"Tomorrow I will...."

As the New Year approaches, we are thinking about those New Years Resolutions.

Getting fit is on the top of my list - I am about half way there from 15 months ago (I had some starts and stops in there).

One problem with getting started is the phrase "Tomorrow I will..." or "I'll ______ tomorrow". This is usually said with the best of intentions. But it is a stall tactic in most cases. We might think today, when we are satisfied with something unhealthy we have eaten, or lack of exercise we have decided upon, that tomorrow is a new day - and we can start then.

The problem comes when we decide tomorrow that there is another tomorrow right behind it. And we put if off another day.

St. Augustine of Hippo, in his famous work "The Confessions of St. Augustine" talks about his biggest obsticle in his conversion. He had a mistress, and and illegitmate child (who also was converted to Christianity from a heresy called Marcionism and became a priest), and he was having a really hard time with lust. He recounts in the book that he was praying to God to help him to stop his sinful behaviour. But he soon realized that in the back of his mind he was ending the prayer with "Later" or "tomorrow" or "after the next time". He had to get honest with God, and himself, that he didn't want to give it up and had to pray AND allow himself to be helped/changed NOW, not tomorrow.

Are we doing that with our desire to start heading towards losing weight and getting in shape? Are we planning on starting tomorrow? After the next bit of junk food?

Yes, you should be praying for God for help, guidance, and grace to accomplish this change in your life! But like St. Augustine we need to be sure that the time to start is RIGHT NOW! Throw out the junk food now. Go for a walk now. Order your workout program now. Register to JOIN Team Beachbody on http://www.teambeachbody.com/stjohnspriest now - for free support and encouragement by using the calendar to schedule and log workouts (you might even win a daily prize), or upgrade your membership for additional help. And find some workout buddies nearby and/or on line for encouragement and accountability. And yes, if you sign up through the link above I will be assigned as your coach for encouragement as well. I'd be honored to help you as I am working toward getting fit this winter/spring as well.

Now is the time. Let's do this.