Delores Liesner
Activating Faith in everyday life
Victory in Loss!
First week done! Shapely Girls Fitness – helping me Be The Miracle
First entry of each day is the spiritual journal – abiding in the vine
Second entry each day (SGF) is ShapelyGirls Fitness remark
(Monday and Tuesday in previous post)
Wednesday – Chosen branches (grafting) is a great reminder to let go and stop micromanaging because John 15:16 reminds me that I was chosen even before I knew there was a vine!
The Greek for the word chose means named, called, selected.
While I had to apply to be selected for many things (including CWA and ShapelyGirls Fitness Crew), I needed no qualifications to be a grafted branch. I was chosen purely out of love.
SGF: Hilariously, the qualifications I needed for ShapelyGirls Fitness crew was to need help! 2nd time workout reminded me that is so true. Every muscle is crying out what have you committed to! I adjusted the combined handweight exercise over the head, to a single handweight and the neck and shoulder muscles feel better.
Thursday – IF – that little word that indicates I have a choice, even though I have been called. Imagine my dream man saying I will love and cherish you and never leave you. I can’t imagine saying no thanks, I think I’ll do better on my own. IF I don’t choose to abide, that’s exactly what I would be doing.
SGF: Alternated with walking today instead of video and the walking also feels easier. Why did I ever stop doing the cardio and think just walking would be enough? I think I will take the stairs a bunch of times consecutively on the off-cardio days. I want to be healthier, and I choose to keep going.
Friday – Love for the Long Haul – Rather matches with Debra Mazda’s encouragement: Long term results take long term commitments! While I often bail out if something takes too long, or try to clean up a years-in-the-making mess in a day or a week, God has made a long-term forever commitment to me. He will NEVER leave me. I recently heard someone say there is nothing you have done to make God love you any less. That’s faithfulness! That’s love for the long haul. I need to respect that love and commit to the gift of keeping my fairly healthy body that way so I can have the energy and stamina to go – and do – all that I am called as God’s hands and feet to help the hurting.
SGF: Today’s exercise felt like a long haul and so I broke up the segments with a half-minute pause, then back to workout. I ran out of time (5 minutes not completed) but felt exhilarated as I left for a 6-hour commitment, with way more than 5 minutes of walking and stairs, so I felt ok about it. By the time I got home close to midnight (traffic delays and reroutes) I was exhausted, and woke with cramps. I have to remember to hydrate, or I’ll never reach the finish line.
Saturday – According to Season: I’m learning that my body is healthier if I eat according to seasonal harvest, I’m also admitting that my body reacts differently in different seasons of life, and of course all the seasons are necessary to prepare for the next season. I’m focusing on hydration today and tomorrow. Lots of warm tea due to the season.
SGF: I intended to exercise after getting home, but after setting the clock wrong the night before and waking at 4:45 instead of 5:45, then volunteering till 5 P.M. at a stand-up job, good intentions were out the window. I was grateful when my sweet husband surprised me with a special carry-out: Baked potato and prime rib! Happy, but too full to exercise.
Sunday – Clean and New – John 15:3 says I can just stop all those efforts to clean myself up – when I am IN Christ, I’m “already clean”. I have my fresh start available at any season of life. I don’t have to wait for any set of circumstances.
SGF: Fresh start after skipping movement yesterday, I walked on the treadmill and did some stretching. Back in the saddle with Cardio and Toning weights tomorrow.
WHOO-HOO! Celebrating LOSS!
Doesn’t that sound weird, but …thank you Shapely Girls Fitness! I lost 2 pounds and 10” total this week (waist, tummy, hips, thighs and calves. Highest measurement loss was tummy, calves and thighs.
I’ll be back at ShapelyGirls Fitness Cardio and Toning right after breakfast with a new respect and eagerness!
Daily topic titles used by permission from In My Father’s Vineyard by Wayne Jacobsen – Thomas Nelson Publishers
Be the Miracle! – with journaling pages
Delores Liesner: Author
American Christian Fiction Writers Association
Delores Liesner 