Take a Walk

The Surgeon General recommends that the average person needs to take at least 10,000 steps a day to maintain a healthy level of fitness.
Health experts also suggest taking a walk of 60 minutes at least three times a week.
They say the average person walks at a pace of 5km/hr or 3 miles an hour.
Some biblical experts have calculated the recorded travels of Jesus during his 3 and one half years of ministry, and come up with a figure of 32 km or 20 miles per day.
Mind you, he covered these distances clad not in Nike Air sneakers, but in simple sandals.
Ever since I crossed the proverbial middle-age boundary, I’ve taken to walking with my wife a few times a week. We have our favourite places that we regularly return to for our walks, usually by the sea.
After the hundreds of thousands of steps and numerous pairs of sneakers and walking shoes, I’ve discovered the following benefits:
The Colours of Fall

Walk and Talk

Walks give couples a great chance to share thoughts and events that took place during the week. It’s a great time for sharing and bonding.
I’ve discovered that often the best time to talk is when both of us are relaxed and not under stress.

Walk and Think

During some of my walks, I’ve been able to draw some great life lessons from nature. Long walks take the pressure of life out of creative thinking.

Reflections on a frozen Pond

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.
Psalm 19:1-4

Walk and Take Photos

In my early years of ministry, which also coincided with the early childhood days of my two girls, I did not have the time or energy to pursue any creative hobbies. Photography has always been one of my “first loves.” It has been one of the activities that “fills” me up, even as ministry sometimes drains me.
I’m also glad that I can use the fruit of my hobby to enhance my ministry blog.

Walk and be Thankful

Sometimes during my walks, I would unconsciously blurt out; “thank You Jesus!”
It’s hard not to be thankful when all your senses are being bombarded by the goodness of the Lord.

Walk and Wonder

In the haste of life, we sometimes lose the wonder of creation. When you come across things you don’t normally encounter in your daily commute and work, it is a wonderful experience.

When was the last time, a Mongolian Ring-Necked Pheasant charged you and performed a mating ritual? I’m no Robert Bateman or David Suzuki, but moments like this refills your heart with a greater sense of awe and wonder.

Walk and Wait

There are moments in my walk when I found myself tracking some elusive bird, and I ended up sitting in one spot for an hour waiting for the perfect shot.

I’ve experienced the most tranquil moments in my life. It’s not easy to shut out the sounds of my demanding world but waiting silently has that “noise” reduction quality.

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes” Psalm 37:7 (NLT)