Well, I'm nearing the end of my 2nd week of "Body for Life". Up until now, I had changed the name to "Pain for Life". I know I have a ways to go, but to be honest, I think the worst is almost over in the workout area. Here are a few highlights for me.
My first week was interesting. Michelle and I went to the gym for our leg workout. I knew this leg workout would be a test of our marriage. We decided to alternate exercises so we could finish our workouts quicker than the two hours it took us the first time. (The first workout, we had to have some extra time for tears. I'm surprised we survived.) Well, unfortunately, the exercise I picked for Michelle was "lunges". Let me tell you. She hates lunges. After her first set, I think I got a look that our lives together were almost over. She assured me later that it made her love for me stronger after the experience was done. I'm not sure I believe her. These days, I sleep with one eye open.
We get home from our first leg "exercise" and grunted and snorted upstairs. Michelle decides to check her email while I go off to bedroom to change clothes. (I really went to weep bitterly, but I didn't want Michelle to know this.) Upon changing, I hear Michelle yell "OOOAAAHH!!!" in the most horrible noise that I think I've ever heard her make. At this point, I feel like something is wrong, so go to her laptop to see if she's ok. She wasn't at the laptop, so I hit the stairs. Upon going down one step, this horrible noise came out of my mouth: "OOOAAAHH!!!" I then realized I had retraced my wife's path with both legs and noise. I was slow, but I knew not to ask her if she was ok. I think she would have kicked my rear if she could have raised her foot high enough to reach it.
So the morning of my run after the leg "slaughter" as I like to call it, I was laying in bed feeling a slight "discomfort" at 5:00AM. Not thinking and half awake, I rolled out of the bed like any other day and I had a slight shock when my feet hit the floor. As my leg muscles (what was left of them) began to support my weight, I pretty much was at a standstill. I leaned forward and let momentum carry me into the bathroom, trying not to bend my knees. Relying totally on bone structure and not muscles to keep me on two feet.
With this all together, I limp to my truck to get to work for a "brisk" 20 minute run. By the end of this run, I was at almost a full sprint. I've learned that you can still run if need be, even if your legs are sore. Stopping.... that's another story. At one point in the run, I thought I was about to see Jesus. The words "Lord, receive my spirit" came to mind when I hit the fastest part of my run. I did not think I'd get off the treadmill. I figured I was going to fly off and my body was going to embed into the wall. I could see the police making a chalk line on the wall where my body was stuck. I'm sure I could have made some sort of Wile E. Coyote pose before I died to make it difficult to draw. Somehow I survived.
Do you know that after a leg workout and a run, your legs get sorer? I got upstairs (ok, I took the elevator. Forget the stairs) and realized I had to sit down. I was very glad my chair had wheels. I decided to bend my legs ever so slightly and let gravity take me the rest of the way there. After my chair rolled back 4 feet, I slowly scooted to my work area.
Thus the next problem. On this program, you have to drink 10 cups of water a day. I had a 4 cup jug I went through and realized that water makes you go to the bathroom more than other fluids. So as I sat there, I debated the effort it would take to get out of my seat vs. wetting my pants. I'm really glad my counters support my entire weight, because my last option was to roll to the bathroom in my chair and go from there. I was not sure how I could explain rolling my office chair to the john.
On a serious note, I've learned that change can be painful, but on the other side of it, the pain makes you stronger. I got a great example of this in the program. There are things that hurt me that first week that don't hurt me now. Even if the pain comes, it is no where near the intensity it was when I started. I will stick with this until I'm completely who I want to be.
I think this mimics life. Change can be a very painful process, no matter what you do, but in the end, you are a much stronger person. We have to change constantly to draw closer to God, because He is the one that never changes. It's us. If we quit changing, we are missing something.
Also, I really am glad to be doing this with Michelle. We will have stories to share for years. It really has made us stronger mentally and physically. I figure that if I have more energy, I have more to give to my Lord. I think that's the goal for me anyway.
God bless,
Dave
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Waiting on the Lord…
“Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord…”
Such a great song by Chris Tomlin. You have likely heard it on the radio or sung in church. I had never really paid close attention to the lyrics until recently.
If you are anything like me, it is VERY difficult to wait on much of anything, especially to wait upon the Lord. We live in an instant society where we need results fast. Even as I wrote this I was sitting in an airport –people watching, sending email and corresponding via instant messenger with a friend all while WAITING for the airplane. The interesting thing is that I was “doing” a lot of different activities as I was waiting. Life is just like that – as we wait on God – we should continue to live life.
The problem is that some people can get caught on the fact that God has not responded yet and they feel as if they are frozen in time unable to move forward until God responds. God does not expect us to sit idle as we wait on an answer from him.
The reality is that Strength comes from exercise and activity. We must get up off the threshing floor of our troubles and put our life back into motion. As we move, we strengthen ourselves and we can then start to move towards God’s will. During this time we must seek God through prayer and his word. It’s really all about conditioning. For example, I go to the gym several times a week to “condition” my muscles. It is hard work – many times painful and the pain last hours if not a day or two depending on how hard I am working that muscle group. The end result is a stronger muscle. There cannot be conditioning without action.
Waiting on God is a conditioning as well. A conditioning of the heart and soul… it is hard work… it is painful and the pain can last for a period of time. The end result of waiting on God is strength and above all a trust in God we didn’t have before we started waiting.
By Philip A. Foster
Such a great song by Chris Tomlin. You have likely heard it on the radio or sung in church. I had never really paid close attention to the lyrics until recently.
If you are anything like me, it is VERY difficult to wait on much of anything, especially to wait upon the Lord. We live in an instant society where we need results fast. Even as I wrote this I was sitting in an airport –people watching, sending email and corresponding via instant messenger with a friend all while WAITING for the airplane. The interesting thing is that I was “doing” a lot of different activities as I was waiting. Life is just like that – as we wait on God – we should continue to live life.
The problem is that some people can get caught on the fact that God has not responded yet and they feel as if they are frozen in time unable to move forward until God responds. God does not expect us to sit idle as we wait on an answer from him.
The reality is that Strength comes from exercise and activity. We must get up off the threshing floor of our troubles and put our life back into motion. As we move, we strengthen ourselves and we can then start to move towards God’s will. During this time we must seek God through prayer and his word. It’s really all about conditioning. For example, I go to the gym several times a week to “condition” my muscles. It is hard work – many times painful and the pain last hours if not a day or two depending on how hard I am working that muscle group. The end result is a stronger muscle. There cannot be conditioning without action.
Waiting on God is a conditioning as well. A conditioning of the heart and soul… it is hard work… it is painful and the pain can last for a period of time. The end result of waiting on God is strength and above all a trust in God we didn’t have before we started waiting.
By Philip A. Foster
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
From There to Here
Well, it's been a big year in 2008 for me. I learned how to be a little more handy around the house. All the men's projects the group does has really helped me grow there. I know even more so now of how I'm influenced by the people around me.
I look at what God has done for my marriage and a decision I made in 2004 when the Passion of the Christ came out. I left the movie thinking, "If He did that for me, then I have so much I want to do for Him." After making that decision, my marriage improved, my life changed.
I've watched the Small Group that I know God led me to, grow into this great group of people. I have a family reunion almost every Wednesday and you can't beat it as far as people go. It's been a great run for me, full of ups and downs. People come and people go from the fold, but until God tells me not to, I will be here.
I guess that leads me to 2009. What's next? I don't know specifically to be honest. I've learned we have 5 general responses to God's grace and I'm going to continue to do those things.
I know we will face so many different things in our lives this year, but I have a family of people to face it with. I have a God who has never abandoned me, even though He had every right to choose to do so. In return, I choose Him. Knowing that alone, it's going to be a great year!
God bless,
Dave
I look at what God has done for my marriage and a decision I made in 2004 when the Passion of the Christ came out. I left the movie thinking, "If He did that for me, then I have so much I want to do for Him." After making that decision, my marriage improved, my life changed.
I've watched the Small Group that I know God led me to, grow into this great group of people. I have a family reunion almost every Wednesday and you can't beat it as far as people go. It's been a great run for me, full of ups and downs. People come and people go from the fold, but until God tells me not to, I will be here.
I guess that leads me to 2009. What's next? I don't know specifically to be honest. I've learned we have 5 general responses to God's grace and I'm going to continue to do those things.
- Fellowship: Sharing God's love with others
- Outreach: Serving and witnessing
- Worship: This is both posture and praise
- Prayer: Communication with God. Praying & fasting to God
- Study: Implementing His Word in my life
I know we will face so many different things in our lives this year, but I have a family of people to face it with. I have a God who has never abandoned me, even though He had every right to choose to do so. In return, I choose Him. Knowing that alone, it's going to be a great year!
God bless,
Dave
Thursday, January 1, 2009
The Tale of Desperaux - A reminder of heroes
Ok, Michelle talked me into seeing this film because I really wasn't about it at all. It looked good enough, but I never thought that I'd like it. It was going to be a labor of love from me for my wife to go see this one.
At the end of it, I was floored. I won't give the details of the movie, but Desperaux basically is a mouse hero. They try to make him conform to his society, but he doesn't and refuses to. Desperaux desides to be a gentleman, noble and heroic.
The princess asks if he's a mouse and his reply is "I'm a gentleman." Really, she tried to define him by what his species was, and Desperaux replies back with who his heart defines him as.
Do you remember super hero movies growing up? The super heroes had it all together and they did what they did because they choose to be noble, heroic, people of character.
Today when we see a super hero, we see people focusing in on vengence, or they are trying to right a wrong or something has happened tragic in their lives and it has transformed them. It's all well and good, but some heroes today even come across as being evil themselves.
So the question is: Where did all the old hero stories go? Well, when it's said and done, they aren't "deep" to people and the hero stories of old have been forgotten.
The reminder is: We need real heroes. We need people who choose to forgive, choose to be noble, choose to rise above their circumstances and make a point to honor God with their lives. Our world needs heroes to feed the poor, help the homeless, become politicians and maintain integrity, run businesses honorably, become notable husbands, wives, fathers and moms. We need people willing to sacrifice... to stand.
I walked out of this "kid's" movie today with a reminder of what that is. My prayer for us in 2009 is that we are intentional about being heroic. There's so much more I could mention here about Desperaux and the parallels of honorable people and the Christian walk, but go see the movie for yourselves with this in mind and the comparisons are in your face. Some are not comparisons at all. Some are direct lessons.
Thanks honey for making me "endure" this one.
God bless,
Dave
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