Strength Works

Somewhere around mile nine or ten of this morning's run, the old knee started to yell at me. I made it twelve miles. But coming up that last small hill, and hitting the final stretch that leads to my house, I hobbled like a character from an old Tim Conway skit. And it got me thinking about how I want to cross the finish line of my life. Yes, as Christian I hope to enter heaven. And if all I can do is limp over the finish line, I'm good with that. But I want more. I want to cross the celestial timing mats with a kick. Peter said it like this: God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 2:11, NLT). He is, perhaps, making an allusion to the kind of reception a returning Roman conqueror would enjoy. I can imagine Peter received such a welcome when he entered into glory. Yes, he died in apparent defeat - crucified upside down. But he was a conqueror. I'm a mediocre runner at best. But I know enough to real...

If you grew up in the 70’s like I did, you probably watched Rocky in a movie theater while eating a monster bucket of popcorn. And what do you remember about that movie? You remember Sylvester Stallone doing those explosive one hand pushups. And you thought, Man I wish I could do that. Well you can. If you’ll stop wishing and get to work. Push Up Plank So what if you’ve never cranked out a single decent pushup? Or you haven’t attempted one in years? How are are you ever going to reach one hand Stallonedome? You can begin by mastering the push up plank . This fundamental exercise will strengthen your core and start to engage all the muscles that are involved in doing a good form push up. To start, get on hands and knees with your feet together and your hands just a little wider than your shoulders. Now lift your knees off the ground and lock your arms. Your shoulders, butt, and feet should form a straight line to the floor. You’ll need to flex your abdominals to keep your back st...

Getting in shape isn't rocket surgery. Here are four things that you can do right now - without spending a dime on a gym membership or video program - that will start you on the road to healthier living. 1. Practice What You Know Here's a radical idea: the next time you find yourself staring at a piece of food and saying, "I really shouldn't eat this," just stop. Don't stick it in your pie-hole. We all know a good deal more about nutrition than we practice. So start putting your know-how to use right now. 2. Don't Try To Lose Weight Seriously. Don't do this. Instead, focus on getting healthy. Make sensible diet and exercise habits part of your life and your body will find its own ideal weight. 3. Embrace the Carbs The low-carb diet. Just one act of craziness that people commit when trying to lose weight. Not good. Your body had three sources of energy: carbs, fats and proteins. Complex carbs, such as whole grain bread, are the easiest for your...

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I started running when I was already pushing 50. I thought about this verse often; usually when I felt like stopping. Seriously, can I really do "all things?"  After a long, sedentary time in my life, I trained for and finished my first 10K in 64:51. Nothing spectacular. It took the guy who won the race less than half that time to fly up and down Monument Avenue. So, if my faith was stronger, could I have passed him? After all, I can do "all things." Not a chance. When Paul wrote the words, "all things," he wasn't referring to just any crazy idea that dashed into his mind. He meant that he could rise to any challenge to which God had called him. In his case, he was trying to live and minister while under house arrest. So God had not called me to win that 10K. But I believe He had called me to get my butt out of my big red recliner, prep for the race, and complete it. Through C...