Progress is defined as a "forward or onward movement toward a goal." It doesn't matter how slow you move or how much you stumble along the way - as long as you are still pressing onward toward your goal, that is progress.
Progress Report part II: After one month, how am I doing in the areas of Leisure Time, God Time, and Food? These are definitely the more difficult areas for me, but I am still pressing onward.
I work 9-5 every day, so Leisure Time to me are the hours before 8:30 am and after 5:30 pm. and the weekends. Some of that time is obligated: I spend about 30 min. a morning blogging The Experiment, I teach on Wednesday nights, and spend most of Sunday at Church. It's the rest of the time that I need to spend more wisely. The Lord wanted me to watch TV and play on the computer less and spend more time exercising, and spending quality time with friends and family. Honestly, the exercising is hit and miss. I'm probably walking the mall 2-3 days a week and I read an article in a health journal that says crunches and sit ups are bad for you so my flesh latched right on to that. I do a lot of walking in a normal day, take stairs when I can. I know I need to be more diligent in this area. Die, flesh die! Thanksgiving and Christmas are helping a lot in the area of quality time spent with family and friends. I have every weekend in December booked on my calendar for some event I will be spending with friends or family. I just need to make sure there is some meaningful interaction during those times - I need to show them Jesus.
By God Time, I mean time spent in worship, prayer and in the Word. Church doesn't count. I've got worship covered. I'm constantly praising and thanking my God, singing songs of worship to Him. I'm in love with Him and showing it is just part of who I am, not something I need to concentrate on doing. However, I do need to be reading the Bible every day and spending some meaningful time in intercessory prayer. I might read the Word (not as part of preparation for teaching a class) 2-3 times a week, and so far I've only made time for intercessory prayer on Sundays and I'd like to do it daily. I have, however, adopted the Lord's Day. I am dedicating every Sunday to only those activities that minister to God or further His kingdom. Sunday is no longer my only day to (fill in the blank). It's His. So that's progress.
Yes, there is progress in the area of Food... I just tend to focus on what I'm not doing as opposed to what I am... how far I need to go instead of how far I've come. So the goal is 3 healthy meals a day, no snacks, milk and water to drink. Before I started The Experiment, I was consuming anything and everything whenever I wanted it. I'm no longer doing that, so that is progress. I've quit buying a soda every morning before work and only drink water throughout the day. I do have one cup of coffee every morning at work. So far, I can't bring myself to drink milk, but I do have it on cereal in the morning. I've been making breakfast each day and take a salad or Lean Cuisine to work for lunch - I only eat fast food on payday when I'm out at lunch to cash my check. I've been making chicken or fish most nights for dinner. I do pretty good during the week. It's on Saturday that I have to fight picking up a pizza, buying a bottle of soda and running across the street to the Dollar store for candy or chips. Sometimes I win the fight, sometimes I don't. When I don't, I justify that it's just one day and I've been so good all week. The Lord gave me a dream the other night that I think will help me in this area. In the dream I was being fondled by a man I didn't recognize. I felt disgusted by this because I recognized that the man had no concern for my pleasure but was doing what he was doing for his own gratification only. The Lord spoke to my spirit and said, When you indulge your flesh, this is how I feel. It was a real eye opener for me. I'll try to remember the dream whenever Dollar General starts calling me to cross the street for goodies.
So that's where I am after 30 days of The Experiment: not where I was, not where I want to be, but somewhere in the middle. I will keep pressing onward and with God's help I know I will reach my goals in each area.
Progress Report part II: After one month, how am I doing in the areas of Leisure Time, God Time, and Food? These are definitely the more difficult areas for me, but I am still pressing onward.
I work 9-5 every day, so Leisure Time to me are the hours before 8:30 am and after 5:30 pm. and the weekends. Some of that time is obligated: I spend about 30 min. a morning blogging The Experiment, I teach on Wednesday nights, and spend most of Sunday at Church. It's the rest of the time that I need to spend more wisely. The Lord wanted me to watch TV and play on the computer less and spend more time exercising, and spending quality time with friends and family. Honestly, the exercising is hit and miss. I'm probably walking the mall 2-3 days a week and I read an article in a health journal that says crunches and sit ups are bad for you so my flesh latched right on to that. I do a lot of walking in a normal day, take stairs when I can. I know I need to be more diligent in this area. Die, flesh die! Thanksgiving and Christmas are helping a lot in the area of quality time spent with family and friends. I have every weekend in December booked on my calendar for some event I will be spending with friends or family. I just need to make sure there is some meaningful interaction during those times - I need to show them Jesus.
By God Time, I mean time spent in worship, prayer and in the Word. Church doesn't count. I've got worship covered. I'm constantly praising and thanking my God, singing songs of worship to Him. I'm in love with Him and showing it is just part of who I am, not something I need to concentrate on doing. However, I do need to be reading the Bible every day and spending some meaningful time in intercessory prayer. I might read the Word (not as part of preparation for teaching a class) 2-3 times a week, and so far I've only made time for intercessory prayer on Sundays and I'd like to do it daily. I have, however, adopted the Lord's Day. I am dedicating every Sunday to only those activities that minister to God or further His kingdom. Sunday is no longer my only day to (fill in the blank). It's His. So that's progress.
Yes, there is progress in the area of Food... I just tend to focus on what I'm not doing as opposed to what I am... how far I need to go instead of how far I've come. So the goal is 3 healthy meals a day, no snacks, milk and water to drink. Before I started The Experiment, I was consuming anything and everything whenever I wanted it. I'm no longer doing that, so that is progress. I've quit buying a soda every morning before work and only drink water throughout the day. I do have one cup of coffee every morning at work. So far, I can't bring myself to drink milk, but I do have it on cereal in the morning. I've been making breakfast each day and take a salad or Lean Cuisine to work for lunch - I only eat fast food on payday when I'm out at lunch to cash my check. I've been making chicken or fish most nights for dinner. I do pretty good during the week. It's on Saturday that I have to fight picking up a pizza, buying a bottle of soda and running across the street to the Dollar store for candy or chips. Sometimes I win the fight, sometimes I don't. When I don't, I justify that it's just one day and I've been so good all week. The Lord gave me a dream the other night that I think will help me in this area. In the dream I was being fondled by a man I didn't recognize. I felt disgusted by this because I recognized that the man had no concern for my pleasure but was doing what he was doing for his own gratification only. The Lord spoke to my spirit and said, When you indulge your flesh, this is how I feel. It was a real eye opener for me. I'll try to remember the dream whenever Dollar General starts calling me to cross the street for goodies.
So that's where I am after 30 days of The Experiment: not where I was, not where I want to be, but somewhere in the middle. I will keep pressing onward and with God's help I know I will reach my goals in each area.
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