Goooood news, dear friends...! I walked at 2:30 today! It was such a treat to get back outside and have a leisurely walk instead of a 9:30 pm treadmill adventure. I'm happy I got my walking done earlier in the day. It freed up my night and we had a great family evening in this beautiful weather.
I wasn't going to post anything but feel like even a little something is better than nothing - just to keep with my routine. So here's what I'm going to say...
I mentioned earlier how I feel like the pages are written as I open them.... I just wrote about goals last night and how they change. Day Nine had to say the following - "The giving and doing of a Christ-centered life is a lifelong endeavor that will evolve and change."
The final scripture for the day said - "When you walk, your step will not be hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble." - Proverbs 4:12
Sure feels like Day Nine was written for me.
Short and sweet.
Friday, August 5, 2016
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Christ Walk - Day Eight
Last night, by the time I had gotten the kids to bed, it was too late to walk outside. I did it again. I had to head to the basement to get my 2.2 miles for the day. I decided to complete a Couch-to-5k workout.
I've been thinking about running ever since I started walking a week ago. I never used to be a runner. I still don't know if I can actually call myself a runner, but I have completed Couch-to-5k before (love it) and have completed several 5ks and logged many miles training.
I love running. I hate running. I love running. I hate running.
For several years, I've had an imaginary goal for myself. I'm going to call it imaginary because I have never completed it.... My goal was to complete a half marathon before I was 30. Well.... missed that one. But goals are living and breathing aren't they - they have to evolve.
While I've been walking each day I've had this random hairy goal pop into my head. What if I participate in another Christ Walk - which I fully intend to do - but I RUN the miles each day...... As soon as I typed that my stomach flipped.
Friends... tell me what you think... Is that ridiculous...? That means 40 days of running. No rest.... If that is ridiculous, please tell me. Maybe we can alter that 'in development' goal.
I still really want to complete a half marathon. And instead of feeling like I've failed by not completing one before I was 30, I'm going to take the stance that accomplishing this goal will be even more impressive AFTER 30.
I really enjoyed my run last night. I pushed hard at the end to make sure I hit my 2.2 miles. I was running at a faster pace than my usual and I'm not sure if my lungs were on fire or the Spirit was awake inside of me.... :) I was very proud to check it off my list.
Oh.... I mentioned yesterday, wondering if I would be able to run 2.2 and wake up and walk 2.2. Well, I didn't. My day got away from me and at about 9:30 tonight I was faced with the treadmill again. Today is the closest I've gotten to not completing my miles. I know if I don't complete it each day that I'll be forgiven - I also know that if I don't at least try each day I won't be happy with myself. I've given up on several things before and this isn't something I want to add to that list.
I had some pretty good motivation. Day Eight talks about doubt. Each day, I've been writing the scriptures from the day on a scrap piece of paper and carrying them with me the whole time I walk. Today, I was a little pressed for time and read while I was walking my warm up. I did write something - just not as completely as I had been. Today, I wrote -
Doubt.
and...
With man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.
Yep, I can get 2.2 miles every day.
I've been thinking about running ever since I started walking a week ago. I never used to be a runner. I still don't know if I can actually call myself a runner, but I have completed Couch-to-5k before (love it) and have completed several 5ks and logged many miles training.
I love running. I hate running. I love running. I hate running.
For several years, I've had an imaginary goal for myself. I'm going to call it imaginary because I have never completed it.... My goal was to complete a half marathon before I was 30. Well.... missed that one. But goals are living and breathing aren't they - they have to evolve.
While I've been walking each day I've had this random hairy goal pop into my head. What if I participate in another Christ Walk - which I fully intend to do - but I RUN the miles each day...... As soon as I typed that my stomach flipped.
Friends... tell me what you think... Is that ridiculous...? That means 40 days of running. No rest.... If that is ridiculous, please tell me. Maybe we can alter that 'in development' goal.
I still really want to complete a half marathon. And instead of feeling like I've failed by not completing one before I was 30, I'm going to take the stance that accomplishing this goal will be even more impressive AFTER 30.
I really enjoyed my run last night. I pushed hard at the end to make sure I hit my 2.2 miles. I was running at a faster pace than my usual and I'm not sure if my lungs were on fire or the Spirit was awake inside of me.... :) I was very proud to check it off my list.
Oh.... I mentioned yesterday, wondering if I would be able to run 2.2 and wake up and walk 2.2. Well, I didn't. My day got away from me and at about 9:30 tonight I was faced with the treadmill again. Today is the closest I've gotten to not completing my miles. I know if I don't complete it each day that I'll be forgiven - I also know that if I don't at least try each day I won't be happy with myself. I've given up on several things before and this isn't something I want to add to that list.
I had some pretty good motivation. Day Eight talks about doubt. Each day, I've been writing the scriptures from the day on a scrap piece of paper and carrying them with me the whole time I walk. Today, I was a little pressed for time and read while I was walking my warm up. I did write something - just not as completely as I had been. Today, I wrote -
Doubt.
and...
With man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.
Yep, I can get 2.2 miles every day.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Christ Walk - Day Seven
Yesterday was an interesting walk. It did cool off in the evening but I wasn't stoked about going to walk. I was tired.... My legs hurt... I didn't feel like I had a focus.... Seth really encouraged me to just get out there and do it.
He has been proud of me and is pushing me forward.
I walked up and down and up and down the driveway. It wasn't as exciting as exploring the dirt.
I wrote a few days ago that I was done body shaming myself. I'm not body shaming individual parts of me but today I was frustrated with myself. I was very snacky and felt like I didn't make the best choices. I know I've had worse days but today I was hard on myself. A good friend of mine told me that we have to work for the body we want. For some people, I feel like that isn't very challenging. That was me up until about 8 years ago. I've never had to pay a lot of attention to what I eat or how much I workout. If I wanted to feel better and lose a little weight all I had to do was make a few changes. This is no longer the case. A switch flipped in my body when I turned 30. I know.... I've heard from many friends that 30 is nothing when it comes to how your body changes....
I stress about this stuff. How lucky am I, though....? One of my biggest stresses is what I'm writing about here. Worrying about how I've treated myself and how I feel. Good grief. It seems silly. But big or small it is something that I'm dealing with often.
Day Seven is actually titled "Stress". I told my mom the other day that sometimes I feel like this book is blank inside until I open it. That it almost feels like anybody could open it up to page 30 and it would say something different. It's being written for me as I go and with the challenges I'm facing.
"Stress has a tendency to keep us from communicating with God.... Stress is bad for your relationship with God, for your health, and probably for your family, too."
I'm frustrated because I feel like I've had so much positive insight and self talk in the first few days of my Christ Walk and now here I am battling myself again. Shouldn't my problems be solving themselves by now?! Listen to this...
"Sometimes when we are trying our hardest to stay focused and Christ-centered, it seems that there are even more stressful situations being thrown at us."
#truth
I hate to use the trend here - but it was the first thing that popped into my head....
I have felt like several little personal battles have been plaguing me from the beginning of this walk. I'm accepting all of these as tests to make my journey even more important and trying to believe that this means this really will be the journey that changes my life forever.
I have tried to better my health many times. Always for vanity. I don't have any illnesses. My blood work shows no issues. But I'm not always happy with myself. So when I decide that I'm going to make a change it's so I feel better about myself - usually by looking better. I have done this and that and this and that and usually have great success - but always fall back.
"Discipline takes practice and repetition. You must do things over and over to make them part of how you live your life. Research shows that it takes a new discipline being repeated regularly for about six months to become a habit, and even then we still can slip up."
"The good thing is that God is always there to catch us."
He's catching me right now.
I've already been afraid of what life will look like after this 40 day walk. Will I be able to continue with my 'new life'. How am I going to keep that focus? I haven't made a plan for this yet but it crosses my mind every day.
I still haven't walked. I'm currently standing at 11,821 steps. That means by the time I go to bed I need to have around 17,000 steps. Yikes. I need to make a change. I need to wake up and get to walking. Start my day on the right foot, literally.
Will I be able to do that tomorrow....? Forward planning, I know what my day looks like for the most part... I know what the weather will be like... But will I be able to walk around 5,000 steps starting around 9pm and then wake up before 6 to do it again....?
Stay tuned.
He has been proud of me and is pushing me forward.
I walked up and down and up and down the driveway. It wasn't as exciting as exploring the dirt.
I wrote a few days ago that I was done body shaming myself. I'm not body shaming individual parts of me but today I was frustrated with myself. I was very snacky and felt like I didn't make the best choices. I know I've had worse days but today I was hard on myself. A good friend of mine told me that we have to work for the body we want. For some people, I feel like that isn't very challenging. That was me up until about 8 years ago. I've never had to pay a lot of attention to what I eat or how much I workout. If I wanted to feel better and lose a little weight all I had to do was make a few changes. This is no longer the case. A switch flipped in my body when I turned 30. I know.... I've heard from many friends that 30 is nothing when it comes to how your body changes....
I stress about this stuff. How lucky am I, though....? One of my biggest stresses is what I'm writing about here. Worrying about how I've treated myself and how I feel. Good grief. It seems silly. But big or small it is something that I'm dealing with often.
Day Seven is actually titled "Stress". I told my mom the other day that sometimes I feel like this book is blank inside until I open it. That it almost feels like anybody could open it up to page 30 and it would say something different. It's being written for me as I go and with the challenges I'm facing.
"Stress has a tendency to keep us from communicating with God.... Stress is bad for your relationship with God, for your health, and probably for your family, too."
I'm frustrated because I feel like I've had so much positive insight and self talk in the first few days of my Christ Walk and now here I am battling myself again. Shouldn't my problems be solving themselves by now?! Listen to this...
"Sometimes when we are trying our hardest to stay focused and Christ-centered, it seems that there are even more stressful situations being thrown at us."
#truth
I hate to use the trend here - but it was the first thing that popped into my head....
I have felt like several little personal battles have been plaguing me from the beginning of this walk. I'm accepting all of these as tests to make my journey even more important and trying to believe that this means this really will be the journey that changes my life forever.
I have tried to better my health many times. Always for vanity. I don't have any illnesses. My blood work shows no issues. But I'm not always happy with myself. So when I decide that I'm going to make a change it's so I feel better about myself - usually by looking better. I have done this and that and this and that and usually have great success - but always fall back.
"Discipline takes practice and repetition. You must do things over and over to make them part of how you live your life. Research shows that it takes a new discipline being repeated regularly for about six months to become a habit, and even then we still can slip up."
"The good thing is that God is always there to catch us."
He's catching me right now.
I've already been afraid of what life will look like after this 40 day walk. Will I be able to continue with my 'new life'. How am I going to keep that focus? I haven't made a plan for this yet but it crosses my mind every day.
I still haven't walked. I'm currently standing at 11,821 steps. That means by the time I go to bed I need to have around 17,000 steps. Yikes. I need to make a change. I need to wake up and get to walking. Start my day on the right foot, literally.
Will I be able to do that tomorrow....? Forward planning, I know what my day looks like for the most part... I know what the weather will be like... But will I be able to walk around 5,000 steps starting around 9pm and then wake up before 6 to do it again....?
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Christ Walk - Day Six.
Last night was probably my least favorite walk. It was late, I was in the basement, and it felt like it took forever to hit 2.2 miles. It doesn't help that I could watch each hundredth of a mile tick by while walking.
I couldn't stand how long it was taking so kicked it up and jogged a good chunk of it. Success.
Today, I was shocked to wake up to rain again. I got a late start on the day and I still haven't had much luck getting a real good day going. I'm tired. My mind is tired. My legs hurt. I have several things to accomplish around the house but none that I am looking forward to completing. You know what happens then...? I distract myself - in the cabinets, the fridge, my phone. I got tired and lost my focus today.
Ironically enough, Day Six in Christ Walk talks about how we turn to our vices before turning to God in order to cope. "We look for solace in food or alcohol or drugs in an attempt to manage our spiritual, mental, or physical distress.... I learned to replace my bad habits with healthier habits of prayer, physical exercise, and mental exercise."
We went from rain, to busy lunch/naptime, to hot hot outside. I told Seth I was going to walk this evening when it cools off. He said it isn't going to cool off. I have already walked 1000 intentional steps today but don't feel like they even count.
I'm borderline lost today. I think the first few days shed so much light and now the obstacles are coming and I'm facing some things inside that haven't gotten a grip on yet. I guess I need to make that my prayer focus and not forget Philippians 4:6...
Monday, August 1, 2016
Christ Walk - Day Five. Whoops.
It is 9:30 at night and I haven't walked yet.
I woke up this morning to rain - after it rained all night long - and the rain continued through the better part of the morning. I really thought I would enjoy going out for a walk in the rain but it was often pouring and almost always lightning.... I figured staying inside might be a better idea.
But rainy days bring on a little bit of slothing. I went about my morning slowly and enjoyed the rain. I'll walk later.
My slothy morning led me into a somewhat slothy kind of day. I did a lot of work on the computer and had to prepare for my church board meeting tonight but there wasn't much up and at it happening for me. I figured I would walk after the meeting....
Day Five talks about how we've taken the idea of "me time" and turned it into "me all the time". "Live a life that is called for service to others..."
Well, as a mom, I feel like I'm always being called for service to others.... I'm always responding to the needs of my children. Snack. Drink. Help. Where is this? Can I? Will you? Wipe me? Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom.
I really cannot complain. You may not know this, but my boys are awesome. They are very smart, very funny, very helpful, very loving. We are very proud. It's interesting how in the last five days I feel like the boys are showing even more love towards me. Maybe they are seeing a softer side of me...
I have to stop there - I can talk and tell stories about my boys for a very long time. Where was I? Life called for service.
Well, aside from serving the boys and my family, I have been called to service for our church. Not quite three years ago, I remember telling my mom that I was wanting to get more involved in the outside world somehow.... get involved in the community. My mom has served on the church board, my dad on the school board and hospital board... Maybe I needed to try to find a way to get involved.
Enter: God. Probably only a couple of months after I had been feeling like I should get involved somehow, I was approached at church to see if I was interested in taking over the role of Treasurer.
Woah, God... Slow down. I'm not sure I am capable of THAT. Day Five says "God is revealed to all of us at different points in our lives and in different ways." After pondering back and forth and learning more about the responsibilities I decided that yes, I could handle that. I had just asked for an opportunity to be more involved in the community and look what landed on my plate.
I am almost two years into my service on the church board as treasurer and I am constantly learning more. I love that I have been able to get involved in the business behind the church. Not just the numbers but the planning and assisting our church.
I really enjoyed accounting when I was in high school - not just because my aunt taught the class - but I really loved the numbers and the forms and the rules. There isn't wiggle room - it's right or wrong. My aunt always thought I should go into accounting but I wasn't convinced. Numbers aren't for everyone and I'm not great at math but I'm pretty decent at keeping the books and knowing how it should all work out. I would like to think of this as one of my gifts. And now I get to use it to help serve the Lord.....
Sigh.... Now it's almost 10 o'clock and I haven't walked yet. I AM GOING TO WALK. I wish I could be walking outside but it's officially dark and I would very likely break my ankle if I attempted a walk in the dark. Luckily for me, we have a treadmill. It lives in our basement and I am very convinced that this is going to be my least favorite walk so far. 10pm in basement. Surrounded by concrete.
I could very easily decide not to walk and just tack it onto tomorrow.... But I really have been called to do this walk and just yesterday I read the following - "You must follow exactly the path that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you are to possess."
2.2 miles. And, go.
I woke up this morning to rain - after it rained all night long - and the rain continued through the better part of the morning. I really thought I would enjoy going out for a walk in the rain but it was often pouring and almost always lightning.... I figured staying inside might be a better idea.
But rainy days bring on a little bit of slothing. I went about my morning slowly and enjoyed the rain. I'll walk later.
My slothy morning led me into a somewhat slothy kind of day. I did a lot of work on the computer and had to prepare for my church board meeting tonight but there wasn't much up and at it happening for me. I figured I would walk after the meeting....
Day Five talks about how we've taken the idea of "me time" and turned it into "me all the time". "Live a life that is called for service to others..."
Well, as a mom, I feel like I'm always being called for service to others.... I'm always responding to the needs of my children. Snack. Drink. Help. Where is this? Can I? Will you? Wipe me? Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom.
I really cannot complain. You may not know this, but my boys are awesome. They are very smart, very funny, very helpful, very loving. We are very proud. It's interesting how in the last five days I feel like the boys are showing even more love towards me. Maybe they are seeing a softer side of me...
I have to stop there - I can talk and tell stories about my boys for a very long time. Where was I? Life called for service.
Well, aside from serving the boys and my family, I have been called to service for our church. Not quite three years ago, I remember telling my mom that I was wanting to get more involved in the outside world somehow.... get involved in the community. My mom has served on the church board, my dad on the school board and hospital board... Maybe I needed to try to find a way to get involved.
Enter: God. Probably only a couple of months after I had been feeling like I should get involved somehow, I was approached at church to see if I was interested in taking over the role of Treasurer.
Woah, God... Slow down. I'm not sure I am capable of THAT. Day Five says "God is revealed to all of us at different points in our lives and in different ways." After pondering back and forth and learning more about the responsibilities I decided that yes, I could handle that. I had just asked for an opportunity to be more involved in the community and look what landed on my plate.
I am almost two years into my service on the church board as treasurer and I am constantly learning more. I love that I have been able to get involved in the business behind the church. Not just the numbers but the planning and assisting our church.
I really enjoyed accounting when I was in high school - not just because my aunt taught the class - but I really loved the numbers and the forms and the rules. There isn't wiggle room - it's right or wrong. My aunt always thought I should go into accounting but I wasn't convinced. Numbers aren't for everyone and I'm not great at math but I'm pretty decent at keeping the books and knowing how it should all work out. I would like to think of this as one of my gifts. And now I get to use it to help serve the Lord.....
Sigh.... Now it's almost 10 o'clock and I haven't walked yet. I AM GOING TO WALK. I wish I could be walking outside but it's officially dark and I would very likely break my ankle if I attempted a walk in the dark. Luckily for me, we have a treadmill. It lives in our basement and I am very convinced that this is going to be my least favorite walk so far. 10pm in basement. Surrounded by concrete.
I could very easily decide not to walk and just tack it onto tomorrow.... But I really have been called to do this walk and just yesterday I read the following - "You must follow exactly the path that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you are to possess."
2.2 miles. And, go.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Christ Walk - Day Four. What I love about a Sunday...
I woke up this morning in a truly tangled mess of emotions. Everything was amuck. I took my book outside to read - Day Four talks a lot about different types of walking. After a few paragraphs I gave up on the book. My state of mind had NO desire to read about leisure walking vs. speed walking..... NOT the time book. Not the time.
Not long after I woke up with the tangled mess of emotions, it was almost all lifted. Resolution came so quickly and so respectfully that it truly had to be a product of my prayers from yesterday's Christ Walk. There is no other explanation.
Wonderful news - my entire Sunday wouldn't be muddied by the mess.
Sundays are my favorites. They can be a little challenging because I have to get up and get everyone ready for church and the entire day. We need to leave by 10 to get to 11 church (9 on Sunday school days). This doesn't sound like it should be very challenging but I also have the urge to lay back and enjoy a somewhat lazy Sunday morning and make breakfast. Next thing I know, I'm usually scrambling a little. We always make it to church on time and then we get to spend the rest of the Sunday at my parents' house. These are my favorite days. They are so good for my heart.
I knew I wasn't going to be doing my Christ Walk before church and didn't really think I would want to do it at my parents' today - though I know I WILL be doing one there. I want to walk around that property and just feel joyful. But today, I knew I was going to have to tackle my walk whenever I got home.
I arrived back home around 5 and fiddled around the house. I didn't even get started on my Christ Walk until around 6:30. I read my chapter and found so much more in it than just the explanation of types of walking like I had discovered earlier this morning.
Do you know what is interesting.... I started this book on a Thursday. I have always been the Monday start-up type.... I'm going to start eating better... on Monday.... I'm going to start working out... on Monday. Well I started this book on a Thursday and the very first mention of Sundays in this book just so happened to be on a Sunday for me.
The chapter talks about how Americans have forgotten to have a day of rest. "Sundays have become the day to catch up on everything else because we are too busy being busy. This is a shame for a number of reasons. One, our bodies need rest. Two, the Lord directed us to have a day of rest. And three, when was the last time we just went out and enjoyed being out, walking with our families for the enjoyment of spending time together? Leave the housework, yard work and shopping for another day. They will be there waiting for you; your family may not."
My Christ Walks so far have definitely been more on the fitness side of walking. Pushing myself and climbing some hills and different terrain. Today was a day for leisure - the day of rest. Today was a day to have my family a part of this.
"Leisure walking is just as it sounds: walking for the pleasure of walking."
Believe it or not, tonight was probably the quickest the steps showed up on my pedometer. Yesterday, my walk felt like it took forever. Tonight, my walk lasted around an hour or so but it was so easy to get the steps.
It was so nice to have all of my boys around. It didn't turn out to be us all walking together but everyone was outside the whole time I was walking. We had a lot of family interaction back and forth to the shed, down to the dirt lake, and it was just a beautiful end to a Sunday that started in a much different place.
The spiritual growth portion probably wasn't the heaviest - but this walk was great for my soul. Just like a Sunday.
Not long after I woke up with the tangled mess of emotions, it was almost all lifted. Resolution came so quickly and so respectfully that it truly had to be a product of my prayers from yesterday's Christ Walk. There is no other explanation.
Wonderful news - my entire Sunday wouldn't be muddied by the mess.
Sundays are my favorites. They can be a little challenging because I have to get up and get everyone ready for church and the entire day. We need to leave by 10 to get to 11 church (9 on Sunday school days). This doesn't sound like it should be very challenging but I also have the urge to lay back and enjoy a somewhat lazy Sunday morning and make breakfast. Next thing I know, I'm usually scrambling a little. We always make it to church on time and then we get to spend the rest of the Sunday at my parents' house. These are my favorite days. They are so good for my heart.
I knew I wasn't going to be doing my Christ Walk before church and didn't really think I would want to do it at my parents' today - though I know I WILL be doing one there. I want to walk around that property and just feel joyful. But today, I knew I was going to have to tackle my walk whenever I got home.
I arrived back home around 5 and fiddled around the house. I didn't even get started on my Christ Walk until around 6:30. I read my chapter and found so much more in it than just the explanation of types of walking like I had discovered earlier this morning.
Do you know what is interesting.... I started this book on a Thursday. I have always been the Monday start-up type.... I'm going to start eating better... on Monday.... I'm going to start working out... on Monday. Well I started this book on a Thursday and the very first mention of Sundays in this book just so happened to be on a Sunday for me.
The chapter talks about how Americans have forgotten to have a day of rest. "Sundays have become the day to catch up on everything else because we are too busy being busy. This is a shame for a number of reasons. One, our bodies need rest. Two, the Lord directed us to have a day of rest. And three, when was the last time we just went out and enjoyed being out, walking with our families for the enjoyment of spending time together? Leave the housework, yard work and shopping for another day. They will be there waiting for you; your family may not."
My Christ Walks so far have definitely been more on the fitness side of walking. Pushing myself and climbing some hills and different terrain. Today was a day for leisure - the day of rest. Today was a day to have my family a part of this.
"Leisure walking is just as it sounds: walking for the pleasure of walking."
Believe it or not, tonight was probably the quickest the steps showed up on my pedometer. Yesterday, my walk felt like it took forever. Tonight, my walk lasted around an hour or so but it was so easy to get the steps.
It was so nice to have all of my boys around. It didn't turn out to be us all walking together but everyone was outside the whole time I was walking. We had a lot of family interaction back and forth to the shed, down to the dirt lake, and it was just a beautiful end to a Sunday that started in a much different place.
The spiritual growth portion probably wasn't the heaviest - but this walk was great for my soul. Just like a Sunday.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Christ Walk - Day Three.
I'm going to have to start getting a little more creative with my titles... Each day definitely ends up with its own point and purpose.... I'm already in awe of how a few pages in a book blooms an entire blog worth of information.... And I usually have to make myself wrap it up. :)
Day Three is going to start with a recap of Day Two:
Christ Walk says you can use other forms of exercise than just walking for your journey. For each 15 minutes of exercise you can give yourself a mile of walking. So by that theory, I would already be at 4 miles for the day. As much as Zumba does for my physical and mental well-being, it isn't the quiet time to myself walking and pondering what I'm doing. I'm making a point to do Intentional Walking each day. At least 2.2 miles of straight-up walking every day.
Today, I'm going to walk those 2.2 miles and love myself. Be proud of myself. But it won't be just me out there walking. I'm bringing God with me.
Day Three is going to start with a recap of Day Two:
Yesterday I wrote about not knowing where my focus would be and then finding it. I knew what I needed to pray about but also knew I would have an impossible time getting a straight answer on the issue. There would be no way because it's bigger than just me.
Interestingly enough, my walk was the same way. I knew I was going to walk but couldn't even really decide where I wanted to walk...! I walked out and headed a different direction but really wasn't sure if my path would get me where I was hoping to go. I kind of wandered a bit. I walked beside the bean field and then another direction but it got to be fairly rough terrain so I turned and walked the other way. Then I was getting up into some weeds and wasn't really sure I liked where I was headed. So I headed up towards the shed and then back down to the house and eventually settled back on our dirt "lake".
I walked in circles and talked to God. I kept looking at the scriptures I was given and about half way through the walk I had made my way down to this one:
"Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise." - Deuteronomy 11:19
I looked up at our house and realized I was down here trying to connect and better myself as a person and as a wife and as a mother but I had left my kids up in the house with the supervision of the iPad and the computer..... I knew I needed to bring my kids to the dirt with me.
Luckily, the boys willingly left their electronics and put on their mud boots to come see all the different dirt. Their favorite dirt was the same as mine. :)
We had a great time and the boys were down at the lake with me for the last half of the walk. I'm so happy I brought them along with me. I led some of the conversation about being a better mother and why I'm doing the Christ Walk but I also just let them wander and lead me around the dirt. We found several different sets of animal tracks - they squished in the wet dirt where the water runs out of the hill - they loved the crunchy dirt where you can peel layers off almost like cardboard... It was a great time out of the house with my boys. Even in that short time, we connected more than we had in a while.
I have plans to bring the husband along on one of my journeys... The whole family on another journey... Likely more than just one.
Now, onto Day Three.
A mysterious alarm on my phone went off and woke me up a little earlier than I would have preferred but instead of falling back to sleep I picked up my book and started reading. I was a bit groggy and just reading words without comprehending all of it. I was already telling myself that I'd have to come back and re-read the chapter. Then, I read this paragraph - "Do not be driven by worries about what others think; worry about what God thinks."
Yeah. That's me.
This line in the book was an entire paragraph. That's all that needed to be said. This chapter probably could've stopped right there and I would've been set. Of course this is something that I've heard before but something about highlighting that single-line paragraph got to me. I re-read part of the chapter and found this also - "We are all creatures of God. We are all made in God's image. Therefore, there is diversity in how we all look, but that does not make any of us less beautiful than the other. We are all amazingly beautiful."
I haven't had very many moments in my life that I remember being excited about the way that I looked and even have some anxiety when getting ready to go out and about. I always see the flaws and the work in progress and I always wonder what others are going to think of me. Can they tell I've put on 5 pounds... 15 pounds... My arms are chubby. My legs are HUGE - why are these muscles so bulky? I have a zit. They're going to be staring at my crusty red zit..! My husband has bared the brunt of these self-criticisms and I know it's one of his least favorite qualities of mine. He thinks I'm unbelievably beautiful. He loves that I'm strong.
In the intro of the book we come up with goals for our 40 day Christ Walk. My mental goal was to speak to myself in a positive way. Don't be hard. Don't give up. Be the sunshine. I am officially DONE trashing myself. I quit. I QUIT. My legs are strong. They are carrying me on this Christ Walk. My arms are strong and I can carry my babies to their beds. It'll be hard to get over the zits.......... But I'll work on it.... :) Body shaming myself is over.
I have been created in His image. He built me. The problems that I have with my body have been created by me. This roller coaster of self-disrespect is the journey that led me here to change my life.
Whew.
This morning I went to Zumba and had an amazing workout. I LOVE Zumba. The music... The people... The challenge... We all push ourselves to the next level and we all support each other. Today we did a new routine to one of my favorite new songs. How perfect does this fit my thoughts and reading for the day..?
"I thank God every day
That I woke up feeling' this way
And I can't help lovin' myself
And I don't need nobody else"
Well, almost perfect.
At Zumba, we pick a poster to be our focus for the day. "I will not be stopped." "I'm doing this for me." "Hustle for that muscle." There is also a blank poster in the middle where we can write whatever we want.
At the beginning of the year, I participated in a weight-loss challenge through Zumba and lost around 10 pounds and as many inches. Weighing in and being measured each week kept me accountable and I am competitive... I wanted to WIN! I got nervous as the challenge ended that I would going to fall back into my old ways because I wasn't going to have to be held accountable. Our teacher was also due to have a baby anytime and my 4-5 times a week Zumba habit was going to be put on hold. So I wrote on the poster. "I will not be stopped. I will beat the old me." - 2/21/16
Our teacher had her baby just about a week after I wrote this and just like I told myself not to, I started to slip.
It wasn't just because I couldn't be at Zumba. We completed building our house and moved in towards the end of March. For me, February through May were kind of a blur.
When Zumba classes started back up, back to class I went and I wrote this on the poster. "My success is in my hands - no one else's...!! - 4/21/16
I did well from April to June - attending Zumba as often as I could. I was getting back on track and then when June hit, I was traveling for a lot of the month and was MIA from all of Zumba. July came around and I was still a no-show for Zumba. Summertime, schedules... It was hard to get myself back into the game.
Finally, the last week of July and I got myself back to Zumba.
When I was finally faced with the posters, I had just started the Christ Walk that day. I knew what I had written in April and knew immediately that my statement was wrong. I wanted to cross it out and replace it, but I didn't. I just drew an arrow down and wrote the following. "My success is in His hands! I can't do it alone." - 7/28/16
That one neon poster holds my entire journey. Seeing that transformation of wanting to beat the old me, thinking it was all up to me, and then realizing it is so much bigger than just me.... I realize that this journey of coming into the Christ Walk has been growing inside of me. Yes, I feel like I just stumbled upon it on Thursday but that is definitely not the case. God has been so present in my life and I haven't even realized it.... I finally figured it out.
We had a great time and the boys were down at the lake with me for the last half of the walk. I'm so happy I brought them along with me. I led some of the conversation about being a better mother and why I'm doing the Christ Walk but I also just let them wander and lead me around the dirt. We found several different sets of animal tracks - they squished in the wet dirt where the water runs out of the hill - they loved the crunchy dirt where you can peel layers off almost like cardboard... It was a great time out of the house with my boys. Even in that short time, we connected more than we had in a while.
I have plans to bring the husband along on one of my journeys... The whole family on another journey... Likely more than just one.
Now, onto Day Three.
A mysterious alarm on my phone went off and woke me up a little earlier than I would have preferred but instead of falling back to sleep I picked up my book and started reading. I was a bit groggy and just reading words without comprehending all of it. I was already telling myself that I'd have to come back and re-read the chapter. Then, I read this paragraph - "Do not be driven by worries about what others think; worry about what God thinks."
Yeah. That's me.
This line in the book was an entire paragraph. That's all that needed to be said. This chapter probably could've stopped right there and I would've been set. Of course this is something that I've heard before but something about highlighting that single-line paragraph got to me. I re-read part of the chapter and found this also - "We are all creatures of God. We are all made in God's image. Therefore, there is diversity in how we all look, but that does not make any of us less beautiful than the other. We are all amazingly beautiful."
I haven't had very many moments in my life that I remember being excited about the way that I looked and even have some anxiety when getting ready to go out and about. I always see the flaws and the work in progress and I always wonder what others are going to think of me. Can they tell I've put on 5 pounds... 15 pounds... My arms are chubby. My legs are HUGE - why are these muscles so bulky? I have a zit. They're going to be staring at my crusty red zit..! My husband has bared the brunt of these self-criticisms and I know it's one of his least favorite qualities of mine. He thinks I'm unbelievably beautiful. He loves that I'm strong.
In the intro of the book we come up with goals for our 40 day Christ Walk. My mental goal was to speak to myself in a positive way. Don't be hard. Don't give up. Be the sunshine. I am officially DONE trashing myself. I quit. I QUIT. My legs are strong. They are carrying me on this Christ Walk. My arms are strong and I can carry my babies to their beds. It'll be hard to get over the zits.......... But I'll work on it.... :) Body shaming myself is over.
I have been created in His image. He built me. The problems that I have with my body have been created by me. This roller coaster of self-disrespect is the journey that led me here to change my life.
Whew.
This morning I went to Zumba and had an amazing workout. I LOVE Zumba. The music... The people... The challenge... We all push ourselves to the next level and we all support each other. Today we did a new routine to one of my favorite new songs. How perfect does this fit my thoughts and reading for the day..?
"I thank God every day
That I woke up feeling' this way
And I can't help lovin' myself
And I don't need nobody else"
Well, almost perfect.
At Zumba, we pick a poster to be our focus for the day. "I will not be stopped." "I'm doing this for me." "Hustle for that muscle." There is also a blank poster in the middle where we can write whatever we want.
At the beginning of the year, I participated in a weight-loss challenge through Zumba and lost around 10 pounds and as many inches. Weighing in and being measured each week kept me accountable and I am competitive... I wanted to WIN! I got nervous as the challenge ended that I would going to fall back into my old ways because I wasn't going to have to be held accountable. Our teacher was also due to have a baby anytime and my 4-5 times a week Zumba habit was going to be put on hold. So I wrote on the poster. "I will not be stopped. I will beat the old me." - 2/21/16
Our teacher had her baby just about a week after I wrote this and just like I told myself not to, I started to slip.
It wasn't just because I couldn't be at Zumba. We completed building our house and moved in towards the end of March. For me, February through May were kind of a blur.
When Zumba classes started back up, back to class I went and I wrote this on the poster. "My success is in my hands - no one else's...!! - 4/21/16
I did well from April to June - attending Zumba as often as I could. I was getting back on track and then when June hit, I was traveling for a lot of the month and was MIA from all of Zumba. July came around and I was still a no-show for Zumba. Summertime, schedules... It was hard to get myself back into the game.
Finally, the last week of July and I got myself back to Zumba.
When I was finally faced with the posters, I had just started the Christ Walk that day. I knew what I had written in April and knew immediately that my statement was wrong. I wanted to cross it out and replace it, but I didn't. I just drew an arrow down and wrote the following. "My success is in His hands! I can't do it alone." - 7/28/16
That one neon poster holds my entire journey. Seeing that transformation of wanting to beat the old me, thinking it was all up to me, and then realizing it is so much bigger than just me.... I realize that this journey of coming into the Christ Walk has been growing inside of me. Yes, I feel like I just stumbled upon it on Thursday but that is definitely not the case. God has been so present in my life and I haven't even realized it.... I finally figured it out.
Christ Walk says you can use other forms of exercise than just walking for your journey. For each 15 minutes of exercise you can give yourself a mile of walking. So by that theory, I would already be at 4 miles for the day. As much as Zumba does for my physical and mental well-being, it isn't the quiet time to myself walking and pondering what I'm doing. I'm making a point to do Intentional Walking each day. At least 2.2 miles of straight-up walking every day.
Today, I'm going to walk those 2.2 miles and love myself. Be proud of myself. But it won't be just me out there walking. I'm bringing God with me.
Friday, July 29, 2016
Christ Walk - Day Two
I woke up today and did as I planned. I will admit I grabbed my phone first to check the time but then reached for the Christ Walk book I left by my bed. Day Two isn't a beefy chapter at all. It is mostly informational and seems a little more geared to those just starting in walking. So after I finished reading, I wondered where I would find my focus for prayer while I was walking today... I assumed I would just start walking and stumble upon some thoughts. Not exactly the case.
Shortly after this, I was tested.
I didn't know this was a test and just took it to heart and got a bit sad. Then I realized... it was a test. I've started something new and wonderful and immediately got a distraction thrown my way. Instead of letting this derail me and ruin my day, I believe I have found the focus for my walk today. The first thing that came into my head when I realized this was:
Do you know what this is? This is God talking to me - as simple as that... Nothing fancy. Just telling me what my next move should be. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
My mom shared this with me right after I had Wyatt. I was having some challenging evenings, mostly just getting very anxious about what the night might have in store for me with a brand new baby. I read this often and was able to find peace in it. Around that time, something wild happened to me that I will cherish forever and never forget.
One night, when Wyatt was a baby, after I had been telling myself not to be anxious and to give it to God, I had a dream. In my dream, I was somewhere outside with Wyatt. Of course, this was a dream so I have no idea where I was - I feel like it was kind of a forest area... I was on the outside of it but also in it at some point. I was just walking, holding Wyatt, and I realized it was about to storm. What in the world was I going to do?! What a mistake I had made...! I was outside with my small baby and going to get stuck in a storm. I had no idea where to go because we were in the middle of nowhere. Sure enough, it started to rain and then storm while we were out in the woods. Next thing I know, I'm not out in the woods in the rain anymore... I'm in the church I grew up in. The church I still attend today. How in the world did that happen? One second I was out in the pouring rain with my brand new baby and the next I was safe inside our empty church....
This dream was almost 6 years ago but I still remember it so well and still get lost in the wonder of it. That was the first time in my life that I really believe that God spoke to me. "Lindsey... It's going to be okay because you have me. You have the church...."
I'm being tested. Right here at the start of something new. So I will carry Philippians 4:6 with me on a piece of paper while I walk, along with the two scriptures the Christ Walk gave me today.
"Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise." - Deuteronomy 11:19
"All things can be done for the one who believes." - Mark 9:23
I'm hoping to find answers again today on my walk. I'm a little skeptical because what I'm hoping to get answers for is bigger than just ME. Who knows what will come from this.... I have been given some tools to carry with me along with the way. I have a feeling the time alone outside listening to my feet in the grass, the gravel, the dirt will lead me somewhere. Hopefully.
Hmmm. I said earlier that Day Two of Christ Walk wasn't very beefy. Well... That escalated quickly.....
Shortly after this, I was tested.
I didn't know this was a test and just took it to heart and got a bit sad. Then I realized... it was a test. I've started something new and wonderful and immediately got a distraction thrown my way. Instead of letting this derail me and ruin my day, I believe I have found the focus for my walk today. The first thing that came into my head when I realized this was:
Do you know what this is? This is God talking to me - as simple as that... Nothing fancy. Just telling me what my next move should be. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
My mom shared this with me right after I had Wyatt. I was having some challenging evenings, mostly just getting very anxious about what the night might have in store for me with a brand new baby. I read this often and was able to find peace in it. Around that time, something wild happened to me that I will cherish forever and never forget.
One night, when Wyatt was a baby, after I had been telling myself not to be anxious and to give it to God, I had a dream. In my dream, I was somewhere outside with Wyatt. Of course, this was a dream so I have no idea where I was - I feel like it was kind of a forest area... I was on the outside of it but also in it at some point. I was just walking, holding Wyatt, and I realized it was about to storm. What in the world was I going to do?! What a mistake I had made...! I was outside with my small baby and going to get stuck in a storm. I had no idea where to go because we were in the middle of nowhere. Sure enough, it started to rain and then storm while we were out in the woods. Next thing I know, I'm not out in the woods in the rain anymore... I'm in the church I grew up in. The church I still attend today. How in the world did that happen? One second I was out in the pouring rain with my brand new baby and the next I was safe inside our empty church....
This dream was almost 6 years ago but I still remember it so well and still get lost in the wonder of it. That was the first time in my life that I really believe that God spoke to me. "Lindsey... It's going to be okay because you have me. You have the church...."
I'm being tested. Right here at the start of something new. So I will carry Philippians 4:6 with me on a piece of paper while I walk, along with the two scriptures the Christ Walk gave me today.
"Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise." - Deuteronomy 11:19
"All things can be done for the one who believes." - Mark 9:23
I'm hoping to find answers again today on my walk. I'm a little skeptical because what I'm hoping to get answers for is bigger than just ME. Who knows what will come from this.... I have been given some tools to carry with me along with the way. I have a feeling the time alone outside listening to my feet in the grass, the gravel, the dirt will lead me somewhere. Hopefully.
Hmmm. I said earlier that Day Two of Christ Walk wasn't very beefy. Well... That escalated quickly.....
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Christ Walk
Something happened today. It started as an ordinary day but took an interesting turn somewhere in the middle. God has recently put a new friend in my life. She has become a wonderful friend to me and we share a lot about our lives - our health and our faith... Today, we were chatting and she, like she always does, was supporting me and encouraging me forward. I was trying to understand why I have been having some struggles lately.... Wondering if I had a mental block or something that I needed to work through. I knew one thing that probably needed some attention was my faith. I had been thinking for a little while that I needed to start a devotional of some sort. Our previous pastor spoke in a sermon about reaching for the bible instead of reaching for your phone.... That struck me and for a while I've thought I need to start each morning with a devotional instead of mindless videos and Facebook this-and-that. So that was my first thought.
Then as I turned my head the other direction I saw a book sitting on my chair: Christ Walk: A 40-Day Spiritual Fitness Program. I've had this book in my possession for about a month but haven't opened it yet. When I saw that book today my head said, "Yep. There it is."
So, I think God spoke to me today.
Today is the start of something new for me and I've tried to decide if this is something I wanted to share or not. I've gotten a little flack for sharing EVERYTHING that happens in my life on Facebook. So I pondered this for a little while and decided that I was going to, of course, share this as well. Not because I want the attention or praise for this. The bulk of this journey will be in my head and not on these pages. I'm sharing because I want another avenue to keep me dedicated to this journey. Something else to hold me accountable. So, here it is.
Today was Day One of my Christ Walk and I already know this is going to change my life. I opened the book, read the intro and was immediately struck by several things. *Forgive me if I'm not citing and putting this information down in the proper format... Maybe I'll do a little research again on citing and sources and do this the proper way.*
This was my major takeaway from the intro...
"When I have the most internal conflict over my life, it is invariably because I am paying too much attention to the self, rather than what God is telling me. We are not put on this earth to focus on the SELF, rather what the self can do for God."
Wow. That alone says it all. That explains the days when I don't want to do this or that and I find myself avoiding it by opening the cabinets and the refrigerator. It explains the days when I decide to just sit down and lose myself in my phone instead of addressing the to-do list that I have for myself.
On Day One of Christ Walk you pick a journey. This is a biblical route that you choose to walk, run, pray, whatever (the distance of) during the next forty days. I have decided to take The Jerusalem Challenge. Roughly 2.2 miles per day, this takes you on Jesus' final days through Jerusalem - preaching, his last meal, his arrest, trial, Peter's denial and then his crucifixion. The book writes, "Can you walk forty days in Jesus' shoes?" "What a powerful image to walk the distance of Christ's ultimate sacrifice for us each day."
I decided to start by walking to get the mail. I stepped out of the garage and as I closed my door behind me I stopped and thought - this is it. This is the new life I'm looking for. Closing that door on who I have been and starting new right here. I looked down at my Garmin to see how many steps I was at so far. 3316. I looked again. 3316. 3:16. John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Well. Maybe that's another sign.
I walked to get the mail. The sound of the gravel under my feet was awesome. The wind was blowing, the clouds were beautiful, the bean field was waving all around me. I felt more in touch with nature in that 5 minutes than I have in a long time.
After I walked to get the mail, I decided to head down to where we eventually will build a lake. It's a big, dry, empty dirt field right now. I made laps around it and couldn't believe how much I enjoyed the sound of the dirt under my feet. The loose dirt, the hard dirt, the softer dirt where water runs out of the hill, the crunchy dirt where the clay has dried up.... Whoever would have thunk that there were so many exciting sounds made by dirt...... Hah. Who am I?
I walked and thought about Jesus' many journeys and those of his disciples.... And how in the world did anyone know where they were going?! What would it be like to not know when you were going to eat again...? Or have another drink of water...?
I spoke out loud to God. One thing that stuck with me during this time was when I wondered, why haven't I ever been able to stick with my success...? Why do I always lose my balance and control and fall back to who I was...? I heard my answer today. I haven't included God on my journey. This time, he's leading my journey.
At one point in my laps I saw two yellow butterflies. I decided to stop and look at them. I know... I sound so crunchy, granola right now.... I came upon two yellow butterflies, I befriended them while they were fluttering among the weeds. I was sad to see them go, but happy for the time we spent together. I know... I hear it, too.... The butterflies. I see butterflies randomly but don't pay much attention to them really, so I watched these for just a little bit. Later, I decided to Google yellow butterflies and also realized that they were a little sign for me. "Yellow butterflies symbolize 'new life', a transformation, rebirth."
Sold. Even more reassurance that this whole day is much bigger than I can ever build on my own.
I'm looking so forward to Day Two of my Christ Walk. I'm not sure if I'll blog each day about this or not... but stay tuned. It's just the beginning.
My physical goal for Christ Walk:
-To be more active and respectful of my body.
My spiritual goal for Christ Walk:
-To connect with God each day. Go there first.
My mental goal for Christ Walk:
-To speak to myself in a positive way. Don't be hard. Don't give up. Be the sunshine.
Then as I turned my head the other direction I saw a book sitting on my chair: Christ Walk: A 40-Day Spiritual Fitness Program. I've had this book in my possession for about a month but haven't opened it yet. When I saw that book today my head said, "Yep. There it is."
So, I think God spoke to me today.
Today is the start of something new for me and I've tried to decide if this is something I wanted to share or not. I've gotten a little flack for sharing EVERYTHING that happens in my life on Facebook. So I pondered this for a little while and decided that I was going to, of course, share this as well. Not because I want the attention or praise for this. The bulk of this journey will be in my head and not on these pages. I'm sharing because I want another avenue to keep me dedicated to this journey. Something else to hold me accountable. So, here it is.
Today was Day One of my Christ Walk and I already know this is going to change my life. I opened the book, read the intro and was immediately struck by several things. *Forgive me if I'm not citing and putting this information down in the proper format... Maybe I'll do a little research again on citing and sources and do this the proper way.*
This was my major takeaway from the intro...
"When I have the most internal conflict over my life, it is invariably because I am paying too much attention to the self, rather than what God is telling me. We are not put on this earth to focus on the SELF, rather what the self can do for God."
Wow. That alone says it all. That explains the days when I don't want to do this or that and I find myself avoiding it by opening the cabinets and the refrigerator. It explains the days when I decide to just sit down and lose myself in my phone instead of addressing the to-do list that I have for myself.
On Day One of Christ Walk you pick a journey. This is a biblical route that you choose to walk, run, pray, whatever (the distance of) during the next forty days. I have decided to take The Jerusalem Challenge. Roughly 2.2 miles per day, this takes you on Jesus' final days through Jerusalem - preaching, his last meal, his arrest, trial, Peter's denial and then his crucifixion. The book writes, "Can you walk forty days in Jesus' shoes?" "What a powerful image to walk the distance of Christ's ultimate sacrifice for us each day."
I decided to start by walking to get the mail. I stepped out of the garage and as I closed my door behind me I stopped and thought - this is it. This is the new life I'm looking for. Closing that door on who I have been and starting new right here. I looked down at my Garmin to see how many steps I was at so far. 3316. I looked again. 3316. 3:16. John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Well. Maybe that's another sign.
I walked to get the mail. The sound of the gravel under my feet was awesome. The wind was blowing, the clouds were beautiful, the bean field was waving all around me. I felt more in touch with nature in that 5 minutes than I have in a long time.
After I walked to get the mail, I decided to head down to where we eventually will build a lake. It's a big, dry, empty dirt field right now. I made laps around it and couldn't believe how much I enjoyed the sound of the dirt under my feet. The loose dirt, the hard dirt, the softer dirt where water runs out of the hill, the crunchy dirt where the clay has dried up.... Whoever would have thunk that there were so many exciting sounds made by dirt...... Hah. Who am I?
I walked and thought about Jesus' many journeys and those of his disciples.... And how in the world did anyone know where they were going?! What would it be like to not know when you were going to eat again...? Or have another drink of water...?
I spoke out loud to God. One thing that stuck with me during this time was when I wondered, why haven't I ever been able to stick with my success...? Why do I always lose my balance and control and fall back to who I was...? I heard my answer today. I haven't included God on my journey. This time, he's leading my journey.
At one point in my laps I saw two yellow butterflies. I decided to stop and look at them. I know... I sound so crunchy, granola right now.... I came upon two yellow butterflies, I befriended them while they were fluttering among the weeds. I was sad to see them go, but happy for the time we spent together. I know... I hear it, too.... The butterflies. I see butterflies randomly but don't pay much attention to them really, so I watched these for just a little bit. Later, I decided to Google yellow butterflies and also realized that they were a little sign for me. "Yellow butterflies symbolize 'new life', a transformation, rebirth."
Sold. Even more reassurance that this whole day is much bigger than I can ever build on my own.
I'm looking so forward to Day Two of my Christ Walk. I'm not sure if I'll blog each day about this or not... but stay tuned. It's just the beginning.
My physical goal for Christ Walk:
-To be more active and respectful of my body.
My spiritual goal for Christ Walk:
-To connect with God each day. Go there first.
My mental goal for Christ Walk:
-To speak to myself in a positive way. Don't be hard. Don't give up. Be the sunshine.
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