A Machine that Will Strengthen You!

We have a humongous new machine in our fitness facility. It’s called the Access Strength Machine. I first saw it when it was being installed and I was quite skeptical about the value of said machine. I wanted nothing to do with it! (These were my private thoughts. I didn’t say anything negative about the machine. Smile)

I didn’t want to jump in to trying the machine until I could to do it several times a week because I feared I wouldn’t remember how to use it. (My short term memory is - short!)   

I felt the same way when computers came out and at work we were told it would be good to learn more. Well, this machine is computerized! You might think of it as a giant computer. Individual work outs are stored in it to help users follow their routines.

My husband started first. He didn’t like to lift weights, but he took right to the machine. He says he has discovered muscles he didn’t know he had. It has been helpful to him already in strengthening his upper body. He’s hitting longer drives in golf!

The fitness director patiently taught me how to use the machine and it’s getting easier. She first asked me about my goals, what I wanted to work on improving. I set my focus on strengthening my upper body and improving my posture. She taught me the four points of posture which are important to know and use when operating the machine. These are: Stomach pulled in, Chest up, Shoulders pinched back, Head up, level. In other words, the weights we lift work best if we stand up straight or sit up straight when using them.

Mind you, I’ve been lifting weights and using some weight machines for six years. I’m stronger than six years ago but I have not felt any progress for quite some time. I’ve just been maintaining my ability. Thanks to the Access Strength Machine, in just a few weeks of using it three times a week, I can tell quite a difference in the strength of my arms, shoulders and core and see an improvement in my posture. I feel stronger and I remember to stand up better and sit straighter. Look for the Access Strength Machine. You can be stronger, too!

By the way the Access Strength Machine’s is manufactured by INCLUDE HEALTH. http://www.includehealth.com

Blessings, Dottie    

PSYCH INFO: HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY GUILT

 Q. I feel guilty nearly every day for one reason or another. If I have to cancel a doctor’s appointment, even for a legitimate reason, I feel guilty. I feel guilty about mistakes or poor decisions I made in the past. I’m always apologizing to people because I think I’ve said something that hurt or offended them. When I try to explain, they don’t even remember the incident. Sometimes I avoid contact with people because I don’t want to feel guilty again. But then I feel guilty for avoiding my friends. How I can I get over feeling guilty?

A. There are two types of guilt, healthy guilt and unhealthy guilt. Healthy guilt occurs when we make a hurtful mistake, commit a deliberate misdeed, or neglect a responsibility. Healthy guilt occurs when we realize a flaw in our character which needs to be corrected.

Unhealthy guilt makes us feel guilty no matter what we do. It is pervasive, irrational and self-punishing. It makes us feel worthless.  Unhealthy guilt is not productive, we don’t learn from it. We simply wallow in it and feel defective. 

Healthy guilt enables us to see our mistakes or flaws and use this knowledge to learn about ourselves. The process of accepting responsibility, making amends and determining to change our behavior is a growth process that increases self-respect.

Often those who feel guilty a lot will blame others for “making them feel guilty.” It’s good you realize that your guilt is your problem, not something someone else does to you. Although we are affected by the things others say, our emotions have to do with our own unique makeup and perception of our world. We must own our feelings before we can begin to overcome them.

Here are some steps for getting rid of unhealthy guilt:

1. Keep a journal about your guilt feelings. Note each time you feel guilty, what triggered it, how you responded to it (tears, anger, depression ) and your thoughts about why you felt guilty. 

2. Look for patterns in your guilt. Perhaps you can group the types of guilt you have such as guilt about the past, guilt about seeming failures, guilt about saying the “wrong” thing.

3. Ask your self, did I really do anything wrong? If the answer is yes then you are experiencing healthy guilt. You will need to face the issue and decide to change. For example, if you are habitually late and this is one of the things you feel guilty about, the solution is to change your ways. 

4. Ask yourself, did I do something that isn’t consistent with my goals for myself? If the answer is yes this is either healthy guilt or you have set unrealistic goals. For example, you feel guilt about eating a piece of pie because you want to lose weight. If you’re anorexic or your ideal is Twiggy, your goal is unrealistic and unhealthy. If you do need to lose weight your goal is OK and your guilt is healthy. In this case, use your guilt to help you get back on your plan rather than using it to beat up on yourself. 

If you did nothing wrong, yet feel guilty, talk back to the relentless critic in your head. Defend yourself against the unfair, untrue accusations made against you. Then tell your critic to scram. 

To get rid of healthy guilt, talk to God about your failures or sins and ask for forgiveness.

“If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Blessings, Dottie

The Healing Power of Exercise

Exercise has healing power. Our bodies are designed to move. The more we move the stronger we will be. Yet we spend much time sitting. We all slow down some as we age but we must keep moving.

Dr. Andrew Weil in his book Healthy Aging says “Human bodies are designed for regular physical activity. The inactivity of many people today undermines both general health and brain health and probably plays a significant role in the epidemic of depression today.”

Dr. Henry Lodge in his book, Younger Next Year says “Aging can be reversed and delayed by exercise.” This message is repeated over and over in his book.  He tells of sedentary 70 year old men who doubled their leg strength in three months. He also says that arthritis is an inflammatory disease of sedentary societies.

Both of these doctors say it’s important to vary the exercise, to do weight lifting as well as walking and that you gain more strength and benefit when you push yourself.  I’ve been a regular exerciser for decades and I added weight lifting several years ago. I can attest to the fact that this helps. My balance is better as well as my energy and strength. I won’t be younger next year but I hope to be stronger!

“I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

Blessings, Dottie

Psalm 119 Meditations and Prayers Relating to the Law of God

This is the sixteenth section of Psalm 119 – the longest chapter and the longest Psalm in the Bible. There are 8 different terms referring to Scripture used through out. These are: law, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, judgments, word and ordinances. I'm journaling through it verse by verse.

Ayin. February 8, 2016

¹²¹ I have done justice and righteousness;
Do not leave me to my oppressors.

Father, I have kept your just laws and surrendered my life to you;

Don’t abandon me to this corrupt and lost world.

¹²² Be surety for Your servant for good;
Do not let the arrogant oppress me.

Father, Go to bat for me, your Christ follower for good;

Don’t let proud, know-it-all acquaintances get me down.

¹²³ My eyes fail with longing for Your salvation
And for Your righteous word.

Father, My eyes yearn to see the salvation of family members; for your word to penetrate their hearts.

¹²⁴ Deal with Your servant according to Your lovingkindness
And teach me Your statutes.

Father, Be gentle with me according to your great love,

I’m a work in progress, teach me your Word.

¹²⁵ I am Your servant; give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies.

Lord, I am yours, I bow before you, give me discernment,

So I will follow Your will and way in all my days ahead.

¹²⁶ It is time for the Lord to act,
For they have broken Your law.

Father, I believe it is about time for You to act,

The world is lost and many don’t value or keep your law.

¹²⁷ Therefore I love Your commandments
Above gold, yes, above fine gold.

Father, Thank you for drawing me back so I love and worship you and support your church, I value this knowledge above all else, it is more precious than anything else.

¹²⁸ Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything,
I hate every false way.

Father, I value highly all your directions for life, your will for everything,

I cringe and despise every false way.

Blessings, Dottie

SING FOR YOUR HEALTH

Q. I’m tired and I have little energy. My doctor can find nothing wrong with me after many tests. I’ve increased the hours I sleep at night and I exercise some but I’m still listless. I’ve been to a counselor but that didn’t help either. I have a good job, a good marriage and good kids. My doctor suggested an anti-depressant but I don’t want to take medication. What else can I do to overcome my sluggishness?

A. Try singing! New evidence suggests that singing is good for our health and boosts our energy levels. Lilias Folan, well known yoga teacher, in one of her articles some time ago told of a Benedictine monastery in France. The Benedictines are a silent order. They begin their day early each morning with chanting and prayers followed by manual labor and more chanting at intervals throughout the day and into the night. 

When there were conflicts about whether to chant in Latin or in English, a new young abbot decided to eliminate chanting. After several months of not chanting, the monks became tired and listless. Doctors were called in and various remedies were tried including giving them more sleep and changing their diet. These changes did not help; instead, the monks became even more fatigued.

          

Another doctor was called in. He found a majority of the monks “slumped in their cells like wet dish rags.”  This doctor speculated that the chanting which the monks had previously done served to recharge them. Chanting was reintroduced and the monks gradually returned to health.

          

Research shows that music can affect our health positively in many ways. Soothing sounds are credited with preventing colds, easing labor pains, lowering blood pressure, increasing endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers), calming anxiety and boosting our immune system. 

          

One study found that surgery patients exposed to soothing music had less pain and shorter recovery time than those who were not. Dr. Mitchell L. Gaynor, author of Sounds of Healing, uses harmonious sounds in helping cancer patients recover. “I’ve never found anything more powerful than sound and voice and music to begin to heal and transform every aspect of people’s lives” Gaynor says. Music makes a difference even before we’re born. The unborn child is capable of hearing for half the pregnancy and is “affected profoundly” by what he or she hears according to Gaynor.

The sounds of soothing music are low. Sounds above 90 decibels cause stress and ear damage - the opposite effect. Disharmony and noise jar our nerves and cause depressed or pessimistic thoughts or feelings. 

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine studied choir members who sang a Beethoven choral number. The researchers found that a protein used by the immune system to fight disease increased 150 percent during rehearsals and 240 percent during a performance. The boost seemed related to the singers’ happy or euphoric state of mind. The more passionate they felt while singing, the greater the increase.

          

This research suggests that we should all rush out and join a choir! We at least should find a place of worship with a great deal of uplifting singing and music. Short of that we certainly should sing in the shower, chant or sing as we meditate or pray and listen to comforting or uplifting music on a daily basis.

          

It also suggests we should avoid disharmony. Many stress producing sounds bombard our ears every day. We can’t totally avoid the shouting boss, the noise of jackhammers or the sounds of traffic. But we can mute the jarring TV commercials, choose to turn off the violent or pessimistic fare offered on TV and keep our voices pleasant at home. And we can sing!

“I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing praises to Your name.”  2 Samuel 22:50

Blessings, Dottie

Seeking God in Silence

Silence is viewed as toxic in our culture. Noise saturates and over stimulates us. Television, cell phones, radio, and computers consume our time and distract our minds. We need silence to slow down and breathe. We need silence to relax our body and soul. We need silence to release our cares and concerns to God.

We must empty our minds and be still. Silence brings us in touch with inner longings and needs. Silence touches our deepest feelings; brings to mind our hurts, angers, frustrations and flaws. We would rather run away from these. Once we face these things and cry out to God we can abide in Him. If silence continues long enough we will face our sins and humble our hearts before God. Then we will sense the sweet presence of God in new ways.

We must be silent to sense His presence. There are spiritual broadcasts that are timeless and eternal but we must tune into these through silence. These broadcasts can easily be jammed. They are heard only in the silence. We need silence during worship to face our sins and sense the presence of God.

Scripture says:

·       “Be still and know that I am God.” (Ps 46:10 NIV)

·       “They who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isa. 40:31 ESV)

·       “My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken.” (Ps. 62:5-6 NASB)

To deepen your relationship with Christ, spend ten minutes or more in silence every day. Commit to taking time for this period of silence and stillness. The longer you do this the more meaningful this time will become.

Father I thank you for your peace in my heart and for your Word and your Spirit. I know your Spirit is in me. Help me rest in you – not wrestle and clench my teeth. Help me relax and yet do what needs to be done. Bless and guide this day. I read 1 Corinthians 13 in the Montgomery translation and it says: “Love knows how to be silent.” We can’t hear you unless we know how to be silent and most of us talk more than we listen. Help me be a better listener. Help me be still and know that you are God. Increase my love, trust, hope, patience and perseverance. Let all I do glorify you.”

“Love knows how to be silent; it is trustful hopeful, patient, enduring.” 

1 Corinthians 13:7-8

Blessings, Dottie

PSYCH INFO: HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY GUILT

Q. I feel guilty nearly every day for one reason or another. If I have to cancel a doctor’s appointment, even for a legitimate reason, I feel guilty. I feel guilty about mistakes or poor decisions I made in the past. I’m always apologizing to people because I think I’ve said something that hurt or offended them. When I try to explain, they don’t even remember the incident. Sometimes I avoid contact with people because I don’t want to feel guilty again. But then I feel guilty for avoiding my friends. How I can I get over feeling guilty?

 A. There are two types of guilt, healthy guilt and unhealthy guilt. Healthy guilt occurs when we make a hurtful mistake, commit a deliberate misdeed, or neglect a responsibility. Healthy guilt occurs when we realize a flaw in our character which needs to be corrected.

Unhealthy guilt makes us feel guilty no matter what we do. It is pervasive, irrational and self-punishing. It makes us feel worthless. Unhealthy guilt is not productive, we don’t learn from it. We simply wallow in it and feel defective. 

Healthy guilt enables us to see our mistakes or flaws and use this knowledge to learn about ourselves. The process of accepting responsibility, making amends and determining to change our behavior is a growth process that increases our self-respect.

Often those who feel guilty a lot will blame others for “making them feel guilty.” It’s good you realize that your guilt is your problem, not something someone else does to you. Although we are affected by the things others say, our emotions have to do with our own unique makeup and perception of our world. We must own our feelings before we can begin to overcome them.

Here are some steps for getting rid of unhealthy guilt:

1. Keep a journal about your guilt feelings. Note each time you feel guilty, what triggered it, how you responded to it (tears, anger, depression ) and your thoughts about why you felt guilty. 

2. Look for patterns in your guilt. Perhaps you can group the types of guilt you have such as guilt about the past, guilt about seeming failures, guilt about saying the “wrong” thing.

3. Ask your self, did I really do anything wrong? If the answer is yes then you are experiencing healthy guilt. You will need to face the issue and decide to change. For example, if you are habitually late and this is one of the things you feel guilty about, the solution is to change your ways. 

4. Ask yourself, did I do something that isn’t consistent with my goals for myself? If the answer is yes this is either healthy guilt or you have set unrealistic goals. For example, you feel guilt about eating a piece of pie because you want to lose weight. If you’re anorexic or your ideal is Twiggy, your goal is unrealistic and unhealthy. If you do need to lose weight your goal is OK and your guilt is healthy. In this case, use your guilt to help you get back on your plan rather than using it to beat up on yourself. 

If you did nothing wrong, yet feel guilty, talk back to the relentless critic in your head. Defend yourself against the unfair, untrue accusations made against you. Then tell your inner critic to scram. 

To get rid of healthy guilt confess your failures and sins to God and ask for forgiveness.

“If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Blessings, Dottie