Staying Fit at Home

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A few years ago I founded a Facebook running group called “Runners Helping Runners.” We continue to grow with 25,000-plus members. The description of the group is as follows:

This is a private RUNNING group where we talk about all things RUNNING without boring our non-running friends, a place where runners on all levels are welcome and respected, a place where honest advice is given and received, and a place where running-related pictures are welcome and encouraged.

During these unusual days when many of us are still working from home some due to the Covid-19 safeguards and restrictions, many runners in my group are struggling with their fitness. A lack of motivation and excessive anxiety has been a common theme. Here are some simple tips to improve fitness at home.

5 Tips to Staying Fit at Home

Body weight exercises. Many gyms are open again, but you don’t have to go to a local gym or have expensive home equipment to improve fitness. If you have a few hand weights, exercise bands, a kettle bell, and exercise mats, you can perform a multitude of exercises. You can do push-ups, stretches, dumbbell carries, one-arm kettle bell carries, squats, calf raises, slides, arm curls, and many other exercises right at home. I use the stairs going down to our basement constantly for exercise as well. I carry weights up and down, perform step-ups with and without weights along with calf raises. Be creative and get stronger right at home.

Go for a walk. It’s good for the body and the mind to get out of the house and breathe in some fresh air. While practicing good social distancing, go for a walk in your neighborhood. Go alone sometimes, walk with your spouse sometimes, push the kids in a stroller–just get outside and get the body moving to improve your aerobic capacity.

Run some. Are you surprised that I would recommend running? If you’re a beginning runner you might benefit from my post, “6 Tips for Beginning Runners.” Don’t overdo it, but adding a little running with your walking to really get your heart pumping and clear your head. Don’t overdo it and have fun!

Eat better. I’ve heard it said that you “can’t outrun a bad diet.” I believe that is true. I have actually gained weight while training for a marathon. While we’re at home and rarely eating fast food, we have an opportunity to fine-tune our eating. Numerous websites exist to help track calories and nutrition facts. My favorite is MyFitPal. You can create a free account, set up goals, and the site helps track your eating and progress along the way.

Sleep well. As a marathon runner, I have learned that sleep is a crucial part of training. Our body rebuilds as we sleep and we should give it a high priority. You may improve your sleep patterns if you remove distractions as you wind down for the evening, turn off electronic devices an hour or so before bedtime, practice a sleep routine, reduce the temperature in the house, and make your room as dark as possible.

Many of us want to improve our fitness, but we’re so busy with work and life. These unusual times might prove to be the perfect time to begin or improve your fitness routine. Start today and don’t forget to HAVE FUN!

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5 Mistakes During Conflict

Posted in Book Reviews, Church Chat, Church Consulting, Conflict, Deacon, Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry, PreachingLeave a comment

We are increasingly seeing conflict in society in general and in our local churches specifically. In their book entitled Redeeming Church Conflicts: Turning Crisis into Compassion and Care, Tara Klena Barthel and David V. Edling did a great job defining conflict and uncovering what the Bible says we should do when conflict arises. In the first chapter, they shared five mistakes that most people make when conflict happens. These mistakes are the beginning of a tragic downward spiral.

5 Mistakes People Make During Conflict

1. We think OUR evaluation of the situation is always right. I’ve made this mistake and you have as well. It’s easy and natural to do, but it’s not best to do. In order to resolve conflict, we must be open to listen to the “other side” and be willing to consider that we are not totally right on the issue.

2. We treat people differently than God treats US. God treats us with love and grace. He forgives us when we don’t deserve it. During conflict, we often treat the other person with contempt and disrespect which leads us to disdain their perspective.

3. We assume that God is on OUR side. Although we may accept that those on the other side of the conflict are believers, we believe that we uniquely have God’s attention, care, and blessing more than our opponents do.

4. We become DEFENSIVE. As soon as we become defensive, we become closed and narrow. We believe that God takes our side on the issue and condemns those on the other side of the conflict in the same way that we do.

5. We are marked by PRIDE and selfishness. These characteristics are not from the Lord. Instead, Christ wants us to be marked by humility and love which leads toward reconciliation.

Conflict is a normal part of life. No one is exempt! But, as believers, God calls us to respond differently than the world and to DO OUR BEST to resolve the conflict.

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:18 (NKJV)

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3 Common Areas of Prejudice

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In Galatians 3 the Apostle Paul mentions three common areas of prejudice that the churches of Galatia faced in his day.  Prejudice was present in that day and discrimination was often the result.  Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul:

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”  Galatians 3:26-29

Keep in mind that the Apostle Paul founded the churches of Galatia on his second missionary journey and revisited them on his third missionary journey.  Although some Biblical scholars believe that the Book of Galatians was written earlier, most believe the letter was written around 58 A.D. Ten years earlier, the Christian leaders gathered in Jerusalem to discuss some of these same issues (Acts 15).  Some Jewish believers, called Judaizers, taught that Gentile Christians had to follow certain Old Testament regulations in order to be saved.  They were prejudiced towards the Gentile believers and demanded they look and act like them.

The Apostle Paul seems to be addressing this issue ten years later in this letter. Bias, prejudice, and discrimination never completely went away. They were still present ten years after the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) where they addressed the issue and they’re still present today.  Even worse, they’re still present in the church!

Let me ask a few questions.  Are you prejudiced towards….

  • Christians of other races?
  • Christians from different income levels?
  • Christians of the opposite sex?
  • Christians of different ages?
  • Christians who prefer a different worship style?
  • Christians who prefer a different translation of the Bible?
  • Christians who prefer a different type of music?
  • Christians who dress differently when they come to church?
Prayer:  Lord, please examine my heart!  Bring to the light every hint and every act of prejudice in my life.  Expose me!  Convict me!  Forgive me!  Change me!  Amen.

Re-post – “Father & Son”

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In honor of our military, I am re-posting an entry I wrote on October 23, 2008 while my oldest son, Matthew, was in basic training.  He is currently serving in the Air Guard in Louisville, Kentucky.

Father and Son (Written 10.23.08)

Please forgive me for being a little more personal than usual tonight.  Three weeks ago my son left for basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.  As expected, I did not hear from him at all during the last three weeks.  At times, the desire to hear his voice has been overwhelming.  I can only imagine what some of my co-workers and some of you face with family members serving in areas of conflict or living as missionaries for long periods of time.

Today, we received a letter and a brief call from our son. As many of you know from experience, basic training is difficult and I can tell he is struggling.  Every father fiber in me wants to jump on the next plane and go fix the situation.  Tonight, my heart aches for my son.  When he hurts, I hurt.  All I know to do is to wait and to pray!  Again I’ve prayed, “Father, take care of my boy. Strengthen Him through your Holy Spirit. Support Him.  Sustain Him.  Hold Him.  Let Him know You are there!”

Can you imagine the pain our Heavenly Father felt while His Son was suffering on the cross?  Can we even begin to understand how God the Father’s heart ached when Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?”  Surely every Father fiber in Him wanted to come down here and rescue His Son!  But, His love for us, kept Him from bailing out.  His love compelled Him to hold back.  His love saw past the cross to our forgiveness.

Tonight, I am reminded of similar moments of pain on my journey of following Jesus.  As I’ve walked with Christ, I’ve discovered two things that I cling to tonight: God is faithful and God is love.  In no way, does that mean that things will be easy or that things will work out the way I desire, but He is always faithful and He always loves.

Before I turn in tonight, I think I’ll be encouraged by listening to Mac Powell from Third Day as he sets the following verses to music:

“Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 36:5-7 (NIV)

2 Ways to Eliminate Hurry

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Speed Limit.25One of the great books on spiritual disciplines is John Ortberg’s book, The Life You’ve Always Wanted:  Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People.  You can read my review of the book by clicking here.

One of the spiritual disciplines he talks about in the book is the practice of “slowing.”  Have you ever thought about “slowing” as a spiritual practice?  One of his mentors told him that if he wanted to grow spiritually that he must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from his life.  Listen to a great quote from his book:

Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.  Hurry can destroy our souls.  Hurry can keep us from living well….Again and again, as we pursue spiritual life, we must do battle with hurry.  For many of us the great danger is not that we renounce our faith.  It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it.  We will just skim our lives instead of actually living them.

Most of us battle the hurry sickness, but how can we treat it–how can we cure it?  There are two main practices that can help us swim against our culture’s current of hurry.

2 Ways to Eliminate Hurry from Our Lives

1.  Slowing.  Slowing involves cultivating patience by deliberately choosing to place ourselves in positions where we simply have to wait.  Slowing will seem like such a “waste of time,” but it is invaluable.  Here are some examples.  Deliberately drive in the slow lane.  Chew your food slowly.  Get in the longest check-out line at the grocery store.  Go through an entire week without wearing a watch.  Read each sentence slowly–then read it again even more slowly.

2.  Solitude.  Solitude is a more traditional spiritual practice.  I’m not saying that we should take it to the extreme and join a monastery.  I’m just saying that solitude is the one place where we can gain freedom from the forces of society that will otherwise relentlessly mold us.  When we’re “alone” with God–He molds us!

We need some small measures of solitude every day.  A walk, a run, a short drive, working in the yard, sitting in the car before going into the office, a quiet time–all these serve as moments of solitude.  On occasion, we need longer periods of solitude.  Take an afternoon to yourself or even an entire day.  Go to a place where you will be uninterrupted and alone.  Spend the day relaxing, reading, walking, napping, etc.

Both of these practices have been vital to my spiritual growth and to my ability to hear from God.  By the way, if you haven’t read John Ortberg’s book on spiritual disciplines, you must do so.  Here’s a link to Amazon where you can purchase the book and get started.  I wish I had read this book as a new Christian and learned about the practice of “slowing” and many of the other spiritual disciplines that have helped me to grow in recent years.