It's Five Minute Friday when I link up with The Gypsy Mama.  We receive a one word writing prompt and get to write for five minutes flat.  This week we are linking up on the (in)courage site and our word is WORSHIP.



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When I think of worship, I think of terms like adore, love, respect.  Lyrics such as "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name" come to my mind.  I worship the Lord because He is the One I adore, love and respect. He is holy and perfect and faithful and perfect love.  I'm sometimes amazed that He chose me and loves me as His own. When I consider that Jesus died for me, how can I help but receive His free gift of salvation and peace with God?

So I worship because I know this.  I may not always feel this.  But I know deep in my heart.  And so I worship with all my heart.  He is worthy of all my worship. Only Jesus.

STOP

Blessings and love,

It's Wednesday so it must be Weigh-In Wednesday. I'm linking up with Kim of Just For Clicks as I work my way towards getting back in shape and creating a healthy lifestyle.

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I've achieved a major goal I set for myself this year.

Exercise has become a habit.  

Every morning (before I engage my brain) I step on my treadmill and work out.  I have my exercise clothes ready along with my water and Kindle.

Yes, I read while I exercise.  I'm a book lover since childhood which I might add, is a good time to start that habit.  I upload many books on my Kindle and I look for bargains.  I receive a daily email from Inspired Reads and I often find books for free or very low cost.  Not having enough time to read is no excuse. Combining reading and exercise works for me.

Here's an important tip for you:

I don't stop to question whether I FEEL like exercising or not. I simply DO IT! 

Believe me, over time it gets easier. The key is to be consistent.  Of course, if I had a day when I was sick I wouldn't exercise.  But so far I've been healthy.

• I've lost about five pounds.  
• I've cut back on my calories. 
• I'm not snacking on sweets.  
• I'm drinking mostly water all day long.
• I do weight lifting every other day (light weights).
• I stretch out after each exercise session on my mat.
• I do sit ups.

I decided to make a few changes to my routine.  I added interval training.  I can't report any noticeable results but this is only my first week.

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I alternate between high and low intensity periods while on the treadmill.  Right now, my high intensity portions are about two minutes and then I crank down the speed for the next few minutes.  Then I go back up for the next two minutes.

My exercise time seems to go by faster. And I sweat a lot more when I do interval training.  I'll report back on the results as time goes by.

So let's get personal. How about you?  Have you been doing some exercise to get fit or maintain a healthy lifestyle?  How about going out for a walk or dusting off that bike?

It starts with one step at a time, one foot in front of the other.

Blessings and love,

I have a confession to make.  I have a tendency to worry.  I think I inherited the worry gene from my mother.  But the older I get, the more I realize that troubles are a part of life.  As a Christian, I sometimes need to be reminded that I am not promised a carefree life.

To continue reading, please hop over to Laced with Grace ...

Blessings and love,

I love to watch children at play.  They enjoy many of the planned activities at school.  

Some children are very coordinated even at this young age.  Score!

• Hilton offered me a cup of tea but insisted it would be calming and not keep me up.
• One of the girls appeared to be crying and another said, "If she's fake crying, it doesn't count."
• One four year old girl told me she thinks she's falling in love with Sam.  I assured her that there was plenty of time when she's older to think of boys.
• Violet was so excited when she found out she was going to be a big sister.
• Hilton described how it felt when the baby brother in her mommy's tummy kicked her.

As I observe the children at play, I can't help but hope I never lose the child in me.  You know, that part of our personality that loves to laugh and play.
My mom is the one in the black dress in the middle having such a good time. And yes, that's me in the pink and white dress.  My mom loved life.  She loved to laugh and always had a joke to share.  She died eight years ago.  But sometimes I find myself thinking of her when I'm pretend tickling a child.  Babies and little children always seemed to love my mom.  She always could make them laugh.


Blessings and love,