Think Outside the Box

My husband worked second shift at the time. He would come home and find me sleeping on the sofa. I would usually fall asleep there while reading or watching television. He would tell me of how clearly he could see movement of a foot or a hand going across my belly as I slept.

It was an all new experience and, wow, did my body change! In the fifth month of the pregnancy, the baby’s growth was obvious: my 25 inch waistline was expanding quickly. I felt like my body was under production and literally it was. Production was a term I easily understood because of my professional background. I would often think of it as an assembly process with constant expansion.

Through my four month of pregnancy, I trained lifting weights, practicing Korean style Tae Kwon Do, kickboxing and mountain hiking. As the pregnancy progressed, I wanted other convenient ways of maintaining good health. One of the things I loved about pregnancy is that it forced me to think outside the box when it came to exercise. Some days I just didn’t want to sit in rush hour traffic for a long period of time to get to the gym and afterwards face a long drive home. It was more convenient to just go home. I was able to come up with several home exercises that were quite effective. Although the exercises were not specific to pregnancy, they were great for maintaining health.

Wall Squat: Effective in keeping the legs and derriere toned.

Bicep Curls: Helps to keep arms shapely and strong

Dumbbell Raises: Supports shoulder strength

I advise anyone starting a new exercise regimen to consult with a professional. Sign up for ePersonal training at www.liveliving.org. Our staff of personal trainers will design a workout plan for you to use at home, in the gym or during travel.

Mount Up! It’s Time to Soar!

Jeremiah 1:8-10 says “Don’t be afraid of anyone, because I am with you to protect you,” says the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth. He said to me, “See, I am putting words in your mouth. Today I have put you in charge of nations and kingdoms. You will pull up and tear down, destroy and overthrow, build up and plant.” NCV

While the world is in a crisis mode due to a downturn economy, and the United States is investing hope in the new President, Barack Obama, I realize more than ever that time is of the essence. Waiting on that glimmer of hope in the news or on television as an indication that everything will be alright is not where I will be. It took me many years, but I have figured out that I do not have time to waste, for my trust is in God and God alone. Our lives are short, but our calling is great. When situations, circumstances and the wiles of life get me out of balance, I remind myself that my steps are ordered by God.

Last night I went to a local church where Dr. Juanita Bynum spoke. Though she touched on many things, one word spoke to me this morning that she said: “stand.” When the storms of life come our way and it seems as if rough waters will take you under– stand. Stand knowing the word of God is true and real. Stand knowing that no matter how big the giant, the Goliath, seems in your life it can be slain. Stand knowing that God is your source and when even basic needs must be met, bills must be paid and jobs are needed God can deliver you through. Stand praying for President Barack Obama even, whether you cast your vote for him or not, he has been given the assignment to lead the country. Our prayers for him united will bring about hope and change through God.

I used to think that if I told anyone all that I have gone through, they would simply look at me in dismay. I also thought that the things that were going on with me had to be worse than anyone else’s situation. But I know today that the issues that were prevalent in my life were for a purpose. Sometimes you have to go through some things to really see who you are, and if you are willing to submit to God completely and worship him through obedience, you can come out at a higher level of maturity.

It is time to come into the full realization, come out of incubation and bring manifestation to Jeremiah 1:8-10. It’s time to put on the full armor of the Lord and the armor of Light. Walk into the authority that God gives each and every believer to take charge of circumstances, situations, and to combat the wiles that come. Move past the point of simply hoping and believing that change will come; know it will. Gird up strength, gain knowledge of His word and use it as your weapon to “tear down, destroy and overthrow.” Speak words of life over your situation no matter how grim it may seem and watch how God will reshape and transform your life. To God be the glory.

“…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31 NIV

Orchestrating the Circumstances

Could He be orchestrating the circumstances I was going through? I tried to convince myself he wouldn’t do this to me. He loved me. But the things that were happening seemed to be the worst of everything. I couldn’t understand it. I was always a leader, a helper, a giver and a friend. Isn’t that what I was called to do? If family needed me, I would do anything I could. If money was tight, I made a way. If a friend was in trouble, I was there to rescue. When it came down to making a family decision, I took the lead. I lived right and asked no one for anything.

We were two months behind on both car notes. The bills were so far behind I couldn’t bring myself to answer the phone. Everyday bill collectors called. From week to week it was a sheer miracle that my family ate and had gas money to get to work and back. I had a business to run and expenses to cover. Every where I turned there was a problem, a roadblock or a bottleneck. I was sick of it all. All I kept thinking was how hard I had worked all my life and there was the cold reality of nothing to show for it. Heavy with emotion and no firm solutions I went to my bedroom and cried out to God. I asked Him why He would allow this to happen to me? I cried to the point of vomiting. I was frustrated and tired. I wanted to be angry. I reminded Him that His word says He would not leave me nor forsake me. Finally He answered me, as if I had struck a nerve and though his words were true, they hurt me to the core. He told me I was arrogant to believe I could do it all by myself: He is the one who provides security and everything belonged to Him. Self-will and self-sufficiency had no place with Him and must be removed. He told me I must rely completely on Him. I had to face the hard reality that ,yes, it was Him orchestrating the circumstances and breaking me of self-dependency so that I would be in full dependence on Him. I felt like a little child who was being disciplined by a parent. I wanted it to end.

I believe the greatest challenge we face in life is allowing God to change the way we think, our habits, lifestyle, concerns and beliefs so that everyday we become more and more like Jesus. My correction came hard and heavy. The Holy Spirit impressed upon me to live a life of complete obedience to God’s word. I endured many sleepless nights and tears until I finally accepted that I was better off to not have it my way. I asked the Lord for forgiveness and submitted, asking for His will to be done, not mine.

Maybe God wants the same from you. Ask Him to help you see anything in you that is not in order with submission to His will. Allow Him to break behaviors that fall out of obedience and submit to Him.

Boogie Swing

Could it be time to get up already? It was dark and a little cold coming out from under the warm sheets. Reaching for my eyeglasses I mumbled, “please don’t let it be time to get up yet, Lord.” With my eyes now fixed in the direction of the clock I saw that it was just pass 4 a.m. “Oh, thank you Lord,” I whispered and went back under the covers to sleep at least one more hour.

At 5:15 a.m. the alarm from my cell phone woke me up to the sound of boogie swing. I always thought that the best way to make sure my alarm worked effectively was to set the sound to something that sent energy into the airways. The boogie swing sound definitely worked. I sprung out of bed as I realized my extra hour of sleep was over.

Motivated by the sounds of boogie swing, my mind becomes fixated on getting dressed for cardiovascular training. My enjoyment of exercise is so great that once I manage to get ample sleep it becomes one of the first two things on my mind. At one point in my life, I dreamed of becoming a full time athlete. Though I did not pursue that dream, my passion for fitness became a driving force for daily exercise to sustain my health, stamina and strength.

Prayer is the other activity that comes to mind after conquering my sleep. If the walls of my bedroom could talk, they would tell of times when I was on my face before God and other times when all I could do is praise Him. There have been many mornings I got up long before the cell phone alarm sounded and went into prayer. What I love most about my prayer time is that it is my opportunity to plug in spiritually. I need and yearn for that connection. It has promoted sustainment of my health, stamina and strength.

Since both prayer and cardiovascular training are morning activities for me, I decided to combine them. While walking, running or using other methods of training, I think of God’s promises and begin to declare them. I have found that combining the two makes me stronger. Many times I am so uplifted spiritually through my declarations that it drives my physical workout to a far greater level than I realize.

If combining prayer and cardio is something you have never done, give it a try. Let your thoughts become focused on God’s promises for you. Begin to declare and decree them. With consistency I believe you will see change in your life, feel healthier and maintain a stronger spiritual and physical sense of being.

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit”
Galatians 5:25 NIV

Four Health and Weight Loss Tips to Help You Stay on Track

Soft Drinks
Years ago, one of my coworkers would always start his day with a Mountain Dew. I, on the other hand, would come in with a gallon of water. He asked me why I drank so much water and he expressed that he could not do the same. I explained to him the benefits of drinking water and challenged him to at least start drinking a little everyday. He took me up on the challenge and, as a result, he noticed positive differences in his health. Today he comes to work with a water bottle always in his hand and rarely ever do I see him in a meeting without one. Soft drinks contain 8 to 12 teaspoons of sugar. That is the equivalent to 180 empty calories since sugar has 15 calories per teaspoon. Avoid soft drinks as much as possible and instead drink more water.

If you buy it you will be tested.
Having quick access to junk food will test your will power when trying to improve or maintain a healthy diet. It is important to make sure the foods accessible to you are life giving. Try altering your path in the grocery store by shopping on the outer aisles. This will help you focus on making better choices and avoid junk foods which are usually located in the inner aisles. Selecting fresh vegetables, fruits or even nuts are tasty healthy snacks .

Oatmeal
I have had my share of oats over the years. It was one of the carbohydrates I ate frequently during my bodybuilding days. It has a high carbohydrate content, but it can also reduce cholesterol and eliminate bile salts in the intestine. Be careful when shopping for oats though. Manufacturers really know how to appeal to the taste buds by adding sugar. Flavored oatmeal is loaded with sugar and calories. If you prefer flavor, try adding chopped fresh fruit, nuts or cinnamon.

Request it served on the side
What’s a salad without dressing? Or a nice juicy steak without steak sauce? Foods prepared with dressing or sauce add on calories and fat. Whether you are eating out or dining at home, have your condiments served on the side. You will likely add less to your meal this way. Condiments such as garlic, herbs, spices, lemon juice, vinegar, cilantro are alternatives that can add zest to your meal.

Above the Clouds

The vacation we had all been waiting for seemed to be turning into a bad dream. We were lost. We had been driving in circles for four hours. The directions seemed so simple. In fact, we stopped several times and read them over. The drive should have only taken ninety minutes. Neither of us could figure out why we could not find the cabin. I was disgusted. It was pitch black and the roads were very narrow. Each time we went down a wrong road I had to maneuver the truck to turn around. It was very risky because the sides of the road literally dropped off and when I looked in the rear view mirror, the black of the night was all I could see.

There we sat in this big crew cab truck, fully equipped with all the bells and whistles, 5.6 liter engine, 317 horsepower, and 379 pounds per foot of torque. We had the capacity to tow 9,500 pounds but we couldn’t get out of a ditch. The tires would only spin in the gravel and mud. By now we were so high up the mountain that our cell phones wouldn’t work, so I could not call anyone for help. I was frustrated. The truck rear wheels were deeply embedded in gravel and mud. My sister prayed, then I went out and removed all debris from in front of each tire. I got back inside and accelerated. Finally we were free.

Above the Clouds was the name of the cabin. It seemed like every cabin had a sign with its name except ours. There was only one road left that we hadn’t gone down. Though the directions did not suggest we should go that way, we decided to try it. What a bad decision. It was a deadend offering only the alternative to turn around in someone’s driveway. In the effort to turn around, we got stuck again. This time seemed worse than the first. We were sliding down the driveway and the rear of the truck was within six inches of hitting the side of a cabin. If I accelerated too hard, I could easily hit the nearby truck parked in the driveway. The people were inside, but they did not come out though their dog barked loudly. By then I was tired and angry; this was not the way to start a vacation. My sister was like my personal cheerleader. She couldn’t drive the truck, but she certainly tried to convince me I could get of out of what seemed to be a mess. We were there for at least thirty minutes as I contemplated on how to avoid rolling back and hitting the cabin yet not hit the other truck when I accelerated. The phrase “stuck between a rock and a hard place” took on new meaning. Just like previously, I got out and cleared the debris. Then I got back in the truck, accelerated and turned just at the right time to miss hitting the parked truck. What a relief it was to be free.

We took a hard look at the directions again. I drove slowly and finally my sister caught a glimpse of the cabin name on a sign. We had passed it at least twice during the night but missed the sign. Despite the challenge it turned out to be one of the best vacations we ever had.

How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off…and For Good Too!

1. Any quick weight loss is suspect. Because weight gain did not occur overnight, why should you expect a quick fix? You must be reasonable in your approach and set realistic specific goals. Losing one to two pounds a week is suffice and even two pounds is pushing it. Quick weight loss results in quick weight gain.

2. When there are addictions to certain foods, such as sweets, pastas, breads, reset your taste buds with periodic partial fasts. Most instructions on fasting will advise you to consult with a physician. I mainly admonish partial fasts involving simply fruits and vegetables. In other words, your diet becomes one of a vegetarian, so it is relatively safe. Fruits and vegetables are live foods. Not only are they incredibly, unbelievably delicious but also laden with healing powers. These nature bounties remove toxins from the body which help break addictions. Through occasional fasting, one’s body begins to replace the harmful cells with healthy ones. These new cells begin to create a feeling of wellness as you begin to acquire the taste for the goodness of life.

3. Any weight loss program without activity is suspect. Live an active life. The heart is a muscle that must be worked. Implement vigorous exercise into your life to raise your heart rate. But activities, such as shoveling snow, cutting down a tree, walking for miles carrying a bucket of water on the head or a bundle of wood as I saw in Ghana on a recent mission trip are just as effective as walking or running on a treadmill machine or a stair climber, for example. The body is designed to move as long as you are alive.

4. Make an effort to reduce stress in your life. Stress stimulates the hormone cortisol which sends message to the body to store fat or not release fat. Being sleep deprived is also stressful for the body. The body works against you not for you when you are lacking sleep.

5. Connect with the Divine. To ignore the spiritual component of our being is to ignore the core of what makes us uniquely human. Our spiritual appetite must be fed too. If not, we seek satisfaction in other ways that become potentially harmful. When we feed our spiritual appetite in the right way, we experience a sense of peace and fulfillment as evidence of the presence of the Divine.

The Transformation of the Carnivore

This is my third day on a juice fast.  After failing miserably for two years, I finally figured out that a water fast will just not cut it.  Actually, this is the fast that I hope will launch me into my vegetarian lifestyle.  Well, at least mostly vegetarian.  I have been a carnivore for far too long to just go cold turkey.  Poor turkey.  Didn’t mean to use that analogy.  But I honestly do feel bad for these animals that are led to the slaughter house, but that’s enough digression for now.  What I want to share are the amazing benefits of a fast.  I could give you my spiritual benefits, but I’ll  leave that for another blog:

Fasting is safe.
 
For a nation with two-thirds of its population overweight and obese, fasting is relatively safe.  For the most part fasting is a healthy practice, especially if one is simply consuming fruits and vegetables.  The healing properties contained in these life-giving foods are amazing.  Many people have experienced healing after a fast.
  

Fasting overcomes addiction.
 
Because fasting removes toxins from the body, it also helps to erase the “cell memory craving”.  Cravings are stored in the cell memory which are caused by the toxins.  The removal of these toxins will help break the addictive behavior.  Dr. Gabriel Cousens, a physician, teacher and nutritionist, says it takes five to seven days to remove the memory from the cells.  So don’t give up!

Fasting helps to reprogram the taste buds.

Now don’t mess it up.  It is amazing after a fast, especially of fruits and vegetables or juices, one returns to unclean food called junk.  Instead of returning to an inferior diet, now is the time to use the fast to begin the journey to optimal health.  From carnivore to vegetarian is my goal.  Will it happen this year?  Will it occur over a period of years?  The point is that the end goal is what I desire and will achieve.

Fasting aids in weight loss.

Oops!  I should have put this as number one.  Through fasting the body begins to digest cells and tissue in excess.  Now is the time, while we are in a lean economy to cut back and save on our grocery bill.  Now is the time to lose those unwanted pounds and replace those bad carbs with vegetables and fruits.

Fasting stimulates building of new cells.

During a fast, the body goes through a cleansing process.  Because the digestive system is at rest or is not working vigorously, digestive enzymes are used to rid the body of dead cells and toxins.  The antioxidants from various natural fruit juices also contribute to the removal of these dead or dying cells which cause aging.  Here is another reason to fast.  Now you can look younger without paying for a botox job.

Aahh…!  Fasting! It’s not so bad after all.  The sacrifice is certainly worth the benefits: the ability for the body to heal itself, remove addictive memory cells, acquire taste for healthy foods, release excess weight, and stimulate youthful skin are simply divine!

Junk Food and Prayers for Health

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

The times of children getting exercise just through normal outside play are seemingly long gone. We live a society where television, magazines and movies promote an image of how our children should look. Some parents talk of the difficulty they have in getting their children to eat healthy. Having a spouse who enjoys eating junk foods and gives them to the children makes it even more challenging.

Routine Saturday visits to the barber shop turned into an opportunity for my husband and son to dine out. My son innocently revealed one day that his dad was stopping at fast food restaurants after leaving the barber shop. They were enjoying trips to Checkers, Burger King and McDonalds to name a few. I was upset. I had done my best to buy foods that were healthy and prepared meals in such a way that it would teach our son good eating habits. I determined that the only way to make a difference was to communicate my concerns to God in prayer. I had never prayed about my son in this way before, but it seemed to be the best decision considering the circumstances. In the end it would be the Holy Spirit that would guide him to do what was right for his body, but as a parent I realized must cover him through prayer in this area. I began to pray that God would help him understand which foods were good for him and give him the desire for them. I relied on God to help him see the truth about how he should live and give him the appropriate vision of health.

Often I have heard the stories of children in their teenage years being diagnosed with eating disorders. Bad eating habits can easily spiral out of control in one way or another. Begin praying for the health of our children today so that we spare them hurt, frustration, or a broken heart.

“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not you own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20