From Bewildered to Belief

“They were bewildered.” That describes the Jews when they heard Jesus’ disciples speaking in languages they had not known before. (Acts 2:24) It was a feast day, so the devout Jews would have been fasting that morning in Jerusalem, and perhaps praying and meditating on scriptures, when a loud, gale-force wind caught their attention. Naturally, they ran to check it out. Hearing these twelve disciples, eleven of whom were from Galilee, speaking in foreign languages, was certainly a mystery. Today it is not unusual to hear immigrants in our country speaking a foreign language. But to hear someone you know is a “local” speaking another tongue would be puzzling. The Bible says they were “bewildered,” and this caught my attention.

God used the Holy Spirit, which moments before, accompanied by the violent wind, had spread like flames of fire to each of the disciples (Acts 2:2-3) to arouse the curiosity of these Jews who had migrated to Jerusalem from a number of other countries. Peter stepped forward as the spokesman to explain what was going on. He put it in the context of the Jewish heritage of the audience: that this pouring out of the Holy Spirit was spoken of long ago by the prophets (Acts 2:16-21, Joel 2:28-32) and Jesus’ death and resurrection was God’s predetermined plan. (Acts 2:23-24) “Then God released Him from the horrors of death and brought Him back to life again, for death could not keep this man within its grip.” (Acts 2:24, The Living Bible)

Speaking of coming back to life, Peter quoted King David as he looked forward in faith to overcoming death and realizing the promised hope of life and the joy of God’s presence: “… Moreover my flesh will also live in hope…You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with your presence.” (Acts 2:26,28) God’s presence – that is the Holy Spirit living in us.

Finally, Peter stated in no uncertain terms that Jesus is “both Lord and Christ.” That’s who the Jews had been waiting for for centuries! So of course this struck them to the heart and they wanted to know what to do next. (Acts 2: 36-37) Peter told them simply, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) Many did believe and were baptized. It must have been a size-able crowd that gathered, as 3000 were baptized that day. (Acts 2:41) They spent time learning, sharing meals and fellowship with one another, and praying. And, catch this in Acts 2:43: “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe.”

The Jews went from being bewildered, to believing, to being in awe. Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed! Jesus overcame death’s grip and sent the Holy Spirit, resulting in power, unthought-of abilities, bewilderment, effective teaching, miracles, belief, and awe!

“Then God released Him from the horrors of death and brought Him back to life again, for death could not keep this man within its grip.” (Acts 2:24, The Living Bible)

Death could not hold Jesus in its grip. As we get older our grip strength tends to decrease. Opening a jar or gripping an object

is painful or impossible. Weakness in the arms is one reason for this, and you may review last week’s post to learn about strengthening the biceps on the front of your arm. Next week we will look at strengthening the triceps on the back of your arm. Strengthening both of those muscles of the upper arm can help improve grip strength.

Another factor contributing to a weak grip is pain or inflammation in the tendon on the side of the thumb, also known as de Quervain’s. This can make opening a package or taking a pan out of the oven very uncomfortable. Sustained activities such as writing or raking leaves can aggravate the condition. This week I will show you some exercises you can do to strengthen this area. This is not intended as medical advice and you should consult your physician for a diagnosis or if you have questions about which exercises are appropriate for you.

If you have pain in the area, stretching can help. As shown at

right, open your fingers wide, as if trying to get your thumb far away from your hand. During prolonged activities such as writing, playing tennis, or using barbells, take breaks and open your hands. Another stretch that feels good is to bring your thumb across the palm of your hand at the base

of your fingers (shown at left). Your range of motion may be limited by your pain level. Again, ask your physician for an accurate diagnosis and follow his or her instructions.


Once your pain is under control, you may move to strengthening the muscles in that area. Sit with your forearm on a table or desk and your palm facing upward (as shown at right).

Keep your forearm on the table and bend your wrist upward toward you.

This is a “wrist curl.”


To work the muscles on the other side, turn your hand over (palm down)

and raise your hand off the table, shown at left (wrist extension).

Remember to keep your forearm on the table.





Next you can make your hand into a loose fist with your fingernails touching the table but your thumb resting straight. This is your starting position.

Now slightly rotate your wrist so that your thumb is closer to the ceiling (Your fingers will come off of the table a little.), as you can see in the photo at the right. If you have any pain, do not perform this one.


Lastly, you can use a rubber band around your fingers and thumb and try to open your hand against the resistance of the rubber band. (Shown at left.)

Again, stop if you have pain.

A thumb brace is also very helpful to stabilize the thumb while you are doing activities. I wear one while sleeping to prevent my thumb from going into a position that puts too much stress on it. I also discovered that it is extremely helpful to wear the brace while raking leaves (which I think brought this on in the first place). I had one woman in my class who wore her brace while doing water aerobics. The lifetime of the brace was shortened from being in the pool, but she was able to enjoy exercising without aggravating her thumb.

These are certainly exercises you can do anywhere. You may do these each day. Perform eight to twelve repetitions for each exercise, as long as it does not aggravate your thumb. Don’t forget to do your other hand. Over time, you will notice strength in your grip. Then it will be easier to open a jar, hold a magazine, or sign your name!

Photo credits: thinveil.net (Creative Commons); L.E. Lang collection

Fall Prevention

Over-confidence. Self-reliance. We see this in Jesus’ disciples. They were missing something (or someone) without whom they would easily fall away, or stumble. Let’s examine what was going on.

First, they tried to cast out a demon from a spirit-possessed young boy, but were unsuccessful. (Mark 9:17-18 Peter, James and John were not included in this effort, however.) “This one cannot come out by anything but prayer,” Jesus told them. (Mark 9:29) Oops! We don’t know with certainty whether or not the disciples had prayed before trying to cast out the demon, but possibly they forgot. On top of that, they may have felt out-shined by someone else - not one of Jesus’ disciples - who was successfully casting out demons in Jesus’ name. (Mark 9 :38-39)

Then, on the way to Capernaum, Jesus asked His disciples what they had been discussing (Mark 9:33-34) Jesus knew full well that they had been talking about which of them was the greatest. “Whoever wants to be first, shall be last and servant of all,” Jesus told them. (Mark 9:35) Oh, oh! Another boo-boo. Greatness in the kingdom of heaven meant something other than what the disciples thought.

Now, Peter wants to show Jesus how loyal he will be. After the Passover meal, Jesus tells the disciples they will all fall away because of Him. (Matthew 26:31) But Peter fervently insists that, even though the others may fall away, he would not! What boldness on Peter’s part! Jesus knew how wrong Peter was and predicted that Peter would deny Him three times that very night. Even so, Peter adheres to his conviction “Even if I have to die with you I will not deny you,” (Matthew 26:35) - another example of over-confidence at its height.

Well, all the disciples did scatter in fear as soon as Jesus was seized by the chief priests and elders in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter’s and the other disciples’ determination, self-confidence and belief in what they could do, even in the most trying circumstances, had failed them. The human frailties that we all possess had taken control. And this weakness of human flesh - the part of us that tends to sin (for example pride, self-centeredness, relying on self rather than God) – will prevail every time. That is, without the upholding, unmatchable power of the Holy Spirit living within those who believe in Jesus.

Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to help, guide, counsel, and bring to mind His teachings. (John 14:16-17, John 16:7-8) The Holy Spirit is who enabled the disciples to preach boldly, cast out demons, and heal the sick in the weeks and months after Jesus’ resurrection (described in the book of Acts). And it is the Holy Spirit living in the believers - those who believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that He died on the cross to remove the guilt of sin and came alive again - who seals (Ephesians 1:13), convicts, and enables (Acts 1:8) those who love Jesus to love others. Without the Holy Spirit, we all stumble and fall. The good news is that even when we stumble and fall, we have an advocate in heaven pleading our case before God . (1 John 2:1) Peter was restored after he fell, and so are you if you believe in Jesus. Take comfort in this fact, and let your confidence be in Jesus Christ.

And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. 1 John 2:1b-2

Now, let’s take a look at the physical aspects of falling.

Certainly one of the top concerns we have as we advance in years is falling. Among people who are 65 years of age or older, one in three will fall each year. Roughly a quarter of the people who fall have moderate to severe injuries. So fall prevention is a very worthwhile investment of your time. There are a number of factors contributing to falls (Click here to see them.) and most falls have more than one cause. One of the factors is poor balance and today we will work on improving your balance.

Balance is one of those skills that declines over the years, but the good news is that with practice, you can improve it! Here are some simple exercises you can do anywhere to train yourself to better balance. We will start with the safest and progress to more challenging moves (or I should say, “stands”). Always check with your doctor before beginning any new set of exercises.

First, you will want to look at your alignment. Trying to balance yourself without proper alignment would be like trying to build a tower of blocks off-center. ( Click here if you would like to review the post on alignment.) Proper alignment means ears over shoulders over hips and you will want to maintain that throughout your balance practice (and preferably, throughout year day!). You will then go through the balance progression, starting with a position you are able to maintain, and then moving on to the next level of challenge.

We will begin with feet shoulder-width apart, the most stable position. Hold onto a counter or wall for safety if you need to. Then progress to holding on with one hand, then one finger, then no hands. Next, try closing your eyes and count to 10. Then, with eyes open, bring your arms out to the sides, then place your hands on your hips, then cross your arms over your chest. Then bring them over your shoulders. (You can use this same progression with your arms for the next positions with your legs.) Focus on a point in front of you, with your chin level. Keep your alignment straight, pull in your abdominal muscles, and breathe!

Next, we will go to the half-tandem stand with your feet. (See the photo at right.)

Hold on at first for safety, and then progress through the same arm positions described above. After you master the half-tandem (including with your eyes closed!), move to the tandem stand. (See the next photo.)

Pretend you are on a balance beam! This may be a challenge, especially with your eyes closed, but you can feel your core working. If you are a water-exercise fan, try this one in the shallow water, particularly when a lot of people are actively moving around you.

After you have mastered the tandem stand, try standing on one foot: Start with your hip turned out slightly and the sole of your other foot against your ankle, as in the photo on the left. Then you can move your foot upwards and rest it on the inner lower leg. (See photo at right.)

Hold for 10 seconds and work up to 30 seconds. For more of a challenge, hold your leg out to the side, or try drawing sideways figure eights in the air in front of you. This is an excellent balance challenge, particularly with your eyes closed and your arms overhead! Don’t forget to stand on the other leg too. You can do some foot circles when you are finished.

Balance exercises may be done every day, but at least three times per week. Work at whatever level is a challenge for you. It won’t be long before you notice improvement. Practicing balance will go a long way toward preventing a fall, and will help your length and strength as well!

Photo credits: biblevisuals.org, derewin.co.cc from Creative Commons, and L.E. Lang collection.