Today I celebrated the life and legacy of my friend Ann’s mom.  Angeline Yelich was loved very much.  Her husband, children, and grandchildren shared stories, laughter, and many tears as they reflected on who she was.

During the Funeral Mass we sang the 23^rd Psalm.  The words were a little different from the versions I’m used to, and they were just perfect for the day.

Perhaps you are weary, sad, or feeling lost.

May these words bring you comfort.

God is my shepherd, so nothing shall I want,
I rest in the meadows of faithfulness and love,
I walk by the quiet waters of peace.

Gently you raise me and heal my weary soul,
You lead me by pathways of righteousness and truth,
My spirit shall sing the music of your name.

Though I should wander the valley of death,
I fear no evil, for you are at my side, your rod and your staff,
My comfort and my hope.

You have set me a banquet of love in the face of hatred,
Crowning me with love beyond my pow’r to hold.

Surely your kindness and mercy follow me all the days of my life.
I will dwell in the house of my God for evermore.

Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants,
Beyond my fears, from death into life.

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Spending any time in the kitchen is not usually a good time for me.  But in my commitment to getting healthier, I spent an hour this morning cutting up fruits and veggies.  (I count this as “cooking.”  Steve says it really isn’t because no water was boiled and the oven wasn’t on.)

I can read, and have read, a lot of books and blogs on getting fit and staying healthy.  I love buying cookbooks – just don’t know what to do with them.  I love listening to CDs, watching the programs, and learning from the best. 

The people that have helped me the most?  Those individuals who teach and inspire from a place of authenticity.  Those who truly care about my heart, bones, muscles, weight, etc.  Those who are more concerned with my health needs than they are their own photos, bios, or success.

So in honor of my cooking time this morning, I’m sharing my favorite go-to team that inspires me to live a healthy life, with purpose.

Jody Lessard is my #1 inspiration.  I worked out with her at the YMCA a couple years ago, and she completely reshaped my physical appearance—and my thinking about exercising.  One of her best gifts to me: she encouraged me (very, very strongly!) to run a 5K race.  I was certain it would kill me.  She convinced me it wouldn’t.  And then she gave me the gift of time, her presence, and her inspiration: she ran it with me.  We’re working out together again now—changing each other’s lives as we breathe, sweat, and reshape.  (Actually, she doesn’t really sweat much when we work out.  I do enough for both of us.)

Oh, yea…in case you’re wondering…that’s Fred the octogenarian leading our trio.  I’m the one in the red shirt, Jody’s in black.  I just wanted to make sure you weren’t confused about which one was me.  Ha!)

My Tip:  Find someone who can inspire you to stay committed to your “get healthy” program.  Someone who will love you unconditionally and kick your butt at the same time.

Chere Bork is my friend and inspiration when it comes to eating well. As a wellness consultant, nutritionist, and media spokesperson, she knows how to make healthy eating easy.  (Even for me.)  She encourages me every time we’re together, and her blog is one of my favorites.  Chere just completed her first triathlon at age 55.  This lady is amazing.  She has a very full life and lives it to the max.  Add her website and blog to your Favorites list.  You won’t be disappointed.

My Tip:  Find three blogs or ezines that will teach and inspire you to make the right food choices.  Chere is at the top of my list.  Another favorite: Tosca Reno’s Clean Eating site.

I don’t know Julie Hadden personally, but I watched her life change a few seasons ago on The Biggest Loser.  (Yes, I watch the show.  Whether they play the game or make unwise choices when they leave the show doesn’t interest me.  What is amazing is that these people have the opportunity to learn from the best.  And then they lose the weight.)

Anyway, Julie’s book, Fat Chance: Losing the Weight, Gaining my Worth, is one of the most authentic and humerous books I’ve ever read.  It’s like having a conversation with your best friend.  There’s nothing pretentious or condescending about it.  It’s not “Here are the 3 things you need to do.”  It’s about Julie finding her heart and realizing she was “worth the dreams I felt compelled to chase.”  It was about discovering how to walk with God and accept His love.  She did it as she shed the pounds.

My Tip:  Read Julie’s book.  Then read it again.

Living with purpose.  It’s about stumbling and picking yourself back up.  It’s about starting the day by cutting up veggies and ending the day with Haagen Dazs ice cream.  It’s about losing 7 pounds and gaining back two.  It’s about learning from our mistakes and making better choices next time.

Put together your team of people that will inspire and motivate you. 

Learn from those who live it.

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We’ve been talking about the importance of a healthy heart…physically and spiritually…

Titles frequently describe where we fit in society, on the org chart, or how valuable someone else thinks we are.  (Sad, but true.)  How about this one: “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.”  Pretty impressive, uh?  And yet, with all this wisdom, Solomon still made some pretty big mistakes.  Including his belief that he was above the law. 

Solomon ignored the memo God sent him.  “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with whole-hearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.” (I Chronicles 28:9)

That really feels personal, doesn’t it?  Not much we can hide from God.

After reading Mark 7:20-23 from my last posting, my conscience meter was still on low—murder, adultery, lewdness, etc.  Not too troubled during my self-reflection.  But then in my heart-focused journey, God brings me to King Solomon. 

He searches my heart and understands every one of my motives.  Wow.  Now this is getting a little more troublesome.

So to get a better handle on this heart stuff, I used the same process we followed when taking care of mom’s physical heart:

– Consider the symptoms (pulse, energy, mood, illness, behaviors)
     What am I like to be around?  Am I flourishing or floundering?  What words come out of my mouth?  What actions speak louder than my words?

      Without sharing the details, let me just say that it didn’t take someone with an M.D. after her name to bring my symptoms to my attention.  They appeared very clearly once I intentionally watched my own behaviors.

– Make a diagnosis (by a professional – God’s Word)
     “As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.” (Proverbs 27:19)  My heart wasn’t “beating” right.  It wasn’t healthy.  And neither a pacemaker nor a defibrillator were the answer.

– Develop a course of treatment (by a professional – God’s Word)
     My heart needed more than a tune-up or mechanical device, it needed an overhaul.  “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”  (Psalm 51:10-12)  I needed to get rid of the junk that was at the core of my heart, and let God create a pure heart.

– Follow-up
     Repentance, forgiveness, acceptance of God’s love.  And then it comes down to choices.  Just as my mom needs her mechanical device to keep her heart beating regularly, I need to think, talk, and act in ways that align with what God teaches us.  Consistently.

 Our hearts keep no secrets.

When my mom’s physical heart isn’t working right, we know it.  We see the symptoms in her daily living.

The same thing is true for my heart.  When it’s not healthy, the symptoms show up in my daily living, my actions, attitudes, and words.

So what has been my big lesson in all this?

I must guard my heart at all costs. 

I need to take care of it physically—eat right, exercise, cut back (notice I didn’t say eliminate!) on M&Ms.

And I need to care of the very core of my heart.  Nourish it by reading God’s Word.  Protect it through prayer.  And strengthen it by making smart choices.  I must depend on the Bible and God’s voice, in the same way my mom depends on her mechanical device.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”  (Proverbs 4:23).

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Just an Update…

There’s an obvious gap in time since the last time I posted here!  I’m sorry about the break in the schedule.  I’ve been spending more time with my mom as she recuperates from two serious heart procedures.  Loved our time together while decreasing the hours I spent on other things.  Now she’s back on track and feeling great!

Our hearts.  We know we can’t live without them, and there are times when it’s difficult to live with them!

My mom’s heart has beat funny for years.  At times it is off to the races, and other times it has trouble getting out of the starting gate.  Mom can always tell when it’s irregular—her pulse, energy, and how she feels are all good indicators of how her heart is working.

In May she had a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted.  This mechanical device, located just under her collarbone with leads that make the connections with her heart, is now regulating her heart rhythm and should extend her life expectancy.  This is a very good thing.  (And simply amazing!)

The surgery wasn’t without complications.  She developed a very large hematoma—a pool of blood that didn’t absorb into her system—that required a late-night run to the emergency room and another surgery.  Once again, doctors and medical procedures, bathed in prayer, “fixed” it.

I started thinking about these modern day miracles and technologies that can “fix” something as delicate and complicated as a heart.  The path to getting mom’s heart rhythm regulated was very simple:

– Consider the symptoms (pulse, energy, mood, illness, behaviors)

– Make a diagnosis (by a professional)

– Develop a course of treatment (by a professional)

– Follow-up (follow the plan; continue doing the right/healthy things)

I’ve had “heart stuff” on the brain for several months now, and I started thinking about my own heart.  It may physically beat regularly, but are there symptoms indicating it’s not as healthy internally as it should be?  And I’m not talking about cholesterol levels or clogged arteries.  When our heart isn’t working as it should, we know it.  There are symptoms that can’t be ignored.

Mark writes in Mark 7:20-23, “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.  All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’” 

Pretty strong words—easy to think, “Of course I’m not involved in those things!”  Maybe we should think again.  What behaviors or symptoms are showing up in your life? 

How is your heart working?  We have to be living in a cave to not know there are things we can do to create a physically healthy heart.  (And unfortunately, consuming large amounts of M&Ms isn’t on that list.  And it also requires movement—that’s a big ooftah for me!)

I’ve been learning about the importance of watching for symptoms that indicate my heart isn’t where it needs to be.  Huffing and puffing up a set of stairs is only one indicator that something’s not quite right.  What about my mood, energy, pulse, attitude, and behaviors?  How am I treating people?  How am I spending my time?  Am I flourishing or floundering? 

In my next posting I’ll continue this conversation, sharing what I’m learning about the importance of a heart that works, with or without mechanical help.

P.S.  My sisters and I are so grateful that mom’s heart is working more efficiently again.  She’s back to walking several times a day which is such a blessing.  She continues to follow her vegan diet, study her Bible, memorize scriptures, and work her crossword and jigsaw puzzles!  

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Where is God when your heart is breaking?  When you’ve been unemployed for 14 months and despair is setting in?  When illness has taken over your body and there is no cure?

He’s right there.  Sitting next to you.  Holding your hand.  Feeling your pain.

God doesn’t leave us when times are tough.  Our pain and sadness don’t chase Him away. Nor do they imply that He has left us.

Joshua 1:9 “…Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

God’s words are not phrases from Hallmark cards.  They come from the mouth of the The Most Holy One.  The God who loves us more than we can comprehend.  They are promises that He must and will keep—because He is God.

I must remember that God never gets off his throne.  God is always God.  Nothing changes that.

Give Him your pain. Your tears. Ask Him to wrap his arms around you and take your sorrow.

Stop trying to fix it on your own.  Let God be God.

What would I do if I were ten times bolder (my theme for 2010)?
I will respond to my hurts in a way that says, “God is still on the throne.”

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It is unfortunate, but true.  Fear is a traveling companion for many of us. 

The fear of losing our job.  The fear that someone will discover that we’re not really as good as they think we are.  The paralyzing fear of man.  Of making mistakes. Of not being good enough. 

I have been learning a lot from Max Lucado’s book, Fearless: Imagine Your Life without Fear. 

As Lucado takes us through a journey of the list of fears that might keep us up at night (e.g., the fear of disappointing God, overwhelming challenges, not mattering, and life’s final moments, etc.), he constantly reminds us that Jesus said, “Do not be afraid.”

What I need to remember is this: When Jesus said, “Do not be afraid,” He meant it.  He has given me the provisions, the tools, the resources, to turn from fear to faith.  God would never tell me to do something that is impossible to do, right?

Fear is an ugly place to live and work. Nothing good comes out of it.  Being afraid of the unknown does not give us more control of our situation.  It just makes us feel crappy.  And it steals our joy.

Lucado writes,

“Fear itself is not a sin.  But it can lead to sin…
Fear may fill our world, but it doesn’t have to fill our hearts.  It will always knock on the door. 
Just don’t invite it in for dinner, and for heaven’s sake don’t offer it a bed for the night.”

God’s Word and God’s voice. They are powerful enough to remove all fear, and gentle enough to soothe our souls.  I like that.

I’m interested…What helps you move from fear to faith?

What would I do if I were ten times bolder (my theme for 2010)? 
I will choose to believe God at His Word and accept his peace, rather than dwelling on my anxious thoughts.

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“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalms 118:24)

 She’s 83. She lives in an apartment for senior citizens. She’s got more life than the energizer bunny.

Meet my aunt, Idelle (Nornes) Bagne.

Nothing is keeping Aunt Idelle from getting the most out of every moment she takes a breath. She’s still serving, teaching, serving, laughing, serving, and helping. Did I say serving?

Here’s her weekly schedule:

~~ She volunteers at the hospital for the terminally ill on Monday mornings. 

~~ She leads a devotional on Tuesday mornings.

~~ As president of the tenant’s group, she’s responsible for the social hour every Wednesday afternoon.

~~ And every Monday and Wednesday she leads an exercise class for a group of fabulous women. (Idelle taught health and phy ed for many years.)  Who attends her class?  Not your typical exercise group! You won’t find spandex and athletes. You will find (I’ve changed their names):

• Gladys, who has a hernia.
• Margaret, whose left leg doesn’t work real well.
• Alice, who has frequent dizzy spells.
• Catherine, who has painful osteoporosis.
• And Nora, who has plastic arteries in her left leg, an artificial right leg, two kinds of cancer, and is blind.

These women get together twice a week to work on balance, range of motion, and a little bit of strengthening. They take a break between exercises to talk about their families and tell jokes. I think they’re really working on living—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Aunt Idelle calls them her miracle class.

Living with purpose. Living intentionally. It shows up in so many ways. My Aunt Idelle has found her way of living each moment to its fullest in a small town in northern Minnesota.

How are you showing up today? Are you living like each moment counts?

Rejoice. This is the day the Lord has made.

What would I do if were ten times bolder (my theme for 2010)? I will make sure I’m really living. Every moment. Every day. No excuses.

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Call it our search for worth.  Value.  Self-esteem.  Different words, same journey.  We want to know without a doubt that we matter.  We want to be satisfied with who we are at the deepest level of our soul.  We want to be significant.

 Some look for significance by following the roadmap of personal success, believing that performance dictates value.  Some seek continuous affirmations from friends and colleagues, frightened by the notion that we may displease someone, believing that approval dictates value.  Still others pretend not to care, believing that independence dictates value.

 But a powerful truth holds the key to discovering our significance.  God has assigned you your worth.  God who is supremely intelligent and all-knowing.  God who stamped his own image on you.  He has created you for a purpose that no one else can fulfill.  You have gifts, abilities, and characteristics that are uniquely yours.  When you leave this earth, no one can replace you.  No one else can ever be you.  And that is what makes you significant.

 Viktor Frankl wrote, “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out, a concrete assignment, which demands fulfillment therein.  He cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated.  Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it.”

 God has called you to this time, to this place, for a specific purpose.  In the history of the entire world, there has never been another “you.”  And there never will be.  You are significant.

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 It’s that moment of decision. 

I’m in that beautiful state of relaxation.  It’s warm under the covers.  My breathing is steady and slow.  Every muscle has decided to relax.

But it’s time to get up.

This is where the day starts for all of us.  Making a decision.

Do I keep the commitment I made to myself about getting out of bed so I have time for devotions, preparing for the day, and eating my oatmeal?  Or do I give in to the bliss of slumber and then go crazy during the 2-minute “getting ready” drill before my first appointment?

It’s not an easy choice.

I was reminded this morning about where this decision starts.  In my head. 

I can talk myself into or out of anything if I take time to have the conversation.  The trick about keeping that early morning commitment is not to engage in the chit-chat. The warmth, relaxation, and peaceful dreams usually win.

So stop the conversation from beginning.  Just get up. When the clock tells you it’s “commitment time,” don’t even think.  Just lay the covers back, put your feet on the floor, take a deep breath, and stand-up.  There.  You’ve kept your first commitment.  The rest of the day will thank you for that.

Our commitments to ourselves.  Our choices.  Our decisions.  Each one creates our life.  The life we are living is significantly influenced by the choices we make.

It’s a love-hate relationship, this getting out of bed in the morning.  Each option gives me something I enjoy and want.  The big question: which option gets me closer to living the life I dream of?

Devotions, preparation and oatmeal are usually the right answer.

What would I do if I were ten times bolder (my theme for 2010)? I’d go to bed a little earlier at night so the morning wake-up call decision is a little easier

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Talk about having a really bad day. 

Someone you had taken long walks with, mentored, ate fish dinners with, went boating with, and considered part of your inner circle is going to betray you.  Pain and death are moments away.  And you have to say good-bye to your mother and people you love and care about deeply.

It’s hard to imagine Jesus in such a human place, isn’t it?  We think of his birth, his teachings, his miracles, but we don’t often think of him as a person.  Someone who has problems, disappointments, sadness, and pain. (And yet He was without sin.  That’s simply amazing.)

Today, Good Friday, I am intentionally focusing on Jesus as a human being.  It reminds me of how much He sacrificed…for me.  Of the depth of his love…for me.

Jesus understands our deepest, darkest hurts and fears. He’s been there.

Jesus cares about our loneliness, struggles, and pain.  That’s why He came to this earth.

Jesus gives us the promise of redemption and new beginnings.  That’s the life-changing message of Easter.

I find comfort in knowing that Jesus had bad days. 

I find hope in knowing that Jesus had bad days.

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