Live It Articles Do the Hustle

The holiday season is here, which means parties and FOOD, family and FOOD, Open House and FOOD, gifts and FOOD!   This holy season has become a time of anxiety and difficulty for those of us who "Press On" to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If we aren't careful, we will fall victim to the sabotage that threatens our efforts to be good stewards over our health.

During the season we often hear, "Hey, it's the holidays; you can let the "diet" slide just this once. Come on!   Get in the Christmas Spirit."   In our country the entire season from Thanksgiving through Super Bowl Sunday covers six weeks of high fat, high calorie food, and out-of-control portion sizes.   Our Father knows our every struggle and brings good news, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5b

To help get you through the holidays, I am going to challenge you to "Do The Hustle" with me. I realize that many of your First Place groups do not meet during the holidays, so I am inviting you to become a member of my Holiday Hustle group. Our First Place group did it last year and have asked to do it again this year. The Holiday Hustle was just what some of them needed to keep them on track through the holidays. This year I want to share this gift with you.

Let me tell you a little about the Holiday Hustle.   It begins the first week of December and ends Super Bowl Sunday, January 25th. This is "food season." Many of us during food season just give into the temptation and let all of our commitments fall by the wayside until it is over. Then, we beat ourselves up and pull our wounded body up on the wagon to get back on track.   In order to dance the Holiday Hustle, we will commit to keep two healthy components, water and moving time.

The Holiday Hustle is not about miles; it is about time.   We will ask you to keep up with how much time in minutes you spend in cardio vascular moving each week. In plain English, this is exercise in which you get your heart rate up for a period of time.    We will ask you to keep a record of each 8 oz. glass of water you drink each day.   From December 1 until January 2, you will count minutes and glasses.   This will be your mission if you decide to accept it.   I will email you a Holiday Hustle time line and a glass graph to keep track of your progress. After January 25, 2004, total your minutes and glasses, then send it back to me via US Postal, and I will send you a certificate declaring that you did the Holiday Hustle.

If you decide to do the Hustle, or have your First Place group do it, you will discover at the end of food season that you have given yourself a gift, and have not done as badly as you thought. You have accomplished something other than eating your way through the holiday season, plus you will not heap coals of condemnation on your head. You will have the feeling of, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant." Matthew 25:21a

So, how about it? Will you "Do the Hustle" with me?

Happy Holidays to you all! Blessings to you for the New Year!

PRESS ON!

Beverly Henson
Certified Personal Trainer
December 2003



Beverly Henson is a conference and rally speaker for the First Place ministry. She is also a Bible teacher and certified personal trainer. Beverly joined First Place in July 1997 and has lost 147-1/2 pounds. First Place has given Beverly a powerful testimony. She is a First Place leader and Bible teacher at Northcrest Baptist Church in Meridian, Mississippi. Beverly has a genuine love of proclaiming the word of God to His people.