Fit For Faith

Excerpt from Fit for Faith – 

7 weeks to improved spiritual & physical health

by Kimberley Payne

WELCOME

Fit for Faith is a unique workbook program. In addition to learning about the three components of fitness – cardiovascular exercise, strength training and stretching – your relationship with God will be strengthened through daily prayer, Scripture reading and daily journal writing.

God created you as a whole person, therefore take care of your whole self, not just the individual parts. A direct relationship exists between physical, emotional and spiritual health. A healthy body gives you the energy and enthusiasm to carry out the purposes that God has for your life. Practicing healthy living glorifies God.

This workbook is an invitation for you to discover for yourself the joys of treating your body with respect, learning to love yourself and connecting with God on a deeper level. You are invited to take a fresh physical and spiritual attitude on a daily basis.

You will learn that God truly cares. He is personal and He is intimate. God does listen to your prayers and is there for you. When you rely on God totally, for everything – including such things as losing a few pounds – He will bless you. God loves you and He wants you to love yourself. He did not create you to look at your body in disgust, but rather God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)

Each day, follow the outline provided and start with a simple prayer. Read the question in the reflection section and write your own response. At the end of the day, answer the three questions about your activity and healthy eating habits. Test your knowledge with the myth. Finally, close each day by meditating on the scripture verse.

The Fit for Faith Review is a personal record of your week. It is a self-evaluation tool that reflects your strengths and defines areas that need improvement.

You need to be faithful about doing something each day in order to realize the full potential of God’s plan for you. You are invited to develop physical well-being and grow spiritually to deepen your relationship with God. Prayer, Bible study and journal writing are to your spirit what exercise, healthy eating and stretching are to your body. 

Blessings on your journey to health!

ACTION PLAN

PART I: EXERCISE YOUR BODY & EXERCISE YOUR SPIRIT

Cardiovascular exercise & Strength training + Prayer

Think of exercise as either cardiovascular activity or strength training. Cardiovascular activity helps you to increase energy and keep moving. It is good for your heart, lungs and circulatory system. Strength training (also known as weightlifting) helps you keep your bones and muscles strong, reduces bone loss and improves balance and posture.

Prayer helps you to enter into a spiritual communion with God.

What cardiovascular exercise and strength training do for building a strong body, prayer does to build spiritual strength. Your body requires exercise and food, and it needs these things regularly. You cannot just take care of it at the beginning of the week and forget about it. Your spiritual life is similar to your physical body in that way. You cannot pray just once and have a healthy, growing spiritual life.

In strength training, you start by lifting small weights, and as you grow stronger, you can lift heavier weights. It is the same with prayer. You start by praying a short amount of time, and then as your desire grows you can spend time in prayer every day.

Just as exercise strengthens your body, prayer strengthens your spirit. Similarities between exercise and prayer include:

To be physically and spiritually healthy requires discipline. You need to practice both daily and use this strength or you will lose it.

The effects can be both immediate and/or long term. You may see the results right away or the effects can be cumulative.

Both exercise and prayer improve balance in your life, improve your quality of life and boost your mood.

With a pure motive, both delight God.

Women of Strength

Excerpt from Women of Strength – a devotional to improve spiritual & physical health

Kimberley Payne

Chapter 7 Temptation

I began smoking at age fifteen. I had continued the habit for over ten years before I decided to quit because I was pregnant with my first-born. It was not a difficult choice – I wanted to be as healthy as possible for my child. However, it was difficult to follow through on this decision.

The habit was ingrained; I smoked on the way to work, on my breaks, lunchtime and on my drive home again. Many of my friends and co-workers also smoked. My lifestyle revolved around this habit.

The decision to quit had to involve changes. I had to change my habits – I took walks on my break and at lunchtime and chewed on a sucker on my drives. I no longer joined friends for a coffee and a cigarette. I ate sunflower seeds when the cravings became intense.

I resolved to quit for the health of my baby and myself and I was determined to do so. With my new habits in place I felt confident. However, shortly after my decision I was reminded of tickets I had purchased to go to a concert with six other friends. We had bought them months in advance and I was excited that I was going to see this group for the first time. I thought I could handle this. At the concert, the music was loud, the crowd cheering and I was enjoying the whole scene. It was great fun – I was happy that I had agreed to join them. But once outside, my friends all lit up and the smell of a freshly lit cigarette was too much to ignore. I begged a friend for a drag. She argued with me, but after a few moments of pleading she eventually handed over the cigarette and I took a long haul. I had an immediate reaction; it was a mixture of satisfaction, yearning for more, and complete disgust. My conflict was painful. Although I desperately wanted a cigarette, I could not bear the repulsion I felt giving in to my craving. The guilt was heavy. I wished I had not gone to the concert. I wished I had not gone with my friends who still smoked. I wished I had not put myself into such a position of temptation.

When tempted, I lost. I thought I could handle the situation but I couldn’t. I thought I was strong enough, but I wasn’t. I decided not to put myself into such a place of temptation again.

This is what it must mean in the Bible when it says to flee from temptation. Instead of thinking we can fight against it, we shouldn’t even put ourselves in that position. We should run from it. 1 Timothy 6:11 tells us to flee from all this.

Temptation itself is not a sin. We are all exposed to temptation – even Jesus was tempted (Matthew 4:1 NIV). However, yielding to temptation is a sin. The easiest way to not yield to temptation is to resist it and run from it.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7 NIV).

Exercise Your Funny Bone

God so loved the world that He did not send a committee

You Asked

Q: Is a flat stomach a realistic goal for all people?

A: A perfectly flat midsection is simply not a realistic goal for many people. Even if you are very thin, your internal organs may give a slight roundness there. Abdominal exercises can tighten and strengthen your stomach, but they won’t reduce the layer of fat that sits on top. To shed body fat, you must burn calories through cardiovascular exercise.

Faith Lift

Dear Lord – I pray that You will give me the courage to let You control my life and that when I need assurance I can depend on You for all my needs. In Jesus’ name, I pray.

Reflection

It's so wonderful to be able to get outside again and enjoy the warmer weather. Last week, I had opportunity to bike around the neighbourhood, play catch with the dog, clean up the backyard, and play baseball with the family. Activity is so much easier when it’s sunny and warm outdoors!

What activities do you enjoy outdoors?

Top Tip

Do something else at the same time – You can read or listen to books on tape while riding a stationary bike. You can also watch TV, listen to music, talk to God or think about a Scripture reading. If outdoors, carry a trash bag with you and collect garbage along the road or trail.

Bible Truth

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Challenge

Spend ten minutes once a week gazing at the stars.

Praise Move

Back - Shrugs

Stand holding a dumbell in each hand, arms comfortably shoulder-width apart, palms facing front thigh.

Keep your body straight, and lift the shoulders as high as possible.

Pause at the top of the movement, then lower slowly to starting position.

Tips:

1.The arms should remain straight as the shoulders are raised.

2.Do not hold your breath throughout the movement.

3.Lift and lower the weight slowly.

Women of Strength

Women of Strength – a devotional to improved spiritual & physical health

Kimberley Payne

Women of Strength

Just Do It

It looked like a gorgeous day outside. Fresh snow covered the landscape and trees were heavy with a blanket of white. The sun reflected off the field in a splash of sparkles – it appeared to be another beautiful winter day. But the thermometer stood at minus 20 in the sunshine. I cancelled my walk (yet again) because of the cold.

For months, my routine was to get my children ready in the morning, walk them to the bus stop and then walk around the neighborhood by myself. However, my routine became interrupted when I started a new work schedule and so instead of walking to the bus stop I drove the children. Then other days in the week seemed to become busier and I found myself itching to get to my office to clear away the things of the day. Instead of starting my day with a walk around the block, I started to weigh it up against other conflicting priorities. Now, the act of walking had to convince me of its worth. Each day a battle raged – walk or not walk?

What I learned is that when I didn’t give myself the choice, I went for a walk regardless of temperature or mood. However, when I made walking an option, I had to think each day, “Am I up to it? Do I have time for it? Is it warm enough or cool enough or dry enough?” Each day I put myself through a dance of questions, instead of just doing it. “Just do it” (the saying made famous by Nike) has tremendous impact. If I would walk in the morning, instead of giving myself the option, I wouldn’t have to worry about what’s more important on my list of things to do. I would return from my walk refreshed and ready to face the day.

This reminds me of time spent in prayer and Bible study. When I make it a regular part of my routine then there is no question that I’ll do it. For months, I had dedicated thirty minutes from 4:00-4:30 p.m. to quiet time with God. The kids were home from school; I reviewed their homework and fed them a snack. Then while they had free time to play – before chores, supper and evening extracurricular activities – I’d steal away to read my Bible. The kids knew that this was, “Mommy’s time with God.” And they left me alone for thirty minutes. However, now my job requires that on some days I’m not home until after 4:30. My routine has changed. On days that I am home I’m no longer disciplined to take the time in prayer. Instead, I wonder about what to make for supper. I tidy up the house and finish up details on the computer. My quiet time with God is now competing against my to-do list. Whereas before I would “just do it” now each day becomes a battle of what I feel is more important at the moment.

My lesson? Just do it! I need to plan out my week in advance knowing my work schedule and my “to do” list; make contingencies for those days that my regular walking and devotion time gets interrupted, and then do it without further thought.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:7 NIV).

Exercise Your Funny Bone

When down in the mouth, remember Jonah. He came out all right.

You Asked

Q: My heart rate is 50 bpm. Is it better to have a higher resting heart rate?

A: A normal resting heart rate can vary from as low as 40 beats per minute (bpm) to as high as 100 bpm, with an average of 75 bpm for women. Physical activity helps the heart muscle to pump more efficiently for an optimal resting heart rate.

Faith Lift

Dear God – I pray that You will help me to see myself as You do, to see my own worth and respect myself. In Jesus’ name, I pray.

Reflection

I’m an avid walker and love to hike through our local woods. But recently I tried some interval training. I walked for a bit, then jogged for a bit. I did this the whole way of my regular walk for 45-minutes. My heart and lungs handled it well. But I felt as if I weighed 800 pounds -- my calves were on fire, my hips ached, my upper body itched from the bouncing. Not a pleasant experience. When I told a friend, she encouraged me to continue practicing and said that it'll only get better. I’ll take her word for it and continue with my new routine.

What new activity would you consider trying?

Top Tip

Create space – Create an area to call your own and make exercise so accessible that you have no excuse. Buy some low-priced equipment: an exercise bike, a resistance band, a set of dumbbells, a stretching mat, a jump rope and an exercise video.

Bible Truth

“The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days” (Deuteronomy 33:25 NIV).

Challenge

Try a new routine, a new exercise, and/or a new time of the day to exercise.

Praise Move: Shoulder - Side Raise

Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides, palms facing side leg.

Lead with bent elbows and slowly raise the weight out to your sides to shoulder height without rotating the arms.

Your palms should face the floor at the top position with arms parallel to the floor.

Pause briefly at the top of the move, than slowly lower the weights to the starting position.

Repeat 10 times.

Tips:

1. Keep your arms straight without locking your elbows.

2. Avoid swinging the arms up using momentum to lift the weight.

3. Keep your neck relaxed and your shoulders stationary.