Blessings to you, friends!
This begins week 4 of our 6-week faith and fitness challenge. We’ve got over 400 of you on board and what a journey it’s been!
Each week during the 6-week challenge, I’ll give away 2 copies of my book, Balance That Works When Life Doesn't to someone who posts on this blog.
Congratulations to last week’s winners, Joan Hagedorn and Kathy Anderson – you each win a copy of Balance That Works When Life Doesn’t! (*Email me at Susie@MyFaithRadio.com with your mailing address and we’ll get the book out to you this week).
So, we’ve implemented the following disciplines in the past 3 weeks:
Physical Disciplines:
- · Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day (or better yet, half of your body weight in ounces)
- · Stretch in the morning and evening
- · Set aside 7-9 hours for nighttime rest/sleep
Spiritual Disciplines:
- · Read the Word of God every day
- · Stretch your faith every day
- · Rest in the Lord
If you’re just joining us and would like more information, check out the posts from the past few weeks.
Here are your two disciplines for this week:
Physical Discipline:
Work Your Heart: Here’s a discipline that will change your life if you’ll make time for it! Give yourself permission to take doable steps. If you currently do no cardio exercise, pick two days this week to get out for a walk (or if it’s too hot out for you, go to the mall). Plan it on your calendar the way you schedule lunch with a friend. Make a date and keep it! Be sure to wear good tennis shoes that have great arch support (no flats, flip flops, etc.).
Start out slow and gradually pick up your pace until you feel challenged but can still carry on a conversation. That will put you in the aerobic zone (where you’ll more easily burn fat, and more easily recover). Try to sustain this pace for 30-45 minutes. Think about it: giving yourself two hours this week to get your heart rate up and force your blood to circulate will do wonders for you. I’m telling you, eventually you won’t want to give it up (you may even get cranky if you miss your cardio workout). J
Ideally, if you can do a good cardio workout 2-4 times a week, you’ll experience great health benefits. In the interest of full disclosure, I’m in a busy season of transition and I’m only able to do an intense cardio workout about twice a week. I love my time and I’m working hard to squeeze in 1-2 more workouts each week. As I said, give yourself permission to start small, but do start! That 2-4 hour investment will pay you back in huge dividends.
Benefits of Cardio:
- · Strengthens Heart Muscle
- · Burns Calories
- · Relieves Stress
- · Improved Circulation
- · Renews Perspective
- · Health Maintenance
Spiritual Discipline:
Guard Your Heart: Proverbs 4:23 says this: Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
As important as it is to work your heart doing cardio exercise, it’s even more important that you guard your heart from influences that could derail your faith or diminish your impact. Picture a father on high alert who grabs a weapon to protect his home and family. He’ll keep danger away from his family even if it costs him his own life. Now this may sound dramatic but that’s how this verse translates.
God wants us to cherish our heart and the course of our lives with such care that we protect ourselves from toxic attitudes, unhealthy associations, and besetting sins. We need to treasure our life, our purpose, and our influence enough to carefully discern what strengthens us and what weakens us.
Spend some time this week searching your heart and dare to ask yourself the following questions:
- · Am I holding on to grudges and judgments against others?
- · Do I willingly expose myself to influences that I know are bad for me?
- · Have I allowed jealousy, selfish ambition, or envy to cloud my view?
- · Have I stopped being thankful?
If you can say yes to any of these questions, first of all, know that you are not alone! We all deal with these things and will continue to (in increasing measure) unless we guard our hearts. Spend some time with the Lord, and be specific in your prayers. Name the people you’ve judged and refused to forgive. Offer them up to the Lord. Ask His forgiveness for your un-forgiveness. Ask Him to help you release the offense and embrace His promises instead. One by one, walk through these questions and answer them honestly before the Lord. Let Him take you by the hand and lead you to a place of refreshment and renewal. I promise you, He will.
“Now it’s time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus (Acts 3:19 MSG).
I’ll be praying for you as you add these two important disciplines to your life: Working Your Heart & Guarding Your Heart.
And remember, each week I’ll give away 2 copies of my book, Balance That Works When Life Doesn’t: Simple Steps to a Woman’s Physical & Spiritual Health’ to someone who posts on this blog.
Let’s do this!
May you flourish in health, both physically and spiritually!
Blessings to you this week~