New Year 2024

Published on by JustineLeave a comment

Making a New Year resolution has never worked for me.

But, Remembering God’s new grace each morning brings Hope.

Today, I am on day 67 of 10,000 steps. Running has been a hit or miss, but things changed December 21.

I now have 23 days of running consecutively.

How did it switch?

In December God reminded me:

  • When I run consecutive days in a row I stand taller, feeling strength in my core.
  • If I run weight comes off but, if I don’t run weight grows.
  • In 2012, God prompts me daily to run 2 miles for 30 days. Even if I walk some, run 2 miles.

Running two miles daily becomes my new goal.

A few days after starting, my body struggles. Exhaustion rules and my run consists of run 5-10 steps, walk 4-5 steps, repeat. Determination prevails and I make my two mile run.

Success comes with perseverance, at the end of a two mile walk I notice I am looking straight ahead!

Most of my life I have looked down.

It dawns on me that my back muscles have gained enough strength to hold my head up with ease.

The reason I need to run has to do with scoliosis and the foot long rod attached to my spine. My core muscles don’t gain strength in daily movement. I need to lift my legs higher than walking to engage the core muscles.

To keep this strength I know I need to run daily!

GOD IS SO GOOD!

Hello Body

Published on by JustineLeave a comment

We would like to introduce ourselves;

Body, we are the nerves that have recently made contact with your spinal cord.

Being cut off from the spine in 1976, was cruel. Life has been boring just hanging around dormant for the last 40 years. We have been carried around not able to help out, wondering if we would ever be usefull again.

What a surprise to find ourselves awake in 2011. It was slow at first. The beginning was just a knowledge that we exist as body stood to her feet and walked. She felt us!

The feeling started to grow and the muscles became involved enough to alert the body’s doctor.

Doctor said, “I’m glad you started to exercise.”

Body said, “I didn’t do anything different.”

Alarm sounds, Doctor wants to know about the  muscle growth. She ponders this for a year and decides to do the intake, next year.

Doctor asked, “What makes the difference in your muscles if your exercise is the same?”

Body says, “Jesus answered the request for nerves to be connected.”

We nerves have been working and growing and sometimes breeding complaint.

A funny period we nerves all itch.

 

Today growth seems to cause pain.

Body we want to know, “Are we nerves worth the constant pain?”

Nerves provide the ability to run, lift arms, sit up, type, and lift head?

“Does the ability to move make pain acceptable?”

Body says, “Yes! Body is Thankful for pain.”

God is Good!

Listening to God

Published on by JustineLeave a comment

Learning how to respond to thoughts and act on them.

Today, I have the thought of going for a two mile walk after waking, before eating. Bart is pleased to join me in the daylight.

It becomes the most pleasant walk in a long time. We have no need to change directions to bypass dogs or people. An unusual December day blesses us with a warm 40 degrees and sunshine!

Later in the evening Bart suggests, “We should walk to get our 10,000 steps before we relax for the evening.”

As we walk Bart says, “Don’t worry, that’s just my watch saying 10,000 steps!”

I laugh, “My Fitbit is also alerting me to my 10,000 steps this exact moment!”

Five minutes later we both happen to look the same direction as a meteor flashes through the sky.

So tell me, is this how God sets things up?

Things fall into place and Peace fills the space?

Feeling Blessed on December 14, 2023.

The Joy of Christmas

Published on by JustineLeave a comment

Fear thoughts shut down my day!

Headache grows.

Hiding on the couch with my eyes shut, I hold my head!

All of a sudden, POUNDING fills the house.

Bart rises to see about the noise.

“Justine, come and see!”

“What reason could possibly be good enough to move?”

Standing back, Bart gives me a full view.

thirty children overfill my doorway!

Dressed in flashing Christmas lights they

Proudly Sing,

“Jingle Bells” and “Merry Christmas!”

A SMILE GROWS as JOY FILLS MY SPIRIT! 

Bonus the headache fades away!

THANK YOU JESUS for returning  JOY to my day!

GOD IS SO VERY GOOD!

Joy

Published on by Justine2 Comments

Tonight 11/10/23:

Dinner with a group of friends!

After dinner we talk with no agenda for hours.

Sitting at the table with the conversation including me feels strange but good! LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE replace judgement.

Today, I speak many God stories. They question and receive my stories.

I have been included into their lives.

Forty years ago in College, I found  Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship and acceptance. Before that I was eight years old at my gramma’s house on the farm, watching aunts and uncles discussing life with grandparents.

What differs between these examples and the rest of my life?

The yearly visit with parents includes the relaxing family time playing cards. But the words coming at me are not peaceful.

Changing the subject I say, “Do you know what God did today?”

I hear, “Don’t talk politics!”

On 5/16/10, God directs us to a beautiful church where I find acceptance and safety.

Life collects battle wounds until God brings people who know LOVE! In this safe place,  open wounds become healed scars.

God is using this church to transform me:

PEACE and JOY replace anxiety.

God Is Good! He will heal anyone who asks and follows His directions! So Ask for Healing It is Good! Amen!

Walking by Faith

Published on by JustineLeave a comment

This week,my husband took a job he is unsure about.

Bart, “I’ve been hired to work in a warehouse! Not sure I’m physically able. HR called to calm my fears. Orientation starts Tuesday.”

Justine, “Trust God! He will give you strength and ability beyond what you are able. Watch and be amazed!”

Bart, “Do you know where my social security card is? I have searched in wallets, drawers, pockets, and the safe with no success.  We will see if they take what I have.”

After Orientation

Bart announces, “God must want me to work there! When I opened up my birth certificate the Social Security card popped out! I looked there more than once! But God put it there when I needed it!”

Justine, “BUT GOD! My favorite words!”

GOD WILL PROVIDE! I AM EXCITED TO SEE HOW HE PROVIDES!

Protection

Published on by JustineLeave a comment

I go for a run just after 8:00 P.M.. It is dark but not late.

First I run to the cemetery and have a thought, “Stay away from the back.”

I tell myself, “Don’t let fear rule.”

Sam stops short and will not move.

Maybe I should listen to the thought and take the short rout.

Sam agrees and runs with me.

Approaching the park from the North, I notice a vehicle driving very slowly towards the park from the East. Slowing down, I watch and check if it is a police vehicle. It is white.

IT is  NOT police.

Running past the vehicle, I stop for Sam and clean up.

I loose track of the white vehicle and take off running my normal route to the gas station.

Approaching the turn in the road, I realize that I have heard a vehicle coming up behind for a while.

I pull Sam to the sidewalk and watch a white vehicle drive past me very slowly. They drive toward the gas station.

Foolishly, I start to run behind them until. . . .

Wisdom speaks up and says, “Turn around and go home.”

Running towards home I think, “Maybe I should call my husband.”

Instead I ask, “God, Send Your Angels to keep me safe and anyone out tonight!”

Later at home I hear,

“SAY THANK YOU!”

“I DID KEEP YOU SAFE” 

Wisdom suggests I run earlier.

GOD IS SO VERY GOOD!

Fear Uncovered

Published on by JustineLeave a comment

In this season of our lives we are looking for ways to pay the bills.

One day recently I tried on the thought of Uber driving.

FEAR!

NOT SAFE!

Tears fall.

TERROR FILLS MY SOUL.

Where did that come from?

I put off healing.

It will be painful.

Quickly I change my thoughts to save the day.

I mention it to a couple of people.

Fear is close to the surface.

Tears escape my eyes.

Healing is needed.

It takes time and energy.

God is Good!

He will take me through this at the appropriate time.

Thank You Jesus! Amen!

Running and Weight Lifting

Published on by JustineLeave a comment

Today, September 20, 2023, I am returning to the gift God gave me 12 years ago.

In 2011, God gave me a miracle. HE gave me new bone in my spine, setting me free of 28 years of constant pain. Then He started growing nerves in my abdominal and back muscles. This gave me the ability to grow muscle in my core. These muscles give me the ability to lift my legs and run. Something I have always wanted to do.

Two years later we hand our tree cut down and I chose a log to lift and use doing lunges. I continued running longer distances and using the log doing lunges with the log extended above my head to build muscles.

This continued until we started driving West 2-3 times a year for family emergencies. But what really threw a wrench into everything is my husband needing surgery and taking care of him, then 2020 happened.

I have been trying to get back to running for the last few years, but not able to sustain it for one reason or another.

God has been saying, “Get back to your running and weight lifting.”

I told myself a lie that I didn’t need to run because I am working in the flower garden and walking.

GOD KNOWS BEST: My body started to ache and my posture was leaning more forward because I only walked. I need to run and lift weights.

The difference of weight lifting and running daily is already showing up in my posture and amount of pain after just a week. I need to make it priority one.

GOD IS SO GOOD. If I would just listen and obey.

Practice Repeat

Published on by JustineLeave a comment

With 5 hours sleep I tried to rise up. It didn’t work. My body refused to move!

Back to bed, I woke one hour later, refreshed and ready to move.

A bit sore, I decided to do push-ups and a plank again thinking, “the hair of the dog that bit you.”

It helped!

Not much later I decided to walk 2 mile early because of the chance of rain.

In the evening after Choir practice I decided to run. It was a bit wet but made 3 miles at an okay pace. Afterward, I decided to do lunges and log lifts again.

I NEED TO DECIDE TO RUN DAILY! And DO IT!

Maybe I will get back to 5 miles a day and into the clothes I wore a few years ago.

The Bonus will be Strength to do other things.

To be truthful, my husband would not say, “I decided to do anything.”

I do debate before I decide to go run!

God is So Very Good! LORD PLEASE HELP ME RUN DAILY!