Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT SAY TO ME, SPECIFICALLY?
That gets into talents, hiding them, or investing them…
I wrote about that before…but the WHY for how to live, for me, is to glorify GOD!
The HOW and WHAT is all about investing the talents God has given ME to use for HIM.
And, there is another thought hidden in here for me….
“Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF.”
I HAVE SPENT MANY MANY YEARS NOT LOVING MYSELF!
Not taking care of my own health has been a self hatred behavior.
These 28 days of Grace…which was what I was begging and praying for to get through this Yeast Free program…has not just turned my body and health around…it has turned my heart and mind around.
I need to LOVE ME because HE FIRST LOVED ME!
And if GOD has decided to LOVE ME the way HE does…Who am I to argue?
Good food
Good exercise
Good prayer
Good fellowship….
Good life!
I CHOOSE LIFE!
God life!
And I pray that my life will glorify Him, as I learn my WHY, WHAT and HOW to walk in good works!
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
If you like The WildBerry Patch, follow me with the RSS feed.
We have email subscription! Or sign up for an account, and you can manage your subscription from the dashboard!
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.
Today has been a very rough day.
Many things in our lives have been placed up in the air this weekend…and we are struggling as a couple to figure out what WE are supposed to be doing, in light of GOD’s plan for our lives.
In the process of MY working things out…I called upon a friend to talk things out with me…so that I could figure out my own logic, heart, mind, emotions…and be able to present my position to my husband, Jim, without all the drama of emotions that ran throughout the weekend for and from me.
DID I BINGE IN THE MIDST OF EMOTIONAL TURMOIL????
BY THE GRACE OF GOD I DID NOT!!!
Food is NOT for settling emotional issues.
Food is NOT for comforting a broken heart.
Food is NOT for answering the tough questions.
Food is Fuel
Food is good for celebrations….and no, every moment of every day is not an option for food celebrations!
This weekend, we spent time eating out.
I CHOSE PLACES WHERE I COULD MAKE GOOD CHOICES!
I MADE THOSE GOOD CHOICES…though of course, they were not as good as if I had stayed home….but staying home forever is not an acceptable concept!
I didn’t even think about deserts at those restaurants! SERIOUSLY! AMAZINGLY! BY GOD’S GRACE, I AM STANDING!
And this is with deep despair, lonesomeness and feelings of abandonment and broken promises swirling around me and my husband.
This used to be Pizza and apple pie time, with ice cream.
This time, it was talk with each other, talk with God time!
I pray that, by the grace of God, I will continue to move forward in my life, with this relationship with food…fuel…that can taste good, but isn’t the fuel to make my life good!
My life is about my choices…and I choose to make food one of my tools, not to be ruled by food!
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
If you like The WildBerry Patch, follow me with the RSS feed.
We have email subscription! Or sign up for an account, and you can manage your subscription from the dashboard!
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.
AFTER SOME SERIOUS MERRY-GO-ROUND ISSUES THIS WEEKEND – THESE ARE THE THOUGHTS RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD:
Giant alone
Afraid of being alone
SA victim more than most…totally alone even in their own skin
The secret and the threat of revealing the secret keep the victim from those that should be for them more than any others.
How much worse when the secret is because of one that should have protected her from such secrets, and kept her from sharing with the only other that should have been there for her?
And then, when one knows that one is broken, not good enough for anyone that nature says should love her and want to be with her…or even for one that made the choice to be with her, that aloneness is thick like blood, matted together and stinking.
And if nature points to, and imitates and shadows the divine, and common nature doesn’t wasn’t to be with this one, why would a perfect divine choose to be with common that is unloved and unwanted by it’s own?
How can one so unlovable find a well of love to love others from, when their own cistern continues to be sucked dry, with only mud and refuse replaced?
Why lie about love, and then act out hatter, trying to pretend that the very hatefull act is love itself? When a child is taught from the first breath that hate is love, and that their feelings are only pawns in their ‘lovers’ chess game, the pawn understands that they are disposable for the good of the game…always protect the king and queen, if not the family.
And should such a pawn exclaim for some minute acknowledgment of existence or need, it is quickly sacrificed with the twist of guilt for not playing properly. The fault is fully that wicked pawn’s…for it was all a game….and the secret is a lie, and the damage is all your fault.
Disposable
abandonable
blameable
These are the thoughts running through my head….on this 21st day of the 28 day journey.
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
This morning, I woke up before Jim, and got dressed to take Gabriel out for his walk.
Before I was ready, Jim awakened, and offered to go with me.
As we walked, we made plans for the day.
I walked further than usual, and then asked him to walk up to the exercise room with me.
We walked in, and I tried my feet at the bicycle(first time in a year or more!) and he showed me a few exercises that I could get started with.
When we walked back, with full intentions of following OUR plans for the day, we bumped into some friends we hadn’t seen for a while.
These friends told us about a new RV park over near where I go for Physical Therapy. We had wanted a place in that area for any time that I might need extended care.
We decided to drive there right then.
But we were out of eggs, so we went to a restaurant, and I was able to order just eggs and meat for breakfast! And unsweet iced tea!
We were almost to this new RV park, and our friends from Katy(the area where the new RV park is located) called us.
These are the friends that we were not able to meet up with because of the car wreck. Their morning was open, for a change, and we were able to run on over.
Their daughter and son-in-law were home from Germany, and we were able to take everyone out for a welcome home lunch!
Kaley and Omar got to meet Gabriel.
We all got to sit and visit.
We went to a restaurant that I knew, and was able to ask for my salad per my needs, with a half a lemon and olive oil for dressing! And unsweet iced tea!
If Jim and I had not gone on the long walk, and had not walked into the exercise room, we would not have just bumped into our friends.
If Jim and I had not just taken off to head towards Katy, we would not have been in the position to say, Hey, let’s just drop by!
If Jim and I had not been open to the Spirit of the Lord moving across the waters of our plans, we would have missed the beautiful time we had with the Maben family!
Then,Jim was able to put together some of my meal plans for supper…for a wonderful turkey spaghetti, with black beans and grated goat Parmesan cheese! Absolutely delicious! Ah, but all out of unsweet iced tea! LOL!
Jim’s word? Serendipitous!
My word? Divine Intervention!
The truth? being filled with the grace of God to follow where HE leads!
Ps 37:23The steps of a [good] man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
Ps 121:8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
If you like The WildBerry Patch, follow me with the RSS feed.
We have email subscription! Or sign up for an account, and you can manage your subscription from the dashboard!
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.
On Wednesday, June 13, I was in a wreck.
when I posted for prayers, one of the most common comments was “not another injury!” or something like that.
I was looking forward to my physical therapy session (to where I was headed), and dinner out with friends…and I was thinking that I was almost done with PT for my ankle. Anyway, I wrote this email to a list that prayed for me…and since I am in some pain, I’m just going to post it here.
First, Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you all for your daily prayers for this group!
I was driving NB, on a major freeway loop around Houston, and a small white car stopped in front of me.
Now, as everyone knows, when driving, you should keep 2-3 car lengths between you, and drive the speed limit.
I got my 1 ton truck stopped…and the two people behind me did not.
Thunk, THUNK!
610 is one of the busiest highways around Houston. 3:50PM is already rush ‘hour’.
I was about to get off at the 59 exit, and this car just stopped. I don’t know why…it’s highway traffic. It happens.
I was fine, until I was hit from behind(yeah, milliseconds there)
I could see behind me that both vehicles were hit, and the rear one, the driver’s face was hidden for a while….and then, he picked his head up. Was he hurt? Did his airbags deploy? How was I going to get out and offer first aide in this 60 mph zone?
We had an exit that we could pull off, if cars would let us move to the side! The second car back kept moving so that I could pull out. There was no room to pull off to the side, because it had already turned into an exit only lane, so I exited, and headed to the parking lot, where two police officer cruisers were sitting.
To say I was dazed is an understatement. I couldn’t get out on the freeway…and when I came up to the police officers to tell them, I looked back, and the two other drivers did not follow me down there. I was sure they were trying to get out of the middle of the road, too!
While I was getting the police officers attention, they were being called to assist at a multi car crash….and with much confusion, they determined that it was mine…but only came up with one vehicle. They told me that apparently the third vehicle didn’t hit, because there was no rear damage to this car. Seriously, I believe that this was the third car, and the middle truck just drove off. But, I can’t prove it!
I kept asking the officer, “should I have stayed on the road? I thought we were supposed to get off the road!” Officer Jefferson was so comforting, as he was trying to calm me down, figure out if I indeed was the first vehicle in this reported accident…and trying to get the whole thing pieced together. As I walked around the truck, my back and neck started hurting…and I just felt like “Oh c$@p. I’m going to have a headache!”
“Oh, yeah, I’m not going to get to take our friends out that just returned from Germany.”
“Oh yeah, I’m not going to get to…..PAINT THURSDAY!”
As the adrenaline wore off…and things started hurting, the officer asked did I want medical. Jim said,(on the phone) absolutely!
He called for medical.
The EMT’s came, and the first concern was the dog.
They questioned whether they could transport the dog…the answer is YES(duh)
I had to threaten to contact the city about the policy about service dogs…and then, they said, oh, wait, I didn’t know it was a service dog. (That’s why I put a vest on him, and tags that shout SERVICE DOG).
They wouldn’t put me on a backboard or cervical collar, because I had to control the dog…so, um,what was the point of riding in the ambulance???
BUT, it meant I had to sign a paper saying I would not take the back board or the cervical collar. I wanted that collar…every movement in my neck hurt…but, they wanted me to be sure to take care of the dog(handled the dog while in transit). I even had to strap Gabe in.
GET IT DONE ALREADY, THE PAIN IS CAUSING ME TO HAVE DIFFICULTY THINKING!
So I was transported by ambulance to the inner city type hospital, and they did nothing…I was more comfortable sitting on the floor (didn’t think they’d let me lay on the floor – cold for my back).
No xrays…just a muscle relaxer that I told them I had at home…and sent on my way.
No x-rays for a back and neck injury???? WHAT?????
The hospital questioned whether I could have Gabe with me…the answer is YES(duh)
And then, the typical “so can you see some?”
“I can see, he is a medical alert dog”
“So, does that mean that you aren’t totally blind, just impaired?”
“No Ma’am…I am not blind…he is a medical alert dog…he alerts to my medical conditions”
“Oh, all this time I thought you were blind!”
hmmm, that’s why I could find the bathroom all by myself…oh well…
Jim was able to have someone from work take him to the truck, and then he came from there to the hospital. You see, Jim takes the bus into Houston…30 plus miles. I had the truck on the SW side of Houston…and he thought he was going to have to take a taxi! Another friend was able to drive him to the park and ride and pick up the car when we got back home. I thank God for great friends! Jim got to the hospital just after I got into my room…and he was able to take Gabriel out for a bathroom break, and I was able to take myself for a bathroom break.
And then, I blew my yf diet with a whopper. No cheese, removed half of the bun.
then I remembered that I had a great piece of chicken breast in my cooler. When I was checking for my tomatoes.
Oops….I could have been totally on program!
Oh well, live and learn!
Did I say that my truck won?
I’ll post a few photos.
I did talk with my PCP, and I’m going in tomorrow to get some x-rays….
I talked with the PT folks, and they are going to do a little bit of an evaluation….
Then, we will move forward talking to someone about getting this done.
Thank you all for praying!
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
If you like The WildBerry Patch, follow me with the RSS feed.
We have email subscription! Or sign up for an account, and you can manage your subscription from the dashboard!
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.
I wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I
hope. Psalm 130:5 AMP
I have been participating in a 60 day challenge for T-Tapp. In these 60 days, a person agrees to only do T-Tapp, walking, and swimming. They can also choose to do better eating, also supported by T-Tapp. At the beginning and the end, you submit photos, and measurements, and an essay.
I shared part one. Here is my essay, part two.
Unfortunately, I still couldn’t. I was struggling under constant chronic pain exacerbated by multiple surgeries back to back with fibromyalgia. I couldn’t walk my dog the 1/4 mile minimum it would take to let him go to the bathroom. I could no longer swim because I might not be able to get up out of the pool. My ankles were not solid enough to even try a stationary bike, much less one that required balance. If I tapped, the vibration sent horrible nerve waves of pain up my leg, and would shut me down for several days. If I couldn’t butterfly or hoedown, what could I do? For that matter, physical therapy would shut me down for several days. Everyone was trying to get my mind off of ‘training’ and on to ‘healing.’ My physical therapist was begging me to forget about a triathlon, forget about 5ks, and just focus on healing. Trisch was trying to encourage me to let my body heal from all the barrage of drugs and abuse having occurred in just 24 short months. By week two, with failed pain treatments, I was ready to give up.
In order to not give up midway into the 60 days, I joined Kirsten Tucker’s 6 week T-Tapp Tight Club(tm) almost before I even signed up for the 60 day challenge. Kirsten has known me for over a year now, and I trust her to not push me too hard, to push me where I need it, and to help me keep my head in the right direction. Her eight Tight Club(tm) Rules challenged me. When we started on May 1, the only rule I had in place was “Rule #5 – Supportive Athletic Shoes are Required.”
Based on what I thought I could do, she created a workout plan for me, and I became discouraged by how much slower and lower level it was than the one she’d created just one year previous. “Rule #6 – No self-recrimination; be kind to yourself.”
When I suffered from the repercussions of pain blocking injections three different times, both Trisch and Kirsten rallied behind me, saying that this was just a stepping stone. “Rule #4 – One step at a time. Think tortoise not hare.”
Each week, as Trisch would post insights into the various moves, I would also Skype with Kirsten to discuss what was going on. I asked questions of both of them(Rule #7), sometimes repeatedly. When something was too tiring, or hurt too much, they would not let me wallow. Rule #8 is “If you fall off the wagon, get back on and don’t look back.” It could be “Don’t wallow.”
The one thing that came up again and again is my concern that I was not doing the work (Rule # 3). I have a voice inside my head that says if I don’t get it done right the first time, it’s because I didn’t try hard enough. That seriously impacted Rule #8 and Rule #6. I had to learn to believe. I had to learn to hope that I COULD get back up, and not look back. I had to learn to believe that if I could only take one step today without compromising my energies for tomorrow, then that WAS me doing the work, and doing it well! I had to learn to see that if I took a step in the right direction, I was taking a step…and Rule #4 was “One Step at a Time!”
I have done sitting hoedowns when possible. I try to do Awesome Legs every night, and OIP several times a day. I have walked with my tail tucked and my shoulders rolled. When I am driving to my physical therapy, I hear Teresa’s voice telling me to “tuck it, lift it”…and I do so. I even try to roll back my shoulders and twist my palms up on the steering wheel!
What did I gain from this challenge?
Hope. HOPE!
Hope has grown in my heart through the T-Tapp community and ‘consciousness’.
Trisch talked about healing adrenals almost as much as she talks about T-Tapp or Jesus Christ!
Kirsten encouraged me to care for myself so that I will have health — body, mind and soul. She even encouraged me to PLAY as part of my health!
Then there is Teresa Tapp. Her various Facebook posts about health and dietary issues, articles, and her research into all aspects of women’s health were foundational in preparing me to take charge of my health.
These three women gave me the pieces to my health puzzle. My new doctor looked at my pieces and gave me a plan.
By God’s grace, I have the hope and courage to put this all together for my future.
During the past 60 days, I’ve spent the first three weeks in bed from nerve block injections that failed.
During the past 60 days, I’ve received emails and posts of support, encouragement, wisdom and healthy research from all of these ladies.
During the past 60 days, I have learned to hydrate myself in order for my body to heal.
During the past 6 weeks, I have learned self care by doing skin brushing which has rolled into other avenues of self care daily.
During the past 6 weeks, I have been able to walk my dog 1/4 to ½ mile daily, to walk up and down steps daily, and to drive myself to and from my physical therapy and appointments.
In the last 3 weeks, I have found the courage to contact a medical doctor that is also a naturopath in order to take charge of my health.
In the last 2 weeks, I have been on a yeast free, God Made, food program, designed to both cleanse my system, and heal my adrenals.
I have dropped a cholesterol drug, a diabetes drug, constipation drugs, and reducing a stomach acid drug is next. I am sleeping through the night regularly, with no medications. I don’t fall asleep during the day anymore!
By Sunday, I had lost weight, and lost 7 ½ inches. I had also lost many of the health issues that had troubled my life.
This quick and total transformation is because of the T-Tapp community. Without the various products, discussions, posts and people, I would not have been prepared to understand the complex world of adrenals! Likewise, I would not have embraced the need for Magnesium, or bio-identical hormones, or B-12! Truthfully, I would not have kept trying, over and over and over again.
On Tuesday the 12th, I begin my third week into this new way of eating…God Made Meals! I will tell Kirsten that I have befriended the Tight Club(tm) rules now. I’m ready to get back up on that wagon(Rule #8)…even if it means a month or more of MORE Chair!.
I talk about T-Tapp and Tight Club all the time(Rule #1).
What has really changed in me this time, though, is Rule #2.
“If someone tells you “You can’t.” respond “Yes, I can!”“
Can I change my life, take charge of my health, and have hope for the future?
YES I CAN!
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
If you like The WildBerry Patch, follow me with the RSS feed.
We have email subscription! Or sign up for an account, and you can manage your subscription from the dashboard!
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.
I wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I
hope. Psalm 130:5 AMP
I have been participating in a 60 day challenge for T-Tapp. In these 60 days, a person agrees to only do T-Tapp, walking, and swimming. They can also choose to do better eating, also supported by T-Tapp. At the beginning and the end, you submit photos, and measurements, and an essay.
Here is my essay, part one.
My name is M. Christine Wildman. I am 51 and 3/4 years old, mother of five, and wife to a wonderful supportive man of 32 years. Joining this 60 day challenge was an act of desperation on my part, desperate to find some shred of hope that I would someday be able to have health. I didn’t expect any physical results, because I was not able to do many of the T-Tapp exercises. I wanted to see if the bloodwork levels would change. While there were several health issues that I listed on my application, my greatest goal was to obtain hope that these health issues could be helped.
My health history includes a total hysterectomy at age 29, at which time I was a 15% body fat, 115 pound, quite fit mother of five toddlers, aged 1-7 years. In the following 6 years, I had a surgery a year. That was over 20 years ago. At age 51, I had all but given up hope for the future.
At the beginning of 2008 I competed in 5k sports, though always in last place. In September of 2008, I either walked with a walker, or rode in a wheelchair. Many of my hip and lower back issues were discovered then. In November 2009, with the help of a Physical Therapist, Personal Trainer, and my faith in Jesus Christ, I was able to complete the three parts of a mini triathlon, while maintaining my sugar levels between the events. I was in training for a sprint triathlon February 2010, but other things got in the way.
In the 2 years since I have had 6 surgeries. Four were repairs on torn tendons in my ankles or feet. One was repair to torn tendons in my left elbow. The latest one was to repair and reconstruct my left ankle and ruptured Achilles Tendon. The history prior to these surgeries isn’t much better. Both knees have had meniscus repairs. I have inflamed SI joint issues and my hips tend to rotate out of alignment because of loose tendons. I have a broken back bone, with five lumbar vertebra that like to slip in and out. I was beginning to become concerned that I had some sort of tendon disease, even involving fingers that needed surgery.
At the beginning of this 60 day challenge, my weight was over 240 pounds. My body fat is embarrassing, even on x-rays! I could barely walk my dog, stairs were a chore to be avoided, and I was on the diabetic and cholesterol medicine. I have a service dog to alert to my blood sugar drops, help me with balance, and keep an eye (ear? nose?) on my heart rate. Staying awake all day was next to impossible, but sleeping at night was iffy, even if I forced myself to stay awake during the day.
During my previous foot surgeries, I was able to do T-Tapp MORE Chair, MORE in a CHAIR and even got to doing BWO in a chair! I did Awesome Legs to keep the swelling down, and skin brushing to help the lymphatic drain. As soon as I could put a little weight on my right foot, I worked on the 15 minute workout, OIP/HF/Elevators. I even did a workout with Kirsten while I was in a wheelchair. But these last two surgeries were harder on me, and I was in too much pain to bounce, press, push, or even butterfly. Actually, I was forbidden to butterfly for a while – I was not to fully extend my arms. I did try to keep up Awesome Legs and Skin Brushing. I couldn’t set things up for doing a video, so even the program that kept me active for the first four surgeries was not available to me this time. By now, depression was setting in, and with that depression, lethargy and apathy. I felt like I had a huge “I CAN’T” emblazoned on my forehead.
I am in a small, private email group with T-Tapp Trainer Trisch Richardson who cannot stop talking about T-Tapp and all the benefits. She urged me to join the challenge, and encouraged me that I could do it. Over the last two years, in the midst of all of these surgeries, I have been encouraged to have gastric by-pass surgery over and over. I was approved, but that surgery was delayed because of a third right ankle surgery. Then, because of the concern for the left Achilles tendon and ankle bone and eventual surgery, the by-pass surgery was delayed even longer. Once the Achilles was repaired the doctors started talking about Gastric ByPass again. They said I would not be able to heal with all this weight. Trisch spoke into my life with her focus that it’s not always about weight – but about health! “Less is More!”, “Teresa says…..”, and multiple other T-Tapp quotes that can be read all through the website, forum and the book! After more than two years, she convinced me to try the challenge, just to see that “Yes, I Can!”
Part Two coming next.
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
If you like The WildBerry Patch, follow me with the RSS feed.
We have email subscription! Or sign up for an account, and you can manage your subscription from the dashboard!
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.
What holds you back? Why don’t you move forward? Why do you hold back from doing your best?
I don’t have any answers for this one….since, I have just completed the 60 day challenge with T-Tapp, and I am struggling with the idea that I held back. Could I have done more floor exercises? Sure. Could I have eaten better the first 6 weeks? Sure. Could I have been more consistent with what I knew to do? Of course.
The question is, did I take every moment, and make the choice to move forward? Fail forward if I needed to? I don’t know.
Life is made up of choices…and we are the composite of all of our choices. We are not in control of what others do to us, but we are in control of our reactions and replies.
The past 6 weeks, my husband did a challenge of his own. Here is his blog post:
ON GOALS, CHALLENGES, AND DOING THE LITTLE THINGS,
by Jim Wildman
As I’ve said before, I frequent the Nerdfitness online community as “wildross”. Every couple of months the community runs a “6 week challenge”. Participants post 3 fitness goals and 1 life goal, then track their progress. In the most recent challenge, and video game system for scoring points was added (which I’ve ignored). The community is divided into “Guilds” depending on what your fitness focus is. Mine is weightlifting, so I’m a “Warrior”. My most recent 6 week challenge thread is here. As part of this 6 week challenge, the guild leaders proposed we try to lift the weight of a loaded space shuttle (4,000,000+ pounds) before the Enterprise was set on the deck of the USS Intrepid on June 6th. To track our progress, they published a Google spreadsheet and divided us into 2 teams.
Right off the bat I saw that keeping track of total weight lifted instead of just repetitions and sets added a different flavor to the competition. All lifts were counted at full weight, with pullups counting at 90% of bodyweight and pushups counting at 60% of bodyweight. I started out doing between 15 and 20,000 pounds of lifting during a workout.
On May 8th, I proposed a challenge to do 30,000# of weights in one session (no allowance for bodyweight exercises). That seemed like a real stretch goal to me. Two guys immediately did over 40,000#. It took about a week and I did it too. Not as hard as I thought at all. One competitor proposed a 100,000# workout. (No one has done that yet, but I believe I can with a bit more conditioning.)
As the challenge went on, I constantly had to revise my goals. 30,000# in a workout became my “standard”. I did it for 2 weeks straight, 5 days a week, with a max of 61,000# on the last day. I thought I would lift a total of 250,000# in the 6 weeks, then 300,000#, then 500,000#, then 700,000#… I ended up lifting over 970,000# of weights in the 6 weeks (including body weight exercises).
So what did I learn from all this lifting?? Maybe nothing new, but lots of basic things got solidly reinforced.
Consistency matters: going to the gym every day (or as my goal was, 5 days a week) adds up. A number or goal that seems impossible is attainable in steps.
Little things matter: the team I was not on “won” the challenge, mostly because several of the women realized that the pushups were “easy” and added up. One did 1,000 pushups in the last weekend (having never done more then a couple dozen in a day before); 10 or 20 at a time. Another did 500. Several of the men did as well.
Success breeds success: once we knocked off the 30,000# goal, we knew we could go much higher and were encouraged to do so. Once the women realized that they could do a set of 10 pushups every half hour, all day, it became possible to do it several days in a row.
To accomplish big things, you need to do a few little things well: The basis for my average of over 30,000# a day is my ability to do over head presses and bench presses. I can do 10 sets of 10 with a considerable amount of weight, every day. I would fill out the workout with other exercises, but those 2 were the base.
Lay the ground work by doing the little things every day: Early on in the challenge, I often thought about doing pushups before bedtime or before I took a shower, but I didn’t do it. 7 pushups a day would have put me over 1,000,000# for the challenge. But I didn’t know that until it was too late to make up the difference.
You have to use all your resources to do big things: I can’t lift 30,000# in a session with just my arms, or in just one exercise (at least not yet). But I have a number of exercises that use different sets of muscles that I can alternate. By varying the routine, I use the energy stored in all my muscles and get more done.
This one is old…slow and steady wins the race: Big and flashy wears you out.
So where does this leave me? Very encouraged at what I can do physically. Very humbled that I have not applied these simple principles to other areas of my life. I’ve sold myself short in many areas because I’ve swung for the fences (big splash) or thought a particular goal was beyond me. Or as the prophet Isaiah said it “Line upon line, precept upon precept”
So what big goal can you break down into little bit size pieces??
GREAT QUESTION!!!!
I’ve been held back because I could only see doing a Triathlon…not walking 1/4 mile 4 times a day.
I could only see doing the Full 15 minute Basic Workout for T-Tapp – not doing the 9 minute chair workout, twice.
I can only see the whole book written, not writing one chapter at a time.
I have been held back by seeing the hugeness of the task, and not breaking it into smaller bites.
Our daughter, Faith, memorized a poem from Shel Silverstein’s book, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and I can hear her recite it in my ear today:
Melinda Mae
Have your heard of tiny Melinda Mae,
Who ate a monstrous whale?
She thought she could,
She said she would,
So she started right in at the tail.
And everyone said, “You’re much too small,”
But that didn’t bother Melinda at all.
She took little bites and she chewed very slow,
Just like a good girl should…
…And in eighty-nine years she ate that whale
Because she said she would!
I pray that it doesn’t take me 89 years, but thanks to Jim, and several ladies I will be praising in one of my future blogs, I am making steps forward.
Here’s my favorite small steps song:
The goals Jim’s team made seemed impossible when they made them.
I do have to keep my health limitations in mind….but, I need to give myself grace, I need to look at things in smaller bites, shorter steps…one step at a time!
Thanks, Jim!
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
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Just some thoughts, looking around the world, and looking around a grocery store…
comparing worldly lusts of sin with fleshly lusts of food….
everywhere you look there are bread sellers…. sugar sellers… poison peddlers.
everywhere you look there are sin sellers
ecstasy at worship, then crash monday morning
sugar highs, then sugar crashes
too much crap for adrenals, thyroid, insulin. and ends up in insulin resistance
too much crap exposes you to itchings ears, newest music, latest teaching, and ends up in worldly resistance
Eventually, one is numb, scarred, toxic, and unable to see what is pure.
I charge [thee] therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 2 Timothy 4:1-4
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 2 Timothy 3:1-5
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. John 3:19-21
We have a choice….laid out from the beginning –
Death or Life
Evil or Good
Poison or Pure
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, [and] that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he [is] thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. Deuteronomy 30:19-20
The words of the LORD [are] pure words: [as] silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Psalm 12:6
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15
WE have to make the choice…the natural shadows the spiritual…we are not created for this world…but for another.
By GRACE are we saved, and that not of ourselves!!! Ephesians 2:8
My prayer….I need YOUR GRACE, LORD JESUS!
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
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Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.
I got this in my email today, and it really hit me in the context of meals, eating, lifestyle, etc. I have reprinted it here:
So Why Did JESUS Fold The Napkin?
Do you know why? This is just beautiful.
Why Did Jesus Fold the Napkin?
This is one I can honestly say I have never seen circulating in the e-mails so; I’ll start it.. If it touches you , You might want to forward it.
Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this….
The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.
The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.
Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.
She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, ‘They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put him!’
Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple out ran Peter and got there first. He stopped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in.
Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.
Was that important? Absolutely!
Is it really significant? Yes!
In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.
The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every
Jewish boy knew this tradition.
When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.
The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished..
Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.
The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, “I’m finished..”
But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because……….
The folded napkin meant,
“I’m coming back!”
AND SO HE SHALL!!!
And so He shall return –
Luke 18:8Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Why is that in red? Because those are the words of Jesus as told to us in the book of Luke.
Jesus has just proclaimed that:
And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. (Luke 18:7)
Prayer….
Though HE bear long with them….
God will avenge…
Mary Magdalene, along with all the others, felt that the Lord had left them all alone.
Jesus had told them about this judge that didn’t fear anyone, even God, but a widow had come to him over and over and over to be avenged of her adversary…and he chose to do so, because of her constant appeals.
Jesus said that we should pray like that widow.
In fact, Luke says:
And he spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; (Luke 18:1)
The point of the email was that Jesus is coming back…there is another meal being prepared…who is going to be found ‘worthy’ to sit at that table?
Servants of faith! (not fear – not to self)
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
By FAITH the elders obtained a good report!
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Fear and Faith cannot co-exist.
Fear holds me back,
Faith propels me forward.
Fear steals my happiness,
Faith impels me to joy.
Fear makes me paralyzed,
Faith compels me to LOVE.
(mcw 6/8/2012)
Why do I continue to climb my way forward?
Because I have faith that HE is coming back for me!
He folded His napkin!
By His GRACE, I’ll be ready!
Thanks for joining me in this journey, In His hands and under His wings, ~Christi Ps 63:7Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!
If you like The WildBerry Patch, follow me with the RSS feed. We have email subscription! Or sign up for an account, and you can manage your subscription from the dashboard!
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.
