I take a "spin" class twice a week these days. At 5:30 on Monday and Wednesday mornings, approximately 25 sleep-deprived gym rats sweat to dance music on stationary bikes. It is actually fun. I enjoy most of the music and the instructor provides encouragement and various challenges to maximize the workout.
This morning, she said something that she has said a million times before, but this time, it transcended "bike wisdom" and became fodder for thought for me.
"Resistance creates stability", she chirped. The bikes have small knobs or cranks which when turned to the right, creates more resistance, and therefore a more difficult bike ride. She often has us simulate climbing hills through the use of the crank.
She always reminds us that this same crank, when used correctly, can disallow riders to sway or bounce due to the added resistance. I have always thought the cheerful "bounce" I employ to go through life added to my charm, but clearly, this instructor is not impressed.
Resistance DOES add stability. James 1 tells us that we should "rejoice...whenever we face trials (resistance) of many kinds for the testing of our faith develops perseverance (stability)."
Crank it up, my friends, or at least rejoice when God allows life to add resistance to your journey. Eventually, when we embrace (or rejoice in) it, it will make us more stable.
Enjoy the ride!
:) Amberly
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Oh, Oh, Oh It's Magic
My husband and I joined some friends at Hollywood's Magic Castle this weekend.
The Magic Castle is a nightclub/ entertainment venue based on magic. We saw a close-up magician, an illusionist, and a mentalist. The shows were amazing.
The mentalist blew my mind. It was creepy/ amazing/ cool to see him at work and I was honored when I got to be part of the show. He asked for volunteers in the audience who had big purses. I have always had the spiritual gift of giant purse, so I was an easy choice.
He placed an unbent spoon in the purse of various audience members. After a stage show, he asked all of us to remove the spoon from our purses. It was a dramatic and powerful moment...and I blew it.
I lost the spoon at the bottom of my purse. Lost it, as in "cannot find it despite the fact that I used a flashlight to find it" lost it. Ugh.
After the moment came and went, I eventually located said spoon.
My overabundance of "stuff" clouded the experience.
It is not just my purse that struggles. Sometimes, the abundance of material possessions in our house, car, yard, and places of employment can overwhelm. Sometimes, despite ALL of my trips to donate to Goodwill, I miss "life" trying to organize, dust, pick up, recycle, and find room for "stuff".
I also struggle when I overfill my calendar. My spiritual and personal life suffers when I try to do too much. My kids and husband get lost in translation when I attempt to maximize the amount of "stuff" we do.
I want to reduce my stress and stuff. I am ready...wanna join me? Let's do some magic...and make our surplus disappear.
Amberly
The Magic Castle is a nightclub/ entertainment venue based on magic. We saw a close-up magician, an illusionist, and a mentalist. The shows were amazing.
The mentalist blew my mind. It was creepy/ amazing/ cool to see him at work and I was honored when I got to be part of the show. He asked for volunteers in the audience who had big purses. I have always had the spiritual gift of giant purse, so I was an easy choice.
He placed an unbent spoon in the purse of various audience members. After a stage show, he asked all of us to remove the spoon from our purses. It was a dramatic and powerful moment...and I blew it.
I lost the spoon at the bottom of my purse. Lost it, as in "cannot find it despite the fact that I used a flashlight to find it" lost it. Ugh.
After the moment came and went, I eventually located said spoon.
My overabundance of "stuff" clouded the experience.
It is not just my purse that struggles. Sometimes, the abundance of material possessions in our house, car, yard, and places of employment can overwhelm. Sometimes, despite ALL of my trips to donate to Goodwill, I miss "life" trying to organize, dust, pick up, recycle, and find room for "stuff".
I also struggle when I overfill my calendar. My spiritual and personal life suffers when I try to do too much. My kids and husband get lost in translation when I attempt to maximize the amount of "stuff" we do.
I want to reduce my stress and stuff. I am ready...wanna join me? Let's do some magic...and make our surplus disappear.
Amberly
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