Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
Breathless
"Weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head..." --Luke 7:38
Back in graduate school, we had our share of underwater weighing assignments. Underwater weighing is regarded as the most valuable tool at determining body composition. However, in order for the subject to be seen accurately, it takes an extreme amount of effort and courage on the part of the person being tested. See, as you're lowered into the water, you have to empty your lungs, breathing out every drop of air possible.
The woman in Luke 7 defied ridicule and disregarded the rules to do one thing: to pour everything she had at His feet. Broken, she just had to break free and nothing was going to stop her from seeing her Lord. After her tears cleaned His feet and her hair dried them, she courageously emptied her alabaster bottle of valuable perfume for Jesus to breathe in.
Friends, don't miss it today. When we're empty, we allow Him to see us. When we breathe it all out, He breathes it all in. If only for today, let's pour our health at His feet like perfume and tears. Lord, here is all our praise, expressed from the top of our lungs.
--Jimmy Peña
LOTS IN STORE: Thank you for the feedback on the first of our new additions to the store! Hurry and order your "I Fought" t-shirt or tank, because soon we're going to roll the next one out and these will be gone! Thanks so much for supporting our site and for praying for us.
Breathless
"Weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head..." -Luke 7:38
Read: Luke 7
Back in graduate school, we had our share of underwater weighing assignments. Underwater weighing is regarded as the most valuable tool at determining body composition. However, in order for the subject to be seen accurately, it takes an extreme amount of effort and courage on the part of the person being tested. See, as you're lowered into the water, you have to empty your lungs, breathing out every drop of air possible.
The woman in Luke 7 defied ridicule and disregarded the rules to do one thing: to pour everything she had at His feet. Broken, she just had to break free and nothing was going to stop her from seeing her Lord. After her tears cleaned His feet and her hair dried them, she courageously emptied her alabaster bottle of valuable perfume for Jesus to breathe in.
Friends, don't miss it today. When we're empty, we allow Him to see us. When we breathe it all out, He breathes it all in. If only for today, let's pour our health at His feet like perfume and tears. Lord, here is all our praise, expressed from the top of our lungs.
--Jimmy Peña
EXERCISE IN DEPTH: The Plank
Appropriate for today is our exercise of choice: the plank. This exercise has no movement whatsoever but has plenty going on. The plank primarily works the muscle called the transverse abdominis -- the muscle most responsible when we breathe out air. Try it, as you read this sentence, take a deep breath and then blow out as much as possible. Keep going....keep breathing out....feel that? Well, that muscle ache deep in your gut is exactly that, deep in your gut. In fact, the transverse abdominis is highly responsible for the strength of your spine and helps prevent low back pain. The stronger the transverse abdominis, the better your posture and the more likely you are to enjoy abundant low back health. Try it. Each day, shoot for a longer plank time. Here's how to get it right:
PLANK | Focus: Core, abs, lower back
Lie facedown on the floor with your body straight and forearms resting on the floor. Slowly press your body up off the floor onto your forearms and toes. Keep your abs pulled in tight and your back flat while holding this position.
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Breathless
"...weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head..." -Luke 7:38
Read: Luke 7
Back in graduate school, we had our share of underwater weighing assignments. Underwater weighing is regarded as the most valuable tool at determining body composition. However, in order for the subject to be seen accurately, it takes an extreme amount of effort and courage on the part of the person being tested. See, as you're lowered into the water, you have to empty your lungs, breathing out every drop of air possible.
The woman in Luke 7 defied ridicule and disregarded the rules to do one thing: to pour everything she had at His feet. Broken, she just had to break free and nothing was going to stop her from seeing her Lord. After her tears cleaned His feet and her hair dried them, she courageously emptied her alabaster bottle of valuable perfume for Jesus to breathe in.
Friends, don't miss it today. When we're empty, we allow Him to see us. When we breathe it all out, He breathes it all in. If only for today, let's pour our health at His feet like perfume and tears. Lord, here is all our praise, expressed from the top of our lungs.
--Jimmy Peña
EXERCISE IN DEPTH: The Plank
Appropriate for today is our exercise of choice: the plank. This exercise has no movement whatsoever but has plenty going on. The plank primarily works the muscle called the transverse abdominis -- the muscle most responsible when we breathe out air. Try it, as you read this sentence, take a deep breath and then blow out as much as possible. Keep going....keep breathing out....feel that? Well, that muscle ache deep in your gut is exactly that, deep in your gut. In fact, the transverse abdominis is highly responsible for the strength of your spine and helps prevent low back pain. The stronger the transverse abdominis, the better your posture and the more likely you are to enjoy abundant low back health. Try it. Each day, shoot for a longer plank time. Here's how to get it right:
Plank | Focus: Core, abs, lower back Lie facedown on the floor with your body straight and forearms resting on the floor. Slowly press your body up off the floor onto your forearms and toes. Keep your abs pulled in tight and your back flat while holding this position.
Breathless
"...weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head..." -Luke 7:38
Back in graduate school, we had our share of underwater weighing assignments. Underwater weighing is regarded as the most valuable tool at determining body composition. However, in order for the subject to be seen accurately, it takes an extreme amount of effort and courage on the part of the person being tested. See, as you're lowered into the water, you have to empty your lungs, breathing out every drop of air possible.
The woman in Luke 7 defied ridicule and disregarded the rules to do one thing: to pour everything she had at His feet. Broken, she just had to break free and nothing was going to stop her from seeing her Lord. After her tears cleaned His feet and her hair dried them, she courageously emptied her alabaster bottle of valuable perfume for Jesus to breathe in.
Friends, don't miss it today. When we're empty, we allow Him to see us. When we breathe it all out, He breathes it all in. If only for today, let's pour our health at His feet like perfume and tears. Lord, here is all our praise, expressed from the top of our lungs.
—Jimmy Peña
EXERCISE IN DEPTH: The Plank
Appropriate for today is our exercise of choice: the plank. This exercise, which is a part of our Workout of the Week, has no movement whatsoever but has plenty going on. The plank primarily works the muscle called the transverse abdominis -- the muscle most responsible when we breathe out air. Try it, as you read this sentence, take a deep breath and then blow out as much as possible. Keep going....keep breathing out....feel that? Well, that muscle ache deep in your gut is exactly that, deep in your gut. In fact, the transverse abdominis is highly responsible for the strength of your spine and helps prevent low back pain. The stronger the transverse abdominis, the better your posture and the more likely you're going to enjoy low back health. Try it. Each day, shoot for a longer plank time. Here's how to get it right:
Plank | Focus: Core, abs, lower back Lie facedown on the floor with your body straight and forearms resting on the floor. Slowly press your body up off the floor onto your forearms and toes. Keep your abs pulled in tight and your back flat while holding this position.
DIAGNOSIS: MIRACLE
September 20, 2011Read: Luke 7
"But say the word, and my servant will be healed." --Luke 7:7
Last night as I sat to write today's entry, I had an unexpected guest. But wait, let me back up. Two weeks ago, while sitting in the same spot, I heard a faint knock at my door. The kind of knock where you're really not sure, so you pause and wait to see? Well, sure enough, another knock. Opening my front door, I bore witness to my dear friend, Alan.
A neighbor and colleague -- pale, sweating, and collapsing in my arms. Minutes later, sitting in the ambulance with him, he was sure it was a kidney stone. Later that night, the doctors were sure it was cancer. A sizable tumor had taken his kidney captive, and he was bleeding internally. His surgery to remove both his kidney and tumor was yesterday. Or so we thought.
Last night as I sat in my spot to continue our look at health and devotion, walking across the parking lot was my unexpected guest...Alan. With his arms up, his first words were, "What tumor?" Three doctors from the most prestigious medical institution in Los Angeles couldn't find today what all three of them saw the day before. Alan recalls, "I was being wheeled to the operating room, and I heard a doctor say, 'We can't find the tumor'."
What some might call a misdiagnosis, Alan is calling a miracle. In fact, his primary physician says that in over 35 years of performing surgery, he's never seen anything like it. And oh, I should also report that minutes before he was taken to the operating room, Alan got on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. She said yes.
God, thank you for being the unexpected guest in our storms of life. You walk on water and into hospital rooms. Help anyone reading these words say 'yes' when you knock. Amen.
--J.P.
EQUAL PROPORTIONS, BETTER HEALTH How simple balance can help you live longer
With all the fad diets out there that promise to help you lose weight for good, the best one may have been under your nose this whole time. Scientists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that the body responded best to a diet that was split equally among the three macronutrients -- carbs, protein and fat. Their research pointed out that this type of diet limited inflammation as well as certain type of cancers by acting favorably on key genes.
Ironically, this is the dietary approach advocated by Jim Stoppani, PhD, co-author of "PrayFit: Your Guide to a Healthy Body and a Stronger Faith in 28 Days." Says Stoppani: "This not only makes the diet easy to remember, but it ensures that you are taking in a well-balanced diet that provides adequate amounts of quality protein for repair and regeneration of tissues, healthy sources of carbohydrates for energy, and healthy fats for proper brain function, cardiovascular health and joint function. When these three macronutrients are eaten in equal quantities (and in proper amounts), fat loss is optimized, while important muscle tissue is spared. In addition, research shows that when protein and carbs are eaten in equal amounts, brain function is optimized, allowing you to be more efficient at work and on all cognitive tasks – such as your daily devotionals!"
>> For the full PrayFit diet, pick up a copy of "PrayFit: Your Guide to a Healthy Body and a Stronger Faith in 28 Days" from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
>> For the details on the Norwegian study, click here.