If you are reading this and you have done Zumba class, chances are, you are “addicted” to it! I find myself craving Zumba class. The nights I sit at home I’m thinking about Zumba! I do Pilates on Monday nights and when I leave the studio, in come the Zumba crowd and I’m jealous because they get to do Zumba class and I have to go home! Sometimes I think, “awe, the kids can eat leftovers, what’s it gonna hurt, I’ll just stay for the class”. LOL
So, on the surface, what’s the harm? It’s exercise! If you want to do it, just do it! But what I’m learning is that just like balance is important in other parts of your life, balance is important in this part too!
HUH?
Well, let me explain. Sometimes doing too much of something you love can negatively influence those around you.
I have 3 kids. Their ages are 10, 15, & 16. Oh, and I have a husband. From my perspective, I’m doing the right thing:
• I’m toning up my body and feeling better, that should be a reward for my husband for sure but also for my kids since I’m happier and have a better outlook.
• I come home before I go to class and I prepare their dinner and have some conversation, and then I’m back in about an hour and a half for the rest of the night. This should please everyone because their needs are taken care of, right?
So, why is it that when I’m gone, their emotional disposition changes and they act like they have been abandoned? The fact is that children feel neglected or need you around, even if you aren’t spending direct time with them. Somehow they interpret your new personal interest into a “lack of interest” in them.
Long ago, I realized this about church. Honestly, I could spend every night at church. I could go on mission trips every week, donate time to charity organizations, beautify the city, feed the homeless, and take part in every committee and love every minute of it. But while I’m gone, somebody is missing me. And although all the volunteer stuff is super important, I’m also called to take care of my family and their needs.
So, I’ve got myself on a strict schedule of Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday for working out or attending classes. Not so that I will stay on target and go, but so that I will stay on target and stay home more!
No matter if you’re dealing with high expectations from family or friends, or if your just over committed due to your desires or dedication, learn when and how to find a balance. You need time to serve others and a time to feed yourself. Be mindful of both!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Church Pew Seating....
I honestly didn’t think I was a “assigned seating” kind of person. I’ve never felt the urge to set my claim on a particular seat at church. Basically, I sit where I can see the best based on what is available when I get there. But in Zumba class, I just discovered……….I’m an assigned seating person! Who would have known I had it in me!
Every day since I started Zumba, I’ve stood in the same place. The same girl to the front of me, two rows to the left behind the instructor, same girl to the left of me, and same girl diagonal both ways. I didn’t realize how comfortable I had gotten with the perfect peripheral view I was getting!
I came late one day and SOMEONE WAS IN MY SPOT! :O Can you believe that?? LOL. At first I considered cramming my way in and hopefully they would get too uncomfortable and move! But that didn’t seem quite like good behavior so I said good bye to my friends and I went to the back row…
I don’t like the back row, it’s squished back there! My friend in front of me reminded me that it’s like your seat at church, you don’t want anyone to claim it, it’s yours! We had a good chuckle about that and then the girl who had my spot said “I’m new, I didn’t know it was your spot, I’ll move if you want me to”….well bless her heart! Man, did I feel stupid then! I assured her this spot was fine, it wasn’t. Then I moved down a little bit to an open area, which was crammed too, elbows in the face and all!
But then……..I see……….from across the room…….an open spot… right there in the front left corner, no one there…..perfectly good space going to waste…….next break, I hop on over there!
Ahhhhhh, that feels good! I can stretch, dance, turn, no elbows hitting me, no one stepping on my toes, THIS IS FREEDOM!!!! …………wait a minute……..I’m in the front row……….awe, who cares! I’m free!
So I’m thinking. How often do we get stuck in our comfort zone? Are you an “assigned seating” person? How about hopping around your seating a little bit, try some new groups, meet some new people, ….. change your perspective……..don’t be scared to put yourself out there, even if you’re in the front row…..there is freedom in vulnerability.
Galatians 5:1 NIV
Galatians 5:13 NIV
Every day since I started Zumba, I’ve stood in the same place. The same girl to the front of me, two rows to the left behind the instructor, same girl to the left of me, and same girl diagonal both ways. I didn’t realize how comfortable I had gotten with the perfect peripheral view I was getting!
I came late one day and SOMEONE WAS IN MY SPOT! :O Can you believe that?? LOL. At first I considered cramming my way in and hopefully they would get too uncomfortable and move! But that didn’t seem quite like good behavior so I said good bye to my friends and I went to the back row…
I don’t like the back row, it’s squished back there! My friend in front of me reminded me that it’s like your seat at church, you don’t want anyone to claim it, it’s yours! We had a good chuckle about that and then the girl who had my spot said “I’m new, I didn’t know it was your spot, I’ll move if you want me to”….well bless her heart! Man, did I feel stupid then! I assured her this spot was fine, it wasn’t. Then I moved down a little bit to an open area, which was crammed too, elbows in the face and all!
But then……..I see……….from across the room…….an open spot… right there in the front left corner, no one there…..perfectly good space going to waste…….next break, I hop on over there!
Ahhhhhh, that feels good! I can stretch, dance, turn, no elbows hitting me, no one stepping on my toes, THIS IS FREEDOM!!!! …………wait a minute……..I’m in the front row……….awe, who cares! I’m free!
So I’m thinking. How often do we get stuck in our comfort zone? Are you an “assigned seating” person? How about hopping around your seating a little bit, try some new groups, meet some new people, ….. change your perspective……..don’t be scared to put yourself out there, even if you’re in the front row…..there is freedom in vulnerability.
Galatians 5:1 NIV
Galatians 5:13 NIV
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
He who began a good work in me..........
You know what I love about Zumba class? You see all shapes and sizes, all age groups, all athletic levels, from many different backgrounds. You know, you walk in that first day because someone that goes told you how awesome it was and you wanted to experience it too. But that first day, you are scared a little… not the kind of scared you get when someone is robbing you or you’re about to jump off the high dive, it’s more like scared that you won’t be good enough, or people might judge you. You worry about what you wear AND what you look like in it too! Then you get there and the music starts and you think, OH MY GOD no one told me I actually had to move my hips! These things haven’t moved in YEARS!!!
But you go in there and you do it anyway, and when you leave, you feel like you’ve really done something! All the sudden you want to eat salad and skinless chicken breast! Well, there’s another class tomorrow…….are you going to go?
Here’s where the challenge comes. Are you in for the long haul or just until someone convinces you to go again. Well, you could be one of those people that decided (AGAIN) that it is the first of the year and you are going to lose weight, no matter what, and it’s really going to work this time……you will wear a bikini this year……but then life hits you and two weeks in, you quit a day here, you quit a day there, and before you know it, Zumba is a thing of the past, a dream tucked away in the “incomplete goals” chest and waiting patiently there with the mothballs until once again you pull it out in January for the “New Year’s Resolution” event….
Kinda makes me think about church…you know, some of us went to church the first time because someone we knew went there, they were excited about what God was doing in their life and wanted to share it with us, so on Sunday morning, we got dressed and went. We might have been a little scared, would people accept you, or would you be good enough, would you fit in? You went in, realized that it wasn’t as scary as you thought, and you felt good when you left, but after a few weeks, maybe a month, that bed felt way to good in the morning and you skipped a day here or there, and before you knew it, you didn’t go back…..and whatever God began in you, now lays there waiting for someone to invite you again, waiting for another Christmas program or another Thanksgiving potluck to draw you back to the place that you should be.
My point in this is, in Zumba, you’re just going to be the new guy for a while, before you know it, you’ve got most (ok, some) of the steps down, and you really don’t care what you look like anymore –just keep the sweat out of my eyes!!! You make new friends and you learn that every time you go, you get a little stronger and a little bolder, but when you quit going, you lose some of the progress you made.
I think that Zumba and church are similar in that people don’t always see the results they are looking for right away and they get lazy or discouraged and they give up (or give in to themselves you might say) and just stop going. The sad thing is that change is a process and when you don’t let the process play out, you may never see the results of your labor.
My encouragement to you is GO! GO! GO! Keep going, keep pushing, keep progressing. God is faithful to complete a good work in you! Philippians 1:6
But you go in there and you do it anyway, and when you leave, you feel like you’ve really done something! All the sudden you want to eat salad and skinless chicken breast! Well, there’s another class tomorrow…….are you going to go?
Here’s where the challenge comes. Are you in for the long haul or just until someone convinces you to go again. Well, you could be one of those people that decided (AGAIN) that it is the first of the year and you are going to lose weight, no matter what, and it’s really going to work this time……you will wear a bikini this year……but then life hits you and two weeks in, you quit a day here, you quit a day there, and before you know it, Zumba is a thing of the past, a dream tucked away in the “incomplete goals” chest and waiting patiently there with the mothballs until once again you pull it out in January for the “New Year’s Resolution” event….
Kinda makes me think about church…you know, some of us went to church the first time because someone we knew went there, they were excited about what God was doing in their life and wanted to share it with us, so on Sunday morning, we got dressed and went. We might have been a little scared, would people accept you, or would you be good enough, would you fit in? You went in, realized that it wasn’t as scary as you thought, and you felt good when you left, but after a few weeks, maybe a month, that bed felt way to good in the morning and you skipped a day here or there, and before you knew it, you didn’t go back…..and whatever God began in you, now lays there waiting for someone to invite you again, waiting for another Christmas program or another Thanksgiving potluck to draw you back to the place that you should be.
My point in this is, in Zumba, you’re just going to be the new guy for a while, before you know it, you’ve got most (ok, some) of the steps down, and you really don’t care what you look like anymore –just keep the sweat out of my eyes!!! You make new friends and you learn that every time you go, you get a little stronger and a little bolder, but when you quit going, you lose some of the progress you made.
I think that Zumba and church are similar in that people don’t always see the results they are looking for right away and they get lazy or discouraged and they give up (or give in to themselves you might say) and just stop going. The sad thing is that change is a process and when you don’t let the process play out, you may never see the results of your labor.
My encouragement to you is GO! GO! GO! Keep going, keep pushing, keep progressing. God is faithful to complete a good work in you! Philippians 1:6
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The beginning of a beautiful relationship
I just watched Julie & Julia the other day and it made me realize that all the wonderful insight I'm getting from Zumba could be shared with everyone! So, probably like a million other people did after watching that movie, I've decided to start my blog too!
Where is this coming from you say? Zumba=spiritual insight? Intriguing.....Well, I hope so, because it has certainly been interesting for me!
I had this great insight a few weeks ago, we were discussing things that have become mundane to us. Surprisingly, many people had found eating/food to be mundane. We discussed things like “it doesn’t matter how you make it, it’s still chicken” and “I’m bored with the same old recipes” and “I eat, because it’s time to eat, not really because I’m hungry”, we groaned about the holidays and how we’re glad they are over, etc.
So, the following week, I start doing Zumba. Now, I used to work out all the time, when I was younger, I ran, I lifted weights, I did aerobics, but over time I’ve gotten lazy/comfortable (“busy”) in my life and I just don’t work out anymore. So here I am returning to my “first love” exercise. I feel great, I feel stronger, I feel happy, and I feel HUNGRY! Now when it’s dinner time or lunch time, I’m not eating because it’s time to eat, I’m eating because my body needs to be fed. I eat my food and I can actually feel my body absorbing the nutrients from the food. And I’m satisfied.
So it occurred to me how similar this is to our relationship with God. We go to church on Sundays or Wednesdays, or we attend a bible study, but it’s regular, it’s just what we do because it’s time to do it. This is our 3 meals a day. Sometimes we do something special, we go to an Easter service or a Christmas service or Praise & Worship night, this is like Thanksgiving Dinner, we cook something special but it’s usually the same main dishes, and we eat a lot, because we’re expected to on Thanksgiving, right?
Bottom line, we are comfortable and we go through the same pattern of serving God the same way, with the same people, and it sometimes is mundane. We get “busy”, lazy/comfortable, and when we eat, it’s out of habit, not out of need.
But God is new every morning….there is nothing mundane about God, we are just not exercising our relationship with him. We are not challenging ourselves. We are not stretching our faith or pushing the limits of what God can do in us and through us, that is why we aren’t hungry. God is not someone that we turn to for just the standard 3 meals a day, He is our nutrition, He makes us stronger, He breaths LIFE into our body. And just as after returning to my “first love” of exercise is making me happier, stronger, and hungrier, so does turning back to our “first love”, our salvation, will make us stronger, happier, and HUNGRY for Him again.
So, I thought of this song, touches my heart and reminds me that God is sufficient in all things, all the time.
“Hungry”, here are the lyrics:
Hungry I come to YouFor I know You satisfy
I am empty but I know Your love does not run dry
So I wait for You
So I wait for You
I'm falling on my knees
Offering all my needs
Jesus You're all This heart is living for
Broken I run to YouFor Your arms are open wide
I am weary but I know Your touchRestores my life
So I wait for You
So I wait for You
I'm falling on my knees
Offering all my needs
Jesus you're all this heart is living for....
Where is this coming from you say? Zumba=spiritual insight? Intriguing.....Well, I hope so, because it has certainly been interesting for me!
I had this great insight a few weeks ago, we were discussing things that have become mundane to us. Surprisingly, many people had found eating/food to be mundane. We discussed things like “it doesn’t matter how you make it, it’s still chicken” and “I’m bored with the same old recipes” and “I eat, because it’s time to eat, not really because I’m hungry”, we groaned about the holidays and how we’re glad they are over, etc.
So, the following week, I start doing Zumba. Now, I used to work out all the time, when I was younger, I ran, I lifted weights, I did aerobics, but over time I’ve gotten lazy/comfortable (“busy”) in my life and I just don’t work out anymore. So here I am returning to my “first love” exercise. I feel great, I feel stronger, I feel happy, and I feel HUNGRY! Now when it’s dinner time or lunch time, I’m not eating because it’s time to eat, I’m eating because my body needs to be fed. I eat my food and I can actually feel my body absorbing the nutrients from the food. And I’m satisfied.
So it occurred to me how similar this is to our relationship with God. We go to church on Sundays or Wednesdays, or we attend a bible study, but it’s regular, it’s just what we do because it’s time to do it. This is our 3 meals a day. Sometimes we do something special, we go to an Easter service or a Christmas service or Praise & Worship night, this is like Thanksgiving Dinner, we cook something special but it’s usually the same main dishes, and we eat a lot, because we’re expected to on Thanksgiving, right?
Bottom line, we are comfortable and we go through the same pattern of serving God the same way, with the same people, and it sometimes is mundane. We get “busy”, lazy/comfortable, and when we eat, it’s out of habit, not out of need.
But God is new every morning….there is nothing mundane about God, we are just not exercising our relationship with him. We are not challenging ourselves. We are not stretching our faith or pushing the limits of what God can do in us and through us, that is why we aren’t hungry. God is not someone that we turn to for just the standard 3 meals a day, He is our nutrition, He makes us stronger, He breaths LIFE into our body. And just as after returning to my “first love” of exercise is making me happier, stronger, and hungrier, so does turning back to our “first love”, our salvation, will make us stronger, happier, and HUNGRY for Him again.
So, I thought of this song, touches my heart and reminds me that God is sufficient in all things, all the time.
“Hungry”, here are the lyrics:
Hungry I come to YouFor I know You satisfy
I am empty but I know Your love does not run dry
So I wait for You
So I wait for You
I'm falling on my knees
Offering all my needs
Jesus You're all This heart is living for
Broken I run to YouFor Your arms are open wide
I am weary but I know Your touchRestores my life
So I wait for You
So I wait for You
I'm falling on my knees
Offering all my needs
Jesus you're all this heart is living for....
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)