First Guest Post-"Why we do this" and a push-up I'm not sure I could do!

Welcome aboard to my first guest poster, Pastor Stephen "Wally" Seibel.  We met via Facebook, have chatted a few times about powerlifting, and life in general.  Then when I was looking through the list of Platinum President's Fitness Challenge award winners, I see his name!  Congratulations, and keep at it to that second award, Powerlifting Pastor!

He has written three articles for me to post.  Tonight I'm posting the first one and if you aren't a little scared when you search for the push-up handles he mentions, you're tougher than I am!

        "I pick things up, I put them down.  This is how I describe to my father the joy and passion that I have in powerlifting.  You might recognize that line from an ad for a gym -- which sees it as something that most people don't want to do.  But it is a joy that I have been doing for 26 years.  Well, not powerlifting as such, I have only been doing that for 3 years, but lifting weights.

I am also a Lutheran pastor.  This means that I have taught confirmation (religious instruction) to seventh and eighth graders for many years.  In the 30 years I have been a pastor, I have noted how these teens have gotten fatter and fatter.  And I am concerned for their future.  I am worried that they will not have a full and joyful life due to physical limitations.

Now I don't believe that weightlifting is for everyone.  It is an activity I love -- but it isn't for everyone.

I also sometimes do some bodyweight exercises.  One is pushups. Not just regular pushups, but a specialty pushups done with a balance challenged, done on  a handle with a 2 1/2" stove bolt on it (I made my own, but a web site that sells them is http://transformetrics.com/products/warrior-power-ts ). When I have done these in front of confirmation students, most of them have wanted to try it.  Interestingly, because of the balance question, 13 year old girls are much better at these then 13 year old boys. 

Over a few weeks, a few of them have had their dads make these for themselves, and start to do them on their own.

My conversations about doing something physical with these teens have focused on one thing -- find something you enjoy doing physically, and do it.  And if that exercise doesn't energize you -- find something else, and do it.  It could be running, walking, swimming, isometrics, weights, or a whole host of other things. 

Why is it important?  Because "I believe God created me, and all creatures.  He has given me body and soul, eyes, ears and all part of my body, mind and senses…He does this out of fatherly love and mercy…For this I must certainly thank and praise Him, serve and obey Him," (Luther's Small Catechism, explanation of First Article of the Apostle's Creed).  I have been given this body (mind and soul) to take care of, and use to serve God."