"He gives sleep to the one He loves." some thoughts on insomnea

"He gives sleep to the one He loves." (Ps. 127:2b) The other day I posted a blog from Mart Dehahn who had the most fantastic quote. "When I first heard a friend talk about the idea that a relationship with Jesus boils down to a chance to live loved, I was hooked."  Having a chance to live a life loved by God through it all is pretty amazing. Paul shares a similar truth in Eph. 1:6 NKJV : "to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved." The truth and experience of being loved and accepted is at the heart of all care and relationships. We may have feelings about God of rejection and separation, but they can be gone as we trust Him as our Savior. Then the adventure begins. 
Back to Ps. 127:2b "He gives sleep to the one He loves." Being loved and forgiven are ideas that lend to a good night sleep. But we may still find it hard to sleep. There could be a thousand reasons why but for many of us it is a result of getting older. In the Huffing Post today there was a blog that reported a study in the UK that indicated poor sleep may effect the immune system and cause cancer to grow. Yikes! Well, a breakdown in our immune system can cause a lot of bad things. Loss of sleep is something we can not ignore. A short term crisis is one thing but if it is habitual we may need help.
For me getting help to deal with panic attacks has really improved my sleep, getting physical therapy for a rotator cuff allowed me to sleep on my side as usual, and walking has reduced pain in my legs. My list goes on, but dealing with these things helped me to sleep through the night on most nights and go back to sleep.
Insomnia is not fun. I recall talking to a lady in the hospital who slept in a chair. She was 20 years older than me and her problems were more complicated. She told me she has began to have problems with dementia and was in the hospital for treatment. She was intelligent and delightful to talk to and her insight was remarkable. For the week I was there, I would get up at 5:00 am (not by choice) go get coffee and share the morning paper with her in conversation. Each day more night owls would join us and we had quite the group. Most we teachers, lawyers, with me being a the low end of the totem pole. We listened and shared our sleeping struggles and I learned a lot. One thing we did was ease our pain. Over time medicine and therapy open the door for me to improve my sleep. It takes effort and time so whatever the ailment give it a go. Sleep is a wonderful experience. Keep walking

What AA was in the beginning...

Me I am working on my problem, but isolation and denial are not
part of the solution, being accountable, successful steps, and support are. 

Bob Smith one of the founder’s of Alcoholic Anonymous said the 12 steps was based on the study of the Good Book. Looking at their ideas is nothing like the 12 steps of today. Over the years the ideas have become more vague and humanistic as the government has taken over the program. The personal God of the Bible has become a higher power that could be anything or nothing.

Bob Smith’s ideas were:

·       Accountability

·       Qualified sponsor

·       Small group discipleship group

Isolation made the sin worse and strengthened the temptation.  “Dietrich Bonheoffer emphasizes the dangers of isolation: “Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him.”  

Here is a good thought to Facebook - You’ve heard the commercial: “Friends don’t let friends drink and drive. I have a new one: “Friends don’t let friends shipwreck their lives because of sin.” Robert Gallaty with ReplicateMinistries.org

We all have sin so discernment isn’t judging. We are just coming to terms with sin’s destructive powers. Alcoholism, Obesity, Sexual behavior outside the marriage all lead to harmful consequences. Having personal accountability, successful strategy, and support are pretty good ideas. Keep waalking

Aging Graceful sometimes we have to be "Mad as Hell"

Peter Finch portrays the angry Howard Beale in the 1976
movie “Network.” Have you ever been "Mad as Hell"

Working through some arthritic pain right now. Lots of studies show how moving helps. Sometimes we have to take time to move right with skilled therapy. Often it comes down to little moves you wouldn't think of. I have a few weeks before I measure waist again. Each day I try to do the right thing in regard to eating and moving. here I am just saying I am working on it.
Several articles I linked happiness and faster walking to graceful aging. There are reason why we may not walk as fast as we should. But here is a goal for you this year - walk a little faster than what you can do right now. If you walk 1/2 hour miles, a stroll try to walk 20-25 minutes miles. If add the end of the year you walk 26 minutes per mile, give yourself a hug. If you are walking 20 minute mile, try to reach 16-18 minute mile. Your getting in the aerobic area and based on age and conditioning you may be there. Somehow this all makes a difference.
Are you a a happy person or a grump? Apparently it matters in healthy aging. If you are a grump how do you get happy? Think about it because I am not sure myself how to change. In the movie "Grumpy Old Men" They were always in a bad mood toward each other. The bright spot was they saw humor in playing tricks on each other. They also had joy with their kids. Problems came where they actually cared about each other. It is a movie, but maybe we are not grumpy about everything. Finding things we can find joy or good feelings about may be what we should look for each day. Get a notebook, use a notebook or program on phone or computer. Write down each day something that makes you happy, smile, feel good about. Do have somebody when you gripe with can laugh about it? Write it down. Some of my favorite conversations are mutual complaining. Barb is not very good at it. She is a happy person. Keep walking

Losing our Marbles, what is on your mind?

Where did I put my marbles?

Losing our Marbles

Memory and mental functioning as we get older is on our minds. How many times have you heard, “I am having a senior moment?” I am good at trivial pursuit. I seem to know a lot of everything. When I can’t remember something I wonder why? When I think about it I remind myself why I should know some little fragment of useless trivia and there are still a lot of things I don’t know. Forgetting and recall should be normal in a life that keeps moving. Our brains are always making new pathways over older non used pathways that are natural and because one has lived long enough for this to happen should be expected.

In keeping with the Walking with the fat man are there things I can do to keep the brain healthy and functioning as I age? Here are some ideas I have found the last 7 years:

·       Walking and moving makes our brains grow more than crossword puzzles

·       Eating a heart healthy diet helps our blood vessels to stay open and prevent strokes and prevent development of dementia

·       Learning new things helps our brains to keep changing and growing.

·       Making new friends and experiences help our brain

·       Coping with stress is good for our brain

·       Staying hydrated helps the brain

·       Forgetting is part of life. Remember when you couldn’t recall something when you were young. Well you are still capable of forgetting. That’s life!

I was just reading WebMD an article by Dennis Thompson, “(Health Day News) -- Elderly people who participate in "brain training" classes to keep their minds sharp continue to see positive benefits 10 years after the training, according to a new study.” Particularly problem solving does better than memory. If we live long enough our brains will have wear and tear like the rest of our bodies but we can through life style changes do better along the way. Keep walking

Grow in love - a Sunday thought

The Jordan River

Reading Mart DeHahn's blog Thinking About he shared the insight that to grow as a Christian one can not forget how much Jesus forgave us. I don't think that means to relive the past and beat ourselves up about our past. It is more like remembering how much Jesus loves you to forgive you that you have no time to be cold to others but if God loved me than how much more can I forgive and love others. It actually liberates our relationships to move ahead and not dwell on broken, negative repeated failings. To grow in our "New Life in Christ". Where we put on the new and take off the old. Growing here is experience and it takes on the characteristics of God's love and forgiveness and embraces that which is true and best for one another. Relationships can become more fulfilling and beneficial.
I like the thoughts of Mart's blog and you can follow this link http://www.beenthinking.org/

Peter remembering that Christ forgave him of denial wrote these words: "5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins." 2 Pe. 1:5-9

Growing even now is still possible if I just remember. Keep walking

Not a resolution but a revision

Not really a resolution but maybe a revision is what I have been acting on of late. BMI we often think of a weight we need to be at. A good goal if you are obese is to become over weight. The weight loss there is huge for your health. As long as you are improving your diet and fitness you are your way to greater health. Diet to me is about portion eating and eating smarter and for your health. BMI has some variable in it based on muscle to fat ratio. The best way to know that is when you get closer to a healthy weight check in with your doctor.
Another way to look at it is your waistline. How ever tall you are your waist should be 1/2 that. I know there is a difference between men and women so look up what is for you and check with doctor. For me my waist should be at 35 to 37 inches. Well my doctor would tell me to get real. So my first goal is 40 inches. Once a month I will take a measurement and report the loss or gain. When I get close to 40 I will reveal my waist size. I have to have some dignity.
My old man exercises have been a real encouragement. They are sit-ups, crunches, push-ups, dips, squats, lunges and flexibility moves. I am also going to work out getting off the floor. Working to increase my flexibility will help here. As we get older we should do these body exercises and find ways to get the practical benefit from it. I am not a doctor or qualified to advise you but I am thinking about it for myself. If you are unsure of yourself to get off the floor practice with the kids around or people that can help you get up. Use a stable chair right next to you or a bed. And if you need to check with your doctor first that is always the best. Try first from a sitting position, then from a laying down position. It is good to know what you got to work on. Do you play with the grand kids on the floor than you know. Maybe that's why people find yoga useful or Tai Chi. Learn more about senior fitness. Check out Web MD or Dr. Oz for ideas on flexibility. Another place may be the National Institute of Aging. Keep walking 

Baby its cold outside

I know there are hearty walkers and runners outside today and I know they know how to care for themselves in frigged weather. Layer's, skin covered and care to protect lungs. But for many of us there are days when it is too cold to be out in the cold. Extremes require care. How do we move on cold days?
Exercise bikes, treadmills, In Home Walking, can all be a big help. Yesterday clearing the snow was a workout. Today was a visit to the arctic. Tomorrow it will start to warm up but likely to cold to be outside. So these are perfect days for indoor fitness. For me I walked with a Leslie Sansone Workout. These walks can be a total fitness workout. Barb and I get a new one every year to add to our variety. Learn the four basic steps and you can walk watching TV.
It is easy to do circuit training with bands, dumbbells, body exercises like squats, crunches, lunges, dips, push-ups. Do a movement like curls and walk for a minute with walking in place, side to side, knee raises, kicks and move to a different strength move. It is really easy to do 10 minute, 20 minute, 30 minute workouts. Be smart and know what you can do and check with doctor if you have been sedimentary. Most of us can become movers.
Indoor walking can help with the winter blues.
When it comes to seasonal mood swings winter is here. Cold, shorter days, harder to be outside need a little thought how to make the most of it. Here are somethings I am exploring: A wood project right now I am looking for a wanted project. I can do somethings but others skills are a work in progress. Perfection won't be my expectation, but maybe an improved technique? Working with the kids in wood shop the biggest tip I can pass on is take time. Do a step at a time. I have enjoyed my reading. Reading for fun is something I have learned to do with dealing with anxiety attacks. Read the authors you like and enjoy your own recommendations. Having this blog gives me focus on other reading I may do. It is like having something to do that gets you going. Along these lines find ways to help others. One way I find is to pray for others. Since God hears very well I don't have to repeat my prayers over and over. Have a shut in friend, visit and share a movie or audio book. From all my outdoor cooking I figured out how to follow and cook book, share a meal. A lot of older folk have not not had a meal with good taste. That may be a real encouragement. Good smells out of the kitchen can make a cold day better for anyone.
There is no doubt about it texting is here to stay. So I text my grand-kids and they return them pretty good. Send pictures and kids will send pictures back. Cold days are good days to make a call. But don't over do it. As funny as I think it would be, don't call at 5 in the morning, unless it is an life and death emergency.
With the internet winter is a good time to watch funny shows. Barb and I watched the Doc Martin series and did a lot of laughing. If you give it a thought I bet you can come up with some good things for winter season. Keep walking

Do we confuse perfection and sincerity?

Perfection would be a few weeks in the Caribbean
Photo by Lisa Brocek

Do we confuse sincerity and perfection? One is obtainable the other is not in this life.
1 Tim. 1:5 Now the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. 6 Some have deviated from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, although they don't understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on. 8 But we know that the law is good, provided one uses it legitimately. HCSB
The goal of learning and studying the Bible is to grow in life to be fruitful (life generating principles of Godly behavior that is beneficial to self and others.) A pure heart is capable of producing fruit in hers or his life. They are genuinely a child of God and their life they produce the fruit of the spirit and help others have faith and live in the faith. They are able to know right and wrong and discern principles or things that matter from their study of Scriptures. An example of this type of learning can be found in a study of God's Word from Dr. Gene Getz. He has great studies through the Bible on video or audio on line I think you would find very helpful.
I was thinking of the word "sincere". In the Holman Christian Study Bible sincere is defined "sin·cere adj. (-cer·er, -cer·est) free from pretense or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings: they offer their sincere thanks to Paul. (of a person) saying what they genuinely feel or believe; not dishonest or hypocritical." New Oxford American Dictionary. I believe one can be sincere without being perfect. If one is not perfect they are not hypocritical. I believe the idea of perfection is what others expect Christians to be. The silliness of expectations can be even harsher in the church. One might expect perfection in the preacher for example. I have yet to meet anyone who is perfect. I come close (LOL). 
Back to the fat man walking, I hope to be genuine in my pursuit of health but the very ideal is impossible to obtain due to the fall and experience of aging and death. In someways I am very successful and in other ways I have struggled. So it is always a good idea to address my faults and make progress. The hope is to round off my years with as many healthy days as I can. The basics of a good medical team and care, healthful moderation and diet, exercise that includes aerobics, strengthening and flexibility, growing spiritually and socially all blend in together into a well lived life. Plenty to work on for me. Keep walking