Flying Without Wings

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." --Matthew 6:33

Read: Matthew 6

In Jonathan Pierce's song "Flying Without Wings", a great line always connects with me. He sings:

"So impossible as it may seem, you've got to fight for every dream. 'Cause who's to know, which one you let go, would've made you complete."

Last week, the space shuttle Discovery, sitting atop a 747 shuttle carrier aircraft, flew over the Washington Monument; its last flight. See, both the goal and the cost to get there are just too high. A bittersweet end to NASA's dream of boldly going where no man has gone before. But no matter where you stand on the politics of it, one thing is undisputed: We went as high as we could.

Friends, as we begin the week pursuing Jesus, let's be dreamers who fight for the things God put in our hearts. If He's called our souls to it, everything we have -- including our health -- is subject to that calling. And as believers, we're climbers, over-comers, and conquerors. So keep going, stay strong. Let's go as high as we can on earth, knowing Jesus paid the cost for the Heaven-seekers to someday go higher.

--Jimmy Peña

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Shoulders, Arms, Abs

Sure, it's still early spring but that means it's the perfect time to start getting ready for summer. This workout tackles shoulders, arms and abs. All you need is a set of dumbbells and a little bit of space, either at home or the gym.

For each exercise listed, choose a weight that brings about failure at the rep range listed. By "failure," we simply mean the point at which you can no longer complete reps with good form. For example, if you complete 15 reps when you could have done 18, you should probably use a bit more weight on the next.

Spend about five minutes warming up -- jumping jacks, running in place, jumping rope and shadowboxing are all good ways to increase your heart rate and core temperature as well as prime your joints and muscles for the work ahead. This is preferable to static stretching ahead of exercise, which does not reduce your risk of injury or increase flexibility. Rest no longer that one minute between sets.

SHOULDERS Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 Sets of 10-15 Standing Dumbbell Overheard Press: 3 Sets of 10-15 Standing Dumbbell Upright Row: 3 Sets of 10-15

ARMS Dumbbell Curl: 3 Sets of 10-15 Dumbbell Kickback: 3 Sets of 10-15

ABS Double Crunch: 3 Sets to failure

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HIGHER

July 14, 2011Read: Genesis 1

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." -- Genesis 1:1

Experts agree that with NASA's launch last week, man has officially traveled as high as he'll ever go. Thirty years after the shuttle's first mission to the final frontier, the program lifted off on its last.

Oh my friends, we may not be able to puncture space, but the composer and conductor of the universe will someday take us much higher. The galaxies we can't reach are not out of His, and what we call the final frontier is really just the beginning. Our limits are good reminders that He has none. Astrologists may tell us the sun is the center of it all, but if we want to go even higher, we'd be wise to seek the Son...the center of it all.

-J.P.

6 TIPS FOR MINDFUL EATING

A National Institute of Health (NIH) study on binge eaters examined how eating pace affected satiety but the results can be broadly applied by anyone looking to achieve or keep to a healthy weight.

According to the research, which was reported in the Harvard Medical School newsletter, digestion involves a complex series of hormonal signals between the gut and the nervous system, and it seems to take about 20 minutes for the brain to register satiety (fullness). If someone eats too quickly, satiety may occur after overeating instead of putting a stop to it. There’s also reason to believe that eating while we’re distracted by activities like driving or typing may slow down or stop digestion similar to how the “fight or flight” response does. And if we’re not digesting well, we may be missing out on the full nutritive value of some of the food we’re consuming. Use their six tips to maintain reasonable sized portions and to get more nutritive value out of what you're eating.

1 Set a timer to 20 minutes and use the entire time to eat a normal-sized meal.

2 Try eating with your non-dominant hand. If you're a righty, hold your fork in your left hand during meals.

3 Use chopsticks if you don't normally use them.

4 Eat silently for five minutes, thinking about what it took to produce that meal, from the sun's rays to the farmer to the grocer to the cook.

5 Take small bites and chew well.

6 Ask yourself if you're really hungry before foraging through the fridge or pantry.

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