Extended periods of quiet reflection, centering down, paying attention to what's going on in the heart, meditiating on what's most excellent, what gives hope, what has the ability to touch my hurt, my longing, my confusion... Stopping to consider such things, I find, can go a long way in determinig the trajectory of my life.
HOWEVER....
Life is distracting. Especially in today's day and age... I have so much around me that demands my attention and it's funny how easily I give my attention so willingly. I am guilty of spending hours looking at the meaningless and boring status updates of people on Facebook, some I hardly know... or as I log in to check email how many times I do I venture off and read goofy news headlines and spend 30 additional minutes on the computer than I had originally planned to. I'm not trying to knock Facebook or email. I love these avenues for connecting and even meeting new people but for me they can be a source of major distraction to my spending time on more noble and important pursuits and I sometimes find I am miserably out of balance.
I recently taught a 2 week series in our church adult catalyst class on slowing down for the purpose of silence and solitude. As an introvert, I am naturally drawn to being alone to enjoy reflection and contemplation as my spiritual pathway to God. For most I know the idea of solitude for the purpose of meditiation and quieting down can be overwhelming and foreign. (to me that's so mind boggling... who wouldn't want to spend 3 hours alone to think and just be???? ahhh... I salivate just thinking about it). In the same breath I admit, that due to busyness, I don't do it often enough. I was challenged as I prepared for this class... I poured over different resources and found that getting quiet to allow for time and space to reflect is a key way for christians to grow in their faith and character and can even determine the future trajectory of life itself.
I like Romans 12:1.... "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind... then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is... his good perfect and pleasing will." I read about the desert fathers in some of the resources I looked over and they were convinced that if one took the call to be transformed seriously that solitude was a must. They said... "Solitude is the furnace in which transformation takes place". So according to this verse and the wisdom of the desert fathers we need to be renewed in our thinking in order to be transformed and the conduit of being transformed is solitude.
I was further challenged by thoughts I have already shared regarding distraction. I read in one resource called "The Way of the Heart" by Henry Nowen... " We move through life in a very distracted way... never taking the time to wonder if what we do, think and say are worth it."
The Bible talks about us taking off the old and putting on the new. I believe that the new self is the true self, the person God sees us as... the false self is what we naturally default to when we move through life in a distracted way, never taking time to think if what we do, think and say are worth it... Henry Nowen went on to say..."Our false self is fabricated by social compulsions... we spend a lot of time fearing for our identity. We all live this way... depending on the responses of others, needing ongoing and increasing affirmation. What matters to us most is how we are perceieved by the world. If busyness is good, I must look busy. If having money is a sign of real freedom I must claim more... If knowing people proves I'm important, then I must make more contacts. It's our continual lurking fear of failure that tends to drive everthing we do. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self... going with the flow without thoughts of what it means to take off the old and put on the new."
It seems again that to prevent us from becoming entangeld too deeply in the illusions of the false self, solitude might help.... What is solitude? Why would anyone seek solitude? Most define it as a time and place for ourselves, privacy, recharging, restoring, a place where we gather new strength to keep competing in life according to the false self... However, I was challenged to think it more a place of conversion where we have a chance to let go of the false self that chases after compulsion and instead emerge from solitude with new perspective... discovering our true selves, the self that resembles what God sees and created us to be. A place of surrender and letting go of the continual struggle to live up to the demands of the false self and instead to rest in truth that says I am loved and valued no matter what.
Of course, surrendering and discovery are a process... sometimes a long process, that I am convinced simply begins with a decision to say yes to being open to the possibilities that would come into a life characterized by silent awareness to our inner world... the longings, the fears and the wonder of the heart... a process that would lead us to discover new directions, goals, perspecitves and dreams that more closely line up with the way God designed us to experience life.
In my consideration to include solitude more regularly I plan to use the following questions to help guide my thoughts... (from Phillip Yancey's book... "Prayer")
1. How can I slow down?
2. How can I simplify things?
3. How can I bring silence into my life?
4. How can I savor this moment?
5. How can I speak up? (tell the truth)
6. How can I settle in? (establish roots and rituals)
7. How can I shed my armor and masks?
8. How can I serve the community?
Asking and answering these questions for the purpose of centering down I pray help bring me closer to God who is already near! Nothing better than knowing and being fully assured God is already present in our lives... and all around us... Solitude offers us the chance to attend and respond to that presence for the purpose of deep transformation, renewed perspective and maybe even a new direction altogether!!!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Easy Transformation Tips for 2012
Let 2012 be your year for greater transformation as you consider the following EASY ways to get lean and healthy!
Over time if you practice these habits you will begin to notice fat loss and a leaner healthier you...go for it! In 2011 I began to make these kinds of changes and have seen the most results of any year in my fitness pursuit... IT WORKS!!!
1. Begin this morning ritual...
Drink 2 cups of ice cold water first thing upon waking along with 1 g of vitamin C.
Eat a high protein, high fiber breakfast... like eggs and oatmeal with spinach or a protein shake made of berries, spinach or kale, oatmeal, almond milk and protein powder.
Do a quick metabolic jump start activity like a set of burpees, squats and planks... 3 sets of 60 seconds each for each exercise... I would do this right after drinking my cold ice water before I eat breakfast... should only take 10 minutes max.
Have a high protein snack mid-morning... like banana with 2 tblsp of peanut butter or a handful of nuts.
If morning is the best time for your workout... do your extended more intesnse workout then. Be sure your are doing metabolic resistance training with intervals... (see more detail below).
2. Mid-day ritual...
Drink green tea before lunch.
Eat a carb and protein combo for lunch... (NO FAT SOURCE)
Have another high protein snack mid-afternoon... like cottage cheese and apples or yogurt with nuts.
3. For dinner have high protein and veggies with a good fat source (olive oil, coconut oil or grapeseed oil)... NO CARBS ALLOWED AFTER LUNCH!
4. Get support! If you have a good friend who can keep you accountable, encourage you and take an interest in your health pursuits you have a much greater chance at being successful! Check in with each other daily! Keep each other going and make that committment!
5. Track your body composition.... Take measurements at your waist, upper arm, mid thigh and hips... Seeing inches come off is a much better measurement to how you are doing than is checking the scale... don't become obsessed with the scale... our weight fluctuates based on salt and water intake and our hormonal cycles... It's just not reliable and who really cares how much you weigh as long as you are losing FAT and gaining muscle!!! Put more emphasis on the way your clothes fit and on measuring body comp! Ditch the scale!
6. Take a before photo... this too will give you the motivation you need as you see the transfomation take place before your eyes.
7. When you workout... PLEASE ditch the slo-go cardio workout! Slo-go cardio will not give you the results you are looking for... Instead do a 20 minute high intensity cardio followed by metabolic resistance training! (See my post entitled... "HIIT", or High Intensity Interval Training for more detail). For resistance choose exercises that will not only challenge your muscles but will also increase your heart rate... Think... how can I make my workout really work my body? You want your workout to be as challenging as possible so that your body will keep woking hard to burn calories and fat all day and into the night!
Try jump squats, burpees, push-ups, pull-ups, bent over rows and deadlifts! Look these exercies up online and you will find all you need to learn how to do these exercises... or call me to set up a few personal training sessions and I can help you get started and design a workout especially for you and your current fitness level. Just remember you need both cardio and resistance training to burn the most fat during a workout! Be sure to make your workout intense and you WILL see results! If you have access to TRX straps check out a recent video I posted for some ideas... http://youtu.be/lRvlDrTEFB4 (keep in mind this was a video I recorded for ideas for other trainers)
I can't wait to begin my workout plan for 2012... I rested up this past week and my body is screaming to get back into the gym...
If you workout at Four Seasons in Bloomington check out our new R.I.P.P.E.D class! It incorporates everthing I mentioned above for a highly effective fat-burning workout! Come join me Wednesday nights at Four Seasons 2 at 6:30 in the Strong Studio! See you there! Would love to help encourage and keep you accountable to go for it in 2012!
Over time if you practice these habits you will begin to notice fat loss and a leaner healthier you...go for it! In 2011 I began to make these kinds of changes and have seen the most results of any year in my fitness pursuit... IT WORKS!!!
1. Begin this morning ritual...
Drink 2 cups of ice cold water first thing upon waking along with 1 g of vitamin C.
Eat a high protein, high fiber breakfast... like eggs and oatmeal with spinach or a protein shake made of berries, spinach or kale, oatmeal, almond milk and protein powder.
Do a quick metabolic jump start activity like a set of burpees, squats and planks... 3 sets of 60 seconds each for each exercise... I would do this right after drinking my cold ice water before I eat breakfast... should only take 10 minutes max.
Have a high protein snack mid-morning... like banana with 2 tblsp of peanut butter or a handful of nuts.
If morning is the best time for your workout... do your extended more intesnse workout then. Be sure your are doing metabolic resistance training with intervals... (see more detail below).
2. Mid-day ritual...
Drink green tea before lunch.
Eat a carb and protein combo for lunch... (NO FAT SOURCE)
Have another high protein snack mid-afternoon... like cottage cheese and apples or yogurt with nuts.
3. For dinner have high protein and veggies with a good fat source (olive oil, coconut oil or grapeseed oil)... NO CARBS ALLOWED AFTER LUNCH!
4. Get support! If you have a good friend who can keep you accountable, encourage you and take an interest in your health pursuits you have a much greater chance at being successful! Check in with each other daily! Keep each other going and make that committment!
5. Track your body composition.... Take measurements at your waist, upper arm, mid thigh and hips... Seeing inches come off is a much better measurement to how you are doing than is checking the scale... don't become obsessed with the scale... our weight fluctuates based on salt and water intake and our hormonal cycles... It's just not reliable and who really cares how much you weigh as long as you are losing FAT and gaining muscle!!! Put more emphasis on the way your clothes fit and on measuring body comp! Ditch the scale!
6. Take a before photo... this too will give you the motivation you need as you see the transfomation take place before your eyes.
7. When you workout... PLEASE ditch the slo-go cardio workout! Slo-go cardio will not give you the results you are looking for... Instead do a 20 minute high intensity cardio followed by metabolic resistance training! (See my post entitled... "HIIT", or High Intensity Interval Training for more detail). For resistance choose exercises that will not only challenge your muscles but will also increase your heart rate... Think... how can I make my workout really work my body? You want your workout to be as challenging as possible so that your body will keep woking hard to burn calories and fat all day and into the night!
Try jump squats, burpees, push-ups, pull-ups, bent over rows and deadlifts! Look these exercies up online and you will find all you need to learn how to do these exercises... or call me to set up a few personal training sessions and I can help you get started and design a workout especially for you and your current fitness level. Just remember you need both cardio and resistance training to burn the most fat during a workout! Be sure to make your workout intense and you WILL see results! If you have access to TRX straps check out a recent video I posted for some ideas... http://youtu.be/lRvlDrTEFB4 (keep in mind this was a video I recorded for ideas for other trainers)
I can't wait to begin my workout plan for 2012... I rested up this past week and my body is screaming to get back into the gym...
If you workout at Four Seasons in Bloomington check out our new R.I.P.P.E.D class! It incorporates everthing I mentioned above for a highly effective fat-burning workout! Come join me Wednesday nights at Four Seasons 2 at 6:30 in the Strong Studio! See you there! Would love to help encourage and keep you accountable to go for it in 2012!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Optimize Nutrient Combining
Have you ever tried to completely change your eating habits, trying to become healthier by cutting out processed foods but find you still don't lose weight or burn fat where you need it most? First of all I would say... GREAT JOB making such an important change for the better by eliminating processed foods. That's probably the BEST thing you can do for your health and bettering your chances of living a long happy life. "But why am I not seeing any weight loss or fat loss..." you might still be saying?
It might be that you are not paying attention to the kind of foods you are combining together. We all know we should eat a good combination of carbohydrates, good fats and proteins, but did you know the way you combine these foods and what time of the day you eat them is just as important?
If you want to eat in a way that will help your body become a fat-burning machine 24/7 then consider the following ways to best combine foods when you eat each meal.
Eat protein at every meal... especially if you are performing high intense weight training on a regular basis (3-4 days a week). Protein is needed to help muscles rebuild, repair and become stronger after a workout. Digesting protein also requires a greater amount of energy for the body than does the digestion of other macro-nutrients in the body and therefore causes a greater metabolic effect/environment in the body.
You also want to combine the protein that you eat at every meal with either a carb or a good fat source but never both a carb and a fat together with your protein.
Eat you carbs only in the morning for breakfast and then eat a lighter portion at lunch. Eliminate all carbs after lunch. It would be great to get your work out done in the morning too if possible. The carbs you eat in the morning will give your body a good amount of energy to finish your workout strong and your workout will use up the energy in carbs so your body won't store them as fat. Even doing a quick 10 minute workout will do wonders! (See previous post... 5 Fat Blasters for Busy People, for ideas).
Never combine fats and carbs together at any time. This combination is guaranteed to create an environment for deadly fat-storage. When you eat fat, fatty acid is released into the blood. When you eat carbs insulin is released into the blood to shuttle blood sugar to storage sites. So avoid fat storage by NEVER eating the 2 together at the same time.
If you stick to this formula all week then on your 7th day take a cheat day...by the way... this is not optional.. It is a must to help your body consistently run like an optimum level fat-burning machine. How so? When your body goes for 5-6 days on a lower calorie diet it begins to slow down metabolically. To keep your metabolism raging you need to eat a higher calorie and higher carb diet every 7 days in order to "trick" your body from believing it needs to hang on to fat stores by slowing down your metabolism. When the body thinks it might be in a time of famine it slows down and stores fat. When it thinks it's feast time it speeds up metabolism and therefore fat doesn't have a chance. A cheat day would include ANY food you desire to eat in any combination! (yes, oreos included!) Having a cheat day is always fun to look forward to and doesn't prohibit you from ever eating your favorite foods again just because you are "dieting".
So here is a weekly plan you might follow...
Day 1-6 Breakfast... eggs and oatmeal (protein and carb) or protein shake with fruit and oatmeal (use whey protein isolate powder) NO BUTTER in oatmeal.
Mid morning snack... banana with peanut butter (organic brand).. great for post workout snack. Or some nuts... only a handful. (protein)
Lunch... lean meat sandwich with lettuce and tomato and whole grain bread. (protein and carb... no mayo plz... that would be combining fat and carb which is a no-no always!)
Mid afternoon snack.... yogurt or cottage cheese. (protein)
Dinner... lean piece of meat with tons of veggies (drizzle olive oil over veggies, cook meat in grape seed or coconut oil.... great fat source) or have a salad with green leafy lettuce and other raw veggies of your choice, include a hard boiled egg and a sliced up chicken breast and sprinkle slices almonds over the top... drizzle with a dressing made with 2 parts olive oil, 1 part balsalmic vinegar or lemon juice, and 1 packet of stevia sweetner. SO Good! (protein and fat)
Day 7... Pig out on whatever you want all day!!!
When I first started a diet similar to this I was hungry at night without my beloved carbs... however a few weeks into it I no longer felt hungry after dinner and actually felt and continue to feel incredibly energized because I don't have that bloated full feeling that often comes after eating a meal heavy laden with carbs and more importantly my body is receiving all the nutrition it needs. Many times when we are addicted to processed food or mainly carbs and that's all we eat our diet isn't balanced and our body isn't getting all it needs nutritionally, so therefore still feels hungry after we eat because it's craving what it needs and is trying to communicate that it wants better quality nutrition. When the body is satisfied nutritionally it will turn off the hunger pains and will feel satisfied. So again, the best time to eat your carbs is early in the day when you body needs the most energy. For most of us evening time is wind down time and our body no longer needs the energy that carbs provide. So fill up with veggies instead.
Give it a try and see if optimizing your nutrient combining and strategic overfeeding one day out of 7 give your the extra edge you need in your pursuit to lose weight and burn fat!
It might be that you are not paying attention to the kind of foods you are combining together. We all know we should eat a good combination of carbohydrates, good fats and proteins, but did you know the way you combine these foods and what time of the day you eat them is just as important?
If you want to eat in a way that will help your body become a fat-burning machine 24/7 then consider the following ways to best combine foods when you eat each meal.
Eat protein at every meal... especially if you are performing high intense weight training on a regular basis (3-4 days a week). Protein is needed to help muscles rebuild, repair and become stronger after a workout. Digesting protein also requires a greater amount of energy for the body than does the digestion of other macro-nutrients in the body and therefore causes a greater metabolic effect/environment in the body.
You also want to combine the protein that you eat at every meal with either a carb or a good fat source but never both a carb and a fat together with your protein.
Eat you carbs only in the morning for breakfast and then eat a lighter portion at lunch. Eliminate all carbs after lunch. It would be great to get your work out done in the morning too if possible. The carbs you eat in the morning will give your body a good amount of energy to finish your workout strong and your workout will use up the energy in carbs so your body won't store them as fat. Even doing a quick 10 minute workout will do wonders! (See previous post... 5 Fat Blasters for Busy People, for ideas).
Never combine fats and carbs together at any time. This combination is guaranteed to create an environment for deadly fat-storage. When you eat fat, fatty acid is released into the blood. When you eat carbs insulin is released into the blood to shuttle blood sugar to storage sites. So avoid fat storage by NEVER eating the 2 together at the same time.
If you stick to this formula all week then on your 7th day take a cheat day...by the way... this is not optional.. It is a must to help your body consistently run like an optimum level fat-burning machine. How so? When your body goes for 5-6 days on a lower calorie diet it begins to slow down metabolically. To keep your metabolism raging you need to eat a higher calorie and higher carb diet every 7 days in order to "trick" your body from believing it needs to hang on to fat stores by slowing down your metabolism. When the body thinks it might be in a time of famine it slows down and stores fat. When it thinks it's feast time it speeds up metabolism and therefore fat doesn't have a chance. A cheat day would include ANY food you desire to eat in any combination! (yes, oreos included!) Having a cheat day is always fun to look forward to and doesn't prohibit you from ever eating your favorite foods again just because you are "dieting".
So here is a weekly plan you might follow...
Day 1-6 Breakfast... eggs and oatmeal (protein and carb) or protein shake with fruit and oatmeal (use whey protein isolate powder) NO BUTTER in oatmeal.
Mid morning snack... banana with peanut butter (organic brand).. great for post workout snack. Or some nuts... only a handful. (protein)
Lunch... lean meat sandwich with lettuce and tomato and whole grain bread. (protein and carb... no mayo plz... that would be combining fat and carb which is a no-no always!)
Mid afternoon snack.... yogurt or cottage cheese. (protein)
Dinner... lean piece of meat with tons of veggies (drizzle olive oil over veggies, cook meat in grape seed or coconut oil.... great fat source) or have a salad with green leafy lettuce and other raw veggies of your choice, include a hard boiled egg and a sliced up chicken breast and sprinkle slices almonds over the top... drizzle with a dressing made with 2 parts olive oil, 1 part balsalmic vinegar or lemon juice, and 1 packet of stevia sweetner. SO Good! (protein and fat)
Day 7... Pig out on whatever you want all day!!!
When I first started a diet similar to this I was hungry at night without my beloved carbs... however a few weeks into it I no longer felt hungry after dinner and actually felt and continue to feel incredibly energized because I don't have that bloated full feeling that often comes after eating a meal heavy laden with carbs and more importantly my body is receiving all the nutrition it needs. Many times when we are addicted to processed food or mainly carbs and that's all we eat our diet isn't balanced and our body isn't getting all it needs nutritionally, so therefore still feels hungry after we eat because it's craving what it needs and is trying to communicate that it wants better quality nutrition. When the body is satisfied nutritionally it will turn off the hunger pains and will feel satisfied. So again, the best time to eat your carbs is early in the day when you body needs the most energy. For most of us evening time is wind down time and our body no longer needs the energy that carbs provide. So fill up with veggies instead.
Give it a try and see if optimizing your nutrient combining and strategic overfeeding one day out of 7 give your the extra edge you need in your pursuit to lose weight and burn fat!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
When Self Defeat Sets In...
I had such a great week last week... what happened to this week? On bad days (in any arena in life.... physical, spiritual, social, emotional) do you ever wonder how you could have possibly been in such a great spot one day and then to find yourself in such a pathetic place the next? Do you wake up some days and feel like a total disappointment to yourself or to others or even to God? And when we have a bad day or week why is it so easy to beat ourselves up and sink into self-hatred, thinking we somehow deserve to be miserable?
On the flip side if someone you know confides in you about something "bad" in their life... what is our first response? Rarely would we bash them and make them feel they deserve misery as a result. I believe most of us understand and feel compassion for our confiding friends and want to do what we can to help them sort through the thing and give them a different way to frame their situation so they can emerge out of it a stronger person. In my experience helping friends sort through things, never once do I think... "Wow, God must really be shaking his head at her now... I wonder if He will forgive her?" NO WAY.... instead I'm usually trying to convince her that God's love never changes and He will always love her... no matter how hard her struggle.
So why are we so gracious with others while so hard on ourselves? In my failure I always feel like I must be a total disappointment to God and how will he ever accept me... I wouldn't blame him if he hated me... He must be so tired of dealing with me! Ask my husband Rick... so many times he has heard me say... "Just take me out in back and shoot me!"
Maybe you don't struggle with thoughts like these... I hope you don't... If you don't, you probably already live out the principles I am trying to wrap my brain around and get a better handle on for times when self-defeat sets in.
These principles come from a favorite author of mine... Brennan Manning. If you struggle with self-defeating thoughts or a scarred image of yourself I HIGHLY recommend his books! (Ragamuffin Gospel, Abba's Child, The Wisdom of Tenderness, The Furious Longing of God)
I LOVE THIS MAN'S STUFF!
so anyway... he has tons of priciples, I want to focus on one...
Understand that we are the greatest obstacle to our own nobility of soul... How so? By refusing to believe, embrace and live out what is already true about who we are. Brennan says... "Sanctity lies in discovering my true self; moving toward it and living out of it." I think the most important piece of this principle is understanding that what is true about us has always been true... there has never been a time when you were not loved by God... there has never been anything in your life that has caused God to begin loving you or that has caused him to stop loving you... HE ALWAYS HAS AND ALWAYS WILL! Nothing can ever change that! To me that's a mind blowing truth I need to live out of... I have worth that has been going on in God's heart for eternity past and eternity future just because the thought of creating me brought him delight? Whoa! That perspecitive changes a lot of things in my thinking, believing and ultimately in my living. If He loves me like that I have the freedom to love me too... warts and all!
Does that truth lighten your load like it does mine? When understood and embraced everything else in life can spring from this strong foundation. When we fail to see it or understand or distance ourselves from this truth we supress what could be. We become slothful... which is a refusal to go on the inward journey--a choosing to protect ourselves from passion. We miss out on what is true, right, noble, excellent and praiseworthy about reality and instead we let our fascination rest in worthless pursuits in an unreal world that is passing away.
Think about it.... understanding love is there... forgiveness is there and always has been and always will be... why would we choose to live anywhere else? Even when we feel we have "crossed the line" of God's love, we have to get beyond that and believe what is true! What helps me to believe (regardless of my feelings) is taking my eyes off of me long enough to instead focus on God's love in action... "he sent his only son into the world not to condemn the world but to save it." Do I believe this massive sacrifice on the part of God is a good enough work to save me?
On bad days I have been trying to pray something like this to help defeat lies... "Dear God, even though I feel like a failure and loser I am choosing to put these feelings aside and instead focus on the massive work you did for me... I am choosing to have faith in that work and pray anyway even though the lies say you would never listen to a loser like me and instead I believe you hear me based on the fact that you simply love me and the work you did is enough. It's for these very failures that you did the work so I could come to you anyway." ... and then I go on with whatever it is I want to say to God that day.
The work Jesus did on the cross I could never do for myself... that's why it's ridiculous to think there is anything I can do to earn my way into God's heart...it just wouldn't be good enough. He did it all for me! Anything He does IS good enough and worthy to be believed and marveled over by his creation. When we BELIEVE it re-programs our brains to live free of condemnation... he doesn't condemn me, so why do I condemn myself or anyone else for that matter? God loves me. Period. I can learn from mistakes and ask forgiveness but never have to feel condemned.
I talk a lot about physical fitness in my blog because that is my line of work and I believe God has placed that passion in my life to be lived out... but if we only focus on our physical fitness and ignore our spiritual fitness (I have been guilty of this very thing) we're really missing the boat in becoming and living to our full potential. I am most fulfilled when I have balance in my pursuit of grasping what is means to be fully alive both physically, (because we are physical beings and so much of life is affected depending on how we are doing physically) and spiritually (because we are spiritual beings and life is even more affected depending on how we are doing spiritually)... sometimes the consequences of neglecting spiritual health seem not to show up as much and we keep plugging along without it.... but eventually it will catch up to us and we do well to pay attention and invest spiritually so that the passion of God can well up as we move toward, live out, and discover our true selves.
What can you do today to begin an investment spiritually? I have an idea... read one of Brennan's books! ;O) His insight has been a great renewal for me! Have a great day!
On the flip side if someone you know confides in you about something "bad" in their life... what is our first response? Rarely would we bash them and make them feel they deserve misery as a result. I believe most of us understand and feel compassion for our confiding friends and want to do what we can to help them sort through the thing and give them a different way to frame their situation so they can emerge out of it a stronger person. In my experience helping friends sort through things, never once do I think... "Wow, God must really be shaking his head at her now... I wonder if He will forgive her?" NO WAY.... instead I'm usually trying to convince her that God's love never changes and He will always love her... no matter how hard her struggle.
So why are we so gracious with others while so hard on ourselves? In my failure I always feel like I must be a total disappointment to God and how will he ever accept me... I wouldn't blame him if he hated me... He must be so tired of dealing with me! Ask my husband Rick... so many times he has heard me say... "Just take me out in back and shoot me!"
Maybe you don't struggle with thoughts like these... I hope you don't... If you don't, you probably already live out the principles I am trying to wrap my brain around and get a better handle on for times when self-defeat sets in.
These principles come from a favorite author of mine... Brennan Manning. If you struggle with self-defeating thoughts or a scarred image of yourself I HIGHLY recommend his books! (Ragamuffin Gospel, Abba's Child, The Wisdom of Tenderness, The Furious Longing of God)
I LOVE THIS MAN'S STUFF!
so anyway... he has tons of priciples, I want to focus on one...
Understand that we are the greatest obstacle to our own nobility of soul... How so? By refusing to believe, embrace and live out what is already true about who we are. Brennan says... "Sanctity lies in discovering my true self; moving toward it and living out of it." I think the most important piece of this principle is understanding that what is true about us has always been true... there has never been a time when you were not loved by God... there has never been anything in your life that has caused God to begin loving you or that has caused him to stop loving you... HE ALWAYS HAS AND ALWAYS WILL! Nothing can ever change that! To me that's a mind blowing truth I need to live out of... I have worth that has been going on in God's heart for eternity past and eternity future just because the thought of creating me brought him delight? Whoa! That perspecitive changes a lot of things in my thinking, believing and ultimately in my living. If He loves me like that I have the freedom to love me too... warts and all!
Does that truth lighten your load like it does mine? When understood and embraced everything else in life can spring from this strong foundation. When we fail to see it or understand or distance ourselves from this truth we supress what could be. We become slothful... which is a refusal to go on the inward journey--a choosing to protect ourselves from passion. We miss out on what is true, right, noble, excellent and praiseworthy about reality and instead we let our fascination rest in worthless pursuits in an unreal world that is passing away.
Think about it.... understanding love is there... forgiveness is there and always has been and always will be... why would we choose to live anywhere else? Even when we feel we have "crossed the line" of God's love, we have to get beyond that and believe what is true! What helps me to believe (regardless of my feelings) is taking my eyes off of me long enough to instead focus on God's love in action... "he sent his only son into the world not to condemn the world but to save it." Do I believe this massive sacrifice on the part of God is a good enough work to save me?
On bad days I have been trying to pray something like this to help defeat lies... "Dear God, even though I feel like a failure and loser I am choosing to put these feelings aside and instead focus on the massive work you did for me... I am choosing to have faith in that work and pray anyway even though the lies say you would never listen to a loser like me and instead I believe you hear me based on the fact that you simply love me and the work you did is enough. It's for these very failures that you did the work so I could come to you anyway." ... and then I go on with whatever it is I want to say to God that day.
The work Jesus did on the cross I could never do for myself... that's why it's ridiculous to think there is anything I can do to earn my way into God's heart...it just wouldn't be good enough. He did it all for me! Anything He does IS good enough and worthy to be believed and marveled over by his creation. When we BELIEVE it re-programs our brains to live free of condemnation... he doesn't condemn me, so why do I condemn myself or anyone else for that matter? God loves me. Period. I can learn from mistakes and ask forgiveness but never have to feel condemned.
I talk a lot about physical fitness in my blog because that is my line of work and I believe God has placed that passion in my life to be lived out... but if we only focus on our physical fitness and ignore our spiritual fitness (I have been guilty of this very thing) we're really missing the boat in becoming and living to our full potential. I am most fulfilled when I have balance in my pursuit of grasping what is means to be fully alive both physically, (because we are physical beings and so much of life is affected depending on how we are doing physically) and spiritually (because we are spiritual beings and life is even more affected depending on how we are doing spiritually)... sometimes the consequences of neglecting spiritual health seem not to show up as much and we keep plugging along without it.... but eventually it will catch up to us and we do well to pay attention and invest spiritually so that the passion of God can well up as we move toward, live out, and discover our true selves.
What can you do today to begin an investment spiritually? I have an idea... read one of Brennan's books! ;O) His insight has been a great renewal for me! Have a great day!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
5 Fat Blasters For Busy People
One of the biggest reasons most people cannot reach their fitness goals is because they struggle to find time in their busy schedule. They assume if they don't have an hour or more to workout then it's not worth it and they give up. I believe that anything worth doing can be done in a reasonable amount of time and can still deliver great benefits over the long haul. WHY? Because what's more important isn't getting an hour long workout in when you can, but instead being consistent every single day with good habits that don't have to take massive amounts of time. How about 10 minutes? Anyone can afford to spend 10 minutes!
Here are 5 exercises you can do everyday for 10 minutes that will help you develop a fat burning lifestyle. Think of it as something you just do everyday like they way you eat and sleep... you do it without question because it's vital to your well-being. Adopt that kind of midset too about the following practice... Read the descriptions with the pictures below! :O)
3. Burpees... Remember these from junior high PE class? We also called them squat-thrusts. Start in a standing position, then bring hands to the floor as you jump your legs out behind you coming into a push-up position. Jump legs back under the hips and stand ending with a high jump at the top. These are a great all over body exercise and really works to get the heart rate pumped up!
4. Side Step Squat with Push Press... Start in standing position and step right leg out to the right as you sit back into a squat position. As you come back to standing kick y
our right leg in front of you over to the left... at the same time use a small dumbell or medicine ball and push it over you
r head as you kick to the left. Pull the weight down to the chest level on the way down. Repeat on the other side. Go 50 seconds on one side then 50 more seconds on the left. So it's squat down, kick over and press up at the same time. Repeat
5. Mountain Climbers... Get back into push-up position with hips low! Alternate hopping your right foot in toward your chest then the left foot... this is a quick movement with the lower body as you keep the upper body still and stable. Great again for core strength and all over fat burning.
At the end of this mini-workout your heart will be pumping and oxygen flowing not to mention great strength builders for just about every muscle group! If you have time go through all 5 exercises again 2 or three times for a total workout time of 20-30 minutes. OR try it again in the evening while you are watching TV... get your kids or spouce to do it with you... again as something you just plan to do everyday to develop fat burning lifestlyes.
First thing in the morning do these 5 exercises for 50 seconds each, resting for 10 seconds between each exercise. These exercises will shock your nervous system and jump start your metabolism at the start of each day! Great fat burners!
1. Free Squats... Start in a standing position. Imagine there's a bench behind you and you are trying to sit back into it. As you lower you bottom down keep the weight in your heels. As you stand back up feel a contraction in your glutes. Squeeze your glutes at the top. Repeat... for 50 seconds doing as many as you can with good form. Inhale down and exhale up. Try holding a dumbell to increase the intensity!
2. Traveling Planks... Get into a push-up position except come down to your elbows... keeping your hips low lift your right elbow and right leg and begin to move to the right allowing your left elbow and leg to follow... travel to the right for about 5 "steps" and then travel back to the left. Go as fast as you can for 50 seconds. Feel the strength of your core and upper body as you keep hips low and your upper back rounded... don't "wing up" in the shoulder blades.
3. Burpees... Remember these from junior high PE class? We also called them squat-thrusts. Start in a standing position, then bring hands to the floor as you jump your legs out behind you coming into a push-up position. Jump legs back under the hips and stand ending with a high jump at the top. These are a great all over body exercise and really works to get the heart rate pumped up!
4. Side Step Squat with Push Press... Start in standing position and step right leg out to the right as you sit back into a squat position. As you come back to standing kick y
our right leg in front of you over to the left... at the same time use a small dumbell or medicine ball and push it over you
r head as you kick to the left. Pull the weight down to the chest level on the way down. Repeat on the other side. Go 50 seconds on one side then 50 more seconds on the left. So it's squat down, kick over and press up at the same time. Repeat5. Mountain Climbers... Get back into push-up position with hips low! Alternate hopping your right foot in toward your chest then the left foot... this is a quick movement with the lower body as you keep the upper body still and stable. Great again for core strength and all over fat burning.
At the end of this mini-workout your heart will be pumping and oxygen flowing not to mention great strength builders for just about every muscle group! If you have time go through all 5 exercises again 2 or three times for a total workout time of 20-30 minutes. OR try it again in the evening while you are watching TV... get your kids or spouce to do it with you... again as something you just plan to do everyday to develop fat burning lifestlyes.
Determine today to start this quick and easy workout to begin a journey to greater health and wellness! You'll be glad you did!
Monday, August 1, 2011
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
A few posts ago I shared some non-negotiable workout/diet/mindset ideas to help reduce your fat levels to a degree that would eventually reveal 6 pack abs if you are consistent and committed enough. Another non-negotiable to add to that list has everything to do with including cardio exercise in your weekly routine. If you're like me the very thought of cardio exercise... pounding it out on the treadmill or the pavement for 30-40 minutes is depressing... and boring... and miserable. I just don't really like doing it.
Well, I have good news! You can replace that long boring workout with a 20 minute high intensity interval training session and get even better results both in your cardio function and your fat-loss goals.
What is high intensity interval training (HIIT)? I'll tell you what it's not... it's not easy... but it is effiicient. HIIT takes you through 6-8 sets of a high intensity intervals followed by lower-intensity intervals. So for example you could do the same treadmill run but instead of the steady pace you usually stick with for 30-40 boring minutes you would start out with a slow jog for 3 minutes to warm-up. To begin your first high intensity interval you would pick up the speed significantly for 1 minute... just go all out as fast as you can... you need the "interval up" to be tough for you. Then slow down again for 1.5 minutes. Pick it back up again for 1 minute going all out and continue with that pattern for 6-8 rounds ending with a 3-5 minute walking cool down. The best part is your done in 20 minutes as opposed to 30-40 minutes.
The more intensity your workout requires the greater expenditure there is per minute. That's the kind of mindset you want to have for any workout you do... Don't just mess around in the gym while your there... have a plan before you go and work hard! Try to get more done in less time and do exercises that require a large range of motion. Work hard enough so that your body has to do the hard work of recovery after your workout. Make it your goal to be sure you keep burning calories long after your workout is over and begin to watch the fat melt right off. At the same time you will begin to reveal the lean shapely muscle underneath the fat because you are also including strength training in your routine... right?
You might also try the same workout outside on the pavement... I prefer being outside to being inside the gym when I do cardio. I have a rectangular shaped area that I run that is 2 blocks long and wide. The shorter side of the rectangle is when I do an all out sprint... then the longer side is reserved for my slower recovery jog. I do 8 rounds of this and finish in about 25 minutes... followed by a 20 minute yoga session. (Oh, I must speak of stretching soon... so important).
You could also do the 6-8 rounds using any kind of cardio exercise... swimming, rowing machine, Jacob's Ladder, biking, eliptical, heavy ropes, TRX cardio moves, dancing... anything as long as you kill it during the interval up! Please note... if you are just starting out killing it might make you throw up... so work up to it so that doesn't happen...
One more thing before I go... if you want a great tool to help you count calories try going to "loseit.com". You can plug in your weight and age and how much weight you want to lose and it will give you your calorie limits for each day. You also can type in the foods you eat and the exercise you do each day and it will compute it for you to help you stay on track! Give it a try! It's free!
Have a great day!
Donna
Well, I have good news! You can replace that long boring workout with a 20 minute high intensity interval training session and get even better results both in your cardio function and your fat-loss goals.
What is high intensity interval training (HIIT)? I'll tell you what it's not... it's not easy... but it is effiicient. HIIT takes you through 6-8 sets of a high intensity intervals followed by lower-intensity intervals. So for example you could do the same treadmill run but instead of the steady pace you usually stick with for 30-40 boring minutes you would start out with a slow jog for 3 minutes to warm-up. To begin your first high intensity interval you would pick up the speed significantly for 1 minute... just go all out as fast as you can... you need the "interval up" to be tough for you. Then slow down again for 1.5 minutes. Pick it back up again for 1 minute going all out and continue with that pattern for 6-8 rounds ending with a 3-5 minute walking cool down. The best part is your done in 20 minutes as opposed to 30-40 minutes.
The more intensity your workout requires the greater expenditure there is per minute. That's the kind of mindset you want to have for any workout you do... Don't just mess around in the gym while your there... have a plan before you go and work hard! Try to get more done in less time and do exercises that require a large range of motion. Work hard enough so that your body has to do the hard work of recovery after your workout. Make it your goal to be sure you keep burning calories long after your workout is over and begin to watch the fat melt right off. At the same time you will begin to reveal the lean shapely muscle underneath the fat because you are also including strength training in your routine... right?
You might also try the same workout outside on the pavement... I prefer being outside to being inside the gym when I do cardio. I have a rectangular shaped area that I run that is 2 blocks long and wide. The shorter side of the rectangle is when I do an all out sprint... then the longer side is reserved for my slower recovery jog. I do 8 rounds of this and finish in about 25 minutes... followed by a 20 minute yoga session. (Oh, I must speak of stretching soon... so important).
You could also do the 6-8 rounds using any kind of cardio exercise... swimming, rowing machine, Jacob's Ladder, biking, eliptical, heavy ropes, TRX cardio moves, dancing... anything as long as you kill it during the interval up! Please note... if you are just starting out killing it might make you throw up... so work up to it so that doesn't happen...
One more thing before I go... if you want a great tool to help you count calories try going to "loseit.com". You can plug in your weight and age and how much weight you want to lose and it will give you your calorie limits for each day. You also can type in the foods you eat and the exercise you do each day and it will compute it for you to help you stay on track! Give it a try! It's free!
Have a great day!
Donna
Monday, July 18, 2011
Freedom Celebration
I think a lot about life being like a journey~ traveling a road that twists and turns, is sometimes smooth and enjoyable, taking us to breath-taking places where we stop and rest awhile, soaking in refreshment as we easily express thankfulness for a content and blessed existence. Other times it feels like a challenging uphill agony, becoming confusing as we spin our wheels, struggling to gain our bearings, longing to see things clearly, deciding which direction to go next.
For a time, I was happily traveling along a fairly smooth enjoyable road, feeling good about myself and my life, when I unexpectantly happened upon a bumpy road full of pain and disappointment. I tried to turn down different roads but they all led to more shock, surprise and instability which led to anger, resentment and continual attempts to gain control and steer myself back to where I used to be. Tired and feeling defeated I gave up, retreating from the pain rather than struggling to fight against it.
This pain of the past has brought an unsettling restlessness that persistantly pesters me, confronts me and demands my attention. I want to ignore it, replace it with other interests and responsibilites but it relentlessly invades my attempts to avoid it like a necessary but unwanted confrontation. As a matter of full disclosure, the restlessness had to do with some of my experience with the church. Not a good place to be when you are the Pastor's wife, but no denying it... it was there... front and center and certainly not going away any time soon. I had loved everything about the church and my role in it for years and now I faced a new reality. I became a pretender... which I wasn't very good at... showing up every Sunday with my smile and "HI HOW ARE YOU'S?" All the while wondering who I could trust, who would leave next, who would be our next accuser, who else had been involved in the gossip and who else was just pretending? Each time completely dumb-founded and blind-sided at the accusations and things I'd hear about. Feeling the sting of the pain all over again every time I'd see someone else give me "the look" of suspicion. My heart would sink deeper as I thought... "No, not them too!" I also became more desensitized as I concluded nothing could surprise me anymore and that I should just prepare for the worst in an attempt to control the pain from becoming unbearable. It all made me stop dead in my tracks, pull back, protect my heart, and put my guard up high. I was left with lots of questions... questions like...
How does God really see me? Does he love me? If trying to live right only leads to pain like this what does it matter? Aren't good things suppose to happen to good people? What have I done wrong? I still loved God but my passion for God and the things of God all but seemed to dry up like a pile of leaves in the Fall, brittle, and no longer good for anything but the fire. All I could do was be honest with God and keep asking him to re-kindle what I felt was slipping away.
Fast forward to today....
We recently retreated to the Mountains (my second favorite place in the world) for an extended time of rest... allowing the cares of life to fade, embracing instead other interests and activities, being refreshed in our togetherness! Times of healing for me usually always involve reading a great author who somehow has an extra measure of insight into the heart of God. Timothy Keller is my latest new favorite author who fits this description. He has a great book called "Prodical God" that brought me to tears. As I read I could see myself at various places along my journey playing out the very roles he presents. It also brought hope for the first time in a long time that it really might be possible for me to get out of my present "stuckness" (is that a word?). The theme of the book went something like this...
The book is based on the story of the Prodigal Son from the Bible (Luke 15). It challenged me to not focus solely on the younger brother "the prodigal", as I so often do when I read this story, but also to learn from the other 2 very important characters in the story... the Father and the Older Brother. You probably know the story too... if not take some time to read it now.
For a time, I was happily traveling along a fairly smooth enjoyable road, feeling good about myself and my life, when I unexpectantly happened upon a bumpy road full of pain and disappointment. I tried to turn down different roads but they all led to more shock, surprise and instability which led to anger, resentment and continual attempts to gain control and steer myself back to where I used to be. Tired and feeling defeated I gave up, retreating from the pain rather than struggling to fight against it.
This pain of the past has brought an unsettling restlessness that persistantly pesters me, confronts me and demands my attention. I want to ignore it, replace it with other interests and responsibilites but it relentlessly invades my attempts to avoid it like a necessary but unwanted confrontation. As a matter of full disclosure, the restlessness had to do with some of my experience with the church. Not a good place to be when you are the Pastor's wife, but no denying it... it was there... front and center and certainly not going away any time soon. I had loved everything about the church and my role in it for years and now I faced a new reality. I became a pretender... which I wasn't very good at... showing up every Sunday with my smile and "HI HOW ARE YOU'S?" All the while wondering who I could trust, who would leave next, who would be our next accuser, who else had been involved in the gossip and who else was just pretending? Each time completely dumb-founded and blind-sided at the accusations and things I'd hear about. Feeling the sting of the pain all over again every time I'd see someone else give me "the look" of suspicion. My heart would sink deeper as I thought... "No, not them too!" I also became more desensitized as I concluded nothing could surprise me anymore and that I should just prepare for the worst in an attempt to control the pain from becoming unbearable. It all made me stop dead in my tracks, pull back, protect my heart, and put my guard up high. I was left with lots of questions... questions like...
How does God really see me? Does he love me? If trying to live right only leads to pain like this what does it matter? Aren't good things suppose to happen to good people? What have I done wrong? I still loved God but my passion for God and the things of God all but seemed to dry up like a pile of leaves in the Fall, brittle, and no longer good for anything but the fire. All I could do was be honest with God and keep asking him to re-kindle what I felt was slipping away.
Fast forward to today....
We recently retreated to the Mountains (my second favorite place in the world) for an extended time of rest... allowing the cares of life to fade, embracing instead other interests and activities, being refreshed in our togetherness! Times of healing for me usually always involve reading a great author who somehow has an extra measure of insight into the heart of God. Timothy Keller is my latest new favorite author who fits this description. He has a great book called "Prodical God" that brought me to tears. As I read I could see myself at various places along my journey playing out the very roles he presents. It also brought hope for the first time in a long time that it really might be possible for me to get out of my present "stuckness" (is that a word?). The theme of the book went something like this...
The book is based on the story of the Prodigal Son from the Bible (Luke 15). It challenged me to not focus solely on the younger brother "the prodigal", as I so often do when I read this story, but also to learn from the other 2 very important characters in the story... the Father and the Older Brother. You probably know the story too... if not take some time to read it now.
Very early he points out that most people tend to live out life either as an "older-brother type"-- staunchy, moralistic and usually judgmental or as a "younger brother type"-- free-spirited, careless and self-focused and how both these camps rob us of the true freedom God meant for us to live in. What draws us to a life of real freedom on the other hand is when we choose to focus on the character of the Father in this story and understand the reality that God's love has the same radical, unconditional, outrageous qualities.
We live like the older brother when our service and moral conformity are born out of obligatory motives.... at one point the older brother says to the Father... "I've been slaving away for you all my life!" What he's saying is everything he had done for the Father was really all about him and his need to control... An older brother's inbedded belief is this... if I obey God and "slave away" for him it will obligate Him to give me a good life and a good standing among others. He says things like... "you owe me God!" (wow... I've said something similar to that before... yuck!)
An older brother also becomes bitter and judgmental of others because anyone who does not conform to his way of doing life is wrong and so it sets the older brother up in his own mind as "better than". What he may not realize is pride reeks in his life and he is sabatoging his own faith, his own freedom and the beautiful abundance God seeks to give him. For the older brother he believes he is just fine... he's the good ol' boy, he's doing everything right and darn it someone better notice! He doesn't see that he's really living in bondage in hopes of having total control... living for appearances and saving-face.
The younger free-spirited brother is the alternative and many delusional, embittered older brothers fall into this role when they realize they cannot control their lives and that... no, God does not owe them. Confusion sets in as they try to make sense out of what they thought God was like. They go for wild living or secretly have a whole separate side of their lives no one else knows about in an attempt to numb the pain. They deceive themselves but their real lives scream out.... "To hell with it all! I don't care about God and certainly don't love him since he let so and so happen. I'll do what I want." This too in reality is bondage even if it feels good and free for a time. Eventually it will rob and destroy the development of anything real, true, living or lasting.
So, if it's not about being a good, upright and moral person or the opposite... a free, reckless and wild person what is real life? Have you ever found yourself stuck here? I have...
Both of the above lifestyles are based on selfishness and are full of pride and arrogance... truth says God will oppose the proud. It's toxic living, hurting not only the one who lives in pride but also the ones who collide with it. Humility on the other hand sets us free! Truth says God gives grace to the humble. Who is the humble one in the story? The Father!!! In the story he is incredibly humble with both brothers. In pride the younger brother had rebelled against the father wishing he were dead, but then later in humility came back because he had lost it all and knew of nowhere else to go. The Father didn't judge him at this point and didn't even let him say a word about how wrong he had been. Instead he was running to him while he was still a long way off with tears and joy, seeing not a rebellious son but only the the son he loved and cherished and terribly missed!
The Father was also humble with the older brother who was furious that the Father had forgiven the younger son and was even planning a party to celebrate his safe return. The older son enraged at the Father humiliates and disrespects the Father in public. We don't see the Father pridefully getting defensive with the older brother but instead he humbly pleads with the older brother to change his mind and join in the celebration of unconditionally loving and forgiving his younger brother. The story does not reveal what the older brother decides to do. We can only hope he was able to get beyond his blinding, hard, deep-rooted pride and let go of his bitterness and enter the freedom celebration.
When a certain newspaper entitled an article "What's Wrong with this World?" an older brother type would have all kinds of answers that certainly would address the big bad world out there while he sits priding himself that he's not a contributer to such things. The younger brother would deny anything being wrong at all... it's a big party where everything is acceptable. If everyone would just loosen up life would be grand! Then there are others reflective of G.K. Chesterton, an old Catholic Priest, who actually wrote in response to the article...
"Dear Sirs... what is wrong with this world?-- I am!"
~Sincerely, G.K. Chesterton
What a humble man... Pointing not the finger at anyone but himself, having peace because his focus is on the God who loves him anyway~ even if he's the cause of all that's wrong in the world. That is the perspective that can set us free... G.K. Chesterton does not judge older brothers or younger brothers because he knows he's been like both along his own journey. Judgment only worsens circumstances for everyone.
Younger brother types are especially hindered from recovery if all they experience when they try to return is judgment from older brother types. It's vital at the come back for a younger brother to experience the extravagant grace of the Father through us. The guilt of what he has done is heavy enough to carry. If when he returns he is enfolded with humble acceptance rather than crippling judgment it will completely blow his mind and radically change his view of the Father and in turn the entire direction of his life forever. He already knows he's a loser and it's only grace that could save him. Right when he is expecting to be confronted with judgment he instead sees only open arms of love and forgiveness-- the intensity of it blows him away... the mercy is so great as he stands in his brokenness and nakedness. Understanding anew the unconditional love of the Father.
The older brother who is "untouched by life", on the other hand, is in more grave danger than the younger brother for he unknowingly thinks he's his own savior and somehow better than the younger brothers of the world. These were the type of people Jesus had the most frustration with because they not only held themselves back from the grace of God but also hindered others who were trying to embrace the grace... Jesus himself said to them... "The prostitutes and tax-collectors are entering the Kingdom of God before you are", when in fact they already thought they were "IN".
Don't believe the lie that you are good or are exempt from certain kinds of sin. I like the lyrics of a song by Casting Crowns that says... "Be careful if you think you're standing... you just might be sinking!"
At the same time a younger brother type or recovering younger brother must guard against judging older brother types too. Even if they appear to shun others or come across arrogant, offering grace is possible if we have a heart like the Father that pleaded with the older brother... he saw the pride and it broke his heart.
Remembering we are all on a journey, are at various places along the way, and that God is patient no matter where we find ourselves on our journey helps me to extend that same patience to fellow travelers along the journey... I have been like both brothers on my journey and hope now to become more like J.K. Chesterton... humbly recognizing that even though I am the problem in the world the Father is always running to me to pour on grace when I mess up and that I need not even judge myself because he took care of the condemnation of my messing up and I need only to embrace the grace of forgiveness... and if I become prideful and arrogant thinking myself to be good enough or, heaven forbid, better than others, he pleads with me to take the nearest exit and return to the humble road that leads to the ultimate freedom celebration!
I'm never sure how to end my thoughts when I write... this time all I would say is please read this book... ("The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith"... by Timothy Keller). It has changed my whole view on Christianity and hopefully is the beginning of some much needed healing for me in my faith journey!
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