Blog

Five for Friday!

This week’s ‘Five for Friday’ come to us from Michelle Wagner! Michelle and her husband Urb have been a core part of the Forget Me Not family for years and have even served in Romania for 2 years. Michelle has got some great tips to bless your week! 

 

Running:

Running has been part of my life since I was on the track team in high school so many years ago.  It has become my prayer time and my exercise of choice.  Things to remember about running: shoes, clothing and style.  First the most important thing is don’t expect to be an expert.  Everyone runs different, at different times, and for different reasons.  Whatever is your reason, own it.  It’s ok.

Invest in Shoes and Gear

First you have to get good shoes: If you are doing it for exercise or pleasure you need to make sure you have a good pair of running shoes.  You need to find a reliable running store that specializes in running gear.  You may think any tennis shoe will do, but your body will pay if you don’t get the proper shoes.  I use Pacers and Racers in southern Indiana.  They are a full-service running store. 

While you are there, you might want to check out technical gear such as running shorts, tops, or tights that are made out of lightweight wicking fibers. While these garments aren’t necessary for running, they help you to stay dry and comfortable when you work out.

Stay Safe

Take measured steps to keep your body safe and free from injury. First, also do a warm-up before you start running. Walk or do an easy jog for 5 to 10 minutes, before increasing your intensity. Be sure to stretch before and after your runs.

Then make sure you follow running safety advice, such as going against traffic when running on roads. You should also always remember to carry an ID when you head out for a run so that you can be identified quickly in the unlikely event of an accident. I carry pepper spray for those dogs not on a leash!  I’ve only had to use it once or twice. 

Use the Run/Walk Method

You can start your running program by combining your runs with intervals of walking. For many new runners, this is the easiest way to build endurance with less stress on the joints and a manageable intensity level.

Simply start with one minute of running and one minute of walking, and then try to increase the running intervals. As you become more comfortable, make the switch to all running.

Here’s a great plan to go from couch to 5K!  Here is the ‘Couch to 5 K’ app as well!  Here is a couch to 5 K podcast!

 

Reading:

Wow, reading is one of those things that you don’t like as a kid, but somehow fall in love with when you get older. The big question is finding the time! Oh my, life gets so busy and with this fast pace world, reading is something that some people forget how to do. I for one discovered reading again in my late thirty’s just after my dad passed away. I needed something that could take my mind away from the “why” and “what if” questions.  A friend gave me the first book in the series “Left Behind” I couldn’t put it down and had to read all 12!  Now I read very little fiction, but still find the occasional Karen Kingsburg novel the way to go.  I have many favorite authors now, and several books that have been life-changing for me. One of the books I would recommend is “Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper. You can grab your book here!  (When you shop Amazon Smile, we would love it if you chose Forget Me Not Ministries to be your charity of choice and Amazon will donate a percentage each time you shop)

 

Hiking/Backpacking:

This is a new adventure that my husband and I have grown to love.  We had friends invite us to hike the Grand Canyon from rim to rim.  Well, let me tell you, since I was/am a runner I thought I was in great shape and that this would be a piece of cake.  I mean, I had just finished a marathon so, how hard could walking be?  I was in for a rude awaking.  We trained for two months with practice hikes.  We started with just walking, then added backpacks, then weight to the backpacks.  We had to be able to hike 14 miles a day with 30 lbs on our backs.  When you do “real” hiking I learned, you take everything you need on your back for all of the days that you will be out.  We did the Grand Canyon and then moved on the next year to Mount Robson in Canada.  We have done a hike every year since!  Hiking is like running, you must have the proper shoes and gear.  You need to be safe and prepared. Here are some safety tips, benefits, and gear you want to make sure have have with you!

Grandkids:

Most grandparents will tell you that they’d skip the kids and go straight to the grandkids if they could.  I love that saying and find it true sometimes.  My husband and I are blessed with 20 grandkids and we love each one to the moon and back.  God has so enriched our lives with these 20-little people!  Some are grown, but we still consider them our joy in life.  As a grandparent, you need to remember that honoring the rules of your kids is so important.  Can I say that I’ve always done that, well, no, but spoiling them is one of the things that we grandparents get to do.  I can say that we pray for them daily with an unconditional love that is hard to explain.  Praying for your grandkids is one of the most priceless things you can do.  Allow them to be their own person around you and share your stories with them.  They may roll their eyes but, our older grandkids love hearing things we did growing up.  They love to laugh and learn all the things that are so different.  Trust God to lead you in the adventure of being a grandparent. Click here for a prayer to help guide you as you pray over your grandkids!

 

Organizing: 

You may think how can organizing be a thing to love?  Maybe I should say ‘goals’.  To me, being organized and having goals are one in the same. If we take our life and make plans for 6 months, 1 year, 5 year and 10 years, we will have to organize our time, money, and relationships to reach those goals.  God didn’t put us on this earth to wonder aimlessly through life.  He has plans for us and we need to look at our lives and seek to learn his plans and follow Him.  If we have some organization to our life, we will see more clearly where we are going.  As always, being flexible is also an organizational trait.  You can be so rigid you stress yourself out trying to stick to each organized list you’ve made.  But if you start small and work your way to adding another area of your life to goal setting, you will find you are less stressed and more in control.  Whether it is money, time, or work, set yourself some goals. To get you started, here is a bullet journal you might want to check out! Also, a fun goal sorting exercise!

 

Thank you so much, Michelle, for our amazing ‘Five for Friday’ tips! We pray you all have a blessed weekend!