Physical Goal : Focus on Fitness - Get Moving ~ Running

Physical Goal Purpose : Focus on Fitness

Your body is a gift from God, and it’s up to you to keep it strong and healthy. Regular exercise can strengthen your heart and other muscles, increase your stamina and confidence, and lower your stress.

Goal Idea #1 : Get Moving - Running

If exercise is not already a regular part of your day, set a goal to get moving for at least 20 minutes 3 times a week. You could walk, jog, bike, hike or anything else that gets your heart rate up and moves your body.

Surprisingly for me, physical goal is the first goal that I had set for myself when I gave a serious thought when I scrolled through the Gospel Living App on my phone last month.

It was also due to an article that I read on Facebook regards to exercise woman and lazy woman. It indeed motivated me to seriously to put this into action.

I make a plan because I have to start where I am, because I know if I go further or faster than I am ready for, my body cannot adapt quickly enough and I will get injured. Moreover I am over 40s, have a BMI of overweight, together with the family history of heart disease, thus I need to be extra careful on my workout plan.

In order to make it a habit, I planned to do it every morning at 5.30am, run around within our apartment compounds, may be listening to some workout music and it would be later. After which I was seriously looking for a proper sports bra, as I still have a pair of workout tights and my running sports shoes.

It had been almost come to 3 weeks since the first day I get to ‘walk’. Yes, I start to walk. I need to get regular exercise habit by walking, because the best exercise is the one I will do consistently.

I am not yet come to really running, but I really into this and my love for walking or running constantly grows every day, since day one.

I have started to receive my blessing the day I started walking.

I am more self-discipline now, as I sleep early latest 10.30pm and wake up around 5.00am to 5.15am. I will say a morning prayer and drink a cup of water, before I change into my sports outfit and start my walking now.

I am better planner now, as I need to cook the lunch earlier for the children because both are at home now after my exercise. I will plan ahead and look through of what to cook at the limited time given before go to work.

I have a clearer mind now to read the General Conference talks in the morning and appreciate scripture more. I have a clearer mind to ponder the message behind and how it relates to me.

Getting to move or exercise just like how I apply the gospel principles I learned in the book into my daily life and put into actions. This is indeed like Alma said in Alma 37:6, “… by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise”

It is the same like walking or running. I keep on walking or running everyday, and increase my workout time by 2-3 minutes and eventually 5-10 minutes every time. It does not seems extra hard or extra difficult. By doing this I know that I am getting better and grow personally and, today I am better than who I was yesterday.

These are all the blessings I received since the day I started running. I know that, there are more to come. I am grateful to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for all I learned through – this small step of just want to Get Moving.

Running

Today when I browsing through the Facebook, so happened that I saw Sister Beam shared a post on her page. It was a post written by her brother about his journey on running.

It was so co-incident and at the right time, in the midst of what I am doing now for this week! It indeed motivate me! Thus, there were some thoughts in my mind that I would like to share and thanks Sister Beam:

Dear Beam, I am glad that you have shared your brother's thoughts about running. It is just like, "Hey, it is exactly how I felt for this week, and Bingo! I am doing the right thing!"

For the past 25 over years, to get moving for exercise is a no, no, no for me!

Last week I had read somewhere at the Facebook about how to become a happier woman?

"First of all, be happy. How to do it ? As long as your husband’s matter is not excessive and doesn’t step on your bottom line, just open one eye and close one eye, and ignore him.

Care about him too much, put the spotlight on him, he will suffocate to death, you will have hormonal imbalance, why bother?

Love yourself more, focus on yourself, find the things and people you like to fill the blank spaces in your life, and make yourself happy.

Occasionally, have some parent-child activities with your husband and children, talk about some common topics, and have a common happiness goal.

In this way, you will be a lot happier, and he will love you more and more, because you are improving and becoming more charming.

If you are happy, the people around you will be happy too.

Next, in addition to eating healthy, getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water is exercise.

Yes, exercise is the key!

To be honest, I have not seen an "ugly woman" who exercises regularly and is happy both physically and mentally.

Women who love sports will exude a unique charm, not only appearance, but also temperament. Exercise is the cheapest and most effective skin care product."

And because of this sharing on the Facebook, I had determined to set a goal to run just to kick off this new goal of mine, considering my age and my ‘shape’ and it is critical to start immediately.

So I goggle on the internet and make a plan how to start running even if I never exercise before.

So here come my 1st week is to just get moving by walking first. Every morning this week onward, I will - from my first walkout 15 mins to goal walkout 60 mins till end of this year.

I was pretty excited, as I started this last Monday. I hope and want to keep on doing this walking - running that I had planned for.

During my every morning walk, there are thoughts that come into my minds: Hey, this is not difficult to achieve, bit by bit and do it everyday, and slightly increase the walkout time by 2-3 mins and eventually 5-10mins. And, I can do it!

This little goal of mine had make me think of living in the gospel.

It is exactly the same thing to do: improve ourselves little by little to become more like Jesus Christ, through His commandments and our covenants – pray daily, reading the scriptures, attend the Church weekly and renew our covenants with Him, how we keep our covenants by doing it little by little, He will reveal to us line upon line, precept upon precept if we keep on trying to become a better person.

Faith too, is the same. Faith is present continuous tense. Faith is the action taken doing it after what I believe.

Faith is … searching the scriptures; helping a needy cross the busy road; feeding the hungry.. it is series of an action to achieve a higher level of Faith of what we believe in.

Testimony too, is the same. It is gained after we are gaining experience, we were gaining experience after we are doing it or we were doing it.

I like what your brother said about,

“learning by action is better, more effective.
.
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Running for me is learning by taking action.”

And I think I feel the same after I start to ‘walk’ this week, and I know I will start to run next January.

How grateful I am that I can still walk and run every morning.

I know that this little Running goal of mine will help me to explore more possibilities and potentials that I myself not yet even discover even though I am at my age of 45 this year and going to be 46 next year.

I feel thankful for your sharing that remind of me as it is the messages that the Lord would wants me to know and do.

Thank you so much! And love you and your family too!

Mecaje 2019 Year End Concert

This year the theme of the Mecaje Year End Concert is Everyone is Gifted. And that is how the musical, drama and dancing came on stage.

This year Issac does not have much roles in the drama, a very small role only. Instead he has joined in the band and played with the keyboard. He has been practiced all the while in the school for this show.

It is quite different for us as parents see him play other musical other than the church hymns song. We are very proud of him too.

Issac joined the rest of the Mecaje students in group singing as well.

Whereby this year Annabelle have a portion of the solo singing as well within the group. She also be the narator of the drama.

She is involves in the dancing as well. Well, she is very happy with her own participation in the concert itself.

There is one thing need to mention here is Annabelle is 12 years old this year, meaning she is graduating from her Primary and next year she will be joining to Secondary. Thus, there was a small graduation ceremony for all the 12 years old Primary students in Mecaje.

Surprisingly Annabelle is the best student in academic in the Primary. She is so happy to get the award! We are surprise as well!

Finally, all the Mecaje students sung ‘A Million Dreams’ and ended the night. It is an enjoyable evening for the students, parents and the teachers. They have prepared for months just for tonight 2 hours presentation or concert. Bravo to the students and teachers!

Mecaje 2018 Year End Concert

This year the theme of the Mecaje Year End Concert is One Step Higher. One big surprise that he would wants to give to Alvin is he become the emcee of the night too.

This year Issac has involve in a lot in drama set, as one of the main characters in the drama. He has been practiced all the while in the school for this show.

She is involves in the dancing as well. Well, she is very happy with her own participation in the concert itself.

Surprisingly Annabelle has a price to get for this academic year too!

It is an enjoyable evening for the students, parents and the teachers. They have prepared for months just for tonight 2 hours presentation or concert. Bravo to the students and teachers!

Mecaje Academy 4th Annual Concert & Award Presentation Night 2017

Well, the students have been started their practise ever since March earlier of the year for this year end concert. They stayed after the school, and practice almost weekly just for today.

Beforehand, there was already a teaser YouTube appeared in Mecaje Academy Facebook page prior during last month. It was featured by all the students which participated in the drama.

Alvin and I took a half day leave just to attend for this Mecaje Academy Year End Concert, because this is the first concert ever for both Issac and Annabelle in Mecaje.

We arrived early at the venue which is the PCKL Hall which is the church at the ground floor of the school. When we reached the the hall we waited for quite some time…

It was almost an hour delay but it was ok because there are some art works displays which were done by the students. We managed to meet both kids for a while until both had been called to the back stage.

Here were some photographs after they make up at the school and before the concert started.

Here were the girls group

Mr. Heng as the principle of the school gave his opening remarks. After which the only student that graduated from the school – Jordan, also the emcee of the night gave his graduation speech too.

Then, there are a few dances that performed by the Primary and Secondary students. I have seen both of them keep humming the songs or practice their dance moves throughout the year.

I am quite surprise too, that they know the good and nice oldies from 70’s. They learned the songs and dance moves so fast.

The highlights of the concerts were the drama that performed by the students. It is about the drama that based on 5 different family stories with their each unique background and life styles.

Each family had their own challenges with different characters of parents and children. And how the upbringing of the children and the environments can mould the children characteristics.

The message or the theme of the annual concert this year is about families. Our family believe the same as well because the family is ordained of God and is the basic unit in the Heaven. We have the responsibilities to love and care for each other in the family.

Alvin and I are happy with both Issac and Annabelle performance in their dancing and drama. I felt like at least they are taking part into something that they might not have the chance to take part, if they are in SRJK ( C ) Chee Wen as previously.

They both enjoyed the night too! It was almost 10.00pm when the concert finished and the presentation of the award. We reached home almost 11.00pm. It was exhausted but a happy one.

Well, below is the summary video of the day, created by Mecaje Academy.