The Down and Dirty

I posted almost a year ago that I was doing a mud run then never posted the pics! 

 

Well, here they are... 

 BEFORE

 



DURING

 

AFTER

 

 

It was ah-mazing!  My favorite obstacle was the upside down rope traverse.  An 8-10' rope was strung on an ascending angle above a pit of muddy water, and we had to hang upside down and pull ourselves up to the top with our hands and feet.  It used every muscle and ounce of strength! Making it the full way up was worth the purple bruises on the backs of my legs for the next 2 weeks!

 

If you're looking for a challenge or just want to have fun and support a good cause, I highly recommend grabbing some friends & looking for a fun mud run like this one.  It isn't competitive but it's challenging and a fun day with your friends!

 

Next up...  Tough Mudder, Spartan Race??  We'll see....

 

Falling Together

     There should have been shouting and laughter in the street, but instead there was a still silence in the air. There should have been the clinking and scraping of bike pegs and skateboards against the ramps, but instead there was just distant noise from the traffic a block away. It was a perfectly beautiful, warm Fall afternoon.  There should have been kids riding through the yard – but instead I stood there alone, drenched in the silence, feeling the hole left from a young life ended too soon.

     Maybe you’ve read the tragic story of Autumn Pasquale, a 12-year old girl from a small town in New Jersey, murdered for her BMX bike in October 2012.  Autumn was best friends with the girl across the street.  Almost every day, they would ride their bikes up and down the street, and my sons would bring out their bikes, skateboards, and ramps.  But no one has wanted to play outside for weeks, not even on a beautiful day like this one.  News vans and reporters have left our town.  No matter - the news reports will never be able to capture the emotions that are frozen in time, or the efforts of a town grasping for understanding and trying to move forward while everyone knows that the loss is still just a scratch below the surface. When something like this happens, you can't help but think of the person and how they were when you last saw them – smiling, spunky, determined. Then you can’t help but think of their final hours – trapped, alone, scared. And your heart breaks with helplessness and grief and anger. 

     I stood there in the yard utterly alone, my thoughts broken by yellow leaves falling like snow.  I looked a few yards to the left, and the brilliant orange maple leaves were doing the same thing. And so were the bright yellow leaves from the tree next to it. The wind was blowing the leaves off of their trees, and they were falling together.  But they didn’t just fall. They were suspended in the air - several feet high, several feet wide – swirling and dancing, like they were celebrating that they were finally free. This went on for at least five minutes without them falling to the ground!  It was surreal and so completely opposite of what I was feeling inside. Beautiful and free – I think I might have pinched myself at one point because I had never seen anything like it.

     Beautiful and free… like Autumn is now. No matter what she ever experienced in her short life, no matter what despair she experienced in her last hours, I heard the wind whisper that she is now free. I haven’t read of a way to make sense of such a selfish tragedy. I’ve never seen a commercial for that magic button that returns everything back to normal. All I know is the sense of comfort and shred of hope that somehow, some way God will use this vile act for good. That over time hearts will be healed and people will be able to move forward.

     I kept watching those leaves. Eventually they slowly and peacefully began to float down, covering the ground with a magnificent orange and yellow blanket.  Like Autumn, their journey not wasted but still bringing beauty to the world.

 



 

Eye Full of Sandy

     After volunteering in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, I'm all too familiar with the devastation a hurricane can bring.  Even that experience and the ability to see news reports and pictures of the damage from Hurricane Sandy doesn't compare to the stark reality of witnessing the destruction with your own eyes.

     This past weekend, doors flew open for me to be part of a hurricane relief assessment team and tour areas of the Jersey Shore and New York that were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy.  Our 4-day journey brought us together with pastors and volunteers who have been working on the front lines in Ocean and Middlesex Counties in New Jersey, and in Coney Island, the Bronx, and Babylon, NY.  These people are amazing!  Despite the heartbreak around them, they contain an infectious energy and vision for helping people recover from this storm.

     Just please know - wherever you are reading this - YOU ARE NEEDED!   There is alot of work to be done.  Right now, there are thousands of people who have been displaced all along the coast and in the inner cities.  There are thousands of people who need help clearing their home and mitigating the mold.  Yes - still!  Many of these people will also need help re-building in the near future.  Funds will be needed for tools and supplies.  There is something that everyone can do! 

     I encourage you to be thinking of how you can help.  Think about:  what you are willing to do, where you would like to do it, when would you like to do it.  With your help, someone's life will be changed forever.  ~

Daddy Knows Best!

     Pictures are worth 1,000 words - like this one I have of me with my parents outside of their Florida home.  It was the last picture taken of my dad.  Mom was sporting her cancer wig and dad, holding a travel cup of coffee, had his fishing hat on to cover up his chemo head.  I’m in the middle with poofy eyes, trying to smile.  It was the end of my visit with them, and each time I went back home, I left not knowing if it would be the last time I’d get to see them again on this side of heaven.  Turns out, two weeks later cancer finally kicked dad’s butt and 3 days after that we said our goodbyes.  So in memory of my dad, here's 500 of those 1,000 words.....

~ Life Lessons from Bob ~

#1.  There are no do-overs.   The cancer doctors gave my dad 1 year to live. Well, my dad was stubborn and hung around for 3 more years! Every 6 weeks, I would visit for a long weekend, and we’d hang out in the recliners in his room and watch “In the Heat of the Night” and “Walker Texas Ranger” recordings and nap, wake up, chat, eat popsicles and watch some more. He wasn’t a super open guy, so I was surprised one night when he looked at me and said, “You know, if I had the chance to do it all over again, I wouldn’t have worked so much. I would have spent more time with you kids.” We were blessed to have that time together at the end, but it doesn’t always work out that way.  Make your today count!

#2.  You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.   Gotta be honest – I don’t know why I remember this or what I did for him to say it to me. I must’ve been a sass-ball like {ahem} one of my daughters {ahem}, but what a true statement!  It even says it in the Bible: “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb; sweetness to the soul and healing to the bones.“ (Proverbs 16:24)  In other words – Be Sweet!     

#3.  Always keep a $20 bill in your bra for emergencies. (Yes, he said bra!  Remember - I’m a girl.) But since these are good words for anyone, if you are a guy it would probably be okay to keep it in your pocket.  I suspect that’s what my dad did. And that’s what I do too…or my shoe, that works too.

#4.  Nothing in life is free.  Everything comes at a cost. If it doesn’t cost you money, it costs your pride or can leave you beholden to someone or to something, such as a negative emotion. Even the most  free thing of all – the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ – came at a price. It was free to me and it is free to you, but it cost Jesus His very life. So weigh your decisions carefully; if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

#5.   Birds and bees.  Oh man, I’m sorry – Bob’s actual words were on the crude side, so I can’t post them here. But they saved me from many a comprising situation, so they merit mention. It went something to the affect that when things get passionate between a guy and a girl, the guy’s common sense goes out the window and he is no longer thinking with his brain or even his heart.  So girls – make sure you use your brain and don’t get in that situation in the first place.   ‘Nuff said. 

#6.  Credit cards are for a true emergency.  A true emergency is more along the lines of car repairs, not “I don’t have a shirt to wear to the party Friday night” or “I need to get everyone the perfect gift for Christmas but have no job.”  Thanks Dad, for the best college graduation gift ever – a $450 credit card bill.  Lesson learned!

#7.  And last but certainly not least - Never do a jig too close to the Christmas tree.   No explanation needed, but you just might see it on America’s Funniest Home Videos one day.

Mom & Dad "Back in the Day"

What about you?  Have any words of wisdom handed down from your parents?   

Leave a comment – I’d love to hear them!

Closet Full of Masks

     It was just Halloween time, and my son announced that he would like a costume with a full mask this year.  Why?  Because he would like to make the rounds twice – one with his normal face, then one with his mask on so people wouldn’t recognize him and he could get twice the candy!

 

     We all like to wear masks, don’t we?   My daughter recently made a comment to me, “Mom, church people aren’t as good as you think.”  Um… ouch?!?   It was a heart-breaking revelation that actually threw me back to my own teen years, where I struggled to figure out who I was.  I was basically a good person, crazy, goofy, sassy yet sweet; I loved church and youth group and had a great bunch of friends there; I had school friends that I didn’t really mix with my church friends because we participated in different activities; I spoke three different languages – the one I used at home, the one I used at church, and the one I used everywhere else.  So I guess you could say that I had a closet full of masks.  As I’ve grown up, I’ve worked hard at weeding them out.  Some just plain dry rotted – old, some vile, some no longer used, and most I have decided to just throw away.  Although I try to live transparently, my daughter’s comment made me realize that I would be lying if I said that I didn’t have an emergency mask or two tucked in a drawer somewhere.  

 

     What about you?  Have enough masks to fill a costume shop?   Well, guess what  – we’re not meant to wear masks.  Nope, sorry but it’s true.  God created us to be amazing and with incredible potential – but we wear our masks because we care more about what people think.  We put them on out of fear and insecurity and a desire to be liked and accepted.  Some people wear them to hide something they are ashamed of or a behavior that they know is incorrect.  

 

     But the awesome part is................

 

Mud Runs and Coffee

     Today is my birthday, and although I will not say my age out loud (EVER) I will say I am the age of the people who I always saw as older and “mature”.   Rats!   Rats that I’m there, and rats that I don’t think I’m as “mature” as I’m supposed to be yet – maybe that’s a good thing though!

     This weekend was my mother-in-law’s memorial service, so this morning my thoughts were all over the place. They landed on a dear friend of mine who lost her battle with ovarian cancer three years ago.  Perhaps it is a morbid thought for my birthday morning, but the unknown of the future stared back at me in the mirror.  I realized that as she woke on this # birthday of hers, she probably had no idea that she would only have 7 more years to live.  If she had, would she have lived differently?   Would there be places she would visit, things she would do with her daughters?  She was my 2^nd friend who died at that age from the same disease – is it possible that I may only have 7 years left to live?  Or 5 or 2 even?  How then will I live?  What am I going to do to be sure that I leave behind a strong and meaningful legacy? 

     Then my final thought,

it’s too early for this – where is my coffee?

On Sept. 15^th, I will be participating in my first Mud Run, the Bill Bottino Mud Run for Cancer, and I dedicate my efforts to my dear friend Tish.

Minute to Win It

“You can do anything for a minute!”   

     I could hear Tina, my spin trainer, shouting above the music as she pushed us at a “10” on an interval ride.  The only difference was tonight I was on the treadmill, not in spin class.  After watching Bob train Daphne using speed intervals on "The Biggest Loser", I was inspired to mix it up some.  I was already warmed up from Zumba, so I started at my base speed then increased it by .5 mph every minute.  Run 1 minute, walk 1 minute – it was amazing!  I pushed myself faster than I’ve ever gone on the treadmill.   Did I break a world record?  Nah.  Did I look as strong as I felt?  Probably not.   Was I as strong - and confident - as I felt?  Ohhh yes!  I can’t wait for my next treadmill day to try it again.

     One minute, just one little minute… next time you are struggling or you want to give up, just find your focus and tell yourself – “I can do anything for a minute” and keep pressing on.  You are stronger than you think!

Footprints of Friends

     This is the last post in my 3-part series “Footprints” - people who have inspired me on my journey to health.   Starting on any journey can be scary and difficult; that’s why it’s so important to find others who have either gone before you or are walking beside you to spur you on.  Their path can give you motivation to keep going or work harder when the going gets tough.  As you can read from my other posts “Footprints of a Classmate” and “Footprints of a Husband”, they can be from anywhere in your life.  (Even on tv – Jillian Michaels, I want your abs!)  Sometimes the people who inspire us are right before our eyes.  Like my friend Claire, who has tirelessly taught a First Place for Health Sunday School class for several years.  Her passion and her commitment for bringing women into wholeness, not just giving diet tips, pushes me to press on and to make a difference in the lives of others.  As a full-time executive and mother of three, Claire has introduced a “boot camp” at 7 am on Saturday mornings and is changing women inch by inch, pound by pound, spirit by spirit.   Claire truly walks her talk, and I admire her greatly.  Or my friend Jen.  When Jen and I first became friends about 10 years ago, she was a self-proclaimed couch potato.   With 3 kids and her youngest in diapers, she routinely said, “nah” to exercise.  Jen and her husband recently completed their first marathon, and I am so proud of her! The health switch just flipped on for her, and she hasn’t looked back.  She’s a great example to many women, to her children, and to their friends.  I admire her self-discipline and commitment.   And finally, my friend Ashley.  I’ve always loved Ashley’s creativity and her spirit.  When I was thinking of joining a gym, she’s the one who convinced me and now we go to the same gym, along with about 6 other people that we know.  She’s not afraid to work hard, and she pushes others towards achieving by her example. She also just recently started a photography business Ashley Elaine Photography (yes, that was a shameless plug), and I am so proud of her.  She kicked fear out the door and went for it. 

     So to my friends, for your genuine-ness, your tenacity, and your courage – thank you for laying down your footprints and inspiring me on this journey!

Footprints of A Husband

     Here is the 2^nd set of “Footprints” - a series of posts about people who have inspired me on my journey to health.  This set belongs to my husband who lost close to 100 lbs last year.  I am so proud of him!  For years, he carried this extra weight, this “monkey on his back” as he called it.  As with most people, the pounds creeped on a little here and a little there; lose 35, gain back 50.  He basically played chicken with his health - avoided doctors, bought bigger clothes, started, stopped, then re- started exercise and weight loss programs.  Over the course of 20 years as you can imagine, this started taking a toll.  It was affecting every area of his life, and there came a point where he had enough.  He started small, one step at a time, one change at a time.  First, he cut out caffeine and sugar.  Then he started drinking 96 oz of fluids a day.  He stopped eating fast food, began eating fruit for snack, and no longer ate late at night.  He also began going to bed earlier, instead of being a night owl.  Over the course of a year, he lost the weight and also had some other results.  Some obvious ones, but others not so obvious to most people like my personal favorite – his feet stopped smelling on a regular basis!  After cutting out sugar and losing 100 lbs, we were anticipating great things from his blood work.  We were shocked when he was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic and his triglycerides were off the chart – AFTER changing his lifestyle and losing the weight!  In short, even though he had made changes, his unhealthy lifestyle for years had done so much damage to his entire system that he was basically a heart attack waiting to happen.  Thankfully, he is managing his diabetes and triglycerides with medication and exercise.  And thankfully, he is no longer destroying his own body by his lifestyle choices.

     How does this bittersweet story inspire me?  In a few ways – for one, just his plain tenacity.  It’s not easy to lose 100 lbs.  Since then he has joined a gym, and he is sticking to it.  He has researched his disease and continues to make wise food choices that help to heal his body.  His experience has shown me that everything we put into our bodies really does count.  If he had those extreme health issues after he lost the weight, what was going on inside of his body while he was carrying the weight?  What is going on inside of my body after I over indulge?  And is it really worth it?  Seeing the changes in his body from staying hydrated also inspired me to keep my body hydrated.  I was simply amazed to see some of the differences that I know were from him drinking fluids.  I plan to post another blog on the benefits of drinking water, but seriously – if keeping your body hydrated, keeps your feet from smelling, imagine the other more significant benefits your body is reaping!

     So congratulations Ike!  And thank you for leaving me foot prints that I can learn from.

Pull Up Your Bootstraps

     For many people, the new year means a time for resolutions and new beginnings.  We already know this, so let’s just cut to the chase….

If you want new beginnings and you want change to occur in your life,
YOU have to be the driver.  No one can do it for you.

     This is true whether you are reading this in January or October.  It all begins with you!  Albert Einstein once said: 

“Insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over again
and expecting different results.”

     So if you want to succeed in your resolutions and experience new beginnings, jump off the crazy train and make some changes. Pull up your bootstraps and get busy with… 

…your mind – You can try to make all of the changes you want, but without a change in your thought patterns, you will be defeated. Thought tapes from the past need to go and new ones need to be made. Think positively.  Use empowering action words that give you direction and vision.  Live in the present.  Yesterday is past, it’s gone, it’s over, let it go – today is new.  Wrap your mind around it and embrace it.

…your emotions – Your thoughts also affect your emotions.  In fact, thoughts and emotions are like peanut butter and jelly; they simply go together.  Make up your mind that you are going to own your emotions.  Excuses and blame no longer have a place.  Your emotions belong to you.  Release what is dragging you down and replace it with positive, life-breathing determination and passion.

…your body – You only get one body. Make up your mind that you are going to take care of it.  (See how it all goes back to your mind?)  Start by getting a complete physical from your doctor(s).  Then make other small adjustments to your lifestyle like:  get moving doing something you enjoy, not endure; drink plenty of water; nix the soda, even if it’s diet; ditch the extra sweets, treats, and drinks; drink plenty of water; use smaller portions and add green to your meals; and finally, make nutritional substitutions – steamed or grilled instead of fried, an egg white veggie flatbread instead of an egg, bacon, and cheese biscuit, whole wheat bread instead of white, vinaigrette dressing on the side instead of a creamy dressing bath. Oh, and did I mention drink plenty of water?

     Overwhelmed?  Don’t be - remember from my post “Seasons Change”, for changes to stick they need to be approached holistically. You have to think it, believe it, and live it for change to occur. This is a journey.  Every change doesn’t need to be made at once, and permanent change doesn’t occur overnight. If you have a bad day, no big deal - begin new the next day and keep looking forward.  The key is that YOU have to do it. 

     It is your life, your mind, your body, your emotions – own up! Throw off your excuses and empower yourself because no one can make these changes for you. Pull up your bootstraps and get started today!

~Take an inventory of where you are and where you want to be. Make a plan on how you will get there. Include excuses that you use and other roadblocks and what you are going to do to circumvent them.  You can do this! ~

Footprints

     In “Journey to Health: Ready, Set, Go”, I shared what first grabbed my attention about my need for better health.   Now, I’d like to focus on what inspired me to do something about it.  One of the greatest building blocks to success in fitness and weight loss is to find people who inspire you.  People who have left behind footprints for you to follow; people who share lessons that you can learn from; people who motivate you and are willing to walk with you on your journey.  Take a step with me, and read the first of a 3-part series “Footprints”.  And as you read, I challenge you to think of someone who has inspired you.   

 

Footprints of A Classmate

     Facebook is a great tool for re-connecting with people from your past.  Quite a few of my classmates have taken inspirational paths, either in their careers or in their personal lives.  A couple of classmates grabbed my attention because of their devotion to fitness.  One who inspired me greatly is Vanessa.  

     Vanessa and I became friends in middle school.  However, like in many young friendships, we made other friends and developed different interests.   We never become best friends, but I believe there was always a mutual liking and respect that lasted through high school.  I always saw Vanessa as someone who was kind and genuine.  I will never forget pulling up for my 10^th high school reunion.  It was August, and I was 6 months pregnant with my first child.  My husband and I had just driven 4 hours in the summer heat with no air conditioning; aka – windows down.  Remind you, it was the early 90’s.  Remember all that big hair?  Well, suffice it to say I was not a pretty sight.   I got the duty of checking into the hotel while he parked, and I remember saying, “If I run into anyone, I’ll just die.”   And guess who I ran into…Vanessa and her friends.  I tried to blink twice to be invisible, but that didn’t work.  And it’s okay because I’ll never forget how genuinely excited she was to see me.  “Hey guys look! It’s Rickie!”  I think the earth swallowed me up right then – or maybe I just wished it did.   Every time I look back on that, though, my heart is warmed.   It’s one of those times that “made a difference”.

     So it was extra cool for me when I saw Vanessa’s Facebook pictures.  Simply, she and her husband are part of a team, and they train and race in triathlons.  Here I was, 14 years later, feeling like I was starting down the slippery slope, and there she was going up the slope full speed.  She looked great, she was part of a team, and she was also using this gift to raise awareness for a cause she believed in.  I loved all of those things!   I could see from her pictures that it took a lot of time and dedication, but I could also see that it brought her joy.  Although I never took the time or courage to ask her much about it, she inspired me.  I wanted a piece of that! 

     Vanessa is fighting her own personal battle right now.  We are kind of formal in our communications, but I can tell that she is a fighter, that she is strong, and that she will overcome.   Sometimes when I am in spin class and I feel like giving up, I think of her - knowing how hard she must have trained and knowing how much she probably wishes she could right now.  But I am confident that if she hasn’t already begun, she will be one day soon.

     So, I dedicate this post to Vanessa, in thanks, for leaving me footprints that I can follow on my journey.

Seasons Change

     Fall ended in perfection - a 70-degree day that turned into a cool night.  The day was spent helping neighbors rake leaves, the evening spent raking my own.  The kids on our street played great together all day, and we ended the night roasting marshmallows at the fire pit.  Everyone was sticky and dirty, exhausted and happy!  If only every season in my life ended so well!  Although I know that winter's sting is just around the corner, I am grateful for those very moments in time.  

     Something new that I've recently started is that when I experience something that just feels great and peaceful, I stop and thank God.  I thank Him for that very moment in time, what was happening, and the way it made me feel.  It's been transformational and helps me through frustrations and hard times alike.  It gives me that spring of hope, the reminder that - whatever it is - this too shall pass and even if it takes a while, there are still warm moments of summer woven throughout my life.

     A different season is coming to my blog too.  Lately, it seems like when I have something to post, it points back to my journey to health.  I have a few posts to put up (actually they may be on the subject as well...) but I'd like shift my focus and begin using my "Journey to Health" page to give you information about nutrition, fitness, and wholeness.  My journey isn't just physical; it's also mental, emotional, and spiritual - wholeness is the only way for the changes to stick.  Have you ever seen a workout DVD where the trainer tells you that you stink and are weak?  Of course not - that's because it all begins in your mind.  You have to think it, believe it, and live it for change to occur, whether it's in your workouts, your relationships, your self-esteem...whatever journey you're on. 

     One of the trainers at the gym inspired me after my back injury.  She told me that my body will be able to pick back up where I left off; I just needed to be patient.  It had been months since I had consistently been to the gym; I truly thought she was high on armpit fumes.  But you know what, she was right.  I took it slowly and carefully for a few weeks, and this Saturday I ran 1.5 miles on the treadmill again and I felt like I could do more.  I was back to where I was before I got hurt.  Tonight, I ran 2 miles. Truthfully, I probably would have given up at some point if she hadn't given me that encouragement and hope.  I didn't think I would ever feel strong again, I didn't think I would ever be able to work out like I had been.  Her encouragement and positive spirit put it in my mind and gave me the hope to entertain the thought, and now I believe.  Part of me living it is sharing my journey with you. 

     Please continue to visit and find the hope and inspiration that you need to start or to keep going on your own personal journey.  I'll be giving you information you can use and also some positive and encouraging thoughts and experiences.  (Eventually, I will be combining some of my current pages and adding some pics, so it may look different soon.)  Here's to a new season!

If you've ever people watched, then you know there is an astounding number of people in our nation who are unhealthy.  Let's make a change, starting with our corner of the world. 

I Am A Wounded Beast

     The unthinkable has happened – after months of working out, I have injured my back…by standing up crooked.  Yes, standing up crooked.   Insult to my injury was that once the pain subsided, I re-injured it by pushing a rug aside with my foot.  Yes, for real.  Nothing glorious, no heroic story to tell.  Just a common everyday occurrence that has me down – for now. 

     Soul searching is in order. I refuse to go down without a fight, and when I come back up I want to bring something with me and emerge stronger. Sometimes there is no answer for why. There is no rhyme or reason. There’s just an “okay so this is what you have, what are you going to do with it?”

     I know for one that this has made me more empathetic towards people with chronic pain. Everyday tasks are difficult and the sense of a nagging, constant pain has left me growling on more than one occasion. But although growling and whining may make me feel better, it pushes away those that I love. 

~ I can choose to be a victim or a victor. I choose victory! ~

     It’s been easier to focus more on what I can’t do than on what I can do. It’s mind over matter some days. When my body is not on my side, I want to give up and give in. Food choices slip, anxiety creeps in, focus gets lost – so that’s why it’s mind over matter. 

~ I can choose to succumb or I can choose to overcome. I choose to overcome! ~

     Now that my pain is subsiding, I find myself afraid to press on. What if it happens again? What if I have a bad day? What if I do that something that brings me pain and sets me back again? To that, I must tell myself: “Blah, blah”. 

~ I can choose to live in fear and never know what I can accomplish, or I can choose to live courageously and reach far beyond my wildest dreams. I choose courage! ~

     It would be foolish to press on without care, but it would be even more foolish to lie in wait. If one part of my body becomes weak, I need to strengthen it while I continue to take care of the rest of it. Just like it doesn’t make sense to pray only when I have trouble, it makes no sense to only eat well when I have perfect attendance at the gym. Eating well feeds my mind and my soul, as well as my body. It provides the foundation for my body to pick up and get going. Candidly, these past few weeks I haven’t made some of the best choices. I’ve allowed myself to slip back into old habits and patterns – for example, increased caffeine intake, decreased water intake, sugar binges, lack of protein - and I feel it. I feel tired, sluggish, sometimes even a little down, and I don’t want it. I have no doubt it’s because I’m not fueling my body properly. Even if I can’t exercise at full speed yet, I can still take care of myself from the inside out, so I’ll be ready to go when it’s time. 

~ I’m committed to getting back on track. ~

     We always need to remember that there is no magic pill for health. It is care and consistency. This is a journey. It’s not a sprint, it’s not even a marathon. It’s a lifelong journey - becoming strong and healthy in body, mind, and soul, one day a time, until the days are no more. So the choice is ours – it’s mine but it’s also yours – be afraid and give in or step out in courage and overcome with victory. 

~ What’s your choice? ~

Focus on Your Prize

(This was written with teenagers in mind, but really goes for anyone.  Happy reading!)
    
     As I was pushing through my leg workout at the gym a couple weeks ago, my thoughts were crashed with the image of something that had recently disturbed me.  I have been working hard at the gym for a few months.  My body is toning up, my muscles are developing, my heart is strengthening… it’s been going great!  Well, I noticed another woman my age who has also been working out.  She started out with an entirely different body shape, more weight to lose, and I was really happy for her – until I saw her legs.  Her legs had more muscle definition than mine – like a lot more.   Pop!  Out came that green stripe of envy down my back.  And Boom!  Down crashed the self-confidence and self-esteem that I had developed from working so hard and getting results.  Once again, I didn’t measure up.  Someone was better than me.  I was not enough.   And as I was pushing through the leg curl machine, all those thoughts came crashing in like a tidal wave.  Until….  

      Until I heard that small voice say, “Don’t look to the left. Don’t look to the right. Look straight ahead. Focus on your prize.” Ouch – how many times have I given that piece of advice to others? It does us no good to play the comparison game. As a teenager, I had the self-esteem of a slug because I lost that game every time. There was always someone who was prettier, someone who had better clothes, someone who seemed to have more friends, someone who got better grades, someone who was way cooler than me…. Anything sound familiar? As an adult, because I didn’t squash it like a bug as a teen, I’ve got these negative tapes that still play in my head when I’m caught off guard. Who needs that?

      I sure don’t, and I believe that God used this petty example in my life to bring about something bigger. To remind you beautiful teenagers that God has a plan designed especially for you. Please - don’t look to the left or look to the right, or you will miss it. It’s so easy to get caught up in keeping up with your peers that you lose sight of your prize – of the hope and the total confidence that is only going to come from your relationship with Jesus. You are beautiful! Maybe your classmate is funnier – but maybe he is also lonely. Maybe the girl in your math class does dress better – but maybe she has a rotten relationship with her parents and the only way they show her love is by buying her things. Maybe that guy in science is really cool – but there’s a good chance he has no idea who he is. That’s part of being a teenager – no one really knows who they are. Everyone is searching, everyone is copying, some people just fake it better than others. Focus on your prize – discover who you are, realize how much God loves you and how precious you are to Him.

      As for me and my green stripe? I have washed my back and am looking straight ahead!

~ If you are comparing yourself to others and feeling that you don’t measure up, then stop. Literally, tell yourself “Stop” out loud if you have to.
Stop looking to the left and looking to the right.
Focus on your prize and God’s love for you. ~

 

What Thieves Can't Steal

     Summer is sadly over. Vacation was great, but now it's back to the reality and routine of fall.  To kick it off, I met one of my fitness goals and got my bike fixed. (Journey to Health: Goals: Shoot and Score)  I am super excited!  You see, a year ago someone stole my bike right off my front porch.  I was devastated.  You have to understand - I *l.o.v.e* my bike!  The very first time I sat on it, it fit like a glove and was perfect for me. So, when I went to report it to the police, I almost cried when I saw my bike sitting in the "cage" outside of the station. Apparently the flat tire waiting to be fixed deterred the thief, so he/she stole the seat & seat post and ditched the bike. Hopping back on the saddle today felt amazing!  Not only did I get my bike fixed, I stopped at a local trail and rode 11.8 miles.  Sweet!  :)

~ Do you have a goal that you need to meet?  Stop making excuses, stop ignoring it - get moving!  Just like the freedom of riding a bike, you will feel freedom when you move towards your goal then conquer it.  ~

 

Possbilites in a Sunrise

     Today's post is dedicated to my son Micah on his 11th birthday.  I'll never forget watching the sun with my son...  :)   Always remember that your life is full of endless possibilites, set aside especially for you by God Himself. 

   I just witnessed the sky giving birth to the sun. Beautiful and fitting as I held my youngest son Micah in the earliest hours of his 11^th birthday. We watched the entire sky brighten as the sun made its way to the surface. No clouds in sight as a sliver of orange began to appear on the horizon. Out of that sliver, the sun began to emerge. First pink as it peeked its top through, then turning a bright and powerful orange as it made its entrance into today. My camera couldn’t even capture the magnificence! The surrounding horizon was captured in its beauty, changing colors in response. First blue’s reflected off the ocean, and then purples and pinks floated to the surface. It’s one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen. And now as I look at the sun in the sky it is blazing yellow, like the pictures we drew as kids. The skies are blue, but around the sun is still glowing a beautiful and radiant orange. People are coming out; a man is fishing to the south, a couple is walking their toddler looking for beach treasures to the north. Only God knows what mysteries today will hold. A God who can create and sustain such a beautiful masterpiece, is one who is worthy of my trust. If He can breathe such a glorious presentation into existence, not just once as a creation but each and every morning, the possibilities for my life must be endless. Happy Birthday Micah! And Happy Birthday Sun!

Backwash It Out

     "Backwash It Out” – that’s the theme of my vacation this year. Sitting in beautiful Topsail Island, NC, and I’m thinking about backwash. Lovely, isn’t it? Actually I’m thinking about the process I went through backwashing a friend’s pool for 3 weeks. It goes something like this – there’s a delicate balance in maintaining the pool water between the pH, chlorine, vacuuming and a host of other variables. Even when you are diligent with pool care, things like algae and bacteria grow. Therefore, there is a filter system in place. First, the pool water flows through a filter that traps the big stuff, and then the water runs through a hose where it goes to the pump. The pump brings it to another filter that removes algae and other "stuff" you may not see. Then clean water is re-circulated back into the pool. (That description may not be 100% technically accurate, but that's the gist of it.) All of the algae and "stuff" that was trapped has to come out of the pump hose some way; thus backwashing. You have to turn the pump off, turn the knob to backwash, and all of the nasty stuff in the pump hose flushes out through another hose and into the yard. And I mean nasty – green, small debris, disgusting… Once the water runs clear again, you do a rinse cycle to make sure all of the nasty is out of the line, then you put it back to the filter setting to start the process over again. This process is repeated about every other day to allow the pool pump and filter to operate at its optimum. And if you don’t backwash the pump, it can clog up the system causing the whole thing to fail.
 

      So as I was trying to downshift from everyday life to vacation mode, I kind of felt like I was in “no man’s land”. Ever feel that way – sort of mentally and emotionally clogged up? Like if you had to make one more decision or fight one more battle, you might just cease to operate. I realized I needed to just get rid of all the stuff that was clogging me up. Think about it - how often do we really backwash our lives? Our lives run at a delicate balance. We have to balance our faith, family, work, time, priorities, relationships, money, and more all at once. Each area impacts our lives and one thing can throw everything off balance - financial difficulty, rebellious child, marital problems, failing health, relationship issues, job loss, too many things coming at us at once…. As much as we try to keep the balance, "stuff" creeps in. Sometimes we see it, like the green algae on the side of the pool; other times we don’t see it at all, like the bacteria floating through the water. Regardless, in the process it’s being trapped in a filter and actually - it's trapping us.

      What do we do with it? Pool pumps don’t automatically backwash. Someone has to intentionally go through the process and make it happen. We’re the same way. We have to intentionally take time to wash out, or let go, of all that “stuff” that is clogging our lives so we can operate at our optimum. I’m not talking about the big stuff, although that is really important too. But I mean the little stuff – the annoyances that we hold onto, the way we let our circumstances rule us, the bitterness that we have allowed to take root, the pride that is covering our insecurities, the control we use to try and cancel out our fears, the anger and the walls that are destroying our relationships, the anxiety and the worry of wondering how everything is going to turn out, the addictions we use to cope. If we don’t backwash that stuff out of our lives, it will destroy us. It will eat us up from the inside out, and we will eventually fail. We can’t control everything, but we can choose to control what we hold onto and let reign in our lives. We can choose to take the time to backwash out the gunk before it clogs us into disrepair.

      This vacation, as I’m sitting on the beach, I’m choosing to backwash out the stuff. I’m focusing on God – He is my source of strength and stability – and I am focusing on my family – they are my main priority and the gift that God has given me. I’m backwashing out what has been clogging my lifelines and making me ineffective in my relationships. I encourage you to do that too. Maybe you can’t take a week vacation, but you can take an afternoon or a lunch-time vacation – its okay to take that time to yourself and process. Think, be honest with yourself, re-set your filters so you can go at optimum performance. What is it that is clogging your life line? What is keeping you stuck that you need to backwash out? I encourage you to find out what it is and start the backwash process.

 

~ What can you do when things go out of balance?  How can you rid of yourself of the gunk that creeps in and threatens to shut you down?  Set your filter to backwash and flush out the gunk that is trapping you. Let freshness and clarity be re-circulated back into your life. ~

I Am A Beast

     Tonight is significant... I reached one of my fitness goals!  In "Journey to Health: Ready, Set, Go!", I share about my condition before I started exercising.  I literally couldn't run a 1/4 of block without my lungs seizing up.  In treadmill time, that translated to about 1 minute.  It was really bad and very discouraging.  But tonight, I ran 1.5 miles on the treadmill!   Then I did 20 hard minutes on the eliptical, almost 10 minutes on the arc runner, then upper body weights.  Like I said, I am a beast!  :) 


     Why am I sharing this?  Because you can do this too.  It doesn't matter what your age is or what your current condition is - you CAN do it!  Start, be patient, push yourself a little - you are stronger than you think!   And before you know it, you will be passing your goals and setting new ones.  If you are interested, my goals are posted in "Journey to Health: Goals: Shoot and Score".

~ Remember, you are stronger than you think!  What are you waiting for? ~

 

My Journey to Health Begins

     I’m excited to share about this journey. I've come to realize it isn't just about looking good or feeling good. It isn't a comparison game. It isn't even about size. It's about health. It's about enabling our bodies to work like the machines God created them to be. It's about playing with my kids and living long enough to play with my grandkids. It's about having the energy and focus to make it through each day. We all have a beginning to our journey. I hope you'll stop by "Journey to Health: Ready, Set, Go" to read mine. If your journey hasn't yet begun, today can be your day.