King David

One of my favorite people in the Bible is David. He was nobody and God made him somebody. And David gave God all the credit. But David was still a man and he made mistakes. The biggest one was with Bathsheba. How could someone who had it all still want more? AND want so much more he would kill for it. If you are not sure of the story let me refresh your memory. Here is David the King of Israel, with a big palace and all the women he could ever want. But one night he is looking out over his kingdom and he sees the beautiful woman, Bathsheba. He has to have her. So David inquires to who and what? She is married to Uriah the Hittite, and is his only wife.

Oh well, David moves on to someone else right?

Not so … He commits adultery and to cover it up, he sends Uriah to fight in the front lines of the war. A not to safe place and as you might have guessed he dies. David then takes Bathsheba as his wife and they live happily ever after … right?

Not so … David’s family falls apart and he loses a child.

The shining moment in all this is that when his mentor, Nathan confronts David about his sin, he confesses and God forgives him. But the damage is already done. Uriah is dead, David has lost a child and his children are rebelling against him. I love the way Nathan does it too. He doesn’t come right out and say David you messed up, you made a big mistake but instead tells him a story about a man and his only sheep. David wanting to help out the little guy immediately wants to bring this offender to justice. Only to find out “he is that man.” It is great story and I know I left out lots of details so you might want to read it for yourself. You will find it in 2 Samuel 11 & 12.

So why am I writing this in a blog about fitness. We all have our own Bathshebas. They just take different forms sometimes. That piece of cake is not something you need … pass it by and become all God wants you to be.

Cardio!!!!

Well, we have had a new addition to our family! Sophia! Just look at her isn't she cute. But I am walking her at least once a day ... sometimes twice a day. I had slacked off since our older dog Shelby who is now 13, didn't need walked as much. Now even she is complaining about all the walking. My husband and I take a late night walk around 9:30 and Shelby whines the whole way. She says things like,"That puppy came along and my pack leaders think I need to walk more. Don't they realize I'm in my 80's?" (Of course we are the only ones that can hear her.)
Now you may ask what does that have to do with Cardio? Well, lots. I have been walking so much more and I think I'm losing weight. My clothes are fitting better and my legs are looking smoother. As much weight lifting and aerobics I do, one wouldn't think that a little walking the dog would truly improve my fitness, but it has.
So what do I say?
Do it all and you need it all! You need cardio, strength training, pilates/core training, balance training, relaxation (yoga, etc ..) and then of course add some walking in to your daily routine; your house might be a mess but you'll have a great body.

Walking Everywhere

Well, it has been a great and restful week .... I even think I lost a little weight. I really think what did it was all the walking. I must have walked to and from the beach three to four times a day. That is about 250 steps one way. We also took walks on the beach in the morning and at night. We didn't get the time alone as much as we thought we would but that what happens when you have kids.
When we get back we will be getting a puppy so my husband and I decided that we will be doing more walking ... where and when ... still has yet to be decided. I think what I love the most about the beach is the time to walk so I am hoping that when we do get home we will make more time for walking.
Thanks to God for the wonderful week of rest and connection to Him and my husband.

Life is Slow

Dial up. How did we ever live through it? Back before high speed internet we would sit and wait while the page would load. And then we would be amazed at what would appear before our eyes. Good thing that here at the beach I have the time to just sit and wait for my email to load because that is about all I can view since the internet is so advanced, the bandwidth of dial up isn't sufficient enough.

You know something ... dial up reminds me of losing weight. You have wait ... you exercise, cut calories and nothing ... and then you wait some more. But just like a page on the internet while using dial up, eventually you see results. Slowly your clothes are a little loser and you are feeling a little lighter on your feet. I wish losing weight was more like high speed.

Beautiful Boring Day

The sun is shining and I am just getting ready to go for my walk on the beach. I walk so much more here than at home. I think I really love the openness of the beach and not the tree coverage of the trail. Also I have no real fear of getting run over by a bike. Although there are plenty of bikes on the beach but there is so much room at low tide. I do miss taking my dog for walks and I think that Shelby would love the beach.

We are having a good time here ... we are bored but it is a good thing. Our son is having a good time too although he is coming in a little early ... I never thought I would say that! His girifriend has a curfew and so he is happy to spend time with mom and dad. And what makes this worse is we have no high speed internet. So he has really nothing to do! Well, I will just have to tell my husband that we need another trip and it will be just the two of us.

The Pains

Wow it feels great to finally rest. That's right we managed to somehow take a vacation. It is the 25th year of marital bliss for us and so we were going to take this romantic vacation to some secluded island alone. But because of government red tape we didn't think our passports would arrive in time so we opted for Hilton Head Island ... Not the most exotic place but at least we would be alone. We prayed and searched the internet for a place and found the pickins slim. So out of panic we booked a place ... nice .... perfect for two. Then the surprise ...our oldest son's girlfriend would be at Hilton Head at the same time. Well who could resist those big blue eyes so he is sleeping on our couch ... and eating dinner with us and lunch, and did I mention his girlfriend is eating with too. So much for being alone. Happy 25th honey .... I think we will get some time alone if we give them some money for a movie.

What In the World Have I Been Doing

It is still winter here in the "burg!" We had another snow storm today with area school delays. AGAIN! Anyway you would think I would have more time to keep up with my blog being stuck in, but unfortunately keeping up with my kids takes all my mental processes! But I'm back .... I think! I feel I new sense of writing ... new purpose .... yada yada yada ... So much for excuses ... Don't you just love when people give you excuses and you can always tell it is just that they are lazy.

Well really now ... here is an exciting opportunity for you that I have been working on ... Chums Improv Comedy Troupe. That is really where my mind as been and so check us on the web at
http://www.chumsimprov.com/

The Facts

My mom died at age 62. That was almost 30 years ago. I was only 19 and my father worked at the local funeral home so no autopsy was done. Today we can only speculate what caused her death. She had high blood pressure and was very high strung. So her death certificate stated that she died of a heart attack. Back then we thought she didn't have any symptoms of heart failure but really maybe she did. Recently a friend of mine told me that her friend, who was only 62 just died of a heart attack and her symptoms were not the classic type either. She thought she had the flu.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women. It is even more dangerous than cancer. With the latest medical information coming out it is easy to see why heart attacks in women are so easily missed. In the initial stages symptoms show up differently in women than in men. In fact, the top four symptoms are often misdiagnosed. Immediate intervention can mean life or death, so it’s a good idea for all women to be aware of the warning signs of heart attacks.

Symptoms Of Heart Attack In Women
Most heart attacks start slowly with mild pain or discomfort. Here are the symptoms of heart attack in women.

Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort.
Nausea and light-headedness
Flu-like symptoms, including chills and cold sweats
Heart palpitations
Chest discomfort (angina): pain, tightness or pressure in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back
Discomfort in other areas, including pain or discomfort in: one or both arms (especially the left arm), the back, between the shoulder blades, neck, jaw or stomach
Heartburn or indigestion
Extreme fatigue

Before I recieved the news of this friend's death I read this in my daily devotion from Phil Ware:

Each day we are to begin with God. Each breath we take is a powerful reminder that he has granted us another day of life to serve him. Each heartbeat is God's drumbeat of love, reminding us that we are blessed with another minute to offer him our best. This blessing is so easily forgotten. We best remember when we teach it, show it, and live it with and before our children.

Know your facts and remember God is the giver of life.

I'll be back

I am here and alive and well. My new calendar is at my Cross Training Aerobics site. A link is on the left side of my page. Stay tuned for an updated blog!
Sue