Are You Blessed?

The Sermon on the Mount

{Luke}

A large crowd of Jesus’ followers traveled from Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon to be healed of diseases and cured of evil spirits. (Personal Thought: interesting that Luke uses the word cured rather than cleansed.) The people tried to touch Jesus as power emanated from him. He healed them all.

{Matthew} Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat to teach the crowds.

The Beatitudes

{Matthew}

“Blessed are the poor in spirit (Luke says only the poor), for they gain the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn. They will be comforted.” (Luke says those who weep will laugh.) “Blessed are the meek. They inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Luke says those who are hungry will be satisfied.)

“The merciful will be shown mercy, and the pure in heart will see God. Peacemakers become the sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing the right thing. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult, persecute, and lie, accusing you of all kinds of evil because you follow me. Rejoice and be glad. Your reward in heaven is great. These people persecuted the prophets who came before you in the same way.”

{Luke}

“Blessed are you when men hate you, exclude, insult, and reject your name as evil because of the son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for that is how their fathers treated the prophets. Woe to you who are rich, you’ve received your comfort. Woe to the well fed. You will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when men praise you, for even so their fathers praised the false prophets.”

Six Arm Exercises

Arm Strengthening Exercises

When using weights for the first time, women—start with one to three pounds and increase in one to two pound increments—men, start with five pounds. Ten pounds is a reasonable goal for women, twenty for men, depending on your age and the level of fitness you’re pushing for. Ask your doctor what’s safe for you and your physical condition.   

1. Modified push-up: stand arms-length away from a counter top. Place hands shoulder-width apart on edge of counter. Stand flat-footed or on toes if you have more strength and lean forward, back and legs straight, until elbows are out to your sides at ninety degrees. Push back to starting position and repeat, working up to twenty. When stronger, you can do this from a lower, sturdy surface—coffee table, couch, etc.—with the same form.

2. Shoulders: holding hand weights firmly but not in a death grip, keep arms lowered at your sides, palms facing in, and role shoulders from front to back and around to front up to twenty times. You should feel your shoulder blades coming closer together.

3. Upper top of arms: holding weights at sides like above exercise, lift arms straight out to the sides, elbows slightly bent, no farther than shoulder-height, and lower. Repeat up to twenty times.

4. Upper underside of arms: holding weights, lift arms straight out to sides, palms facing up. Curl hands toward shoulders then push straight up above your head. Lower hands back to shoulders and return to the starting position. Repeat up to twenty times.

5. Bicep strength: hold weights, arms down at sides, palms facing ahead of you. Curl hands up to shoulders, keeping elbows unmoving at your sides, and return to starting position. To add upper muscle exercise, after curling up, push straight up over the head before returning to starting position. Repeat up to twenty times.

6. Back of shoulders and arms: sit on a chair with no arms, feet flat on the floor, legs together. Bend over legs. Hold weights, palms facing your body, elbows bent at ninety degrees, and reach forward, extending arms, then push straight back, bending elbows as you go, until shoulder blades come closer together (not arms). Return to starting position and repeat up to twenty times.

Six Core Exercises

Core Exercises

A strong core—abdominal and back muscles—helps to prevent back pain, balance problems in older age, and the chance of falling and breaking bones, as well as in the ability to simply move well. We all want to be able to bend and pick something up, reach for items on shelves, go up and down stairs and curbs, and just walk without aid as long as we can. You can do the following in any order, building up to the full time. Rest thirty seconds and repeat sequence a second time. Do these three days a week.

http://bonniearnot.blogspot.com/2014/08/exercise-made-easy.html

1. The held squat: get into the squat position (see previous post above) with arms held out parallel to the floor. Hold as long as you can up to sixty seconds. Again, something sturdy to grab hold of if you become wobbly is a good idea.

2. For core and balance: keep the right knee slightly bent and raise left leg behind you as you reach arms out, chest as close to parallel to the floor as you can. Build up to holding for forty-five seconds and repeat on other leg.

3. Modified sit-up: sit on the floor, feet flat on the floor, knees bent in front of you. Pull your belly button toward your spine, breathe out, and lean back until you feel your abdominal muscles working. Raise legs and arms in front of you so calves and forearms are parallel with the floor. If this is too hard, you can start with one foot left on the floor and work up to both legs lifted. Hold for one minute.

4. Front kicks: stand with feet shoulder-width apart and alternate kicking legs out in front of you, keeping the knees slightly bent. Do as many as you can within one minute. (I can’t do this one with my knees.)

5. Core, chest, arm, and shoulder strength: get into the push-up position on either knees or toes. Lift right hand to left shoulder, return to floor, and lower into a regular push-up (elbows as close as possible to ninety degrees). Return to starting position and repeat, touching left hand to right shoulder. Do as many as you can in thirty seconds.

6. This one is mostly for balance: stand on right leg, knee slightly bent, and raise left leg straight out to the side, holding arms in inverted V in front of you, hands in loose fists like a fighting stance. Hold thirty seconds and repeat on other side.

   

Wednesday—a push-up you can do without getting on the floor and arm strengthening exercises.

Brood of Vipers

Good and Bad Fruit

{Luke} Jesus spoke to a crowd and a woman called out. “Blessed is the one who gave you birth.”

{Matthew and Luke} He said, “Blessed are the people who hear the word of God and obey it. A good tree will bear good fruit and a bad tree, bad fruit. We recognize a tree by its fruit. You brood of vipers! Evil people can say nothing good. The good stored in a good man’s heart comes out as does the evil from an evil man’s heart. I tell you that men will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. Your own words will either acquit or condemn you.”

Hypocrisy {Luke}

On a Sabbath, Jesus taught in one of the synagogues. A woman, crippled by a spirit for eighteen years, walked bent over, unable to straighten up. Jesus set hands on her. She immediately stood tall and praised God. The indignant synagogue leader told the people to come the other six days of the week to be healed, not on the Sabbath.

The Lord said, “You hypocrite, doesn’t everyone lead their ox or donkey from the stall on the Sabbath to give it water? Why shouldn’t this daughter of Abraham, bound by Satan for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day?

Jesus’ opponents were humiliated, and the people were delighted by the wondrous things Jesus did.

Personal Thought: People used to believe all ailments were caused by evil spirits and that those suffering from them had done something to deserve their illness, a superstitious stigma we still haven’t completely rid society of. Jesus sometimes said the sins of those healed were forgiven. Mostly, as with the bent over woman, he healed out of compassion and, though warning them to go forward without sin, he didn’t ostracize or berate them, ignore or judge them.

Seven Leg Exercises

Strength Training

Start any exercise with five to ten repetitions depending on what shape you’re in and add a few more each week until you can comfortably do twenty. I’ve been doing these exercises for years. I’ll try to remember the purpose as I describe them.

1. Legs: (helps prevents shin splints) stay near something you can steady yourself with if you become wobbly. Stand up on your toes as far as you can, hold a few seconds, and lower back to the floor. When up to twenty repeats, you can add hand weights. Hold them down by your sides as your toes lift.

2. (For thighs and butt muscles): lightly hold onto a counter or chair back, feet shoulder width apart. Lift one knee up in front of you toward the chest as far as is comfortable then kick straight back, keeping knee slightly bent, up to twenty times. Repeat on other leg. 

3. Second one: hold leg straight and push back as far as is comfortable. You can add ankle weights when ready for a harder workout.

4. (For thighs, lower back, and core—torso—muscles): lean over table or sturdy chair that won’t fall over. Bend lower leg back at ninety degrees and bring entire leg straight to your side up to hip level. Lower and repeat up to twenty times. Repeat on other leg.

5. Second one: (also for butt muscles) After bringing to side, kick straight behind you, return to side, and lower.

6. (For hips): I can no longer do this one—deteriorating hip, though I can do the others mentioned. Rule of thumb: if something hurts more than unused muscle soreness, don’t do it. Steadying yourself on a chair back or counter, lift leg straight to side as far as hip level. Repeat on other side.

7. (For waist and thighs): lift right knee and twist waist to bring left elbow toward it. Lower and repeat on other side. Doing both sides is one repeat.

Monday—core exercises. A strong core helps with balance, bending, and general agililty.