Heart Choices: 2013-10-06 -->

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Five Minute Friday: Ordinary


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.  Our word for this week is: ORDINARY.

GO:

She wanted to be ordinary.  She didn't like feeling different.  She wanted to fit in with the other kids.  She felt embarrassed getting picked up at her house by the disability bus.  She wanted to walk to school with her friends.  Because she was always getting sick, she wore leggings to cover her bare legs when girls were required to wear dresses to school.  It was cold in the middle of Long Island winters.  The teacher was kind enough to let her come into the classroom early so she could remove them to be like the other girls.

After her open heart surgery, she lost no time catching up.  Running fast, walking to school, enjoying life.

She dreamed of an ordinary life; marriage, children, white picket fence.  She loved to watch TV shows like The Walton's.

Her life has been anything but ordinary.  The ups and downs, the good and bad times.  Anything but ordinary.

She remembers she is loved by an extraordinary God. One who chose her.  One who created her for His purposes.  And so she surrenders to His will for her life which in His eyes is ...anything but ordinary.


STOP:

Blessings and love,

QuickEdit

Let's Get Physical


Let's get physical!  When I hear those words I instantly have the image of Olivia Newton John in my head.  Do you remember the chorus?

Let's get physical, physical
I wanna get physical
Let me hear your body talk, your body talk
Let me hear your body talk.

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There is something to be said for getting physical. When I was young, I used to love to run everywhere. Walking to school in the rain and snow for three miles (well maybe just one mile) was just something I did.  I loved to ride my bike everywhere, especially before I had a driver's license.

But what happens when we get a bit older?

People seem to slow down.  After all, sitting at a desk in front of a computer is pretty sedentary.  Walking to the parking lot to get into my car isn't the best form of exercise.  And then when you lift your arm and a little child starts to touch that extra skin that seems to hang just a little bit.  Well, that's enough for me to grab my weights and ...get physical.

For this Weigh-In Wednesday post, I want to mention the importance of weights. I always stress aerobic exercise which is vital to improving endurance and burning calories to lose weight.  But I also use light weights every other day.

I was reviewing a book I read some years ago called Successful Aging by John W. Rowe, MD and Robert L. Kahn, PhD.  This was a MacArthur Foundation Study that showed how the lifestyle choices you  make (more than heredity) determine your health and vitality.  

Here are a few quotes from this book:
  • Pumping iron can help you lose weight.  People commonly think that only aerobic exercise has this important effect.  But science has shown that by turning up the metabolism of muscles you burn more calories.  And that translates into lost weight.
  • Weight training can make a meaningful difference in the lives of older people.  After just three months of training, older men doubled the strength of their quads and tripled the power of their hamstrings.  The muscles got bigger and stronger.
  • Weight lifting can reduce depression in older people.
Now maybe you don't consider yourself to be in the older category of life.  But developing good habits when you're younger will improve the odds of you continuing this into your older age.  And you will feel more energetic too!

So what do I do?
  • I walk on my treadmill almost every day.  (I pulled my back last week so I'm slowly getting back to this).
  • I use light weights every other day.  I do a series of two sets of 15 repetitions.  I learned a routine when I was at the Pritikin center in Santa Monica some years ago and have stuck with it.  Lately, I've found I can increase the weights as it got easier.
  • Stretching is a must as I realize I'm not that flexible.  If you don't use it, you lose it.
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So, I hope you will feel encouraged to start getting physical.  The weather in Phoenix is beautiful right now.  It's the perfect time of year for a walk, a hike or a bicycle ride.  Do an activity as a family.  Teach your children and grandchildren good habits that will last for a lifetime.

I'm linking up with Kim of Just For Clicks for Weigh-In Wednesday.



Blessings and love,

QuickEdit

Are You a Bucket Filler?


Are you a bucket filler?  Did you know that the way you relate to others impacts your life and the lives of those around you?

Working with little children in Pre-K 3 teaches me much about life.  You see, 3 and 4 year old children tend to think the world revolves around them.  I guess some never grow out of this.  :)

Heidi and I began to teach the children about filling each other's bucket.  There are several books that help.  We used "How Full is Your Bucket?" by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer.  It encourages positive behavior as children learn to express kindness to one another.

When they share toys, use kind words or use good manners, we tell them they are filling other's buckets. And the best part of it is at the same time they also fill their own.
They're in the process of learning so continual reinforcement is required. When we go out to the playground, we always remind them to fill each other's buckets.

I have an after school class and many of the four year old children were in our class last year.  So they know all about filling buckets.  Occasionally they will say "I love you Miss Debbie" adding that they are filling my bucket and ...theirs.  I tell them I love them too.  But I also add that my bucket will really be filled if they listen. :)

I found this bucket song on YouTube. It's really a cute song and not too long.


If you receive my posts in email and can't view the video, click here.

Since I choose to be a bucket filler and not a bucket dipper, I continue to count my every day blessings.

#974 Confirmation of the importance of having an attitude of gratitude in our Sunday sermon
#975 The reminder that peace is found in a person (Jesus) and not in pleasant circumstances.
#976 Laughing with the children every day
#977 The cutest photos of my after school class of four year old children
#978 Hearing my dad's voice on the phone
#979 My husband surprised me with breakfast in bed two times this past week
#980 My husband rubs Bengay on my back each morning and evening since I pulled my back
#981 A four day work week coming up this week and next
#982 Cooler weather in Phoenix ...at last
#983 A long phone conversation with my good friend Jean who lives in Florida
#984 My outside flowers in the entry are doing so much better with cooler weather

I'm linking up with Ann of A Holy Experience for Multitudes on Mondays.



Blessings and love,

QuickEdit
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