Packaged in the Unexpected

“Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.” --1 Chronicles 16:11

Read: 1 Chronicles 16

Amidst my usual helping of chaotic and unpredictable mornings, there is one constant in the day’s beginning: Josey. Josey is our chocolate Labrador...our very strong and excited chocolate lab. The apple of my eye. Blink blink.

Each morning Josey acts as if she hasn’t seen me in weeks. “Dad! It’s me, dad! I love you! I missed you!” (If only I started my days like that). And after our reunion, she heads to the door. Wait, let me rephrase, she attacks the door. “Okay Josey, okay!” I put her chain on, and we begin our morning adventure; she knows exactly where she wants to explore. First, she looks for the rabbits, then the squirrels, then the birds. So much to do! But it’s interesting that once we get outside, it’s as if I’m not even there. The one who opens all her doors, the one she couldn’t get enough of, was now an invisible bystander. Can anyone relate to her behavior?

Well, getting caught in some bushes today was not part of her plan. Tangled inside a bush on a steep hill, her joy turned to panic. And for the first time since emerging outside, she looked up at her master (the one who never lets go of the leash). Now, from my vantage point, all she had to do was listen to me, back up a few steps, and she’d be as free as the very bird that got her there in the first place.

Packaged in the unexpected, sometimes God speaks to us with thorn bushes and dog leashes.

--Jimmy Peña

UNLEASH YOUR POTENTIAL

Lately, we've been hounded by new studies and anecdotal evidence that suggest that dogs who are overweight are more likely to have overweight owners. The facts are easy to sniff out. The less active the family, the less active the pets. And though it might be rough at first, the solution just might fun. Make it a mission to see your dog get healthier and slimmer by picking up uneaten food and...and...wait for it... taking your dogs for walks. Your goal? Walk them everyday, allowing them to get used to the habit while trying to go a little further each day. With all the new daily walks, your best friend is sure to be healthier in no time.

According to the ACSM, walking the family pet can help you burn over 100 calories per half hour. Of course, the bigger the dog, the tougher the walk.

HIGHER

July 14, 2011Read: Genesis 1

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." -- Genesis 1:1

Experts agree that with NASA's launch last week, man has officially traveled as high as he'll ever go. Thirty years after the shuttle's first mission to the final frontier, the program lifted off on its last.

Oh my friends, we may not be able to puncture space, but the composer and conductor of the universe will someday take us much higher. The galaxies we can't reach are not out of His, and what we call the final frontier is really just the beginning. Our limits are good reminders that He has none. Astrologists may tell us the sun is the center of it all, but if we want to go even higher, we'd be wise to seek the Son...the center of it all.

-J.P.

6 TIPS FOR MINDFUL EATING

A National Institute of Health (NIH) study on binge eaters examined how eating pace affected satiety but the results can be broadly applied by anyone looking to achieve or keep to a healthy weight.

According to the research, which was reported in the Harvard Medical School newsletter, digestion involves a complex series of hormonal signals between the gut and the nervous system, and it seems to take about 20 minutes for the brain to register satiety (fullness). If someone eats too quickly, satiety may occur after overeating instead of putting a stop to it. There’s also reason to believe that eating while we’re distracted by activities like driving or typing may slow down or stop digestion similar to how the “fight or flight” response does. And if we’re not digesting well, we may be missing out on the full nutritive value of some of the food we’re consuming. Use their six tips to maintain reasonable sized portions and to get more nutritive value out of what you're eating.

1 Set a timer to 20 minutes and use the entire time to eat a normal-sized meal.

2 Try eating with your non-dominant hand. If you're a righty, hold your fork in your left hand during meals.

3 Use chopsticks if you don't normally use them.

4 Eat silently for five minutes, thinking about what it took to produce that meal, from the sun's rays to the farmer to the grocer to the cook.

5 Take small bites and chew well.

6 Ask yourself if you're really hungry before foraging through the fridge or pantry.

>> APPAREL & GEAR: Make a fashion-forward statement about your dedication to faith and fitness by shopping at the PrayFit online store.

THORN BUSHES AND DOG LEASHES

August 30, 2010Read: 1 Chronicles 16

“Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.” –1 Chronicles 16:11

Amidst my usual helping of chaotic and unpredictable mornings, there is one constant in the day’s beginning: Josey. Josey is our chocolate labrador...our very strong and excited chocolate lab. The apple of my eye. Blink blink.

Each morning Josey acts as if she hasn’t seen me in weeks. “Dad! It’s me, dad! I love you! I missed you!” (If only I started my days like that). And after our reunion, she heads to the door. Wait, let me rephrase, she attacks the door. “Okay Josey, okay!” I put her chain on, and we begin our morning adventure; she knows exactly where she wants to explore. First, she looks for the rabbits, then the squirrels, then the birds. So much to do! But it’s interesting that once we go outside, it’s as if I’m not even there. The one who opens all her doors, the one she couldn’t get enough of, was now an invisible bystander. Can anyone relate to her behavior?

Well, getting caught in some bushes today was not part of her plan. Tangled inside a bush on a steep hill, her joy turned to panic. And for the first time since emerging outside, she looked up at her master (the one who never lets go of the leash). Now, from my vantage point, all she had to do was listen to me, back up a few steps, and she’d be as free as the very bird that got her there in the first place.

Packaged in the unexpected, sometimes God speaks to us with thorn bushes and dog leashes.

--J.P.

PRAYFIT WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Chest Both men and women want strong upper bodies, and there's not a better place to start than with a strong chest, front delts and triceps.

We've been asked to provide a solid chest workout, and this week's workout won't disappoint. This routine covers all areas of your chest, and also involves the front of your shoulders and triceps to a certain degree. You hit the upper chest with incline presses, the middle with flat-bench presses, the lower with decline flyes, and the inner pectorals with the pec deck. You'll finish the routine with bodyweight push-ups all done to failure.

After warm-ups on the first movement, you’ll go right into your heaviest sets to start each exercise, as this is when you’ll be strongest and will be able to handle the most weight. That's important, especially because for the greatest impact, you have to select a weight that causes you to fail at the designated rep range. Post your comments and questions on our forums! Have a great week.

Exercise                                       Sets/Reps Incline Dumbbell Press            5/10 Bench Press                               4/10-12 Pec-Deck Flye                             3/12-15 Decline Dumbbell Flye              3/12-15 Push-Ups                                    4/To Failure

--Rest 1-2 minutes between each set.