Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
KEEPING HOUSE
May 3, 2011 Read: Mark 13
"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back." --Mark 13:35
My wife Wendy and I live in a house of toddlers which means that at any given moment, our little home can look like hurricane-force winds blew through, tossing about everything that isn't nailed down. Toys are scattered, clothes are strewn over the furniture and...is that string cheese ground into our rug? We try, sometimes to no avail, to keep up with the cyclical mess.
However, once I get word that my mother-in-law is coming to visit, a new side of me emerges -- an unrelenting, super-cleaning alter ego that is intent on spot-shining the house into model-home glory. You see, not only did her and my father-in-law help us buy this place, but Ethelmarie keeps a pretty tidy household. And while she may not be bothered by the mountainous pile of juice cups in my sink, I still don't want her to see it. But my inner Mr. Clean -- the one that speedily washes fingerprints from windows and mops floors -- really only comes out when I know she's stopping by. And while her visits are usually announced, we love that she will occasionally just stop by. As a result, Wendy and I are now doing our best to keep the house Ethel-ready (as much as Mya and Ella will allow, that is) at all times.
We all have houses to keep -- both brick-and-mortar and flesh-and-blood. And you never really know when company's coming.
Lord, we are so grateful for the bodies that house our souls and do not take lightly that we were made in your image. Please help us find the daily motivation to be faithful stewards of the physical gifts we've been given. Amen.
--E.V.
ON TARGET: LUNGES FOR HAMSTRINGS The workout of the week may not target the muscle groups you think it is
When most people think of lunges, they think of sore quads. Sure, lunges work your quadriceps -- the large muscles that cover the front of your thighs -- but new research indicates that this functional exercise may primarily target their antagonist (opposite) muscle group.
Swedish researchers had competitive soccer players perform four sets of 12 reps of the walking lunge twice a week for six weeks. And when they tested the subjects at the end of the study, they found that the athletes had gained a 35% increase in hamstrings strength. Their average increase in quad strength, meanwhile, was zero which indicates that the lunge may be more of a hammie move than you thought.
The catch is that the study included walking lunges. This week's workout included the stationary version of the lunge. Both varieties are effective for targeting hamstrings, although the stationary lunge may provide a small amount of additional work for the quads because of the step back to the start position.
Source: Jim Stoppani, PhD
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WHEN JESUS KNOCKED
December 2, 2010Read: Revelation 3
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." --Revelation 3:20
It was a typical day, a very normal day much like this one, when Jesus knocked on my heart's door. I wasn't expecting company, so when He knocked, I hesitated. Looking through the peep hole, I wasn't exactly sure what to do, so I paused. Again, He knocked gently. As I slowly opened the door to invite Him in, I admit, I was a bit embarrassed at what He walked into. I had plenty of grudges lying around, and the smell of fear lingered heavy in the air. Like I said, I wasn't expecting Him. Quickly trying to clean the place up, I asked if I could get Him anything, but He just made his way through the halls. He seemed to know His away around.
He first walked by my room of regrets. "Ugh, why didn't I keep that door closed?", I grumbled to myself. Then my shoulders drooped when He saw all the corners where I stood in compromise. "He'll surely want to leave now."
But the next thing I knew, we were in the backyard. I seldom went out there, but He led me to the garden of Grace that He himself had planted. He said this garden will never die, and that I should spend time there each day. I nodded.
Then to my surprise, when we walked back inside, everything was made new. It even had a new room; a Master's bedroom. He said if I'd let Him, that's where He'd stay. Then almost immediately, what was once a den full of doubts had become a "living" room of faith.
I'm so glad I let Him in that day. He's the resident king in the castle of my heart. I know I don't always live like I know that, but He shows me the garden everyday. And I nod.
--J.P.
FITNESS TO-DO LIST: WRITE IT DOWN
If you don't currently keep a journal, now is the day to start. By logging your progress or workouts in terms of number of sets, reps, rest periods, for example, you can track from one workout to the next just how well you’re doing. If you don’t keep a journal, it makes it very difficult for you to know if you’re improving.
Next week, we'll run a three-part series on better journal keeping. We hope that you'll start your own and visit us all next week for ways to fine tune it! For now, visit some of our featured workout journals to see how others are working toward healthier bodies.
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