Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
The Scars & Stripes
"...and by His stripes we are healed." --Isaiah 53:5
Read: Isaiah 53
One day while driving along the canyon in Los Angeles, I came across a tall, old tree in the front yard of a beautiful home. Next to the tree stood an equally tall flag pole. Now, most days I probably wouldn't have noticed, but as I went by I realized the flag was tangled around some branches, evidence of some recent high winds. Now, you may be just like me, but something stirs inside when I see the stars and stripes helpless like that. I don't know, but our symbol of freedom shouldn't be stuck to a tree. It was wrapped so tight in fact, I literally said to myself, "Oh, someone has to climb up there."
With amazing pity for my crimes and yours, our Freedom willingly crawled up that old rugged cross. We were helpless, so someone had to climb up there. And Jesus, with His scars and stripes, embraced it.
--Jimmy Peña
Happy 4th of July everyone. Celebrate freedom! Please look for our next PrayFit entry on Monday, July 8th!
PRAYFIT USA!
Represent your dedication to faith, fitness and country with our new line of PrayFit USA gear. Both guys and gals can find a style to suit them in the newly updated store. Get yours today while supplies last! Click here to browse the selection now!
Built To Be Broken
"And by his wounds we are healed." --Isaiah 53:5
Read: Isaiah 53
For my daughter's fourth birthday recently, we allowed her and her younger sister to stay up an hour past bedtime so we could all snuggle up to a good movie and some popcorn. Our selection? At Jesus' Side, an animated story that centers around a pack of outcast animals in Jerusalem during the last week of Jesus' life. The birthday girl, Mya, sat cuddled up to me.
During the scene where Jesus is carrying his cross to Calvary, my wife turns to look at us and her eyes welled up with tears. Mya was crying. She was heartbroken at the way Jesus was being treated. When He finally gave up His soul on the cross, Mya buried her face in my chest and wept. I fought the lump in my throat as I held her tight and wiped her tears. It was only when the canine protagonist came to Jesus' empty tomb that her sadness was replaced once more with her signature smile.
The joy of the resurrection, as it turns out, isn't age-dependent. Even a four-year-old can appreciate the beauty of Christ's victory over death. Our bodies, we tell her, are designed for fun things like jumping in puddles and riding bikes. His, on the other hand, was built for one purpose: to be broken, so that one day, we can bury our faces in His chest and He can wipe away all our tears, for good.
--Eric Velazquez
REPORT: WEIGHT LOSS CAN BE CONTAGIOUS
What's your main fitness goal? If it's to lose a few pounds or inches, it's time to surround yourself with an all-star cast of teammates.
Researchers from The Miriam Hospital's Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University found that team members in a weight loss competition not only achieved similar weight loss outcomes, but participants who said their teammates played a large role in their weight loss actually lost the most weight. The study found that subjects who lost 5% of their bodyweight or more tended to be on the same teams.
The PrayFit 33-Day Total Body Challenge (Lionsgate) is being used nationwide by churches and small groups looking to get in shape. Participants meet regularly or perform workouts on their own and log progress on our forums or compare results in other ways.
>> To start your own 33-day challenge with friends or family, click here. >> To share your results with others who are already taking the PrayFit 33-Day Total Body Challenge, click here. >> For the full story on the weight loss study from Science Daily, click here.
Pledge Allegiance
"...and by His stripes we are healed." --Isaiah 53:5
Read: Isaiah 53
Driving along the canyon in Los Angeles this week, I came across a tall, old tree in the front yard of a beautiful home. Next to the tree stood an equally tall flag pole. Now, most days I probably wouldn't have noticed, but as I went by I realized the flag was tangled around some branches, evidence of some recent high winds. Now, you may be just like me, but something stirs inside when I see the stars and stripes helpless like that. I don't know, but our symbol of freedom shouldn't be stuck to a tree. It was wrapped so tight in fact, I literally said to myself, "Oh, someone has to climb up there."
With amazing pity for my crimes and yours, our Freedom willingly crawled up that old rugged cross. We were helpless, so someone had to climb up there. And Jesus, with His scars and stripes, embraced it.
--Jimmy Peña
PRAYFIT: WEEK IN REVIEW Use this quick-access guide to the week's greatest hits
>> WHO WANTS THE BALL?: If God had a blackboard, He'd mark our path straight to the cross
FITNESS >> WORKOUT: Use this mini-program to build strength and shape in your calves
>> TIPS: Courtesy of Health.com, 51 ways to fight fat
>> RECIPE: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Onions
>> STATISTICS: How closely related are obesity and heart disease?
33 DAYS: How have your New Year's resolutions held up? We're eyeballing the end of January (and heading into the weekend) and some of you may be starting to see your motivation wane. We've got just the cure. Jump start your routine all over again with our 33-Day Total Body Challenge DVD (Lionsgate Entertainment), hosted by PrayFit founder Jimmy Pena. This structured routine calls for 33 minutes a day for 33 days, honoring the One who gave us 33 years, and includes weekly devotionals to inspire and invigorate your efforts. Click here for more information!
HE VOTED: GRACE
August 2, 2011 Read: Isaiah 53
"...by his wounds we are healed." --Isaiah 53:5
I can't say I know all there is to know about politics, but the debt ceiling debate has been tough to escape. Turn the channel, pick up a newspaper or surf the web and there it is. And regardless of what side you're on, yesterday's vote was an emotional one; not so much for the outcome that saves the country from default, but because of who showed up for the vote. Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords appeared on the house floor for the first time since being critically wounded in January. Her appearance brought the house down. Fellow lawmakers described the scene as she raised her hand to vote "stunning" and "heroic." Giffords said she just had to be there for the vote. In her words, "I could not take the chance that my absence could crash our economy."
Please forgive the comparison, but you and I have a debt problem too. A debt no amount of good deeds, good thoughts, health, money, or otherwise could ever pay. Tally up the votes of every person of Adam's race, every voice that has ever spoken, and we wouldn't have enough yays for a victory.
But Jesus showed up to cast the only vote that counted; wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. He showed up, raised both hands and voted...grace.
--J.P.
WHAT'S IN A GRAIN?
One of the best and easiest things you can do to start cleaning up your diet is to make an easy switch. Whenever there's an option, elect to eat whole grain products. These healthier choices slow digestion, helping you to avoid the types of spikes in blood sugar and insulin that can leave your body drained and in a fat-storing mode. But according to PrayFit contributing nutritionist Emily Ann Miller, MPH, RD, there's much more to know about this wonder food.
"When selecting grain-based foods such as bread, cereal, pasta, and rice dishes, choose items that are made from whole grains," says Miller. "Whole grains are a source of B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron, and fiber, as well as other plant substances that can help fight disease. Foods made from refined or enriched grains often lack some of these nutrients. To ensure that the food you are choosing is 100% whole grain, make sure you do not see the words 'enriched' or 'refined' anywhere on the package or in the ingredient list. Some examples of healthy whole-grain foods include 100% whole wheat bread or pasta, brown rice, popcorn, and oatmeal."
Emily Ann Miller, MPH, RD is a registered dietitian and works at a Washington, D.C.-based independent, nonprofit science organization, where her work is currently focused on environmental and policy solutions to obesity prevention. She also speaks to groups about health and nutrition and provides nutrition education to patients at a free medical clinic that serves low-income, uninsured adults in the D.C. area. You can view more of Emily’s nutrition tips and updates by following her on Twitter, @EmilyAMillerRD.