beFIT – Ryan
I recently joined Matt and Andrew in creating my own home gym. It’s in my basement, so I’m guessing we’ll be spending a lot of time in it this winter.
I bought a rack, bench, bars, and weight plates, but I felt like I was still missing some things – a pull-up bar and parallettes. So, I decided to build them myself.
After a quick trip to the local hardware store, and around $40 later, I ended up with this pile of stuff:
Some assembly was required… but I think they turned out great!
We’ve used both the pull-up bar and parallettes in a workout and they held together admirably. I’ll be publishing a full blog post soon with the parts list and assembly instructions if you’re interested in making your own. Stay tuned!
beDRIVEN – Mike
I’m sure many of you have read the book “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren at some point in your life. I actually have never read it and am going through it right now. I spend time each morning to start out my day as there are 40 days of content and it is extremely helpful to 1, get my mind in a good spot to start the day and 2, start thinking more and more about what I’m really here for and what God’s purpose is for my life.
It’s very easy to get caught up in living life for the American dream – good family, nice house, nice car, saving for retirement, etc. But have you ever asked; is there more to life than this? Have you ever felt like maybe you’re called for more?
This book will really challenge those thoughts and encourage you to pursue what God has in store for your life. One great point that has stuck out to me so far is that “My focus needs to be on how much pleasure God is getting out of my life instead of how much pleasure I am getting out of my life.”
I will be posting some of my notes as an additional blog as I reach the halfway point and another as I complete the 40 days. I hope others who are searching can gain something from it.
beNOBLE – Matt
This year I am trying to get ahead of gift getting so I’ve been interviewing my family to see what they want. I sat down with my 5 year old daughter Elaine yesterday and asked her what she wanted. Of course she asked for some new dress up costumes and the typical stuff you would expect, but one of her gift requests really threw me off. She wants a new rake. Why in the world would she want a rake? Does she love working in the yard that much? Does she have a green thumb? Is this is a hint that someday she will start her own landscaping company?
This morning it hit me. Last week she helped our neighbor rake his leaves. To be honest, the kids rake she has is pretty useless so I can see how frustrating it might have been for her to really help. She wants a new rake so she can help her neighbors better. Upon reflection, you can imagine how proud I felt when I realized the story behind her request. You can bet she is going to receive the absolute best kid size rake this Christmas under the tree. Don’t worry, that won’t be her only gift!
This time of year it’s easy to think about the stuff that I want. Most of it will not deliver the satisfaction that I believe it will bring to my life. This week, think with me about what gift or purchase will be your “rake.” What tools or things do you need to serve and love your neighbors better next year? Thank you Elaine for teaching your Dad what types of gifts are truly the best.
beCHILL – Andrew
When I think of relaxing I usually picture myself doing something fun and free of stress. Rarely do I think of sleep itself as the relaxing activity that I need most.
I recently read an article on the benefits of sleep. I have heard of many of these before but it struck me again on how much I need to prioritize sleep over other activities to gain so many great benefits.
Improve Immunity– With all this talk of Covid and the flu season upon us who doesn’t want better immunity.
Prevent Weight Gain– Keeping off those pesky holiday pounds just became a snooze 🙂
Strengthen your heart– Sleep helps “rest” your heart
Better Mood– Help shake off the winter blues with a full night’s rest
Increased productivity– A well rested mind can do more work
Not sleeping is dangerous– Things like car crashes are more likely when you don’t sleep enough
Increase in exercise performance– We all don’t need anything holding us back in the gym
Improves Memory– Don’t want to forget anything you’re working so hard to accomplish
So, next time you’re tempted to just let another episode roll on Netflix, remember all the benefits you may be missing out on.