Younger Next Year ~ Warming Up

So, Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

Reminder:  (Taken from The Lord's Table, Mike Cleveland)

If we set out on this course to lose weight for our own glory we cannot expect God's assistance.  Since God is the greatest good, He sets out to work all things for his own glory, and if we seek to lose weight for our own glory we are at a cross purposes with God.  He will not share his glory with another (Isaiah 48:11).  This concept is very important to understand, so let's look at an illustration of this in Judges 7:2: "The Lord said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful saying, "My own power has delivered me".

Day 1 of The Lord's Table is all about proper motivation. And, No, we are not reading it for this study - but because Younger Next Year is not christian based - I think it is important that we remember who's we are and partner up with Him during this study - giving Him the glory for the things we will learn from Younger Next Year.    I want us to remember this first and foremost.  Now, onto our featured book.......

WOW,  Younger Next year is going to teach us some cool stuff! Just the foreward of the book has given me some 'umph ~ I feel butterflies in my stomach and almost like a veil of days gone bad is beginning to lift!   It's almost like we have  to push ourselves into a change in our 'Psych'y'.....in our mental state - like before we can go a step further we need to tap into our fight - our drive - our desire. We need to decide we are not willing to settle for the stereotypical roles of middle age - or in the case of my daughter who is in her late 20's - decide we are not going to take after our mothers who have hit middle age!  Being 47, I am at a deficit - I yo-yo dieted all my life - but didn't truly make a lifestyle change. It has always been my desire to lose weight quickly - the quicker the better as far as I was concerned - thus why I am fighting to lose the same 100 lbs. yet again.  

In the Foreward, Gail Sheehy (an Author) gives us awesome insight - her insight after having read the book and taking a stab at implementing some of the things Dr. Harry and Chris Crowley advise. From participating in a strip-dance class, to 20 mile a day bike rides, to boot camp at the local YWCA.....She quotes some great things our author will cover....

"We urge you NOT to start gradually"  (WHAT?  this is unlike everything we have ever heard! aren't all programs started gradually?"

'Chris Crowley .....He's a recovery case, years younger at seventy than when he retired from a Wall Street law firm and began wondering who he would be, once stripped of his professional status...he started the usual slide into fat and foolishness but caught himself and reversed direction - he now looks like a 50 year old hunk'  - Fat and Foolishness - ouch!  Been there, done that - have the t-shirt and the book.

'Dr. Harry Lodge is only 47 (um, my age, only 47?)...M.D., teacher, and man of Science.  He tells readers that after 50 we start to decay....Unless we signal or bodies to keep growing by exercising 6 (YES 6) days a week our bodies head downhill.  Exercise provides the signal that jolts our cells into repairing and renewing themselves and releases the chemicals that bathe our brains in positive feelings.' -  Bathe our brains in positive feelings! doesn't this sound wonderful.......

Gail also talks about giving your body what it needs - rest, spiritual refreshment, and physical jump start.....good habits of mind and body.  She talks about what it takes to become committed to continuing our 'Second Adulthood'. ~ this is why I chose this book!!!

Are you ready to get started!?  Reading assignments are below. 

For my ladies that are Tackling their Temple with me - I am looking for some of you ladies to help with blogging!  If you are interested in blogging on anything below, let me know!  I really want you to participate and I think the best way to do that is for you guys to help with blogging and sharing!

Reading Assignments

Tuesday - Read the Foreward Only - by Gail Sheehy, also an author.

Thursday - Read Welcome to the Revolution - by the authors, Chris and Harry

Saturday - Read the Introduction

Monday -  Part One - Take Charge of Your Body /  - Chapter 1 The Next 40 Years

                 Read Page 3- 9 (stop at "You Do Have to Age but You Don't Have to Rot"

Wednesday -  Page 9-12  Read - 'You Do have to Age, but you don't have to Rot' AND

                                               'What I bring to the Party: A Report from the Front'

Friday - Page 12 -14  Read 'What Harry Brings to the Party: The Truth'

Saturday - Page 14-18  Read 'Meeting Harry and Getting a New Start'

My Prayer for Us

Dear God,  I pray today that you will walk beside us as we read this book - that you will help us to work together with you to find the desire to become healthy, that we can find in you the strength and power to do what needs to be done to break the cycle of bad and unhealthy habits. Thank you Father for each person here - for what they contribute every day - for their accomplishments -for their struggles - for all of those things that make them who they are. May all we do bring only glory to you. We love you Father and ask all these things in your name, Amen.

 



Tackling our Temples for Him

'Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?  You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price so you must honor God with your body'

2nd Corinthians 6:19-20

- Isn't this the story of our lives! 

How many of us are sick and tired of being sick and tired!?  How many of us start every day saying that we are going to do better today - Today's the Day!  I got this!  This is happening!  Only to make it to lunch time and end up going out for a group lunch - where salad just did not appeal to you, but the pizza or lasagna did?   Man Look, (favorite phrase from a friend) - this is me!

I am the champion of yo-yo dieting - I have been thru Weight Watchers (age 12), LA Weight Loss, Nutri-Systems, Physicians Weight Loss - all were successful.  I KNOW how to do this - I know my body.  I am no longer 12 but 47 and have lost the same 100 lbs. many times over.  Am I looking for success in all the wrong places (isn't that a song or a cliche?) - Am I going about this the wrong way?

I started a private facebook group that that includes awesome women all in the same position, some having very successful results and others not - all christian and very sweet awesome women.  We share, encourage, love and support each other in huge ways - (private because not everyone needs to hear how we binged and ate a carton of  ice cream straight from the container until it was gone at 3:00 in the morning!).....I'm finding, it's still not enough.  We still are struggling.  So, how do we find that FIGHT?  How do we find that WANT to?  How did I do it so many times before?  I wish I knew!  I'd be rich! (in more ways than one!)

Shouldn't 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 be enough motivation?  I am doing everything in my power to give God the glory and honor he deserves, every day of my life.   OR AM I?  Obviously, painfully, I am not!

- - - - back in August I went on an amazing mission trip to Nicaragua.  I wish I could go every month or every quarter -  it was then that I realized I was spending way too much time participating in ministries that were basically small groups on-line - studying a book, studying scriptures and sharing - I loved it - I absolutely loved it.  I loved the blogging and the fun I had while studying the word.  BUT I needed to reach the lost. Most everyone doing the studies were already christian women and well on their way to incredible relationships with our Father. So, I prayerfully gave up that ministry work to find a way to reach the lost AND do the number one thing I've been trying to do for some time now - get my temple physically and spiritually in sound order so that I can do the work of my Father - being his strong and healthy hands and feet.  THAT is where I am at today! 

It is my prayer that through this blog as I share my heart and daily struggles - when I share scripture and excerpts from my reading that I will touch one lost person, or will say the words that help another.  I pray I have the ability to accomplish multiple things through words and actions, starting here and now.  We all know ACTIONS speak louder than words and I try to make sure I live out what I speak. Results are not always perfect - but then again, if we were perfect we would not need our Father.

Check back for new posts and let me know what you like or give us a topic to talk about - This page is for US as we get our temples spiritually and physically fit to be a disciple of God working at 150% capacity - all the time!

- Facebook sharing page coming soon.  I will post the link

Let us Pray - Heavenly Father, thank you for today - for second chances, for love, for life, and for the opportunity to bring you honor and glory every day.  I ask that you will be with this group - every reader - every person participating in a "fight" to get their temples in order.  Fill us with your power and strength, allow us to absorb every scripture and use it to grow closer to you in every way. Give us a compassion for each other and guide our paths.  May every action and every word bring only glory to you.  Amen.

Taking Action- there is a book out Younger Next Year by Chris Crowley & Henry S. Lodge, MD.  You can get the Gift package on Amazon for around $13.00.  See Link below.  I am reading this book now and it's awesome.  I will share here often, I'm sure. 

Here's a few sentences I'll leave you with:

70% of what you feel as aging is optional!  (WOW!) - I get that!

'Heart attacks and strokes are the great killers of women......but the terrible things are probably not going to happen to you.  Because, the worst things turn out to be voluntary.  You do not have to go there.  So Don't'!  (another WOW!!!!)  - what do we do to ourselves????

http://www.amazon.com/Younger-Next-Year-Gift-Women/dp/0761166068/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349183893&sr=8-2&keywords=younger+next+year+for+women

More Soon!!!!!!