Movie Date

“Do you give the horse his strength

or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?

Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror

with his proud snorting? He paws fiercely,

rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray.

He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;

he does not shy away from the sword.”

Job 39:19

The movie begins with a narration from the book of Job, introducing us to the realm of the breath taking power given to a horse. It is the story about Secretariat, the greatest race horse of all time, setting records in the early 70's, that still stand today.

Now, I’m not into horse racing, but this is just an amazing story about perseverance. It is about believing in a dream and taking ownership of it in order to accomplish what no one thought possible.

Interesting family dynamics, gorgeous ranch scenes and races filmed so close to the horse that you can feel it's strong, rhythmic breathing, all combine to make it real before your eyes. Personally, I love the never ending array of the cute outfits worn by the Mrs. Chenery (Diane Lane). One of my favorite characters is the groom, (Eddie Sweat) who listens to uplifting gospel music while tending to the horse and comes up with some great lines to make you laugh.

The story, like any true story, is not without its hard decisions and consequences, but it ends with a victory that I can only describe as majestic. It gives us just a glimpse into the celebration awaiting us one day, when we finish our race, to hear the words, “Well done!”

Pleasure and Reward

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Have you seen this before? Beth pointed this out. God rewards those who seek Him! Not only has God promised that when we seek Him, we will find Him, but . . . a reward?
May our decision to seek God and to believe Him on a continual basis, bring about rewards that will encourage more faith. Be ready to share! Some of the rewards I have experienced are answered prayer, faith boosted, strength, joy and peace.

Isaiah 54:10
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, God, who has compassion on you.”

Thank you to those who shared what they are believing God for at this time. As I read your comments last week, I could not help but add my prayers for you. In Hebrews 11: 13 it talks about people who died before seeing the things promised to them . . . it says they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. Yes, we can cling to the promise that one day He will wipe every tear.

Continuation on a Healthy Lifestyle

photo credit: Kellogg's advertisement

Well, I got myself into this and now, to be honest, I've been tossing thoughts around and wondering . . . who am I to say anything significant about diets or exercise? The only thing I can do is repeat things we all think are true, things I may have read somewhere and things that seem to work for me. But I’m not everyone else and have no idea how hard some have worked to get into shape . . . I take my hat off to you. To those who have tried everything . . . all I can say is . . . you are a winner if you can 'maintain' and I believe that the first point can be a significant help in that.


1. Keep making small changes. Choose one and add another when it becomes a lifestyle. Someday you will look back and realize you've made choices all along the way and feel good about them. Some suggestions: Eat breakfast. Walk the kids to school or go for a quick 20 minute walk at lunch. If you have to snack, eat fruit, a few nuts or a small piece of cheese. Avoid putting potato chips in your grocery cart. Choose the stairs over the escalator. Choose family/date activities such a bike riding, bowling or hiking. Take sodas drinks out of your diet.

2. Eat out as little as possible. Help those around you eat healthy by planning and preparing tasty homemade foods for mealtimes, so that everyone is satisfied and mealtimes are a time everyone looks forward to. Shop for cereals that have fiber and reduce the sweetness gradually. Use eggs, cheese, fish or peanut butter on sandwiches more often than processed meats. Use a variety of lean cut meats, chicken and fish, as well as several vegetable options to fill the plate. Let your kids see that you enjoy all kinds of vegetables. You may not have liked the yam casserole your aunt made, but maybe you’d like them roasted with Italian seasonings. Try different options to learn how to enjoy good food.

3. Exercise. You knew I’d say it. I’m not a gym person either. For some of us exercise is especially difficult to stick to when we try to do it alone. So ask a friend to go with you and choose an activity that works for you. I can’t believe I have a friend who has walked with me for over 20 years now. I wake up on a cold, windy, rainy day and know that if it were not for the fact that she is waiting for me I would not get up but, in the end, I’m always glad I did. Some options are: speed walking, swimming laps after the kids are in bed, going for a 20 minute run, meeting a friend at curves for half an hour or running a Pilates video workout in your own family room. It’s interesting that the notion to exercise makes us feel tired at first, but in the end it gives us more energy.

4. Whatever your weakness, be it desserts, sweet breads, candy, chocolate or ice cream – enjoy it, but in moderation. It would drive me crazy if someone told me I could never have dessert, but just knowing I ‘can’ have some on a somewhat regular basis, helps me not to crave it. Sometimes it’s as easy as having half a serving, one scoop of ice cream rather than two or making my favorite drink a tall-skinny-half-sweet

5. Get rid of over-sized clothes. Don’t keep them as a back door and don’t wear them around the house on a lazy day.

6. Give thanks to God for food and nature to enjoy.

Thoughts on Diets and Healthy Lifestyle Choices

I’ve probably thought more about weight this year than ever before. It would seem that several aspects of working on a cookbook have played a major role in this mind game. Maybe that's all it is, a mind game, but I have become more aware of a certain bulge as I sit here and key in the recipes. Eating waffles with vanilla custard for breakfast and then again for lunch, because the first pictures did not turn out to my satisfaction, was just one of those things you do for the cause.

In reality it's not just the cookbook, but a number of things that have kept me from serious dieting. When I think about it, there just never is a good time to diet and there will always be an excuse to be gaining weight. Just when the freshman 20 are gone, the babies start coming every few years. Some busy active years in-between may help, but soon you’re where I am now . . . where they say, “Well, you’re at that age.”

I have observed the obsession on diets to the point where girls do not know when to stop. I just look on with sadness and my heart breaks for them. Fashion magazines display undernourished models and almost every magazine at the grocery check stand screams out some form of diet. And now, even I am writing about it! This is because I often don’t see good results in any of this.

So I’ve thrown dieting out the window. I’ve never really said it, but I think dieting is a trap that, for most of us, only gives temporary results and much frustration. Believing this, I have to practice what I preach and share what may be a long-term alternative.

Now I want to be careful. I do not want to be flippant, nor assume that this is easy for everyone. I’m talking very generally, because I don’t want to take other health concerns or genetics for granted. However, in general, I think we can all agree that healthy eating and exercise are the best way to get into shape and keep in shape. It’s kind of freeing.

Being in shape is different for everyone. It’s about knowing your body, learning to enjoy the right foods and routines for you – and being content. It is better to maintain a happy medium than to continually go up and down. I have seen that two people of the same height can be 20 lbs apart and both be at their ideal weight.

So what could healthy eating and exercise look like? I perused through an article a while back that had some thoughts that made me say, “Yes, that works.” So, before this gets too long, I think in my next post I will share some practical ideas on this subject.

Roses in November

On Monday I had to avoid the water on the path, stepping on brightly fallen leaves as I walked in the rain.

On Tuesday there were rose buds to greet me on the bush by the back door as I headed out.

It was a glorious day, seeing the morning sun sparkle through the leaves still on the trees.
When I came back from my walk I got out my camera and later, when I saw how many buds were still waiting to open on another bush, my shears as well.

I decided these rose buds had to be enjoyed inside.

First by me - for a bit – even if just for a photo to share with you . . .

and then to pass the bundle on to my mom, to enjoy for real.

Caught in the Act of Believing

What is the tie between faith and belief? The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. Sometimes I’ve thought of faith as accepting something for which we have no proof. Yet, in the original language of the Bible, faith is the same as assurance. Therefore the title of this study (referring to Beth Moore's Believing God) refers to having faith or assurance in God.

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) I love how Beth talks about the kind of faith that can turn a noun into an action verb. That is what the original written text does, it makes a distinction that the English language does not make, between two kinds of belief . . . the belief that God exists, leading to salvation if confessed and secondly a belief that shows itself as a continuation, or an ongoing verb. In other words, the faith or the belief referred to in the title of this study is not only the faith that causes me to become a believer, but the belief that continues and continually believes God. It is not about the past, but rather about now and tomorrow.

In Ephesians 1: 18-20 the apostle Paul prays that believers may know the incomparable power for those who keep on believing, a power that is likened to that which raised Christ from the dead. This is the kind of power that “God willingly interjects into lives caught in the act of believing”. I repeat Beth’s question here, “Can you think of any need you might have that would require more strength than God exercised to raise the dead?”

Thanks be to God for whom nothing is too difficult if we believe. I want to ask Him to help me believe for more than I can imagine, seeing that He has the power to breathe new life.