Today was the first day of my adventure through "Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred" Workout Video. Let me tell you, it was a WORKOUT! I began the DVD at 5:00pm, and right now (3 hours later) I am already feeling the burn. YES!!
I really think Im going to like this workout video. It's been hard for me to find a video in the past that is not extremely long, that is enjoyable while allowing me burn calories and something that is easy to do with limited space, time and equipment.
"30 Day Shred" is a Circuit workout which rotates short intervals of strength training, cardio activity and abs. It only requires a small amount of space, enough space for activities such as push ups, crunches, and jumping jacks. I live on the 2nd floor of an apartment building and it's been hard to use a workout video in the past due to the amount of jumping that would more than likely disrupt my neighbors below. However, this video provides some modifications as well as it requires a small amount of heavy jumping.
I really am excited about the next 30 + days of my workout. I will be taking a few days off from my workout video due to being out of town for the holiday season. However, my target goal is to finish Day 30 on DECEMBER 20, 2009.
By this time, my goal is to be in a smaller pant size and to just feel better about myself! Stay tuned for daily updates!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Lessons from the "Rear-View Mirror"
Last weekend, Derek and I were driving to Mayfield to visit my family. As we pulled out of the driveway, Derek went to adjust the rear-view mirror, when it fell off. Half Laughing and half irritated, I said “Oh well! you don’t need it anyways.” After putting the mirror back on and getting on the road, I began to think of the significance of a rear-view mirror.
One great memory I have is of my father teaching me how to drive! Oh I cant help but laugh about it now, because after I got my permit I would NOT DRIVE! My dad had to make me practice for my drivers test. Apparently, I had a fixation with my rear-view mirror. I think it was my comfort zone or safety net, so to speak. As we were driving around Mayfield, he would say, “Whitney… you need to look ahead of you. Stop looking in the rear-view mirror.” He reminded me the importance of glancing at my mirrors, but not continually looking or fixing your eyes upon them.
How true this is in our daily Christian life. Many times, I am too focused on the “rear-view mirror” that Im running off the road that is in front of me. First, I believe it’s important to define some key words in terms of our spiritual lives.
1. Rear-view Mirror: anything concerning our past situations or our current distractions
As Christians, some of the strongest ammunition the devil uses to deter us from our destination is our past. Whether that is past relationships, situations or mistakes, our past seems to stand in the way of what lies in front of us. We become so fixed on the rear-view mirror because we are still holding on to the past, or what is behind us.
- Colossians 3:5-10: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”
2. Road: the path that you take or what lies ahead of you.
The path we are to take is explained as the “road less traveled.”
- Matthew 7:13-14: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
The road we are to travel is called the process of sanctification. Sanctification is the same Greek word as holiness, “hagios,” meaning a separation. First, it begins with our personal salvation.
- John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father, except through me.”
Secondly, it’s a practical progressive holiness in a believer’s life while awaiting the return of Christ.
- 1 Peter 1:15 “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.”
Finally, we will be changed into His perfect likeness—holy, sanctified, and completely separated from the presence of evil.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
3. Destination: the final arrival point, the end.
Our final destination is Heaven. This is what we are looking forward to and waiting with expectation for.
- Colossians 3:1-4 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
The Rear-view mirror provides opportunity for lessons of growth in our spiritual lives. While driving, we are supposed to keep our eyes on the road, in order to know what direction we should go. So it is with our relationship with Christ: we are to keep our eyes fixed on him as we learn and grow though the process of sanctification. However, when we fix our eyes on the rear-view mirror, we are losing sight of what lies ahead of us. We need to cling to forgiveness and rid ourselves of past circumstances. Finally, we have a destination in which we are going. We should always be waiting in great expectation for our heavenly reward.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
~Hebrews 12:1-3
~Hebrews 12:1-3
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Lessons from "Cooking Dinner"
I don’t know about you, but making dinner can be a process: well at least it is in my house. After a long day at work, I come home and I’m very tired. There are many nights on my drive home that I stop and think, “Take out sounds great right now.” But instead, I drive home to my wonderful apartment, and my wonderful husband. I walk in the door and I don’t say a word. Derek can tell I’m very tired and not really in the mood for cooking. He asks if I’m ok and I respond, “I’m just exhausted.” But despite the fact that I’m exhausted, I must admit that I truly LOVE to cook.
So I go to the pantry and take a look at what I have. I’d like to remind you that I’m tired from my long day… so really I don’t care what I cook as long as there is food on the table. The feeling of dread sits in. “This meal will take how long?”(Insert a “roll the eyes” here) But after wasting precious minutes gazing aimlessly in the pantry, I decide on a meal. Spaghetti… because it’s an easy meal and fast.
Noodles: CHECK, Spaghetti Sauce: CHECK, Basil: CHECK, Garlic: CHECK, Bread: CHECK. I have all my ingredients and now all I need to do is begin making dinner. As I start the tired feeling comes over me again; but I press on. I place the water in a stock pot and sit it on the stove. I begin to heat up the sauce in a pan. I’m getting the Garlic Bread ready to go in the oven. And before I could even stop, my attitude has begun to change. I’m whistling while I work…. I’m singing into a spoon… I’m dancing in my apron! Ok, I’m kind of crazy when I begin cooking, cant you tell? As I smell the aroma of basil being added to my spaghetti sauce, and as the noodles begin to boil, I am beginning to get excited about the meal that I’m preparing. As I place everything on the table, Derek and I are ready to eat.
We sit down, and I can’t help but smile. Mission accomplished! I lean over and tell Derek that I am now in a good mood! He laughs a little… maybe it’s because he can tell by the smile on my face which spans from ear to ear, or maybe he’s thinking, “WOMEN!” I don’t know, but either way, he is truly enjoying my spaghetti. We finish eating and we both sit back in our chairs. The satisfaction of the meal has now come upon us.
Then he leans over and says, “You cook, I’ll clean!” The cleanup process begins. Can I be honest? I really don’t like to clean up. But I really love making the mess!
You know, the process of dinner is very similar to my spiritual walk with Christ. Just like coming home tired, after my long hours, days, weeks, and even months of spiritual deprivation, I am weak, weary and simply EXHAUSTED. “Jesus said, ‘come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.’” Matt 11: 28-30
I know what this scripture means; We are called to cast our burdens on Jesus because he cares for us and he can make renew our passion for Him and his word; however, if I’m honest, I sometimes dread breaking open the word. Sad, yes I know. But if any Christian is honest, there are many times in all of our lives where we don’t want to open the word. Why? Because the word, which is alive and active, convicts us of our sins. But there are many times I think that my sins are so small. (how prideful of me huh?) Then I’m brought to 1 John 1: 8-9. “If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.”
Thinking about a quiet time is sometimes too much, just like deciding what to make for dinner. Many times I get overwhelmed with what to read, how much should I read, how to pray, what to pray for, add your fears and “excuses” here….. But I decide I'm going to have my quiet time because it’s then that I realize that the word, prayer and time alone with God are the only ways to build my relationship with Christ. So I decide to dive in.
As I begin in prayer, my mind is being opened and my heart is being softened by the overwhelming love of Christ. Then, I open the word and I dive in, beginning to apply passages to my life. My excitement for the word begins to grow. While in the process of making dinner, I explained my attitude transformation from dread to excitement. It is the same with my quiet time. At first, sadly I may dread it. I may be too tired, etc. But as I dig into the word, I am excited by what I am reading. I am overwhelmed with joy about the freedom I have to worship and pray.
This could be what the scripture means when it says, “Taste and see that Lord it good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” Psalm 34:8. Sitting down to eat dinner is a great time of day. As I said earlier, I can’t help but smile. Just like eating dinner, diving into God word is a sweet taste. This reminds me of my physical hunger. As the minutes continue to tick and I haven’t eaten, I get hungry. My body needs food in order to function. Likewise, there is a similarity between physical hunger and a spiritual hunger. Our souls are hungry for the word of God. There is nothing like filling our spiritual stomachs with the refreshing word of God.
Talk about the Joy of the Lord: Ps 16:8-11, Psalms 21:1-7, Ps 32:8-11, Ps 25:9, Ps 51:10-12, Is 12:1-3, Is 35:10, and the list could go on and on, but that’s another blog. Satisfaction. I sit back and think, “Man that was good!” Not only do I say that after I have eaten, but also after my time alone with God. Little did I know that my soul, my attitude, my mind, and my heart needed to be reminded of how powerful and delicious the word of the Lord truly is. Romans 15:13 says “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Finally, my husband and I have a phrase we use in our house, “You Cook, I’ll Clean.” It’s very similar in our spiritual lives as Christians. How you may ask? Well, after my time alone with the lord, I have had an adjustment, a checkup. Then my prayer is that the lord will remind me that I am a sinner, full of pride, selfish ambitions and quick tongue…... I am a sinner who is in need of daily cleaning. After I go to the Lord, I am renewed. This renewal is a symbolic image to me of the Lord’s forgiveness and process of cleaning us up.
While making dinner this past week, I reflected upon these thoughts. It is clear that the Lord truly does work in our daily experiences. Little did I know that cooking spaghetti could trigger such an amazing connection to my spiritual life, which in returned reminded me of my spiritual hunger and continual need and dependence on my Lord, Jesus Christ.
So I go to the pantry and take a look at what I have. I’d like to remind you that I’m tired from my long day… so really I don’t care what I cook as long as there is food on the table. The feeling of dread sits in. “This meal will take how long?”(Insert a “roll the eyes” here) But after wasting precious minutes gazing aimlessly in the pantry, I decide on a meal. Spaghetti… because it’s an easy meal and fast.
Noodles: CHECK, Spaghetti Sauce: CHECK, Basil: CHECK, Garlic: CHECK, Bread: CHECK. I have all my ingredients and now all I need to do is begin making dinner. As I start the tired feeling comes over me again; but I press on. I place the water in a stock pot and sit it on the stove. I begin to heat up the sauce in a pan. I’m getting the Garlic Bread ready to go in the oven. And before I could even stop, my attitude has begun to change. I’m whistling while I work…. I’m singing into a spoon… I’m dancing in my apron! Ok, I’m kind of crazy when I begin cooking, cant you tell? As I smell the aroma of basil being added to my spaghetti sauce, and as the noodles begin to boil, I am beginning to get excited about the meal that I’m preparing. As I place everything on the table, Derek and I are ready to eat.
We sit down, and I can’t help but smile. Mission accomplished! I lean over and tell Derek that I am now in a good mood! He laughs a little… maybe it’s because he can tell by the smile on my face which spans from ear to ear, or maybe he’s thinking, “WOMEN!” I don’t know, but either way, he is truly enjoying my spaghetti. We finish eating and we both sit back in our chairs. The satisfaction of the meal has now come upon us.
Then he leans over and says, “You cook, I’ll clean!” The cleanup process begins. Can I be honest? I really don’t like to clean up. But I really love making the mess!
You know, the process of dinner is very similar to my spiritual walk with Christ. Just like coming home tired, after my long hours, days, weeks, and even months of spiritual deprivation, I am weak, weary and simply EXHAUSTED. “Jesus said, ‘come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.’” Matt 11: 28-30
I know what this scripture means; We are called to cast our burdens on Jesus because he cares for us and he can make renew our passion for Him and his word; however, if I’m honest, I sometimes dread breaking open the word. Sad, yes I know. But if any Christian is honest, there are many times in all of our lives where we don’t want to open the word. Why? Because the word, which is alive and active, convicts us of our sins. But there are many times I think that my sins are so small. (how prideful of me huh?) Then I’m brought to 1 John 1: 8-9. “If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.”
Thinking about a quiet time is sometimes too much, just like deciding what to make for dinner. Many times I get overwhelmed with what to read, how much should I read, how to pray, what to pray for, add your fears and “excuses” here….. But I decide I'm going to have my quiet time because it’s then that I realize that the word, prayer and time alone with God are the only ways to build my relationship with Christ. So I decide to dive in.
As I begin in prayer, my mind is being opened and my heart is being softened by the overwhelming love of Christ. Then, I open the word and I dive in, beginning to apply passages to my life. My excitement for the word begins to grow. While in the process of making dinner, I explained my attitude transformation from dread to excitement. It is the same with my quiet time. At first, sadly I may dread it. I may be too tired, etc. But as I dig into the word, I am excited by what I am reading. I am overwhelmed with joy about the freedom I have to worship and pray.
This could be what the scripture means when it says, “Taste and see that Lord it good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” Psalm 34:8. Sitting down to eat dinner is a great time of day. As I said earlier, I can’t help but smile. Just like eating dinner, diving into God word is a sweet taste. This reminds me of my physical hunger. As the minutes continue to tick and I haven’t eaten, I get hungry. My body needs food in order to function. Likewise, there is a similarity between physical hunger and a spiritual hunger. Our souls are hungry for the word of God. There is nothing like filling our spiritual stomachs with the refreshing word of God.
Talk about the Joy of the Lord: Ps 16:8-11, Psalms 21:1-7, Ps 32:8-11, Ps 25:9, Ps 51:10-12, Is 12:1-3, Is 35:10, and the list could go on and on, but that’s another blog. Satisfaction. I sit back and think, “Man that was good!” Not only do I say that after I have eaten, but also after my time alone with God. Little did I know that my soul, my attitude, my mind, and my heart needed to be reminded of how powerful and delicious the word of the Lord truly is. Romans 15:13 says “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Finally, my husband and I have a phrase we use in our house, “You Cook, I’ll Clean.” It’s very similar in our spiritual lives as Christians. How you may ask? Well, after my time alone with the lord, I have had an adjustment, a checkup. Then my prayer is that the lord will remind me that I am a sinner, full of pride, selfish ambitions and quick tongue…... I am a sinner who is in need of daily cleaning. After I go to the Lord, I am renewed. This renewal is a symbolic image to me of the Lord’s forgiveness and process of cleaning us up.
While making dinner this past week, I reflected upon these thoughts. It is clear that the Lord truly does work in our daily experiences. Little did I know that cooking spaghetti could trigger such an amazing connection to my spiritual life, which in returned reminded me of my spiritual hunger and continual need and dependence on my Lord, Jesus Christ.
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