Prayer

(I'm sure you've read many blog posts that are titled "prayer", but I am going to share some thoughts I had during my morning workout today.  As I sit here and ice my foot (dang plantar fasciitis), I want to get my thoughts down before they disappear.  It tends to happen all to often.  Sometimes I feel like I have great inspirational thoughts and then I let my day get ahead of me and never write it down.  Or maybe I just think they are great thoughts and they are better left that way, just thoughts.  Haha  Either way, this is one of my 2020 goals, write more.

So my morning workout routine usually consists of 10 minutes on either the spin bike or stair climber (flat footed - trying to hit those glutes more than the calf).  After my warmup I HIT the weights with a very low impact HIIT routine (total pun intended).  When the workout requires jumping, I switch it up to a little more upper body power and keep my feet on the ground.  Trust me when I say I still am getting a great sweat on.  My heart rate goes from 130's to high 160's as I move from interval to interval, rest periods in between.  (selfie picture, photographer...me)

While I am on my cardio warmup, my rose gold beats drown out the gym noise and I usually have a good inspirational book playing, or a great podcast.  My latest listen on the podcast app, Cindy Sue Bezas, my mentor for my first three books and a dear friend of mine.  She recently launched her podcast with "Concussion, There is hope" series.  Or Candace Cameron Bure's book "Reshaping it All", which I have already listened to once, but felt it was a great one to recycle at this time.  

Ok, that's enough fitness, motivational talk, here is the meat of this post.  Recently I posted on my IG about depression.  Something I have battled for nearly 15 years or more, and still fight each day.  I said this, "Yesterday I didn’t go in to the gym to allow a day of rest for foot (plantar fasciitis), unfortunately that set the tone for my whole day and I seriously struggled to know what to do, how to do it and why. My mind was foggy and I literally was lacking in mental clarity. Which in turns gives my depression a really great head start down the dark path. I hate that." 

As I started my week with another great Monday morning workout, it hit me, I do know how to start my day...even when I do get a morning workout, and ESPECIALLY WHEN I DON'T.  I want to emphasize the DON'T part, because there are mornings when I allow myself a little longer sleep, knowing full well that that is what my body needs.  I prefer to workout at 5 am and be done before my kids get up.  It really does set the tone for the day for me.  However, let's talk about the days when I don't workout before the kids get up, or even the day I don't workout at all (rest days).  Prayer.  That is what sets the tone for the day.  I still have a lot to work on when it comes to consistent prayer, and its hard when I'm in a dark place and don't care about much of anything outside myself, under the covers of my bed.  Ok, that was bleak, but truth.  So how do I get out of those "covers" (the dark clouds, the actual comforter of my bed and the dang demons that try so hard to take over my thoughts)?  I literally roll from my bed to my knees.  In part because it hurts to stand right away (holy cry baby here), but in part because if I do stand right away, I will walk on to my day and sadly bypass what truly gets me on my feet.  A loving Father in Heaven, God, my greater being.  
When Christ was crucified on the cross, they drove nails through His feet, and then He still walked again.  Remembering that, and knowing what my Savior has done for me, helps me continue to walk and move forward.  But not without prayer.  I cannot do this alone, nor do I want to.  So when I say that I don't know how to start my day without a workout, that is not entirely true.  Allbeit, I need to be better about remembering this, prayer is my "pick me up" as well. 

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