Within You
July 26, 2010 by Deb · 1 Comment
Within You
by Author Unknown
A man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it.
He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns? Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom, it died.
So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The qualities planted in us at birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.
We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.
Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose within them.
When we make mistakes or feel we have failed, always remember that within you there is a rose. Learn from your mistakes and from your failures, and move forward. Mary Kay Ash once said, “Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try.” Always remember that within you there is a rose, live to your potential – dream, set goals, take action, and achieve all that is possible.
Deb:)
Best Gifts for Father’s Day
June 19, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
If you are like me and waited to the last minute to get your Father’s Day gift, don’t sweat it….. think outside the Father’s Day gift box and surprise him with a present he’ll truly enjoy. These Father’s Day gifts are more than fitting for the hip and healthy dad as well as a husband who deserves something out of the ordinary this year. The best part is that you won’t even have to leave your house to get them! Warning, however, don’t expect dad to ever be satisfied with a typical no-thought present again. Give your dad one of these gifts and he’ll know how much he really means to you!
1. Encourage Dad to Eat Healthily
Most men do tend to eat more fatty foods and fewer fruits and vegetables. Many are very partial to alcoholic beverages too. The result is unsightly beer bellies which can lead to a host of chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. So, encourage Dad to eat right to stay healthy and live longer.
Do this by planning meals that are low in saturated fats, sugar and salt for Dad. Instead, include lots of lean mean, complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables in his diet. Cut up fresh fruit for breakfast or as a dessert. Men are more likely to develop a healthy fruit habit if fruits are cut up and presented to them.
2. Get Dad to Drink more Water
More water and less alcohol will definitely improve Dad’s health. Get Dad to drink more water by keeping bottles of cold water in the fridge on hot days and making sure water is within reach wherever Dad is – on the desk at his office, in the car, on the coffee table in the living room and on the dining table at mealtimes. If he drinks a lot of alcohol, encourage him to alternate water and alcohol.
3. Sign Dad up for a Gym Membership
A good way to help Dad keep fit is to sign him up for a gym membership. If possible, get Mom or other family members involved too. Dad is more likely to make good use of his gym membership and frequent the gym regularly if he has someone to work out with.
4. Be Dad’s Exercise Buddy
Hit the gym with Dad. If a gym membership is a little too costly, just be Dad’s regular exercise buddy. Set up dates with Dad to play tennis, golf, soccer or swim at the local swimming pool. Walking or cycling around the neighborhood park with Dad is also a great way to spend time together while keeping fit together.
5. Remind Dad to Have Health Check-ups
Men also tend to ignore their health until a crisis takes place. So remind Dad to have regular health check-ups to make sure all is well. Make a doctor’s appointment for him if need be. Accompany him to see the doctor if there is time. And if Dad needs to be on medication, remind him to eat his medicines. Get him a pill organizer that comes with an alarm.
Fathers’ Day is a great time to help Dad embark on a healthy lifestyle. Give Dad the gift of health by encouraging him to eat healthily, getting him to drink more water, signing him up for a gym membership, becoming his exercise buddy or reminding him to have regular health check-ups. Over time, these gifts of health will be more precious than other material gifts for Dad.
Hope you all get to spend some quality time with your Dad’s tomorrow and the best gift you can give is your LOVE! Be sure to tell Dad that you love him, and that you are glad he’s your Dad!
Deb 
Minimize the Bleeding
May 6, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
In conversation with one of my business partners Luke Carlson I was sharing how my week had been pretty tough because of being in the hospital all week with my daughter Kali. I said that I found myself falling back into some old habits of turning to food instead of God for comfort.
His response was this:
Minimize our mistakes needs to be a tip of the day…….. We know mistakes are going to happen, but when they do we need to keep the bleeding to a minimal amount. This was one thing we always talked about in sports. When you are on top of the mountain things go well and the weight comes off or we play well, but it’s not the mountain top that keeps us on track it is how we do in the valley. This is where the adults are separated from the children physically, mentally and spiritually. The thing we need to remember is that the Holy Spirit will get us through when we turn to God instead of food for our comfort.
Then when he does help get us through or when we are on top of the mountain we must remember to praise God through our actions of being diligent and using self control.
Luke’s words reminded me that we all will have the good days and we all will have bad days….that is life. It’s how we react to those days both good and bad that truly matter! Remember to praise God today for mountains and the valleys!
Have a Blessed day,
Deb
Dealing with Stress
March 16, 2010 by Jenny Neighbour · Leave a Comment
We will experience STRESS in our lives…even good things in our lives can cause stress so we need to be able to handle STRESS when it hits!
Here are some “reminders” of how to handle STRESS:
Mental Stress:
Say NO more often – that’s right…”just say no”!
Eliminate Clutter – clean that house, clean that desk, clean that closet! Get rid of “messes” that cause you stress.
Regulate – Create some “routine” in your life…a little structure goes a long way!
Recover – REST…RESTORE…take some BREAKS in your day.
Physical Stress:
Eat Healthy – our body needs nutrition. When we are eating sugars and tons of preservatives…our body gets tired!
Exercise – regular exercise with VARIETY can help keep your body feeling good.
Sleep – our body requires approximately 7 hours of sleep a night…are you there?
Avoid self-medicating with FOOD – do you reach for sweets, coffee, pop or junk food to relieve stress?
Decrease those Toxins – maybe it is time for a cleanse???
Visit the Doctor on a regular basis – make sure you are seeing the Dr. for routine exams.
TURN TOWARD GOD to alleviate STRESS:
Believe in God – Don’t just believe that He exists; believe that He is in complete control! We want to be the center of our world and what we need to realize is that GOD is in charge and that He has a perfect plan for our lives. If we simply trust in Him…we will have a great life…after all…that is what He wants for us!
Be in God – Live in the present moment with God. Spending too much time on the past or the future can lead us in the wrong direction. God wants us NOW.
Talk to God – Pray often…there is no perfect way to pray…what is YOUR way? Is it listening to praise and worship music in the car or home? Is it writing out your prayers? Is it sitting in the quiet for a few minutes each day? Is it talking out-loud to God? Whatever way you talk to Him is OKAY WITH HIM.
Look for God – God is all around us…He is in our day to day routine and He wants you to seek Him. Look at your life for the blessings that God has given you and look around for the miracles that He is performing every day!
Act – Peace can only come when we actively seek a relationship with God. This makes us responsible for how we act in response to people and events around us. We cannot change others but we can sure control OUR actions. Seek God in those rough times when working with others is difficult.
Seek a church home – find a church if you don’t have one already. Church can offer fellowship and a bond with other Christians that can lead to a fuller life. There are many churches to choose from…visit them and soon you will find the one that God has picked out for you.
Again, stress WILL ENTER our lives so we simply need to learn and re-learn how to know when we are over-stressed and then remember how to deal with it when it occurs. Turning to GOD is always the right answer! Turning to false God’s such as food and other addictive things will never lead us to freedom. God Bless!
This information was taken directly from the CrossTrain Total Health Book. This book can be downloaded from our website for FREE if you are a CrossTrain Fitness member. If you liked the information on STRESS, I encourage you to read the entire e-book. There is a ton of great information about leading a balanced and Christ-centered life!
Don’t Conceal…REVEAL!
January 27, 2010 by Jenny Neighbour · 1 Comment
I went to the Winter Jam concert this past weekend in Des Moines, Iowa. This was a huge event that sponsored 6 Christian bands and featured some cool speakers! Not only did I find my new favorite Christian rock band… NEWSONG…but I also heard a great message by a Pastor named Tony Nolan.
Tony was cool! He was outgoing and very “on fire” for Christ. He is not your “typical” Pastor…that is for sure. He yelled…he jumped…and he even talked about his “shady” past. HOW REFRESHING…a Christian that isn’t afraid to be a little transparent and show his/her warts! I found him to be a true disciple and a man that truly wants to walk with the Lord…no matter the price.
The biggest thing that I took away from Tony’s message was the “little ditty” that he did about REVEALING to others that you are indeed a Christian. As he was jumping and yelling, he reminded me that I am called to share the love of Christ with others too. That I am called to tell people about the “good news” of Christ. That I am supposed to SHOW people that I am a believer by my ACTIONS. It was a huge reminder to me that I am called to be DIFFERENT…because I am a Christian.
“Don’t Conceal…REVEAL” was his message. Don’t walk around and keep this wonderful news to yourself. TELL others about Jesus Christ! It was that simple.
Are you keeping Jesus a secret?
Are you praying about HOW and WHEN to approach that one person in your life that needs to know God?
Do you shine the light of Jesus to the world around you…or are you “worried” about what others may think of your “beliefs”?
These are just a few of the questions that Tony put out there for his audience to ponder. I know that it really made me stop and think about my actions and how I am representing God.
So…my challenge to you is this…
Don’t CONCEAL…REVEAL! Pray about how you can be used to reach others in your life. Sure, we are not to come across too HARD or PUSHY or we may be likely to push people even further away from God but if we pray about HOW and WHEN to do it…God will show us the way and will be there every step of the way. Don’t Conceal…REVEAL!
If you have any stories to share about HOW you revealed your faith in the coming days…PLEASE write a comment so we can all learn and grow from each other.
Good luck and God bless!
Count Your Blessings!
December 23, 2009 by Deb · Leave a Comment
Not only at Christmas but throughout the year we all need to stop and count our blessings. There are challenging times in our lives, there are dark times, there may be times when you feel hopeless, and there are always happy times. During all of those times we should stop and take a moment to count our blessings. If it is a difficult time you will find by reflecting on the blessings you do have will help your attitude in dealing with the situation you are in.
Many times our own attitude will determine how we see our world. When we are in a happy time we see the world very differently than if we are in a more challenging time. The secret is to always count your blessings; it truly does make life easier.
This past year has been a challenging one for our family – we have seen challenging times, we had some very dark times and hopeless times, and of course we have had happy times. But no matter what was happening I always counted my blessings and looked for the good in the situation. And as difficult as it was in some situations there was good. I can think of a couple of occasions where it was very difficult to even think that there was any good, but it was there.
Thanks to all of you who have helped support me and my family for the past several years….Many days you all were my Blessings!
My Christmas wish to you all is –
May you see and be thankful for all the blessings you have and may many more come your way. And may you experience the blessing that life has to offer when you find the good in every situation.
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.
Elizabeth Bibesco
Deb
Baby steps vs. Climbing Mt. Everest!
December 3, 2009 by Deb · Leave a Comment
We live in an instant-gratification society – we want to lose 5 or 10 pounds per week. Losing .5 or 2 pounds per week (which is safe and AMAZING) seems like it will take forever to lose the 25, 50, 100 or 150 pounds that you want to lose.
But remember, you did not put on 5 or 10 pounds per week. More than likely you have been gaining weight gradually over a long period of time. OK, enough looking in the rear-view mirror.
Let’s focus on today and tomorrow and the tremendous opportunity you have to increase your energy, lose weight and improve your health!
If you have not been exercising at all, then I want you to Make Today your January 1st! At any given time, you are only one decision away from starting to improve your health! So take your first step today by committing to moving and improving your health – one Baby Step at a time.
By taking Baby Steps, you will not hurt yourself or get discouraged because you feel beat up. Your wellness journey needs to involve some sweat, but it should not involve you beating up on your precious body! Yes, your body is precious and is a gift! Even if you think negatively about your body because you are 150 pounds overweight, you should think of your body as a gift (it is) and start treating it with delicate gloves starting today.
Baby steps like drinking enough water, not skipping meals, staying positive, etc. will start adding up to positively affect your health.
I want you to concentrate on taking positive Baby Steps each day versus concentrating on having to lose X amount of weight. If you concentrate on having to lose 100 pounds (or whatever you want to lose), it is like standing at the bottom of Mt. Everest and psyching yourself out by the magnitude of having to climb to the top.
The truth is, taking Baby Steps and taking one day at a time will get you to the top of any mountain. But the key is to not get overwhelmed and to Concentrate on Today!
You deserve to feel great, have tons of energy and to be healthy. So concentrate on baby steps and taking it one day at a time!
Deb
Thanksgiving or Thanksliving
November 26, 2009 by Deb · Leave a Comment
Thanksgiving has always been for me a time to be thankful for all the blessings in my life. But how do we live thanksgiving? I found the answer to that question in an article written by Wilfred A. Peterson called, The Art of Thanksgiving. In this article he talks about acts of thanksliving. To quote from this piece, Mr Peterson writes:
“The art of thanksgiving is thanksliving.” It is gratitude in action. It is applying Albert Schweitzer’s philosophy: ‘In gratitude for your own good fortune you must render in return some sacrifice of your life for the other life.’
The article goes on to give examples of what how we could live in a thanksliving way:
- By living your life triumphantly
- By being grateful for all who have helped you by you doing things for others
- By striving to make others happy
- By helping to be an inspiration to others
- By living each day to the fullest
- By using your talents and obligations to be invested for the common good
- By facing the challenges of life as a challenge for achievement
- By enjoying what you have and sharing it with others
Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for all we have, but thanksliving is a way of life that if implemented could improve the quality of life not only for you and me, but for others. Do you live in a thanks giving way?
“Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.”
Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!
Deb
Today is a New Day and a Beautiful Day!
October 31, 2009 by Deb · 4 Comments
Hello gang,
I’m finally finished with my packing and sense it is technically already Saturday I thought I’d say my final farewells. I hope that several of you will be participating in our 1st BYOP (Bring Your Own Pumpkin) High Intensity Interval workout today! I’m praying that there will be no rain and that it’s not too cold.
Tomorrow by this time I will be getting ready to set sail. I’m looking forward to going to classes as a participant and hope to return with some new fresh ideas!
Thanks to all my wonderful CT family for helping me get ready this week and for stepping it up and filling in for me when I’m gone….I am so greatful and feel so Blessed to work with each and every one of you and that includes all you members too!
I hope you all have a great week and continue to HIIT those workouts hard….even when the bootcamp inteval queen isn’t around to blow her whistle or scream just 10 more!
Keep this in mind as you start this new day…..
Regardless of what happened yesterday, last week or last year, today is a new day. Head into today staying positive and looking at the day as an opportunity to do great things for your health.
Once today is over it is gone and you can’t get it back. So treat today as a gift – do something fun, bless your body and your head by moving, SMILE AND BE THANKFUL YOU ARE HEALTHY ENOUGH TO WALK!
Remember, you don’t need to be a Rock Star within 1 or 2 weeks of starting your exercise habit, you just need to take baby steps, make healthy choices and take it one day at a time.
See you all in a week…..Bon Voyage!
Deb
Don’t let yesterday’s missteps rob you of today and tomorrow’s victories. Today is a new and beautiful day so use it as the gift it is and drink your water, eat every 2 to 3 hours, nail your Workout and be proud!
