One Less Excuse to Not Exercise

A study appeared in the March 2010 issue of The Journal of Physiology revealing that you don’t have to go all out with your exercise regimen to be effective. The method of exercise referred to is called interval training. You may have heard of this. It not only takes less time, the method is easy to follow and does not require any special equipment. It also has been shown to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes as well as other diseases.

The study involved eight to twelve-one minute bursts of exercise on a stationary bicycle at a relatively low intensity and then a rest period of 75 seconds. The total time of the exercise session was 20 to 25 minutes. Although it was done on a stationary bicycle, this method can be used in whatever type of exercise you prefer. During the one minute bursts, the heart rate should be about 95% of maximum.

The participants in the study performed six sessions over 14 days. After this time they had shown the same benefits as traditional, long-duration endurance training. 

"What we've been able to show is that interval training does not have to be "all out" in order to be effective and time-efficient," says Martin Gibala, professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University. "While still a very demanding form of training, the exercise might be more achievable by the general public - not just elite athletes - and it certainly doesn't require the use of specialized laboratory equipment.”

So, we now have one less excuse for not exercising. Surely we can fit 20 to 25 minutes every other day into our life.

Sometimes the Lord Doesn’t Move the Way You Expect He Will

My husband and I have been praying for our neighborhood ever since we moved in about 2 ½ years ago. We didn’t know how the Lord was going to use us, but we felt He was going to do something.

We started a fellowship on Saturday mornings, providing breakfast for whoever showed up. We then met together to worship, pray and minister to one another. We had anywhere from one couple, to a couple dozen show up…we never knew. But those who did show up were not from our neighborhood.

Then a family moved in next door; Mom, Dad, and three young sons. The dad had just gotten out of prison where he had accepted the Lord. He had prayed that the Lord would lead him to a house to rent where he could find some fellowship to help him stay on the right track. Once he found out we were Christians, he was over every chance he could get.

Eventually, his wife and three boys all came to the Lord. It was very exciting. They began coming to fellowship on Saturday mornings too. Then, little 9 year old Robert started asking his friends if they knew Jesus and bringing them over. So we felt like the Lord was telling us to do a Vacation Bible School for all these un-churched boys in the neighborhood.

Melissa, the mom next door, and another mom, Alicia, had been having a women’s Bible study with me each week and we decided as summer rolled around, that we would prepare the VBS for the kids. We found a web site that had FREE VBS curriculum and chose the lessons on the fruit of the Spirit. We divided up the work so it would not be a burden on any of us and we chose a week in July to start. We would do one day a week for five weeks.

When we got most of the way through June we noticed that we did not see any kids running around the neighborhood AT ALL during the week days. Melissa asked her boys about it and found out that all of the kids went to relatives or babysitters during the day. We had to change our plans. We decided the only day we could do it and have kids able to come would have to be on Saturday. So we sent out invitations for the days and times we chose and started getting our supplies together.

Many of the kids said they wanted to come and sounded excited about it. But in the end, only one of the boys showed up. Along with the two boys from next door, Alicia’s daughter, a girl from our fellowship and my 4 grandchildren, we totaled 9 kids.

We had a really great time! All the kids had a blast, and they learned a lot about important concepts like the Trinity, Salvation, Assurance of Salvation, abiding in Christ and, of course, the fruit of the Spirit.

The thing is…I think the Lord had a different plan than we thought He had. We thought we were reaching the neighborhood kids for Him. He used these lessons, and the children to teach us adults a TON about being Loving, Joyful, Peaceful, Patient, Kind, Good, Faithful, Gentle and having Self Control. The teachers learned so much more than the students! And I believe the lessons we all learned will last us into eternity, where we will get to see the fruit of our labors.

Who knows…the one boy from the neighborhood may turn into many more as the weeks go on. We still pray for our neighbors and are listening to God’s leading.

Hope you enjoy the following slide show of our Neighborhood Vacation Bible School.

Our New Ministry to Our Neighborhood

Our next door neighbor’s 9 yr old son knocked at the door. I opened to see him and another little boy standing there. Robert asked if it was OK for him to bring a guest to our home fellowship.

“Of course," I said. "You can bring anyone you like.”

“Well," he said, “I’ve been talking to my friend here and he doesn’t know anything about Jesus or the Bible, so I thought it would be good to bring him so he can learn about that.”

I asked the other boy what his name was.

“Elijah.”

“Oh, did you know that there is a very important man in the Bible named Elijah?”

Elijah’s eyes got super big. “REALLY? WOW!”

“Maybe one of these days when you come over we can read the story of Elijah,” I said.

“That would be good. That way I can know about the man I was named after! I will ask my mom and dad to come too.”

The next day we were walking our dog and we saw Elijah and his brothers and mother in their front yard. We walked up and introduced ourselves. Elijah told his mom that we were the ones who had the Bible study at our house. She told us that Elijah had not stopped talking about it. He was so excited about coming. I asked her if she was going to come and she said she would have to talk to her husband. She had a very doubtful look on her face that made me think her husband would probably not want any part of it.

The next day a knock came at the door and I opened to see Elijah and two other boys I had not met standing there. 

“Can I bring my friends to the Bible study?” he asked.

“Of course.”

“They don’t know about the Bible.”

“That is OK. We are going to learn about that and you can invite your parents too.”

Elijah added, “and there will be a whole table full of food, right?”

“Sure.” I said. At that point I had no idea who was coming and how much food we would have. I knew I had a giant pack of hot dogs we could Bar-B-Que, so the kids should be good with that.

The meeting was to start at 6pm Friday with a potluck dinner. Friday afternoon Elijah must have come by at least 6 times wanting to talk about the meeting and asking if he could walk our dog. I had to finally tell him that we were very busy getting things ready for tonight and that he needed to not come back until 6:00.

On the dot of 6:00 Elijah came to the door with two friends. Then 2 other boys showed up and then Robert and his parents came. My husband, Jay, came back from picking up 2 other adults and we started the meeting. Before we could begin the meal, a girl came to the door to get her 2 brothers who had to go home. So we were left with Elijah, Robert, Jason and Rudy, all between 7 and 9 years old. 

After we ate I went outside with dessert and an “Evangel Cube” which is a great little tool for sharing the gospel. Robert had seen it before so I asked if he would like to help me share it with the others. The boys all sat on the mini trampoline and I sat facing them on a chair. Robert held the cube and moved it from one picture to the next as we talked about how man is separated from God because of sin and how Jesus came to earth and died so that we could be with God. The boys asked lots of questions. They were really into it and very attentive. Robert did a great job and even pointed out how Jesus still has the scars from his crucifixion even now.  

 During the telling of the gospel, Jason looked up at me and said, “I want to do that. I want to accept Jesus in my heart.” By the end, all 3 of them raised their hand to accept Jesus. 

We then went into the house and all of the adults and children gathered together and Jay read the story of how Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal. Elijah, the little boy, was called home before we had gotten very far, so we told him that he could come back another day and we would read him the story.

The next day, about 10:30 in the morning, Elijah came to the door and wanted to know if we could read him the story. Jay told him that he could come back at noon and we would feed him lunch and read the story. At noon he came back with Rudy and another boy we hadn’t met. We called Robert to come over too and we ate the hot dogs that were left from the night before. Then we went into the living room and read the story of Elijah to them. After that, they wanted to share the Evangel Cube with the new boy, Tyler. So I got it out and had all the boys help me tell the story of Jesus to Tyler. They really got into it, sharing different parts that they had remembered from the night before. Tyler asked questions and showed that he was really listening too. Jason said that he would like to learn how to use the cube so that he could take one home and tell his mom about Jesus.

It was really an amazing couple of days with these boys. They were excited about coming back and also want to have a vacation Bible school during the summer. I'll share about our VBS next time.

To learn more about the Evangel Cube, go to http://www.evangecube.org

You Must Read This Book

If you haven't read The Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola, then stop what you are doing and click on the link below and order it. It is an amazingly fresh explanation of the Gospel, and a description of who Jesus Christ is that will move you to new understandings.
To see what you always felt in your heart written in such a sensitive way, will strengthen your faith, or move you to believe for the first time. There are no cliches, or theological jargon...just straight talk from two guys who have lived in the trenches and just want to get past the "religious concepts, ideas, doctrines, strategies, methods, techniques, programs, and formulas [to reveal] the beauty, the glory, and the reality of the Lord Jesus Himself."

It is a refreshing book that you will be grateful you took the time to experience. It will change your life!



You can also CLICK HERE to agree to and sign the Manifesto yourself:

The Best Resolution This Year

Looking for an easy and effective way to become a healthier you this year? This tasty addition to your diet will supercharge your body with energy, help you lose weight, give your body the best detox, slow down your aging and prevent most diseases. Can this be true?

Absolutely! The easiest thing you can do for your health is to drink a nutritious blended drink of fruit and greens every day. What could be easier than throwing a handful of strawberries, a banana, a few leaves of spinach or kale, and some filtered water into a blender and liquefying it into a smooth, delicious drink? Do this everyday for the next year and watch your body look and feel better.

You can vary the fruit and veggies you use. Just try to make sure they are organic, and use 60% fruit and 40% greens.

Now this is a New Years Resolution that I can stick to!

Couponing Might Be Making You An Income

There are more and more people looking to save money these days because of this tough economy we are experiencing. Saving coupons and checking the internet for deals can be a full time occupation that pays off. There are many web sites for finding deals. All you have to do is go on Twitter and look under the category for “saving money” and you will find tons of people who put up 50+ tweets a day with links to these deals.

But many of us need the income for paying the rent and utilities, much less buying other stuff, no matter how cheap it is.

Well, I have found a way to do both! There is a new company on the internet block who has made it possible to find those deals while also making money for referring others to their site. The site is called Moolala, and it is free to sign up. Just click on this link and you can sign up and start referring people immediately. They just launched the company December 29, 2010. They will be offering more and more deals, just be patient and keep checking back regularly. They use sites like Groupon and Living Social...sites people are already familiar with and trust.

I think it is a brilliant idea and so did Josh Chodniewicz. He has extensive experience in founding Art.com and investing in the early stages of LinkedIn and eHarmony.  He has just become the CEO of Moolala! That is quite a huge endorsement, wouldn't you say?

The Miraculous Powers of Green Tea

Credit: Free pictures from acobox.com

My first experience with green tea was about 25 years ago. My husband and I had volunteered to host two high school exchange students from Japan for three weeks one summer. Our children were in elementary school and we thought it would be a great learning experience for them.

After they had been with us for a few days, one of the boys, Yukichi, brought out a beautiful tea set and told us that he wanted to do a traditional Japanese ceremony with us. He put four pillows on the floor and had me and my husband sit down. He and the other student, Kazuhiro, also sat down on the pillows. Yukichi told us that our children were too young but they could watch. He said that this was a very serious ceremony.

He took out the directions that his mother had written for him and began carefully putting a green powder into the pot and adding the hot water. He poured some of the brew into a cup and ceremoniously turned the cup in his hand and passed it around the circle having us do the same. Then with a very solemn look on his face, he put the cup to his lips and took a sip. His eyes bugged out and his tongue thrust out of his mouth and he made a loud “UGH!” We laughed so hard we were all lying on the floor. He didn’t know what he did wrong, but it definitely didn’t taste like his mom’s green tea!

I stayed away from this strange colored tea for the next 20 years. That is about the time that its nutritional benefits began to be touted by health experts. I decided to give it a try and found that it is really a very pleasant tasting drink.  Its health benefit claims couldn’t be ignored, either.

I discovered that fresh brewed, green tea is one of the easiest ways to deliver energy and health to your body. Green tea has so many health benefits it would be hard to discuss them all here. I will very briefly explain some of them and then refer you to some great books that go into more detail and have tasty recipes too!

Once you see the many different areas of the body that green tea effects, you will want to begin incorporating this liquid health into your daily diet.

While on the topic of diet, if you are trying to lose weight, it is good to know that green tea actually speeds up the metabolism. And you know what that means…the higher the metabolism, the more calories you burn. Isn’t this a rediculously easy way to help you attain your weight loss goals?

Green tea also has high levels of polyphenols like you find in wine and berry juices which are proven to boost the immune system. Some say they slow the aging process. Who doesn’t want to discover the fountain of youth?

For anyone who is pre-diabetic, diabetic, or who’s family has a history of diabetes, green tea helps lower blood sugar. How’s that for a pleasant way to help keep those numbers down?

Green tea also has been shown to lower blood pressure and helps stop the formation of blood clots. Anyone want to join me in trying something this simple to help prevent the possibility of stroke?

The antibacterial and antiviral properties of green tea help speed up recovery of colds and flu, and have been shown to kill seven different strains of food poisoning bacteria. I think I will order green tea with every meal I eat at a restaurant in the future. You know, you can’t be too careful.

It also kills the bacteria that forms plaque and that causes bad breath. Sounds like a great tasting mouthwash to me. Move over Listerine!

Lastly, green tea detoxifies the liver. Did you know that by the time you are 40 your liver is getting clogged with toxins? Our bodies are so bombarded with environmental poisons these days that it is beyond wise to do anything you can to help strengthen this vital organ.

Here are some great books to check out for more information on green tea:

The Green Tea Book
Green Tea: 50 Hot Drinks, Cool Quenchers, and Sweet and Savory Treats
Lose Weight with Green Tea: A Safe Weight-Loss Method That Works