Phil Parham (28 page)

Ever have one of those days when nothing goes right? Of course you have. Everybody does. It's a part of life. During those times, it's easy to get discouraged and think you're never going to reach your goals. This is when you have to persevere, which is a big word for “stick it out and don't quit.”

In my journey to get healthy, there were times that I wanted to give up. Maybe you have felt the same way. So what can we do when we're tempted to quit? The short answer is: the right thing. We will all have days when we're tired, sick, unmotivated, or just don't want to eat healthy and be active. Those are the days when you cannot quit. You have to keep going.

This is true for anything that truly matters in life. The winner is often the one who perseveres. Winners know if they will not quit, they will win. Think about all the people who have started something great and quit. They might have had a bad day or series of bad days and just gave up on their dreams. They may have stopped short of doing something great because they didn't persevere. I cannot begin to tell you how many times during my journey that my mind told me I was not going to make it. But I refused to give up and kept going. And guess what? I made it. And you can too.

Life will always have its ups and downs. But never let the downs stop you from moving forward.

1. What is something that winners know?

2. What does
perseverance
mean?

3. Have you ever felt like quitting? What did you do?

Running up bleacher stairs is one way you can get some good cardio exercise. Check with a local high school to see if they will let you use the bleachers at their football field. Then see how many times you can run up and down them and test your limits.

A Word from Amy

How many of us dream about having a normal (which to most of us means boring) life? Very few of us, I'm sure. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a country-music singer. Almost every day, I would stand in the living room and sing at the top of my lungs. My dad was a radio announcer, and for my sixth birthday, he surprised me by taking me to a country-music show where I met a famous country singer. I even got to sit on her lap while she was waiting to go on stage. I was so happy, I felt as if I were in a movie.

Unfortunately, I couldn't sing very well, so I let go of that dream. My point is, no one ever says, “I want to be ordinary when I grow up.” We all start out dreaming big dreams such as wanting to be an astronaut, a doctor, or even the president of the United States. We all want to live a life that's on the edge and that contributes to mankind in a significant way.

I'm convinced that we allow setbacks in life to keep us from dreaming. When we experience heartbreak or difficulty, we want to protect ourselves from feeling pain again. But to live a balanced and healthy life, you have to dream. Do the hard work and challenge yourself, but never forget the importance of dreaming.

If you get knocked down, get back up. If you fail, try again. If life throws you a curveball, keep swinging the bat. If we keep focused on being great in whatever we do, we will always live a life on the edge.

1. What do you want to be when you grow up?

2. What do you do when life throws you a curveball?

3. What do we allow to cause us to stop dreaming?

Make a list of what you think is great about you. See how many things you can write down, and ask your friends and family to add to it.

A Word from Amy

My oldest son just got his learner's permit to drive. His dad is too afraid to take him driving, so I've been chosen as his “instructor.” I've noticed on these scary (for me, at least) drives that he tends to go too far over on the right side of the road. He focuses on the oncoming cars so much that it makes him veer toward the opposite side of the road. I find myself constantly telling him to drive closer to the middle.

It's the same in our lives. We can get so excited about something that we focus only on that one thing. Before we know it, everything else gets ignored. For example, we can put so much attention on our friends that we neglect our schoolwork or we can put so much time into having fun that we neglect our responsibilities at home.

We can't be extreme in any area because that takes us out of balance. Think about this. No one wants to sit in a chair that has one leg longer than the others; it's crooked and hard to stay on. When we are out of balance, we become like that unstable chair. We need to keep all our legs, all our activities, in balance.

1. What are some areas in your life that you tend to focus on more than others?

2. What happens when we focus on only one thing?

3. Why is balance important?

Here's a great way to get organized. Buy a family calendar where you can write down all the activities and events that family members are involved in. Use different color markers for each person.

A Word from Amy

Where I live in the South, it doesn't snow very often. When it does, it's such a rare event that everything shuts down. This is a beautiful time where my little corner of the world gets covered in a white blanket and my family gets to snuggle up in the house together. We love to watch old movies in front of a fire and drink hot chocolate and eat popcorn.

On days like these, I've always felt that I had permission to be a little lazy. I can relax and not think about any work or responsibilities because God is giving me the day off. All of us appreciate this day of rest.

Just like your family, ours can get a little busy with school, after-school activities, and church events. Sometimes we have so much going on that it's easy to get burned out. To have a balanced life, we need to make sure that we take time to enjoy ourselves and relax.

It's not good to sit in front of the television all the time, but it's good to have a family movie night or game night once a week. It's not good to ignore your responsibilities, but it's always a good idea to go on family vacations or even spend a day doing something fun.

All work and no play makes life dull. Don't forget to take time to enjoy life and each other.

1. What are some things you like to do as a family to relax?

2. Do you get snow days? Does your family do anything special on those days?

3. What is your dream vacation?

Make a “family fun night” jar. Get some note cards and have everyone write down something fun they would like to do as a family. Put the cards in the jar, and once a week, pull one out and do it.

A Word from Amy