key points of fitness such as consistency and intensity. Our tendency is to start and stop diets and fitness routines. We have talked about the importance of finding a physical activity you enjoy and making it a regular part of your week. In other words, making an appointment with yourself and sticking to it.

 

There are so many studies and statistics and so much marketing that it’s easy to get caught up in all the confusion about what to eat or not to eat. I am not a nutritionist, and I am the first to admit it. Still, most of us know what’s good for us or not-so-good. I believe the Bible teaches us the importance of moderation and balance in all areas of life. As I have aged, I notice my muscles don’t recover as quickly. After a hard workout, my quadriceps can be sore for a couple days. That never happened in my 20s, 30s or even my 40s. Now, however, it is part of what I have come to expect so I take protein shortly after most workouts to help muscle recovery.

If you are active, you have noticed some other issues—shrinking muscles and lack of elasticity. In other words, stretching becomes vital you age. And for those who have back problems, learning to lift properly (use your legs, not your lower back), can make a difference. For lower back strain, focus on building your core—the part of your body that gets the least amount of attention. By building your abdominal (stomach) muscles, you give support for the upper body which often overcompensates when put under a physical workload.

It comes as no surprise that as we age our metabolism changes too; it decreases. We burn fewer calories in simple everyday chores. In a country where almost 70 percent of men are overweight or obese, igniting your “engine” (metabolism) through activity is not just a good idea; it will determine your longevity. And our children are no better off. For children who are obese at age 20 (defined as 30 pounds or more above normal weight), their lifespan is cut by an average of 13 years.

As Christians we know that this world is not our home. Except for Enoch and Elijah, I know of no one who has cheated death. The time we spend on this sphere is short and making the most of the equipment God has given us is an act of stewardship. Accept that your body is always changing and make it part of your life to accept what you can’t change but to make the most of what God has given you.

Experience Your Own 15-Minute Miracle!

By Julie Morris –

If you knew that you could spend just 15 minutes a day—and it would change your life in incredible ways—would you do it every day?

I discovered almost 30 years ago how to start my day in a brand new way, and I have been amazed at the results: I have been able to do things that I thought were impossible! Because I seek the Lord first thing every morning, I have lost my harmful extra pounds and have kept them off. And I’ve lost most of the worries that weighed me down as well. Sounds too good to be true? It’s not.

Here’s what I do:

I have a prayer journal—a loose-leaf notebook with 5 dividers and lots of notebook paper. I write in my journal during those 15 minutes so I can stay focused and take advantage of every second.

Section #1 Prayers. I spend 3 minutes using the ACTS structure of prayer so I come into God’s presence with ADORATION, CONFESSION, THANKSGIVING and last, SUPPLICATION (intercessory prayers). Before I started using this type of prayer format, I spent most of my time asking God for things, or heaven forbid (!), telling Him what to do.

Section #2 Organization. I spend 3 minutes looking at how I did the day before to see if I have been off track. On my Monthly Activities Sheet I record how I spent the day before (I write the date in the left margin and record activities for each day of the month on one line per day). During the 3 minutes in my Organization section, I also write what I ate the day before, and I write down how I did with other weaknesses.

Section #3 Journaling. I spend 3 minutes journaling about my problems. I have found that in this section I am able to cast my cares on the Lord—not the refrigerator, pray about the problems that I will have to face that day and plan how I will handle them.

Section #4 Meditation. I send 3 minutes meditating on a verse. I choose the verse as I read ½ chapter of the Bible each day and find one verse that stands out. I consider this verse a letter to me from God and respond by writing Him a short letter (2-3 sentences) about what His Words mean to me that day. There are many other ways I meditate on Scripture. I’ll tell you about them next month.

Section #5 Memorization. I spend 3 minutes memorizing an encouraging Bible verse. I write it in this section of my notebook. Then I put it on an index card and take it with me to study while stuck in traffic, in line at the grocery store or waiting on hold when I’m on the phone. During my memorizing time on the following days, I continue to work on this verse until I know it well, but I keep it in my memory section to review from time to time. I have learned lots of ways to make memorizing fun and have found that memorizing Scripture is the best way to get God’s Word from my head to my heart.

I have discovered that when I have a daily quiet time in this manner consistently each morning, my days go so much better. I am able to rely on God’s power—not my faltering willpower. I am directed by His Word—not driven by my circumstances, and I am guided by Him—not my feelings or worldly desires. Email me at julie@guidedbyhim.com if you want to know more about how to experience your own 15-minute miracle.

Fuel-Up with Foods as God Made Them

By Laurette Willis –

How processed or close-to-nature are the foods you regularly eat?

Quick quiz: Which meal would you say is closest to its natural state?
a. Fresh fruit cup; raw vegetable salad w/lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar and flax seed oil); whole wheat tortillas with beans and steamed veggies.
b. Raw veggie salad with “lite” salad dressing; cooked salmon w/lemon juice; frozen veggies with cheese; brown rice; fruit dessert.
c. Iceberg lettuce and tomato with sweet an’ creamy Italian dressing; instant macaroni and cheese (just add water!); canned peas; Sara-licious Put-On-The-Pounds cake.
d. Fast food burger (with lettuce, tomato and pickle—those are vegetables, aren’t they?); French fries (medium-size, I’m watching what I eat); frozen dessert (what is that anyway?); diet soda (to wash it down quickly please, I’m driving).

You may have noticed our menu became increasingly more processed and further away from its natural state as our list progressed.

Okay, we’re modern people; we don’t live in ancient times. How can we possibly WWJD (“What Would Jesus Do?”) when it comes to food? Actually, it’s a lot easier than you think. You know what has helped me make changes in this area? Knowledge. While the world says, “Knowledge is power,” God says through the prophet Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6 NKJV). Either way, both knowledge (information) and wisdom (understanding how to apply that knowledge) are valuable, necessary and available.

Let’s look at one of the blights of modern life: processed food. Some of you may be thinking, “But processed foods are convenient! I thought conveniences were blessings not curses!” True, thanks to the joys of technology, most of us don’t have to till the soil, grind the wheat and kill the fatted calf to feed our family. I’ll admit I’d rather reach for a box of raisins at the supermarket rather than grow, harvest and dry the grapes myself. Many conveniences are blessings. Goodness, where would we be without air conditioning and electric lights? Sweating by candlelight I suppose.

Certainly not all processed foods are bad for us either. In fact, processed food is mentioned in the Bible. Bread (processed grain) is mentioned as early as the third chapter of Genesis. Bread is meant to be a blessing; otherwise Jesus would not have referred to Himself as “the bread of life” in John 6:35.

Simply put, the further the food is from its original state, the more processes it has gone through, the more preservatives and chemicals are added to increase its shelf “life,” the less nutritional value there is for our bodies to use. Also, the more potentially harmful these non-food items become as our bodies struggle under the weight of the toxic load.

Simple Plan: Alternate the days when you will eat the more processed foods with days when you will have a diet closer to “God-made” less processed foods. For example: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday can be cleaner “God-made” foods days, while Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday can be the days of the week you allow yourself to eat more processed foods. Balance is key. This way you won’t feel deprived or depraved!

Is There a Ravenous Monster Living Inside of You?

By Julie Morris –

Some of us feel like we have a Ravenous Monster living inside of our stomachs. He growls angrily when he is hungry, and when we feed him the comfort foods he demands, he is stilled momentarily—but all too soon he growls for more and more. Nothing seems to satisfy him.

If you can identify with the Ravenous Monster I’m describing, I want to give you some food for thought: The more we feed him, the hungrier he gets!

But there is a way to defeat the Ravenous Monster and calm our cravings. Try this experiment for one week and see if you can make your Monster meeker:
1. List foods that make you hungrier (for example, candy, desserts, fast foods, comfort foods). Everyone is different so listen to your body and recognize the foods that awaken your Monster within.
2. List ways of eating that make you hungrier (for example, eating too much, standing, second helpings, gulping, grazing, in front of the TV, in the car, in certain restaurants, with certain “binge buddies”).
3. Stay away from these things for one week.

At the end of that time, see if you have made your Monster meeker. If your cravings have diminished, extend your experiment another week—then another. While you’re at it, start other habits that will do away with his ravenous roaring:
1. Pray before eating anything–that the Lord will satisfy your desires with good things (Psalm 103:5).
2. Every morning, ask God to be Lord over your eating that day. Don’t allow yourself to have “two masters” (Matthew 6:24).
3. Don’t make excuses. Recognize how destructive overeating is to you (Philippians 3:19).
4. When you are tempted, praise God that you are more than a conqueror through Christ (Romans 8:37).
5. Picture yourself receiving God’s power to make healthy choices in your eating—one day a time (2 Corinthians 9:8).

If you do these things, you might discover, like many of us across the country, that you can be free of cravings.

Eating certain foods and eating in certain ways awakens the Ravenous Monster within–and you can choose not to do that. Instead, you can join us in saying, “A few minutes of chewing is just not worth it! I will not be controlled by my cravings. Instead, I will do what it takes to make my Monster meeker!”

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