The Bible is filled with stories about journeys and food and eating and celebration. God did not intend for us to be at war with food, nor did he intend for us
not to use our feet and our bodies in our daily lives. I am filled with awe that Christianity spread during a time when there were no cars, or trucks, or trains, or airplanes to get our prophets and disciples to the places where they wanted to spread the word. There is a reason God gave us feet! We have feet to walk, run, jump, and skip through our lives. Our feet are to be used to care for the temple God created within each of us. What is Christ Walk? Christ Walk is a spiritual fitness program. It is designed to improve your physical health, although anyone at any fitness/health level can participate in the program. I have compiled a list of biblical routes to walk, run, bike, or pray (the distance of) for forty days – the Nazareth Challenge, Jerusalem to Damascus Route, the Jerusalem Challenge, the Damascus to Caesarea Journey, Bethlehem Challenge, and the Exodus Challenge. There is a chapter a day (Day 1, Day 2, etc.) to help lift you up spiritually as you make your journey. After six years of running a Christ Walk program at two churches that was well received and provided an opportunity for the participants to grow spiritually and physically, I decided to share the program with others.
Christ Walk: A 40-Day Spiritual Fitness Program (Morehouse, 2014 ) is a personal reflection on my experiences, beliefs, and knowledge on having a spiritually and physically healthy life. At the end of the forty days, this book should be as much your book as it is mine. Individuals as well as groups can use it. The appendices include options for group leaders and options for individuals to transform their Christ Walk experience from journey to journey. There is always another journey. Christ Walk should not end after one forty-day period. These forty days should transform you to pursue new journeys and new goals. When I have struggled with how to live my life, for the strength to get out and exercise when all I want to do is stay at home, or when I have been conflicted by the stresses in my life, I have always felt that God was there to help me and provide me with strength and guidance. I remember running my first half marathon. Around mile nine I began to fail and doubt. I began to pray that God would wrap my legs in strength and endurance. I felt the power of the Holy Spirit lift my legs and make them strong again. I truly believe God’s strength helped me finish my race. The belief that I was not alone rejuvenated me. I believe that God walks with me in every step that I take. I believe that the Bible is filled with inspirational guidelines on living a healthy life. Through the next forty days, I would like to share that with you, as well as sharing a bit of my life and my journey through Christ Walk. Each day, there is a Bible verse related to a reflective piece on healthy living. Some of these days may be more body-focused and other days may be more spiritually or mentally focused. All of these days will help you on your journey to a healthier you! If you are physically unable to walk, I ask that you look at your life for ways that you can change it and improve it. We all have things that we can do to make our lives healthier. Perhaps your goal will be to study something new on your journey, or to pray with more discipline or to focus on changing your nutritional habits. If you cannot physically exercise, discuss with your health care provider some options that you are willing to do to improve your health. There is a place in this journey for everyone. We may need to be creative about how the journey is completed. I ask that you pray through those chapters that are not applicable to you and really focus on the ones that speak to your personal experience. I have tried to write to many different perspectives and needs. I am aware that this book will not work for everyone, but if you cannot make the journey on your own, consider how you can help others on their journey. Keep an open mind and again, consider, “What can I do to change?” So how do we make a healthy body? We take care of it. We exercise it, we feed it, we nurture it, and we rest it. Research has documented on multiple occasions that walking is one of the most physically beneficial exercises, as well as one that people are most likely to stick to over time. Most of the journeys in the Bible were done by foot. If you want to use another form of exercise other than walking (biking, swimming, aerobics, dance, etc.) you may do that. It takes about fifteen minutes to walk a mile, so every fifteen-minute block of exercise can be calculated as a mile. The important thing is to choose an activity that you enjoy and do it. The purpose is to get out there and move, to think about every step you take as walking with God. It is your walk with Christ, so you will have to take it up with your conscious if you cheat! Your job is to give it your best shot with all your heart.
Anna Courie is a wife, mother, lay minister and consultant. She has worked in the health industry for the last fifteen years in clinical nursing, public health and health policy. As a Christian, she has been called to combine her love of health with spiritual development.
The Bible is filled with stories about journeys and food and eating and celebration. God did not intend for us to be at war with food, nor did he intend for us not to use our feet and our bodies in our daily lives. I am filled with awe that Christianity spread during a time when there were no cars, or trucks, or trains, or airplanes to get our prophets and disciples to the places where they wanted to spread the word. There is a reason God gave us feet! We have feet to walk, run, jump, and skip through our lives. Our feet are to be used to care for the temple God created within each of us. What is Christ Walk? Christ Walk is a spiritual fitness program. It is designed to improve your physical health, although anyone at any fitness/health level can participate in the program. I have compiled a list of biblical routes to walk, run, bike, or pray (the distance of) for forty days – the Nazareth Challenge, Jerusalem to Damascus Route, the Jerusalem Challenge, the Damascus to Caesarea Journey, Bethlehem Challenge, and the Exodus Challenge. There is a chapter a day (Day 1, Day 2, etc.) to help lift you up spiritually as you make your journey. After six years of running a Christ Walk program at two churches that was well received and provided an opportunity for the participants to grow spiritually and physically, I decided to share the program with others. Christ Walk: A 40-Day Spiritual Fitness Program (Morehouse, 2014 ) is a personal reflection on my experiences, beliefs, and knowledge on having a spiritually and physically healthy life. At the end of the forty days, this book should be as much your book as it is mine. Individuals as well as groups can use it. The appendices include options for group leaders and options for individuals to transform their Christ Walk experience from journey to journey. There is always another journey. Christ Walk should not end after one forty-day period. These forty days should transform you to pursue new journeys and new goals. When I have struggled with how to live my life, for the strength to get out and exercise when all I want to do is stay at home, or when I have been conflicted by the stresses in my life, I have always felt that God was there to help me and provide me with strength and guidance. I remember running my first half marathon. Around mile nine I began to fail and doubt. I began to pray that God would wrap my legs in strength and endurance. I felt the power of the Holy Spirit lift my legs and make them strong again. I truly believe God’s strength helped me finish my race. The belief that I was not alone rejuvenated me. I believe that God walks with me in every step that I take. I believe that the Bible is filled with inspirational guidelines on living a healthy life. Through the next forty days, I would like to share that with you, as well as sharing a bit of my life and my journey through Christ Walk. Each day, there is a Bible verse related to a reflective piece on healthy living. Some of these days may be more body-focused and other days may be more spiritually or mentally focused. All of these days will help you on your journey to a healthier you! If you are physically unable to walk, I ask that you look at your life for ways that you can change it and improve it. We all have things that we can do to make our lives healthier. Perhaps your goal will be to study something new on your journey, or to pray with more discipline or to focus on changing your nutritional habits. If you cannot physically exercise, discuss with your health care provider some options that you are willing to do to improve your health. There is a place in this journey for everyone. We may need to be creative about how the journey is completed. I ask that you pray through those chapters that are not applicable to you and really focus on the ones that speak to your personal experience. I have tried to write to many different perspectives and needs. I am aware that this book will not work for everyone, but if you cannot make the journey on your own, consider how you can help others on their journey. Keep an open mind and again, consider, “What can I do to change?” So how do we make a healthy body? We take care of it. We exercise it, we feed it, we nurture it, and we rest it. Research has documented on multiple occasions that walking is one of the most physically beneficial exercises, as well as one that people are most likely to stick to over time. Most of the journeys in the Bible were done by foot. If you want to use another form of exercise other than walking (biking, swimming, aerobics, dance, etc.) you may do that. It takes about fifteen minutes to walk a mile, so every fifteen-minute block of exercise can be calculated as a mile. The important thing is to choose an activity that you enjoy and do it. The purpose is to get out there and move, to think about every step you take as walking with God. It is your walk with Christ, so you will have to take it up with your conscious if you cheat! Your job is to give it your best shot with all your heart. 
