Heart Choices: 2015-02-08 -->

Theme Layout

Boxed or Wide or Framed

Theme Translation

Display Featured Slider

Featured Slider Styles

Display Grid Slider

Grid Slider Styles

Display Trending Posts

Display Author Bio

Display Instagram Footer

Dark or Light Style

Weigh-In Wednesday: Back in the Saddle Again


Let me ask you a question? Do you want to be in good shape? I think the universal response would be a resounding YES! And I'm included in that response.

For the last forty or so years I've been consistent in my exercise program. I used to teach post open heart patients about how to take better care of their health. I believe that if you teach something, you need to live it. I'd advise them to make a daily appointment for exercise. They wouldn't think of leaving their house without brushing their teeth. And I told them exercise was just as important for their health. So many times patients would follow advice after a major life threatening event. They realize how fortunate they are to be alive and want to do whatever it takes to keep it that way. But as time goes on ...it's so easy to go back to old habits.

My habit of exercise wavered when I went through tough times for several years. The stress ended up impacting my daily routine. I have to admit that chocolate candy kisses taste so good and I made too many Norwegian waffles. (A little bit is fine and I stand by that.) Food can be so easy to use in our attempts to satisfy those emotions. And then add to that returning to full time work in a different profession after being retired for 12 years. Well, who has time for exercise?

I learned an important lesson.

If I want to keep in shape ...daily exercise is a must!

  It's got to become a habit once again.

I began to schedule my time. I love to have my quiet time and do my writing in the early morning hours before work. I start work at 7:30 and get off about 4 so I figured I could come home and exercise. But as the weeks went on, I found more days when I would make a few stops on the way home  And then I was too tired to exercise.

So I went back to what worked best for me.


I have everything ready the night before; exercise clothes, water, headphones, Kindle, music. I roll out of bed and get on the treadmill. I also went back to recording my weight. I keep track of how much exercise I do. I use light weights every other day and I stretch every day after the treadmill. This works for me.  So why change it?

I recently read this saying by Lysa Terkerust. How often do emotions get in the way of doing what we intend to do? I try to bypass this by exercising first thing in the morning before my brain gets engaged. :)

I also want to mention something for those of us who are getting older.  Our bodies need less calories than when we were younger. So the calories we take in should come from healthy food.

Since this is Heart Month, maybe this is the perfect time to start establishing a new habit. So who is on board with me? It's not too late to get back in the saddle again. Let's keep each other accountable.

Blessings and love,

QuickEdit

The Blessings of Frozen Moments



Something magical seems to happen when little girls talk about Elsa and Anna from the Disney movie "Frozen". They know all of the words to the songs. If the DVD is on in our classroom at school, the girls begin singing the words accompanied (of course) by the hand motions. 

I was invited to a birthday party for a friend's little girl who was turning three years old. This was right up my alley since I now teach a class called the Mini-Mustangs. My students are this same age. Of course, the theme for the party was Frozen and little Tina adores Elsa. Her Elsa ballerina dress was very beautiful.

I have to laugh as I love to watch little children interact with one another. Tina and her friend had been wearing pretty sandals to the party. But they decided it would be so much more fun to take them off and run barefoot. 




As I observed these two little girls sit and talk, I thought of how innocent and sweet they were. No worries. It's the way it's supposed to be at this time in their lives. 

And then as more children and parents arrived, there was an amazing surprise. Elsa and Anna arrived at the party!




They sat and read to the children. And they paused many times to allow the little ones to respond when asked a question about the story of Frozen. And then they began to sing songs from their movie. They would ask the little girls to sing and dance with them. 

"Let it go. Let it go. Don't hold it back anymore ..."


And little Tina got to dance with Elsa. A dream for this little girl. I heard her whisper to Elsa, "I have the same dress as you."


I watched as this newly turned three year old girl just couldn't help herself. She turned and hugged her Elsa. It was so precious!


I left this birthday party with a huge smile on my face. To see the joy on the faces of these children was very special to me. 

So I continue to count my every day blessings, including those Frozen moments. 

Blessings and love

QuickEdit
[name=DEBBIE PETRAS] [img=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2CDrwq9-7eo/WV6tdbP-QgI/AAAAAAACfb0/ViqQSnSVaDsMLXyz3AEEzZ5-78luBHOGgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Debbie%2BFace%2Bblog.JPG] [description=]