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Walking with God | Day 16

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Welcome to Day 16 of our series, From Chaos to Calm: 15 Weeks to a Happy Home. Today we’re talking about making your health a priority.

From Chaos to Calm: Day Sixteen

Walking with God

Scripture Memory: “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:12

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Almost every morning, around 7 a.m., you can find me walking around our mountain road. I set out early, while the town is still quiet, while the fog is still heavy, and while the air is still cool. I love these quiet morning walks. It starts my day off right. I am able, in the peace and quiet, to think about my day and lift up my cares to the Lord. I am able to breathe in deeply and determine to be cheerful and full of energy when I walk through the doors of my home.

I walk about 1 mile each morning. By walking briskly, I have found that extra pounds are shed away – and stay away! My cholesterol dropped dramatically when I first began walking. Walking is one easy way that we as women can stay physically fit.

I want to encourage you to begin a fitness routine. It may be hard to first get motivated, but once you realize how much better you feel, you will want to keep at it. You might want to find another woman in your neighborhood who would like to walk in the mornings (or evenings) with you. I prefer the mornings because I like the brisk mountain air where I live. You may enjoy a different time of the day, but the important thing is that you make a commitment to yourself and do it at least 4 times a week.

Losing weight, staying in shape, and having a healthy heart will lead to less stress, you will feel better and you will be better able to care for your family. When you exercise each week, your blood pressure lessens and your mood is elevated – always a good thing for a busy mom!

Bonus: By demonstrating a healthy way of life to your children you will be instilling in them a life long love of healthy practices.

Just as it is important to keep our bodies fit and healthy, it is important to keep our hearts healthy as well. Our memory verse for today tells us that we should “walk” or live our lives in a way that is worthy of the Lord.

We can all look at our own lives and find room for improvement. Perhaps your personal struggle is with entertainment or discontentment or bitterness. Maybe you have a bad habit of telling “little” lies. Perhaps you have been in control of your household and need to step back to let your husband lead.

Walking with God @ AVirtuousWoman.org

Whatever the issues you have in your life, Christ wants us to strive for a better way – a higher standard. Do not allow yourself to stagnate where you are – continue to grow and allow the Holy Spirit to work in you.

So, I want you to do your best to add walking or your favorite exercise method to your routine at least 4 times a week – 6 is even better. Use your walking time to pray, plan, and find peace. Think about your upcoming day and plan to work on small goals to live a life worthy of your Master.

Doing this one day at a time – you will begin to see the benefits physically and spiritually!

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From Chaos to Calm: 15 Weeks to a Happy Home is a daily devotion – Monday through Friday for 15 Weeks by Melissa Ringstaff. The Audio Podcast gives you extra ideas to go along with the email series or e-book.

  • Do you have an exercise routine?
  • What motivates you to stay fit?
  • Or, what would motivate you to get started?
  • What do you struggle with?

Action Steps to Take Today

  1. As always, begin with prayer. Ask God to help you find the motivation you need to live a healthier life.
  2. If you aren’t ready to commit to an exercise routine, walking is a great way to get started. Enlist your husband or kids to join you if you’d like.
  3. Choose the best time of day for you to take a walk or exercise.
  4. Make a commitment to yourself to begin making your health a priority.

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12 Comments

  1. Melissa, We have a dog that I walk every morning. I love our little Wellington! He keeps me company on dark winter mornings and I gotta move at a pretty good pace. My dog is better than a gym! And in the afternoon my oldest takes him for a walk, he gets her moving, too. Have you ever read the book Prayerwalk by Janet Henry?
    1. Hi, Leigh! I have several dogs, but my favorite to walk is Caroline. She's a large black lab and very energetic. She's my other child. :) No, I have not read that book, but thanks for the suggestion!
  2. I just recently joined the gym with a close friend in Christ. We are looking forward to helping each other and being healthier together. I also got her started with this devotional.
  3. Years ago when I had my daughter my whole identity was Kendra mom. My daughter was sick when she was first born and into her first few yrs of life. my whole life was spent caring for my sweet Kendra . It took so long to figure out what was going on and after many years test's and specialists we finally had a diagnosis and put in place a treatment plan. I was exhausted and lost sight of myself. I was surfing the Web trying to find some success stories of people who lost weight and how they went about doing it. I fell upon a article about this lady who lost 100 pounds after being diagnosed with diabetes. the article was so inspiring I set out to take some steps she suggested and the first week I was exercising daily and and making better eating choices. I lost 7 pounds within the first 3 weeks. The lady Jill Knapp was so inspiring and I reached out to her a year later to thank her for giving me the motivation to go for it. When I read she was diagnosed with diabetes a light bulb went off for me. I was diagnosed with gestional diabetes when I was pregnant with my sweet Kendra . That alone put worry into me because I know there is risk of possibly developing diabetes once you have had grstional. Anyway, I am now a happy healthy mom and exercise plays a big role in my feeling overall good health. Sure I have lost weight of the side affect of my changes but it's never about the number for me it's about my health and how I feel. Fast forward a few years and I still make time to exercise and make healthy eating choices. Life is great and Kendra is thriving. I want to give a shout out to Jill and tag her Web site just in case your liking for a little more motivation. http://getupandgetmoving.net. still to this day I get updates and tips from her. if we all share our journeys we can help others along tyne way. God played a big part I'm my journey and I was often on my knees praying for guidance and strength. Not once did he let me down. I just found out I am pregnant and I have vowed to take good care of myself and keep up with my healthy lifestyle. When Mom is happy everyone else is happy and taking good care of our physical bodies will keep you happy. Trust me from someone who use to look at exercise as a chore. I now look at it as a gift I give myself daily.
  4. I LOVE what Kendra's Mom said, "Exercise is a gift I give myself daily." It all goes back to the thoughts we allow ourselves to think. A Gift - A Chore, I decide. I am loving this devo. I look forward to it every morning. Thanks Melissa!!
  5. I have a routine. I "walk the dogs". I take the walker and the dogs, cats and I go the five acres out to the dirt road. Three times a day. And yes cats love to walk and play among the mesquite trees. I do this 3 times a day unless we have an appointment early. I also do the move program exercises 3x. a week. That gets me up to the project steps per day. Ive lost from 265 and now I'm @ 184. The drs gave me steriods to keep me alive. Now its exercise and diet change to keep me alive. Plus eatting with my body rythems. I love the praying and praisin and walkin.
      1. PRAISE THE LORD. 13 miles.. That is awesome. Active in the LORD is a good thing. Thank you for the encouragement. It keeps me going.
  6. I have been an a weight loss and healthy lifestyle journey for 60 days now. I can tell you that it was very hard for me to get started because I was more out of shape than I realized. I have always struggled with my weight and self esteem and after 3 years of marriage and two kids I had put on weight that I was struggling to get off. But now that I have been doing it for 2 months I feel SO much better and so much happier with my body! I have lost 16 pounds and 15 inches! I have done that by exercising at least 30 minutes each day (except Sundays)and by eating only the amount of food my body needs to fuel itself. I started my journey with my sister-in-law who is both my closest neighbor out here on the Montana prairie and my very good friend. I would suggest finding a buddy who will help keep you motivated when maybe you just don't feel like doing your workout! Thanks Melissa for this reminder!

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