Happy New Year! Happy New Day! The infamous day we resolve to do more or do less or change something in our lives. I am one of thousands of people that are probably publicly (as in a blog) pronouncing my resolutions or writing it down or saying to another person.
No matter what happens, I do know that this year and this day will continue to roll on, I can't change that. However, I can only change me or my attitude towards me. If you have been following this blog, you will know that I started out with a resolution to obtain peace in my life. Peace in my physical, emotional and spiritual beings.
The year 2008 ended on a positive note, even if I have gained back almost all the weight I lost last year. But the "positive note" is that the weight gain does not make me a "failure." It does not determine the kind of person I am and how I treat others.
In the past year, I allowed the love of Jesus to come into my life, accepting His free gift again. The action of "allowing" and "accepting" began my transformation into believing that I am worthwhile. That was a positive key to my spiritual health and spiritual peace.
Then I have read several books that re-affirmed to me that I can choose to feel and act how I want. I have choices, I have options. I do not have to be tied to external forces, opinions or attitudes of others. That was emotionally freeing, a feeling of peace.
The third thing that happened and I will admit I did not think it would make any difference in my health, but it certainly appears to be so. Maybe, it's psychological and not physical, but the doctor put me on blood pressure medication and I feel calm. I wonder if my body working so hard (with the high blood pressure) made me jittery and nervous? Regardless, I have a physical peace that feels great.
So, today I start off the new year with my resolutions. I plan to have positive, "add" or "more" resolutions, no negative or "can't have" resolutions! The more I say NO to myself, the more I rebel and fail.
1. Drink more water.
2. Eat more vegetables, raw & steamed
3. Eat at least one serving of fruit per day
4. Write in my journal (or blog) at least once a week.
5. Do a Bible or meditative study at least once a week.
Sounds easy enough, but that's OK because I can gain benefits to my health - physical, emotional and spiritual which will all bring me peace.
Showing posts with label spiritual. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritual. Show all posts
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Spiritual
As I mentioned in the beginning of this blog project, the "S" in "pes" stands for spiritual.
Since it is Sunday today, the day that most of the western world recognizes as a "go to church" day, I thought I would share a little about what I think spirituality is .... or is not. This aspect of my lifestyle change and balancing my life may be the more difficult than others may think or realize.
Yes, I go to church most Sundays, but why? To be truthful & this is being very honest, I don't know why? That is tough to say "aloud." Tough to admit when some people think I'm a church-going, God-filled Christian. Tough to admit when there was a time in my past that going to church fulfilled me and I did feel close to God. Call me a "doubting Thomas," but some things have changed for me and other things have not. It's not the church I go to, it's me.
I think some of my doubts started about 2 years ago when my nephew Matthew went to Iraq as a Marine. Our family knew that he was specially trained for some heavy-duty fighting and battles. We passed emails around about praying for him as most families and friends do. And I'm sure that there were hundreds of people praying for Matt, including myself. We were no different than thousands of other families and friends praying for their service-people in Iraq. Yet why did God answer our prayers for Matt's safety when other families' prays went unanswered and then they had to pray for strength to get through a funeral? It really hit me in the throat. It cut off my air. It brought tears to my eyes. Why? Why?
Recently, I remember reading or hearing somewhere that prayer is not for God sake, it's for our sake. Is prayer just a way for us to feel useful? In other words, I could not be in Iraq to protect Matthew, yet I could pray for his protection. So I was doing "something." Is it that God really doesn't answer prayer? In other words, I am just petitioning for what I want/need. I don't know, and maybe I will never know. But I keep going back to church thinking that someday a piece of enlightenment will occur.
My morning walks are a good time to ponder and let my thoughts ramble. Today, I was wondering what my blog subject would be? I thought of "spirituality," yet I was not sure if I was ready to be as honest as I have been. So I went to church and the last hymn was a song I have no recollection of ever singing before. The first stanza is....
"If you but trust in God to guide you
And place your confidence in him
You'll find him always there beside you
To give you hope and strength within
For those who trust God's changeless love
Build on the rock that will not move"
Hmmmmm. Certainly gives me food for thought! God, as I choose to understand him, will not change. He will not move. It will be my decision if I want to change and move closer to him.
Then I grabbed a book to read this afternoon and I picked "Soul Stories" by Gary Zukav. He briefly wrote about Victor/Viktor Frankl, a famous psychotherapist that I remember studying in college. I did not remember that Victor was in a concentration camp, but here is a quote from Gary's book.
"One morning his (Victor) work party was stumbing down a rocky road in the dark. In the icy wind, while the guards were shouting and hitting them with rifle butts, Victor realized something that changed his life. He realized that his highest goal--- the 'ultimate goal' --- he could reach for was love! Victor did not become a victim. He did not hate his persecutors and belittle himself. He did not say, 'Why me?' or 'This is unfair.' When you say those things you have no power. Victor stepped into the greatness of his soul. Instead of making himself into someone who hates, vows revenge, or collapses in humiliation, he made himself a hero who strives to love no matter what."
That part about "why me?" and it's "not fair" really hit home with me, I have used those phrases a hundred times, if not a thousand. I had never thought of me saying these phrases as basically rendering myself powerless. More food for thought!
It's been an educational Sunday, a day of rest!
Since it is Sunday today, the day that most of the western world recognizes as a "go to church" day, I thought I would share a little about what I think spirituality is .... or is not. This aspect of my lifestyle change and balancing my life may be the more difficult than others may think or realize.
Yes, I go to church most Sundays, but why? To be truthful & this is being very honest, I don't know why? That is tough to say "aloud." Tough to admit when some people think I'm a church-going, God-filled Christian. Tough to admit when there was a time in my past that going to church fulfilled me and I did feel close to God. Call me a "doubting Thomas," but some things have changed for me and other things have not. It's not the church I go to, it's me.
I think some of my doubts started about 2 years ago when my nephew Matthew went to Iraq as a Marine. Our family knew that he was specially trained for some heavy-duty fighting and battles. We passed emails around about praying for him as most families and friends do. And I'm sure that there were hundreds of people praying for Matt, including myself. We were no different than thousands of other families and friends praying for their service-people in Iraq. Yet why did God answer our prayers for Matt's safety when other families' prays went unanswered and then they had to pray for strength to get through a funeral? It really hit me in the throat. It cut off my air. It brought tears to my eyes. Why? Why?
Recently, I remember reading or hearing somewhere that prayer is not for God sake, it's for our sake. Is prayer just a way for us to feel useful? In other words, I could not be in Iraq to protect Matthew, yet I could pray for his protection. So I was doing "something." Is it that God really doesn't answer prayer? In other words, I am just petitioning for what I want/need. I don't know, and maybe I will never know. But I keep going back to church thinking that someday a piece of enlightenment will occur.
My morning walks are a good time to ponder and let my thoughts ramble. Today, I was wondering what my blog subject would be? I thought of "spirituality," yet I was not sure if I was ready to be as honest as I have been. So I went to church and the last hymn was a song I have no recollection of ever singing before. The first stanza is....
"If you but trust in God to guide you
And place your confidence in him
You'll find him always there beside you
To give you hope and strength within
For those who trust God's changeless love
Build on the rock that will not move"
Hmmmmm. Certainly gives me food for thought! God, as I choose to understand him, will not change. He will not move. It will be my decision if I want to change and move closer to him.
Then I grabbed a book to read this afternoon and I picked "Soul Stories" by Gary Zukav. He briefly wrote about Victor/Viktor Frankl, a famous psychotherapist that I remember studying in college. I did not remember that Victor was in a concentration camp, but here is a quote from Gary's book.
"One morning his (Victor) work party was stumbing down a rocky road in the dark. In the icy wind, while the guards were shouting and hitting them with rifle butts, Victor realized something that changed his life. He realized that his highest goal--- the 'ultimate goal' --- he could reach for was love! Victor did not become a victim. He did not hate his persecutors and belittle himself. He did not say, 'Why me?' or 'This is unfair.' When you say those things you have no power. Victor stepped into the greatness of his soul. Instead of making himself into someone who hates, vows revenge, or collapses in humiliation, he made himself a hero who strives to love no matter what."
That part about "why me?" and it's "not fair" really hit home with me, I have used those phrases a hundred times, if not a thousand. I had never thought of me saying these phrases as basically rendering myself powerless. More food for thought!
It's been an educational Sunday, a day of rest!
Monday, June 25, 2007
I have lived 55 good years on this earth. As you can see by my picture, I have lived to eat!
Now, I have gotten tired.... tired of trying to squeeze my body into large size pants that I just bought two months ago. Tired of trying to get my leg up on my knee so that I can put on knee-hi socks . Tired of walking across the parking lot and arriving at the front door of work all winded & hyper-ventilating.
Yes, I have lived-to-eat for many years. I've experienced yo-yo and roller-coaster periods of weight loss & gain. Regretfully, more gains than losses as last Saturday, my scale tipped at the tip-top of my poundage. I saw the "magic" number on the scale, the one that I never wanted to see and the number that said, "this is serious, Rayna."
It's ironic that when the scale tip-toppled at that huge number, I was not upset. I knew it was coming some day as I have lived-to-eat for too many years. Any time I have thought about a diet or even went on a diet, it's always been me whining, "It's not fair!" I sure could do a great imitation of a spoiled rotten kid that wants their way. Yes, I got my way, I ate what I wanted and when I wanted. Now it is time for a big change in my lifestyle or I will not have many more years of life to style!
So far, I have focused this day's blog on my physical weight and appearance, but there is more to this change in lifestyle than what I do or don't put into my mouth and how much exercise I do each day. Physical is part of my lifestyle change, and so is the emotional and spiritual aspects of my life. All three areas need to be in balance, in order for my life as a whole to be in balance. I want my life to be full of peace.
I am an old child of the sixties, but PEACE means so much more than a good, warm, high feeling. It signifies balance to me. If you look up the word 'peace' in the dictionary, the pronunciation is "pes." P, E, S, are the first letters of the works physical, emotional and spiritual. When those three aspects of my life are in balance, I will feel, think and know PEACE.
Join me as I journey to a life of balance and peace!
Now, I have gotten tired.... tired of trying to squeeze my body into large size pants that I just bought two months ago. Tired of trying to get my leg up on my knee so that I can put on knee-hi socks . Tired of walking across the parking lot and arriving at the front door of work all winded & hyper-ventilating.
Yes, I have lived-to-eat for many years. I've experienced yo-yo and roller-coaster periods of weight loss & gain. Regretfully, more gains than losses as last Saturday, my scale tipped at the tip-top of my poundage. I saw the "magic" number on the scale, the one that I never wanted to see and the number that said, "this is serious, Rayna."
It's ironic that when the scale tip-toppled at that huge number, I was not upset. I knew it was coming some day as I have lived-to-eat for too many years. Any time I have thought about a diet or even went on a diet, it's always been me whining, "It's not fair!" I sure could do a great imitation of a spoiled rotten kid that wants their way. Yes, I got my way, I ate what I wanted and when I wanted. Now it is time for a big change in my lifestyle or I will not have many more years of life to style!
So far, I have focused this day's blog on my physical weight and appearance, but there is more to this change in lifestyle than what I do or don't put into my mouth and how much exercise I do each day. Physical is part of my lifestyle change, and so is the emotional and spiritual aspects of my life. All three areas need to be in balance, in order for my life as a whole to be in balance. I want my life to be full of peace.
I am an old child of the sixties, but PEACE means so much more than a good, warm, high feeling. It signifies balance to me. If you look up the word 'peace' in the dictionary, the pronunciation is "pes." P, E, S, are the first letters of the works physical, emotional and spiritual. When those three aspects of my life are in balance, I will feel, think and know PEACE.
Join me as I journey to a life of balance and peace!
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