God is at the Core

“Well what a coincidence – house cookies,“ I told my husband, as I pulled some house-shaped sugar cookies out of the freezer to serve with lunch. We were getting ready to put our house on the market and the process of getting our home “just so” had been causing me a great deal of stress. After lunch I thought, God was using those cookies in a subtle, gentle way to tell me that I had been carrying way too much anxiety about the house: worrying about what someone else (the realtor, a potential buyer, an appraiser) might think of it, whether my home would meet other people’s expectations, and whether it was up-to-date enough. Trying to meet these external expectations was the cause of the stress.

Rather, I needed to be at rest in my mind and trust that God will bring who He wants to live in this house according to His timetable. What a relief this was to have that mental burden lifted from me! Does this mean I didn’t bother to paint, clean out closets and de-clutter? Absolutely not. But the difference is in my attitude: I can trust God and shift my mental energy to what has value in the eternal realm: sending a card to someone who is sick, serving in church, giving attention to someone who needs a listener. Also, I can pray for the family who will live in this house, that God would work in their lives, that they would know God’s love and forgiveness, and be good neighbors to those around them.

Is there a burden you are carrying around that you could place in God’s hands? First Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” Is there a house for sale in your neighborhood? Maybe you could pray for the family who will eventually occupy it. No problem is too large for God and He is pleased to hear from you.

Now we are going to talk about a different kind of house, the “powerhouse!”

“…choose for yourselves today whom you will serve.. but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

You may have heard of the “powerhouse” – commonly known as “the core” in exercise classes. But what exactly is your core? The core is comprised of all the muscles around your spine and pelvis (twenty-nine muscles in all!) They are: 1) The abdominals (front and sides) which support your internal organs, 2) The muscles on your back, which enable you to rise from a bent-over position and also to bend sideways, and 3) The muscles on the front, back and side of your hips (which move your legs).

A strong core supports your spine, keeps you upright and stabilizes your body. When engaged, these muscles are the foundation of movement of your limbs. The core muscles give extra strength and protection when you lift weights, open a heavy door or lift a jug of milk. They provide balance and stability when getting dressed, rising from a seated position, reaching for something, suddenly changing direction or recovering if you start to fall. When exercising or doing heavy work, a strong core helps prevent straining the muscles in your back. The core has earned its nickname of “powerhouse!”

Now that you know where the core is and what it does, I would like you to consciously engage those muscles. Pulling in your abdominals (pulling your navel inward toward your spine) is very effective, so be sure to do that one every day. Attempt to pull your navel in and hold it in while you are lifting a heavy object, opening a heavy door, closing the trunk of your car, or even while sitting in a meeting. I tell my personal training clients to “let your core do most of the work!” The back extension exercise (either seated or lying down) also uses your core muscles, as does walking forward, backward and sideways in water (Click here for the water exercise post ). Balance practice also strengthens your core muscles and we will cover that next week.

This week, decide which part of your core you would like to work on. Click on the corresponding link above to review that exercise. (If you are ambitious, feel free to click on all of them!) Be mindful of using your core as you exercise and as you go about your usual activities. Core strengthening is one of the top modes of exercise that carries over into daily life. Isn’t this what exercise is about – making activities of daily living easier, safer and more enjoyable? Make it a habit to strengthen your “powerhouse!” It is the foundation of movement.