Mark Wilkerson’s Blog

January 17, 2011

January 19, 2011

Spiritual Prep:

It is Monday and I am traveling out of town.  Have you ever asked yourself, what if you never came back?  I know it’s kind of morbid but really important to those you leave behind.  What would you have the important people know–that you know?  If we are to leave a legacy of belief, fellowship and purpose; I think we should be sure to tell and leave our families “in the know”.    Take time now!  NOW!  So there is no doubt where you stand with your beliefs.  And I know my family is reading these posts, so to them, I believe there is nothing more important than the Word of God, represented in the Bible.  Read and know the Lord.  You cannot teach what you do not know.  I believe to know, worship and serve the Lord is our real work in life.  It leads to eternal life.  

Traning Prep:

I am running at a 1o minute mile pace a couple of miles.  Then walking on an incline (10 on the  treadmill) for 1 minute as I lower to 0, then running again for another 20 minutes.  Keeps my heart rate up where it needs to be.

January 16, 2011

January 16, 2011

News from Haiti:

More than 1,600 people have died of cholera in Haiti since the disease first appeared in the central part of the country in October, with numerous cases and deaths in the Northwest Department. NWHCM staff and partner organizations continue working tirelessly to stem the epidemic, though the number of cases appears to be slowing for the moment in the Northwest.

Nearly 50,000 cholera cases have been reported across the nation, according to the World Health Organization. Health officials estimate as many as 270,000 people in Haiti may be sickened by the disease in coming years.

To date, more than 40 patients have died of cholera in NWHCM’s treatment center in Saint-Louis du Nord. As of last week, NWHCM staff were treating between 30 and 70 patients a day from towns around the region, though the number of patients has slowed somewhat.

Spiritual Prep:

It is Sunday and preparations are being made here and in Haiti to worship the Lord together.  On the first day of the week, we gather to give thanks, praise and petition the Lord as a group of belivers.  There is power in gathering as a group.  To support each other in our lives, to study/learn and to offer up one large voice, I know is a sweet sound.  If you have dropped off in your attendance of this gathering, let me encourage you to plug back in on a consistant basis.  Adding your voice and mind to an assembly will please the Lord.  Lord, we give thanks for a Savior.  Build in Haiti.  Take our efforts and multiply the effectivness of our specific work for these people.  Resting In You we ask.  Amen

Training:

Like knowing smoking is bad for us, everyone must know exercise is good for us.  Like most things, getting started is hard and keeping it up the hardest part.  But the work itself is not that hard.  Sometimes people start out to hard and quit because they get sore and it hurts.  Doesn’t have to be that way.  First, get a physical to be sure you are healthy enough for exercise.  Walking is the way to start.  Doesn’t require pain, just time.  I suggest you get a heart rate monitor.  For aerobic/heart health, your heart rate is the key.  The simple equation is 220-age=maximum heart rate.  Exercising at 60-75% of your max heart rate for 40 minutes a day, at least 6 days a week; combined with watching your food intake is a key way to lose weight.  Trust me, watching the food is much harder than the exercise.  But it is the combination that works.  Start out walking and watching the heart rate to keep it in the range above, will not hurt your body.  Warning, as you get in better shape, it will take harder work to keep it in the range.  If that happens, you are getting in shape.   Next is aerobic heart rate 75-85% for 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week will keep you heart healthy and weight in line if you control you calorie intake.  Really simple so keep it that way so you won’t lose your desire.  Do the time and good things will happen.  Get some friends you can count on or join a group.  You will like what you see in just a few weeks.

January 14, 2011

January 15, 2011

Sorry, messed it up and  didn’t get it published right yesterday.  Getting back in the groove.

January 15, 2011

Spiritual Prep:

Matthew 25: 35-40 The Lord is talking about us feeding  him when he was hungry, clothing him when he needed cloths, giving him something to drink when he was thirsty and visiting him when he was sick and in prison.  Do you remember when you did that for God himself?  He says, when you do that for the poor and the lowest–you do it to him.  Want to give to the Lord, give of yourself to his people.  Our friends went back to Haiti last week.  Hope to hear from them soon.  One will be coming back this week and I look forward to catching up.  They are still coping with cholera but the cases have declined some.  People are still dying in the gran moun homes which is the home for the eldery.  I pray it will stop and get under control.  Please pray with me. 

Training Prep:

Did an hour today.  Running and walking on a steep incline.  Half way through changed into minimalist shoes.  They are supposed to be shoes just short of running barefoot.  There is a move about how we don’t run right and cause injuries because of the way running shoes are made.  A lot to do about that in the press so I am considering the options and splitting some of the time to try it out.

January 13, 2011

January 13, 2011

 Spiritual Prep

For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (Luke 6:45 and Matt 12:34).  Did you know that in this country, what we class as the poverty level; people in that class may own a TV, microwave oven, cell phone, have air conditioning and may have more living  space than people in Japan and Europe.  There is work available in this country that will produce money to feed our families.  Just not the work some are willing to do until there is no other option and maybe not then.  That is not the case in Haiti.  There are people willing to work and do any job to earn money (just a few dollars a day) but there are few Jobs.  So, how do you feed a family when no job exists?  Who do you not care for in your family when there is not enough to go around?   Who in the family goes without food that day?  That week?  How do you care for sickness, disease, the elderly and the handicapped when there is no doctor, medicine or social services and very little to go around?  When there is no clean water and you must drink.  Do you drink what is available even though it could make you sick and maybe lead to death.  Stand up for a moment, brace yourself and answer those questions as though you are there–just like “they” will have to answer them today. 

Lord, I am grateful for my circumstances and plead for the Spirit living in me to remind me of the comfort I enjoy daily so that my heart will be full of gratitude and it will show in my speech and conduct.  Keep me from becoming complacent so I will not grumble or be dissatisfied with my circumstances.  How can I ignore others when You have been so generous to me.  It is not the wealth and richness of life I honor because they and I will soon be gone.  It is the generosity of your grace.  You desire to have a relationship with me, with everyone and you offer an eternity in your care and presence.  I ask for endurance so that we all might finish that which you have put before us each moment-of each day.   In your Name.    

Training Prep

I had a great Christmas with family and food.  Hope you did, too! Now it’s time for me to get back in the zone.   I am not talking about the “elite” zone, just a good healthy one.  A quick reminder of the main purpose for exercise and proper nutrition—Good Health.  It is amazing what a little exercise and good eating habits will do for your health, sleep and endurance.  It really takes little physical effort.  It does take time and a commitment to find the time.  If you are like me basics are always a good reminder.  Good health really starts with understanding and counting calories (or at least good ball park estimates).  I think all our foods now have to post the ingredients and calories on the box or package.  Make it a habit to be aware of the numbers.  But the real trick is the portions size.  Sometimes we read on the package 150 calories and we don’t see the serving’s size.  “Who would have thought that little package had 4 servings inside, there was so little”.  I would encourage you to chart or at least be aware of how many calories your take in a day. 

Calories should be considered fuel.  Just like gas to our cars, we truly eat for fuel to run our bodies.  I know that is a foreign concept to those of us who really like to eat.  We like the taste and the feeling we get when fully satisfied and suddenly, we are eating more for pleasure and less for fuel.  Then we don’t burn all the fuel we take in and our body stores up what we don’t use.  It is a simple equation.  If we take in more calories than we use, the extra leads to excess weight.  This leads to poor health.  Not a hard concept to understand, just hard for me to control. 

But you and I can control it by being aware of what is going on and paying attention.  Yes, I know who wants to pay attention.  There is so much to pay attention to but I promise once in the “zone” it gets easier and more natural.  Learning what food is more filling, better for you and knowing-not guessing what you are doing with food is the key.  Mindless eating is out of control behavior and leads to bad stuff someday. 

Ok, enough for today.  Tomorrow I will start on exercise.  Stick around, exercise is the easy part.  Get started on the hard part, counting the gallons of gas (calories) you are filling up with each day. 

Ms Baker’s room  5^th  grade-1962-plaque under the clock said:  A habit is like a cable, we weave a strand each day and soon it will be so strong we can’t break it.  

Let’s weave together!