Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Living Green/Walking


Walking has always been a great way for me to manage stress. It's also a great way to Live Green. I know you've all heard and seen about all the weight Americans are gaining. I'm guilty of carrying around too many extra pounds too. Walking does help me physically. But there can be so much more to walking God's green earth.


The sum of the whole is this: walk and be happy; walk and be healthy. The best way to lengthen
out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose.
~Charles Dickens

I like to pray while I walk. If I'm walking in my neighborhood I'll pray for those in the houses I pass for peace and blessings, for health and wellness, for individual's hopes and dreams.

walking trails Pictures, Images and Photos

An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.~Henry David Thoreau

One of my friends (Mae Nunn) was ministering to me by reminding me that God sees every sparrow that falls. My oldest daughter struggles with mental health issues and it's been very hard for her and our family for ten years now. Sometimes it's difficult not to get discouraged.

Riverview Park Trail Pictures, Images and Photos


Mae told me she'd also been praying for another friend. This is what she shared with me: "While I was walking and praying I asked God to make that statement(God sees every sparrow that falls)REAL to me and not just something we say to others in times of need.

Photobucket

A couple of hours later I went into my (open) garage to load a half dozen bags full of aluminum

cans into my Jeep to take them to the collection site. I heard frantic fluttering and there in the corner of my garage with its feet firmly stuck to a rodent tray was a little brown sparrow. I put on gloves, held it carefully and gently pried its feet free. As soon as I let it go the precious little thing took off like a bottle rocket. And the Holy Spirit spoke down into my heart reminding me He really does see every sparrow that falls. How awesome is that for God revealing Himself!?"

Passage Matthew 10:29:
Are not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's leave (consent) and notice.

W-orship Worship God in nature.
A-sk Ask God to help you.
L-augh Laugh with God. He does have a sense of humor.
K-indle Kindle your faith. Get excited. It will quicken your step.

So remember that the next time you go for a walk you could:

1) Relax and enjoy your surroundings.
2) Pray for your friends.
3) Pick up a piece of garbage and put it in the trash.
4) Pray for the path God would want you to choose.
5) Remember the littlest sparrows.

“Every place on which the sole of your foot treads,
I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.”
~Joshua 1:3 NASB

Question: What interesting walking experiences have occured in your life?







28 comments:

  1. I love to walk, but walking for transportation doesn't work in our suburban area. In fact, we live in a subdivision surrounded by country.

    Since we live near the beach, though, I often go for a long walk on the beach, especially if I need to sort out my thoughts.

    I also love walking in the woods.

    I recently heard that walking is good for writers block. Usually, I bike, which works the same way. It helps you reset and also sends a lot of oxygen to your brain.

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  2. Hi Jill,
    Your Katie has been on my heart this week. You've had a bumpy walk these past years, and we prefer smooth ones, don't we?
    I absolutely feel so much better walking because I can talk to God in my 'outdoor voice'... just like He was walking with me.
    I love the story of finding the sparrow in the garage. God is so cool like that. He loves to find the little ways to tell us we are not alone.

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  3. I liked the sparrow part. Awesome. I love to walk too, but sometimes even while we walk it's good to remember how fortunate it is that we have the health to walk. At least I do. I guess that's my walking experience, being thankful I can walk.

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  4. I love walking too! But, wow, I don't have pretty scenery to walk though like your pictures. Beautiful.

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  5. Walking has always been a way for me to relax and pray and even sing hymns sometimes. I really loved your post; it made me tear up a bit.

    My walking lately has consisted of "No, Romulus, heel. Romulus, heel. Good boy, no, heel!" We have a new puppy who enjoys walking, but he needs to learn how. I guess maybe that's a little bit how God feels with us. He invites us to walk along with Him, but we keep veering off the path. He calls out to us through His Word and through people He sends to us, as a means of keeping us next to Him. Like a two-month-old puppy is distracted by every leaf that blows across his path, every scent of an animal on the ground, every dog that barks, so we are easily distracted. Thankfully, our God is patient and continually calls us back to Him!

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  6. Ah, I was just reading about Enoch this morning, who "walked with God..." And God walked with Adam in the cool of the day in the garden, before the fall. Apparently, God likes to walk, too!
    Thanks for the reminder, Jill. Such a simple thing we can do for our well-being!

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  7. Hi Dina,
    I love walking on the beach. Of course in Ohio that's a little hard to do. Count your blessings, woman. :) And walking, riding bikes, etc. are all good for writers block, so I better put foot to sidewalk today.

    Hey Deb,
    Thanks for praying for our Katie. I definetly prefer a smooth road to travel. Alas, tis not our path. But God is good even though I don't understand what he's got in mind most of the time. I'm one of His very difficult children. :) Kind of like the woman who went before the judge in the Bible and kept bothering him until she got what she wanted. Where is that anyway? Anyone remember?

    I just love that sparrow story too.

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  8. Jill, I love your post about walking. Only recently have I been able to return to that simple pleasure that was such a huge part of my youth. After nearly 30 years of not being able to take walks, I had knee-replacement surgery. Now, once again, I can walk in the park, through surrounding neighborhoods, down the trails of a nearby wildlife refuge, and, yes, in Walmart.

    The first time after surgery that I ventured out, it was gently raining. I didn't let that deter me. I just raised my vintage ten-spoked black umbrella and took off. (The umbrella is another story for another day.)

    Thanks for your lovely post and the quotations.

    Because of Christ,
    Sharon

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  9. HI Jill,

    I loved your posting this morning. I, too, am a believer in walking...not only for exercise, but also for thinking, praying, and enjoying the outdoors. A few years back, I walked w/ my mom and her lady friends every evening in our neighborhood cemetery. My mom has since gone to be be our Lord, and the ladies don't walk anymore, but those were beautiful memories. When I pass the cemetery these days, I often think of our time together and smile.

    karenk
    kmkuka(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  10. Great post!
    I love to pray as I walk, too. There is something about GOD's creation that touches me deeply. I love the great outdoors.
    Blessings, andrea

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  11. Hi Jill,

    Thanks for the reminder to build time into our lives for simple things, like walking. When we are in our car, we don't see sparrows. Everything flies by too fast. But when we are walking we have time to think, pray, reflect, and simply be.

    Wenda

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  12. So far this morning I've walked up and down the stairs in our house five times. Sadly, I didn't do much spiritual pondering. Mostly just things like "must wake up Jerah for school, must take mid-morning nap, must do laundry, must clean kitchen."

    As I tossed teh dirty laundry over the upstairs landing bannister to the family room below, my 2-yr-old said to me, "Don't throw me down there. It would hurt."

    So true, Niley, so true.

    Anyhoo, thanks, Jill, for the lovely post. One of my New Year's resolutions is to regularly walk each morning with the Lord.

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  13. Hi adge,
    We are blessed who can walk. I was recently sick with pneumonia and able to get to work and back home after missing almost 2 weeks of work. It's so nice to be able to enjoy a walk again. And those who are disabled and can't walk at all I pray that God helps them find alternate ways of enjoying His world.

    Hi Linda,
    I like to use beautiful pictures that are serene because I have busy street outside my house. So this is one way to enjoy the scenery. :) I also love going to a nearby park which looks like the English country side. So peaceful.

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  14. Hi Jill, what a lovely post this morning. It really ministered to me. I've been feeling out of balance spiritually, emotionally and physically. I truly need to take the time to settle things in those areas, and I used to be able to pray more when I walked. Lately I've been frustrated and focused on that rather than what's going on around me or in my heart. Thanks for the important reminder. You and Katie are in my prayers today!

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  15. Oh WOW, Sarah,
    What great words about veering off the path! "Like a two-month-old puppy is distracted by every leaf that blows across his path, every scent of an animal on the ground, every dog that barks, so we are easily distracted."

    "No, Romulus, heel." I love it! Thank you for your kind words, Sarah. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. And pat Romulus on the head for me and give him a treat. He's great inspiration.:)

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  16. FABULOUS post!
    Add anxiety and high energy to walking and you get what I do: jogging!!!

    Book ideas have come as I jog. My dog and I bond as we jog. I've seen fire in the skies and tasted rain on my skin.

    It's the only time I've felt like I'm flying. It's one of the few things that makes me feel twenty again...

    Great post!
    Patti

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  17. What lovely scenery. How relaxing it must be to walk in that beauty.

    Thanks for your sweet comments. I have seen your new blog and it's really great too.

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  18. Hi Niki,
    I just love the idea of walking with God. It's so awesome to think that HE would want to walk with ME! And that reminds me of the footprints in the sand. It's awe-inspiring to think that God carries us when we can't walk.

    I think you're right, Niki. God does like to walk. :)

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  19. Thank you for visiting arise 2 write. I love your blog. I also have another blog where I speak in the voice of one of my therapy dogs (mostly about therapy visits).

    http://andrealuvsallgodscreatures.blogspot.com

    Blessings and hugs,
    andrea

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  20. Dear Parsley,
    my dog Molly believes in "pull on leash till choking" is the rule in walking. She wears a halter for that reason. The choking sounds are so distracting for me!

    Eventually after a mile or so she gets tired and enjoys herself. You might be a good influence on her.
    I thought I was pack leader but all bets are off when the leash comes out.

    I think if I lived in a warmer climate I'd do a lot more walking, that and the fact I prefer to walk in daylight (moonlight is good too)

    Nice to see our visitors today. Ya'll have such good things to share.

    Patti. jogging makes me feel really old not young. God bless your knee joints, my dear!

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  21. Hi Sharon,
    How wonderful that you can enjoy your walks again. Ouch. Knee surgery sounds painful but that's a wonderful result if you can get out and about.
    Oh, I'm going to have to hear about that umbrella story sometime. My imagination has taken flight and I can't help wondering if your umbrella did too. :)
    WALK ON!

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  22. Hi Karen,
    That's a great memory you made with your mom and her lady friends. Some of the cemeteries are so beautiful to walk in. I love to look at the headstones and the names, etc.

    Hi Andrea,
    Glad you liked the post. And I love therapy dogs. I'm trying to get one for my daughter.

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  23. Thanks for the wonderful reminder and the encouragement Jill! Beautiful post!

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  24. Jill, what a lovely post. As Riley and I walk each day, I do say my prayers - often a rosary as we do our rounds. But I love the thought of praying for those whose houses we pass, for their health and happiness, but also for their dreams. Walking is my stress reliever, also. God did good, even out here in the desert.

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  25. Hey Wenda, Gina, Susanne, and Connie

    I had to run out for awhile and go to my daughter Meghan's Cheerleading Awards. What fun! But guess what? It's raining cats and dogs here in Cincy. :) That's for all you animal lovers. Not the best walking weather.

    But speaking of weather, think how different each of our walking times are? Connie, you made me think of that when you said desert and I did think of it earlier when Dina was talking about the beach.

    One of us will be awake in one part of the country or world when the rest of us are sleeping, etc. I'm stuck here in the rain tonight and the rest of you probably have totally different walking opportunities at the moment. :) God is creative.

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  26. Patti,
    Just thinking of jogging makes my knees hurt, but i used to do that. :) I'll walk fast for now. :)

    Parsley,
    Thanks for stopping by both the blogs. Just think pretty pictures in your head when there isn't any outside your door.:) Come back often.

    Deb,
    You sound just like me, or I sound like you.:) My old dog Boo almost strangles himself outside. In 17 of his years did I ever think of a halter? I need that warmer climate too.

    Hey Ellie,
    So glad you liked the post. I guess I'll have to move my walking to indoors at the gym till the weather improves here. When I'm at the gym I like to listen to inspy music on cd or conference cd's.

    Hey Gang,
    It's been a really fun day for me to be able to spend this special time with you. May all your dreams come true this Christmas and may you share special moments with family, friends and critters. :) May you walk often with the Lord this coming year. Blessings, Jill

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  27. Jill, I love to walk. Before I got sick in July with a breathing issue that prevents me (still!) from walking, I walked every single day. I used to walk on this beautiful trail on a bluff that goes along a beach and into the woods. I prayed and listened to praise and worship songs on my mp3 player. It was so refreshing and I always found the tension magically leave my shoudlers. The interesting thing about this, and I've told many people...every single time I walked, I'd see something new. Something different that I hadn't seen before. Something that was always part of nature. One time I saw a gray whale. I can't even begin to tell you what it did to my soul. One time I looked up, and not even four feet above my head, there was an eagle. I couldn't get my camera out of my bag in time to take a picture before he soard off, but it was amazing. And one time, I was dive bomed by a falcon! That was interesting. Anyway, thanks Jilly for this post. I loved it. I can't wait until my lungs are well enough for me to go walking again. I miss it so much.

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  28. I love to walk. I used to dream of walking along country roads if I every got my house in the country.

    Well, I got my house in the country but most days the wind is so bad out here on the Praries that as soon as I get past the shelterbelt, the wind takes my breath away followed by a sore throat. Kinda takes the joy out of walking. *sigh

    Loved the post, Jill.

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