Porch with a View

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will But not a single sparrow will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father?" --Matthew 10:29

Read: Matthew 10

Spent Easter at home. It's not that we didn't have anywhere to go after church but we just had too many reasons to stay. A day that began with a good ballgame and a brand new book found me on the same front porch where I started and finished both. And speaking of the porch, I spent hours watching a little family of birds take up residence in a tree just steps from our door. What can I say? It was been a perfect day. Where's Norman Rockwell when you need him?

Moments like these remind me how great God's love is. He doesn't miss a chance to delight in you and me. He's crazy about us, and He's near.

Which brings me back to those birds. They're living in a birdhouse we bought years ago, long before they were born. A small, yellow, wooden birdhouse with a greenish-brown roof and a "Bless This Nest" emblem under the tiny opening. (Let me see if I can get a good pic of it...got it. There he is.) Little do they realize, but their new home was placed so close to ours on purpose -- simply to bring us joy as we watch them live. You know, if Heaven has a porch, I bet God goes there a lot, just to enjoy the view up close. I like to think He's there right now, watching what He loves best. So God...please bless this nest.

--Jimmy Peña

P.S. Oh, the little guy has been working so hard. Going and coming with little twigs. Building and building. I'm mesmerized. Imagine if we find such joy watching a sparrow live and work... Folks, we're praying for you and your little nest. If we can pray specifically about something or if you want to simply say "Unspoken Request," write it in the comments section, and we promise to pray for you.

TRAINING TIP: Use Your Imagination

Compound pulling exercises -- moves like pulldowns, pull-ups and rows in which you move at multiple joints -- are great for building strength in your back but they can be tough to master. Here's how to use a little brain power to boost the effectiveness of these moves in your next workout.

>> CLICK HERE: Build a stronger back with this strategy...

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MIRACLE GROW

June 23, 2011Read: Luke 19

"'I tell you,' he replied, 'If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." --Luke 19:40

I know I'm getting older and much more sentimental, because few things in life nowadays are as great as overhearing my wife talking to her plants. Can you relate? Her voice changes in pitch as she compliments and encourages. She apologizes to those not getting enough sun and to those getting too much. Supplying all that love simply brings her pleasure.

I like to think about how sentimental God must be. He cares for us, talks to us, feeds us and protects us. We're alive simply for His pleasure, and He loves to watch us grow. But the cool thing is, we're the part of His creation designed to thank and praise Him in return. And friends, the way we care for our health is one way to do just that. After all, if we find fulfillment when the things we love respond, just imagine God, seeing us do the same.

--J.P.

TIP OF THE DAY: Visualize to Maximize

Monday, our workout of the week targeted your back. But a few of the moves are easy to get wrong if you don't make one simple adjustment.

Pulling exercises are multijoint moves, meaning that movement occurs at more than one joint. In the case of rows, pulldowns and pull-ups, your elbows and shoulders are both working to execute each rep. But the tendency with many back movements is to let your biceps dominate -- flexion at the elbow takes center stage, giving your back a bit of a break and thereby minimizing the effectiveness of the exercise.

One way you can reduce -- not eliminate -- the assistance provided by your biceps is to use your imagination. On movements such as the lat pulldown, imagine you have strings attached to your elbows that pull them straight down toward the ground. This will help you initiate the pull with your elbows instead of your biceps, which will engage your lats harder. The concept is similar with seated rows, only your elbows should pull straight back to start each rep.

By making this simple mental adjustment, you'll be able to get your brain to "speak" more effectively to the muscles in your back during each workout.

Bonus Tip: To work your back muscles even more thoroughly, allow your shoulder blades to spread fully at the "top" of every movement. This will provide a longer stretch on each rep. Then, be sure to squeeze your shoulder blades together for a count at the bottom of each rep. This extends your range of motion on both ends, providing greater stimulus for strength and tone in these hard-to-reach muscles.