Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
Rescue. Shelter.
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." --2 Corinthians 5:21
Read: 2 Corinthians 5
In case you missed this story, former New Jersey Governor Richard Codey went undercover last week as a homeless man. He was cold, hungry and plagued with hip problems in the middle of the night. Governor Codey noted that he thought the best way to relate to the homeless was to become homeless himself. In the end, he was rejected by 22 shelters. Imagine...a former governor leaving his mansion to spend a night among the paupers.
Isn't it easy to think of Jesus right about now? Sure it is. Although, Jesus didn't just stay the night did He? He could have, but He didn't. No, He spent a lifetime here. And because He did, we can relate to Him in so many ways. Are you ignored at work? He understands. Rejected by neighbors? So was He. Hurting physically? Jesus knows your pain. But Jesus did more than dress up like us. Note the verse: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us..." See, He does more than relate. He rescues.
Divine irony. He became homeless...so we could follow Him home.
--Jimmy Peña
EXERCISE IN FOCUS: UPRIGHT ROW
One of the key exercises in yesterday's workout of the week was the dumbbell upright row. This multi-joint movement effectively targets your middle deltoid head but it also engages your trapezius, rear delts and albeit to a much lesser degree your forearms and biceps. Because so many muscle groups are involved in this movement, you are able to use significantly more weight than you would be on isolation moves in the routine such as lateral raises. For an exercise demonstration and a deeper analysis of the physiology, click here.
A CHAMPION'S DNA
October 18, 2010 Read: Luke 17
“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.” –Luke 17:15-16
Our DNA is remarkable. Our microscopic fingerprint. A double-helix with 25,000 regions of genes that tell the body how to build itself. And we’re getting better at reading it. Want to know if your child has the genetics of an all-pro athlete? There’s a gene for that. Or maybe even more impressive, there’s a gene that determines motivation to become an all-pro athlete. One’s genetic make-up can tell us so much about our future. The smarter we get, the better we’ll be at predicting all sorts of things from the likelihood of certain illnesses to athletic ability.
Aren’t we glad that Heaven isn’t determined by our DNA? When ability falls short and capability fails miserably, Jesus touches our hearts and leaves a permanent imprint of a nail-scarred hand; the only statistically significant indicator of one’s destiny.
–J.P.
10-MINUTE WORKOUTS: GET LEAN
Many trainers would have you believe that losing weight or getting lean requires a huge time commitment. The truth is, it's all about intensity and consistency. Using this 10-minute, at-home, full-body blitz can get you the results you need, in less time -- no fancy trainers needed. After a good warm-up, dive right in to this rest-minimal routine. The good news is that it is shorter in nature, so you can continue performing it daily -- up to five times per week -- to get the results you seek.
Warm-up: Run, do jumping jacks or jump rope for one 1-2 minutes.
Bodyweight squats - 1 minute Jump squats - 1 minute Rest - 1 minute Power Push-Ups - 1 minute Standard Push-ups - 1 minute Rest - 1 minute Double Crunches - 1 minute Standard Crunches - 1 minute Plank - 1 minute
Zip through this routine, top to bottom. If possible, repeat the sequence. And if you liked today’s workout, jot down your performance and strive to beat the number of reps you were able to achieve in 10 minutes, each day, for five days. Are you up for the challenge? Remember, the ones who make a difference with their bodies, minds, hearts and souls are the ones who show up.
WAVING OVER WALLS
September 9, 2010Read: Psalm 145 "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call on Him in truth." -- Psalm 145:18
As a young boy, watching my dad leave for work was more than a habit or tradition -- it was a son's ritual. We'd say bye to him at the door, then I'd run to my room and watch for him from my window. I remember we had a big rock wall, over which I could barely see the top of his truck. As he drove down the street he'd wave goodbye out his window and I'd be waving from mine. And all was right with my world.
But boy, oh boy, if I happened to miss his truck, you'd think the sky had fallen. I still remember the anxiety. "Did I miss him? Did I look down or turn away? As much as I wanted to watch him wave, I needed him to know I was there waving back. And if I thought he didn't see me, I was a mess. Mom would get me on the phone with Dad, and he'd calm me down. He'd assure me that he sees me waving, even if I can't see him.
I don't know when I grew out of that, but we'll never outgrow the need to see the Lord.
God, we're at the window. We've run here to watch you go to work in our world. We're on our tiptoes, and our little eyes are looking for you over the walls of fear and doubt that we ourselves have built. Even if we look down or turn away, you're there. You see us waving, even if we can't always see you.
--J.P.
NEW BENEFITS BREWING WITH COFFEE Coffee is more than a morning jolt -- it is fortifying your DNA
Coffee, America's favorite pick-me-up, has drawn great headlines in recent months and years with research linking it to reduced risk of diabetes, and improved liver health. But a new studies are showing that it may help on a much deeper level, boosting your health all the way down to your DNA.
Researchers from the University of Vienna, Nestlé, and the University of Belgrade report that paper-filtered coffee – the most widely consumed form in Central Europe and the US – may protect against oxidative DNA-damage. Subjects were assigned to drink either 800 ml coffee or water daily for five days. At the end of the study, a reduction in DNA damage was shown in the java drinkers.
Though researchers admit that the findings are "casual," they say that the results are promising.
To read the full story at Nutraingredients.com, click here.
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