Fitness and Freedom

Easy Transformation Tips for 2012

2012-01-01T16:09:00.000-08:00

Let 2012 be your year for greater transformation as you consider the following EASY ways to get lean and healthy!

Over time if you practice these habits you will begin to notice fat loss and a leaner healthier you...go for it! In 2011 I began to make these kinds of changes and have seen the most results of any year in my fitness pursuit... IT WORKS!!!

1. Begin this morning ritual...
Drink 2 cups of ice cold water first thing upon waking along with 1 g of vitamin C.
Eat a high protein, high fiber breakfast... like eggs and oatmeal with spinach or a protein shake made of berries, spinach or kale, oatmeal, almond milk and protein powder.
Do a quick metabolic jump start activity like a set of burpees, squats and planks... 3 sets of 60 seconds each for each exercise... I would do this right after drinking my cold ice water before I eat breakfast... should only take 10 minutes max.
Have a high protein snack mid-morning... like banana with 2 tblsp of peanut butter or a handful of nuts.
If morning is the best time for your workout... do your extended more intesnse workout then. Be sure your are doing metabolic resistance training with intervals... (see more detail below).

2. Mid-day ritual...
Drink green tea before lunch.
Eat a carb and protein combo for lunch... (NO FAT SOURCE)

Have another high protein snack mid-afternoon... like cottage cheese and apples or yogurt with nuts.

3. For dinner have high protein and veggies with a good fat source (olive oil, coconut oil or grapeseed oil)... NO CARBS ALLOWED AFTER LUNCH!

4. Get support! If you have a good friend who can keep you accountable, encourage you and take an interest in your health pursuits you have a much greater chance at being successful! Check in with each other daily! Keep each other going and make that committment!

5. Track your body composition.... Take measurements at your waist, upper arm, mid thigh and hips... Seeing inches come off is a much better measurement to how you are doing than is checking the scale... don't become obsessed with the scale... our weight fluctuates based on salt and water intake and our hormonal cycles... It's just not reliable and who really cares how much you weigh as long as you are losing FAT and gaining muscle!!! Put more emphasis on the way your clothes fit and on measuring body comp! Ditch the scale!

6. Take a before photo... this too will give you the motivation you need as you see the transfomation take place before your eyes.

7. When you workout... PLEASE ditch the slo-go cardio workout! Slo-go cardio will not give you the results you are looking for... Instead do a 20 minute high intensity cardio followed by metabolic resistance training! (See my post entitled... "HIIT", or High Intensity Interval Training for more detail). For resistance choose exercises that will not only challenge your muscles but will also increase your heart rate... Think... how can I make my workout really work my body? You want your workout to be as challenging as possible so that your body will keep woking hard to burn calories and fat all day and into the night!

Try jump squats, burpees, push-ups, pull-ups, bent over rows and deadlifts! Look these exercies up online and you will find all you need to learn how to do these exercises... or call me to set up a few personal training sessions and I can help you get started and design a workout especially for you and your current fitness level. Just remember you need both cardio and resistance training to burn the most fat during a workout! Be sure to make your workout intense and you WILL see results! If you have access to TRX straps check out a recent video I posted for some ideas... http://youtu.be/lRvlDrTEFB4 (keep in mind this was a video I recorded for ideas for other trainers)

I can't wait to begin my workout plan for 2012... I rested up this past week and my body is screaming to get back into the gym...
If you workout at Four Seasons in Bloomington check out our new R.I.P.P.E.D class! It incorporates everthing I mentioned above for a highly effective fat-burning workout! Come join me Wednesday nights at Four Seasons 2 at 6:30 in the Strong Studio! See you there! Would love to help encourage and keep you accountable to go for it in 2012!

Optimize Nutrient Combining

2011-11-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried to completely change your eating habits, trying to become healthier by cutting out processed foods but find you still don't lose weight or burn fat where you need it most? First of all I would say... GREAT JOB making such an important change for the better by eliminating processed foods. That's probably the BEST thing you can do for your health and bettering your chances of living a long happy life. "But why am I not seeing any weight loss or fat loss..." you might still be saying?

It might be that you are not paying attention to the kind of foods you are combining together. We all know we should eat a good combination of carbohydrates, good fats and proteins, but did you know the way you combine these foods and what time of the day you eat them is just as important?

If you want to eat in a way that will help your body become a fat-burning machine 24/7 then consider the following ways to best combine foods when you eat each meal.

Eat protein at every meal... especially if you are performing high intense weight training on a regular basis (3-4 days a week). Protein is needed to help muscles rebuild, repair and become stronger after a workout. Digesting protein also requires a greater amount of energy for the body than does the digestion of other macro-nutrients in the body and therefore causes a greater metabolic effect/environment in the body.

You also want to combine the protein that you eat at every meal with either a carb or a good fat source but never both a carb and a fat together with your protein.

Eat you carbs only in the morning for breakfast and then eat a lighter portion at lunch. Eliminate all carbs after lunch. It would be great to get your work out done in the morning too if possible. The carbs you eat in the morning will give your body a good amount of energy to finish your workout strong and your workout will use up the energy in carbs so your body won't store them as fat. Even doing a quick 10 minute workout will do wonders! (See previous post... 5 Fat Blasters for Busy People, for ideas).

Never combine fats and carbs together at any time. This combination is guaranteed to create an environment for deadly fat-storage. When you eat fat, fatty acid is released into the blood. When you eat carbs insulin is released into the blood to shuttle blood sugar to storage sites. So avoid fat storage by NEVER eating the 2 together at the same time.

If you stick to this formula all week then on your 7th day take a cheat day...by the way... this is not optional.. It is a must to help your body consistently run like an optimum level fat-burning machine. How so? When your body goes for 5-6 days on a lower calorie diet it begins to slow down metabolically. To keep your metabolism raging you need to eat a higher calorie and higher carb diet every 7 days in order to "trick" your body from believing it needs to hang on to fat stores by slowing down your metabolism. When the body thinks it might be in a time of famine it slows down and stores fat. When it thinks it's feast time it speeds up metabolism and therefore fat doesn't have a chance. A cheat day would include ANY food you desire to eat in any combination! (yes, oreos included!) Having a cheat day is always fun to look forward to and doesn't prohibit you from ever eating your favorite foods again just because you are "dieting".

So here is a weekly plan you might follow...
Day 1-6 Breakfast... eggs and oatmeal (protein and carb) or protein shake with fruit and oatmeal (use whey protein isolate powder) NO BUTTER in oatmeal.
Mid morning snack... banana with peanut butter (organic brand).. great for post workout snack. Or some nuts... only a handful. (protein)
Lunch... lean meat sandwich with lettuce and tomato and whole grain bread. (protein and carb... no mayo plz... that would be combining fat and carb which is a no-no always!)
Mid afternoon snack.... yogurt or cottage cheese. (protein)
Dinner... lean piece of meat with tons of veggies (drizzle olive oil over veggies, cook meat in grape seed or coconut oil.... great fat source) or have a salad with green leafy lettuce and other raw veggies of your choice, include a hard boiled egg and a sliced up chicken breast and sprinkle slices almonds over the top... drizzle with a dressing made with 2 parts olive oil, 1 part balsalmic vinegar or lemon juice, and 1 packet of stevia sweetner. SO Good! (protein and fat)

Day 7... Pig out on whatever you want all day!!!

When I first started a diet similar to this I was hungry at night without my beloved carbs... however a few weeks into it I no longer felt hungry after dinner and actually felt and continue to feel incredibly energized because I don't have that bloated full feeling that often comes after eating a meal heavy laden with carbs and more importantly my body is receiving all the nutrition it needs. Many times when we are addicted to processed food or mainly carbs and that's all we eat our diet isn't balanced and our body isn't getting all it needs nutritionally, so therefore still feels hungry after we eat because it's craving what it needs and is trying to communicate that it wants better quality nutrition. When the body is satisfied nutritionally it will turn off the hunger pains and will feel satisfied. So again, the best time to eat your carbs is early in the day when you body needs the most energy. For most of us evening time is wind down time and our body no longer needs the energy that carbs provide. So fill up with veggies instead.

Give it a try and see if optimizing your nutrient combining and strategic overfeeding one day out of 7 give your the extra edge you need in your pursuit to lose weight and burn fat!

When Self Defeat Sets In...

2011-10-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

I had such a great week last week... what happened to this week? On bad days (in any arena in life.... physical, spiritual, social, emotional) do you ever wonder how you could have possibly been in such a great spot one day and then to find yourself in such a pathetic place the next? Do you wake up some days and feel like a total disappointment to yourself or to others or even to God? And when we have a bad day or week why is it so easy to beat ourselves up and sink into self-hatred, thinking we somehow deserve to be miserable?

On the flip side if someone you know confides in you about something "bad" in their life... what is our first response? Rarely would we bash them and make them feel they deserve misery as a result. I believe most of us understand and feel compassion for our confiding friends and want to do what we can to help them sort through the thing and give them a different way to frame their situation so they can emerge out of it a stronger person. In my experience helping friends sort through things, never once do I think... "Wow, God must really be shaking his head at her now... I wonder if He will forgive her?" NO WAY.... instead I'm usually trying to convince her that God's love never changes and He will always love her... no matter how hard her struggle.

So why are we so gracious with others while so hard on ourselves? In my failure I always feel like I must be a total disappointment to God and how will he ever accept me... I wouldn't blame him if he hated me... He must be so tired of dealing with me! Ask my husband Rick... so many times he has heard me say... "Just take me out in back and shoot me!"

Maybe you don't struggle with thoughts like these... I hope you don't... If you don't, you probably already live out the principles I am trying to wrap my brain around and get a better handle on for times when self-defeat sets in.

These principles come from a favorite author of mine... Brennan Manning. If you struggle with self-defeating thoughts or a scarred image of yourself I HIGHLY recommend his books! (Ragamuffin Gospel, Abba's Child, The Wisdom of Tenderness, The Furious Longing of God)
I LOVE THIS MAN'S STUFF!

so anyway... he has tons of priciples, I want to focus on one...

Understand that we are the greatest obstacle to our own nobility of soul... How so? By refusing to believe, embrace and live out what is already true about who we are. Brennan says... "Sanctity lies in discovering my true self; moving toward it and living out of it." I think the most important piece of this principle is understanding that what is true about us has always been true... there has never been a time when you were not loved by God... there has never been anything in your life that has caused God to begin loving you or that has caused him to stop loving you... HE ALWAYS HAS AND ALWAYS WILL! Nothing can ever change that! To me that's a mind blowing truth I need to live out of... I have worth that has been going on in God's heart for eternity past and eternity future just because the thought of creating me brought him delight? Whoa! That perspecitive changes a lot of things in my thinking, believing and ultimately in my living. If He loves me like that I have the freedom to love me too... warts and all!

Does that truth lighten your load like it does mine? When understood and embraced everything else in life can spring from this strong foundation. When we fail to see it or understand or distance ourselves from this truth we supress what could be. We become slothful... which is a refusal to go on the inward journey--a choosing to protect ourselves from passion. We miss out on what is true, right, noble, excellent and praiseworthy about reality and instead we let our fascination rest in worthless pursuits in an unreal world that is passing away.

Think about it.... understanding love is there... forgiveness is there and always has been and always will be... why would we choose to live anywhere else? Even when we feel we have "crossed the line" of God's love, we have to get beyond that and believe what is true! What helps me to believe (regardless of my feelings) is taking my eyes off of me long enough to instead focus on God's love in action... "he sent his only son into the world not to condemn the world but to save it." Do I believe this massive sacrifice on the part of God is a good enough work to save me?

On bad days I have been trying to pray something like this to help defeat lies... "Dear God, even though I feel like a failure and loser I am choosing to put these feelings aside and instead focus on the massive work you did for me... I am choosing to have faith in that work and pray anyway even though the lies say you would never listen to a loser like me and instead I believe you hear me based on the fact that you simply love me and the work you did is enough. It's for these very failures that you did the work so I could come to you anyway." ... and then I go on with whatever it is I want to say to God that day.

The work Jesus did on the cross I could never do for myself... that's why it's ridiculous to think there is anything I can do to earn my way into God's heart...it just wouldn't be good enough. He did it all for me! Anything He does IS good enough and worthy to be believed and marveled over by his creation. When we BELIEVE it re-programs our brains to live free of condemnation... he doesn't condemn me, so why do I condemn myself or anyone else for that matter? God loves me. Period. I can learn from mistakes and ask forgiveness but never have to feel condemned.

I talk a lot about physical fitness in my blog because that is my line of work and I believe God has placed that passion in my life to be lived out... but if we only focus on our physical fitness and ignore our spiritual fitness (I have been guilty of this very thing) we're really missing the boat in becoming and living to our full potential. I am most fulfilled when I have balance in my pursuit of grasping what is means to be fully alive both physically, (because we are physical beings and so much of life is affected depending on how we are doing physically) and spiritually (because we are spiritual beings and life is even more affected depending on how we are doing spiritually)... sometimes the consequences of neglecting spiritual health seem not to show up as much and we keep plugging along without it.... but eventually it will catch up to us and we do well to pay attention and invest spiritually so that the passion of God can well up as we move toward, live out, and discover our true selves.

What can you do today to begin an investment spiritually? I have an idea... read one of Brennan's books! ;O) His insight has been a great renewal for me! Have a great day!

5 Fat Blasters For Busy People

2011-10-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest reasons most people cannot reach their fitness goals is because they struggle to find time in their busy schedule. They assume if they don't have an hour or more to workout then it's not worth it and they give up. I believe that anything worth doing can be done in a reasonable amount of time and can still deliver great benefits over the long haul. WHY? Because what's more important isn't getting an hour long workout in when you can, but instead being consistent every single day with good habits that don't have to take massive amounts of time. How about 10 minutes? Anyone can afford to spend 10 minutes!

Here are 5 exercises you can do everyday for 10 minutes that will help you develop a fat burning lifestyle. Think of it as something you just do everyday like they way you eat and sleep... you do it without question because it's vital to your well-being. Adopt that kind of midset too about the following practice... Read the descriptions with the pictures below! :O)

First thing in the morning do these 5 exercises for 50 seconds each, resting for 10 seconds between each exercise. These exercises will shock your nervous system and jump start your metabolism at the start of each day! Great fat burners!

1. Free Squats... Start in a standing position. Imagine there's a bench behind you and you are trying to sit back into it. As you lower you bottom down keep the weight in your heels. As you stand back up feel a contraction in your glutes. Squeeze your glutes at the top. Repeat... for 50 seconds doing as many as you can with good form. Inhale down and exhale up. Try holding a dumbell to increase the intensity!

2. Traveling Planks... Get into a push-up position except come down to your elbows... keeping your hips low lift your right elbow and right leg and begin to move to the right allowing your left elbow and leg to follow... travel to the right for about 5 "steps" and then travel back to the left. Go as fast as you can for 50 seconds. Feel the strength of your core and upper body as you keep hips low and your upper back rounded... don't "wing up" in the shoulder blades.

3. Burpees... Remember these from junior high PE class? We also called them squat-thrusts. Start in a standing position, then bring hands to the floor as you jump your legs out behind you coming into a push-up position. Jump legs back under the hips and stand ending with a high jump at the top. These are a great all over body exercise and really works to get the heart rate pumped up!

4. Side Step Squat with Push Press... Start in standing position and step right leg out to the right as you sit back into a squat position. As you come back to standing kick your right leg in front of you over to the left... at the same time use a small dumbell or medicine ball and push it over your head as you kick to the left. Pull the weight down to the chest level on the way down. Repeat on the other side. Go 50 seconds on one side then 50 more seconds on the left. So it's squat down, kick over and press up at the same time. Repeat

5. Mountain Climbers... Get back into push-up position with hips low! Alternate hopping your right foot in toward your chest then the left foot... this is a quick movement with the lower body as you keep the upper body still and stable. Great again for core strength and all over fat burning.

At the end of this mini-workout your heart will be pumping and oxygen flowing not to mention great strength builders for just about every muscle group! If you have time go through all 5 exercises again 2 or three times for a total workout time of 20-30 minutes. OR try it again in the evening while you are watching TV... get your kids or spouce to do it with you... again as something you just plan to do everyday to develop fat burning lifestlyes.

Determine today to start this quick and easy workout to begin a journey to greater health and wellness! You'll be glad you did!

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

2011-08-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

A few posts ago I shared some non-negotiable workout/diet/mindset ideas to help reduce your fat levels to a degree that would eventually reveal 6 pack abs if you are consistent and committed enough. Another non-negotiable to add to that list has everything to do with including cardio exercise in your weekly routine. If you're like me the very thought of cardio exercise... pounding it out on the treadmill or the pavement for 30-40 minutes is depressing... and boring... and miserable. I just don't really like doing it.

Well, I have good news! You can replace that long boring workout with a 20 minute high intensity interval training session and get even better results both in your cardio function and your fat-loss goals.

What is high intensity interval training (HIIT)? I'll tell you what it's not... it's not easy... but it is effiicient. HIIT takes you through 6-8 sets of a high intensity intervals followed by lower-intensity intervals. So for example you could do the same treadmill run but instead of the steady pace you usually stick with for 30-40 boring minutes you would start out with a slow jog for 3 minutes to warm-up. To begin your first high intensity interval you would pick up the speed significantly for 1 minute... just go all out as fast as you can... you need the "interval up" to be tough for you. Then slow down again for 1.5 minutes. Pick it back up again for 1 minute going all out and continue with that pattern for 6-8 rounds ending with a 3-5 minute walking cool down. The best part is your done in 20 minutes as opposed to 30-40 minutes.

The more intensity your workout requires the greater expenditure there is per minute. That's the kind of mindset you want to have for any workout you do... Don't just mess around in the gym while your there... have a plan before you go and work hard! Try to get more done in less time and do exercises that require a large range of motion. Work hard enough so that your body has to do the hard work of recovery after your workout. Make it your goal to be sure you keep burning calories long after your workout is over and begin to watch the fat melt right off. At the same time you will begin to reveal the lean shapely muscle underneath the fat because you are also including strength training in your routine... right?

You might also try the same workout outside on the pavement... I prefer being outside to being inside the gym when I do cardio. I have a rectangular shaped area that I run that is 2 blocks long and wide. The shorter side of the rectangle is when I do an all out sprint... then the longer side is reserved for my slower recovery jog. I do 8 rounds of this and finish in about 25 minutes... followed by a 20 minute yoga session. (Oh, I must speak of stretching soon... so important).

You could also do the 6-8 rounds using any kind of cardio exercise... swimming, rowing machine, Jacob's Ladder, biking, eliptical, heavy ropes, TRX cardio moves, dancing... anything as long as you kill it during the interval up! Please note... if you are just starting out killing it might make you throw up... so work up to it so that doesn't happen...

One more thing before I go... if you want a great tool to help you count calories try going to "loseit.com". You can plug in your weight and age and how much weight you want to lose and it will give you your calorie limits for each day. You also can type in the foods you eat and the exercise you do each day and it will compute it for you to help you stay on track! Give it a try! It's free!

Have a great day!
Donna

Freedom Celebration

2011-07-18T09:29:00.002-07:00

I think a lot about life being like a journey~ traveling a road that twists and turns, is sometimes smooth and enjoyable, taking us to breath-taking places where we stop and rest awhile, soaking in refreshment as we easily express thankfulness for a content and blessed existence. Other times it feels like a challenging uphill agony, becoming confusing as we spin our wheels, struggling to gain our bearings, longing to see things clearly, deciding which direction to go next.

For a time, I was happily traveling along a fairly smooth enjoyable road, feeling good about myself and my life, when I unexpectantly happened upon a bumpy road full of pain and disappointment. I tried to turn down different roads but they all led to more shock, surprise and instability which led to anger, resentment and continual attempts to gain control and steer myself back to where I used to be. Tired and feeling defeated I gave up, retreating from the pain rather than struggling to fight against it.

This pain of the past has brought an unsettling restlessness that persistantly pesters me, confronts me and demands my attention. I want to ignore it, replace it with other interests and responsibilites but it relentlessly invades my attempts to avoid it like a necessary but unwanted confrontation. As a matter of full disclosure, the restlessness had to do with some of my experience with the church. Not a good place to be when you are the Pastor's wife, but no denying it... it was there... front and center and certainly not going away any time soon. I had loved everything about the church and my role in it for years and now I faced a new reality. I became a pretender... which I wasn't very good at... showing up every Sunday with my smile and "HI HOW ARE YOU'S?" All the while wondering who I could trust, who would leave next, who would be our next accuser, who else had been involved in the gossip and who else was just pretending? Each time completely dumb-founded and blind-sided at the accusations and things I'd hear about. Feeling the sting of the pain all over again every time I'd see someone else give me "the look" of suspicion. My heart would sink deeper as I thought... "No, not them too!" I also became more desensitized as I concluded nothing could surprise me anymore and that I should just prepare for the worst in an attempt to control the pain from becoming unbearable. It all made me stop dead in my tracks, pull back, protect my heart, and put my guard up high. I was left with lots of questions... questions like...

How does God really see me? Does he love me? If trying to live right only leads to pain like this what does it matter? Aren't good things suppose to happen to good people? What have I done wrong? I still loved God but my passion for God and the things of God all but seemed to dry up like a pile of leaves in the Fall, brittle, and no longer good for anything but the fire. All I could do was be honest with God and keep asking him to re-kindle what I felt was slipping away.

Fast forward to today....

We recently retreated to the Mountains (my second favorite place in the world) for an extended time of rest... allowing the cares of life to fade, embracing instead other interests and activities, being refreshed in our togetherness! Times of healing for me usually always involve reading a great author who somehow has an extra measure of insight into the heart of God. Timothy Keller is my latest new favorite author who fits this description. He has a great book called "Prodical God" that brought me to tears. As I read I could see myself at various places along my journey playing out the very roles he presents. It also brought hope for the first time in a long time that it really might be possible for me to get out of my present "stuckness" (is that a word?). The theme of the book went something like this...

The book is based on the story of the Prodigal Son from the Bible (Luke 15). It challenged me to not focus solely on the younger brother "the prodigal", as I so often do when I read this story, but also to learn from the other 2 very important characters in the story... the Father and the Older Brother. You probably know the story too... if not take some time to read it now.

Very early he points out that most people tend to live out life either as an "older-brother type"-- staunchy, moralistic and usually judgmental or as a "younger brother type"-- free-spirited, careless and self-focused and how both these camps rob us of the true freedom God meant for us to live in. What draws us to a life of real freedom on the other hand is when we choose to focus on the character of the Father in this story and understand the reality that God's love has the same radical, unconditional, outrageous qualities.

We live like the older brother when our service and moral conformity are born out of obligatory motives.... at one point the older brother says to the Father... "I've been slaving away for you all my life!" What he's saying is everything he had done for the Father was really all about him and his need to control... An older brother's inbedded belief is this... if I obey God and "slave away" for him it will obligate Him to give me a good life and a good standing among others. He says things like... "you owe me God!" (wow... I've said something similar to that before... yuck!)

An older brother also becomes bitter and judgmental of others because anyone who does not conform to his way of doing life is wrong and so it sets the older brother up in his own mind as "better than". What he may not realize is pride reeks in his life and he is sabatoging his own faith, his own freedom and the beautiful abundance God seeks to give him. For the older brother he believes he is just fine... he's the good ol' boy, he's doing everything right and darn it someone better notice! He doesn't see that he's really living in bondage in hopes of having total control... living for appearances and saving-face.

The younger free-spirited brother is the alternative and many delusional, embittered older brothers fall into this role when they realize they cannot control their lives and that... no, God does not owe them. Confusion sets in as they try to make sense out of what they thought God was like. They go for wild living or secretly have a whole separate side of their lives no one else knows about in an attempt to numb the pain. They deceive themselves but their real lives scream out.... "To hell with it all! I don't care about God and certainly don't love him since he let so and so happen. I'll do what I want." This too in reality is bondage even if it feels good and free for a time. Eventually it will rob and destroy the development of anything real, true, living or lasting.

So, if it's not about being a good, upright and moral person or the opposite... a free, reckless and wild person what is real life? Have you ever found yourself stuck here? I have...

Both of the above lifestyles are based on selfishness and are full of pride and arrogance... truth says God will oppose the proud. It's toxic living, hurting not only the one who lives in pride but also the ones who collide with it. Humility on the other hand sets us free! Truth says God gives grace to the humble. Who is the humble one in the story? The Father!!! In the story he is incredibly humble with both brothers. In pride the younger brother had rebelled against the father wishing he were dead, but then later in humility came back because he had lost it all and knew of nowhere else to go. The Father didn't judge him at this point and didn't even let him say a word about how wrong he had been. Instead he was running to him while he was still a long way off with tears and joy, seeing not a rebellious son but only the the son he loved and cherished and terribly missed!

The Father was also humble with the older brother who was furious that the Father had forgiven the younger son and was even planning a party to celebrate his safe return. The older son enraged at the Father humiliates and disrespects the Father in public. We don't see the Father pridefully getting defensive with the older brother but instead he humbly pleads with the older brother to change his mind and join in the celebration of unconditionally loving and forgiving his younger brother. The story does not reveal what the older brother decides to do. We can only hope he was able to get beyond his blinding, hard, deep-rooted pride and let go of his bitterness and enter the freedom celebration.

When a certain newspaper entitled an article "What's Wrong with this World?" an older brother type would have all kinds of answers that certainly would address the big bad world out there while he sits priding himself that he's not a contributer to such things. The younger brother would deny anything being wrong at all... it's a big party where everything is acceptable. If everyone would just loosen up life would be grand! Then there are others reflective of G.K. Chesterton, an old Catholic Priest, who actually wrote in response to the article...

"Dear Sirs... what is wrong with this world?-- I am!"

~Sincerely, G.K. Chesterton

What a humble man... Pointing not the finger at anyone but himself, having peace because his focus is on the God who loves him anyway~ even if he's the cause of all that's wrong in the world. That is the perspective that can set us free... G.K. Chesterton does not judge older brothers or younger brothers because he knows he's been like both along his own journey. Judgment only worsens circumstances for everyone.

Younger brother types are especially hindered from recovery if all they experience when they try to return is judgment from older brother types. It's vital at the come back for a younger brother to experience the extravagant grace of the Father through us. The guilt of what he has done is heavy enough to carry. If when he returns he is enfolded with humble acceptance rather than crippling judgment it will completely blow his mind and radically change his view of the Father and in turn the entire direction of his life forever. He already knows he's a loser and it's only grace that could save him. Right when he is expecting to be confronted with judgment he instead sees only open arms of love and forgiveness-- the intensity of it blows him away... the mercy is so great as he stands in his brokenness and nakedness. Understanding anew the unconditional love of the Father.

The older brother who is "untouched by life", on the other hand, is in more grave danger than the younger brother for he unknowingly thinks he's his own savior and somehow better than the younger brothers of the world. These were the type of people Jesus had the most frustration with because they not only held themselves back from the grace of God but also hindered others who were trying to embrace the grace... Jesus himself said to them... "The prostitutes and tax-collectors are entering the Kingdom of God before you are", when in fact they already thought they were "IN".

Don't believe the lie that you are good or are exempt from certain kinds of sin. I like the lyrics of a song by Casting Crowns that says... "Be careful if you think you're standing... you just might be sinking!"

At the same time a younger brother type or recovering younger brother must guard against judging older brother types too. Even if they appear to shun others or come across arrogant, offering grace is possible if we have a heart like the Father that pleaded with the older brother... he saw the pride and it broke his heart.

Remembering we are all on a journey, are at various places along the way, and that God is patient no matter where we find ourselves on our journey helps me to extend that same patience to fellow travelers along the journey... I have been like both brothers on my journey and hope now to become more like J.K. Chesterton... humbly recognizing that even though I am the problem in the world the Father is always running to me to pour on grace when I mess up and that I need not even judge myself because he took care of the condemnation of my messing up and I need only to embrace the grace of forgiveness... and if I become prideful and arrogant thinking myself to be good enough or, heaven forbid, better than others, he pleads with me to take the nearest exit and return to the humble road that leads to the ultimate freedom celebration!

I'm never sure how to end my thoughts when I write... this time all I would say is please read this book... ("The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith"... by Timothy Keller). It has changed my whole view on Christianity and hopefully is the beginning of some much needed healing for me in my faith journey!

Six Pack Abs

2011-07-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

DID YOU KNOW...

70% of the population today is overweight or obese which leaves just

30% in the normal or lean weight range... within this 30% of lean people only

2-3% have a low enough body fat percentage to be able to see visible abs.

Dispite such low percentages of people who ever actually accomplish developing a set of six pack abs, our culture continues to admire and consider the abdominals as the centerpiece of the human physique and try all sorts of strange things and spend all kinds of money in their obsession to be one of the 2-3% of the population with great abs. As a trainer, most clients I see ask about how to work to develop asthetically pleasing abdominals. Most expect to hear answers involving performing exercises that specifically target the abdominals, and even though I do recommend doing abdominal strengthening exercises it is not the exercises alone that will help develop the ab area. You can do all the crunches you want but if you don't also include the following suggestions chances are you will never see the results you hope for.

The information shared here for each suggestion could actually take up enough space to fill an entire book! I love researching this stuff but because I am limited in space here and time in my busy, crazy life my ideas will be brief but hopefully helpful in kick-starting you on to better habits for health and wellness.

The reason most people fail to achieve fitness goals or any goal for that matter is they ignore the most important starting point. It involves the power of your thinking... How you think is most likely how you live out your life... Do you believe you can achieve your goal??? Mine is to be one of the 2-3% of the population who can see visible abs! (not my only goal or my most important goal in life but just for fun I want to see if I can achieve it... and I believe I can... so far I'm still working on it and have seen some progress!). When you fail to believe you usually fall into procrastination, laziness, and poor mental attitude. A few steps to take to overcome your unbelief...

1. Decide exactly what you want... (tighter abs, more energy, more confidence etc...)
2. Document goals and what you will do to achieve them.
3. Visualize your achievement.
4. Take massive action to begin.
Don't underestimate the importance of this step and taking time to motivate yourself to go for it and to frequently re-visit this step as needed.

Another reason most fail to achieve their fitness goals is because they fail to understand the overwhelming importance of their diet! If your goal is to lose stubborn body fat, exercise alone will not be enough. The truth is just about everybody already has a set of six pack abs... the problem is there are layers of fat hiding them... If we could burn off that fat then we could reveal our own aesthetically pleasing set of abs too! I feel sad when I see people training like crazy but because they do not change poor dietary habits they never reduce body fat (this was me for many years). Why bother with all the work if you do not decide to combine exercise with good nutrition? Not only do you need the right foods to burn fat but when you are a very active person your body needs power packed nutrition as part of your overall workout regime... it needs the nutrients found in a good diet, so like a potent elixir it can be delivered to your muscles and bones so they have the ability to repair, rebuild and become stronger as a result of the hard work you do and therefore reveal a more beautful body composition.

Changing dietary habits is hard work I know! But I think the key (it's really helped me) is educating yourself and again having the right mindset about what we are actually doing to our bodies when we mindlessly eat a doughnut or down a pack of greasy french fries. Find out what different types of food are actually doing inside your body. Actively think about the negative cellular processes and you will stand a better chance of being turned off by junk food. I have found the better I eat over time the less I crave junky high processed food and instead go for an apple or raw vegetables for snack options... the great thing about health food is you can have as much as you want with no guilt or regret!!!... and you can feel good about pressing on with your goal! (If you want more suggestions for a specific diet to try... check out my last post).

After you set yourself up with a right mindset and find a sustainable healthy way to eat, be sure you evaluate your training routine. People fail to reach fitness goals due to ineffective training routines. For example if you are aiming for a tighter ab area (like most people) and all you include are crunches in your workout routine it will most likely be ineffective. Instead most of your focus when working out should be centered on a full-body workout strategy. Full body workouts involving multi-joint exercises elicit a strong fat-burning and muscle building hormonal response as well as a metabolic rate increase... whereas just training your abdominals or doing less intense single-joint exercises will not deliver the same response.

What do I mean by multi-joint exercises? They are exercises that move through a larger range of motion using mainly large muscle groups. For example a "clean and press" is a multi-joint exercise that moves a weight from the floor to an overhead position as opposed to a single-joint exericse like a "leg extension" which moves through a smaller range of motion from the floor to only the knee level. Obviously the clean and press forces you to perform a greater quantity of work than a leg extension resulting in more calories burned, more muscle groups worked, which more effectively creates the metabolic environment that stimulates change.

Unfortunaltely the way most people train involves single-joint exercises for selected muscle groups in addition to 30-40 mins of moderate-steady cardio work. Better than nothing, but a better way to workout will deliver a residual metabolic elevation for hours even days after the workout is over. You want to put the WORK back into your workout! You want to work hard enough using large range-of-motion exercises so that your body will have to do a lot of work to recover and therefore burn calories even while you sleep. You want to go away knowing you worked every muscle in your body as opposed to just a couple small muscle groups. If you work out 3-4 days a week at this intensity you essentially increase your resting metabolic rate 24/7. The result of all of this is you get leaner quicker!

So go for multi-joint exercises than require a greater range of motion and use larger muscle groups. Some examples are... squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, push-ups, shoulder press... or even better, try combining some of these exercises together, like a pull-up then going right down into a push-up and then powering back up into a pull-up. That's a huge range of motion! Try a set of ten of these and see how hard your whole body has to work! Whew!... I'm tired just thinking about it!

I have so much more to say but I will have to save "all things cardio" (which is another important key to saying goodbye to a mushy middle) for my next post... for now remember... a right mindset, a sustainable and nutritious diet plan that helps burn fat (see last post), and an effective multi-joint exercise workout strategy will begin to help you see your body composition line up the way you want it to... including becoming part of the 2-3% of the population with visible abs!

If you'd like some help designing your own multi-joint exercise plan... visit me on Facebook! I would love to give you some ideas!

Try this for Fat-Loss~

2011-05-02T12:47:00.001-07:00

Ever hit a plateau in your fitness pursuit? I have... many times. I workout and sometimes see nothing new, no new results, no new strength and begin to get bored with my workouts.

Recently I have been working a little harder to try new eating habits to see what happens. I have to be honest and say I emphasize working out more than I do diet when it comes to my own health and wellness, not that I am a junk food addict or anything... but I don't put tons of thought into what I eat, and I do eat my share of whatever I feel like maybe a little too often. I like what one fitness professional said... "Try new things... and evaluate how it's going. If you don't see results try something else until you find what works." So I have decided to get a little more serious about my eating habits.

I would categorize myself as an ectomorph when it comes to body type... small frame, and unfortunatley not much shape but pretty boyish looking... oh well, we work with what we have and are thankful we are healthy and have 2 arms and 2 legs. Anyway, part of my boyish looking frame stems from my belly. Every bit of anything gained goes straight to my belly.... never anywhere else... just my belly. The rest of my body is skinny and not really in a good way. I work to build up some shape in my arms and legs but it's the belly that always suffers the most. So with this in mind when I think about dieting I cringe because I dont want to lose anything anywhere but my belly, but unfortunately that is the area that the weight comes off last. So I have to decide, do I want a skinny belly and risk losing any shape I have in the rest of my body or do I want some shape in the rest of my body and deal with a little more around my belly? I know... pretty ridiculous huh? ...just trying to be real here.

Well, I have finally realized, looking into diets more closely recently, that the diet I need is not a weight-loss diet but a fat-loss diet. Maybe you already knew the difference but to be honest I didn't. I am not a dietician.

My new fat-loss diet is finally giving me the results I'm looking for. Keep the muscle I work hard for and burn the excess belly fat! So you wanna hear about it? Keep reading....

What I like most about it is it's SIMPLE!

Drink a protein shake in the morning... include a raw egg (don't say gross, you know you eat cookie dough... that has raw eggs), spinach leaves, greek yogurt, almond milk, blueberries, oatmeal, a scoop of whey protein which you can get at a vitamin shoppe and a packet of Stevia sweetner. Use a blender to mix it up... we have the Montel Williams blender... it works great!

For snack have nuts... but only a handful about 2 hours after breakfast.

For lunch have one apple...

For dinner have a lean source of protein and tons of veggies with olive oil drizzeld gernerously.
If you get hungry between meals... eat veggies!!! or a few more nuts...or another apple.

Now here's the best part... every other day you can have whatever you want for lunch! So for me... today is my burn day... I had an apple for lunch and yes I am a little hungry right now... I have nuts on my nightstand and will have a few to tie me over before dinner. But tomorrow I can have whatever I want for lunch as long as I have an apple a half-hour before I eat and finish whatever I decide to have within a half-hour time frame. For lunch every other day be sure to get an adequate amount of carbs. In feeding yourself a larger calorie meal every other day you are ensuring that your body does not go into starvation mode and instead keeps your metabolism high and burning fat adequately. If your body thinks it is in starvation mode it will hang on to fat stores for dear life... so be sure you eat enough on your feed days so you trick your body from believing lies.

So it's...
Shake (breakfast)
Nuts (snack)
Apple (lunch)... or whatever you want if it's your feed day!
Protein and Veggies (dinner)
More veggies if you get hungry at any point... that's it!

Another great thing about this diet is that it is sustainable because you don't really deprive yourself of anything. You can still enjoy your favortie foods on your feed days and you can decide to adopt this way of eating for a lifetime... where other diets are just not sustainable for the long-haul and you end up gaining everything back as soon as you quit your diet. Try it and see if you too begin to shed a little more around your middle! I would love to hear how it goes or if you have any questions let me know...

Blessings!
Donna

Inspire me!

2011-03-04T09:26:00.000-08:00

As I walk through the club most mornings on my way to teach fitness classes the loud and steady humming of treadmills and eliptical machines remind me how crowded the gym is at this hour... this insane hour at 5:30am. I climb the stairs continuing on my way. Turning the corner I smile anticipating what I will see... from the balcony I witness a huge room packed out with avid and dedicated fitness enthusiasts, all huffing, puffing and sweaty, well on their way into their workouts and already full force into their day! Something about it, no matter how may times I see it, inspires me and I even imagine myself grabbing a bull horn and yelling out to the crowd... "Hey... way to go everyone... way to peel yourself out of bed, to fight the urge to sleep and instead to start your day in such a dedicated way! Nice job! Don't give up!"

I'm inspired by their dedication to push against the tide!

There are other things that inspire me... my son Joe... even from an early age he has hyper-focused on what he wants to master and become good at. He used to love watching Robin Hood videos. One morning at the age of 4 he asked if he could have a bow and arrow, "Just like Robin Hood Mom!"... I remember him saying. I gently explained that having a bow and arrow would be dangerous and that there was not enough space between our neighborhood homes to safely use it outside. Robin Hood lived in a forest and the forest was a safe place to play with a bow and arrow. However, that didn't discourage him from the idea of having a bow and arrow. Immediately, his wheels began to turn as he hunted for a plastic hanger and wooden pencil, attempting then to launch the pencil as an arrow off the plastic hanger. I felt bad as I watched and thought to myself there is no way he would ever make it work, but I did not discourage or interrupt him from trying. Two hours later, with undying determination, he was still trying to make the thing work. Ouch... it was painful to watch! BUT... as you might have guessed... later that day he came bounding into where I was and announcing he made it work!.. something I would have to see to believe. Not only did it work but it flew all the way across the room! Way to go Joe! I was so proud of him for not giving up. We celebrated with ice cream sundaes! Presently he has used this same determination to become a very gifted and passionate piano player.

I am inspired by Joe's stick-to-it-ness!

My husband inspires me... He assumes a leadership role in his job... He is a Pastor. I believe a pastoral leadership role is the hardest kind of leadership out there. In his leadership he endures a lot of critism. But he hangs in there... a lot longer than I ever would have. He can do it beause he genuinely loves our church and the love he has stems from his love for God and the love he knows God has for him. He has a deep strength that can only come through God's Spirit and an assurance that nothing can separate us from His love. He has an enduring peace regardless of circumstances and stands like an unmovable rock in the storms of life. I love to watch what he will do next... His example helps keep me grounded in the things I know are good, right and excellent.

I am inspired by his deep grounding and unmovable resolve.

My daughter can draw! WOW... can she draw! When she draws she seems to lose herself in her creativity, beginning with a doodle yet finishing with an expression of something deep inside, similar to the way a simple flower bud emerges into a fantastic display of beauty and reveals something of it's creator if you take the time to notice. She doesn't yet realize how talented she is. She has a humility about her drawings and likes to keep to her gift to herself, to be used as self expression and exploring rather than for displaying. She even insists she doesn't draw well... Very frustrating for me to hear her say, but I so appreciate and respect her humility about it.

I'm inspired by her ability to express hidden beauty in creative, humble and beautiful ways.

Here's a sample of my daughter's talent... :O)

Stop today and take time to look for gifts of inspiration. What is it in the people, places or circumstances around you that can bring inspiration, encouragement and a smile to your face? You might create an "inspiration" journal and ask God to increase your awareness of what's been divinely placed in your life to help you re-gain a better perspective and inspire you to purposefully press on.

Say... "I Love Me" this Valentine's Day!

2011-02-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

You might be thinking about how you want to dish out an extra measure of love to special people in your life this Valentine's Day... that's great, that's needed... I applaud you! But have you considered yet how you might show yourself some love too?

When it comes to self-love how would you rate yourself? Do you beat yourself up allowing negative self-talk to bring defeat or do you remind yourself of what is true, right, noble and excellent? Do you worry about things, agonizing over issues that are out of your control or are you content knowing you did all you could? Do you allow yourself to eat junkie food just because it's there or do you think carefully before you put just anything into your body? Do you lash out at loved ones, then scratch your head as you wonder "what is wrong with me" or are you relieved you were able to practice self-control during a frustrating interaction? Do you easily blow-off spending time filling up with spiritual truth and being thankful to God in prayer or do you long for more time to pursue deeper spiritual understanding? Do you skip your workout too many times in a row because you just don't feel like it or do you remind yourself that mentally you'll want to give up everytime and you instead choose to push against that? Some mornings do you wish you could climb right back into bed and stay there for 4 days or do you remind yourself that each day is a gift?

If I'm honest I have chosen the negative examples above probably more times than I'd like to admit... except staying in bed for 4 days... thank goodness... not saying it isn't beyond possible for me though. None of us are beyond anything. But If I allow these tendencies to continue without stopping long enough to evaluate what's going on and taking action to turn it around... that's when habits slowly begin to become a way of life until I wake up one day and wonder how in the world did I arrived at such a place.

Stopping, evaluating and taking action is self-love. It involves taking preventative measures to ensure we maintain a healthy lifestyle in every area of life... physically, spiritually, emotionally, relationally etc... so we can be the best "ME" possible. The ME God made us to be... fully alive, respecting ourselves and the nature of the way God made things to work best. I want my life to work out as best as it possibily can... it involves trusting that God's ways are best! How can I seek to be fully alive?

God says we reap what we sow... what are you sowing physically, spiritually, relationally, or even intellectually? How are you investing in a practice that will help you become a whole, healthy balanced person?

Here are some ways you might say "I Love Me" this Valetine's Day...

Go take a brisk walk (or run) outside in the fresh air... even though it's cold that fresh air will do wonders for you physically... or at least take deep, long, full breaths anytime you happen to be outside... like when you are walking from your car into the grocery store etc...

As you are out running or walking try filling your mind with everything you are thankful for and begin to cultivate an appreciation for so many things God has blessed you with... Being thankful is healthy and helps you let go of bitterness and gives you an ability to look on the brighter side of life.

If you begin to become more active you will feel hungry more often. Decide now to grab healthy power-packed nutritious snacks and eat noting but healthy food for a whole week and then take note how it affects you.

Compliment each person in your family every day and watch their faces light up. You have the power to love!

Read Scriptural truths everyday to help realign your thinking... I have a great devotional called "Morning and Evening Daily Bible Readings" by Charles Spurgeon. I love his insights and it always encourages me as I start and end each day.

Write down all your loved ones names in a journal and list 5 things you can pray for each of them everyday... Take 5 minutes to bring the list before God each day... I have been consistently doing this everyday in 2011 and have been blown away by how specifically God has been answering my small, simple prayers in unimaginable ways. He is that good and is waiting to hear what's on your heart.

The Bible says..."We have not because we ask not..." Try asking him about what's on your mind. We have God's permission to cast off every thing in our lives that weighs us down. Cast it all off by talking to him about it and letting him carry it for us. He is able and nothing is too difficult for Him. Stress is a killer... God knows how it weighs us down and he wants to be your outlet for stress... Give it to Him and feel the tension lift off your shoulders.

You might think of other ways to say "I Love Me" this Valentine's Day... add to your list regularly and catch yourself when you start to neglect self-love so you can keep pressing on to become healthy, whole and balanced.

Big Thinking

2011-01-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

Since thinking is something you do everyday you might as well decide to "think big".

When is the last time you did some big thinking? Why do we tend to fall into small thinking, keeping us in the same places in life... doing the same thing without new growth or change because we limit our thinking and allow it to become so conditioned.

Ever envision yourself beyond the realm of possible, dreaming of living life in the realm of the nearly impossible? What does your heart speak of? What have you always wanted to do or become? Dreaming about these things is fun and takes us to places out of the ordinary ruts we settle for.

If you can dream it you can do it!... Walt Disney

Thinking big equals going big, thinking small equals staying small... you decide. Be outrageous-- let your imagination fly for a while... allowing yourself to stretch and believe in the beauty of your dreams.

Allowing yourself this kind of freedom is healthy and brings new life where there once might have been stagnation, negative thinking and/or unhealthy patterns. I believe we were made for much higher purposes than we allow ourselves to believe or experience and it's so easy to digress into the lowest of the low and feed ourselves negative destructive thinking patterns. If we don't push and fight against it... like everything in existence... we will suffer decay and live life below our God-given potential. Phillipians 4:8 says... "Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovley and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." I love that because it reminds me how powerful our thinking is and how it is the catalyst that guides our actions and therefore the reality of our lives.

Today is my day off... I'm sitting here... allowing myself space to dream a little... I'm dreaming about my kids and the lives I hope for them... praying they allow God to work in their lives to will and act according to His good purposes... I'm reflecting on all the ways God is answering my prayers for them. One of my specific prayers for each of them is that God would develop a great love of learning in their lives... that they simply enjoy learning and that it comes easy for them in this season of their lives. Just yesterday Abbie, my youngest, shared with me in great detail the tradgedy of the Great Chicago Fire. She shared it with great interest and concern for such a horrible time in history. As I listened I remembered my specific prayer for her to develop a love of learning and my heart burst with thanks that God would delight in answering my prayers! You must understand Abbie never shares much about school other than "it was BORING!"

Why do I share that? I'm not sure... other than to share some ways you might create space for yourself too to dream, pray and believe bigger than you might currently be allowing yourself! Refuse to think small and stay in ruts of discouragement... you were meant for more, so go there and live bigger, better and according to God's great purpose for you!!!

The Eye of the Storm

2010-12-28T10:48:00.000-08:00

The week after Christmas is like the eye of a storm... I love it and have decided it is my absolute favorite time of the year. The weeks leading up to Christmas are a frenzy, producing stress as we scatter around to finish shopping for everyone on our list and as we plan menus, bake cookies, attend parties and send off christmas cards to all our cherished friends. As the New Year rolls in, it too is a busy time as we pick up speed, go back to work and switch to high gear determining to succeed in new years resolutions made. But.... ahhhh ...the week between Christmas and New Years... there's nothing quite like it. The kids are home, we are off work a few more days and we relax and settle into our own quiet little world at home together.

Over the years our family has developed a pattern during this week... we spread a big puzzle out and sit down together at our leisure and work on it as we talk about idle topics. We choose novels to read... this year I'm reading "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. GREAT BOOK! Each morning before I drag myself out of bed I give myself the luxury of reading my novel for 2 hours or as long as I want. We also enjoy sitting down to eat together for as many meals as we can... I especially love when Rick makes pancakes in the morning for everyone. We also keep a variety of board games purchased as family Christmas gifts under the tree... from time to time one of us will pull one out and suggest we play it together. We watch movies or GO to the movies together... this year we went to see "Voyage of the Dawn Treader". Most of the week we also keep a fire burning in the fireplace to add to the warm, homey, safe and welcoming feeling that just seems to ooze all over the place this sacred, special week of the year.

This week, tucked between Christmas and New Year's, is a gift indeed as it gives us margin to re-group before we begin yet another year in this thing called life. I believe the sacred week was made for rest! In the context of rest healing can happen... relationships can deepen, decisions can be made, new directions can be pursued and life becomes richer as we begin another year.

As you rest take some time in the last few days of this sacred week to make a date with yourself. Write down thoughts about last year... jouney back and record the big events that happened each month. Include your hopes, regrets, joys and emotions and then dream a little about the future. No need to make guilt producing promises just be honest with yourself and free yourself to dream. I plan to use what I have written as a prayer to meditate on everyday for 2011. It includes lessons learned, dreams I long for and love I hope to share to help others grow.

I hope the next few days, before 2011 comes charging in, you give yourself the gift of stopping to fill up with new thoughts to move you forward into your best year yet!

TRX... Total Resistance Exercise

2010-12-04T17:15:00.000-08:00

Getting bored with your 2010 fitness routine? Are you in a rut or have you hit a plateau in your fitness level? Thinking about how you can challenge yourself to new levels for 2011 but not sure how? I can feel these same things at times. Beginning January 2011 I plan to shake it up a bit for myself and my clients by introducing the TRX system...

TRX stands for TOTAL RESISTANCE EXERCISE

I don't just share this new exercise program with you because it's the latest certification I have under my belt or because it's one of the latest fitness fads... instead it's because after experiencing it myself, getting great training from an expert TRX trainer, and studying about it on my own I am convinced it just might be a better way to train. Although I still believe weight training most certainly has it's place the TRX system trains with a whole different dynamic!

With it's origins rooted in the Navy SEALs TRX offers a functional training component. Functional training emphasizes a transfer of the fitness that is gained from the program into everyday activity or specific sports performance. Although traditional weight training is useful for gaining strength by isolating muscles, what it can't offer that TRX does deliver is an integrated approach of gaining not only strength but also balance, movement, coordination, stability, power, flexibility and cardio endurance... life skills we use in everyday life or to improve our performance in the specific sports we enjoy.

HOW DOES IT WORK? A suspension training technique adopts the concept that the body knows movement not muscles and it engages the body as a single coordinated system. It takes movement patterns of everyday human activity and recreates them into movement patterns in suspension training. Loading and repeating these movement patterns enhances performance in life and on the playing field.

TRX understands that life demands free bodily movement through space... our bodies work to produce movement. We do not move in everyday life within one dimension or within the confines of a machine or restrictive pattern so our exercise should also reflect more than one dimension in movement. TRX trains your body to move in every direction possible, in every plane of motion. If we limit our training routines to only one dimension or to only one motor pattern, like so many strength training routines do, it can lead to strength imbalances and movement deficiencies in neglected planes of motion.

While teaching a zumba class not so long ago I noticed a beautiful, buff body builder come into my class. I kept watching her out of the corner of my eye and noticed she really struggled to catch on to the moves to the point she visibly became frustrated and left class early. I felt bad and wondered why it was so difficult for her. I realize there are some who just don't have a knack for rhythm but in her case I sensed it was something more. After taking the TRX training I have to wonder if her inability has anything to do with muscle imbalances she may have incurred due to her intense training in one plane and dimension of movement. It reminded me that I want to be sure to be training my body to do more that just yield a aesthetic looking physique. I want to improve my ability to move freely through space. The TRX is a training device that works with the nature of how our bodies have been created to move.

I was also reminded that it's important to shake things up a bit in our training routines. Don't get so stuck doing one type of training. Try new things that will challenge your body to move in new ways. That's why I believe dance classes, no matter how much you may lack a natural ability to dance, should be a part of everyone's routine. In dancing you move in every plane of motion and send your muscles messages of confusion which they need to help you improve your ability to move freely through space, seeing new gains in your balance, coordination, stability, flexibilty, power and cardio endurance.

So what will it be for you in 2011? I say shake it up and try the TRX system of training. I have 3 new small group classes starting up in January! As soon as the dates become public knowledge I will update my teaching schedule at the bottom of my blog page! JOIN ME and we can train our bodies together in new ways for 2011... or call me for your own personal training sessions and we can work one-on-one for a more "focused on YOU" workout plan!

Watch the TRX in action... go to http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/

2010-11-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

Some of the images in Susan Boyle's "PERFECT DAY" video reminded me of my experience recently with the waves~~~ incredible!

Susan Boyle Perfect Day. "New Single" (HD Scenic )

2010-11-28T20:32:00.000-08:00

The Way of the Waves

2010-11-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

I recently enjoyed a quick trip to Melbourne Beach in Florida.

Being a people watcher I was especially in tune one afternoon watching people become intrigued by the crashing waves. The waves that day were huge! Up to 8-10 feet according to the man who rented me my beach chair. Enjoying a comfortable place to settle in I too delighted myself in the way of the waves, listening to the deep rumble below as each wave readied itself to lift with great force, rise high, curl over, fall with a loud crash and somehow know when to back off, a majestic force humbly displaying it's awe-inspiring power yet being careful not to intimidate it's audience. Over the loud crash of each wave I could hear the applause in people's hearts as they continued to tirelessly watch, anticipating the next rush of excitement and allowing it to fill them with a measure of joy. Some even jumped into the waves as if attempting to become a part of them... deepening their experience still.

I couldn't pull myself away from watching both the waves and the people's reaction. Some people were sharing their joy with each other and others were watching alone in contemplation. I thanked God for the beauty of his creation... the way He reveals himself through it and the way he refreshes us with it. I tried to imagine how God might see it all... does he dance with joy secretly watching his children find delight in the beauty he gladly displays? I wondered if He makes things so beautiful because he knows how much we need that kind of filling. The time there filled me with a re-newed knowledge of how much He loves me to go to such great lengths to plop me down in front of such a majestic show just for the sake of bringing refreshment, to gently stop the rat-race of my life for a few days, slowing me down to say... "I Love You" in such a beautful way.

The way of the waves that afternoon brought to mind a great verse...

1 Timothy 6:17b... "Put your hope in God who richly provides us with everything we need for our enjoyment"

Ever thought of God like that? Could it be all the beauty we find around us has been intentionally placed there by God for our refreshment and enjoyment... that God actually cares and wants us to enjoy ourselves? If I'm honest I rarely imagine God caring that I have times in life that are enjoyable and refreshing. I more often imagine him only concerned with how I am serving or working hard to please him.

I'm so glad God uses experiences and backs them up with Scripture to correct or fine tune my image of him. My God intentionally goes ahead of me to orchestrate experiences for the sole purpose of enjoyment! WOW! Only makes want to love, worship, and know him more!

In this season of Thanksgiving... thank him for the things that refresh your soul... HE PUT THEM THERE JUST FOR YOU!!!

Commit to Community

2010-10-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

"...don't give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing

but encourage each other and all the more..." Hebrews 10:25.

I love the way this verse beautifully reveals God's heart for community, his desire to see us committed, taking time to meet, doing life together and urging us to do so all the more with no thought of giving up.

I have a great group of friends... friends I have tried to make an effort to meet with for over 13 years. In our early years, we flocked together as often as possible in an effort to survive the most challenging season of our lives (parenting toddlers and preschoolers). We endured the loud crashes of toys they liked to dump all over the floor and the high pitched screams of, no kidding.. when we all got together, a total of 15 kids who had no problem conquring the lower realms of my bi-level home. In the chaos, we somehow used the time to encourge each other to get the parenting job done! We laughed and shared stories as we slapped 15+ peanut butter and jelly sandwiches together and scrounged up extra chairs and squeezed all 15 squirming toddlers around my kitchen table which was made to seat only six. Sometimes we even tried to pray together dispite the annoying, dramatic interruptions. It was a riot!

It's fun to have so many memories of those days... Even though it was a crazy time, it had a free and inviting way about it because there was no predetermined schedule. The flexibility in my day always allowed time for community and it grew naturally and thrived as we shared our lives raising toddlers together. I loved being available to meet needs as they came, figuring out how to best handle a bruised knee, or deciding that NOW was a good time to walk to the park and run around, or to discern that it might be a good time to stop by a friend's house to visit. Forgetting to meet together was not a problem for me in those days. So glad I experienced such a season... I am still reaping the benefits today!

But today it is a totally different story... we are all scattered in different directions, kids with school and activities, adults with jobs and responsibilities. Fitting into my new, more structured environment feels tight and I often long to re-capture the free and loose fit of earlier days. The restriction limits my freedom to go with the flow and my family and I must follow a schedule. I'm OK with it. I'm not thinking just because it's "tighter" it's "wrong". I just find it's harder to keep community in the equation because I'm always concerned about what's next on my agenda, forgetting to stop and enjoy a chance for breakfast conversation with my husband, or to whisper words of encouragement in my children's ears as leave for their day, or invite a friend to lunch to catch up. I'm trying to learn to find a new way, in this structure, to flow through my day and grasp a little community on the way. I may not have an entire afternoon to do it like I used to but still a little encouraging and connecting here and there adds up and I trust it is just as powerful.

I am convinced the gift of who we are to each other is priceless. You are a beautiful gift to me and I am a gift to you because we have stories to share with each other and somehow God uses our stories to mysteriously build us up into something even more beautiful! We need each other to live to our full potential. ~As we jouney along let's not forget to do it together! It's up to us to find ways to connect, to build up, to encourage and commit to community!

Blessings!

Heavy Basics

2010-09-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

Personal training has not only become a great love of my life but has also forced me to explore deeper insights into becoming more physically fit. It's been fun to find the research and then consider it part of my job to test it out on myself.

I love the challenge of including the insight I'm learning in my weekly training routine. Have I said it before? I love my job!!!

Most recently I have decided in my weight training to begin to lift heavier. For years I have been using approximately the same amount of weight doing lots of repetition which is great for maintaining, however, too many times we focus on specific body parts and think if I work this area a little harder it will look the way I want it to. Lifting heavier, doing fewer reps and shifting the focus to becoming STRONGER I now believe is a better mindset. WHY? Because when your overall body becomes stronger your body composition will line up the way you want it to... tighter abs, more shapely shoulders, etc... Think about the physique of people long ago... when everyday life involved more physical labor, farming and even factory workers... or think of construction workers today. Why do they look so great physcially? Because the work they do everyday made them STRONG and a strong body is an evenly proprotioned, lean, beautiful body! Today we sit behind desks and eat junky proccessed food. No wonder we look the way we do.

If you have a choice to either jump on a tradmill or lift weights... choose the weights. Cardio conditioning is great but if you get your cardio through working a hard fast moving, power-packed weight training session with bursts of cardio interspersed between sets of lifting rather than a 30-40 minute treadmill run you will burn more fat and get more results. WHY? Because you are not only developing a stronger heart and set of lungs but you are also building muscle.

When you weight train you are breaking down your muscles, stressing them, causing micro-sized tears in the fiber. How could that be good you ask? It is, because the sore feeling you have a day later is the muscle fiber repairing itself, building itself up, getting leaner and stronger, giving you the beautiful physique and the energy you need to live life. When you weight train, your body continues to work hard hours after the workout is over. The body has to work hard to repair the micro-tears. The hard work burns more calories and even burns them as you sleep... while a cardio workout alone will stop burning calories as soon as the work out is over. A lean body is more efficient at burning fat. More lean muscle mass will work in your favor in every area of your life.

In weight training it's also advisable to stick to the basics! The basics work, always have always will. What are the basics? PUSH-UPS, SQUATS, CURLS, DEAD-LIFTS, OVERHEAD PRESS, BENCH PRESS, ROWS AND LUNGES. You can build a strong, beautiful physique doing nothing more than consistently lifting heavy with these 8 basics. A good set might be choosing an exercise and lifting 4 sets of 4 reps as heavy as you can, then do 8 sets of 8 reps with a slightly lighter weight and ending with a still lighter weight of 25 reps to max out the area you are training.

Sticking with light weights and doing tons of reps will cause your body to hit a plateau and no new growth will happen... again, ok for maintaining, but if you want to keep getting stronger challenge your muscle to lift a little heavier each time you work out. Keep a training journal to record your weight amounts and record your progress. When you reach a new goal celebrate and keep going! Decide soon to include strength training as part of your lifestyle, deciding it to be just as important as eating or sleeping, becoming consistent for the rest of your life and watch what happens!

Dainty Morsels

2010-09-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

Can you go back to the first time your were hurt by gossip? Either from the shock you felt realizing someone would say such a thing about you or from the embarrassement and sting in your own heart when your friend found out you had said something about her? We all have done it and we all have been hurt by it.

The earliest memory I have was the time Tammy (not her real name), my worst enemy in Junior High, who also happened to be big and tough, found out from someone I thought was my friend that I had been saying things about her... I don't even remember what I was saying, probably something about how much I hated her. I confess, I did hate her because she hated me for no reason, she gave me dirty looks and would call me names to my face and laugh at me everytime I walked by... she scared the crud out of me. If you knew me back then I was shy, timid and very puny so you can imagine the scene. It was the girl's locker room. I was quietly changing back into my clothes from the obnoxious gym suits we had to wear in P.E. Tammy stomps up behind my back and just stands there so that when I turn around all I see is her towering figure staring down at me. My so called "friend" was standing behind her with a look of apology on her face as Tammy shouted... "So, I hear from Kim (not her real name) that you have been talking about me!" To my surprise I shot back at her quite confidently on the outside, heart pounding on the inside... "Yes, I did... and it's because I don't get why you hate me so much... not sure why you would be surprised... anyone would talk about a person who treats them as horrible as you treat me.... you don't even know me, ... you might find I'm a really nice person if you just gave me a chance." That's all I said and stood there waiting for a punch in the face, instead Tammy just stood there. Not knowing what to do next I turned around and finished changing my clothes. Finally she said... "are you saying you want me to give you a chance?" I turned around, rolled my eyes and said, "Um.... NO!" She had nothing else to say to me after that... and I couldn't believe I was actually walking right by her with no punch in my face or name calling. After that her dirty looks and name calling actually stopped! She simply left me alone, leaving me relieved and proud that I had stood up for myself.

We all have our silly stories that we laugh about now. For some reason I woke up today with thoughts about gossip on my mind and the various times I have been talked about and the times I have done the talking. It's such a killer. Is there anything more painful than to hear someone is saying things about you behind your back? As I reminisced I experienced the pain all over again just as if it had happened yesterday. Knowing the pain it causes, why are we so drawn by it when we are not the one being talked about and then so completely offended by it when it is us? Scripture says... "What dainty morsels rumors are-- but they sink deep into one's heart."

I know my ears have done their share of perking up to gossip... just yesterday I overheard a gossipy conversation and was able to figure out who they were talking about. I kept saying in my mind... "STOP LISTENING TO THAT!" but at the same time I was feeling pretty good because I too have had hurtful issues with this particular person and felt a sense of satisfaction in knowing I wasn't the only one who felt this way. It was as if I couldn't control my thinking... but later when I got into my car I took those thoughts and began to examine them more closely. I felt sad because the reality of it was that my heart was taking satisfaction in hearing something damaging about someone else's charatcer. Why would knowing something bad about someone else make me feel good??? OH YUCK! In my thoughts I prayed... "I'm so sorry... I have no business making judgements! How can I? I don't have all the information and even if I did I am still not in a place to judge. I am always called to love! Instead I should be praying for this person and also doing something nice for them."

Understanding the negative effects of gossip are never realized more deeply until we are on the receiving end of unfounded gossip, comprehending the real damage it causes, experiencing the helplessness and anger it creates within. In times like this release from the pain is possible. There is only One who is all knowing, who sees deeper into the heart, who evaluates the circumstances in perfect wisdom and limitless grace and mercy and who doesn't comdemn us even if the rumor has some truth to it. If I have a God like that, who regards people as precious in his sight and has made all people in his image, I too need to regard people the same way. If GOD doesn't condemn what business do I have condemning?

A change in perspective is needed to consistently live with this kind of freedom! Take my original story about Tammy... I bet she had some issues in her home life to cause her to lash out at an innocent target like me in Jr. High. If it had been possible for me to have such a mature outlook at that age it would have prevented me from gossiping about her in the first place. Maybe I could have tried talking to her about why she treated me so badly.

When we gossip about how horible people are due to their behavior towards us aren't we being just as horrible as they? What does gossiping about it accomplish? If it makes us feel better that's not saying much... it just shows there's junk in our own heart that needs to be removed.

Because I have been the target of some pretty damaging gossip in my life it has caused me to think twice about spending time with someone who talks too much! I can't help but wonder... "when she's with others does she talk about me too?" I also immediately feel sorry for the one being talked about and try not to allow what I'm hearing to have any effect on me and instead to have an even better idea in my mind about that person. Let's face it... we all have bad days, sometimes bad seasons, and instead of being the target of someone else's gossip wouldn't it be life giving to be the recipient of one who noticed the hurt and gave out love and support? Why increase the burden? Why not lighten the load with love?

It's the most powerful thing we can do... We might think gossip makes us feel more powerful but in reality it only creates a rotting effect. Love and building up others is what really empowers! I only hope I can aspire to it.

Wanting More...

2010-08-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

Has life ever left you wanting more? As I write that question I feel guilty because as Christians we should never have such feelings, but instead should be thankful... right? "Be thankful, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." We should also be content... "Be content with what you have because God has said, never will I leave you, never will I forsake you..."

So I push it all down and refuse it's there... but wait long enough and it comes back up. So I ask... what is it I want? Searching within, honestly, I'm not even sure... but I sit still with it today, still enough to notice my own deep breath and quiet longing for help and clarity as if maybe there is a 3 step formula available to me if I just seek hard enough.

I am 23 years into knowing God. Presently, it feels like I am examining my faith and my heart and why I believe what I believe. For so long I have just accepted what strongly opinionated people say (the type who seem to have God neatly packaged into a box) for fear of their wrath if I dare to disagree. The churning in more recent years keeps getting louder and it sometimes creates fear in me. I don't want to believe I'm somewhat unsettled but I cannot deny it either. I ask God about it often and confess that pat answers just don't seem to work for me anymore. It's simply where I find myself along the journey God has me on. In my "chaos" I long for the neat, clean "3 step formula". I catch myself searching for it and say to myself... "It's the 3 step formula that has gotten me through past obstacles before hasn't it?" Or so I think... nevertheless because it's been my pattern for so long I search for yet another new formula. I need the formula so I can get a hold on this... to control my life... to move on.

What does God think of my "wanting more"? I ask him that often... Is this a normal part of growth or am I having some sort of crisis or is it a type of spiritual warfare? Shouldn't it be neater and cleaner than this? One thing I do sense deeply from God as I sit with him in the chaos... He is always on my side, nothing about me will ever surprise him and he will always love me. As the apostle Paul said... HIS GRACE IS ENOUGH... no matter the situation! The anchor of love is strong enough to hold me steady and keep me safe as the water rages and the waves persist in their effort to submerge and overwhelm.

Sitting longer with these thoughts, it dawns on me... that's all I really need to know. I don't need a formula because no matter how hard I search for one or how much I believed in my fomulas of the past, in reality, there aren't any... I can't formulate love and relationship and that's what God is all about. He loves me, we have a relationship that is organic and morphing and changing all the time. He desires I know Him as best I can this side of heaven, but I keep getting in the way. He waits patiently for me to grow, change and understand. He orchestrates circumstances so my heart has the opportunity to see things more clearly or in a new way. Replacing less than ideal perspectives for new better ones. The only way to reach higher ground is through experience... hard and trying experience and not through manipulating a magical 3 step process. I don't fully know everything about my present chaos, but it is a relief in a weird kind of way to discover that the formula thinking I so often run to is not of God... He is WAY too big for that.

Thinking on the Scriptures I started this post with... I see a little more clearly....

Be content because GOD IS WITH YOU...this big God is with ME, encouraging contentment not because it's a rule to follow and I'll be zapped if I don't, but because He is with me, able to create a quiet confidence, expel fear, calm chaos, and heal hurt with mercy and compassion... I am secure even when I don't realize it or feel it because He is simply with me.

The relational aspect of God shows up too in the encouragement to be thankful... "Be thankful because it is God's will for you IN CHRIST JESUS"... Somehow I am mysteriously in Christ Jesus, secure and eternally safe, protected, loved and known, cherished and always thought of. These thoughts can only bring a sense of thanks for such love.

Formulas, though they may seem neat and clean, will leave us wanting... Understanding love is there, even in chaos and even though we can't always grasp the abiguity of it, somehow settles us securely into quiet confidence, unwavering contentment and heart felt gratitude as we press on along the journey.

Being Fit... an act of Love?

2010-08-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Nothing motivates me to keep up a healthy lifestyle more than knowing God is pleased by physically strong and active bodies. I don't believe He shakes his finger at us when we are sedentary, but I do believe it gives him an extra measure of joy knowing we are fit, strong and feel physically alive and healthy... just the way it gives us joy when we see our children doing well and living to their full potential. It's the way He created our bodies to function best and the way He desires to see us living. I feel most alive when I am strong both physically and spiritually.

We all know there are Biblical principles about being strong spiritually but there are also Biblical principles about being strong physically. When I feel guilty about taking the time to exercise I remind myself that Biblical principles reveal that it's simpy the right thing to do. No need for gulit as if taking time for it is selfish and ungodly, as if it's neglecting other more godly duties of life. No doubt there are many duties needing my time and attention, but a well balanced life is one that not only gives out what's needed but also receieves nourishment and times of refreshing so we might have more energy to give when duty calls.

One reason God wants us physically strong is because He wants us to have what it takes to love a world in need. He wants us around as long as possible to dish out love to the next generation. Love takes work. If we desire to love well we need the physical energy to do it. Ever notice when you're tired or run down the hardest thing to do is love... which might involve listening or putting the needs of someone else first. I admit when I'm tired, run down or lacking energy I am irritated by the needs of others and certainly not looking to meet anyones needs. I may even do the opposite of loving them, like avoiding them or even hurting or lashing out. Little things become big things and relationships break down as a result.

Taking a little time to workout is a great investment and over time produces the greater physical endurance needed to be a better me all the way around. I become a better mom, friend and wife.... a more productive employee and simply bring a little more sunshine into the world because I'm strong enough to give, contribute and offer up service... not just take, gripe and demand.

I recently read these Scriptures ...

1 Corinthians 13:7

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (sound like work??... I think so).

Psalm 127:2

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Psalm 119:73

You made me, you created me... now give me the sense to follow your commands.

Wisdom for living screams from these Scriptures don't they? ... They seem to say... "Love takes work.. do you have what it takes spiritually and physicallyto love this way?" ... spend your energy wisely so that you are strong enough to love when duty calls. Get enough rest so that you are replenished enough to have something to give a world in need and realize there are common sense things to do to ensure the best life possible. Common sense knows the human body was made to move, to take in nutritious food and to get enough rest. How's it going with that? Where ever you're at on your fitness journey whether just begining or well seasoned, any amount of activity is better than none, small steps are better than no steps, some success is better than giving up and with a lifetime ahead of you to accomplish it what would stop you from pressing on? Visualize what a little exercise along with power packed food choices and plenty of rest can do for you over the long haul and join with God as He rejoices in YOU living to your full potential in Him.

My Latest Love... Personal Training

2010-06-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

The opportunity to teach fitness came unexpectedly over seven years ago. A younger and busier mom at the time, I started with 3 classes a week, each one leaving me anticipating the next. Today I still teach fitness, am up to 11 classes a week and still anticipate the enjoyment of every class. Where else can I show up, ... sense excitement and desire among people who actually follow my advice and DO what I say (a weary mom especially appreciates this), hear laughter as friends workout together, have a chance to teach, motivate and see people push through something difficult, hear so many thank yous everyday and then leave each time energized, encouraged and even paid to do what I love? Does it get any better? The opportunity fell into my lap after I decided to become certified in group fitness just for fun. Fast forward to today... in addition to teaching, I recently added a new aspect to my job... PERSONAL TRAINING.

What a joy it has been to meet with people one-on-one, giving them their own custom designed workout and motivating them to make fitness their new lifestyle and not just a hit or miss effort to lose a few pounds this summer. Encouraged to think long-term, people stuck in a sedentary lifestyle look up the road a few years and visualize themselves with more energy and less fatigue as they move through their day. They understand that what they do today WILL effect the qualtiy of their lives tomorrow. It's such a privelege to help them keep this vision in sight when they face obstacles or discouragement, reminding them the effects of a sedentary lifestyle didn't happen overnight and the benefits of an active lifestyle will take some time too... BUT the payoff for long haul consistency is GUARANTEED... they WILL see improvement... that's the way it works... give the human body what it needs and it will give an amazing return on the investment. In fact a WHOLE NEW BODY can be had in 2 years through perserverance and consistency! It's a change that happens on a cellular level from the inside out. Through exercise and treating your body right, old toxic cells are replaced by newer healthier cells, and over time a healthier and younger you will emerge.

Convincing people they can be younger next year is the greatest job I have been privelged to assume. Every time we meet is a chance to fill their minds with the myriad of reasons why they wouldn't want to give up and the limitless number of benefits that await them. Recently, one client came in so excited to see some definition in her biceps from all the bicep curls she has been doing this summer. She knows that building lean muscle will create a more efficient body that burns fat even as she sleeps. It's thoughts like these that keep her pushing through the last gruling set of muscle firing squats. I love seeing her work hard and noticing the determination in her face that refuses her any room for giving up. It makes my day every time!!!

We all can be younger next year if we allow exercise, nutrition and committment to replace our sedentary lifestyles... it's that simple... and if it's not that simple for you then maybe try a personal trainer who will help jump start your desire to exercise, motivate you to be consistent and will find it a joy to be there for you to assure you meet your fitness goals today and into tomorrow.

Oh, Summer!

2010-06-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Summer's here, when the kids are enjoying leisurely mornings, offsetting the rest of the day so they find themselves eating breakfast at 11:00 and lunch at 3:00, everyone hanging with at least one friend if not two or three so that my house becomes a whirlwind of laughter, noise and activity, the boys rough housing, shooting hoops for hours then busting through the door with that lovely outdoorsey scent only a sweaty teenage boy can vent. They eat everything in sight, leaving a trail of mess behind them. The girls constantly giggle, listen to ipods and love trying new nail designs with neon colored nail polish. They all stay up late with no thought of waking to an obnoxious alarm clock the next day, they hang at the mall and everyone wants to go in ten different directions at the same time.

What is that? I'm OK with it really. It's Summer right? Kinda forget as an adult what it was like as a young person. Do you remember Summer as a young person?... Oh, to have that time of life back again... hanging with neighbor friends, riding bikes for hours, going to the park playing frisbee and looking for cute boys, walking to Dairy Queen and enjoying icecream without worry of belly bulge, blasting the music out my bedroom window as we sunbathed on the roof or swam in my back yard pool all day... I even remember thinking to myself one Summer day as I splashed water on my sunkissed face while lounging on a raft in the pool and watching my dad rush off to work ... "I should really enjoy these days... when else in life will I have a chance to be so care free... it's sure to become more complicated when I get older and have a family and responsibilities." I was rather wise for my age, giving myself permission to be carefree, understanding summer is a unique time for a young person, to be embraced as a once in a lifetime opportunity to chill and enjoy before real life comes crashing in full force.

Today as I reminisce, I smile as I listen to the laughter, watch the horseplay and smell the effects of playing hard. When I start to feel stressed or frazzled due to their lack of structure I will remember it's ok to allow for some of that as long as they have some semblance of productivity in there somewhere. Which they do.... thank God. But for the majority of the summer I want them to be carefree kids, creating lasting, lifetime memories to tuck away as part of their journey before life launches them into the real world, when such long stretches of leisure are bound to slip away in exchange for new seasons of maturity and responsibility. Watching them enjoy their season of "young, wild, and free"reminds me to keep embracing my new seasons too, tucking away the unique blessings that come with each one, not rushing ahead trying to live in the next, but relishing the here and now. It's good to know that even though seasons may change, each one is uniquely loaded with surprises, goodness and this amazing thing called life.

I Am a Rock - Simon & Garfunkel Lyrics

2010-05-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am a ROCK...

2010-04-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

I've been enjoying a great oldies station for the last few months and recently heard the Simon and Garfunkel classic... "I am a Rock." After bee-bopping through the song, and listening to the lyricks, I began to think... That's quite sad actually... Do people really resonate with such conclusions and why? Is there a hurt so deep that causes one to give up entirely, painfully convincing self that being alone is better, refusing to try again, concluding that they even distain anything resembling love or connection?

Listen to the lyrics... (you'll probably end up singing to yourself... great song dispite sad message!) -- OR listen to it... see link above.

A winter's day... in a deep and dark December. I am alone~ gazing from my window, to the streets below, on a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow... I am a rock... I am an island.
I've built walls, a fortress deep and mighty, that none may penetrate. I have no need of friendship, friendship causes pain, it's laughter and it's loving I distain... I am a rock, I am an island. Dont talk of love... well, I've heard the word before. It's sleeping in my memory. I won't disturb this slumber, of feeling I have died, if I never loved I never would have cried.... I am a rock, I am an island! I have my books... and my poetry to protect me. I am shielded in my armour, hiding in my room, I touch no one and no one touches me... I am a rock, I am an island... and a rock feels no pain... and an island never cries...

The song is powerful really... I wondered the writer's intent. Was it to mock such thoughts of isolation or does it really articulate the true feelings of some? Nontheless, it certainly can create a justification in any troubled, hurt and lonely heart to just give up. If one hurts, it's easy to listen to the song and fall into the temptation to sulk and resolve that... yeah... I am a rock... a strong unpenetrable rock... able to go it alone in life! "BUT WHAT A LIE..." I want to scream!!! Resolving to be "a lone tough guy" doesn't define what being a rock is at all. And who says crying and pain are bad and to be avoided at all costs?

No doubt, relationships can be painful at times but being relational defines what it means to be human. If we are created in God's image we are relational beings. To isolate seems not an option. God perfectly relates in his existence as the Trinity... the Father, Son and Holy Spirit experiencing perfect fellowship together. God also, through His Son, died a grusome death to not only make possible a relationship with us but also to scream out to his creation what lengths he will go to for the sake of relationship and the incredible value he places on community and connections. It's as if he is trying to communicate that we can be sure if He, being God and all, experienced pain when reaching out to us in love, that we too can count on some possible pain as we reach out in love to others.

God communicates through his action-driven love that love is worth everything we might give up for it... even life itself. No room for giving up. Do you agree? Jeus gave up his life for it. There is Scripture that says... YOUR LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE! WOW!!! Interesting thought. God said LOVE IS THE GREATEST thing we can spend our time doing this side of heaven... a worthy investment! The hard part is there may not be any immediate return on the investment. In fact there might even be loss. Love may not be returned to us when we give it out. It involves that risk every time. The loss can sometimes cause us to close down, stop trying, forget that love is about giving regardless of what is returned... thus the song.

How can we keep loving when the object of our love is causing pain-- or how do we risk loving again when rejected? Without God we can't. No one has experienced rejection more than God. He saw our need and loved us, stepped in to take upon himself our need for healing and yet he is rejected by us over and over again. But he continues to give freely. Does God experience painful emotion in his relationship with us? I think so! Thank goodness he didn't decide to become a rock or an island because of the pain, shutting himself away from us, concluding it just wasn't worth it, changing his perfect character quality of perserverance, forgiveness and long suffering. No, He just keeps at it doing what comes naturally for him. Love defines his nature, and love's nature is to GIVE... God so LOVED...that He GAVE! It almost sounds a little nuts. Give without getting anything back and then just keep giving? That's how I believe I understand God's love-- Is that accurate?

So what about us then? Should we be willing to go out on a limb for the sake of love, regardless of the pain associated with taking risks and possibly being rejected? Or is it better to self-protect? Is self-protection really protection at all or is it self-destruction? How do we embrace Scripture like John 16:33? "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world!" Doesn't it seem if we rest in truth like that it opens the possibility to go out on a limb and face the risk of rejection? It's almost as if God designed our lives to include pain and suffering, along with his guarantee of being an anchor to our soul as we pass through deepest depair. Naturally it feels more logical to be drawn to smooth sailing but what might happen if we choose to sail against the tide of all that comes natural and take chances in the raging water of risk taking, knowing all along there is a strong anchor to steady us, to ground us, to keep us strong enough to weather the storm?

Relationships, like the effects of fuel, empower the quality of life, bringing refreshment where there is a stale exsistence. I hear God asking... "Will you love people for me? I need you to love them for me... get past the surface and be gut-wrenchingly real, realness that frees people to feel safe, safety that soothes, heals and creates a ripple effect that extends beyond your sphere of influence. Let love define you and release limitless possibilities to usher in everything beautiful and purposeful. I CAN USE LOVE. Love is the greatest, remember?"

Why would anyone want to be a Rock or an Island selfishly keeping to self when we can be an unstoppable force of love in the hands of God???

Can I love that way?

Just ask... and see what happens

2010-04-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

Could it be the only thing separating you from

something good happening is a simple question?

I recently read a good article about this very topic a few weeks back while waiting for my son to finish a haircut appointment. It intrigued me because I am the type that would rather go without than take a risk and actually ask someone for something. This article challenged readers to think about throwing requests out there instead of cowering and missing out. What's the WORST that can happen... you get a no... that's not so bad really when considering what you might gain as a result of asking.

It got me thinking. Why don't I ask more often? Fear? A little uncomfortable? Too much trouble? What might happen if I did? I decided to try it out the next day by leaving a comment on my favorite author's blog post. I had the opportunity to meet her several weeks back at a Heart's at Home Conference. I served as her personal assistant and enjoyed some good conversations with her in between her speaking times. It was just a simple question that I aksed her ...but decided to ask if she might visit my blog sometime. It was bold for me but I did it! ...and guess what? SHE SAID YES! It was just a little experiment for me and something I did to grow out of my comfort zone just a little bit more.

My plan is to keep on the asking track to open the way for a little more adventure in life.... to see what happens! The Bible says... "You have not because you ASK not." "ASK and you will receive." Before I begin my adventure in more asking I especially plan to ASK GOD about the things on my heart first. It starts there doesn't it? Laying it all out there for Him, asking Him for what I really need. Asking for wisdom about my asking. Asking Him what I might ask the people around me to help set me up to accomplish more good. Asking just for the sake of asking to find out what happens next is pointless, but asking for things because we have first brought the ideas to God and feel a draw or pull that asking question "X" "Y" or "Z" might be next on the agenda of adventure... that's more purposeful. I believe God honors that kind of asking.

I have a new bold question brewing in my heart. I hope to gear it toward a personal trainer I see almost everyday. I don't currently know her, but she works everyday at Gold's Gym (did I mention I am working there now?...very fun!) For some reason I am drawn to her. She is always working with clients and seems like she really knows her stuff. It turns out she has been a personal trainer for 20 years! I watched her through a glass window separating the pool area from the hallway one day. She was so into her client and I could see the client was really into what she was saying too. Of the little I know of her I admire her so much and would love to sit in on one of her training sessions someday to learn from her. Can you guess my next adventure question? I am praying about when and how to ask her. I have such a long way to go to become an experienced personal trainer and I want to start by observing her. I'm lucky there are so many amazing personal trainers at Gold's. They mean business! They are tough and I can see they are helping people make lasting changes in their lives.

What about you? Are you an asker? Do you go for it and throw your requests out there? If not, what might happen if you tried it? My plan is to ask God first and then keep weaving possible questions around God-given life dreams and goals... and see what happens!

For your adventure keep this great promise in mind too... rely on it!

Ephesians 3:20

"He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us."

Donna :O)

A Healing Touch

2010-03-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

Looking at my calendar this week I can hardly wait for Thursday to arrive. In big red letters I notice...

"1:00... MASSAGE APPOINTMENT."

WooOOo-HooOOoo! I'd forgot I made the appointment and now it's just a few days away.

Although massage services deplete what little I carry in my wallet, I am convinced the benefits of an occassional massage far outweigh the cost in the long run. The gains physically and mentally add years to life. How so?...

In our stress filled lives, there is no doubt touch is one of the most pleasurable ways to relax our hardened muscles and tense, worrried minds and allow the flow of life to course through our body again. When muscles are relaxed all our physical processes show improvement and work more efficiently so that we even clarify our perspective... On the other hand tense muscles and sluggish lymphatic systems can cloud perception and create a less than accurate perspective on life.

Stress, in engineering terminology, is defined as "the deformation or change caused on a body by the internal forces that work on it." The same definition can obviously be applied to humans. Humans are rather like rubber bands, they can only be stretched so far before they snap.

We need the healing effects of relaxation, sometimes coming in the form of massage, to counteract the negative effects of life stress. Remember that stress whether it is good stress or bad effects the body in the same way and without setting yourself up with outlets for stress release, the negative effects will threaten your physical, emotional and mental wellness. The healing effects from touch are a gift from God and are one way to help allieviate the hard knocks of life and usher in a more peaceful existense.

A massage assists the mind/body connection to produce endorphins... the body's own natural pain relievers. A massages effects on the muscle are the most obvious physical benefit... especially after exercise. Have you ever experienced a condition called DOMS after exercise? It's known as DELAYED ONEST MUSCLE SORENESS and is that oh... so wonderful deep muscle pain we feel apporximately 24 hours later. The soreness comes from microtears in muscle tissue from the contracting and resisting work we experience during exercise. After exercise our muscles go through a process of repairing muscle fiber which also involves inflamation. Water build up puts pressure on sensitive pain receptors in muscle fibers and the massage process helps assist the movement of fluid through the body and relieves some of the pain associated with DOMS.

Massage benefits not only muscles but also bones. When muscles are tense they pull on bones and place them under pressure. The pulling muscle can cause less circulation to the bones because capillaries and veins are contracted. Our bodies need all the oxygen they can get so massage is a great way to help assist in delivering oxygen more effectively. Massage also aides in removing toxin build up in stiff joints caused from overwork and injury which if left untreated can lead to arthritis (number one debilating disease in USA). Massaging affected areas can bring relief and healing to those who suffer joint pain.

Massage can also...

*Normalize blood pressure.

*Reduce the output of adrenline.

*Assist to slow down rapid breathing.

*Relax the nervous system.

*Bring clarity for rational decision making and...

*Bring out healthier glowing skin.

So does massage add years to life? ...absolutley and a resounding YES! In fact, massage is an ancient, centuries old, time-tested and true preventative approach to health and wellness (as evidenced by ancient Egypitan wall paintings etc...). With the development of synthetic medicine the western world became increasingly critical of healing methods such as massage and reflexology and other popular alternative therapeutic practices. No doubt, the medical world has come a very long way over the centuries and I totally respect and value the gains, however, tackling wellness using a "treat the symptom" approach without equally embracing preventative approaches is like playing russian roulette with your health. Why would anyone want to take chances with their most valuable possession when instead odds could be improved by taking a preventative approach (massage, stress relief exercises, reflexology, etc...) in combination with using "treat the symptom" medication when needed? Something to think about??? Be preventative! It's the future wave of tackling health and wellness!

Looking forward to THURSDAY 1:00!!!

Donna :O)

A Potent Call

2010-03-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like you are spread too thin? You wonder if anything you do makes any difference because everything you do is done in such a rush to get to the next thing? You have no time to focus on doing any one thing very well because you are too exhausted trying to do it all. If you are like me I tend to easily fall into this pattern of living. No matter how much I try to reign it in I hear myself saying... "Oh sure I can do that," while in the back of my mind I'm thinking... "WHAT DID I JUST SAY?" I struggle to say that oh so simple word... "NO!"

I have heard many wise people speak a word about SIMPLICITY. Don't you just love the sound of that word? I long for the simple, unrushed, peaceful and refreshing benefits that would come from a life lived in simplicity. Sometimes I do walk in simple places but more often I stumble back into the complex chaotic life of frenzy. The temptation to add more and more to my life traps me every time. Our culture screams at us that a busy life is an important life. Even the church can subtly lure us into thinking a busy life is a godly life. Hardly true...

Someone once said... " YOU WILL MAKE THE GREATEST IMPACT IN YOUR LIFE BY BEING POTENT IN YOUR CALLING" Ohhh, I like that! Be Potent! The dictionary defines potent as having authority or influence, powerful, rich in a characteristic constituent. Being potent involves being single minded and intentional about one or two things not the five or six I often find myself trying to juggle. But how does one decide what those one or two things should be?

Someone else once said... "What is it that only YOU... Donna Wagner can do?" As I thought about it, only I can be wife to Rick... only I can be mother to my four children... only I can truly know what's inside that makes me tick. There is a passion God places deep in the fiber of our beings. Things we love to do that are energizing. We may have even dreamed of living out these passions as a child. Think for a while... as a child what did you pretend to be? I believe what we were naturally drawn to as children are clues to lead us into what we are designed as adults to pursue. Could it be God created us with a unique design to carry out a specific calling that he especially equipped us to do? I think so.

It's up to us however to search our hearts to find out what that deep seeded passion and calling is and then to set up our strong boundaries and focus in on being potent in that calling. We are potent when we say no to anything that does not line up with helping us successfully accomplish our unique calling. We say no to anything that would distract or steal away time that would have been spent investing in the call.

As I contnue to plug away at becoming more potent in my one or two areas I remind myself there is GRACE. Aren't you glad God sees us all as works in progress? We are on a journey and the journey takes us down a winding path of learning and becoming... sometimes failing, always being forgiven and as a result becoming stronger more beautiful and useful to Him. Do you know your process is sacred to God? He uses everything that happens to us for something good. I love that! He loves to see what we will learn along the way and he delights in our process. So get rid of the image of God who is impatiently wondering if we will ever arrive. We already have arrived through faith in His Son's work on our behalf... AMAZING!

I tried to stay potent and focused in this post by sticking to one topic... I kinda went off, but hopefully you get the drift... Give some grace... I'm still in process, right?

~Donna~

Performance Perks

2010-03-10T06:24:00.000-08:00

Ever consider that there are specific foods that if consumed pre-exercise will work best with your body dynamics during exercise and that there are other foods that aid recovery and refueling after exercise? It's true!

Today I am killing two birds with one stone by sharing with you some exciting performance perks that I will need to regurgitate in about two weeks for a personal trainng certification. I figure writing about what I am learning is the best way to study ...right? ... Oh yes, nothing better than writing!

OK... back to ... "It's true!" ...Ever feel like you don't have the energy to finish your workout or that you start to feel weak or even a little dizzy? It may be the food you are eating or not eating before you exercise is the culprit. Some foods will provide a longer sustained entry of glucose into the bloodstream and give you the energy you need to press on and finish your workout. These are the foods to consume prior to exercising. This prolonged entry of glucose helps boost carbohydrate energy and reduce insulin surges. If you have high insulin levels this will contribute to low blood sugar levels and the potential of hypoglycemia may result if combined with exercise. So what are these great pre-exercise foods? Foods such as lentils (yum... you know you love them), apples, oranges and raw carrots make good snacks before exercising and will set you up with more energy so you can avoid the weak feeling and make the time you spend working out count as you push harder during your workout. We have to make that precious time count!

Conversely, there are other foods that are realeased more quickly into the bloodstream. If you feel depleted of energy after a workout it might be you are not refueling enough. Foods you want on hand after a strenous workout to help recover are bagels, pasta, raisins, and baked potatoes. It's recommended you eat at least 50 grams of higher level glycemic carbohydrate as soon after exercise as possible. Then two hours later eat another 50 grams to carry you through your day with more energy as your muscles repair themselves. Your body uses a lot of energy to repair itself. Without powerpacked carbs your energy will fizzle out like a candle without a flame. If you are involved in prolonged endurance training, foods high in electrolytes are also needed for recovery. Good choices are potatoes, yogurt, bananas and orange juice.

Next time you exercise consider what you are eating before and after your workout. See if you feel any difference and if your body responds in new ways as a result of what you do to set yourself up with these power-packed pre and post exercise food recommendations.

Let's do it right!
Donna :O)

Exercise for Your Mind

2010-03-03T06:26:00.000-08:00

I had to share this link with you... please check it out when you have time to really think about it afterward... It will move you to worship and will stretch your mind to try to comprehend just how HUGE God must be! ...and how small we really are.

http://www.crazylovebook.com/ then click on "AWE FACTOR" which you will see on the left side of the page. ENJOY!

Love, Donna

The Golden Fuel

2010-03-01T09:39:00.000-08:00

What is something you do every day without thinking,

happens to be the most important bodily function of your day,

if done right feeds every cell in your body...and

is something you can't do without for more than one minute

without panick setting in?

If you guessed breathing you are right! Pumping your body with enough oxygen is something we rarley think about but is a concept vital to health and wellness. Oxygen is the first and most important fuel in your body. The ultimate and most vital ingredient in wellness. The feeder of the internal fire... yes, the golden fuel! The big kahuna... got the picture? No description can do it justice.

The oxygen you take in has a big job to do. We need enough oxygen to feed every cell and muscle. That's no small statement when we realize we have over 75 trillion cells in our bodies. The sad truth is most of us don't get enough oxygen, don't think about working to improve our intake and don't give enough credit to this life-giving source. Cells and muscles live on oxygen. Imagine what happens to cells and muscles that don't get enough oxygen. Add to that excess body fat, weak muscles and cardio system, and an acidic blood stream caused from eating too much junk. This is nothing more than a fertile breeding ground for disease to flourish, for mutating cells to fester and a weak immune system to develop.

So how does oxygen help that sorry looking picture? It helps tremendously... but the key is getting enough! How do you get enough? It's not through normal, shallow, everyday breathing. The kind we don't think about. The breath must be deep and labored enough to fill your lungs completely... in and out, in and out, for 30 minutes or more 3-5 times a week. The only way to nourish your cells and muscles with this penetrating breath of life is through movement! YES... that means exercise! Cardiovascular exercise to be exact.

Cardiovascular exercise is any exercise that elevates your heart rate and intensifies your breathing. It's any movement under the sun that you enjoy. Walking is a great place to start... or try swimming, biking, running, hiking. Whatever you love to do that gets your heart and lungs working to distribute that oh so vital energy source... oxygen.

If you are just beginnng or have been at it forever an important concept to keep in mind is YOUR OWN FITNESS LEVEL. For beginners it is easy to let the cardio exercise slip by because when your cardiovascular system is not fit the winded feeling can feel like torture... it's easy to understand why people back off so quickly when they attempt to begin cardio exercise. Feeling winded 30 seconds into it and realizing there are 30 minutes to go might make anyone think that even death would feel better than that... But, OH... can I encourage you to stay on it? You already know why... but now you need to know how... I believe the key is to MODIFY!!!!

We modify when we face up and accept our current fitness level... not getting depressed about it and giving up, but simply starting at a level of intensity that provides an appropriate training effect for our current fitness level. When exercising, consider when the threshold of pain or exhaustion is unbearable and modify so we can stay at it for 30 minutes or more. That might mean taking a jogging pace down to a walking pace or eliminating arm movements from a cardio class.

We LISTEN to our bodies! We aren't wimps when we start slow... we are smart and will more likely be in it for the long haul because we listen to our body and have a goal of carefully and consistently building up to the next fitness level. You do what you can in your current fitness level to make your heart and lungs stronger so they have more endurance to work harder the next time. That's the beauty of it all! The energy we expend today will give us more energy for the next time we plan to move! This consideration of fitness level is what will help you to be more consistent and succesful. In other words... don't compare yourself to someone else's fitness level... respect your own.

We also consider modifying UP when we do become more fit. Always evaluating our current fitness levels and pressing into higher fitness levels through challenging ourselves to ramp it up... no plateu effects! Always thinking... stronger, faster, better!... RIGHT?

Oxygen... it's the golden fuel. Infuse your cells... the building blocks of your body...with a strong dose of it through cardio endurance training as soon as you can, as often as you can, and for as long as you can.

Love and Hugs ~
Donna :O)

Treasure Hunts

2010-02-22T07:43:00.000-08:00

I love a quiet morning... space and time to stop, to put aside the whirlwind of life's demands and settle into deep, reflective places.

This morning I glanced at a wall hanging in my bathroom that says... "Treasure the small things life gives you." A background of lilacs embelishes the print. It reminds me of a bush that blooms stikingly fragrant, deep purple lilacs right outside the front window of our house. Every Spring I throw open the windows and enjoy the way the fragrance wafts through and envelopes each room of the house.

Experiencing my Spring time, lilac-scented breeze reminds me to stop and appreciate the "little things" Gods sends as gifts and reminders of his joyful delight in me... a delight that runs so deep He would even think of a detail like showering me with the divine scent of lilac each Spring. It's a thought like that that jump starts my determination to go on a treasure hunt all day searching for the "small thing" God gives to reveal His love... if I will just pay attention.

Instead of seeing my dog as a inconvenience and in the way as I so often do, I could choose instead to bend down and enjoy the touch of his soft fur, sweet wagging tail and the way he is always so excited to see me. To consider it a reminder that life experiences have gems of blessing if I take the time to look beyond my natural tendency to be selfish, annoyed and easily distracted by "more important" things.

In the Lord's prayer Jesus prays... "...Your Kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." It's my own belief that heaven will be a place absent of rushing about (because there will be no time...right?) and instead a place of recognizing and enjoying the blessings that are there. I won't be selfishly overlooking the very beautiful thing God places in my path to bring refreshment and joy. It is my desire to live that way NOW too... "on earth as it is in Heaven"... unrushed, noticing the beautiful, stopping to recognize each opportunity, each relationship, each chance to be helpful to someone in need, even the work I have to do as a blessing straight from God's hand.

I love the Book of Ecclesiastes. It depcits very normal goings on as directly from God and His attempt at getting us to enjoy the simple delights of life as His gift. It's a place we can see God's heart for the everyday and normal as great blessings to enjoy and revel in rather than overlook. So what is it for you? Don't let the ordinariness of life deceive you into settling into a thankless miserable mindset. Instead might we see the gem that is there and thank God we have eyes to see and ears to hear what's all around.

Eccl 5:18-20
It is good for people to eat well, drink a good glass of wine, and enjoy their work-- whatever they do under the sun-- for however long God lets them live. And it is good to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life--that is indeed a gift from God.

Be FREE and light!

Donna

Is Trouble a Blessing?

2010-02-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

"WOW!" I said out loud as I sat dumfounded sipping tea with my husband at Jamani Java the other day. A flood of thoughts poured into my mind that brought a new revelation about something I have been struggling with recently. My thought process was like this...

Having right thinking is vital in anything I do, any goal I have or any longing to make a situation better. When I feel badly about a situation it profoundly effects how I think about almost everything else in life.

I continued to roll these ideas around in my head and even thought about my last post...

On days when I especially don't feel like exercising, so many times I simply change my thinking and fill my mind with everything that is good about exercising and soon I am ready to not only get out for my daily run but to add an extra mile and push myself harder. I love how I feel when I'm done... the satisfaction of accomplishment and and every good thing I just did to add years to my life. The physical benefit spills over with endless reward. There is good result!

Why can't I take this passion I have in the physical realm of my life and begin to apply it to my relational life and maybe other areas too? Why does it seem harder for me in other areas? I can perservere physically most of the time no problem. I want to use this same principle with my relationships and see what happens. If my attitude stinks toward my family or friends because a relationship is strained or doesn't feel so good I can choose to change my thinking about it and do the good thing anyway, BELIEVING it makes a difference and will bring a healing effect OR I can sulk and dwell on negative patterns of thinking, do nothing and suffer further strain and harm in the realtionship.

(I realize this might be a no-brainer for you because it is something I too have know for years but it was especially eye-opening for me the other day).

My thought process continued... I must believe that the good and right choices I make especially in my relationships, even when I don't feel like it... no, ESPECIALLY when I don't feel like it... are accomplishing GREAT GOOD deep in the fibers of those relationships. It might not always feel good and I might not always see everything good that is happening but I MUST BE, AND CAN BE SURE that the good thing IS happening and accomplishing a beautiful healing effect. If consistent... the same way consistent exercise produces good health physically so consistent right choices and right thinking about those choices in realtionships will produce vibrant relational health, joy and life that is truly life.

Gods ways are the best ways. Sometimes if I'm honest I don't want to do things God's way, especially if I'm hurt or angry. When we slip and fall into our own ways (and isn't it interesting that we sometimes don't even see it coming) God can use those hard things to bring deeper meaning to life. As a wise person said to me... "He can redeem everything and use it for his purpose in greater ways if we let him... if we ASK him to". What hard things are you experiencing today? I hope you will turn it around and ask God what hidden gem is there.

I choose to believe the best today regardless of what hard thing is going on! One day at a time believing that the good choices I make for life are accomplishing MUCH for me and everyone around me! The key for me is BELIEVING!!! The following verse is not a favorite for me but if God gave it and He is good, I choose to rest in it. Let it roll around in your brain a while... I love the way it depicts that work is going on deep inside that we can't entirely see this side of heaven.

James 1:2-4 Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

Considering trouble a blessing... because it is!
Love and hugs!
Donna

A Breath of Fresh Air...

2010-02-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

It's February! ... One month into the new year and how are those new year's resolutions for fitness coming along? I believe now is a good time for a motivational shot in the arm.

If you are healthy enough to exercise you are blessed indeed! Keeping mindful of that alone is enough motiviation for me. Phil 4:8 says... Think about things that are excellent! Your mind drives everything about you. Are you beginning to settle back into a lie that exercise is a drag? If so, crucify that thought and replace it with this one instead...

"Consider exercise a breath of fresh air and embrace every opportunity to exercise as a gift from God!"

Let's even consider exercise as a way to give God a great return on his investment in us to be the best we can. Our body is a gift from God and when it's strong will empower our lives and our impact. Pay attention to your body mechanics when you move... throw yourself into it and consider the potential of strength you are capable of simply because it is God who made you to function best through movement. When we pay attention to what's going on with our muscles, bones, heart, lungs and circulation when we engage in physical endurance as opposed to just going through the motions, the payoff is a hundred fold. Pack your mind with every good thing that is happening to your body as you move and watch your motivation soar! God will only bless you in your effort to be fit, strong and healthy! He wants it just as much as you do. Ask Him to bless your effort. Instead of thinking ..."I hate this! Oh, when is it over?" Think..."YES!!! My body is becoming stronger and I feel and look younger! Pressing on is what I really need!"

Get out there today and take it a notch above what you are currently doing. Push yourself just a little harder. Think about what it will take for you to get motivated and then give yourself that gift... It might be joining a club, or purchasing a new pair of running shoes, or finding some friends who you can set a goal with together. I plan to run a race in July this year for my 25 year high school reunion. I am so thrilled the committee decided to include a race as part of the reunion activities because it's motivating me to stay on it. Find out what it is for you and keep on it.

Think... healthy, youthful, attractive and ALIVE! Be free from the effects of life stress... which feel unhealthy, tense, hagard and depleated. Without giving yourself permission to have an outlet for stress through exercise and right thinking the harmful build up of stress will prematurely kill you. Exercise instead diffuses the effects of stress and gives a burst of life giving energy. Everything you do for yourself physically will overflow into every other area of life... you will notice a sharper focus mentally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. That energy, those free flowing endorphins released by physical endurance were meant to be enjoyed by everyone God created. It's part of his design to charge you up for life!

Feeling better about exercise yet? I hope so! Renew your commitment to get up and do it for 2010... remember it always starts in the mind... so keep far away the lies that defeat our accomplishing victory and instead work hard and enjoy the beautiful effects inside and out.

Write down and hang up one of these quotes somewhere to keep you going...

"The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret." ~Sarah Bombell

"Do it now. You become successful the moment you start moving toward a worthwhile goal." ~Unknown

"Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn." ~John Wesley

Stay on it!
Loving always!
Donna

Live a Life of Love and Know Love!

2010-01-25T07:07:00.000-08:00

I did it! I am officially the proud owner of a permanent new friend. It is etched on the inside of my left ankle... yes... it's a tattoo! :O) Rick and I decided to get tattoos last week during our time in Colorado. His is etched on his right shoulder. We were surprised to discover that Christian leaders who visit the ranch decide to mark the occasion in similar ways... many times marking it with a tattoo. (another item to check off my bucket list... yay!)

The tattoo was a fun yet painful experience, but more importantly now is the meaning behind the "mark". I'm surprised how much mine means to me... it depicts the image of a dove with a glowing halo behind it and 1John 4:18-19 etched above. The dove and halo symbolize "freedom and light" while the verse reminds me that perfect love expels all fear!

My Perfect Love challenged me deeper last week. No... I mean really deep! I ventured out with a new prayer in my heart... "That I live a life of love and that I know love!" Simple, but not really! That's the way it always is with God I think... most of what he requires seems simple but it runs so much deeper than we know.

My plan is to show up every day just to be the object of his love believing life begins and ends here, and like a peaceful flowing river, allow His presence and truth to calmly wash me over. So, here is part of what God planted in and brought up out of my heart last week...

The furious love of God knows no shadow of alteration or change. It is reliable and always tender. His love is never based on performance, never conditioned by our moods of elation or depression. There is the "me" that people see-- then there is the "rest of me." When I can stand with the reality of the "rest of me" and not feel shame then I know better the love of God. "My name is Donna Wagner and I am ________... ouch.... How I got there, how I left there, and how I returned is part of the story of my life... BUT IT IS NOT THE WHOLE STORY!
(the above thoughts come from a great book called "The Furious Longing of God"... by Brennan Manning... pick up a copy, please!).

The reality is we all have "ouch" but none of the "ouch" has defining power. Do you believe that? Wow! I struggle with it... my list of "ouch" is long and well... "ouch". If we believe... really believe that the "ouch" has no defining power we are FREE from fear to be real with each other and less shocked and judgmental of each others "ouch" and can compassionately love and help to heal each other the way God does. I think that's what God had in mind... isn't that why he says DO NOT JUDGE! Because we are all in the same boat... duh! (I say that to myself there). It makes his grace truly amazing doesn't it? Maintaining this perspective prevents us from being fake and from trying to impress each other with our "togetherness".

I came to the conclusion since GOD loves me that's all I need and He frees me to be REAL. I recall times people have been real with me and how refreshing to my soul those times have been. So much more than when people try to impress. Don't you think? People who know they are REALLY LOVED just the way they are can be real and really love. Be warned though... knowing you are the object of his love WILL change you... it has to, it can't and won't leave you the same. That's real life; that's real adventure.

I am convinced if I make love my goal I cannot go wrong. It runs deep and is a dangerous prayer really. I know that... but the healing light runs even deeper and will have a ripple effect that I dare not miss.

1John 4:18-19
Such love has no fear because PERFECT LOVE expels all fear. If we are afraid it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that His love has not been perfected in us. We love each other as a result of His loving us first.

Hoping His love will be perfected in YOU!
Donna :O)

I'll try to get a photo up of my "oh so wonderful tattoo"... :O)

Ok... So the drama of my life continues...

2010-01-10T14:35:00.000-08:00

I grieve that I recently quit my job! Oh, do I hurt over that... I quit because FOCUS is the word for the day... FOCUS on other issues in my life. When life changes abruptly a sadness sometimes sets in and creates a need to heal, accept and find contentment in the unwelcome change.

Great waves of regret knock me down and threaten to drown me. I confess, I made this decision during high emotional turmoil... not wise. Not sure why I was deaf to the wisdom tucked in my heart that says, "sit still when emotion runs high... no sudden turns when the hurt runs deep." No, I just charged ahead and made a wrong turn...bummer. But, what's done is done. God still sits sovereign on the throne of my life. He will work this out for good. There's work to be done in my life and he is doing it ruthlessly--ouch!

The wise person in my shoes would probably have a grand perspective in this same situation. The wise person might say..."Hey, wow... maybe God is trying to do a new thing! How exciting!" All I can honestly say right now is... "This sucks! I hurt! Why did this have to happen? What have I done? I'm soooo dumb! Ugh!!!"

One of our pastors gave an excellent and timely sermon on grieving last week. Grieving the loss of a job was one example he used. I especially resonated with a practice he shared from ancient Jewish customs which allows a mourner to do nothing for 7 days but sit alone and cry. The Jewish people of that day understood the need to process loss. Anyone who wanted to comfort the mourner was not allowed to say anything but only come along side and cry too.

I know that sounds extreme in my case, but something about simply crying, accepting the reality that it IS a loss, not just something I must accept and get over, but allowing myself to experience release through tears and letting go can bring freedom. It's as if God were giving me permission to create space and time to do nothing else but grieve my loss and that he would be right there crying along with me... not to give me advice or to remind me to have faith, but just to gently understand that loss hurts. I love Him!

So whenever I feel I need to, I sit and cry and will continue until my heart grows stronger. God is good! And when I'm ready, I will go back to work... Yay.

Next week Rick and I are off to Colorado for some much needed retreat and refreshment. So you may or may not hear from me next week. Have a great week!

Love much!!!
Donna

Just FYI for my readers....

2010-01-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

My latest post is titled "NEW BEGINNINGS" When I was ready to publish, it came up below my post from last week. So keep scrolling down below last weeks post until you get to "New Beginnings" OK Thanks! Have a great day!

A Matter of the Heart.... Part II

2009-12-28T14:31:00.000-08:00

Sitting in my safe place, I find myself reflecting as I look out the window watching my dog frolick in the new fallen snow. Being a puppy he has never experienced snow before, so I feel joy watching him discover this strange, cold, white stuff. The snow is so deep he must jump up to run through it. With snow covering his snout, he looks back at me like a child hoping to be noticed. My daughter realizes he is outside and finds the same joy as she takes notice of him. She giggles, we make eye contact, smile, and then she takes it a step further. She finds her boots and coat and joins him in the fun. I laugh to myself, sip my tea and enjoy watching them experience such freedom and simplicity... longing sets in deep somewhere in my heart and I reflect deeper.

In my last post, I thought on the heart's tendency to be deceitful and cause pain, but the heart is also a bold place of deep longings and dreams. God-given dreams that he wants to unfold and see emerge for His glory and our good. Sometimes moments like the above can awaken our senses and remind us that we have dreams and longings that have been ignored over the years. Would dreams spring to life if simplicity and freedom marked our lives? Busyness demands every ounce of energy we have and steals away precious time. Once time is gone, it's gone! The reality of how swift time slips away has been scaring me lately.

I ask myself... is the busyness worth it? What am I doing to fill my time? What is stealing my time? I am ready as 2010 approaches. I have already set things up to create new space and time for cultivating deep God-given longings and dreams. I plan to keep writing. Writing is a dream I have had for years and never stopped long enough to consider taking it seriously. I am starting there. I have other dreams too. Photography and painting are two more. Learning ballet, and yet another silly one... getting a tattoo. :O) What about you? Are you looking inside? Are you listening to the deep longings and dreams that God has placed there? They are there for a reason. God has work he wants to do through you and your giftedness. Take time to look at your life and don't let busyness steal it anymore.

OK.... I have been on deep topics lately... I am in deep places. Next post I'll be getting back to fitness! Just a side note... Today I did one of the most challenging work-outs I have ever done... (nothing like a good challenge to tackle stress). If you get a chance go out and get the DVD "Biggest Loser Workout...Cardio Max". No joke, it's tough stuff... you WILL lose weight if you stick with this! My legs are spaghetti today. I LOVE IT!

Until next time...keep dreaming and believing!

~Donna

New Beginnings

2009-12-28T12:10:00.000-08:00

Ready or not, a new year is here. 2010 shouts of excitement, new beginnings, discovery and hope for change while 2009 tucks itself away like a beautifully crafted memory book in the deep places of our hearts... there to stay ...forever. I love this time of year. It creates an urgency to re-examine the lives we live. To celebrate the good and rethink the not so good. To look back and to look ahead. To see where we came from, where are headed and adjust our course. You might call it making New Year's Resolutions. I prefer to call it change and growth... what naturally happens when you've lived 42 years and realize half your life is over. (ouch!... sorry anyone 42 and up).

At 42, we're now standing on top of the hill looking down over the other side. Getting to the top of the hill might tempt us to believe our best years are gone, but just because we are half way there certainly doesn't mean it's over for us. Sliding down the other side of the hill may be even more fun than the climb up. You might not struggle with thoughts like this, but I need to confess... I find myself stressing about getting older more often now than ever. Seriously, wondering if I have even hit the beginnings of a mid-life crisis. I am mad at myself when I think it's too late to explore new interests or when I believe getting older holds nothing worthwhile. As I charge straight ahead into 2010 I determine to banish this wrong picture. I determine instead to see with new eyes that the last half of life can be even better than the first. Age alone never makes life bad.

Like anything worth having however, the second half of life promises great returns only through hard work. There are tides in our lives. When we are young the tide is always behind us pushing us ahead no matter what we do or do not do. As we age the tide slowly turns until it is against us. No more free ride. That's what's so scary about aging, however, if we are willing to press into the tide and use it to become stronger we can live the last half of life with energy and vitality. We don't have to let nature run its course. We can do something about it. The great news is that the tide is not that strong unless we sit back and let it have it's way with us.

The key to pushing against the tide is understanding the nature of growth and decay. Everything in our world degenerates without care and attention. It is the same with our physical bodies. With hard work they grow to become stronger or if left sedentary and uncared for will decay and become weaker. Our bodies look to us to choose between them. Our choice to not exercise and to eat garbage without thinking creates decay and weakness. Exercise on the other hand, is the master signaler in the body to set off cycles of strengthening and repair.

Where to start? We are all at different fitness levels so our starting places will be different. The place to start is a notch beyond your current activity level. If you don't exercise at all, start moving. Take a walk to get your body used to movement again. If you run 3 miles regularly, pick it up and run 3 and 1/2 miles, or try to pick up your pace for one of the three miles. Prevent a plateau effect by challenging your body to the next level by trying something new. If you are used to a treadmill, try using a different cardio machine. In fact, I heard once its best to divide a workout into thirds. For example, use the treadmill for a third of the time, a stationary bike for a third and an eliptical machine to finish. In other words, change it up, challenge your muscles to move in a new way. Don't keep doing the same thing. A well-rounded weekly routine should also include not only cardio, but strength training and flexibility training too.

Your week might look like this...
Monday-- Strength train (an hour of using weights to tone muscles... get a "how to" dvd, they are very helpful if you don't know what you are doing).
Tuesday-- Cardio at least 30 minutes (swim, run, walk, treadmill, zumba :O), step... whatever you enjoy... just get the heart and lungs feeling it).
Wednesday-- Strength train and pilates or yoga. (again dvd's are a goldmine for info and how tos).
Thursday-- Cardio
Friday-- Strength and pilates or yoga.
Saturday-- yes saturday! Choose whatever you feel like doing.
Sunday-- Ok... you can rest.

I must mention again a great dvd I recently have been challenged by ..."The Biggest Loser Workout... Cardio Max". It combines strength training and cardio and is one tough workout. I love it. You might try it and tell me what you think.
Also check out your local newspaper! Mine had information about many new fitness classes starting up for the new year.

Lastly, I mentioned a great book I am reading called "Younger Next Year" in previous posts. There is a wealth of information about how to go about pushing against the tide in the second half of life. It is not by a Christian author but I believe what he has to say about the science of our aging bodies is insightful. Pick up a copy to renew your motivation and determination.

We have lived some great years but I believe the best is still ahead! It's our choice. Make it happen.

Love,
Donna

A Matter of the Heart

2009-12-21T19:11:00.000-08:00

Driving in the dark, down an empty highway after midnight the powerful reality of what I had done cut deep in my heart. The tears welled up and blurred my vision. My gut was tied up in a hundred knots as I began to think through the consequences of my choices. My mind began to race as I tried hard to trace back to the point when my choices veered off onto the slippery slope. "HOW DID I GET HERE?"

Then just as quickly as I asked the question out loud, truth spoke almost as if I heard an audible voice.

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure... who can understand it?"

Surprisingly, a sense of judgment and condemnation did not come over me, but instead a sense of compassion and intense longing and love as if God was gently revealing not only this amazing truth, but also of his ability to be in control. Driving along the empty highway was just where he wanted me to be at this exact moment in time. A gentle reminder overcame me as I realized the state of my heart. Your heart will deceive you every time if you let it, my love. I long to be the keeper of your heart. Give it back to me once again. It constantly must be bathed in grace and truth. Follow hard after me. You won't be disappointed. No matter how mature you think you might be in your faith, or how badly your mistake, do well to remember the heart is beyond cure... beyond understanding. Keep it with me. Understand my unmerited grace and the agony of the cross my Son gladly bore for you. Just put "that" right there.

As I let "that" go a deep movement of His grace poured out and I felt His jealous love for me fill in the empty places. This is real freedom. He is all I need. I must get up, learn from this and keep looking up when looking in takes me places I should not go.

Romans 8:1
There is therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Lamentations 3:22
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy... I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anythng else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Success Stories

2009-12-14T06:57:00.000-08:00

I love fitness success stories...

Here's one of a 42 year old home school mom who left a job as a nurse 15 years earlier to be home with her kids. She loved to teach and plan meaningful activities for her three growing children. She poured her life into developing her children and thrilled herself in the process of influencing them for good. In her down time she read and prepared and cleaned and did and did for her family. Although she loved her busy life serving her family, she began to notice how sedentary her lifestyle was becoming and how truly neglectful she was becoming of her own wellness. She used to be active, in great shape with boundless energy and missed the sense of strength and well-being she had had from earlier days. How long ago that all seemed. Troubling thoughts about the swiftness of time came in like a flood and jolted her into action. The last 15 years were a blur. Where would she be in the NEXT 15 years? The picture she imagined in her mind was not pleasant. A new urgency for change pressed in and did not let up.

Almost immediately, she started walking. She even found a new desire to get off to the gym early enough to lift a few weights before the day's agenda had a chance to demand her full attention. The more consistent she was the more her body craved and then demanded what it desperately needed. She hated missing. Without dieting or going into any specific program she began to see the pounds melt away. Her husband began to notice and admired what he saw. He complimented her and praised her for her new determination. Friends too began to notice and wondered if they should join her in her new found discipline. Eventually she made it down to the same weight she had before kids and was now working out up to 5-6 days a week. Her new routine included good heart-pumping cardio exercise everyday, muscle building, metabolisim increasing strength-training 3 times a week, and relaxing, rejuvinating yoga/pilates 2 times a week for at least one hour a day. She woke one day to find herself in her forties, looking and and feeling better than she ever had. She loved her life, and even more now that she had given herself permission to pursue this new energy-giving balance. A balance she determined she would not just begin with, but continue with for the rest of her life.

Her secret for this new determination from the beginning was to begin her new exercise routine (starting slow at first) with a new self-image. Picturing who she could be from earlier days and keeping that picture in mind until she accomplished the goal. She also filled her mind with truth about herself. "I am fearfully and wonderfully made. My body was made to function best through movement. I can celebrate who I am and glorify God through being thankful for how strong my body is capable of being. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength! God made me and loves me. I can give more to my family and friends when I am strong energetic and healthy. Exercising is part of my God-given duty to be a good steward of who I am."

You might like to try this too. Draw a picture of you swiftly running with no extra weight dragging you down. You are not huffing and puffing but rather breathing strong and steady taking in the refreshing breeze through your hair and the healing rays of the sun on your face. The adreneline and endorphins awaken a new energy deep inside and even though you are on your last mile you feel you could keep going. Or maybe for you it's going to be walking down your neighborhood trail and because of consistent strength training, you notice longer, leaner muscles as you pass by an unexpected reflection of yourself. Not that our physical appearance is all we think about, but a more beautiful you will emerge when you are healthier, more alive, and energetic and it's OK to enjoy that too.

What's your fitness success story? What better time to start picturing it than today. Rely on God who designed your body with a capability to replace what once was weak and troubling with strength, energy and new life.

Make it Happen!
~Donna

Limbic Dance

2009-12-07T07:18:00.000-08:00

This time of year always tries to press me into the mold of a harried, stressed out woman who strives for the perfect Christmas celebration for my family. I say "tries" because I am often surprised that, though I do feel stress, I don't seem to mind it as much as I do at other "ordinary" times of the year.

I wonder if it could be that the stress I experience preparing for Christmas is simply more "worth it" because I am anticipating something meaningful to come. Something I long for and need more than I realize and can't always quickly put my finger on. The meaningful something, I finally realize when I ponder long enough, is connection. Connection on a deeper level. Not only my own need for connection, but my desire and ability to create meaningful connections for my family and friends. And ultimately experiencing a deeper connection with God. God, who set things up when he prepared for thousands of years and then ushered in the very first Christmas miracle. He did it all in anticipation of connecting deeply with me and you.

Connecting is the beautiful dance of life... it's what we all long for. Christmas preparation sets the stage for meaningful, memorable connections to happen on Christmas Day. But what about the rest of the year? Do I slow down enough to really connect with others and with God? All of life is meant for making meaningful connections... not just at Christmas.

Meaningful connections are not only important but are extremely vital if we want to thrive, especially in the latter years of life. When our lives are nothing but running and striving we miss out. We reach a healthier balance when we slow down and experience emotions of love, joy, pleasure and play. When we connect with each other.

Reading up in my latest choice health and wellness book..."Younger Next Year"... I was intrigued with the following thoughts about connecting...
Did you know the brain has a magical place where the "connecting emotions" play out. This magical place is called the limbic brain. The limbic brain reads the real world and makes emotions out of it. Little happens in our limbic brain when we look at trees or rocks, but when we look at people, people's faces in particular, something explosive happens in the brain. When we look at people we look with a hungry intensity for connection. Functional MRI scanning shows massive sections of the brain waking up to process the information when we are looking at someones face. The limbic brain is devoted to absorbing and interpreting every nuance of facial expression. When a listener leans in to take interest in what we are saying, when we feel a soft touch of understanding or a smile of acceptance and pleasure, this tuning in emotionally creates a great circle of chemistry and a beautiful limbic dance happens either between two people or between a group of people. It is an extraordinary process and happens every second we spend with people. When we tune into each other we effect each other's moods. We have the power to change each other's moods and the experience feels good... or at least it should. We cannot do without the limbic dance of life.

For so many of us the limbic dance becomes optional or just simply too much work. I admit, sometimes it feels really good, other times it just seems awkward and unpleasant. Regardless of negative experiences I am convinced giving up is not a healthy option. I think so often people just don't know what to do to build meaningful relationships. Do we try to make it too complicated? When I ask myself what I need from friends/family the answer is simple... to be listened to and cared about. If that's what I need then I can also give that out. I don't have to have long complicated answers to people's issues, just a few engaging questions, a shoulder to lean on, ears to hear and a heart that genuinely cares.

I'm convinced being healthy means realizing relationships matter and need to be cultivated. I feel a new urgency to exercise not only my physical muscles this year but now too my limbic muscles for deeper stronger connections. It's a must for survival and delivers fantastic pay off if I don't give up. I look forward to finding new ways ways to givie myself and others the gift of a limbic dance not only at Christmas but all year long.

Let's connect, commit and be young!

~Donna

Divine Inerruptions

2009-11-30T11:45:00.000-08:00

She woke up to find that 3 of her 6 family members were down and out. The sound of massive sneezing and sighs of misery first came from the person next to her. Her husband. "Oh no, please.. anybody but him," she thought. Next, as she walked into each bedroom she found her 13 year old son was next to show signs. He looked pale for a usually darker olive skinned toned boy. He had watery eyes and said his neck felt achy. Her 15 year old son passed with flying colors! He was up and ready to tackle the day. "Thank goodness he's ok," she thought to herself. She also breathed a sigh of relief to find daughter number 2 bright-eyed and happy to see the day. Daughter number 1 however seemed the worst of all. She immediately felt compassion and even worried about daughter number 1. She was hot to the touch, pale, dry lipped and stuffed up like her face was on the verge of exploding. Daughter 1 tried to speak but it came out sounding like a snooty operator. Poor thing. A call to the doctor would have to be next. And yes, it would interrupt her previously planned agenda for the day. She felt compassion for her family but also noticed there was a little selfish disappointment in her heart at the same time.

It had been several weeks of this same interruption which put the list of things she really wanted to do on hold. She stopped long enough to lift her heart up to God and listen to what he might like to say about her present state of heart. After a few minutes of quiet contemplation... she said inside... "Interruptions are not by chance. Interruptions are divine opportunities to come forth as gold! What will I do? Continue in my bad attitude and gripe, complain and rot inside as I try to serve my family with a fake smile, or with God's help genuinely rid myself of this selfish disgust, be thankful I have a family and serve with a heart that is moldable in the hands of God?" I have to care for them either way. I would be stupid not to see this as a chance to live and grow and continue to crucify the sinful nature."

"Why do I struggle with this at all God? If anyone looked inside my heart how dark it would seem. Thank you there is you!!! On days like today, THANK YOU THERE IS YOU!"

Bringing a Little Heaven to Earth

2009-11-23T17:25:00.000-08:00

My heart is full as I reflect on my travels to China earlier this month. How do I share such an experience? Where do I start? Such a trip brought me to places of deeper wonder and appreciation for the level of diversity in the world. It also brought me to places of frustration and realization of my total selfishness and longing for what was familiar. It brought me to think on the heart of God and how much I saw Him in my dear friends who serve there so faithfully year after year. They persevere to embrace the culture and language of a very DIFFERENT people group. I admire their slow and steady efforts to genuinely love and offer friendship to the specific people God brings their way. They know what it means when God says that LOVE IS THE GREATEST THING YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR LIFE.

Would you join me as I journey back on all I saw, heard, smelled and tasted during my trip? Coming straight from my heart felt journal entries...

11/12/09
Rick asked me this morning what the most surprising part about being in China has been. I thought, and the first thing that came to mind was I am surprised by how big China is and so modern. Not sure what I was expecting, but the cities we have been in are huge! During interaction over an interesting boiling "hot pot" meal where you dip various kinds of meat and vegetables into boiling water in the center of the table and then attempt to lift them all out with chopsticks...yeah right... a Chinese friend of Les and Karla (named Rick also) informed us that the city we were in has grown over the last 20 years from 40,000 to 8 million people! There are people everywhere. You should see the streets! It's instant stress and tension that you can feel rising up in your neck and shoulders and gives you an instant headache. Cars, bikes, taxis, buses, rickshaws, scooters, and even people walking all over the very busy roads like it was nothing at all. Everyone is pushing their way ahead (no defensive driving lessons in China) and if you get in someone's way they will honk loud and long to let you know. When we crossed the street I found it best to hold Karla's arm and just close my eyes and blindly walk and pray until we made it safely across to the other side. Same was true for Taxi rides. It was best to close my eyes and try to relax. Les called the front seat passengers side the "Hello Jesus seat" because there are so many near misses to that corner of the car. Such a different way of life in something as simple as the way people drive. Whew!

Not only do I see crowds surrounding me, but it is a crowd that continually tends to stare at me. It's very uncomfortable really. Sometimes I am tempted to make a funny face when they keep staring. :O) Karla says on an especially difficult day, she sometimes will do something super silly to really give them something to look at. She says it keeps her sane. I love that!

Did you know that in China the government purposely does something called "seeding" the clouds? It somehow causes them to condense and precipitate faster. It helps clean the smoggy air. Well it has certainly been raining AND SNOWING! Bummer. Karla says it must be part of God's plan to help us really get a taste of their lives there when they go for painfully long stretches of time with clouds. You have to understand when it's cloudy in China... IT'S CLOUDY!!!! Because of the smog it is often foggy and darker than usual, like one of those mysterious foggy looking dreams you walk through as you sleep soundly. I feel heavy walking through it some days and have to fight feeling depressed even.

I have also experienced a damp, cold and chilled to the bone sensation most of the time. The government does not turn on the heat in the city until November 15th. Les and Karla's apartment has heaters in each room so we are nice and toasty every night, but during the day going from place to place is another story. Many of the shopping places we have visited are outdoors with just plastic tarps for coverings. Rick did not pack for cold to the bone weather so we shopped one day for a coat. Entering shops is a whole experience in itself. The shop owners surround you pointing to various items and pushing a sale to the point of practically giving it to you for free. Rick's coat which would have cost $125.00 in the States, he paid $25.00 for in the China shops. :O) I LIKE THAT!!!!

Speaking of good deals!!!! Karla graciously brought me to visit her Chiropractor. I wasn't sure what to expect but left amazed at the excellent quality 45 minute back massage and adjustment I received all for $5.00. :O) I left feeling like I wanted to turn right around and do it again. A haircut includes a 30 minute head/shoulder and arm massage and costs... get this... $3.00! Why isn't that kind of great service for reasonable prices part of our culture? Oh, how I wish it was so! Oh, and eating out is the preferred way to go in China... shopping at the market and cooking at home costs more money and time than eating out. And the food choices are very healthy. Those are things I could get used to very easily!!! Oh the yogurt... I know, random, but I had to mention it.

I can't help but also notice the women of China. They are just beautiful to look at. It is interesting to me to see modern hairstyles on most of them as well. I always envision their hair being too straight to be styled into anything much. Oh no... long beautiful, wavy styled hair. They all wear high heel boots and look so elegant to me. So dignified and serious... and beautiful!

Our first night in Beijing we stayed in a Youth Hostel. My first thought... "OK... This is different." I walked into a cool, dimly lit lobby area which was small, cramped and cozy with lots of character. Two small picnic tables to the left. Couches with floral prints and big soft pillows faced each other with a table in between. Wooden floors and walls. A low ceiling with plants hanging overhead to add to the homeyness of the place. We walked through a small doorway out into the center patio/garden area. More picnic tables, hanging plants and candles. The ground was made of uneven brick type material. Another door took us down a long, narrow, dimly lit hallway into our rooms. The rooms were surprisingly different than the first impression of the place. More modern looking space just big enough to fit the simple low to the ground beds. A toilet right off to the left of the bed and a shower to the right. It was all part of the experience of being in China. Why stay at Holiday Inn when you can experience a Youth Hostel? I'm glad we did.

I know this is getting really long... anyone still reading???? Anyone???

We traveled from Beijing to Xian via train. We took the 10 hour overnight ride. "Hmmmm" I thought as we boarded and wondered how we would get any sleep on a train. I was pleasantly surprised how relaxing it was. The gentle rocking motion and humming sounds lulled me to sleep nicely that night. I woke up enthusiastic about catching new sights from the large window of our cabin. For some silly reason that song from Aladdin "A Whole New World"entered my mind as I watched in wonder (lame, I know). But it's true... it is a whole new world to me. The way a new culture awakens the senses blows me away. The rolling hills were a refreshing sight to see. Not something I see much in the Midwest. As I watched I wondered why some of the hills had cave like looking holes in them. Karla mentioned, believe it or not, that some people live in the caves I saw. They are cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Whoa! I would love to see one.

The Great Wall!!!! Nothing quite like it. Amazing what the people of ancient past were capable of. I just keep thinking about the thousands of years of China's history. As we drove back into town after walking The Wall, Les shared that everytime China begins to dig in any given area for development they more likely than not unearth ancient findings. I was tempted to go out and start digging to see what I could find. :O)

I have shared some of the highlights of discovering a new culture. Eight days is hardly enough time to truly discover it. Processing a new culture takes years and years of engaging it. Not sure I am called to that. Not sure I want to be. (should I dare to say that?) Les and Karla some days might tell you the same thing. I was most impressed and impacted by them and the rest of the Asia Quest team and the Chinese people we met. I love the way they so faithfully pray for ways to engage this culture to bring a little bit of heaven to the earth. To "Let their light shine so that the Chinese may see their good deeds and Praise their Father in Heaven!" That's what this life is all about... God desires to restore all things to himself to make all things NEW! We can bring a little bit of heaven to our own world everyday as we seek to glorify God in our lives.

I am still learning how to post pictures on my blog... I need my blogging buddy to show me more. In the mean time become my friend on facebook and visit my facebook profile page to see some of the pictures we took while in China. Thanks for reading!!! Until next time, God bless!

~Donna

Thoughts on Rest

2009-11-19T06:55:00.000-08:00

Hello blogging friends! I have missed you. Had a wonderful time in China and am trying to settle back into my regular routine. I am not one who usually struggles too much with getting enough rest but having to face jet-lag during our trip and now especially since we have been back it has been a hot topic on my mind. Wowie... what a struggle.

It has me thinking about the importance of getting enough rest for the purpose of greater health and wellness. One dictionary definition of sleep is "the unconscious state or condition regularly assumed by man and animals during which the activity of the nervous system is almost entirely suspended and the recuperation of the body takes place." Have you ever thought about what happens in your body while you rest? The food you eat is transformed into tissues as you sleep, your body rids itself of poisons, cells are repaired and the blood structure is changed. Certain things happen in your body that can only happen during sleep. We cannot underestimate the power of a good nights rest and the problems we encounter when sleep is deprived.

Being sleep deprived myself in the last couple days I am feeling the effects. As you might guess... I feel more irritable, head achy, dizzy, and even kinda twitchy. Not sure what that is, but it's no fun. Many have advised me to consider taking melatonin before bed if I continue to lay awake at night. I am happy to say that last night was much better. Woke up a few times but nothing compared to the 2 nights before that.

I have been re-reading a great chapter on rest in Stormie Omartian's Book "Greater Health God's Way." At one point she shares that wartime tortures included keeping victims awake to the point of insanity or near death, for then they can be progammed to do anything. I believe it. Sleep is necessary for survival just as much as air, food and water. Would you believe that you could die if you were to go without sleep for more than 10 days. It's true.

If you struggle with getting enough sleep at night you might consider the following sleep stealers... (from Stormie's book)

One of the main causes for insomnia is eating toxin-forming foods... you know those processed convenient packaged foods. Toxins irritate the nerves and can keep you awake at night.
Worry, fear, and mental anxiety will also keep you lying awake at night. Does your mind race at night? It might be time to ask yourself if you are repressing problems/issues and take steps to deal with them instead.
How's your physical activity? Working out physcially will produce deeper sleep at night and give you a chance to recuperate.
You might also take steps to ensure deeper sleep by...
Going to bed early.
Take mini breaks during the day.
Get plenty of fresh air and sunshine.
Eat healthy food, never processed packaged foods.
Take a warm bath to wind down.
Drink herb teas like chamomile... no stimulants.
Fill your mind with Scripture that soothes your mind before you fall asleep and ask God to make these Scriptures true for you...

Here are a few...

"My soul finds rest in God alone." Psalm 62:1
"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8
"There remains a day of rest for the people of God." Hebrews 4:9
"My people will live in peaceful dwellings, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest." Isaiah 32:18
"It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for He gives His beloved sleep." Psalm 127:2
"For we who have believed do enter that rest." Hebrews 4:3

Isn't sleep such a gift from God? I am sure thanking him for it!!! Hope you too are getting enough of it.

~Donna

Greetings from China

2009-11-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends!

Just a very quick hello! Rick and I are in CHINA visiting dear friends. What a ride it has been! I look forward to getting time when we return to update you on my experience and to get back to enjoying my blog. Miss you for now.

~Donna

It Starts with the Mind

2009-11-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

I love a good quote.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes about fitness/motivation/determination.

"Our health always seems much more valuable after we lose it." ~Unknown

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act, but a habit." ~Aristotle

"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." ~Jim Rohen

"The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It's your mind you have to convince."
~Vincent Lombardi

"We do not stop exercising because we grow old... we grow old because we stop exercising."
~Dr. Kenneth Cooper

"A healthy body is the guest chamber of the soul, a sick body is it's prison." ~Francis Bacon

*************************************************************************************

Oh... I have so many more good quotes and could go on and on. The great thing about a good quote is it is motivating and brings insight which can help change the direction of our lives. I know it does for me. In Ecclesiastes 12:11 it says... "The collected saying of the wise are like guidance from a shepherd." I realize the quotes above are not specifically in Scripture and are not His inspired Word or His direct revelation, but the principles are found there. (sowing/reaping, good stewardship, right thinking, discipline). Have you ever heard the idea that all truth is God's truth? For example... 2+2=4, but you can't specifically find a chapter and verse about it in the Bible. Just because it is not specifically in the Bible doesn't cease to make it true. There are many things in His creation that are His general revelation and are true. (grass is green, sky is blue). If it's true, then it's God's truth and we can be thankful for it. Anyway... a little tangent there.

My intended purpose for this post is remembering that what you think about is vitally important in shaping who you are. Your mind is so much part of being healthy physically and spiritually.

Search the Scripture and you will find giants of the faith continually in situations where they have to train their minds for battle. You see David over and over again in tough situations. He laments to God about his situation, then what does he do??? He REMEMBERS, he BRINGS TO MIND, he REHEARSES in his mind everything he knows to be true, good, right, excellent and praiseworthy about God and His promises. This is what gives him hope, determination and resolve to continue in good ways for the long haul.

I'd like to relate this concept to our physical health as well. You are a spiritual being no doubt, but you are just as much a physical being this side of heaven. (We'll have bodies in heaven too...perfect ones! Wooo-HOOooo!:O) .... Your body is an amazing creation of God and He made it to function best as we condition it through regular movement. Isn't that true? In today's society it is much harder to get physical conditioning than it was in times past. Jobs in times past were much more physically involved. Today we sit behind desks most of the time. We need to move!

I believe that what's missing from our workouts and what more times than not causes us to quit, is a lack of motivation. Motivation comes when we fill our minds with the WHYS! We forget to BRING TO MIND and REHEARSE all the wonderful benefits of exercising. To help get started take a look here at this great list of reasons WHY exercise is so awesome and needed. Put it up somewhere... not to make you feel guilty, but to hopefully motivate you to go for it everyday!

30 Good Reasons to Get Up and Do It... (from Stormie Omartian's book "Greater Health God's Way"...pg 143)

1. To increase your endurance.
2. To make you less susceptible to disease.
3. To strengthen your heart muscles.
4. To improve your complexion.
5. To reduce tension and enable you to handle stress more effectively.
6. To help you lose weight and keep it off.
7. To lift your spirit.
8. To improve your sleep.
9. To clear your mind and make you more alert by stepping up the flow of blood to the brain.
10. To relieve depression.
11. To elevate beta-endorphic levels in your blood, which reduces pain.
12. To help your nervous system to function more effeciently.
13. To increase self-esteem, confidence, and a feeling of self-worth.
14. To ease your heart's work load by causing your muscles to use oxygen more efficiently.
15. To relieve tension headaches.
16. To ease back problems as you strengthen core muscles.
17. To reduce neck and shoulder pain.
18. To purify your blood.
19. To aid digestion
20. To slow down the aging process!!! :O) :O)
21. To increase flexibility.
22. To cut addictive cravings.
23. To decrease cholestrol.
24. To balance your metabolism.
25. To reshape your body.
26. To improve circulation.
27. To make you more cheerful!!!
28. To help you regulate an out of control appetite.
29. To ease menstral cramps.
30. To relieve arthritis.

Think about it! The above list is TRUE about exercise. Continue to search out for yourself more good reasons to make exercise a lifestyle and add to this list. When you are tempted to quit, get back to your list and allow it to continue to transform the way you think about exercise. Here are a couple more good quotes to ponder on....

"Remember, you should have your mind ready for war when you train"...Bob Whlean

"Workouts are like brushing my teeth-- I don't think about them, I just do them. The decision has already been made." ...Patti Sue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run (exercise), it tells you to stop!... but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy... It's not age, it's not diet... it's the will to succeed." ...Jacquelinne Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon Champ

Be determined... you CAN do it!
~Donna

And the winner is...

2009-10-31T21:09:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

As promised to all who posted on my blog in October your name went into a drawing today to win a free copy of Susie Larson's book "Balance That Works When Life Doesn't" and the winner is...

SOON! Soon is a sweet dear participant in my weekend fitness classes. I will plan to bring the book this week Soon. Look for me. If I don't see you I will send you a copy through the mail.

Thanks to you all for your posts and encouragement to me. I plan to do another drawing in the near future so keep visiting and keep posting. I love giving away freebies!

Happy Halloween!
~Donna

Ahhh... the silence

2009-10-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you were able to get a few moments to be still and quiet? Or better yet a few hours? In seeking to have a more balanced life I have reserved 2 time slots in my week for quiet reflection and stillness for the purpose of asking God to search my heart. This morning was one of those times. :O)

The last few days have been a furious frenzy! So much going on. And I am finding the older my kids get the busier life is because eveyone has their ideas about how they want to spend their time. My house is a mess and I feel out of control. My mind is also critical toward my family and the way I think things should be. I even had thoughts this morning as I looked at my 12 year old daughter that I wish she would groom herself just a little better, and why in the world is she wearing THAT?

Other thoughts that I caught myself thinking.... "Why does he have to chomp his food?... ewww yuck!", "Gee whiz, why do I have to do everything around here? There are 6 capable people in this house... there is no reason the house should look like this!" Then thoughts would creep in like. "It's because you are a horrible mom! You have failed to train them to be responsible! IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU ARE A LOSER!"

Ever have thoughts like that? Kinda harsh, huh? I was so glad I had reserved a few hours this morning to be quiet, still and to get a grip! I needed to position myself to hear from God and gain a right perspective regarding my heart. Here's what I heard...

It's been busy and stressful yes, family life can be that way, but you are here now and my mercy is new every morning! Enjoy it and know my grace abounds to you always! Don't beat yourself up about busyness. Sometimes life is busy. Keep striving for balance and slow down enough to bring up the deep matters of your heart. It's in the silence and stillness that real transformation takes place. Don't neglect it.

You are feeling critical and irritable toward your family. Why not give me those burdens instead? I care about all that and I know how you feel. But remember, the only person you can change is yourself. Remember all of you are in process and being judgmental never helps does it? I have not called you to judge and be critical but to love, serve and be encouraging instead. Don't be heavy with life burdens, give them to me and remind yourself of what is good, right, excellent, praiseworthy and noble! You free yourself of pain when you choose to love. It is the greatest thing you can do for your family and it will work because LOVE NEVER FAILS! Mercy triumphs over judgment. My mercy was extended to you and the whole world while you were still sinners! You were still in process and still are and it's always my loving kindness that draws people, not condemnation and judgment.

You are never a loser in my eyes. That is a lie. You are my special treasure. I am accomplishing my purpose in you. Keep looking up to gain a right perspective. You are loved, forgiven and chosen. Be free and light in my love.

I hope you will take a minute to be still to hear his wonderful voice in your circumstances today!

~Donna

A Few Thoughts on Dieting

2009-10-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

Once you determine that you want to give yourself the gift of exercise everyday there are a few thoughts I'd like to share about dieting. Here's my advice... DON'T DO IT!!! ESPECIALLY IF YOUR ARE BECOMING MORE ACTIVE.

FOOD IS YOUR FUEL! Food is essential! Food is energy! Food is what your body lives on! You wouldn't think of traveling a long distance without gas in your car... it simply wouldn't be possible. It's the same with your body. If you are expending more energy through exercise you need more fuel not less. Many people make the mistake of thinking, "Now that I'm exercising I am going to cut back in my eating too and then the weight will really come off!" WRONG! You need to be realistic. You won't be able to over time sustain the kind of diet most people try when attempting to lose weight. You know, those diets that cause you to starve.

I'd like to change your thinking forever about dieting. When we diet (take in less than we expend) our body gets confused and kicks into "famine mode". It stores the fuel that lasts the longest in famine. The fuel it stores is not protein, or carbs... it's FAT! Your body will store fat so that you may live as long as possible in famine. In addition, most of the weight you lose on a starvation diet is water and lean muscle mass, so when you gain the weight back again, and you will because you cannot sustain starvation diets for for very long, what you lose in lean muscle mass will be gained back as FAT. The lean muscle mass you once had will not magically reappear. You will need to do the hard work of strength training to build it back up. That's why the same 40 pounds when gained back will feel looser, fatter and heavier than they did before. Every time you lose weight and gain it back you are getting weaker and fatter.

Instead of dieting in such a non-productive way use that same detrmination to exercise. You need strength training and some kind of cardio to get the best results. Don't allow your muscle mass to wither away through dieting. You need that muscle to be strong and fit for life. Your lean muscle also burns fat. So the more lean your muscles are the more efficient your body will be at buring fat. Even when sleeping your body will be burning fat. Kinda nice huh? Oxygen is also a fuel that burns fat. So you want to include cardio at least 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes or more at a time... (more on oxygen in future posts).

Sustaining a rigerous exercise routine requires that you keep the fuel coming! Fuel up every day with a healthy breakfast and make it your goal to fill your plate 1/2 full at lunch and dinner with fresh frutis and vegis, 1/4 full with whole grains and 1/4 full with protein.

There is soooo much more to share about diet and exercise... it will have to wait for another post. In a nutshell for now... enjoy your food and move your body!

Be blessed and nourished!
~Donna

Survivng H1N1

2009-10-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

It's been a tough week in the Wagner household! My youngest daughter was diagnosed with H1N1 flu virus on Wednesday. I am happy to say that she is doing MUCH better and the rest of our family is still symptom free! I attribute that to the many prayers so many friends have offered up for her and our family! You know who you are... YOU ROCK!!! THANK YOU!!! Keep praying PLEASE. We still have 2 more days to wait to see if symptoms show up before we are declared OK.

I have also been on the receiving end of some great advice and tips for preventing it's spread among our family. Some information I knew, but other pieces of good advice I did not realize about H1N1. If it comes close to you and your loved ones consider the following preventions...

H1N1 only enters through the nose and mouth/throat. Contact with H1N1 is not so much the problem as proliferation is. In order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infection follow these very simple steps...

WASH HANDS! ...as often as you can.

Keep your hands off your face! Resist the temptation to touch your face unless eating or bathing.

Gargle 2 times a day with warm salt water or listerine.

H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in throat and nasal cavity to proliferate. Gargling is inexpensive and a powerful preventative method and will kill the virus before it takes effect.

Clean your nostrils with saline nasal mist like Ayr, which is a simple bottle of saline solution that you can squirt in each nostril several times a day. OR you can simply clean with warm salt water. Blow your nose hard once a day and swab both nostrils dipped in warm salt water. Very effective.

Boost your natural immunity with Vitamin C (citrus fruits). Take zinc with your Vitamin C supplements to boost absorption.

Drink warm liquids as much as possible. Hot tea is especially good and has the same effect as gargling but in the reverse direction. It helps wash off prolifearion viruses from the throat to the stomach where they cannot survive or do harm.

Let's keep praying for each other in regard to this flu bug and thank God for the preventative things we can do to stay healthy!

Donna

A chance to win a copy of Susie Larson's book!!!

2009-10-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

A couple of you have mentioned wanting to purchase a copy of Susie Larson's Book "Balance That Works When Life Doesn't" after reading the blog posts below about living a balanced life.

I have great news! I have an extra copy of the book I'd like to give away to someone who posts a comment on my blog. If you have already posted a comment thank you!!! It's so fun to read your thoughts and is such an encouragement to me! Post a comment and your name will automatically go into the drawing. I will plan to draw a name at the end of October and will send the winner a copy of the book!

Hope you will join the fun!!!

~Donna

A Balanced Woman Looks Like....

2009-10-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

From Susie Larsons book... "Balance That Works When Life Dosen't" pg. 32-33.

*Someone who, even though she is cleaning the house to prepare for company, takes her litte ones outside and runs around with them for a while.

*Someone who would rather bless than impress.

*Someone who dares to say no to something she knows she is not called to, even though she might disappoint others.

*Someone who senses a call on her life and dares to say yes, even though she feels unqualified.

*Someone who guards and protects her time spent with the Lord.

*Someone who gives herself the gift of exercise several times a week.

*Someone who is willing to interrupt her workout if a f riend needs prayer or her child needs a hug.

*Someone who, several times a day, pauses to acknowledge God's presence.

*Someone who refuses a busy, harried lifestyle.

*Someone who is willing to push herself beyond what is comfortable for the purpose of growth.

*Someone who is teachable.

*Someone who is flexible.

*Someone who hates gossip.

*Someone who loves peace.

*Someone who looks at difficult people with God in mind.

*Someone who holds tight to faith, hope and love.

Finding Balance

2009-10-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

A well balanced life is currently a hot topic in my life. For about a year now I have been contemplating what a well balanced life looks like. I teach a health and wellness class at my church. We get together to exercise and then study a book to help us grow spiritually as well. The book we were studying last year was called "Balance That Works When Life Doesn't". (great book... read it!) At that time I was insanely busy and I knew it. I felt the Lord leading me to begin to take a look at my life and to start weeding out some ares. But where was I to start?

The author Susie Larson remined us that everyone's life involves these three things... 1. Input 2. Output and 3. Rest. She says, if we tend to emphasize one of these areas to the expense of the rest then imbalance results. In all of life we are experiencing one of these three things. What changes is the degree that we do them. Think about where you are right now. I had to sit down and make a list of everything I was doing and ask is this input (nourishment), output (response) or rest(replenishment)? It was clear that my output was way out of proportion to my input. I needed to make some changes. God was so gracious giving me time to let go of certain areas one at time and then confirming those decisions and setting me free.

I am in a much better place today, however, I still struggle with saying no and keeping a balanced life consistent. I learned through that experience that I so much need my alone time to rest and be refreshed so that I am able to give out more effectively when it's time for output. I can't give, give and give without giving to me. I will surely wither and experience burnout.

I love how Susie says it.... "We wander away from balance when we neglect, forget,or think we don't need all three of these components in our lives. We can't eat a lot and never exercise, we can't exert ourselves constantly without food and we can't neglect rest." she continues..."if we take a deeper look at what comes into our lives, what goes out from us, and how we get replensihed again, if we manage our lives at this level--we will get to the core of where we put our time and why."

I learned from Susie that God wants to nourish us deeper both physically and spiritually so that we can be more alive in Christ! Expect that God is up to something today and stop to notice what he wants to show you. Maybe it's the cool breeze in your face, or the wonderful scent of your favorite candle burning or the sound of laughter from your children. Be in awe of the gifts he sends your way everyday and NOTICE them. Then pause long enough to relish in them and tell God thank you. This is input and brings life! Be ready too to be used by Him to bring life to others in any way you can (output). Exercise your amazing body and give it the movement it so desperately needs, eat a healthy meal and then lay down at the end of the day to rest peacefully. You need all three components for a healthy balanced life both in the physical realm and the spiritual!!!

Be blessed, be nourished!

~Donna

Start Slow and Give Grace

2009-10-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

Do you ever notice once a decision is made to begin the hard work of starting something new that a "too much too soon" syndrome seems to set in? I expect all my efforts to be an instant success and any changes I desire to happen now! Instead my expectations usually go unmet and I am let down with big disappointment. Sometimes I even want to give up because I am unwilling to be OK with slow starts and perseverance .

After giving birth to my 3rd child I determined it was time to pay attention to my physical fitness again after approximately eight years of doing pretty much nothing. I was so determined and excited to get started! And get started I did! I jumped in full speed ahead. After my first day at the gym I was feeling pretty proud of myself until I woke up the next morning. I could hardly move. I remember how difficult it was to even lower myself to sit on the toilet. My quads were on fire! I ended up not going back to gym for a good 2 weeks because I also had pulled a muscle and felt awful. I was so discouraged but determined I would not give up. Instead, I humbled myself when I was OK to return to the gym and decided it best to start out a little slower. To take baby steps allowing my body to get used to what I was asking it to do. Why push myself beyond what I was capable of doing? Never mind the buff girl on the treadmill able to run at an insane pace for 45 minutes. At one point she had had a starting place too and if asked I'm sure she also had a story to share. We all do. I learned quickly as I looked around the gym that everyone has a different fitness level and that we are all capable of working our way up to higher and stronger fitness levels. The key is to respect where we are in the process and remember how amazing God has made our bodies. If we condition our bodies though movement we will only get stronger and able to live out our days with more energy. We also do well to work slow and build up to the next fitness level by being consistent and respectful of our current limitations and thankful for the strength we do have!

Spiritual growth somewhat resembles this process as well. We do well to not expect too much too soon, lest we be disappointed in our lack of progress and feel the temptation to give up. We also must resist the temptation to compare our maturity level with others on the faith journey. God is in process with all of us and the real key in our growth is realizing that it ultimately depends on God's work in us not our effort to do better. The Bible says... "It is God who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose." Our part is to love Him with all our energy and to have faith in what He has already done. So the workout in our spiritual life is all about FAITH! When I am discouraged because I feel I am not doing enough myself to grow spiritually I must always come back to faith in the Cross. Jesus death on the Cross took care of all my spiritual issues. His mercy is new every morning and He meets me there. But just like my body has so much potential to bring me life as I work it and move it to give it what it needs to thrive, so too does my heart and my soul. God intends my heart to grow into something beautiful as I open myself up to Him and do the hard work of FAITH. There is so much that is true about you and it is revealed in the Bible. Take a look and decide to have faith that what it says about you is true! Exercise a posture toward God and allow Him to do a beautiful work.

~Donna
Ask me about Fit for Life if you are interested in being part of a physical and spiritual fitness class. :O)

Beginnings...

2009-10-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

In any pursuit in life there is always the beginning. There are many areas in life that are worth pursuing, but getting started is always the hardest part. I recently started a new job. WOW! The first few weeks were overwhelming and I'm still getting used to it! Talking to college students reminds me how overwhleming the first week of classes are as professors unload the entire sememsters objectives. Beginning the hard work of healing a relationship or starting a family, all these pursuits and more can overwhelm anyone sometimes to the point of not wanting to begin at all. Why is it easier to just stay put and not do the hard work required to get to the places we want to be? We don't like to press against the current, we would raher just ride along with it.

Two areas we especially tend to "ride along with it" involve our physical and spiritual health and wellness. The thought of becoming healthier either physically or spiritually to most people is overwhelming! I have been there many times! But with a little thought it seems most of my problems are eliviated when I pay attention to who I am physically and spiritually and BEGIN the hard work of discipling myself to nurture these areas. I feel so much more alive when I take a quick run around the block and get the oxygen flowing! I feel I live to my full potential when I listen to what God might want to say about my "oh so wise" outlook on life and then how He gently reminds me of a better way.

What about you? Is it time to pay attention to your health and holiness? I am starting the hard work of BEGINNING this blog site with these two areas in mind...hence my title "Fitness and Freedom." I would love to journey with you as we BEGIN the hard, but oh so necessary work of passionately pursuing life that is truly life!

~Donna