Day 167- A Walking App First

I need to get back in shape.  That's something I've said a lot lately. However, saying that has not helped a lot. It looks like I may have to actually start exercising or cutting back on my eating. I think I'll try exercising first.  I was talking with a friend the other day at the swim meet and she is using a walking app that helps her.  Today, I used a walking app to help me with my walk as my "first."

My friend told me how the app keeps up with your , time spend exercising, and other interesting info. She gave me the name of the app and I downloaded it on my phone and tried it out today. It does have some interesting features. You can set how far you want to walk or how long. I decided for a timed walk today. I'm just starting back to walking and I want to work up my time before I shoot for distance.  I started out and everything was pretty cool.  I then minimized the app and took some photos of the walk for my blog.  About what I thought was the halfway point, I maximized the app and the sophisticated and well-rested sounding lady said, "Resuming walk" or something like that.  I said, "Resuming?  Resuming?  I'm halfway done here lady (I don't know her name). What are you talking about resuming?" It seems that when you minimize this app and use another one, it pauses.  I looked in settings and hopefully fixed that problem or either I punched something wrong when I minimized, but the end result is I did not get an accurate end result. That's OK, I was still out walking. Hopefully, tomorrow (assuming I walk again) I will know more about how to use the walking app. Also, I feel kind of bad that it's called a running app and I'm only walking.

Though our shoes are similar colors, the cat is much lighter on his/her feet

Mei Mei would love to go walking but I can't keep up with her

My walking partner; very cool and makes me wish for a bike

Scenery from the walk

One thing I learned from my walk today is that I was walking much slower than I thought. I knew I was not walking very fast due to the unevenness of the ground.  I would have guessed that I was walking faster than the app said I was. The app will tell you time, distance, calories burned, and rate.  I think it will tell you how many steps you took (according to my friend) but I've not figured out where that is yet. I was surprised at how slow I was actually walking; if the app is really accurate in that category.

This reminds me that sometimes we think we are doing better than we are.  I read the other day where something like 80% of drivers think they are above average; statistically an impossibility.  This can be kind of funny, but it can also be kind of sad.  The Bible says in James 4:6, "But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."  It is easy for us to think we are doing better than we are. There is not an app to tell us how much more like Jesus we are becoming each day. I think I wish there was; the results could be surprising and even devastating.  One thing I've tried before is to set a clock on how long I pray and read my Bible.  I know that simply reading the Bible and praying for a long time is not making someone more spiritual or necessarily closer to the Lord. I have found that I often think I'm praying longer than I am.  I think I'm reading the Bible longer than I am.

Perhaps the closest thing we can have is a good friend who will be honest with us and ask them, "Am I more loving than I was a year ago?  Am I more joyful than I was 5 years ago?"  Then again, maybe if I was more caught up with the wonder of Jesus than I am about how "spiritual" I am becoming, that would be a good sign as well.

Reminding myself that Jesus is the abundant life
Barry

3 things I thank God for today
1 The ability to walk
2. Memory
3. Apple juice