She's a lady

In Hawaii walking to a  waterfall

Last night I shared a bit of a wonderful woman who has cared for thousands. Through her work she I both a professional and it is a ministry. A
She prays for each one she cares for and it is not about their response to spiritual things but it is about  their care and well being. If you are really. Sick I can think of few others that are equips to help you through it.  We have helped a few in a Good Samaritan way and theorist no panic in her care. I have seen her work with the dying with a loving voice lead the dying into eternity read to meat their creator.
I scame into her world with a rather poor diet and she changed all that. Her own cooking always excellent has changed from a diet oozed with unhealthy ways to one that is healthy. As far as taste is concern her food today is tastier and filled with herbsand spices and the menu may take me around the world, Today out taste was from the Middle East and tomorrow it my be from south of the boarder.
By th way she keeps me walking. What a girl.

Barb is the real deal

Today was a gray day, sort of what you expect in an Illinois winter. Tonight a light dusting of  snow. I am thinking about my wonderful wife who has had a great career helping thousands of people with her medical knowledge and experience. She excelled in emergency and intensive care for over 20 years. She was excellent in setting up a clinic in Africa and in home health. For the last 12 years she has cared for kids with severe disabilities many of which are life threatening. She also helped set up a week of handicap camp that still carries on over 35 years. Is there a greater service then caring for those who can't care for themselves.

In James 1:27 it tells a pure religion is one that cares for widows and orphans. Barb has done this all of her adult life. In the last two year an administrator has come who is very toxic and has run the place into the ground. What is sad are the kids who won't receive the services they need for their survival. Many good qualified people have been forced to leave. Leadership is noticed when their is none. Leaders who toot their own horn but are themselves an empty shell can destroy many things. Who gets hurt the most orphans (severely handicap). Barb is a contrast by her skilled and caring ways. It is a no brainer, I will walk with Barb, keep walking. 

Just thinking about a few things

This time of year it is hard for many of us to get a walk in before the sun goes down. The days are getting longer. We had a warm day today but in was raining. No complaints though we needed the rain. One of the places we can get extra steps is at work. Finding more reasons to move can help us move throughout the day. Both Real Age and Cooper Arobis and I will today give good information on how to walk throughout the day or brief times of exorcize that can make a big difference in our day. Taking a long drive, it good to take walking breaks.
In my day I work in a big building but I am often in a small place like a classroom. It is easy to sit around, but to fight this one of the ways that helps me us to walk around and help kids. I have never liked to stand with my uneven size in my legs but I can walk around just fine. Getting up from my chair is like doing a squat. So looking at is as movement for health I am just a little bit more motivated to help the kids. Helping them helps me. Any way it is a way to look at things. Their problems and success is why I am their to begin with, but it is also a win for me as I move through out. The day.
Several blogs I read today talked about the thunder that rolled through the Midwest last night and today. I was reading last night and the thunderstorm added to the reading. To curl up to a book in a storm has its appeal.
Had a discussion today on mental health where we talked about the benefits of medication and therapy in dealing with anxiety. Throughout my experience with panic attacks the truths of Phil, 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and 1 Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Have been there. But when the brain and body have panic disorders it is somewhat different than worry or anxiety over problems. The fear is irrational and quite different. When I was younger and tried to help people who had panic attacks I have to admit now I really had no frame of reference to it. To walk in the shoes of one who has a panic disorder is hard to do if you never had the problem.

I've been reading a book and I can tell you the author has never had an irrational fear take control. It is my opinion that their is a biological base for the disorder and I think their is research to support it. In the future I believe this will bear out. Te good news is it can be treated today and I think down the road it will even be better. Walking of course is part of the solution. Keep walking

Running with Liam

Running today with Liam while I was doing my indoor walk got my heart rate up. Liam my two year old grandson loves to run. He watched me workout with a In Home Walk video and after awhile he just took off running around the house so I ran with him. I would run some then go back to the program then I would run with him some more. It turned out to be a good workout.
I've decided to get back in shape to play tennis this spring. To do so I will continue aerobic walking intervene with jogging. Yesterday I did some push-ups between two chairs. The lower level was more intense. My overall strength is improving and I believe it is a good idea to increase strength as I age.
One thing about being bald is home haircuts. Love the low maintenance.  Keep walking

Ain't isn't so bad, Mark Twain used it.

Encourage by friends keeps me walking. Jim Smith shared winter photos, many share what inspires them, family moments it all works for me. It is nice to keep in touch.
My computer is down and I am posting on my phone. Snow is pretty tonight. Reading a few mysteries and a book by Erwin Lutzer on saying no to bad habits. That gets a little harder as we age. I think we fail and give up or it is just harder. Anyway I am still willing to keep learning and try.
I was helping kids with algebra and I wrote a wrong symbol on the white board and the kids caught it. I didn't see it so I thank them and the lesson went well. You know they loved catching the old man. It is fun helping kids learn higher level thinking. It takes work but at the end of the day that ain't bad. Ain't is a good word for an educator don't you think. Keep walking

City walkers can teach us how to walk in winter

From Ann Cassidy "Walking in the Suberbs"

The best winter walkers I have seen live in the big cities. City dwellers out walk their suburban cousins hands down. It takes about five minutes and your body is warmed up for a pleasant walk. Wearing clothes that insulate and cover the body is was counts. We lose alot of body heat with out head covering. But a warm hat, hood, and gloves and we are ready for the outdoors. Sometimes we made need a boot. The hardest thing to do is go from the house to car. Our bodies never get used to the cold or heat up.
The worse winter walkers are teens who dress like they live in California. Not many of them walk so they don't learn what they need to wear out in the cold.
I think what I like the most about winter walking is the solitude part of it. The air seems fresher. Protected by layers walking a mile to three miles is very doable. Can it too cold, wind chill, sleet and ice, can challenge walking outside. Barb has asthma and winter is hard for her. If the temperature drops below 20 it is tough. For us indoor walking is easier, but I still like the outdoors.
Winter is not the time to hibernate. We need to move. Look at city walkers and they will show you how. Some may even show you what not to do. Keep walking

New hope seen in snow - lesson from a hobbit

We finally have gotten 2" of snow. Liam recognise the snow from books and an episode of the Backyardigans. Sometimes snow is used to describe leprosy in the Bible. Leprosy pictures sin and sin's effect. Sometimes snow is used to describe Jesus hair in His second coming. Snow freshly fallen is brilliant in color. But in Isaiah snow is used to describe being forgiven and cleansed of sin. “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." NIV Fresh snow is clean and pure and is a wonderful picture of forgiveness and a new start. Being forgiven is a wonderful feeling and living forgiven is a wonderful place to be.

In the Hobbit the song of the dwarfs they don't forget and they don't forgive. A hobbit apparently has this ability. Bilbo is chosen not because of his power but for his random acts of kindness he does in daily life. The king of the dwarfs has a poor opinion of Bibbo, but the acts of kindness and willingness of Bilbo to stand by the king when the king is helpless and wins the king over. In the Lord of the Rings, Gimbly forgives the elf when the elfin queen gives Gimbly three strands of hair. This act of kindness wins the dwarf and he able to become close to Legolas. Forgiveness becomes a theme of the fellowship made possible by the hobbits go about doing their acts of kindness in the little things, which become the biggest things in the story.
When you look at snow this winter be thankful for the forgives God gives through Christ. Our feet become light when they are forgiven. Keep walking

Don't give up those health resolutions yet...

By this time of year many New Year resolutions have begun to wane. Dr. Cooper has written on acquiring new habits that it takes about five months for a habit to take hold. So if you can hang in there until may you will be encouraged by the results and the habit is now how you live. Another thing he advises is to allow yourself some margin of error. For example I hope this year to eat two servings of fish a week to improve my artery and heart health. I know ahead of time that goal will be challenged because I am not the only one planning the menus. One of my solutions is to have a healthy fish meal as one of my lunches. It is still possible a week may go by where I didn't meet my goal. If I meet it 80 to 90% of the time the net result is good for me.
Exercise goals build a little flexibility in your plans. Do you want to go to the gym, pool 3x's a week very good, but have a back up plan. can't get to the gym workout at home with exercises that use your body like push-ups, sit-ups, squats, jumping jacks or use exercise tubes or bands to have a resistant workout. You will stay with your plan and feel the results.
Give room for busy times or illnesses to interrupt your good intentions. They happen so just work back into your routines. Many of us will fail at weight loss. It reminds me to focus on health and not just the scale. Over time you will be going the right direction. With weight loss or fitness we want to see instant results. It is better to be 80% on target and note how good you feel a month from now.
Not being perfect applies to habits in other areas of our lives. For example reading things that inspire us, our devotions, Bible reading, prayer, we don't have to be perfect or nothing at all. If we do it 80% of time it will catch on and we will enjoy the results. Beating ourselves up usually leads to quiting. No it is better to take a deep breath, laugh a little and do something today.
I feel better with each walk I take. It matters that I walk on most days. But I have missed days due to injury, sickness and some life's distraction. It is good to take the walk today and follow it up with a walk tomorrow and soon I am back on track. Life has to be lived, so don't beat yourself up - today we can do something good for ourselves.  Everybody misses once and while so make sure that is in your health thinking. Above all keep walking.

It might have been, maybe

For all the words of tongue and pen, the saddest of these; "it might have been." John Greenleaf Whittier
Life can be full of regrets. We can find ourselves battling consequences of past habits we failed to master. So here we are. What may be difficult are the many times we gave an effort to exercise, lose weight, quit smoking, get moving, eat better only to fail. Throw in our bodies now experience some problems as a result. I think this leads to defeatism and a sort of practical fatalism. We can sink into our recliner and flat screen TV.
If we can be reminded today small changes can turn things around.
1) try my old man strength program
A) from your bed do 20 squats. The bed will prevent you from going down so far. Squats help your ability to get up and strengthen your core muscles as well.
B) with your feet on the floor from the bed do 20 sit ups. If back injuries prevent sit ups do crunches. This will give you confidence that you can get out of bed. In time you will note core muscles will strengthen and tone.
C) do 20 push-ups, modified from the knees, off a table, counter, bench.
Walking 20-30 minutes gives hope.
Doing these small changes may spark other changes as well. If you do something today, tomorrow will have its own opportunity. Feel good as you move, keep walking

Seeing the blesssings in our life



From the Net

At the time of writing it is twilight. There is something about the lighting in winter that is cool.

Living by blessings may be easier to see by way of contrast. Looking at 4000 year old story rings true today I think. You may not not be familar with these characters, but you seee them today.

I was reading the contrast between Abraham accepting the blessing of Melchizedek and gave Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils and refused a gift from the king of Sodom, Gen. 14:18-24. Melchizedek was a brother in the faith to Abraham and was known for his righteousness or what we would call a good man. The king of Sodom was known for his deceit and evil to gain his power and was a man you could not trust. To take a gift from such a man would have strings attached and would involve future plots of evil.

Recognizing the honest fruits of blessings from the dishonest ways of the world and entanglements has far reaching consequences.  In HBO’s Boardwalk Empire I can picture Enoch Thompson’s wads of cash oiling the wheels of corruption. Enoch was a gangster in early 20th century portayed well in the series. You want to trust him, but you can't. To take a payoff meant some type of evil involvement later. This stuff makes up our politics, fighting crime, religion, pay offs with evil people don’t work. But that wad of cash lures us.

Blessing on the other hand free us to enjoy life and connect us with those we love. The blessing of knowing a good man or woman, the blessing of a good meal, the blessing of work that helps our family, others and self, the blessing of being accepted by God (Ephesians 1:6, 7) forms a different bond altogether. Love, kindness, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, self-control, patience weave a contentment that is good for our relationships and health. Galatians 5:22, 23

Blessings we need them and they beat the entanglement with evil. Moving away from those entanglements may be hard; today we may call them toxic relationships but in the long run well worth it. Living by the blessings may be a new way of living and somewhat unexplored but at days end the peace enjoyed is worth it.

Walking with the fat man means the blessing of walking. We were made to move. Walking is free and easy and gives back so much. Walk with our dog, loved one, friend and we add another free blessing. Listening to music, books, nature as we walk all give back a blessing.

Here is a good resourse for you on health

I received my monthly newsletter from Cooper Aerobics. I reconmend signing up for the news letter as a good source of health science. You can sign up for the newsletter at http://www.cooperaerobics.com/Health-Tips.aspx

Get Cooperized

Much goes into getting 

cooperized. Although it’s different for each of us,

here are some general health guidelines:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Eat healthy most of the time
• Exercise most days of the week
• Take the right supplements for you
• Stop smoking
• Control alcohol
• Manage stress
• Get a regular, comprehensive physical exam

When it comes to mental health and dealing with stress exercise can be one of the tools you use to deal with depression and stress.

http://cooperaerobics.com/Health-Tips/Stress-Less/Research-on-the-Benefits-of-Exercise-and-Mental-He.aspx

As we age we all need a plan that fits us. Along the way we develop weaknesses or injuries that need rehabbing. Input from a physical therapist is invaluable. Fitness routines can be different at 60+ than when we were 25. The good news is when we add walking, resisitant training, stretching to our retiremnt or over 50 living the benefits are huge to how we feel.
Here is an article for food for thought,

http://cooperaerobics.com/Health-Tips/Nutrition-Bites/10-Simple-Tips-to-Shape-Up-Your-Diet.aspx

Baby steps are keys for changes. It has been on my mind of late to be the not so fat man walking. I have already taken steps to lose weight. I have relooked at my portion control and I can add more fruits and veggies and reduce protien and carbs. I have conciously quit ice cream treats at night. I am looking forward to walking and many more days hitting the 10,000 steps mark for a day. Being mindful of these changes day to day is key.
Maybe success is found outside the realm of diet and exercise. Once good eating and fitness habits are in place we need to focus on the art of living. Somehow I think this helps with food addictions and sedimentry living. finding one activiy to enjoy or a friendship to be shared, a book to enjoy or movie, a board game with friends, a time of prayer or Bible study, music. If we baby step something each day will that help our health goals. Let's brainstorm this a little bit. Keep walking    

On top of the world

More character added to my face

It sure feels great to be healing and feel better. Two days I have been able to do aerobic walking and last night I did my 24 reps, situps, pushups and squats. My body feels like a kid wanting to get out for spring sports. Today I will be doing a two mile walk and I can't wait.
I downloaded a pedometer app for my phone and I am looking forward to trying it out. If it works I will let you know more about it. Pedometers are a real encouragement for walking 10,000 steps a day.
Along with my improved mood it is a sunny day. The sun pouring through my indoor garden is a lift.
Tanya and Liam are returning home today from a Christmas in California, looking forward to happy feet and great smiles.
I can't get over the renewed energy I have today. Well it is time to lace up the shoes, do the dishes and go for a walk. Keep walking

When healing be kind to yourself

Over the holidays I came down with some kind of bug and to top it off I had quite a fall. My face got some more character built into it. Sometimes thinks just have a way of multiplying. When I had time off this wasn't what I was expecting. Healing takes awhile.
I have been thinking about the problem we have when we get sick or injured we don't recover as quickly as we did when we were younger. Everybody is a little different as well on this.
Be kind to yourself as you heal. The time frame is unpredictable so healing time is kindness time for you. Take it a day or hour at a time. Bad times happen, rest, good nutrition, support and love help bring us back. For me I find God does well putting up with my complaints. People have their limits on how long one can complain. God has said, "I will never leave you or abandon you." Heb. 13:5
When you start to heal it is a little easier to be thankful. There were days I could do a gentle walk and other days I couldn't. It reminded me a small walks just to get the immune system a little boost and the way walking can help heal the body.
When I am sick I find God shares His love with me. I also get a kick out of photos and thoughts from friends on the internet. They don't have to know I'm ill, but I am encouraged by positive stuff. Every problem has its own time. Keep walking
 

What's ahead fo us, I am no better than Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog.

A ship wreak like Paul experienced more than once. We can't
see our hard times

One blogger raises the question,"How to have no fears in the future?" Going into 2012 we had the end of the world predicted by the Mayan calendar and we were looking forward to a blockbuster movie on the subject. Science always is exploring how our world will end. (There is no end to date setting of end times, only God knows. Peter tells us the earth and heaven pass away, the God creates a new heaven and earth. The human soul once created lives on to habituate heaven, new universe or hell. But time predictions we are not encouraged to make.)  2012 came and gone with typical disasters and mayhem that really was scary. Real people passed away, crazy shootings, wars and in our cities murders occur where you think it was a war zone. The last couple of nights watching late night TV the old people ads are scary in themselves. A few years back I was hospitalized with geriatrics battling dementia. That is scary stuff.  Wayne Styles suggests three principles about fear that we can handle from Joshua and Caleb, they told the truth and the truth is always the best place to handle fears.

Phil predicts the weather

The plans God has for you lie along a path of blessing and hardship.

The land of milk and honey also has giants. It always will.

The only way to move ahead in God’s will comes by faith in God’s power above your own (Habakkuk 2:4).

I don't have to be a prophet to say we will have scary things happen in 2013. A friend of mine had to change a tire on New Years at 2 in the morning. She wondered what kind of year she would have. My new year celebration was coughing. Much better today thank you. Fear is built into our body to run, flea, fight and hopefully survive.  With sin and the fall it is necessary to have fear like pain to warn us of danger and move with emotion to survive. Like anger fear can be hard to control.
Take a look at 1 John 4:18, NASB 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. Punishment by government, parent, school can be something to fear. But in a relationship where the parties are in love there is no fear. With God His love is perfect fear has no place to stay. We can experience that love today.
In 2013 your paths will cross blessing and hardship. Life can be easy and dinner may be a favorite. There will be times when the meal will be hard to prepare or get. The walk may be difficult and there may be bumps along the way. The truth of the matter we will need God's power to move ahead. I hope your experience is great this year, but when you look back it had the easy and hard and peaceful and fearful.This is real stuff. What we need is to e in love with God and know it is good between us and His power to overcome our weakness. Happy New Year full of blessings, but know God is there with you when it is hard. His power is given whenwe need it. I find we need it a lot. Keep walkin

Comedy with Chicken soup

Well happy New Year.
I have been looking at New Year Resolutions and they all appear good ones. I bet your list is just as good. Being sick these past few days reminds of our many obstacles in fulfilling our desires for better health. Sometimes it just a fight to get better. Last year I wrote don't expect perfection. I did increase my strength program an was pretty consistent with that. For about a half a year I put on a little weight and he other half I recovered some what I lost weight. With strength training I developed a cross training with indoor walking and body calisthenics and bands work out.
Barb has continued to explore healthy cooking with new meals from all over the place. Moving everyday will remain a goal. Days I used a pedometer increased my steps. So as I look back I made some goals and fell a little short of some others.
My fever may have broke some today. Sleeping has been a little easier. I have taken time to count my blessings and also watched a few comedies. When I am under the weather I don't do so well watching "It is a Wonderful Life". No give me the Marx Brothers or Laural and Hardy. Real slap stick and buddy humor.


Comedic genius good when your sick

Isn't amazing when the body heals. I am half way there and I can tell it.
So this year
I have a few spiritual goals I like to meet
Be blessing
Be a friend
Be an encourager
Fatman goals
walk
strength train
stretch
be a good sleeper and keep working on being a better blogger - don't expect perfection Keep walking