Welcome to Week 3! This is going by really quickly, I know it. It can be hard at first to implement all of the requirements, but keep thinking of them as requirements. You are disciplining yourself to be able to have this natural rhythm once you get the hang of it.
When we are doing something different with our time, something that perhaps takes us out of our normal routine or out of our comfort zone, it’s…uncomfortable! We are having to say ‘no’ to ourselves more often. “No, I can’t sit here, I need to go for my prayer walk.” “No, I can’t order a burger and fries for dinner because I haven’t had my soup or salad yet.” This denying of what we “feel like” doing in the moment will shape us to be better stewards of our bodies, and better equipped to serve God’s people. Comfort is what got us into a pattern of sin and selfishness, anger, resentment, and hostility towards others, a haughtiness that doesn’t look like Jesus. Let’s give this over to our Lord and see what amazing plans he has for us!
Day #15 - read all of Hebrews 11 and pay special attention to the repeated "by faiths"
We are now 15 days into our program together and I am really looking forward to hearing how God is working in your life when we have our prayer meetings online. Let's read about the faith of those who came before us.
Fitness (by definition, being physically fit and healthy) is so much more than just what our body looks like or what we can do in the gym. In fact, someone can look weak or slow and be super fit and crush many others with their strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, and more. There are things we neglect to think about when it comes to fitness. Here are some things that get neglected or forgotten about that really matter:
- hydration - every cell in your body needs water
- feet - healthy feet that move and respond to the environment have an impact right from the ground to the top of the head (literally, fascial connections from the bottom of the foot to the forehead)
- digestion - we can't get good absorption of the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat) that we require to function if our gut health isn't good
- mobility - the ability to move and bend easily without restriction or pain. I mean, that's a great goal to have, right? But we can't do it without healthy joints and strong muscles to keep those joints moving well
Take heart that much of the movement you are doing (ahem, twice daily) is helping all of these things. If your feet don't feel good (bunions, tension, plantar fasciitis, calluses, stiff or sore) have a look at your footwear. If your shoes have a rise in the heel (even 1/4" makes a difference), it'll affect your feet, your back and everything up the chain.
Tips:
- take your shoes off whenever you can and walk on various types of surfaces
- wear toe spacers (super cheap to purchase, I got 6 pairs for $19 on Amazon) to help the muscles relax and stretch, and to increase mobility of the joints in the foot (there are 33 of them!) Here are ones similar to what I have: toe spacers
See you tomorrow!
Day #16 - read all of Romans 4 in your Bible
Hello! Welcome to Day #16! This program has been really great for me so far - how are you handling it? What is most impactful for you? Is it the daily time with the Lord, the increasing quality or quantity of prayer, the nourishing food, or the physical activity? All of these things are meant to work together to help you really feel the presence and peace of God in your life. He gave us life - a body to take care of, a community to love, a spirit that is connected to his Spirit. Let's keep on doing what we are doing, keep establishing those rhythms and routines that will increase our love for the Father and the peace he brings. Faith is a big part of that. Let's read about faith.
Do you find it hard to get to sleep at night? Is your brain all over the place, thinking about things from the past or that day or the future? That's the time to give it all to the Lord. And practice your breathing. If you haven't done the breathing videos (seriously, we're 16 days in - check them out!), the inhale is "God" and the exhale "is peace". Nice, long, slow, intentional breathing. God......is peace. God.....is peace. Do this tonight (after doing it with the video) in bed and see how you respond. See if it gets you to sleep faster and with more peace. We don't need sleep aids - we need peace.
Peace, friend.
See you here tomorrow
Day #17 - read Acts 3 from start to finish
This is the day that the Lord has made - let us rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24) We can rejoice that the Lord has made each and every day. The man in this story was certainly rejoicing! Let's read about his faith.
Do you need logistical help with scheduling your life around this program?
Here are some suggestions about when to get your walks in:
- right after devotions
- during your break at work (Put a 5 min timer on your phone and walk until the timer goes off. Then turn around and come back - 10 min total)
- while dinner is in the oven
- right after dinner is cleaned up
What about devotional time? The chapters aren't too long, so that's not really what's taking the time. It's not rushing through the devotions that is the hard piece.
Here are some suggestions:
- Wake up 20 min before your usual time and grab your coffee and Bible. Decide whether you have time to do the devotion right away or if it should wait until later in the day
- If you don't have time right after you read the chapter, store the chapter away in your head and heart until later in the day when you can devote more time to it
Workouts:
If you're not used to working out, you can imagine it to take a lot longer than it does! Here are some suggestions on how to get it done:
- Don't bother changing your clothes. This cuts down on decision-making and the time it takes to change. Just choose a workout and do it.
- Always opt for the 10 min workout. If you're crunched for time, you can almost ALWAYS do 10 mins. Do this consistently and you'll find you do have more time than you thought.
Keep going, friend!
Blessings and Grace, Peace and Love
Day #18 - read all of John 21 in your Bible
Hello! John 21 talks about one of the times that Jesus appeared to his disciples after being raised from the dead.
Are you recording your to-dos in your notebook?
I've been writing mine out like a list and checking them off as I go. I am one to forget things if they aren't written down!
I encourage you to write out the to-dos in your notebook, or if you're really prone to forgetting, put it on a paper where you can see it or in your phone with timed reminders. It's time to get serious - we're 18 days in! If nothing has changed in your life yet in these 18 days, it's time to move - get those things crossed off your list each day. The more days you have behind you in this Pursuit, the easier the routine will be, the less mental energy it will take to put the day together and include those things (Bible reading, devotions, walking or workout and prayer walk, soup/salad, sleep). You can do it all :)
Hugs to you, my friend! Here’s the link to the song above: Million Little Miracles
Day #19 - today's reading is from John 20. If you haven't read the whole chapter, go do that now. If you don't have time to do the devotional yet, read the whole chapter anyway.
As we continue this week in the theme of Faith, Jesus has a great reminder for us:
Have you thought about your 21 day fast? Your fast can be private. Ultimately, it is meant to draw us closer to God, so choose something that will be toward that aim.
If you need ideas or support, don't hesitate to ask!
Remember, as humans, we are weak and need God to help us. We rely on him to sustain us through everything, including a fast of whatever type. Focusing on the Lord when you are struggling with your fast is important, or else we're just whining and focusing on ourselves and how much we want for ourselves. If you have started your fast, please know that I am praying for you for the Lord to sustain you through it. If you haven't yet started, I am still praying for you!
Lord, you are so gracious to us! I want to lift up the ladies of this group. For those who have already started their fast, I pray that you will reveal yourself to them. Show them who you are and how you see them. Teach them what they need to know about you in this time and help it to increase their faith in you and all you can do. I also lift up those who are still praying about their fast and haven't yet started. I pray, Holy Spirit, that you will reveal to them what you want them to fast from. Let this revelation be clear and the reason behind this fast also be clear. God, be with each one of the women in this group that you have brought together. Encourage their hearts and increase their faith. I pray your peace over them today. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.
Blessings and grace to you
Day #20 - read the whole chapter of John 11 in your Bible
Although we are almost done with the theme of Faith this week, we will be revisiting it later in the Pursuit. Peace comes from our faith in God. God gives us his peace because we trust him - trust that he will do what he says and that he is who he says he is. Peace comes from our relationship with him, how much we know him and how much we allow him to know us. We don't have to understand it - in fact, the Bible says we won't (Philippians 4:7). But we will have it and it will fill each of us. Martha had faith that Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead:
Soups....they aren't as difficult as they sound. I have made soups that are really labour intensive and it kind of stinks. I don't love cooking, so the idea of doing a ton of prep isn't great for me. So, what do I do for soups when I'm practically having them every day right now?
1. I have broth on hand. We made a ton of broth and I just pour out a cup to one and a half cups in a pot.
2. I toss in some leftover meats from dinner (cubed steak, chicken, whatever we had)
3. I either throw in some veggies or have them on the side. Yesterday, I chopped and put in some napa cabbage. Today, I had cucumber slices (half a cucumber's worth) on the side.
It's not as hard as we are making it out to be.
Praying for you and your soup, friend!
Day #21 - read all of 1 Corinthians 2 in your Bible
As we read more verses and chapters about faith, let's remember, these people struggled with the same things we do. We are not unique in our doubts of whether we are doing the right thing, sharing with the right people or using the right words. Hear about their experience:
When sleep eludes us one night, we often worry the next night that the same thing will happen and we will be missing 2 nights in a row...or 3 or 4. Friend, know that the Lord provides us with what we need. He knows we need sleep. Cast that anxiety about sleep on him. Sure, we may go some time without good sleep but we can still rest in the Lord. Being anxious about lacking sleep isn't good for our bodies or our brains.
If you're lacking sleep today, give this anxiety to the Lord and go about your day being free from it (see, because when we give something to the Lord, we no longer have it).
Then tonight, as you're going to bed, put on your favourite gospel song that reminds you of God's grace and his peace. Breathe in "God" and breathe out "is peace" for the length of that song. If you can't listen to music at bedtime for whatever reason (maybe you're lying in bed with a kid), just hear the words "God is peace" as you breathe deeply and evenly. Praying for your sleep tonight, friend.
Each day this week:
1. 2 walks (or 1 workout and 1 walk) per day, each one is minimum 10 mins in length. One is for discipline and enjoyment of movement and the other is for prayer
2. 1 meal is a broth-based soup or salad (it's not as hard as it sounds, feel free to add extras to that meal to make it satisfying)
3. 7 hours' minimum sleep (achieve this by getting to bed by 11pm)
4. 21 day fast (you decide when it starts and what it will be from, doesn't have to be food related)
Link for workout videos and breathing videos:
Password: ActivePursuitWorkouts