Let the Children Come to Me

Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Mark 10:13

As long as I can remember, I have been a worrier. Many a night in grade school I would lie awake at night, fretting about something that happened in school, my mind over-wrought with anxiety, my body unable to relax. On those nights, I would head downstairs and share my worries with my father, who would be reading under lamplight in his big chair in the corner of the living room, his feet propped up on the window seat. Always happy to allow me to sit on his lap and share my worries, he would offer words of comfort as well as practical advice. Sitting close to my dad and pouring out my troubles allowed my body and mind to relax. I could leave those worries with him and head back upstairs to fall asleep.

Possibly you did not grow up with your father in your home. Or, you may not have felt comfortable or safe bringing your worries to him. But you do have a heavenly father who loves you and cares about you. “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) You can bring any worry or situation to Him.

How is it possible that we can comfortably and confidently bring our concerns to our heavenly Father? It is because God loves us so much, more than any earthly father could, that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for all of us, to accept the punishment for our sins. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Because we are cleared of our sins, we have access to our merciful and gracious, loving God.

Perhaps you have children or grandchildren who have a less than optimal relationship with their earthly father. Do they know their heavenly Father who is always available to help them? Have you told them about Him? The Bible has a number of verses about God the Father’s love and care for His children. You might look at these verses for encouragement: Mark 10:13-16, Romans 8:14-17, Psalm 68:5, 2 Corinthians 1:3 and Matthew 6:25-34. The young and the old can find peace and comfort in bringing their concerns to their loving, heavenly Father.

The more I study the mechanics of the human body, the more I am impressed by how interdependent our limbs, joints and muscles are. Our muscles are designed to be in balance. If a muscle in the front is much stronger than its partner in the back, this can set off a cascading disruption in the position and performance of surrounding joints and limbs. Unfortunately, people don’t realize this has happened until they lose flexibility or feel pain. Stretching helps bring muscles into balance and restores proper functioning of the limbs and joints.

So this week we are going to stretch two muscle groups on the front of the leg and hip: the quadriceps or “quads,” which run down the front of your thigh, and the hip flexors, which connect the top of your thigh to your hips. If either of these muscles are tight, it can cause pain in your low back or your knees.

To stretch your quads, either lie on your side, or stand (holding on to a chair for balance). Keep your thighs next to each other and bend one knee to bring your heel toward your buttocks – but only as far as you are able to. (Remember that if you are not sure if an exercise is appropriate for you, check with your doctor first.) Feel the stretch down the front of your thigh. Hold for 30 seconds, or you can time it by taking three deep breaths.

Now, keeping your knee bent, pull your leg backward slightly until you feel a stretch on the front of your hip. That is your hip flexor. Hold again for 30 seconds or three deep breaths. Then repeat the stretches on your other leg. Your hip flexor can also be stretched while sitting in a chair: Sit toward the front of the chair, and with one knee bent and pointed toward the floor, pull your leg back and hold. Our hip flexors tend to be overly strong because we spend so much time sitting. So you can perform the hip flexor stretch as a work or study break.

You may do these stretches every day if you wish, but it is advisable to stretch the quads and hip flexors after doing your leg strengthening exercises (Click here to see those.) and the squats (which we did last week). Bring your muscles into balance by strengthening and stretching. This will help you become stronger and more flexible, adding to your overall length and strength!

The Righteous Advocate

He (Jesus), having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God. Hebrews 10:12

Hebrews 10:12 above says it clearly. By way of His agonizing death on a cross, Jesus was the do-all, end-all sacrifice for every sin on earth for all time. No more slaughtering perfect, first- born goats or bulls, or striving to do good deeds to gain entrance to heaven. Eternal life is a free gift given to those who believe in Jesus. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

Having completed His assigned task - to die on the cross - God made Jesus come alive again and He was “received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Mark 16:19) Jesus sat down. What this tells me is that He has a fully-resurrected, real body. (Wouldn’t a spirit just hover or float around?) And, Jesus is sitting at a place of highest honor and dignity: at God’s right hand. (This is stated also in Ephesians 1:20, Luke 22:69 and Colossians 3:1.) To the people of Biblical times, sitting at the right hand signified might and great power. In this position at God’s right hand, Jesus is reigning until all enemies have been subjected to Him. (1 Corinthians 15:25)

But there’s more. In heaven Jesus is also our advocate before God. Hebrews 7:25 says “therefore He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” When someone who believes in Jesus confesses a wrongdoing, it’s as if Jesus says to God “I died for him or her. I’ve paid the penalty.” No charge can be brought against you in heaven once you’ve been forgiven. (This is not to say that there aren’t earthly consequences for wrongdoings, such as punishment for a crime, etc.)

We do not need to bring sacrifices as the Old Testament people did, because Jesus was the sacrifice for all of us, for all time. Now He is our advocate. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin, and if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John2:1) Jesus Christ is your righteous advocate sitting in heaven at God’s right hand. His death and resurrection have put you in good standing with God. May this give you peace and hope.

Now let’s talk about sitting down…

Strength training exercises should prepare you for normal, everyday activities, and this is definitely the case for this week’s move: the squat. Every time you lower yourself into or rise up from a chair, you are doing a squat. The muscles used are your gluts (last week’s exercise – click here to review) as well as the front and back of your thighs. Proper technique is essential for safety and to get the most benefit, so pay close attention to the instructions. If you are unsure if an exercise is appropriate for you, check with your healthcare provider first! These instructions are for beginners, but in the future, I will explain how to modify them to make the squat more challenging.

Stand facing a table, counter or wall that you can hold onto. Place a sturdy chair behind you.(This is your safety net!) Your feet should be shoulder-width apart and your weight evenly divided between your feet. Check to make sure your ears, shoulders and hips are lined up on a straight line. (No curling forward. Click here to learn about checking your alignment.) Your knees should be slightly bent, with your knees and toes pointing straight ahead. Keep your heels on the floor the whole time.

Here’s the downward action: Hold onto the table for safety and bend your knees as you start to lower your hips downward and backward, as if you were going to sit down in the chair. If this is the first time you’ve ever done a squat, just bend your knees slightly but stop if you have any pain. You may bend your knees until your thighs are at a 45 degree angle to the floor (a half squat), or you could lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor. (But do not go lower than this!) Keep your navel pulled inward toward your spine and your chest lifted. To protect your knees, it is very important that you keep your knees behind your toes, so glance down to check whether you can see your toes.

And now for the upward phase: Squeeze your gluts (buttocks) and rise to the starting position, as though you were getting out of a chair. Exhale as you come up and make your legs do the work. At the end point, your knees are slightly bent and your pelvis is neutral.

One or two squats are fine to start with. It is normal to feel your leg muscles working, but you should not have pain while doing the squats. (If you do have pain, stop!) You can gradually increase the number of “reps” to ten or twelve, or more if you wish. As your confidence grows, you may not need to hold onto the wall or table, but you can keep your hands out for balance. (Later you may hold some hand weights while doing your squats.) Squats can be done every other day. In the future I will teach you how to build other moves onto the basic squat to add more challenge.

This seems like a lot of detail, but squats do employ several joints and muscle groups – an example of how all our body parts work together! Concentrate on each step of the exercise and soon you will notice the Length and Strength in your daily activities!

The Seat

Situated behind a curtain in the tabernacle’s innermost room - the Holy of Holies - stood the ark of the Covenant. It was here that priests came once a year to bring sacrifices to obtain forgiveness for the people. God had given detailed instructions on how to do this – by sprinkling the blood of a bull and a goat on the special covering of the ark called the Mercy Seat. “And he shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times.” (Leviticus 16:14)

Why was blood required for the sacrifice? Because God said “the life of the flesh is in its blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” (Leviticus 17:11) When you think of atonement, think “at-one-ment,” making the people at one with God.

The Mercy Seat was made of pure gold and had a cherubim formed from it at each end facing the center. (See the accompanying illustration from the 1890 Holman Bible.) The priest would burn incense and God was present in the smoke between the cherubim. The Mercy Seat was very significant because of God’s presence during the removal of guilt. In the Greek translation, the word for “Mercy Seat” is the same as the word for “Christ.” The Mercy Seat gives a preview of the link between Christ’s blood shed on the cross and the forgiveness of sins: “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2)

Jesus was the perfect blood sacrifice that replaced the sacrifice of bulls and goats. During the Last Supper with His disciples, Matthew 26:28 describes how Jesus gave them a cup of wine and said “this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” God’s mercy has been evident through the ages. The Good News is that through Jesus we have forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10

This week’s exercise is for your seat – the gluteus maximus muscle, or “gluts.” It is a large muscle and is used for walking, climbing stairs, kicking a ball, and getting out of a chair, among other things. The gluts are part of your core, so it plays a role in keeping you stable when you are standing.

Strengthening the gluts can be done anywhere – while sitting at a desk or in the car, while standing or even lying down. Simply squeeze your buttocks and hold tightly for five seconds or longer, and release. Repeat a couple more times. Do this a few times a day or as often as you wish. It is important to learn this tightening action because you will use it while doing the squat, which is next week’s exercise.

This is a good time to strengthen another muscle in what is known as the pelvic floor exercise (or “Kegel,” named after the doctor who invented it). The pelvic floor muscle is just that – a “floor” which supports your uterus, bladder and rectum. To strengthen this muscle, pretend you are trying to stop the flow of urine. (Just pretend; it is not advisable to hold the flow.) Hold while counting to five and then release. One of the potential benefits of a strong pelvic floor muscle is improved bladder control. Doing a few pelvic floor squeezes can also help empty your bladder completely and can help relieve constipation. Tightening and holding your gluts while simultaneously tightening your pelvic floor muscle can be combined with pulling in your abdominals (Click here to review that one.) for maximum effectiveness and concentration.

Because strengthening your gluts is simple and can be done anywhere, it is easy to include in your Length and Strength routine!

Starting fresh

A look back on 2011 may reveal some areas of your life where you fall short. Perhaps you made some mistakes that harmed an important relationship with a friend or family member. Maybe you continued a habit that undermines your health. Or maybe you haven’t prayed regularly or served God with your whole heart. Possibly this has gone on for several years before 2011. Now is the time to be look forward and to accept one last gift of the Christmas season – that of forgiveness given to you by God by way of His Son, Jesus Christ. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

We live near the coast and whenever my husband and I walk on the beach, I am always impressed by the relentlessness of the surf. From far out at sea the waves just keep coming, one after another. The ocean does not “run out” of waves. Likewise, God does not run out of mercy. Lamentations 3:22-23 says “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.” (italics added) God will forgive a sin you committed a decade ago or a sin you’ve done every day for the past decade. That’s how huge His love is and how unlimited His mercy. This mercy came to us when God sent Jesus to die on the cross to remove our guilt from all our wrongdoings.

The gift of redemption – the wiping away of our sins and bringing us back into relationship with God – is received by faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25) The astounding fact is that God did not wait for us to stop sinning to clear us of guilt. “But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Have a look for yourself at some of the verses in the Bible (click here to see a Bible on-line.) that talk about this: John 3:16, Romans 3:21-26, 1 John 1:8-9, Titus 3:5-7 and 1 John 4:9-10. Bring your wrongdoings to God. Then step into the new year washed by God’s love and mercy, seeking Him every day.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

As you make your New Year’s resolutions and think about improving your health and fitness, here are some questions to consider. (Regard these as exercises for your brain!)

1. Why do you want to start exercising? What do you see are the benefits? Try to list benefits that are personal to your life. For example: “I could lift my grandchild out of the stroller,” or “I could take that trip that involves a lot of walking…” Focus on the benefits to help you stay motivated.

2. On a scale of one to ten, (one being not at all, 10 being very much) how strong is your desire to begin a fitness program? If your answer is lower than 5, what would it take to increase that number? (Finding someone to exercise with? Having a reward for a small accomplishment?) If you said 1 or 2, you should revisit question 1 and have someone help you identify more benefits to starting. (Click on benefits to find out more.)

3. What is something healthy you are doing for yourself now? If you are already practicing one healthy habit, would it be in the realm of possibility to add another healthy habit? You could say to yourself “I’m just going to try it. If it doesn’t work, I’ll try something else.”

4. What one thing are you willing to do, even if it is small, to live a healthier lifestyle? People tend to have better success if they start in small increments and set short-term goals. For instance, you could decide that you will walk 10 minutes a day to start with and see how you feel after three weeks. (Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program.)

5. What is the biggest roadblock that keeps you from exercising? What are some ways you could overcome that roadblock? Arm yourself by planning a strategy ahead of time. Don’t be too critical of yourself if you don’t stay with the plan. Start again the next day (or the next hour)!

6. What are some ways you could manage your day to include time (even if it is ten minutes) for exercise? (This topic will be covered in a future posting.)

One positive step you have already taken is to read this blog. Length and Strength from the Inside Out will show you basic exercises that are easy to fit into your schedule and can be done almost anywhere without equipment. You can review previous exercises (and scripture reflections) by looking at the Blog Archive at the upper right of this page and clicking on any of the months. Best wishes for Length and Strength from the Inside Out in the New Year!

Light

“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5

This verse is very encouraging to me and I bring it to mind often. Actually, I cling to it. There is no shortage of darkness in this world – natural disasters, wars, and economic hardships, broken and hurting families, violence in the media, etc. – all of which are distressing and sometimes scary. But this verse offers reassurance and hope.

Before Jesus came, a certain group of people – those living in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali – were “sitting in darkness.” The Bible even says they were sitting “in the land and shadow of death.” But, “upon them a light dawned.” (Matthew 4:15-16) This light was Jesus. “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life,” Jesus said in John 8:12. Jesus is the light who overcomes the darkness. This gives reassurance and hope during the darkest times of our lives.

Christmas is a few days away. When you see all the decorative lights around town, be reminded of The Light – Jesus. He is God’s Son, born to the virgin Mary over 2000 years ago in the town of Bethlehem in Israel. He was sent to redeem us out of our darkness. In Jesus is life, and the life was the Light of men. (John 1:4) Jesus is victorious over the darkness. May this give you peace, joy and hope at Christmas and all year long.

In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. John 1:4

This is a busy time of year so this week’s exercise is very simple and ties in with the theme of light.

Pretend that your breast bone has a built-in spotlight which projects a beam of light outward at a 90 degree angle from your body. Now, you want your spotlight to shine straight ahead of you, not down at your feet. This means that you need to straighten your spine and lift up your chest. (This is the same as the Back Extension exercise which was previously described. Click here to review it.) Hold this “lifted” position a moment to sense what if feels like and to detect your back muscles at work. Then relax.

A bent-over tendency is probably the most common detriment to good posture. Directing your “spotlight” forward instead of downward will help correct this habit. Perhaps you could print out one of the verses about light and post it as a reminder to yourself to shine your spotlight straight ahead. This will set you on course for increasing length and strength!

Standing at the Door

He is near, right at the door. Matthew 24:33

Sparkling lights, festive gatherings, favorite treats, the old carols, exchanging of gifts, special traditions. All contribute to the excitement and anticipation of Christmas. But our focus should be joy at the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus’ incarnation in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago was his first coming, and Jesus himself said in John 14:3 that we can expect a second coming. “I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am going you may be also.” We don’t know when Jesus will return but the Bible says in James 5:8 that “the coming of the Lord is near,” and “So you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.”( Matthew 24:33)

I noticed that frequently “appears” or “appearing” are used in connection with Jesus’ return. For example: “Abide in Him, so that when He appears we may have confidence…” (1 John 2:28) and “Keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time.”(1 Timothy 6:14-15a) 2 Timothy 4:1 also uses “appearing.” Scholars have indicated that “appearing” could be translated as “manifestation” or “brightness.” So Jesus in His glory will be visible and believers will be able to perceive Him. Other verses use the word “revealed.” Look at Colossians 3:4: “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” And the words “the glory of the Lord will be revealed” from Isaiah 40:5 may sound familiar. As 1 John 3:2b states, “we will see Him (Jesus) just as He is.” Now that is something to look forward to!

Yes, we are definitely to be “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,” (Titus2:13) and “awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Corinthians 1:7). While waiting, the Bible says our lives should exhibit “holy conduct and godliness” and we are “to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless” (2 Peter 3:11,14). It is usually before Easter, during Lent, when Christians examine their lives. But maybe before Christmas, during Advent, would be a good time to do this as well.

Here is a paraphrase of 1 John 3:2-3 from the Message Bible in Contemporary Language: “What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him - and in seeing Him, becoming like Him. All of us who look forward to His Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.” Christmas is coming. And Jesus is coming again. He is standing at the door!

Behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. James 5:9 b

In line at the store, at parties, in the kitchen preparing meals or cleaning up. You may find yourself doing a lot of standing at this time of the year. So I would like to address some healthy ways to stand.

The first point to check is what your knees are doing. Are your legs straight so your knees are “locked” or are your knees slightly bent? You want to have a slight give in your knees – some people say having them “soft” - so they are slightly bent (but not bent too much!). What happens when your knees are “locked” is that your hips tend to tilt forward and then you are in a sway-back position which could cause problems in your low back. To learn how to keep your hips level, click here to see a previous post on this. So keeping your knees slightly bent and your hips level are the first things to watch.

If you are waiting in line and have to stand for a while, you can do some heel taps: rise up on the balls of your feet and then tap both heels to the floor. You can do as many of these as you want. Keep your feet shoulder- width apart so your weight is evenly supported beneath you. This next one works the front of your lower leg: Keep one heel on the ground while raising and lowering your foot. (If Christmas music is playing, keep time with your foot!) Repeat with the other foot. Another waiting-in-line exercise is to lift one heel at a time upward toward your fanny (“fanny kicks” – also shown here). Both of these will help promote circulation in your legs.

If you are going to be standing for a length of time, consider putting one foot up on a low stool or a couple of telephone books. This helps keep your hips level and your spine in its proper curvature. We tend to curl forward when working at a counter, so every now and then, straighten your spine and stand tall. Bring both hands behind your hips. Place one hand on top of the other and push your hands down and away. This brings a nice stretch across the front. Pushing a shopping cart (or a stroller or wheel chair at the mall) is another time you will see people bent over. So this reminder and stretch applies then too. As with any exercise, check with your doctor first if you have any reservations about whether it is safe for you or if you have any pain.

Will you be doing some vacuuming to prepare for (or clean up after) your company? Vacuuming can really irritate the low back area, but keeping your alignment will help prevent this. Position one foot ahead of the other and shift your weight between the front leg and back leg (in a rocking motion) as you move the sweeper forward and back. (See the photo.) Keep in mind that you want your ears, shoulders and hips all to be in a straight line- no curling forward! Focus your eyes out ahead of you on the floor, not downward in front of you.

Practicing these tips while standing and doing other holiday preparations will help preserve your length and strength!

Be still!

Racing. That’s how I would describe my mind at this time of the year. As the calendar fills up and the to-do list grows longer, my thoughts are bulging with details and logistics of preparations for Christmas. Even my prayer time seems to be a fast-paced recital of the usual topics of family, nation, schools, etc., leaving the feeling that something is missing.

That’s when Psalm 46:10 is appropriate: “Be still (Some translations say “Cease striving.”) and know that I am God.” I like to re-write it as “Be STILL and know that GOD is God.” But this does not come easily to me. If something needs to be done, I like to be doing something about it and have everything under control. This verse says “Stop! You are not in charge. God is!” And that can be a challenge! Being still and thinking about God helps put everything in proper perspective.

Before tackling the to-do list and even the prayer list, it is worth spending a few minutes to focus solely on God and His character and His promises. It doesn’t matter whether you are at work, waiting in a doctor’s office, in a car or at home. First you need to calm your body and mind. Deep breathing signals your body to relax and this will help to slow down your thoughts as well. Set your to-do list and prayer concerns aside while you rest and meditate on God’s Word. (Remember, Psalm 46:10 says that God is God, not you!) The Psalms are a good place to look for helpful verses. Read one verse slowly and let it sink in. (Or possibly there is a special verse you have memorized.) It could describe God’s character, such as Psalm 86:5, “For you, Lord, are good and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You,” or one of God’s promises. (“For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes.” Jeremiah 31:25) And there are plenty of verses with practical advice, for example, “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” (John 6:27) Here are some others you may find helpful:

Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.
Psalm 94:19 When the cares of my heart are many, Thy consolations cheer my soul.
Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me.
Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.
1 John 4:9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

In this busy pre-Christmas season, slow down your body and your mind and allow yourself to draw strength from God’s Word. Bring God’s Word to the inside, and it will make a difference on the outside.

For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good. Psalm 107:9

This week, instead of trying to run through a series of strengthening exercises, select just one and focus on doing it with proper form. Above and to the right you can access a list of postings. (Click on Blog Archive and then a month to see the exercises in that month.)

Is there one area of your body that you feel needs extra attention? Does your posture or alignment need improving? If so, choose the back extension, pull head back, or squeeze shoulder blades. If you want to strengthen your legs, select the exercise for your knees or your hamstrings. To firm your abdominals, click here. If you have access to a pool, go and water walk or do some cross country skiing while meditating on a verse you have memorized. (Always check with your healthcare provider before starting any exercises.)

Focusing on one exercise and doing it well will strengthen your body and give you a sense of accomplishment while nourishing your soul with God’s Word.