Strength for Today (literally) and Bright Hope for Tomorrow (progress)

I was looking back over the calendar and realized that as of yesterday, I have been going to the gym for 4 weeks at 5 times per week for 1 hour of exercise at a time (when we missed a weekday, we would make it up on Saturday).  That is 20 hours of progress.  I am still getting used to the idea of saying "I am going to the gym" because it was something I had never really given much thought to until I reached the point of feeling desperate about 3 months ago.  In that 20 hours I have spent in the gym, I have gone from walking a 2 mph pace for 30 minutes to a 3 mph pace for 17 minutes and 2.8 mph for 13 minutes to equal the 30 minutes and have tread water for at least 30 minutes each day.

Another area of progress is that about 2 weeks ago I gave up my heel lifts in my tennis shoes and have only had a couple days where I had pain in my heel. It feels good to walk more flat footed. I do wear the shoes/sandals with a 1.5" heel the rest of the day because I don't want to risk going back to where I was 4 years ago with intense pain needing cortisone shots for relief.  Maybe some day I can go barefoot again...that would be so wonderful!  If not here, for sure in heaven some day...tee hee

Since beginning The Lord's Table:  Setting Captives Free online study, I have been reminded over and over every day that I have hope in Christ to reach a healthier weight and be able to serve in the way He wants me to.  He wants to be my strength.  He wants to be my joy.  He wants to be my comforter.  He wants to be my focus.  A verse that has stuck with me today from today's study (day 21) is Psalms 25:15 " Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net."  The net for me is the desire to overeat to satisfy my heart issues and I am so thankful that God is bigger than that net!  Look to Him alone!  Only He can satisfy!  The following hymn has been in my mind today because the words speak of the study I had today.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus 

Helen Howarth Lemmel

1863-1961 

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.