The Life of a Samurai Is Not Easy

Saturday night my husband and I had a date night. We went to watch a UFC fight (this is full contact cage fighting for the uninformed). I know you might be thinking that is a unique and unusual date night. Ever since my husband has started karate he has gotten into mixed martial arts (watching, but not competing). So being the wonderful wife that I am I have watched a few things with him. And the way I become a fan of anyone who participates in professional sports is to become personally invested - not a team - but an individual. For example, I was a huge Joe Montana fan because he played at Notre Dame my favorite college when I was growing up. So there are a few fighters who I have become personally invested in. One of them is deaf and another one has the greatest nickname ever, "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine. So now let me get to the point. My husband's favorite fighter also has a cool nickname Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida. He is a karate black belt and since all my family are on a path to earn their black belts, it makes sense that he is my husband's favorite. Before we went out to watch the fight, my husband was watching a show where they were interviewing the Dragon. He said something that I found fascinating. He said that he had been training for 15 years (he is now 30) for a chance to win the world championship belt. Every morning he had to make the decision to get up out of bed and train or not, and he ended his interview with saying, "the life of a samurai was not easy".

Being a person who never really had any goals or ever dreamt of accomplishing anything great in her life before the last year, I found much encouragement realizing that the Dragon had the same decision that I make every morning - to get up and work out or not. A more important and eternal decision that I must make daily, however, is to walk the path that God has set before me each and every day. I have learned you don't just set out to accomplish great things unless you daily make that decision to get up and move forward towards accomplishing your greater goal, one tiny step at a time. And remember the life of the samurai is not easy or everyone would be one.

Stay on the path another day.

Perfect People

Well, this is my first official post. I got up and worked out this morning, walking on the treadmill and pushing myself past limits I never thought I would accomplish. A few months back I was totally blocked at the speed of 2.0 on the treadmill and there was no way I could ever go faster than 2.0. After all, I started out a 1.2 and was winded and quite miserable, so there was no way I would ever surpass the dreaded 2.0 milestone. And here I am just weeks later walking at 2.9 which is really fast for me. I also started walking with the elevation of a 2.0 which is also really hard for me but I realize that I must keep moving forward and keep increasing speed and elevation. I don't really like to push myself which is partly the reason I am in the condition which I am in. But as in my new life as a warrior I have learned to push myself past what I feel I could ever accomplish on my own, knowing that God is always there to help me accomplish the path which He has set me on. I just thank God every day for the invention of the iPod. I don't know how I could ever exercise without music playing in my ears. God has used so many songs to inspire me and spur me on and convict me and just make me break down and cry.

Today was no different. There is a song by Natalie Grant called perfect people. I must admit I spend a great deal of my time in my wonderful new life worrying about going backwards. What if I quit exercising? What if I gain all my weight back? What if, what if, what if? It can really choke out my joy. In this song God really spoke to me today so I thought I would share it with you (I hope Natalie Grant doesn't mind):

There's no such thing as perfect people.

There no such thing as a perfect life,
So come as you are, broken and scarred
Lift up your heart and be amazed, and be changed
By a perfect God

Suddenly it's like a weight is lifted
When you hear the words that you are loved
He knows where you are and were you've been
And you never have to go there again

That pretty much sums it up. I know I am broken and scarred but I have been changed by a perfect God and he knows where I've been and I don't ever have to go there again. So I will hold onto this promise today as I stay on the path.

I've told many people I feel like I'm in the middle of the ocean. I can't go sideways or backwards I must keep moving forward like a shark. If I don't keep my forward motion I will stop functioning altogether. But I know God is always there leading me forward. So stay on the path another day.