1 Peter 5:10-And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast (NIV).
Our fitness friend arranged our chairs in neat rows and convinced us to obediently follow her instructions. We did but we laughed when she added the source of each one!
1. Arise and walk - Genesis 13:17
2. Shake your feet - Matthew 10:14
3. Clap your hands - Psalm 47:1
4. Lift up your heads - Psalm 24:7
5. Rise up - Psalm 139:2b
6. Sit down - Psalm 139:2a
7. Look at one another - Acts 3:4
8. Laugh - Luke 6:21
9. Stand - Psalm 135:2
10. Shiver - Psalm 147:17
11. Dance - Ecclesiastes 3:4
12. Hug - Ecclesiastes 3:5
Found the perfect exercise program? Remember that long before our hips expanded, God planned that we be strong, firm and steadfast in every area of our lives.
Prayer- Lord, show us how to attack our slipshod places with Your energy. Make us a people willing to endure a little suffering for the end result. In Jesus‘ name. Amen.
: from Heartfelt, 366 Devotions for Common Sense Living,
-the modern devotional for today's woman-
by Brenda J. Wood
Heartfelt - Devotions for Common Sense Living
With the weeks leading up to Christmas, we are starting a new series of inspirational devotions. Brenda Wood has graciously offered us her devotions from her new book, Heartfelt – 366 Devotions for Common Sense Living. Enjoy!
My Shepherd
Psalm 23:1-2- The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters (KJV).
The buffet line was longer than my entire house. Did I want family food? Italian? Sushi? Chinese? Chocolate-covered, cream-filled desserts? YES! My knees weakened at the chocolate line. That’s when I recognized that my long-lived love of food had become an addiction. As a recovered bulimic I knew that I was capable of eating fifty thousand calories or more at a sitting.
Blessedly, Psalm 23 began to run through my mind. I certainly was in a green pasture. I could eat all I wanted and more, (only $9.99 with beverage extra)! But if the Lord is my shepherd, (and He is, I muttered to myself), I shall not want! I could lie down (a little loose translation here!) in this place and be satisfied. I prayed for strength, turned and stumbled back to my chair with only one serving of woman-losing-weight food. And the waters of greedy, poor me stilled.
What is yelling over the quiet, still voice of God? Is it an overloaded credit card? Does our smoking, eating, or gambling desire whine to be fed? Whatever our “feed-me-more” consider that the Lord is our shepherd. Rest in peace, knowing that we shall not want.
Prayer-Shepherd God, still the waters of our riotous minds and fill us with Yourself. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
: from Heartfelt, 366 Devotions for Common Sense Living,
-the modern devotional for today's woman-
by Brenda J. Wood
Staying Fit While Sitting All Day
Exercises & Stretches
Benefits of Exercise
* Elevates mood * Improves balance and mobility
* Maintains a healthy weight * Increases energy level
* Builds strength and tones muscles * A pure motive delights God
Discover the many benefits to exercise including feelings of accomplishment and wellbeing, increased energy, reduced stress and improved sleep patterns.
Stretches
Back
· Lean over and put hands on front thighs, curve your back upwards
· Keep head turned down, arch back up
Wrist
· Face palms together in front of chest
· Keep palms together, with hands in stationary position, slowly raise elbows upward as high as possible
Eyes
· Look away at distant things and blink frequently
· Imagine that you are looking at a clock; roll your eyes up to look at 12:00 o’clock, then move to each number on the face until you’re back at 12:00 - repeat counterclockwise
Neck
· Turn your head as if to look over one shoulder
· Hold and repeat for the other side
Shoulders
· Stand, arm behind your back, hold wrist with other hand
· Bend elbow and gently pull your arm across your back
· Hold and repeat for the other arm
Chest
· Stand, bring arms behind back
· Clasp hands together and gently pull arms back and up
Calf
· Stand in an upright stride position with right leg forward, right knee flexed
· Keep both feet flat on floor, slowly press back heel into the floor
· Repeat to opposite side
Exercises
Shoulder
· Stand with arms by your sides, palms facing side leg.
· Lead with bent elbows and slowly raise your arms out to your sides to shoulder height without rotating the arms.
· Your palms should face the floor at the top position with arms parallel to the floor.
· Pause briefly at the top of the move, then slowly lower to the starting position.
· Slowly raise your arms upward and forward to just below shoulder height.
· Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then slowly lower to starting position.
Shoulder
· Stand with arms comfortably hanging by your side, palms facing thigh.
· Keep your body straight, and lift the shoulders as high as possible.
· Pause at the top of the movement, then lower slowly to starting position.
Legs
· Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
· Keeping your body weight over your heels, bend forward at the hips and bend your knees in a squat until your thighs are as close to parallel to the floor as possible.
· Straighten your legs to the starting position without locking your knees.
Chest
· Stand in front of a wall, place hands in front of your shoulders on the wall with fingers pointing forward. Keep legs together and elbows bent.
· Push up from the wall by straightening your elbows, without locking them and keep the entire body in a straight line.
· Pause momentarily and slowly lower your chest to the starting position.
Wrist
· Extend and stretch both wrists and fingers as if they are in a hand-stand position
· Straighten both wrists and relax fingers
· Make a tight fist with both hands
· Bend both wrists down while keeping the fist
· Straighten both wrists and relax fingers
· Hang arms loosely at side and shake them for a couple of seconds
Eyes
· Close eyes and breathe deeply
· Cover eyes with palms, without pressing on eyeballs
· Uncover eyes after a few seconds
· Open by fluttering them and blinking
Hands
· Make a tight fist and hold for a second
· Spread fingers as far apart as you can for five seconds
Benefits of Exercise
* Elevates mood * Improves balance and mobility
* Maintains a healthy weight * Increases energy level
* Builds strength and tones muscles * A pure motive delights God
Discover the many benefits to exercise including feelings of accomplishment and wellbeing, increased energy, reduced stress and improved sleep patterns.
Stretches
Back
· Lean over and put hands on front thighs, curve your back upwards
· Keep head turned down, arch back up
Wrist
· Face palms together in front of chest
· Keep palms together, with hands in stationary position, slowly raise elbows upward as high as possible
Eyes
· Look away at distant things and blink frequently
· Imagine that you are looking at a clock; roll your eyes up to look at 12:00 o’clock, then move to each number on the face until you’re back at 12:00 - repeat counterclockwise
Neck
· Turn your head as if to look over one shoulder
· Hold and repeat for the other side
Shoulders
· Stand, arm behind your back, hold wrist with other hand
· Bend elbow and gently pull your arm across your back
· Hold and repeat for the other arm
Chest
· Stand, bring arms behind back
· Clasp hands together and gently pull arms back and up
Calf
· Stand in an upright stride position with right leg forward, right knee flexed
· Keep both feet flat on floor, slowly press back heel into the floor
· Repeat to opposite side
Exercises
Shoulder
· Stand with arms by your sides, palms facing side leg.
· Lead with bent elbows and slowly raise your arms out to your sides to shoulder height without rotating the arms.
· Your palms should face the floor at the top position with arms parallel to the floor.
· Pause briefly at the top of the move, then slowly lower to the starting position.
· Slowly raise your arms upward and forward to just below shoulder height.
· Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then slowly lower to starting position.
Shoulder
· Stand with arms comfortably hanging by your side, palms facing thigh.
· Keep your body straight, and lift the shoulders as high as possible.
· Pause at the top of the movement, then lower slowly to starting position.
Legs
· Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
· Keeping your body weight over your heels, bend forward at the hips and bend your knees in a squat until your thighs are as close to parallel to the floor as possible.
· Straighten your legs to the starting position without locking your knees.
Chest
· Stand in front of a wall, place hands in front of your shoulders on the wall with fingers pointing forward. Keep legs together and elbows bent.
· Push up from the wall by straightening your elbows, without locking them and keep the entire body in a straight line.
· Pause momentarily and slowly lower your chest to the starting position.
Wrist
· Extend and stretch both wrists and fingers as if they are in a hand-stand position
· Straighten both wrists and relax fingers
· Make a tight fist with both hands
· Bend both wrists down while keeping the fist
· Straighten both wrists and relax fingers
· Hang arms loosely at side and shake them for a couple of seconds
Eyes
· Close eyes and breathe deeply
· Cover eyes with palms, without pressing on eyeballs
· Uncover eyes after a few seconds
· Open by fluttering them and blinking
Hands
· Make a tight fist and hold for a second
· Spread fingers as far apart as you can for five seconds
50 Best Free Weight Loss Tools on the Web
Here's a site that may be of interest to you:
50 Best Free Weight Loss Tools on the Web
Check it out and let me know your thoughts on it.
Blessings on the road to health!
50 Best Free Weight Loss Tools on the Web
Check it out and let me know your thoughts on it.
Blessings on the road to health!
My Friend, My Mentor
You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17, The Message)
Attributes of a Mentor
Understanding Accepting Supportive
Involved in the community Good listener Open-minded
Positive Genuine Empathetic
Trustworthy Approachable Honest
Committed Respectful Sense of humour
Developing the Relationship
· Listen without interrupting
· Identify and reflect feelings
· Frame things from a positive perspective
· Use humour selectively and appropriately
· Follow the conversational “lead” of the talker
· Maintain eye contact, without staring or glaring
· Avoid using judgmental words like “you should” or “you shouldn’t”
· Using “I messages”, for example: “When you said ___ , I felt ___ .”
· Be yourself and share without completely switching the focus to you
· Help to identify options, pros and cons instead of giving advice
· Remain interested and focused on the person speaking
· Avoid dramatic or disapproving reactions
· Use “active listening” techniques
Luke 6:40
“A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”
Effective Mentoring
? Who has acted in a mentor role before? If so, can you describe the experience?
? Who has had a mentor before? If so, what was that like?
Equipping Mentors
· The partnership is fully confidential
· Mentors may take on more than one protégé at a time
· May have an opportunity to be a mentor in one partnership and a protégé in another
· Mentoring relationship will be as unique as the personalities, gifts and needs brought to it
Activity
Think about how you personally can make a difference in the lives of other women. Consider:
Whom could I be a mentor to?
Where might this mentoring process take place?
How much time am I able to devote to this?
How long am I prepared to be a mentor?
Now write down one thing, an action step, that you can take to begin the mentoring process.
Attributes of a Mentor
Understanding Accepting Supportive
Involved in the community Good listener Open-minded
Positive Genuine Empathetic
Trustworthy Approachable Honest
Committed Respectful Sense of humour
Developing the Relationship
· Listen without interrupting
· Identify and reflect feelings
· Frame things from a positive perspective
· Use humour selectively and appropriately
· Follow the conversational “lead” of the talker
· Maintain eye contact, without staring or glaring
· Avoid using judgmental words like “you should” or “you shouldn’t”
· Using “I messages”, for example: “When you said ___ , I felt ___ .”
· Be yourself and share without completely switching the focus to you
· Help to identify options, pros and cons instead of giving advice
· Remain interested and focused on the person speaking
· Avoid dramatic or disapproving reactions
· Use “active listening” techniques
Luke 6:40
“A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”
Effective Mentoring
? Who has acted in a mentor role before? If so, can you describe the experience?
? Who has had a mentor before? If so, what was that like?
Equipping Mentors
· The partnership is fully confidential
· Mentors may take on more than one protégé at a time
· May have an opportunity to be a mentor in one partnership and a protégé in another
· Mentoring relationship will be as unique as the personalities, gifts and needs brought to it
Activity
Think about how you personally can make a difference in the lives of other women. Consider:
Whom could I be a mentor to?
Where might this mentoring process take place?
How much time am I able to devote to this?
How long am I prepared to be a mentor?
Now write down one thing, an action step, that you can take to begin the mentoring process.
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