Friday, March 21, 2008

A Superbowl Victory

most people watched the Superbowl out of shear entertainment, while taking it quite seriously at the same time. It gives their fans a sense of comradary and pride. There's nothing like a football game to unite people. most of them know the rules inside and out and can make the calls quicker than the announcer. This leaves me asking, if so many people can understand this game, why don't they know God's rule book of plays in their own lives?

If more people would put that amount of time and effort that it takes to memorize all the players' statistics, why then can't they learn the statistics that God has given us for our own good? It's very clear that when we learn the proper plays in life as we go up against the opposing team, we will be more than just conquerors, we will be victorious! Everyone loves to have a victory in their life but do little about it.

As the game started out, the Sea Hawks won the kick off and got their first 3 points. I'm not saying that the Sea Hawks are the enemy, they aren't, but in God's world, we all have a very real enemy called Satan. He opposses us at every play. Once he gets his foot in the door, or his first 3 points, it's almost impossible from keeping him from coming all the way in...unless you know what your game plan will be to keep that from happening. Fortuneatly for the Steelers, they did know what to do.

The thing about the Steelers is, not one player acted any better than anyone else. In fact, they all pulled their weight and then some. They pulled together. When pride enters into our lives, the enemy will use that to beat us down. So through team effort, the Steelers came back with a 7 point touchdown and the game just proceeded from there to the Steelers advantage. The Sea Hawks could not over take them after that. But they tried valiantly, just as Satan will do to us. He will use stronger stradegies and hit harder.

In our Christian lives, we need to know without a doubt how we are going to oppose our enemy from taking the game over. Remember; just keep focused!

First of all, as we are new to this walk this is where we need to get all the practice we can get, we are still rookies. It's these rookies that Satan is waiting to recruit back to his team. If you don't stay strong in your game, you will be traded back to him before you know what happened. As any football player knows, his skills and knowledge comes from alot of time and effort put into it, until they know it inside out. It's no different for Christians who want to be at the top of their game either. Since God's Word can be overwhelming at first, we need to gather together with other Christians regularly to learn and to grow. That is why God gives us our coaches. They spur us on, they make us understand the plays to our advantage. The end result is to realize that all of our training is to honor God. The Steelers wanted to make their city of Pittsburgh proud of them also.

If you are serious about being a team player for God, you have to recognize the authority of Christ as your leader. You have to learn to humble yourself and serve Him by serving others. You can no longer be in the center spot light. But just as big Ben gets most of the attention, he could not have done that one important play without the help of Heinz Ward. We need Christ to partner with us also in order to make our winning touchdowns! We can't do this game without the help of our Christian team players. God gives us pastors, preachers, teachers to talk with us and give us the rules to His game. If the football players didn't listen to their coaches, they would not be playing pro footabll. We must learn to respect the authority of those He puts in our lives. Our time of study and meditation takes alot of practice in order to get it just right. It doesn't all happen over night, or even in one lifetime. But the most important thing to remember is to keep doing what you're doing. It takes dilegence, patience, time, practice, and endurance. It's not a question of ever giving up. Yes, it's a hard road, but it's worth it in the end. Just ask any of the Steelers. They kept their eyes on the prize and now can say the acheived it! And I can't help but believe that they give all the credit to the Lord for their victory. God honors this.

"For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith. Who is it that is victorious over the world but he who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact)?" 1 Jn.5:4-5 (Amplified)

Life is not all about football, but it does give us a sense of comradery and it also gives us a new insight in which to observe this game. Will you ever watch it the same way now knowing that your own life is based on the same principles?Is your life worth the time and effort of learning the stradegy plays between life and death as much as knowing the rules of a football game? Get determined to make your own touchdowns!

To me, I think football is alot more complicated than learning the True Word of God. At least I know if I make the right moves and do the plays His way, then I am sure to be victorious! I no longer just take it in a passive "whatever" kind of attitude. I am now determined to win!

This reminds me of how passionate people are about their home teams, but where is their passion for Christ? Is it lukewarm? I pray that it isn't because this is what Jesus says about those who are:

"I know your (record of) works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!" Rev. 3:15-16 (Amplified)

What will your scoreboard say when your game is over? Will Christ spit you out or will He embrace you in His loving arms?

To be a winner in God's team is to know you are not a loser!

Positions Of Pilates And Yoga

Yoga Position - What Does Each Type Do?

I often wondered what the value of each type of yoga position is, so I did some research to find out. All yoga positions help to develop strength and flexibility. Yet the type of yoga position that you do also offers some very specific benefits.

Standing poses
They are included in many poses and they help to align your feet and body. This type of yoga position is especially useful in improving your posture. Standing poses strengthen your legs while simultaneously increasing flexibility in your legs and hips. They add to the mobility of your neck and shoulders and they increase the flexibility in your pelvis and lower back. One of the most basic standing poses is Mountain Pose.

Seated poses
These poses help increase flexibility in your hips and lower back, while also strengthening your back. They add suppleness to your spine and elasticity to your hips, knees, ankle and groin. They also encourage deeper breathing, which contributes to you feeling calm and peaceful.

Forward Bends
This type of yoga position helps stretch your lower back and hamstrings. Forward bends also release tension in your back, neck, shoulders, and increase the flexibility in your spine. They often promote a sense of calmness. I find forward bends particularly challenging since I have a considerable amount of stiffness in my neck due to an old gymnastics injury. This is the type of yoga position where I often use a prop such as a strap or block.

Back Bends
They open your chest, rib cage, and hips. They strengthen your arms and shoulders, while simultaneously increasing flexibility in your shoulders. They help relieve tension from the front of your body and hips and they also increase spinal stability. You should always do back bends as a complement to forward bends in order to maintain balance in your body.

balance
Although balance poses can be challenging, I find them to be some of the most fun poses to do. They help you develop muscle tone and coordination and also strength and agility. They help improve your posture because you really need to elongate your spine in order to keep yourself from falling over. This type of yoga position helps train your mind to focus your attention; if your attention if not focused, you will not be able to do the pose.

Twists
I love to do twists. Twists release tension in your spine and increase shoulder and hip mobility. They also help relieve backaches by stretching and opening up your back muscles. I often experience tightness in my upper back and twists help me loosen up this area. It is important to always do twists on both sides of your body in order to ensure alignment and balance.

Supine and Prone poses
Supine poses are done on your back. They help stretch your abdominal muscles, they open your hips, and increase your spinal mobility. They release tension and strengthen your back, arms and legs.

Prone poses are done facing the floor. They strengthen your arms and back and open up your hips and groin. They relieve tension and increase flexibility in your spine. One of my favorite prone poses is Extended Seal because I find it very relaxing and it helps stretch out my shoulders and upper back.

Inversions
This type of yoga position develops strength and stamina, particularly in your upper body. It also increases circulation because since your legs are higher than your heart, it reverses the normal flow of blood. Inversions help pull fluid out of your feet and legs, so they are great to do after you have been standing up for a long time. Advanced inversion poses require a great deal of strength and alignment and should only be learned under the guidance of a certified teacher. People with glaucoma, pregnant women and those who are menstruating should avoid inversion poses.

relaxation poses
relaxation poses are usually done at the end of a yoga practice. They calm your mind and body and encourage a deep feeling of relaxation. This type of yoga position is often one of the most challenging poses to do, particularly for Westerners who often have a difficult time letting go. One of the most well-known relaxation poses is Corpse Pose.

There are hundreds of poses in yoga and they all provide wonderful benefits for your mind and body. By understanding each type of yoga position, you can choose a well rounded practice with asanas from each type or do those that meet your bodys needs at any given time.

Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Here website http://www.beauty-fitness-yoga-source.com/ is filled with practical information about how you can make yoga and fitness a positive part of your life.

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