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.

Sackcloth, Ashes and a Model for Praying

Imagine a bunch of cattle wearing sackcloth. This is what you would have seen around Nineveh after Jonah told the people how badly they had sinned. The king of Nineveh ordered everyone – from the commoner to the cattle – to wear sackcloth because they were sorry for their sins. People would wear the course, dark-colored sackcloth woven from goat hair as a sign of mourning and penitence. The Bible makes mention of prophets, priests, kings and ordinary people wearing sackcloth.

The prophet Daniel was wearing sackcloth and ashes one day while praying for the people of Israel and Judah. They had been exiled to a foreign land as a result of their sins against God, and Daniel was praying for their release. His prayer is found in chapter 9 of the book of Daniel in the Old Testament. It serves as a very good model when we pray for ourselves and our nation, particularly in the season of Lent. Let’s take a look at it.

First, in verse three, we see that Daniel humbled himself and gave his full attention to God. “So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.” (Daniel 9:3) In humility, Daniel was contrasting his own human weakness with God’s greatness, faithfulness and compassion. He then listed what the people had done wrong: committed evil acts, rebelled against God and strayed from His laws, and they had not listened to God’s messengers (the prophets). (verses 5 – 9) “We have sinned in every way imaginable” is how the Message Bible states it.

Admitting all our wrongdoings could be pretty discouraging. And we should feel remorse when we sin against God who created us, loves us, has compassion on us and is righteous. Verse 7 starts out “Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us, open shame.” (That’s the idea behind the sackcloth and ashes.)

But there’s more to the prayer to give us some hope. Daniel appeals to God on the basis of His righteousness and compassion. “For we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of your great compassion.” (Daniel 9:18) We have nothing to commend ourselves before God. It is solely on His mercy that we are put right with Him after we stray. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

The gift was God’s Son, Jesus, who willingly died on a cross and removed the guilt of our iniquities. People who believe this are cleared of guilt and have the promise of eternal life. (John 3:16) Assured of this, with confident, believing hearts, we can pray the words of Daniel’s prayer ”let now your anger and wrath turn away.” (Daniel 9:16) During these weeks of Lent, we don’t wear sackcloth, but it is a time to humble ourselves before God and give Him our full attention. Admit your wrongdoings and inadequacies to Him and appeal to Him based on His righteousness, mercy, compassion, and love in the sending of His Son Jesus Christ.

But the Lord God is merciful and pardons even those who have rebelled against Him. Daniel 9:9 The Living Bible

In Old Testament times, people would put on their sackcloth and ashes and lie face-down. “They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the young girls of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.” (Lamentations 2:10) This week’s exercise begins in a face-down position.

This exercise is called the back extension and it is simple and very effective for strengthening the erector spinae – the muscles on either side of your spine. They are important because they help you stay upright. You do not have to wear sackcloth or lie in ashes! You may lie on a mat or thick rug. If you have any concerns about your back, check with your healthcare provider before attempting this exercise! If you are hesitant about doing this, you might want to take a look at the seated back extension from my earlier post.

The safest version is to have your elbows bent and next to your body with your forearms on the mat. (This is called the modified cobra.)

Another option for your arms is to place your hands on your ears or on your forehead. (In this case your elbows will point out to the sides.) Either way, you will want to make sure to keep your shoulders away from your ears. You will want to keep your pelvis in neutral and squeeze your buttocks the entire time.

Slowly lift your forehead and upper part of your breastbone away from the mat. Come up only an inch or two. If you have any pain, stop! You may rise higher if you are able to as long as you do not have any pain. (See the second photo at right.)

Breathe normally and keep your neck aligned with your spine. (In other words, don’t bend your neck.) Hold for four seconds and then lower. Do only two of these to start with, but you may build up to 12. You may perform this exercise every other day or three times per week.

These back extensions will go a long way to develop length and strength!

You Are Worth It!

It is sad when someone does not consider herself or himself worthy of receiving something good. I believe that the reason some people do not even begin to exercise is that they do not consider themselves deserving of the investment in their bodies. A woman may say “it’s not worth it,” when what she is really saying is “I’m not worth it.” Over the years, this kind of thinking becomes comfortable, secure, a trap. She never spends the time and energy needed to receive the benefits of exercise – a stronger heart (as we discussed last week and a more capable body.

What would it take to convince someone trapped in a lie of unworthiness, of valuelessness, to believe that he or she is worth it? Confronting a lie is scary and difficult, but the truth is powerful and victorious. The truth tears down lies. The truth is that you are valuable. God purchased you at a price. “For you have been bought with a price,” the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:20. The price was the life of God’s Son, Jesus, who died on the cross for you, for me, for the world. The reason? God is merciful and gracious (Psalm 134:8) and He loves you. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) “Us all” includes you!

Do you believe this? For some, it is hard to accept this gift of love. Possibly, growing up, whatever you did was never good enough, or you were not treated as though you were loved. Or maybe you feel that no one values you in the job market or accepts you as you are. But, think of the good shepherd who already had his ninety-nine sheep with him and went off to hunt for the single lost sheep because he cared so dearly for it. (Luke 15:4-7) Or how about this: Matthew 6:30 of The Message Bible says “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers – most of which are never even seen - don’t you think He’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do His best for you?” If God cares about these hidden wildflowers that seem to have no obvious purpose, how much more does God care about you!

So let’s focus on the truth. God loves you and cares about you. “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) If we are loved by God, if we are on the receiving end of this extravagant love and have the blessing of eternal life, then let’s live accordingly. You are worth taking care of! It may be a daunting sacrifice for you to begin exercising (or whatever you need to do to improve your health). Focus on the truth and live in the confidence of God’s love and care for you!

For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
1 Corinthians 6:20

Yes, starting to exercise can be daunting, but I hope to make it less so by encouraging you to find ways to add activity to your day. It is a worthwhile goal to include 30 minutes of moderate activity each day. If losing weight is one of your goals, a good strategy is to slightly cut back on your calorie intake -- by about 100 to 200 calories per day (That alone would add up to 10 to 20 pounds lost in a year!) – and increase the number of calories you burn. (In other words, more activity!)

Let’s look for a moment at calories. A calorie is a unit of energy. Food you eat contains energy, measured in calories. Your body requires energy, also measured in calories. Your body uses calories for all its activities, including rest. Your body draws on calories to maintain and repair every cell and system. Even your brain requires over 300 calories per day (based on a 150-pound man). You use calories while you get dressed, digest food, care for your family and pets, move around your home or office, and every time you take a step. Some people have more “nervous energy” and cannot sit still. These people burn an estimated 300 additional calories daily just in their fidgeting (as reported in Science magazine in 2005). Urban sprawl and mechanization (thanks to automatic washing machines, garage door openers, riding lawn mowers, automobiles, etc.) in the last several decades have detracted from our calorie burning to the tune of 100 to 200 calories per day. That adds up to 10 to 20 pounds gained per year!

How do we counteract this? You have to build into your daily life opportunities to burn calories. This means starting new habits, such as parking your car farther away. (Take a look at where cars are parked in store parking lots and you’ll see how few people actually do this!) Stand up from your desk to reach items you need. Walk around while talking on the phone. Ban the remote control. (Or how about giving up one tv show per week and go for a walk instead?) Take a ten minute walking break whenever you can, either outdoors, in the big box store, or around your own home.

Here are activities you can combine to burn more calories. Choose four of these activities to burn approximately 100 calories. (I say approximately because it depends on your current weight, your muscle mass and how much effort you put into it.) Always check with your doctor before starting any kind of exercise program!

Do Four of these activities to burn 100 Calories:

Ten minutes of walking – from car to store, bus stop to work, etc.
Ten minute walk with your dog.
Ten minute leisurely walk with a friend, family member or while on the phone.
Ten minutes of household chores.
Ten minutes of leisurely bicycling.
Ten minutes of raking leaves or gardening.
Five minutes of brisk walking.
Five minutes climbing stairs.

You may double up. For example, take the dog for a ten minute leisurely walk and then walk briskly for 5 minutes. Do this morning and evening and you’ve burned 100 calories. On a different day you might go for a ten minute bicycle ride in the morning, walk an extra ten minutes between your car and the store, climb stairs for five minutes, and then in the evening, walk ten minutes while talking on the phone. Mix it up to adapt to your schedule, weather conditions and interests so you don’t get bored. Let this be the beginning of a new habit resulting in more activity built into your day!

A New Heart and a New Start

Think of a stone. Cold, hard. Impenetrable and un-malleable. That’s how Ezekiel described the heart before God replaces it with a heart of flesh. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26) A heart of stone is self-centered, is not bothered by sin, and does not care about the issues God cares about. A stone heart does not love God, in un-teachable and, like the “stony ground” of Matthew 13:20 – 21, is unproductive in the work of God.

The good news is that God gives us a heart transplant. Because of God’s love and mercy in sending His Son, Jesus, to absorb the penalty for our wrongdoings, He removes our heart of “stone” and gives us a heart of “flesh.” A heart of flesh is clean (Psalm 51:10), loves God, and is grieved by sin. A heart of flesh is the dwelling place of God’s love and Spirit (Romans 5:5 and Psalm 51:10) and is therefore teachable, sensitive to God’s will, and is able to be led by the Holy Spirit to do what pleases God. Not only this, but Romans 5:5 says that because of the grace we’ve obtained by faith in Christ, our new heart enables us to persevere and have hope during trials and tribulations. “And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

What kind of heart do you have? Is it a cold, impenetrable, “stone” heart that does not care about the things of God? Or is it a heart of “flesh” that loves God? The words of Ezekiel 36:26 are a good prayer for yourself or someone you care about. It is God who performs the heart transplant because of the love and mercy He showed us in sending Jesus to take the penalty for our sins. By faith in Jesus, we have a new heart, a new start, and a new life. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26)

God removes the heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh. Now we are responsible for taking care of our heart so it can carry out its amazing job of pumping oxygen and nutrients to every cell in our body. And caring for your heart brings about numerous side benefits: controlled weight, lowered blood pressure, increased endurance, more even blood sugar levels, stronger muscles and bones, improved blood lipid levels, increased circulation and a lifted sense of well-being. With all these benefits, who would not want to do what’s best for the heart?

So how do you care for your heart? Activity! By getting your body moving so that your heart rate is temporarily increased. Your breathing will pick up (You don’t want to be out of breath, though!) and you will feel that you are putting in some effort. Walking (outdoors, in a mall or on a treadmill), jogging, cycling, swimming, cross country skiing, dancing, climbing stairs, playing a sport or pumping your legs on an elliptical machine or stationary bicycle are all examples of activities that will accomplish this.

Remember that this does not have to be breathless, exhausting, unsustainable activity. It can be moderate – an exertion level you can continue for several minutes. You can do vigorous exercise if you are fit, but moderate is good because you are more likely to stick with it! Regular, moderately vigorous exercise significantly reduces the risk of heart disease. (For more information about heart disease, click here.)

Before beginning any exercise program, get your doctor’s approval. This is essential if you are over 50, smoke, or have heart disease (or a family history of heart disease), or have diabetes or any orthopedic condition you want checked.

Begin your activity at a slower rate for five minutes to gradually warm up your joints and muscles and ramp up your heart rate. If you are just starting, you might do five or ten minutes of activity. But gradually over several weeks you should build up to at least 30 minutes per day, five days per week (for a total of 150 minutes per week). If you are able to do 30 minutes every day, that’s fine too! Before finishing, spend another five minutes cooling down at a relaxed pace to let your heart rate drop down to its normal level. You may click to read a previous posting about cardiovascular activities.

Remember that this is moderate intensity. On a scale of 0 to 10 (Your Rate of Perceived Exertion – a barometer of how hard you feel that you are working), you want to exert yourself at a level between 4 and 6 (moderate to moderately hard). If you want to work vigorously, at a level of 7 to 8, you could exercise for at least 20 minutes, three times per week. Another way to monitor your intensity is to measure your heart rate. Take your pulse at your wrist for ten seconds and multiply by six to get the number of beats per minute. (There is a formula to calculate your target heart rate range.)

Take care of your heart of flesh and benefit other aspects of your body as well. You will be better able to go the length in caring for those you love! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Calculating Your Target Heart Rate

How to Calculate Your Target Heart Rate

Use this formula to find the range of beats per minute for exercising at a moderate to vigorous level.

Maximum Heart Rate = 220 – Your Age. (If you find that your heart rate is higher than this, slow down.)

Target Heart Rate Range (in Beats Per Minute):

Lower End = Maximum Heart Rate x 0.6
Upper End = Maximum Heart Rate x 0.8

Example: If your age is 60, your Maximum Heart Rate is 220 – 60 = 160.
Lower End = 160 x 0.6 = 96 beats per minute (About 16 counts in a 10 second period)
Upper End = 160 x 0.8 = 128 beats per minute (About 21 counts in a 10 second period)
Count your pulse at your wrist for 10 seconds. Multiply the count by 6 to find your beats per minute.

Lifted Up

The book of John, more than any other book in the Bible, thoroughly describes who Jesus is. Through His teaching, His miracles and His conversations, many people who heard and saw Jesus came to believe that He is the Son of God. But not the Pharisees. They did not understand who Jesus was or where He came from. John Chapter 8 describes a conversation between Jesus and this group.

One thing Jesus told the Pharisees is that He did not come to earth on His own initiative (John 8:42), but was sent by the Father. (John 7:29). Jesus stated that He was not acting independently, and that His judgment and testimony are not His own. (John 8:16, 18) Everything Jesus said and did was under the Father’s direction and to please the Father (John 8:26, 28-29, and John 5:19) Still, the Pharisees did not get it. “Who are you ,” they asked in verse 25.

The consequence of missing Jesus’ identity are serious: “…unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins,” Jesus told them. (John 8:24) But then in verse 28, Jesus gave a clue: “when you lift up the Son of Man (referring to Himself), then you will know that I am He.” In verse 24 we have “unless”. In verse 28 we have “when”. This gives us some hope that we can believe.

What does “I Am He” mean? This goes back to when God called to Moses from the burning bush. (Exodus 3:14) God told Moses His name is “I AM WHO I AM.” So in saying “I am He,” Jesus was stating that He is God and the anointed one - the Messiah - and that when He is “lifted up” we would know it.

Jesus was “lifted up” when He was crucified on the cross and resurrected. (And many people did believe in Him as a result.) Jesus’ death on the cross shows us that He is the promised Savior who died to remove the penalty of sin. Jesus provides the escape from going to our death while still carrying the guilt from our sins.

What about you? Do you know who Jesus is? Do you believe He is sent from God and is the Messiah, that He is part of the I AM? If you haven’t thought through these questions, or if you are wondering about Jesus’ claims, read through the book of John in the New Testament of the Bible and discover for yourself who Jesus is.

…when you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He… John 8:28

Last week we did the “multi-million dollar necklace” exercise, which challenged your alignment and worked the muscles around your spine. (You may click here to review that.) Now we’re going to take it a step further and add a forward fold at your hips. Read on to find out how!

Sit in a firm chair (not upholstered) with your feet flat on the floor and your hands next to your hips. Recheck your alignment (ears over shoulders over hips) and lengthen your spine Pretend you want to create distance between each vertebra and move your ribcage upward, away from your pelvis. (Your upper body is vertical.) Keep your navel pulled inward toward your spine. This is your starting position.

Next, slowly fold your body at your hips: Maintain the length in your spine and your ears-shoulders-hips alignment and bring your chest toward your thighs. They key is to not curl your spine, but to keep it long. That is the challenging part because you need to use the muscles in your back to prevent your spine from curling forward. Then slowly lift up (still with your spine long!) to return to the starting position. You can exhale as you “fold” and inhale as you come back up to vertical. If you have any pain, stop, and if you aren’t sure if you should do an exercise, ask your doctor first.

Start with five “folds” and over the course of a few weeks, you can gradually build up to ten or twelve “reps.” Do this one every day if you wish, but at least three times per week. This is one of those exercises that can truly be done anywhere. You will notice yourself gaining length and strength!