NEW TO ME AND TEA!

Fall has come here in Northern Michigan, and with it the cold, which in my opinion is way too early. We've had to harvest our vegetable gardens in a hurry before the frost hit, and even do the inevitable....turn on the furnace!

Two days ago we had the wildest rain storm for early September with shoreline flooding which closed some roadways.

So with the cold temperatures, and staying indoors while rain and wind pelleted the windows, it was time to take out some new to me tea cups and have a casual evening with friends.

It might have been cold and windy outside, but we certainly enjoyed an evening of paper crafting, tea tasting and a slice of lemon zucchini bread.  You can find the recipe on Pinterest on my board called "I've made/done these pins."

I think I've had more cups of tea in the last week, than I've had in awhile.  No matter, I love the comfort as much as the flavor of tea.

Why not take some time for a cup of tea!

HOPING AND PRAYING, WISHING AND WANTING

Have you been hoping and praying that something would happen or change for you?  "I wish this were so."  "I hope that will happen."  "I am praying about that."

For years, I had hoped that 'someday' I would be able to participate in life a bit more actively.  When I became a grandmother (12 times since), I had a rude awakening that just hoping to be in better shape and more physically active, wasn't going to happen by itself.  I knew that in order to keep up with my little grands, I had to make a serious effort to being physically fit.

I do pray, believing that my request will be answered according to God's will and plan for my life.  Hoping to have will power.  Wishing to be more active.  It seemed that no matter how much I hoped or wished, the will power or incentive to accomplish this was not there.  What complicated the will power or incentive was chronic pain.

Perhaps the title of this post should be hoping and wishing, praying and wanting.  I've been writing about my journey to being healthy and physically fit at Motions Fitness. I've come to realize that all the hoping and wishing wasn't going to amount to anything without praying and wanting to change.

Since my last post, I have attended "Body Pump", a weight-lifting class. I must admit that I have always wanted proper instruction on how to lift weights, and once had hoped to someday have a chance to do this.  But it had been a long, long time since I thought about really lifting weights.  The chronic pain had gotten in the way.  I'd watched the movements and sets from the back of the room, but now that I was in the class, it was really hard to keep up the pace and keep trying without giving up.  Tearfully, at one point, I wondered how I would ever make it to the end of the class in one piece. But then my trainer got right beside me, and helped me with each move, until I got back on track.

That "coming alongside" me that my trainer, Lisa, has done from the very first time we met at Motions Fitness, is the visible part of our trainer/client relationship.  To me, Lisa's actions were above and beyond the "you can do it, you can do it," support I have received at every stage of my work out plan. But to Lisa, this is her commitment to help her client succeed and realize all that is possible.

Before the class ended, the instructor reminded us that every set we do in every class must be a challenge to us or what good would it be? It was as if he was telling me personally that the hoping and praying, and wishing must turn to wanting to be healthy so bad that you keep challenging yourself, again and again and again.

So the tears keep coming, the tears of leaving behind the "I can't"  and "am I going to make it" ....  as I move from wishing to wanting.  Nothing I have tried previously ever got me to the stage of wanting such a challenge like this, until now......at Motions Fitness.

I am praying for strength to keep meeting the challenge.

Until next time, keep striving.