Tomorrow, November 1, 2009 we will be looking at, "The Coodinated Whole". Joseph Pilates understood the need for total physical balance. Taking tips from him, we will make application to our "spiritual balance"
On Wednesday, November 4, we will continue our "spiritual exercise program" with a blog titled, "WEBLOG". This will be a light commentary with a strikingly fun conclusion!
"Experiencing True Balance" will be posted each Wednesday and Sunday. I would like to invite you to "Follow" this blog, post comments and share it with your friends. It is a fresh look at God's Word, the Bible, with careful application to our busy lives. Join us!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Membership
"Physical fitness can neither be achieved through wishful thinking nor outright purchase” - Joseph Pilates
"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end there of are the ways of death." Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 16:25
Joseph Pilates believed in his method of physical training with every fiber of his being: "I must be right. Never an aspirin. Never injured a day in my life. The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises. They'd be happier." - Joseph
Pilates
Pilates was a skinny, sickly child suffering from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. His mother encouraged a strict regiment of naturopathic skills that transformed the child, developed the man and has influenced generations. There were no short-cuts. Physical fitness would not be achieved by luck or sincerity. It was not a commodity to be purchased and adorned. It took a deep inner commitment!
Spiritual health and balance is curiously similar. It cannot be achieved by luck or sincerity. It is not a commodity to be purchased and adorned. It takes deep inner commitment.
In 1859 Charles G. Finney, early American evangelist, studied these two verses in Proverbs and made the following statement:
“The original word denotes what lawyers express by saying a thing is right "prima facie"--on its face--at first appearance--as the case presents itself at first view and without looking at the other side. Unless objections appear, it is to be assumed as true. The word implies a want of certainty. It does not preclude doubt or further investigation. Indeed if the matter be one of any importance, there ought to be further investigation, notwithstanding all this appearance of being right. The original word applies naturally to an opinion adopted loosely, on a merely surface view and without honest and thorough investigation. It also implies a credulous state of mind as to this way that seems right. The mind is very willing to satisfy itself with a mere seeming.” – Charles G. Finney
On the other hand, in John 14:6 the New Testament states with precise clarity:
“I am the way the Truth and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” - Jesus Christ
John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not parish but have everlasting life!”
Ephesians 2: 8,9 states, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELF, it is the gift of God NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.”
Finney ended his sermon with the following statement:
"My dear hearers, the time is short ere we shall know our fitness or unfitness for the eternal world, past all uncertainty, or mistake. No longer here; the places that know us now shall know us no more then. What is your state today? Do you say--I have examined my foundation; I have not been satisfied with merely seeming to be right? But even you, if this day were surely known to you to be your last, would say, (would you not?) I must be more certain. I must go over this whole ground again, for how can I rest while the least possibility of doubt remains!"
It is a lifetime membership, open 24/7, and the beginning of true spiritual balance! Cost? No, you are invited by a Friend Who paid the price on your and my behalf, His name IS Jesus. It is a matter of opening your heart and life to Him. Not mere mental assertion to His existance, but a deep inner commitment to follow Him and know Him better daily. The whole country, the whole world, should begin this journey; they'd be happier!
"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end there of are the ways of death." Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 16:25
Joseph Pilates believed in his method of physical training with every fiber of his being: "I must be right. Never an aspirin. Never injured a day in my life. The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises. They'd be happier." - Joseph
Pilates
Pilates was a skinny, sickly child suffering from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. His mother encouraged a strict regiment of naturopathic skills that transformed the child, developed the man and has influenced generations. There were no short-cuts. Physical fitness would not be achieved by luck or sincerity. It was not a commodity to be purchased and adorned. It took a deep inner commitment!
Spiritual health and balance is curiously similar. It cannot be achieved by luck or sincerity. It is not a commodity to be purchased and adorned. It takes deep inner commitment.
In 1859 Charles G. Finney, early American evangelist, studied these two verses in Proverbs and made the following statement:
“The original word denotes what lawyers express by saying a thing is right "prima facie"--on its face--at first appearance--as the case presents itself at first view and without looking at the other side. Unless objections appear, it is to be assumed as true. The word implies a want of certainty. It does not preclude doubt or further investigation. Indeed if the matter be one of any importance, there ought to be further investigation, notwithstanding all this appearance of being right. The original word applies naturally to an opinion adopted loosely, on a merely surface view and without honest and thorough investigation. It also implies a credulous state of mind as to this way that seems right. The mind is very willing to satisfy itself with a mere seeming.” – Charles G. Finney
On the other hand, in John 14:6 the New Testament states with precise clarity:
“I am the way the Truth and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” - Jesus Christ
John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not parish but have everlasting life!”
Ephesians 2: 8,9 states, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELF, it is the gift of God NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.”
Finney ended his sermon with the following statement:
"My dear hearers, the time is short ere we shall know our fitness or unfitness for the eternal world, past all uncertainty, or mistake. No longer here; the places that know us now shall know us no more then. What is your state today? Do you say--I have examined my foundation; I have not been satisfied with merely seeming to be right? But even you, if this day were surely known to you to be your last, would say, (would you not?) I must be more certain. I must go over this whole ground again, for how can I rest while the least possibility of doubt remains!"
It is a lifetime membership, open 24/7, and the beginning of true spiritual balance! Cost? No, you are invited by a Friend Who paid the price on your and my behalf, His name IS Jesus. It is a matter of opening your heart and life to Him. Not mere mental assertion to His existance, but a deep inner commitment to follow Him and know Him better daily. The whole country, the whole world, should begin this journey; they'd be happier!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Understanding The Purpose
"Contrology (Pilates) is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit. Through Contrology you first purposefully acquire complete control of your own body and then through proper repetition of its exercises you gradually and progressively acquire that natural rhythm and coordination associated with all your subconscious activities.” - Joseph Pilates
“If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have hard, and ye have preached to every creature that is under heaven, of which I, Paul, am made a minister” – Col. 1:23
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
-1 Cor. 15:58
“That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” –
2 Timothy 3:17
A.) Dedication to the task; B.) faith that repetition will result in the desired goal, Joseph Pilates tells his students that they will acquire a natural rhythm and coordination. And so we begin the painful contortions. Think about it, someone we have never met tells us this is good for us and we blindly follow. Oh, we’ve seen some results in others and so we hope the same might work for us – but we didn’t know it would be so painful and take so long to see the results!
Isn’t the correlation striking? The pain, the promise, the prize! And so we struggle; spiritual muscles fighting against us – rebelling at the thought of being stretched and torn. More satisfied to be relaxed, flabby and unusable. But we press on – with only faith to encourage us that the pain is not in vain, that all this work will ultimately do us good. That we might continue in the process of being perfected – no, not being perfect, but growing and abounding in preparation to enjoy His perfect will for our lives. It’s a stretch. But just as your body will gradually, progressively acquire that natural rhythm, you can be, “confident of this very thing, that He Who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ!”
“If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have hard, and ye have preached to every creature that is under heaven, of which I, Paul, am made a minister” – Col. 1:23
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
-1 Cor. 15:58
“That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” –
2 Timothy 3:17
A.) Dedication to the task; B.) faith that repetition will result in the desired goal, Joseph Pilates tells his students that they will acquire a natural rhythm and coordination. And so we begin the painful contortions. Think about it, someone we have never met tells us this is good for us and we blindly follow. Oh, we’ve seen some results in others and so we hope the same might work for us – but we didn’t know it would be so painful and take so long to see the results!
Isn’t the correlation striking? The pain, the promise, the prize! And so we struggle; spiritual muscles fighting against us – rebelling at the thought of being stretched and torn. More satisfied to be relaxed, flabby and unusable. But we press on – with only faith to encourage us that the pain is not in vain, that all this work will ultimately do us good. That we might continue in the process of being perfected – no, not being perfect, but growing and abounding in preparation to enjoy His perfect will for our lives. It’s a stretch. But just as your body will gradually, progressively acquire that natural rhythm, you can be, “confident of this very thing, that He Who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ!”
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
1st Interview
“Moreover, such a body freed from nervous tension and over-fatigue is the ideal shelter provided by nature for housing a well-balanced mind that is always fully capable of successfully meeting all of the complex problems of modern living.” – Joseph Pilates
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain thee; he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” – Psalms 55:22
I knew intuitively that before I could reap the benefits of my exercise program I had to commit completely to my trainer. Testing my body fat, taking my measurements and weighing in were humbling experiences. Discussing my diet was even more painful. But, to experience progress, I had to know where I was starting. There was no fooling Joey. He was not delicate with his prognosis. He called it like it was and told me the truth about myself. I could either accept it and proceed or make excuses and remain out of shape. The first thing Joey attacked was my diet. I was guilty of starving my body throughout the day and then gorging myself with a huge caloric intake of non-essential foods right before sleeping. Joey showed me how disciplining myself to consume small amounts of healthy calories from all the essential food groups throughout the day would give me the energy I needed. My increased energy would allow me to burn useless fat while all the time feeling more alert and healthy.
Isn’t that just how God works? When we totally commit to Him, when we are willing to truthfully see ourselves as He sees us and as we truly are, we are prepared for Him to work in us that which is ultimately best for us according to His plan. Once we commit, He is there to sustain us. It begins with a change in our spiritual diet. How often do we allow ourselves to become so preoccupied with “life” that we spiritually starve ourselves? We often find any number of non-essential fulfillments upon which we gorge ourselves only to become spiritually fat, spiritually lazy, spiritually unfulfilled. So, take some time and consider your spiritual health. Is there an intake of spiritual food throughout the day? Do you possess an ever present awareness of His sustaining hand in your life? Are the burdens of this life, the unnecessary “spiritual fat” burning off and is your spiritual diet resulting in increased energy, an invigorated alertness to His will and a healthy desire for spiritual health? He will provide a well-balanced mind that is always fully capable of successfully meeting all the complex problems of modern living!
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain thee; he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” – Psalms 55:22
I knew intuitively that before I could reap the benefits of my exercise program I had to commit completely to my trainer. Testing my body fat, taking my measurements and weighing in were humbling experiences. Discussing my diet was even more painful. But, to experience progress, I had to know where I was starting. There was no fooling Joey. He was not delicate with his prognosis. He called it like it was and told me the truth about myself. I could either accept it and proceed or make excuses and remain out of shape. The first thing Joey attacked was my diet. I was guilty of starving my body throughout the day and then gorging myself with a huge caloric intake of non-essential foods right before sleeping. Joey showed me how disciplining myself to consume small amounts of healthy calories from all the essential food groups throughout the day would give me the energy I needed. My increased energy would allow me to burn useless fat while all the time feeling more alert and healthy.
Isn’t that just how God works? When we totally commit to Him, when we are willing to truthfully see ourselves as He sees us and as we truly are, we are prepared for Him to work in us that which is ultimately best for us according to His plan. Once we commit, He is there to sustain us. It begins with a change in our spiritual diet. How often do we allow ourselves to become so preoccupied with “life” that we spiritually starve ourselves? We often find any number of non-essential fulfillments upon which we gorge ourselves only to become spiritually fat, spiritually lazy, spiritually unfulfilled. So, take some time and consider your spiritual health. Is there an intake of spiritual food throughout the day? Do you possess an ever present awareness of His sustaining hand in your life? Are the burdens of this life, the unnecessary “spiritual fat” burning off and is your spiritual diet resulting in increased energy, an invigorated alertness to His will and a healthy desire for spiritual health? He will provide a well-balanced mind that is always fully capable of successfully meeting all the complex problems of modern living!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Strengthening Our, "Spiritual Core"
A little over 4 years ago I began working out. I hired a personal trainer to guide me through my workout. Joey mentioned a program called, "Pilates". He said it would strengthen my core, help me with my balance, teach cleansing breathing techniques and prepare me for heavier exercises. Upon entering the gym I saw 6' 2", 225 pound men rolling on balls and struggling through what appeared to me to be moves more appropriately accomplished in tutus than sweat pants. I was embarassed for them. That is, until Joey began to put me through what can only be considered a final chapter in, "Foxes Book of Martyrs!" In the next several issues of this blog we will be reviewing physical training techniques originated by Joseph Pilates. We'll make spiritual application of these techniques to our daily lives and begin, "Strengthening Our Spiritual Core."
Shooting Straight With A Crooked Stick
It amazes me how God chooses to still use me in spite of my sinfulness. Somehow, He prepares the way before me. I flounder into that way, often unaware of His guiding hand. He brings circumstances or individuals along the way who are precisely in need of what He has placed upon my heart. He urges me to speak or act, and then rewards me as if I deserved the honor of His blessing for having been obedient. In reality, I am the one most blessed because my intention was not [necessarily] focused upon ministering at all. I had not prepared myself for service. I had not been faithful in prayer. Somehow, He chooses to shoot straight with a crooked stick; amazing! And God always is right on target!
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