cadavers.

While studying Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University, I was blessed to have professors that were highly intelligent, fully committed to their area of expertise/ research and passionate about educating the next generation in the inner-workings of the human body.  CSU is one of few schools who offer undergraduate students the opportunity to learn from human cadavers.  As a high school student, our anatomy class paid a visit to the animated Mark Frasier, professor of Gross Human Anatomy.   Mark uncovered the corpse on the table and opened our eyes to what could be learned from the remains of a life once lived.  In that moment, I was captivated by the intelligent design.  The sheer strength of the heart to circulate blood through such delicate capillaries and the intricacy of the spinal cord, carefully encased in the protection of the perfectly aligned vertebrae was beautifully illustrated in this human body, as it was exposed to the deepest level.  There was no question in my mind that one day I would dive headlong into this field of study.

Taking into consideration the way the brain stores and transmits information and the differentiation of cells in tissue formation which further comprise our organs, it is as though we are handed the keys to the most sophisticated vehicle, on the day we make our grand entrance into this world.  What has been lost over the years is the required maintenance.  Especially in the United States, we have substituted liposuction and appetite suppressing injections for a healthy lifestyle.  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) now reports obesity rates, as the epidemic continues to spread like wildfire.  In 2005, a new "color" hit the charts as Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia weighed in at an obesity rate greater than 30%.  Let me break it down:  ONE THIRD of the entire state's population, ONE in every THREE people, was not only overweight, but obese.  The story told by the map is truly eye opening.  If you want to track the trend through a visual representation, check out this link:  http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul has a heart-to-heart with his audience:  ^"19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." (NIV)  While he may not have utilized this language, I appreciate the words selected in The Message translation:  "Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body."  The way we carry ourselves speaks volumes above and beyond our outward appearance.  Every body is unique and it would be foolish to confuse disease and disability with a lack of care.  With that caveat covered, it is imperative that those who are able, continue a pursuit of health.

The definition of health that I choose to cling most closely to, incorporates fitness in the mental, physical, relational, financial and spiritual areas of our lives.  Each deserves attention and the purpose of this entry is to highlight the importance of the physical aspect of our being, as this is truly the vehicle by which we are able to fulfill our calling.  Regardless of what may define our hopes and dreams, we will lose our effectiveness if we are not functioning in a capacity that will sustain the energy required to continue the pursuit.

If I don my "personal trainer hat," I could quickly outline the five components of physical fitness, record your resting heart rate, measure your VO2 max (lung capacity) or even dissect your current nutritional intake.  These are all important for evaluation and goal setting purposes, but this message extends beyond the numbers.  We are called and set apart to make a difference in this life.  Our bodies are gifts that require attention and care.  In no way, shape, or form am I suggesting that fitness goals are extreme or unnecessary.  My intention is that we would pursue fitness, not as a chore or another agenda item to check off the to-do list, but as a way to steward a priceless gift.