June 27-My friend Anita gave me a pair of pink ribbon earrings. She also told me that her mom has breast cancer.
June 28-I walked 3.27 miles.
June 29-I did 25 minutes yoga.
June 30-I walked 5.5 miles.
July 1-I sold my friend Betsy and her daughter Hope 8 of my old books for $8. Hope and I watched the 3Day DVD.
I did 30 minutes yoga.
July 2-I walked 4.22 miles. I walked all over our neighborhood, and put fliers about the Walk in mailboxes.
My cousins donated $50! Also the donations I sent in posted online.
July 3-I walked 3.35 miles. My sister-in-law promised me a $50 donation later on.
July 4-A dear friend promised me a donation later on.
July 5-I walked 3.4 miles.
July 6-I did 15 minutes yoga.
I called the 3Day coaches to cancel my RSVP to the Super Clinic in Buford Saturday-it sounded a lot like the one I went to at North Point. I spoke to a lady named Maggie.
July 7-I walked 5.31 miles.
I braided a bracelet with the pink embroidery floss I have, and tried to braid my hair for the first time. The bracelet looked better than my hair, but my hair looked OK.
July 8-I got a $50 donation in the mail from some cousins.
I did 30 minutes yoga.
July 9-Starting Thursday morning, I have felt very weak, mostly because of what I believe to be an allergy attack. This is causing much sinus drainage, mostly in my nose and throat. I was able to do yoga Thursday, but did not feel up to walking 8 miles. My family and I went to a bowling alley/arcade and had pizza for lunch, and between all that and grocery shopping, I logged 2745 steps.
July 10-My legs felt pretty sore, and I felt weak, though stronger than yesterday.
I have been faithfully following the 24-week training plan, though I have modified it so that my day of rest is on Sunday instead of Monday. The only reason I have not walked is illness, yet for some reason I feel very guilty when I have to miss a day (or two). I know this is just a bump in the road to doing the 3Day, yet somehow in the moment it seems very discouraging. I am praying I feel well enough to meet my training goals for the next week.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Mystically Wired
In Mystically Wired, author Ken Wilson explores the inner workings of the most mysterious of all organs: the human brain. This book explains how we can calm down the busyness that defines most of our lives and thought processes and experience more peace and stillness before God, which results in more of Him and in His presence.
Mystically Wired is divided into two sections. In the first, the author presents relevant scientific findings that spiritual practices, such as prayer, can have a true calming effect on the brain's activities. The second delves into practices people can integrate into their daily lives and routines to calm their minds so that they can be more fulfilled and peaceful in prayer.
In the first section, Wilson introduces the premise that our brains "are adapted or designed to reach beyond the limits of the ingrown self to connect with the wonder of life beyond the self, including the life of God" (p.3) He also goes over the fact that many of us have trouble connecting, like when we call someone but the line is full of static. Also many of us like to control our prayers, i.e., to do what we think our family or church family would find acceptable, not what we feel the Lord or Spirit nudging us to do.
The second half goes over simple ways to connect more fully to the wonder of life beyond the self. There are several of these. Among them are holding those we love in our memory before God, the source of love. Another is, during moments of excessive worry or stress selecting a word, phrase, text or image as our focal point-a name for God or a visual or other sensory image from a psalm. Another is praying at fixed intervals of the day, perhaps using liturgies from the Catholic or Episcopalian traditions, and celebrating seasonal holidays such as Pentecost and Christmas as well. Wilson also suggests getting out of our urban environment and going to nature to pray.
There is much to be found and applied in this book, but the main thought really is: We can learn how to pray, and Jesus can teach us. That is truly what this book is all about, and it encourages us to take a small step of some sort into that direction as we follow the Lord.
Mystically Wired is divided into two sections. In the first, the author presents relevant scientific findings that spiritual practices, such as prayer, can have a true calming effect on the brain's activities. The second delves into practices people can integrate into their daily lives and routines to calm their minds so that they can be more fulfilled and peaceful in prayer.
In the first section, Wilson introduces the premise that our brains "are adapted or designed to reach beyond the limits of the ingrown self to connect with the wonder of life beyond the self, including the life of God" (p.3) He also goes over the fact that many of us have trouble connecting, like when we call someone but the line is full of static. Also many of us like to control our prayers, i.e., to do what we think our family or church family would find acceptable, not what we feel the Lord or Spirit nudging us to do.
The second half goes over simple ways to connect more fully to the wonder of life beyond the self. There are several of these. Among them are holding those we love in our memory before God, the source of love. Another is, during moments of excessive worry or stress selecting a word, phrase, text or image as our focal point-a name for God or a visual or other sensory image from a psalm. Another is praying at fixed intervals of the day, perhaps using liturgies from the Catholic or Episcopalian traditions, and celebrating seasonal holidays such as Pentecost and Christmas as well. Wilson also suggests getting out of our urban environment and going to nature to pray.
There is much to be found and applied in this book, but the main thought really is: We can learn how to pray, and Jesus can teach us. That is truly what this book is all about, and it encourages us to take a small step of some sort into that direction as we follow the Lord.
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