My Exercise Treasure

Everyone knows that we need aerobic exercise of some sort several times a week, but I recently learned that we need other forms of exercise equally as much. There are five main areas of exercise that we need to keep in mind when we are getting our bodies into shape and keeping them as strong and healthy as they should be. (I'm talking about a reasonable amount of strength here, not body-building.)

Cardio-respiratory exercise, otherwise known as aerobics, is what gets you breathing harder and your heart rate up.

Muscular strength exercises, preferably using your own body weight for resistance, is what makes us strong. Push-ups are a great form of this type of exercise.

Muscular endurance exercises helps us to be able to work for longer periods of time and is the real muscle builder. Sitting in the squat position for as long as you can hold it will definitely build endurance!

Flexibility, or stretching exercises, improve our overall tone and flexibility, but mostly prevent us from getting hurt. A good stretch before and after exercise will help prevent the sore muscles that are a result of lactic acid build-up.

Neurological training keeps us coordinated, improves our balance, sharpens our reflexes, increases our body's speed to run or work, and helps make us more aware of the kinesthetics of our own body. Juggling and jumping on the trampoline might be good examples of this.

As I was contemplating these five areas, I realized that my favorite exercise is the only one that I could think of that incorporates all 5 areas into one training session. It is NOT necessary to do all 5 of these every time you exercise, but we should have a balanced approach to exercise on a weekly basis, at least.

Tae-Bo, by Billy Blanks, is my favorite exercise because it is just plain so much fun! However, it does clearly incorporate all 5 areas into nearly every workout. I like Billy's enthusiasm a lot. He really knows how to motivate! He is careful to teach how to accurately do the moves, so you won't risk injury. He goes through the moves slowly first, which help you learn them easily, but also he emphasizes the slow moves as a time of building strength, and when he speeds them up, as a time of aerobics. There are some exercises that he does for quite a while, working on endurance, and he always has plenty of neurological training incorporated as well. The warm-ups and cool-downs do what they're supposed to do. I was just looking at his website and noticed some testimonies of many people who have lost a lot of weight using Tae-Bo. That's a great benefit for those of us who need it!

Just as a side note here: once I took my children to a Christian Tae-Kwan-Do class to see what it was like, and they already knew everything they taught them because we had already learned all those moves in Tae-Bo. So, if you want to learn a little self-defense, Tae-Bo might be a good way to learn!

He has a children's version, which I haven't used, and a couple military versions for those like that type of exercise. Tae-Bo is equally good for both men and women, and older children.

I will not pretend that I endorse everything about these videos. I will list a few cautions here, so you know up front, if any of these might be a concern for you. Billy Blanks is a Christian and he does have some explicitly Christian videos. I have only done his very first Christian video and it was on the very easy side. I know he has several more out, but I don't know what level they are. His regular videos are not Christian, but they are not un-Christian in any way whatsoever. The music has a good strong beat, which is good for exercising, but there are no lyrics (of the ones I've done anyway), and I find the music reasonable for the situation (I'm a little picky about my music!). He does not use the mirror effect in aerobics that you may be used to, so it is a little difficult to follow sometimes. He will call out "left hand," for instance, and you would use your right hand to mirror him. It's fine once you get the routine down. Every once in a while, he says something a little humanistic (believe in yourself-type) and has a stretching exercise like the rising sun, which I don't really like, but I'm not sure if he really means anything eastern by either one of those; he doesn't appear to have any eastern tendencies in that direction otherwise. Although I am not thrilled with the clothes they wear on these videos, they are much better than most exercise videos.

I love Tae-Bo, especially on rainy days, or days that are either too hot or too cold, or when I'm not able to do other kinds of exercise.

My Shopping Treasure

"Love where you shop!" is the motto of my favorite store, Whole Foods Market. I often hear from friends that they think it is too expensive, and so they don't go there. I grant that it used to be very expensive, but Whole Foods has introduced their own store brands in the last couple years, which has added a whole new reason to shop there - competitive prices! 365 and Whole Foods/Whole Kids are not only mostly organic and incredibly delicious, but very reasonably priced. For instance, a half gallon of delicious ice cream is $3.99 (at the San Antonio store, at least)! Hey, that's a better price than Blue Bell, and we like it even better than Blue Bell, as well. If you need something in a package, consider Whole Foods own brand. You won't be disappointed!

I also greatly enjoy the atmosphere of Whole Foods, especially in comparison to other food stores. The employees work hard at making you feel welcome. I have had no problems with exchanges. They will stop and help you at any moment. They will special order something with a smile. And they know my children by name. When I went today, they even asked where my children were. What a pleasant experience each week!

I love where I shop!

My Creation Science Treasure

We've been studying creation science for almost ten years now and have used many different sources. We thought we had a pretty good handle on the whole issue, until a friend recently lent me a video series by Kent Hovind.

Talk about a steep learning curve! I watched the first video 3 times and still didn't get it all! This guy has SO much to teach about creation science that I didn't realize was even related. Here a few things he covers in his 17-hour seminar:

6 day literal creation
evolution
age of the earth
gap theory
the flood
dinosaurs
Grand Canyon
the Ice Age
900 year old people
lies in the textbooks
marxism
communism
socialism
New World Order
marriage licenses
vehicle license plates
Pangea theory
magnetic fields
plate tectonics
continental drift
petrified wood
geological columns
fossil dating
layer dating
... and much more!

I am learning so much, I am really getting interested in science for the first time in my life!

He also brings everyday life according to God's Word into every aspect of what he teaches. I really think that God's Word applies to everything that I do, so it was quite refreshing to see him live it out.

A word of caution: you must have a well-developed sense of humor to appreciate this guy's corny jokes! He does tend to be a little sarcastic now and then, and he doesn't quite have my theology, but since I am not one to throw the baby out with the bath, I still heartily recommend his video series.

I haven't tried any of his other products yet, but they look like they will be life-challenging material. I'm up for a good challenge about now! He also has a dinosaur creation-science theme park in Pensacola, where we are headed in July. I will post a field trip report afterward.

Character Treasures

For church right now, our family is watching SM Davis videos. I believe that God has given SM Davis an incredible wisdom to be able to clearly see character truths in God's Word in a way I've never heard from the pulpit before. It seems that every message we hear changes our hearts to become more like Christ! SM Davis is a very passionate preacher, but not a hell-fire and damnation type. Oh, he absolutely believes the truths of God's Word regarding sin and salvation, but he will never beat you over the head with it. This is a real treasure in my life right now and I wanted to share the titles of his character messages with you. It is a long list, but I didn't know which titles would catch your attention, so here goes:

Anger, the Destroyer
Are You a Giver or a Taker?
Bible Pictures of Godly Children
Bible Principles That Relate to Getting to the Marriage Altar
Bible Teachings About the Bride Price
Breaking Family Curses
Changing the Heart of a Rebel
Christ, the Husband’s Example
Conquering Satan’s Strongholds
Deliverance From the Destructiveness of Lust
Dig Another Well
Expectations, the Enemy of Relationships and Gratitude
Foreseeing the Problems That Could Wreck a Marriage
Freedom From the Spirit of Anger
God’s Plan for Finding a Mate
God’s Seven Purposes for Authority
God’s Viewpoint of the Church
God’s Viewpoint on Having Babies
God’s Way to Deal With Your Wrong Emotions
God’s Weightiest Commands to Husbands, Wives, and Parents
How a Wife Can Use Reverence to Build or Save Her Marriage
How to Avoid Confusion Concerning Betrothal
How to Avoid the Destructiveness of a Wrong Self-Image
How to Be Reconciled to Your Friend or Enemy
How to Bless Your Children and Others
How to Build a Storm-Proof Marriage
How to Develop Character in Your Children
How to Get or Give Wise Counsel
How to Help a Man Deal With His Anger
How to Help Weak Children Become Strong
How to Humble Yourself
How to Increase Your Life’s Potential
How to Keep Children From Getting Bitter
How to Lengthen Your Life by Honoring and Obeying Your Parents
How to Parent as a Team
How to Pass On Your Convictions to Your Children
How to Rebuild Broken Trust
How to Tell Right From Wrong in Confusing Areas of Life
How to Tell the Right Kind of Music
How to Tell True Repentance
How to Train Children to Refuse Evil and Choose Good
How to Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go
How to Treat a Wounded Spirit
How to Use Acceptance to Build Others
Integrity, the Parent of Character
Key Character Qualities of a Godly Man
Knowing When to Let Go
My Son, Give Me Thine Heart
Nothing Shall Offend Them
Overcomer or Survivor?
Overcoming Discouragement
Personal Responsibility
Questions and Answers About Betrothal
Repairing Really Rotten Relationships
Satan’s Plan to Destroy the Husband-Wife Relationship
Seeds of Disintegration
Seven Bible Truths Violated by Christian Dating
Seven Keys to Unlock Doors of Communication
Seven Reasons Why a Man’s Home is a Biblical Priority
Strategy for Victory in Spiritual Warfare
Ten Steps to Victory Over Lust
The Attitude No Lady Should Have
The Danger of Sinning Against Great Spiritual Light
The Influence of Older Children on Younger Ones
The Kingdom of Your Influence
The Language of the Christian’s Clothing
The Mistakes Rebels Make
The Providence of God
The Seven-Fold Power of a Wife’s Submission
The Sin of Silence
The Two Trails in Every Trial
Three Key Elements of Successful Parenting
Twelve Reasons Why I am For the Permanence of Marriage
Understanding Biblical Leadership
Understanding How Homes Relate to Each Other and the Church
Understanding Loyalty in a Disloyal World
Understanding the Hazards of Friendships
Understanding What the Bible Has to Say About Scorn and Mockery
Victory Over the Dating Spirit
What Bitterness Does
What Character Is and Does
What God Expects from a Twenty Year Old
What Impatience Does
What Pride Does
What the Bible Has to Say about Spanking
What to Expect From a Twelve Year Old
When Forgiveness Won’t Work
When God's Will Becomes Multiple Choice
When You Have to Drink the Bitter Cup
Why Satan Wants the Firstborn
Why Should I Repent?
Why the Will of God is Best
Why You Keep Sinning and How to Stop

My Treasure Collection

It occurred to me recently that I really love sharing some treasures that I find along my walk in life. If I find something that is really special to me, I want to show it to everyone! I want to tout its good points; I want others to share in my enthusiasm. I don't necessarily want everyone to have the same treasure collection that I do, but maybe one person could share this wonder, and another could share that beauty. It really is true, you know, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

I hope that as you peruse my ever-growing treasure collection of gems, you will find one to share with me once in a while. Let me know which ones glow in your treasure collection, too.

My treasure collection will consist of my favorite homeschool curriculum gems, my favorite spiritual teachers who are gems, my favorite music and movie gems, and other gems that have enriched my treasure collection. Sift through them as I add them here and there. I hope you find a gem to add to your treasure collection, too!