So it’s been a long journey from religious habit to heart-relationship with God. We’re certainly not at our final destination yet, but I imagine that will only happen when I’m no longer here on planet earth!

But good things are happening. I find myself now able to turn to God more naturally, in conversation. I am starting to hunger for His word, and I’m listening to the Bible as I sleep (with my funky new SleepPhones!) I’ve also been reading a daily devotional most mornings called “Joy and Strength” which I love. It’s not the frothy, superficial “cup of coffee for a woman’s soul” kind of devotional. It has real meat in it. For example, this is what I read the other day:

“As soon as I woke in the morning I threw myself into the arms of Divine Love as a child does into its father’s arms. I rose to serve Him, and to perform my daily labor simply that I might please Him. If I had time for prayer, I fell on my knees in His divine presence, consecrated myself to Him, and begged Him that He would accomplish His holy will perfectly in me, and through me, and that He would not permit me to offend Him in the least thing all through the day,. I occupied myself with Him and His praise as long as my duties permitted. Very often, I had not leisure to say even so much as the Lord’s Prayer during the day, but that did not trouble me. I thought it as much my duty to work for Him as to pray to Him, for He, Himself had taught me, that all that I should do for love of Him would be a true prayer. I loved Him and rejoiced in Him. If my occupations required all my attention, I had nevertheless my heart turned towards Him; and, as soon as they were finished, I ran to Him again, as to my dearest Friend. When evening came, and every one went to rest, I found mine only in the Divine Love, and fell asleep, still loving and adoring Him.” (Armelle Nicolas)

Ahhh. This is what my heart longs for, and this is what my stone heart is beginning to experience. Just a small beginning, but a beginning, nonetheless!

Strange. As we enter the dark, dormant Winter season, my heart is celebrating Spring!

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Further to my “notes and quotes” post of last Friday on the book Younger Next Year for Women: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy – Until You’re 80 and Beyond I wanted to add one more important point the authors make about staying young and healthy.  This is regarding faith:

People who search for meaning in their lives and their experiences survive loss better, cancer better, heart disease better, and have healthier immune chemistry, lower C-6 markers of inflammation and lower risks of stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.  People who report that faith is an important part of their lives have mortality rates a third lower than average.  They have lower blood pressures, and lower blood sugar levels, spend fewer days in the hospital and report substantially higher levels of life satisfaction and emotional well-being.

Sounds like some pretty good reasons to search a little deeper for the answers to the “big” questions.

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I love the discipline of  “breath prayers” and I use them often in my day to relax, refocus, and de-stress.  I’ve started using them at the beginning of my walking as a form of warm-up, too.

I like to “collect” prayers to use in different situations.  Of course, you don’t need special words or phrases to get God’s attention, but sometimes I need them to get MY attention focused in the right place.

I’ve been reading a series of books lately by a woman named Liberty Savard and I have been really blessed by some of her teaching on prayer.  I took some of her suggestions and created a breath-prayer exercise for the beginning of my walking.  I thought I’d post it here in case you’d like to use it, too:

1. As you inhale slowly, pray “I bind myself to God’s truth, authenticity and integrity“ – and really visualize yourself “inhaling Christ” as it were. Pause for a brief second or two and then
2. Exhale and pray “I loose myself from all falsehood, lies, and deception” and imagine those things leaving your body. Pause.
3. Inhale and pray “I bind my will, passions, and purposes, to the will, passions and purposes of God” visualizing yourself inhaling these properties. Pause.
4. Exhale and pray “I loose myself from false pretensions, selfishness, greed, and fear” and exhale those things from your life. Pause.
5. Inhale and pray “I bind my mind to the mind of Christ, to hear the thoughts, intents, and purposes of His heart ”. Pause.
6. Exhale and and pray, “I loose myself from wrong thinking, behaviour, and attitudes”. Pause.
7. Inhale and pray “I bind my feet to God’s path for me, and my hands to the special work He’s ordained for me to accomplish in His Kingdom”. Pause.
8. Exhale and pray “I loose myself from the strongholds of unmet needs, unresolved issues, and unhealed hurts”. Pause.

I have a feeling that a prayer like that throughout your day could vastly change the way you see things!

Happy walking!

Darlene

(PS – don’t you think that picture looks just like me?  LOL!  I don’t know who owns it, but it’s pretty cool!)

To call me a “driven” person is an understatement (friends might use the term “scary”…) There’s something about my makeup that doesn’t allow me to tackle a day without to-do list of at least 30 items. I kid you not. There are always 27 different projects to work on, and I take my relationship with my kids and husband very seriously, so time needs to be set aside for that, as well. This means I live each day highly focused, and heaven help you if you get in my way when we’re not in “relationship” mode!

And there’s something about today’s society that makes this kind of lifestyle something to be deeply proud of. I mean whenever someone asks you how life is, “busy” and “stressed” seem to be appropriate, praise-worthy responses. Weird.

In my Monday’s Post I shared about the trip my husband and I took to Montana and the incredible sense of rest that it afforded us. My own faith stresses highly the importance of Sabbath.

This is an idea that has been buzzing around in my head and my heart for a long time. I actually do start each morning very slowly with time for devotions, praise, walking, and the like before I hit the ground running, but the idea of a whole day of Sabbath every week? That’s tough. Weekends are so short and so fully of “busy-ness” that it’s hard to figure out how to make it happen.

I believe more and more, though that it’s a vitally important part of true wellness, regardless of your spiritual beliefs – or lack of such. It takes some work to make it happen (that sounds like a contradiction in terms…) but the results are well worth it. Here are some links that you might find helpful (if you’re not religious, these ideas can be used as a starting place and be adapted to suit your own needs):

• Here’s a great sermon about the Sabbath from one of the Pastor’s at my church. This will give you some great, balanced teaching about the Sabbath to get you started.
• What is Sabbath? This site will help you explore the idea of Sabbath and offers some good questions and suggestions for getting started. There is also a section on this site specifically for kids, and some specific activities you can try out together as a family.
• Here are some more ideas for things you can do as a family on the Sabbath
• Here is a whole book of ideas put out by the Seventh Day Adventists: 100 Creative Ideas for Sabbath

Of course, you could also try going for a walk as a family (couldn’t miss the opportunity of saying that, now could I?

• You could check out this site for ideas for younger children, and this site has games and activities for the whole family.
• If your family is as dependent on iPods for life and sustenance as our family is, you can download this 99 cent app that creates a sort of treasure hunt while walking.
• You can even download a FREE copy of my “Kids are No Excuse” e-report that shows you lots of different ways to involve your kids with walking

So those are some ideas that can help you get started. I honestly don’t believe it matters what day you chose – pick a day that works best for everyone, and then fight to keep it sacred.

I’d be really interested in hearing your ideas about Sabbath and to have you share in anything you might have tried that works for you. Post your comments below.

Happy resting!

Darlene

On Wednesday I shared the experience I have with walking with a Rosary. Another cool meditation tool for walking is walking a labyrinth.

I heard about labyrinth’s a few years back when I got very involved with studying Catholic Mysticism. After that I looked for opportunities to walk one, and while there aren’t many around here, there are a couple – one at Kingsfold Retreat Centre, and one at the FCJ Christian Life Center

I love walking the Labyrinth because there’s a slow rhythm, there’s mindfulness, and there’s peace. You go into the centre with something on your heart, seeking God’s will, and come out with peace. It’s a very long walk covering a very small space, and unless you’ve walked that particular labyrinth or pattern several times, you are always suprised at where you end up, at how the path unfolds. It’s kind of like life. I just wish I could walk life with the same kind of mindfulness as I walk a labyrinth!

This morning I stumbled on this article about the labyrinth, and thought it was a helpful piece to understand how it works and how to walk it. This article from Kingsfold is also very helpful.

If you want to find a labyrinth near you, check this Labyrinth Locator

If you want to read more about the Labyrinth, here’s a great book: Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth

Happy Walking!

Darlene

PS – you can even get a labyrinth on your iPod Touch (I ♥♥♥♥♥♥ my iPod Touch!) here: iPause

In our ladies’ bible study this session we are looking at the book “Walking by Faith: Lessons Learned in the Dark (Workbook)“.  It’s been a fun study,  but there have been times when it whacked me up the side of the head.

Today was one of those days.  We looked at two verses:

And be very careful around them so you don’t lose out on what we’ve worked so diligently in together; I want you to get every reward you have coming to you. Anyone who gets so progressive in his thinking that he walks out on the teaching of Christ, walks out on God. But whoever stays with the teaching, stays faithful to both the Father and the Son. 2 John 1:8-9

and

You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.

I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. 1 Corinthians 9:24-26

As I read these, I felt that God was asking me what training program I’m on with my faith. Sure, I read the Bible, I participate in the Ladies’ studies 2x a year, I pray, but here’s the crunch:  What is my plan? Where am I headed? What are my goals?

When I trained for the marathon I had a specific training schedule. I woke up each day, 6 days a week, and looked at that schedule to see:

1. How long was I walking today (anything from 8k to 36k)?
2. What was the purpose (speed training, endurance, hills, etc)

So, as a Christian I am good at the first part – what’s the Bible study lesson today? What am I reading? Who am I praying for?

It’s the second part that has been missing: What am I lacking? How do I need to train to overcome that weakness?

I mean, I’ve done studies on areas where I’m weak.  I’ve prayed about those things.  But I’ve never engaged in an actual time of training and testing – on purpose – to overcome them.

I can imagine God would be delighted to have me come to Him and say, “Ok, God, I’m a mess here.  This is an area I really want to give over to You and have you heal.  Set up a training program, share it with me, and let’s get on with mastering this area”.

Over this next month I want to experiment with this.  Not sure in what area yet – there are SO many areas that need help in my life, LOL! – but this is my prayer:

God, I’m not happy with being a flabby Christian.  I know how to “squeak by” really well without letting others know how messed up things are inside.  You know, though, and You know the best way to tackle my weaknesses.  show me what needs work now, and set up a training program for me to follow.

Be my coach, and turn me into a spiritual athlete.

Amen

Join me?  I’d love to hear your comments.

Darlene

I am a driven, type-A, hyper-focused sort of person – you probably hadn’t guessed that yet!

As I prepared for the last marathon I was so focused on the goals of each individual session, that I forgot to savour the journey.  I didn’t hear birds sing, or spend much time admiring the scenery.  I usually listened to a morning devotional on my iPod, but often found that I had tuned out, to focus more on my walking form or speed.

Dumb.

I live life that way, too.  I end up spending so much time focused on where I’m heading, that I miss much of what’s along the way, living most of my life in the future.

Really dumb.

But I do learn (thankfully) and so as I embark on this next phase, I’m going to be spending a good deal of my time learning to live mindfully, to train mindfully, to spend time focused on the here and now, and what God is doing in, through, and around me.

I’m also learning – again and again – that God doesn’t speak in “sound bites” as much has he speaks in slow communion. If I’m going to hear God’ voice, I have to take time – good time – to listen, be with Him, read His word, ponder my life’s messages, and so on. Life with God doesn’t work well in the fast lane. I need to pull over and take time to breathe, listen with my heart, snuggle into His presence.

Jesus, slow me down!

Darlene

My Marathon Countdown – 9 days!

Hello all!

Today we’re going to start moving into some weight loss moves! I was stunned to see that I could go from a total couch potato, allergic to all exercise, to walking 300k a month, and not lose weight. Talk about depressing.

So I did some research, and discovered the joys of interval training, and the weight started coming off. I’ll share those secrets in these next few weeks.

So, here’s the line up for the coming week:

1. Equipment Needs: Download Prevention’s interval walking podcasts and have them ready. Also download “Pray-as-You-Go” for this week. We’ll only use three of them. I would also like to challenge you to spend the next forty days working through the book “The Purpose Driven® Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?*“. If you’ve already done it before, it’s a good idea to work through it again!

2. The Spiritual Challenge: We’ll continue to use “Pray-as-You-Go” on alternate walking days, and you will be working through “The Purpose Driven® Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?*“.

3. Nutritional Focus: Keeping up with your water, this week we are going to work on breakfast. There are just a few rules to remember for each breakfast, and they are:

1. Start with 1 oz of almonds
2. Eat 2-3 pieces of fruit or a fruit smoothie
3. Follow this with some oatmeal
4. Wait 5 hours before eating your lunch unless you have a blood sugar problem. Make sure your breakfast is sufficient to carry you that far.

4. The Exercise Program: Now that you are walking 10-15 minutes on a regular basis, we’re going to start adding some interval training. Because we are going to be increasing our speed, you need to focus a bit on walking posture so that you are walking as efficiently as possible. Don’t worry, it’s really not complicated. I’ve put a suggested walking plan below:

So that’s next week’s training plan. Try and find a friend to walk with – even if you walk at different times. Share your struggles, encourage each other, keep track of and celebrate your successes.

Post your results, struggles, triumphs and questions below!

Happy Walking!

Darlene

My Marathon Countdown: 16 days

Welcome to week 5 – how are you feeling? The water alone should be giving you more energy and clarity. I’d love to hear your feedback!

1. Equipment Needs: Download next week’s “Pray-As-You-Go” podcasts either from their site or from iTunes. You will also need to buy some raw, organic almonds, and soak them (you can see the instructions for doing so on this site).

2. The Spiritual Challenge: You will use the “Pray-as-you-go” podcast as a walking meditation this week.

3. Nutritional Focus: Something new! While still keeping up faithfully with your water, eat about 5-6 almonds right before each meal. Here’s why:

1. According to the BodyEcology diet website, almonds are one of the most nutritious of all nuts, and are a delicious source of protein, fiber, vitamin E, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Almonds are also the least acid-forming of all nuts.
2. More importantly than even that, according to the “Metabolic Balance” (C) diet, any protein eaten at the beginning of a meal jump-starts the fat-burning process of your body, so you automatically lose more weight.

   Check out more benefits and ideas for almonds here: Really Useful Fitness Blog

4. The Exercise Program: We’re going to continue to concentrate on our “designated walking times” this week, while still trying to remember to move as much as possible during the day. You need to find a workable time, five days a week, to go for a walk while listening to the podcast. The podcast is 10-13 minutes long, so I would suggest turning around after the first Bible Reading on the recording.

So that’s next week’s training plan. Remember to post your results, struggles, triumphs and questions below!

Happy Walking!

Darlene

My Marathon Countdown: 18 days

We’re back from our holidays. It was an incredible time, and a great chance to recharge, refocus, and reconnect. It was one of those rare holidays where I believe everyone got what they needed to get on with life now that we’re home.

For me, the biggest thing was seeing God. Let me explain.

We had all of the obvious pleasures – fun activities, lots of laughter, absolutely stunning scenery and the wonder of creation that goes with that, good conversation, safe travel, interesting discoveries, and good rest. God’s hand was in all of that, and I tried to make a point of acknowledging it.

However, it was other things that made me see the heart of God. Small things to most, but infinitely precious to me.

This marathon is an odd thing in my life. Totally out of character, but somehow a necessity for me. It was important to my heart and soul that I be somehow able to continue my training while we were away without causing frustration to my family. God understood, and showed me that in some special ways.

First of all, there was a beautiful walking path that started right at the end of the street we were on. It was long enough that I was able to do all my weekly mileage on it, while meandering through wetlands, gardens, and wilderness, along a beautiful little river. It met my mileage requirement and also fed my soul.

Then there were the shoes. A small thing, perhaps, but I really wanted the opportunity to see and really try those shoes without too much of a risk. At 50% off, I was able to do that with a clear conscience, and really enjoyed them.

There was also the fact that God woke me quietly every morning at 5:50 to give me the quiet time I needed to read, reflect, centre myself, and even poke on the computer, keeping up with my blog, without interfering with any family time. I was also able to get most of my walks finished before the family was ready to move into their day.

These are all tiny things, unimportant in the grand scale of eternity, but things that were important to me. They showed me a God who had things in hand not only for my needs, but also for my wants and desires. A God who “came through for me” in areas that are probably never going to affect eternity, but areas that would affect each day’s sense of peace, allowing me to give what needed to be given, because God saw that I recieved the things I needed to receive.

What an awesome God.

The only way I know how to respond to such love is in song. Jesus, this one’s for you:

Darlene
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