Author: Chrisy

Two Pains in Life

I love books. And I love reading ideas that are relevant to so many areas of life. Here is a particularly powerful thought I read this week.

“There are two pains in life – the pain of discipline, or the pain of regret. You choose.” –Wayne Cordeiro in “Sifted“

This is such a true statement about all of life, but can particularly be true when it comes to being healthy.

How often do we default to not eating well or not getting out to exercise only to feel guilty and regretful?

Yes, disciplining ourselves to get healthy is hard and painful, but which pain would you rather endure?

Church Expectations

I am reading a book right now called Sifted: Pursuing Growth Through Trials, Challenges, and Disappointments by Wayne Cordeiro. I am finding myself highlighting a number of places in this book, both as things I resonate with and things that I want to remember as I am learning and growing – sometimes through the hard stuff. One of the sections I read last week talked about the role of church in our lives and particularly, what we should NOT be expecting of the church. Here is what he had to say:

It may sound strange, but there is a sense in which I can truthfully say that the church does not exist to help people, to solve their problems and alleviate their disappointments. Not ultimately, at least. The primary reason the church exists is to worship God and to point people to Christ, the ultimate solution to their problems. We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ, and I strongly believe that the Bible teaches us that the church is called to help people in practical ways. But our work should draw attention to the one who has saved us, the one who has solved our problems and given us hope in place of our disappointment. We point people to Christ, and we do ourselves a disservice any time we position ourselves as the ultimate answer to people’s problems.

  • The church will not always make you feel comfortable.
  • The church will not be the answer to your every need.
  • You will sometimes not like what happens at church.
  • You might leave a service unhappy once in a while, particularly if you are seeing your sin in light of God’s righteousness.
  • If you are a single person, going to church will not guarantee you a spouse.
  • Going to church will not guarantee that your children will not rebel.
  • Going to church is not the answer to all your financial problems.
  • You might not get along with everybody you meet at church.
  • You might hate the color of the carpet, the taste of the coffee, and the shirt your pastor wears.

In our consumer culture, many times I think people choose churches based how good it makes them feel, how well-organized the children’s programming is, what the church looks like, what the people in the church look like, or some other non-spiritual expectation of what church should be or how well the church meets their needs. But those are not the things that should be the deciding factor for attending church. The ultimate question should be, “Is this church pointing the way to Jesus?” If the answer to that question is “yes,” then that should be enough, and our next question should be, “how can I be a part of pointing people to Jesus?”

Just some of my thoughts today as I continue to follow Jesus and hopefully point others to Him.

What do you think?

Waiting

Waiting. I seem to be getting good at that. But there are good things that happen when we are waiting on the Lord. He uses those times of waiting to help us grow and mature, and even to bring clarity and focus to our path.

When I read this last week, it was exactly what I needed to read at the time. I love how the Lord does that.

Waiting

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14

When the Going Gets Tough…

I don’t know if it is the heat or something else, but I have struggled the last couple of weeks to get my workouts started, much less completed. Which then means that it is easier for me to make excuses and not eat the way that I need to be eating. Which then makes it hard for me to get up and workout. And thus begins the ugly vicious cycle. Again.

Last week I wrote something to my Biggest Loser team that I keep coming back to this week as I am struggling.

Now is the time to re-assess your goals and your reasons for wanting to get healthy. You have to want it more than you want (cake, sleep, bread, ice cream, etc.) and you have to be determined to find success. You also have to depend on Christ for strength to say no to your inner 4-year-old that says you deserve (cake, sleep, bread, ice cream, etc.). Food is our sustenance, not a reward, not something we deserve. Make the choice today (and every day) to be healthy.

So that is where I am today. Re-assessing. Reminding myself that I don’t have to give in to my inner 4-year-old. And looking to see if there are adjustments that need to be made to my plan.

How are you coming on your goals today?

Fertile Ground

This passage of scripture is rolling around in my head these days. What makes the soil of our hearts hard? Where do the rocks come from? What thorns are choking the word? Is the soil of my heart ready and willing to accept the seed and allow it to grow and produce a crop?

Mark 4 (NIV)
The Parable of the Sower

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]”

13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

Sharing My Past with My Future

We share lots of things with our kids: DNA, our attitudes, our neuroses, certain phrases we use, types of food we like, and much more.

One of the things I have always loved doing is introducing my kids to things that I loved when I was younger.

  • The Anne of Green Gables books and movies (for Anne)
  • Breakfast Puffs
  • Various musicals
  • Star Wars (starting with the original trilogy, of course)
  • Peppernuts, peanut butter balls, caramels, crescents, and all the other special Christmas treats from our family traditions
  • Pajamas for Christmas Eve
  • Games like Yahtzee and Blewitt

There are so many foods, movies, games, and activities that bring back such good memories for me and I want my kids to have those same kinds of memories.

A couple of weeks ago, Mike and I got to watch Batman (Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson version that I watched I don’t even know how many times at the theater when it came out) with Ty and he loved it. Then yesterday, SyFy was running a Batman marathon so Ty and I curled up on the couch and watched Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. He was in heaven. Those movies are right up his alley and he loved every minute. And I was pretty happy, too, just watching him enjoy the movies and enjoying them myself. As we talked about things like the changes in Batman – Michael Keaton to Val Kilmer to George Clooney – and the stories of Robin, Batgirl, and even the nature of the Mr. Freeze character who does good in the end, it was fun to relive some of my past and share that with my son.

At the end of the day, I asked him what he thought and he was so excited and told me it was a great way to spend an Sunday afternoon and evening. And I agreed.

What are some of the things from your past that you enjoy sharing with your kids?

 

20 Ways to Stay Motivated

(I read an article this week about 101 ways to stay motivated to run and I decided to adjust a few of them to encourage my Biggest Loser team, and so I thought I would also share them with you. You can read the original article at the link found below.)

1. CREATE A BLOG (or use something like dailymile.com or myfitnesspal.com) where you post your daily mileage (workout, food choices), then give out the address to your friends and family (accountability partner). Do you really want Aunt Ellen to ask why you skipped your four-miler on Wednesday?

2. RUNNING COMMENTARY “Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, ‘Are you going to be a wimp, or are you going to be strong today?'” –Peter Maher, two-time Olympic marathoner from Canada (Not just applicable to running – are you going to be a wimp and eat fast food or are you going to be strong and make a healthy dinner?)

3. EVERY MILE YOU RUN (or walk) burns roughly 100 calories. Think of that next six-miler as two slices of pizza.

4. RUNNING COMMENTARY “No one can say, ‘You must not run faster than this or jump higher than that.’ The human spirit is indomitable.” –Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to run a sub-four-minute mile (No one can tell you that you can’t do this!)

5. RUNNING COMMENTARY “The more I run, the more I want to run, and the more I live a life conditioned and influenced and fashioned by my running. And the more I run, the more certain I am that I am heading for my real goal: to become the person I am.” –George Sheehan, M.D., beloved former RW columnist and author of Running & Being (The more you [eat well, exercise] the more you will want to [eat well, exercise].)

6. WEAR A PEDOMETER on your run (walk, throughout the day). Distance sounds more impressive in steps. Some tricked-out sports watches also record steps.

7. BUDDY UP. Not many people can keep up with nine-time University of Colorado all-American Sara Slattery. Luckily, two-time Olympian Shayne Culpepper happens to live down the street. Find your own version of the Olympian next door to run (exercise, eat well) with regularly.

8. HAVE A DAILY GOAL. Scott Jurek, seven-time champion of The Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, sets goals not just for big races but also for workouts. “Maybe it is a technique goal, maybe a pace goal, maybe a goal of running faster at the end,” he says. (Maybe it’s a goal to move more today than yesterday or eat better today than yesterday.)

9. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE to salvage your New Year’s resolutions. (Or your Biggest Loser goals.)

10. GO EARLY. Two-time Olympian Shayne Culpepper says that rather than putting off a run, she’ll head out even earlier than usual when she’s not in the mood to work out. “If I have that extra cup of coffee or I wait an extra half hour, it becomes too torturous,” she says. (When you don’t feel like it – do it anyway – whether that means getting out and exercising or getting off the couch and making a healthy meal.)

11. PAY YOURSELF. Set a price for attaining a certain weekly mileage (exercise, weight loss) goal. When you hit it, pay up. Keep your mileage money in a jar, and once it accumulates, buy yourself that new running jacket (or whatever it is) you’ve been ogling.

12. TURN THINGS AROUND. “A poor performance is a strong motivator for me,” says elite marathoner Clint Verran. “I can’t wait to prove to myself that I’m a better runner than my last showing.” Verran also says negative comments from his coaches fire him up. “For me, proving somebody wrong is key.” (Prove to that voice in your head that says you can’t do this or it’s too hard that they are wrong!)

13. RUNNING COMMENTARY “Workouts are like brushing my teeth; I don’t think about it, I just do it. The decision has already been made.” –Patti Sue Plumer, U.S. Olympian (You already made the decision to get healthy – now you just do it.)

14. KEEP A LOG. Greg Meyer, former Boston Marathon and Chicago Marathon champ, says his logbook keeps him motivated. “I just can’t stand to look at my log and see a goose egg for the day,” he says. (Writing down or typing in what we do and what we eat is a great motivator!)

15. DON’T EXPECT EVERY DAY TO BE BETTER than the last. Some days will be slower than others, and some days might even hurt a bit. But as long as you’re on the road, it’s a good day. (Keep going – even when it is hard.)

16. YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD FOR A GOLD STAR, says Sacramento-area running coach Shauna Schultz. Plan your workouts a week in advance, then place a star sticker on the calendar for each day you meet your goal. “Visualizing your progress in this manner is very encouraging,” Schultz says. (Rewarding yourself is always a good thing. Even if it is “just” a gold star.)

17. THINK YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO RUN (exercise)? You can probably make a list longer than this one of things you’re wasting time on today. Cut one of them out and get the run (exercise) in.

18. BE CREATIVE If the idea of going on your regular four-miler just sinks you further into your recliner, remember that there are other ways to put in some miles–like a pickup game of soccer, flag football, or ultimate Frisbee. A soccer midfielder runs up to six miles in a regulation 90-minute game. (Take a walk or bike ride with your kids, jump on your trampoline, shoot some hoops, get creative!!)

19. TALK ABOUT IT If you have a goal and keep it to yourself, you are less likely to achieve it because no one is cheering you on.

20. CELEBRATE every success, big or small.

(Borrowed and adapted from Runner’s World, 101 Kicks in the Butt; Italics mine)

A Special Gift

Yesterday, I received an unexpected and very special gift.

I was in the Loft for Kids Church, but wasn’t teaching. A friend of mine was teaching a lesson about using drawing in prayer. As she was preparing in the days leading up to Sunday, she asked the Lord who she could pray for in her teaching example for the kids. She said that she was immediately given my name, followed by what to pray for (wisdom) and a scripture (Psalm 1:3 “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”).

She then led the kids through a drawn prayer of her own, and then invited the kids to do their own drawn prayers on post-it notes and add them to her drawing.

Picture Prayer

This blessed me in so many ways.

  • That the Lord revealed something to my friend about my need for wisdom as I listen to and discern what His call on my life looks like.
  • That the Lord used these kids that I love to pray prayers for me.
  • That the Lord orchestrated this in such a way that I was there to receive this blessing of prayer, on a Sunday that I wasn’t teaching.

I am so grateful to the Lord for these blessings and to my friend for being sensitive to the Lord’s prompting.

May we all be listening for His voice and promptings to bless others today – whether that be through prayer or something else.

 

Summer Reading

Now that life has slowed down a little, I find myself actually wanting to read again. I have tons of stuff waiting for me, I just have to choose which one to pick up.

Waiting on Kindle for iPad:

  • Bossypants, Tina Fey
  • Crossing Over, Paul Scanlon
  • Blacklisted from the PTA, Lela Davidson
  • My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso
  • Crazy Love, Forgotten God, and Erasing Hell, Francis Chan
  • A whole slew of classics – some I have read before and some I haven’t (Great Expectations, The Wind in the Willows, The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Treasure Island, The Scarlet Letter, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, A Tale of Two Cities, Pride and Prejudice, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)

Sitting at home:

  • Heaven, Randy Alcorn (and corresponding Heaven for Kids)
  • Ok – there are really too many to list, so here’s a couple of pictures of my “to read” bookshelf. (And yes, there are books behind the books in the second picture.)

photo(2) photo(3)

Sitting on my desk at work:

  • Simple Church,  Thom Rainer, Eric Geiger
  • Where is God When it Hurts?, Philip Yancey
  • Pop Goes the Church, Tim Stevens
  • Reckless Faith, Kevin Harney
  • Until It’s Gone, Scott C. Miller
  • Come Be My Light, Mother Theresa
  • Serve God, Save the Planet, Matthew Sleeth

And that doesn’t even count the 60 books currently on my Amazon Wishlist. (I decided a couple of years ago that I should just keep the list of books I want to read on an Amazon Wishlist. Not for sharing and asking people to buy them for me, but so I didn’t lose the piece of paper that listed all the books that I was coming across and wanted to read at some point.)

Anyone who knows me knows I love to read and that I read fairly quickly, but they also know that even in a schedule that is slower than normal, I don’t have time to read anywhere close to this many books. Because of that, this list is not going to get conquered in the next couple of weeks before cheerleading starts and my time to read diminishes greatly.

So, here are my questions for you:

  • What are you reading this summer?
  • Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?
  • Do you have any good recommendations for me?

It All Falls Down

Remember how I was telling you that my June was CRAZY-busy?

Well, guess what happens when CRAZY-busy is done.

CRASH!

My body finally got fed up with my constant running, commitments, exercise, stress, etc., and decided to quit on me.

Saturday I slept late, ran the kids out for a quick, but fun, outing with friends, ran one errand, and then proceeded to take a two-hour nap on the couch and other than forcing myself out for my run-streak run, spent the rest of the day and evening on the couch.

Sunday I woke up feeling nauseated, went back to sleep, moved to my couch when I woke up, cat-napped off-and-on all day, fought nausea, made myself workout anyway (because I couldn’t feel much worse), and went to bed by 9:30.

I didn’t cook all weekend. I ate things like peanut butter and raisins on celery, Pringle’s, pancakes and waffles;  not my typical meal plan.

The collapse was so complete that I was even getting concerned that the ugly depression I have been fighting my way out of over the last few weeks was pulling me back down.

But this is kind of how it is for me. I run, run, run, go, go, go, and then I just can’t go anymore.

I know this about myself, but it still manages to surprise me when it happens.

I wish I was better at scheduling my time so this doesn’t happen, but some things in the schedule are out of my control.

I wish I was better at scheduling in down time so this doesn’t happen, but I am not.

So, in July, I am going to work harder at making down time and saying no to the unnecessary.

Wish me luck!

Do you struggle with any of these issues? How do you deal with them?