Dovetailing

No, I'm not getting into woodworking. This is a term I learned in high school that is also used in mathematics and computer science and basically refers to the concept of doing more than one step in a process simultaneously. One definition from The American Heritage Dictionary reads, "To connect or combine precisely or harmoniously...into a unified whole."

I use this term quite frequently to describe what most of us do on a daily basis. As mothers/homemakers we have to learn to combine certain chores/activities during the day in order to get it all done. For example: If I'm really pressed for time when I'm getting ready to go somewhere, I will put on my makeup or brush my teeth WHILE I'm blow drying my hair. As I'm working on dinner, I'll call out one of my girl's spelling words. While I'm standing in the laundry room waiting for the iron to heat up, I will work on some laundry. The same goes for cooking. You wouldn't make the mashed potatoes before you put the turkey in to cook. You have to plan/time it out and do multiple steps together to have the finished product done at the same time.

These shortcuts stem from the fact that there is just not enough time in one day, and as a result, many things get pushed aside for another day. Two of the biggest things that we often times (not only as Christians but also as human beings) postpone to another day is our daily quiet time with God and our physical exercise. In the beginning, both of these require an inward determination and many times a denial of self in order to be accomplished. It's amazing, though, how they both will eventually become a craving that you cannot deny.

Prayer is our awesome privilege as Christians. It is our opportunity to open up to our heavenly Father and share our private feelings, thoughts, concerns, requests and basically anything that we want. If we don't take the time to talk to our Father, how do we expect to grow closer to Him? Most of us would never dream of going more than a day without talking to those that are closest to us. We ought to apply that same fervency to our relationship with the Lord. The Bible is a heavenly invitation to each one of us to sit at the feet of Jesus and have Him talk personally to us through His Word. It's a "magical" Book really! It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord can speak to many different people about many different things all in the same passage or message from a pastor. If you haven't been taking the time to pray and read God's Word, I encourage you to make the time and experience His presence in your life.

Not only is it important to strengthen our relationship with the Lord, but it is also important to strengthen our bodies. Starting an exercise routine can be overwhelming for some, but as Denise Austin says, "Move your body, and your mind will follow." That is SO true! There have been many times in the past that I have not "felt" like exercising, but I went ahead and did it and ended up feeling very glad that I did and looking forward to the next session. What you may or may not know is that, when you exercise, your body produces endorphins. Because your body doesn't know why you are moving so quickly, these natural opiates are brought about any time your body physically exerts itself. If you were, say, running away from danger, you wouldn't want to be bothered with the pain of sprains and muscle strains, so your body monitors your activity levels and produces these endorphins as needed. This is what makes you feel so great when you exercise.

One of the best overall exercises that you can do is walking. The best thing about it is that it is free (unless you buy a treadmill), it's not complicated and you can DOVETAIL in the process! Here is what I do...


I print a passage that I want to focus on reading either by copying directly from a Bible or by printing from a website like Bible Gateway. I like to choose the passage based on either what we are studying in Sunday School or what Pastor is preaching from in a series. Right now, I'm reading through the Sermon on the Mount, since we are studying that in S.S. As you can see in the picture above, I've put the pages into plastic sheet protectors and have them set up on my treadmill, so that I can read while I walk. During my 30 minute walk, I can easily read through the passage twice. If you don't have a treadmill, you can download an audio Bible in MP3 format (for FREE!!!) from a site like Believer's Resource to use on an MP3 player while you walk outside.

Here's a suggestion for TRIPLE dovetailing. While you're walking and reading (or listening to) the Bible passage, you can also do some extra "exercising." Try clinching your gluteal muscles with each step, or focus on your breathing by taking nice deep breaths (4-5 second inhale) and with the exhale, tighten your abs by imagining that you are pulling your belly button back towards your spine. Try to hold that "squeeze" for a 5-7 second exhale. You could also carry some hand weights to give a little resistance, or you could do some Tae Bo punches in sync with your steps. Your right fist punches when your left foot steps forward, and your left fist punches when your right foot steps forward. Do 4 or 5 punches with your right fist before you switch to punching with your left fist. If you've never done Tae Bo, you may want to check into it before you try it. Remember, you don't want to fully extend your arm in a punch. Keep your elbow bent, give a quick punch forward and then quickly pull your fist back while flexing/tensing your arm muscles.

Once I finish walking, I do some stretches for about 5 minutes and then immediately (so as not to waste my warmed-up muscles) do some exercises from some videos that I have memorized over the years. Denise Austin is really good, but you can also get a great workout by doing some Pilates. By doing Pilates, you will be giving yourself an overall body workout and you will be creating long, lean muscles as opposed to the short, bulky muscles created with weight training. During this extra 15 minutes or so of exercise, I spend time in prayer. Once you have a routine memorized, you can do that to. (FYI: Don't go to the store to buy exercise videos. Go to the library--they're FREE!!)

You will be amazed at how fast the time goes by when you combine your quiet time with your exercise routine! You'll also love how great you feel--Not just physically, but spiritually. Let me know if you need any advice or additional information on certain exercise routines or even stretches. I'm not a professional and certainly don't claim to know everything, but I have done a wide variety of exercises in the last 15 years or so and can definitely recommend some good stuff. =)