Physical, Mental and Spiritual Wellness, Simply Through Walking

We have mice.

They’re desperately cute the first time you see them popping their little heads out of the stove burners (?!), but not after they’ve been caught eating your food and pooping all over your kitchen.  Perfectly disgusting creatures.  We’ve tried spring traps (they lick them clean of peanut butter without setting them off.  Cheese is just as bad), poison (they think it’s a nutritional supplement!), glue traps (they can get out of these! - though it’s pretty hard to extract the dog when he’s decided to play with a captured mouse!), sonic devices, essential oil of peppermint, and anything else we can find.

Ever seen “Mouse Hunt“?  Trust me, I’m about ready to hire the guy with the bazooka!

Anyway . . .

My family and I have been reading the book “The Hiding Place“.  In there, two sisters from Holland who run an underground for escaping Jews are arrested and eventually sent to Ravensbruck.  There they find deplorable conditions, but Betsy, the older sister, is anxious to discover how to serve God there, and they decide - based on their Bible reading that morning - that they will serve God by being thankful for everything.  Corrie, the younger sister - and much more like me - decides she can find ways to be thankful for many things, but NOT for the fleas which were rampant in their living quarters.

They discover that in spite of desperate conditions and the fact that they are watched every moment of the day, they are, for some strange reason, given a wide berth when they’re in the main room of their quarters, and discovered that the guards avoided them because of the fleas.  Now Corrie could truly give thanks for them.

I was thinking of this as I was deep cleaning the kitchen, trying once again to rid the place of mice and their filth.  I was angry - I not only hate mice, but I’m not too keen on cleaning.  To have to do it over and over because of THEIR mess does not make me a happy person.

However, I did decide to praise God for them, because I could see that they were forcing me to be a more diligent housekeeper - which is a good thing.

The exercise so inspired me that I cleaned the whole house vigorously for FIVE HOURS!  My house has never been this clean all at once!

So if you’re gonna visit - come now.  The house is sparkling, and I think my cleaning products have gassed the mice - I’ve not seen any today . . .

Darlene

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It’s New Year’s Eve, and I am contemplating this next year.  I like to spend time meditating on where I’ve been and where I’m going, and this year, especially, I am trying to walk carefully in the will of God, because I’m learning from my own mistakes, that His way is the only one that works.

So as we close 2008 and open 2009, moving into what appears to be a universally difficult, bumpy year, let me share the following (my thanks to whomever wrote/prepared this.  It is wonderful!):

~He Is God~

He is the First and Last,
The Beginning and the End!

He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times.
He always was, He always is, and He always will be
unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!

He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!
The world can’t understand him,
The armies can’t defeat Him,
The schools can’t explain Him, and The leaders can’t ignore Him.
Herod couldn’t kill Him, The Pharisees couldn’t confuse Him,  and The people couldn’t hold Him!
Nero couldn’t crush Him, Hitler couldn’t silence Him,
The New Age can’t replace Him, and “Oprah” can’t explain Him away!

He is light, love, longevity, and Lord.
He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure.

His ways are right,
His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me.
He is my Savior,
He is my guide, and He is my peace!
He is my Joy,
He is my comfort,
He is my Lord, and He rules my life!

I serve Him because His bond is love,
His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life.

I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise,
the power of the powerful,
the ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders, the overseer of the overcomers, and is to come. And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size.

His goal is a relationship with ME!
He will never leave me,
never forsake me,
never mislead me,
never forget me,
never overlook me and
never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!

When I fall, He lifts me up!
When I fail, He forgives!
When I am weak, He is strong!
When I am lost, He is the way!
When I am afraid, He is my courage!
When I stumble, He steadies me!
When I am hurt, He heals me!
When I am broken, He mends me!
When I am blind, He leads me!
When I am hungry, He feeds me!
When I face trials, He is with me!
When I face persecution, He shields me!
When I face problems, He comforts me!
When I face loss, He provides for me!
When I face Death, He carries me Home!

He is everything for everybody everywhere, every time, and every way.

He is God, He is faithful. I am His, and He is mine!

My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world.
So, if you’re wondering why I feel so secure, understand this…

He said it and that settles it.
God is in control, I am on His side,
and that means all is well with my soul.

Everyday is a blessing for GOD Is!

I wish you a blessed, rich, prosperous, happy, growth-filled 2009!

Darlene

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Yesterday I went for my first walk in ages! The combination of the freezing weather, deep snow, and total lack of motivation have kept me pretty well indoors.  I kept asking myself - well, what’s the use?  It doesn’t really change anything!

I was wrong!!!

As I walked yesterday, I began to think of the benefits of what I was doing. Here’s what that simple 1 hour, 5k walk gave me:

1. increased circulation which brings nutrients to my cells and removes waste by-products, makes my skin glow and helps me look younger and “fresher” (cheaper than botox!)
2. Increased my vitamin D uptake through exposing my eyes and (minimal) skin (hey, it’s still -4 here!) to sunlight. This means I’ve lowered my cancer/multiple sclerosis/heart disease risk, increased my bone density, strengthened my immune system, lowered my risk for depression, and released “happy hormones” into my system. Vitamin D also increases the amount of oxygen that my blood transports around your body- and this increases my energy, sharpens my mental capacities, and gives me a real “feel good” factor.
3. The increased sunlight (I have UV protective prescription glasses, so I rarely wear sunglasses) triggered an increase in the feel-good brain chemical serotonin. Serotonin controls sleep patterns, body temperature and my sex drive, and also lifts my mood and wards off depression. Studies have shown that exposing the body to sunlight or even artificial ultra-violet light- increases the number of white cells in the blood.White cells are the body’s health defence against infections and are important to your immune system’s response to the organisms that cause illness.
4. I also got some good physical movement in there, obviously, and this means that I am now reaping the benefits of the following:* Reduced risk of premature death
   * Reduced risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease
   * Reduced high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure
   * Reduced high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol
   * Reduced risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer
   * Reduced risk of developing diabetes
   * Reduced or maintained body weight or body fat
   * Built and maintained healthy muscles, bones, and joints
   * Reduced depression and anxiety
   * Improved psychological well-being
   * Enhanced work, recreation, and sport performance
5. The rhythm of walking, breathing and recitation calms my spirit, gives mental focus, and helps me to cope better with stress.
6. The recitation of Rosary prayers keeps my mind focused on “things above” and gives me a positive outlook on life. It reminds me of the great truths of the Bible and the promises God has made to me. It also stimulates my brain (as I do these by memory) which helps to ward off brain deterioration. I also did a half hour of “BrainReady” exercises to give my brain an even greater boost while I walked.
7. I exercised my balance by walking either in deep snow or on slippery ice (contrary to the impression the picture gives this blog post!) Who needs a fitness ball?
8. I had 1 hour of peace - no one needed me, no phones, no one at the door, no work to get done, no to-do list to check off. I just walked. The time was my own!

Not bad for an hour in the fresh air! Try it! Share your experiences in the comment section below!

Darlene

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CHRIST BELL

THE BELL
I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God’s child (John 1:12)
I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15 )
I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ.  (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3:20)
I am free from any! charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God  (2 Cor 1:21-22 )
I am assured all things work together for good  (Rom. 8:28 )
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God’s temple (1 Cor. 3: 16) I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God’s co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven ( Col 1:14) I have been adopted as God’s child (Eph 1:5)
I belong to God
Do you know
Who you are!?

Have a peaceful, blessed Christmas!

Darlene

(PS - A sincere thank you to whomever took the time to set this up!  It wasn’t me!)

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Christmas Eve is just  2 days away, and here I am in my PJ’s, totally relaxed.  What’s up?  Normally at this time of year I’m frantic!

I grew up in a home where Christmas was “where it was at”.  Martha Stewart had nothing on my mother for decorating and baking!  We usually had hordes of people over, and we were also involved in everything the Church or School had to offer.  It was a whole lot of fun, but crazy stress!

When I married a man whose Christmas consisted of a small white tree with 6 blue balls, set up on the fireplace mantle, the Queen’s speech, and dinner, we hit a moment of conflict.  Actually, it was several years of conflict.

It would have been ok if I had had a single domestic bone in my body, but I don’t.  My giftedness is all much more impractical (and fun!) than that!  So creating a Christmas like my mother’s was incredibly stressful.  I was usually in tears and/or screaming by the time the “big day” arrived.

I decided for the sake of our marriage to pull WAAAAY back.  Later, a financial crunch caused us to pull back even further, and now we’re at a place where Christmas is fun, but totally not stressful.   Here’s how we do it:

• We only purchase gifts for our immediate family - no friends, no extended family.  It just gets too costly!
• We decorate, but minimally.  Just enough to make everything cheerful and special.
• I don’t bake.  We purchase special items and/or receive them from friends.
• My mom (bless her) does Christmas dinner because that’s what she loves to do.  If she’s not able/willing/around to cook, we do Raclette, a simple - but special - meal we discovered when we lived in Europe.
• I don’t do cards.  I try and get everyone I know to join Facebook, and we keep in touch all year long.

I’m sure my list looks next to sacrilegious for many of you.  It was hard for me to get used to it, myself, but the trade off is SO worth it!  For us, anyway!

What we DO do, is volunteer for Christmas Eve services so that those who are crazy and stressed can have some time off.  This usually means we’re busy all day on Christmas Eve with rehearsals and involvement in a minimum of two services, but that’s a whole lot of fun for us!  We also take time to read stories, or listen to audio books (this year we read “Night Watch: A Long Lost Adventure In Which Sherlock Holmes Meets Father Brown“) and we ALWAYS listen to the audio production of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” - hilarious and touching.  Best story ever written!  We drink lots of hot chocolate, watch movies, play games, just stay quiet.  It’s great.

I’m not even walking.  It’s -20 and colder these days.  The windchill can get as high as -30.  I’m just not interested, and I’m not letting it stress me out.  Rest is healthy.  When our faithful Chinook blows in sometime after Christmas (I hope), warming things up and melting the ice, I’ll get back out there and pound the pavement.  Right now, I’m going to stay in my jammies and drink hot chocolate.

You’re welcome to come over and join me!

Darlene

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We’ve been looking at prayer a lot this week.  I thought I’d give you a great resource in case you’re feeling “stuck”. Let me recommend the book “Creative Prayer: Speaking the Language of God’s Heart”

I recently found this book in the discount bin of a Christian Book Store, and it’s been a great “find”.  Chris Tiegreen spends the first part of the book challenging our creativity in the light of God’s word, and then he goes into some more practical things you can try to bring some meaningful creativity into your prayer life. There are lots of ideas for moving prayer, too, so you can incorporate it into your fitness regime. I love that!

Take a look, and let me know what you think! I’d be interested to get your comments below.

Darlene

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Last week I challenged you to get a hold of some written prayers to deepen your prayer life. I have a new challenge for you this week.

Ever think about the fact that God is the ultimate creative soul? All things creative and beautiful come from Him. And yet, the way we practice our faith is often dull and dry. Ever notice that?

A few years ago I was challenged in this area when I attended the “Captivating” retreat in Colorado (ladies, this is a MUST!) At the end of the four days we were invited to come up onto the stage and dance to the worship music. Some of us were awkward and repetitive, others were beautiful and fluid, but it was a mind-blowing experience either way. My prayers and my worship took flight that day.

Returning home, I allowed my self to “stiffen up” again, but the discovery of the song “Pour My Love On You” by Philips, Craig and Dean revived that. I can hardly listen to the chorus without dancing.

I often listen to that song while walking, and when the chorus hits, I run, twirl, leap, and dance. It’s fantastic!

Let me challenge you to explore your more creative side in prayer. Move, draw, dance, sing, clap, shout, act, read, whatever. Just do something to get out of the rut and bring new life into those old patterns! If nothing else, it’s likely to burn a few of those extra calories that Christmas inevitably brings!

Is there something you like to do in prayer? A creative method that you have tried? Share it below!

Darlene

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The alarm goes off pretty early here (5:30) and, technically, an hour after it goes off I should be outside walking.  Not a long walk -  just a quick blitz around the block.

However, here in Calgary, 6:30 is dark, and presently very cold.  I don’t do well in the cold (mind you, I don’t do well in heat, either.  My husband says I’m only really happy at 22.5 degrees Celsius - about 72 degrees Fahrenheit).

I am totally unmotivated to walk, so the only solution I can think of is heading to the Internet to find a solution. I thought I’d share my findings with you:

• A typical one seems to be  changing your workout and doing something totally different - moving inside to do a workout video, for example.
• Also, there is the suggestion to find a workout buddy, though my friends are not too happy about the 6:30 thing!
• Goal setting (and keeping it “present”) is another one.  I’m big on goals, but they don’t often get me out of a slump.

I found these same suggestions on dozens of sites, and did not feel terribly inspired, to tell you the truth.

Further searching enabled me to find some that were helpful for me, though:

• Exercise at a different time of day - during sunlight hours, for example.  The sunlight will help me deal with these feelings of depression that seem to have overtaken me.  It doesn’t feel so cold and gloomy when it’s sunny.  Here in Calgary it might be cold, but it’s almost always sunny.  Looks like a good place to start
• Sign up for a race to give yourself a goal that costs something.  Yeah, this is a good one.  Good idea.
• Purchase some snuggly workout gear - like a new base layer in a pretty colour - that you’re dying to try out.  That could work!
• Remind yourself that cold weather workouts burn more calories - more “bang for your buck”.  Sounds like a “cool” motivator!

And then there’s this piece of brilliant advice:

“Motivation levels are definitely lower in the winter,” says John Stanton, founder of Running Room, “but there’s something magical about being the first footprints through the snow and conquering the elements.”

Stanton uses what he calls a 10-minute test: “Get in your gear, head out and give yourself 10 minutes. If it’s too unpleasant, you have permission to come back.” (found at the MetroNews site)

I think that’s pretty wise, encouraging advice.  Once you’ve gone to the bother of layering up and heading out, you might as well keep going.  But sometimes it gets truly bitter, and it would be safer for you to be inside.  This avoids the standard “cop-out” and will help you get more exercise in the long run!

Mostly, I think it’s important to make sure you’re dressed properly so you’re not making an uncomfortable situation worse.

Do you have any motivating tips?  I’d love to hear them!  Post them below in the comments!

Darlene

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A while back I blogged about my foray into the world of “Slow Cadence” workouts.

I was delighted to find that the author of The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution: The Slow Motion Exercise That Will Change Your Body in 30 Minutes a Week, a book about slow cadence workouts, found my post and commented on it. He suggested I take a look at his book, which I have, and have found it incredibly interesting.

What if Slow Cadence exercise could replace most of what you’re doing - like aerobics? Weight bearing exercises for osteoporosis? What if you only needed to do 2 15-20 minute strength training sessions a week to get physically and cardiovascularly fit?

The book is fascinating. I was challenged by the chapters on stretching and on aerobics, and especially the comments about “fit” vs “healthy”. It’s given me a lot of food for thought, and is revamping the way my husband and I get our strength training done.

If you’re serious about your health, this is a “no miss” book!

Darlene

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If you were to poll a number of Christians about the area they struggle with most in their walk with God, chances are they’d answer “my prayer life”.

Let’s face it!  Prayer can be very dull.  Most of the time I found myself praying according to a script that goes something like this:

Dear God,
Thank you for such a beautiful day.  Thank you for my family. Thank you for my friends etc.

Please help so-and-so, and please help me as I (fill in the blank with whatever you’re struggling with or need help with) today.

Please bless Bob, Sue, Johnny, etc.
In Jesus Name,

Amen.

I saw this so often in my own prayer life that I decided to go on a journey to change it. I decided to learn how to pray.

One thing I did was go to those whose prayers changed things, and observed. I wrote out prayers from books, from the Bible, and from ancient writings of the church, and assembled them into a sort of “daily prayer routine”. I try every morning to pray through these prayers word for word.

Now, understand, as an evangelical, protestant Christian, I hated the idea of “rote praying”. I was afraid of “babbling many meaningless words”

But honestly, what’s better, praying through the standard script I wrote above, or meaningfully praying things like Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians?

I want my prayers to be powerful. I want the very act of praying them to change me. I want to be deeply challenged and moved by the words I pray. I don’t want to risk boring myself to tears as I go through my “shopping list” with God.

And, to be honest, I need written prayers to keep focused. Sure, I can deviate from the very words on the page, add in more detail regarding a personal situation and such, but the written prayers provide a framework, and often lift me above my own small world as I pray.

Personally, I love to recite them as I walk, using the Anglican Rosary - but more about that, later! And given my spontaneous prayers more depth.

If you’re interested in training your own prayer life using written prayers, let me suggest the following links:

• www.Ransomedheart.com. (there are four links to prayers on the left hand side under the title “Prayers”. I try to pray these every day!)
• Great Prayers of the Bible
• Prayers of Paul
• Notable Prayers in the Bible
• The Book of Common Prayer
• The Tabernacle Prayer

Well, that list should get you started. If you have some rote prayers to share, please put them in the comments section below so we can all benefit!

Darlene

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