I have exercised three to five days a week WITHOUT FAIL since that post! I have a way to go before I can officially say I feel "fit" but some wonderful side effects have surfaced from just a month of consistent, challenging exercise.
The most notable are:
1. I have a TON more energy
2. I am sleeping so much better - all night every night
3. I am firmer everywhere (and I mean . . . everywhere . . . hee hee)
4. I am much more relaxed, even keeled, slower to feel annoyed, etc.
5. This could just be over analysis on my part but it does seem I have a broader
vocabulary and less trouble retrieving information than before I started exercising!
I can't say that in one month's time I've conquered my issues with staying consistent but I can say I really DO enjoy the after effects of exercise and I want to continue . . . Faithful God has given me some drive in answer to prayer!
Thank you to my sweet neighbor and friend for meeting me at the crack of daylight to exercise! Just knowing you will be waiting nudges me out of my warm, comfy bed!
I began by doing the "Couch To 5 K" app five days a week but at the end of week two, I broke my baby toe on the side of my bed . . . it was sticking out from the pack, swollen and purple. It still hurts. I continued to exercise but have had to tone the running parts of the app down to walking. I do three days a week of the 30 minute walk/run and two days a week of pilates with a DVD. This is a relatively small time commitment but so very worth it! On a side note, I really don't love pilates. By "don't love", I mean "hate" . . . but the sore muscles the next day tell me my abs need me to keep doing it. I do NOT have the fluid movements of the ladies on the video. I know I look like a turtle on my back and not the graceful swan that the other ladies portray!
Now, on to the Mission Field update . . . there isn't much going on in that arena. Our sending organization is still getting the administrative/logistical aspects of our project in order and since we aren't on the board or involved in the correspondence, it appears to us that little is happening in terms of forward motion. I'm sure that isn't the case but we are simply out of the loop. We step back and let the board members do what God has called them to do and we wait. There is a large scale fund raiser planned for September in Pennsylvania and I will share more details there as they solidify. We do firmly believe the Lord will do this work. We have no doubt He will place us in The Philippines in HIS time and in HIS way. . . our task right now is to watch and pray.
We are registered to take a volunteer training class at Governor Morehead's School for the Blind in September. That class will allow us (Anthony, Aaron and I) to work in the classrooms directly with visually impaired children and their teachers! This is priceless, hands-on, first-line training and I am eager for it to begin.
All continues to go well with our children, our church, our preparations to begin another year of homeschooling, etc.
Just wanted to update my precious readers and thank you so much for the prayerful support. It is of such value that I have no adequate words - even with my bolstered intellect and vocabulary (ha ha) . . .
FOR HIS GREAT FAME,
Nikki
