I'll just be straight up honest. I was going to post a super cute video of us working out as a family from yesterday morning. I have fun snippets from my camera phone of Val explaining the workout we were going to do for the day and the kids demonstrating the exercises. I guess I should tell you too that Val trains our 3 kids each summer starting in late July and all of August to get them back up to speed and ready for hockey and tennis. We've worked out as a family for years, and since coming back from our European vacation, workouts went into full force for Val and the kids last week too.
But only 5 minutes into our run, I got irritated at something Val said to me (which was a miscommunication) and I bailed. I knew I wouldn't work out to the best of my ability and well... excuses are for losers. So I decided to walk home. It took an hour and it was beautiful looking at the ocean and walking up and down the hills. I listened to one of my favorite groups Selah which totally cooled off my emotions. Once Val and the kids got home, we immediately talked it over and were all good. :) Needless to say... no cute video, but I did walk 3.8 miles and it was a good start to getting back into exercising.
I'm reading Hebrews and this popped off the page for me to share with you today: Heb. 3:7-8
So, as the Holy Spirit says:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the desert, "
You see, the Israelites weren't able to enter into His rest because they didn't heed God's voice and disobeyed. They were stubborn and over time their hearts were hardened and they missed out!
What if we hear the voice of the holy spirit nudge us today and we push it aside? And again, and again, and again? That's most likely how we got in our cycle of weight gain in the first place. Casting off the little voice that says... "Put down the fork, you're satisfied. Grab an apple instead of the chips. Stop grabbing a piece of candy just cause it's sitting on someone's desk. You're going out to dinner with friends in 3 days, save your dessert night for then instead of having it every night" will eventually cause you to stop hearing it. And you'll never enter into a place of rest with your body. God has an abundance of promises and blessings waiting for you when you dive into his word and listen to his voice. It doesn't mean it will be easy or that changes won't have to be made. They will! Listen to his voice today because EXCUSES ARE FOR LOSERS. And I say that in total love!! Can you feel it?! :)
Well said!
ReplyDeleteI just like to say I started a 4 day cleanse and it has been one day and I've lost 2 pounds already. Which is the motivation I need to get through day 2 with my stomach craving oatmeal. I know it may just be the amount of food in one's body that equal the 2 pounds but I was stunned and now am excited.
ReplyDeleteThank you for blogging. I always enjoy reading them and becooming inspired and motivated by them. Blessings.
I'm afraid that would make me a professional loser for a large part of my life! But I'm turning over a new leaf ... one slice of chocolate cake at a time.
ReplyDeleteneeded to hear this verse this morning Candace. On a spiritual level and also in relation to my health. Been pushing the little voice away for a few weeks now....BTW, I love that you "bailed":) stubborn little thing. ha ha!
ReplyDeleteCandace, I am on day 3 of the juice cleanse. Any tips on how to make it trough cooking dinner for your husband and kids, sitting down with them, and then having to pass on the food and just drink your juice?? That has been the hardest part for me! Thanks, Stacy
ReplyDeleteI have lost 40 lbs and have kept it off for over a year. It has been a challange(I have cerebral palsy). Losing the weight has physically made my life so much easier! Jesus has ccompletely transformed my thinking in relation to food. I no longer use food as a reward or for comfort. Thank you so much for the encouraging words this morning:)
ReplyDeleteIt's true that excuses don't mean anything when you want to achieve something. I haven't worked out since I became pregnant with my second child, who just turned one. For the last 5 months I've wanted to, but excuses always came up. With two little boys (the other is almost 4) the only time I can work out is before they wake up. Oh...did I mention I love my sleep! Haha! So, this week I made two goals...no excuses!!! 1) get up at 6-1 hour before the boys usually wake up, and 2) drink 64 oz. water each day!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you know...since I'm up anyway, I've been working out and have run/walked a mile each day!!!
I don't love to run, but I do love to greet the cool mornings with the birds singing and the chaos of the day a few hours away. It also gives me some quiet time to spend in devotion without distractions!
THANK YOU for the motivation!
Thank you for the verse Candace. It spoke to my heart about my spiritual rebellion and also regarding weight loss. I am looking into Tracy's workout dvds- I would love to join you! :)
ReplyDeleteim excited to overcome small hurtles. i didn't give in to that piece of cake, but i did eat that bread. i want to get to the place where i can take a few bites of special treats without going crazy. i have to tune more into the holy spirit. i must say drinking my fruits n veggies has given me more energy to get through my day. im winning:) little by little
ReplyDeleteanonymous j
Excuses are holding me back from being healthy, I get so disappointed with myself because I have gone up and down so many times...I'm in the up again time at the moment...I want to get down to where I am healthy, I can get around easier...I need a kick in the part if my brain so I can... Just do it!
ReplyDeleteI just ate an apple instead of chocolate chips! Yay me ;o)
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post, came at just the right time as I am feeling bad that I ignored the voice and ate what I wanted to because I was bored and annoyed with how my day was going. In retrospect I should have listened, prayed for strength and gone to the gym, & put the kids in child care for an hr to get my head back in the right place. Next time I feel this way I'll make more of an effort to listen and make a good decision for all of us
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this! It is exactly what I needed to hear today! I have been making all sorts of excuses lately and it's caused me to be completely distracted from my goal to be healthy as well from my relationship with the Lord. This post was the perfect reminder to put down the cookies, turn off my computer and spend some time with the Lord listening to his voice! Thank you for your honesty in your posts, it's so refreshing to hear someone not claiming "perfection" and just being real.
ReplyDeleteI love what you said about the Holy Spirit nudging you. And what if you ignore it? Your body won't enter into a place of rest. I love that. I began learning this 2 years ago and I've lost 85 pounds. I have 20 to go. I'm now a Zumba instructor:) That is complete redemption and healing in every way. Now Jesus is teaching me what it means for the rest of my life-not just weight. It is so hard to listen and obey at times- but worth it. As a result I get to move to Africa and be a full-time missionary. An honor!
ReplyDeleteWow! I think my husband and your husband are related! My husband is our son's hockey coach and that is his favorite quote too! Lol! I am so happy that I found your blog. It is exactly what I needed. Between working and constantly being at the rink, I am not choosing the right food to eat. Thank you for your faithfulness and commitment to the Lord! Your Light is shining bright and helping so many people! You are truly a beautiful person inside and out! Blessings~. Valerie
ReplyDeleteThis is so good---thanks for the practical applications, too!
ReplyDelete~Kim A.