Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
The Race With Grace
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." --Colossians 3:23-24
Her face said it all. As Loretta finished the Nike Women's Half Marathon this weekend, exhaustion met joy and mission met accomplishment. Now, I don't mean to over-dramatize the moment, but I think Paul was on to something when he talked about the Christian life as a race -- a race that believers are called to run with endurance and never aimlessly. Over the last few years, we've written entries after marathons, many of which are among my favorites. And with the week's race being almost over, I thought it appropriate for today.
For some of you, the week was steep. The phone never rang, the e-mail didn't arrive, or your health didn't cooperate. For others, everything was downhill, and you could do no wrong. Either way, I think our dear friend Sandie Powell said it best when she said, "The amazing thing is that He is as proud of our attempt (to run) as he is in our finish." And she's right. Did Loretta win the D.C. Half Marathon last weekend? Well, maybe only in my eyes, but my eyes are the only ones that mattered. She wasn't the fastest, but she gave it all she had and there was no doubt where she was headed...straight to me.
I want to live like that, don't you? I want everything I do and say, how I treat my health and how I love others to show the world that I'm on a road that leads to the only One that matters. From start to finish, I'm in this race with grace. And after the uphills, the downhills and even the pitfalls, when mission meets accomplishment -- not ours, His -- I want my face to say it all.
--Jimmy Peña
P.S. Fresh off the D.C. Half Marathon, there may be a couple of race-themed entries next week. In the pic above, Letta has just found her name on the Nike wall. Neat moment...
"The amazing thing is that He is as proud of our attempt (to run) as he is in our finish." --Sandie Powell
PRAYFIT DIET: CARB SWAPS Making simple switches can help you to slow down digestion and boost your health
When it comes to the age-old struggle between white rice and brown rice, which one comes out on top? In The PrayFit Diet, we take to answering this question and others like it.
While white rice is not necessarily bad for you, it can be higher on the glycemic index -- meaning a higher spike in blood sugar -- which is not ideal for weight loss. But provided you are not dousing it in butter and other calorie-rich sauces, you're not doing too bad for yourself. However, since eating two servings or more per week of brown rice has been shown to decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 16 percent or more, brown rice holds the edge.
>> To get more healthy-living carb swaps like this, pick up a copy of The PrayFit Diet today!
An Avenue of Affliction
"In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider God has made the one as well as the other." —Ecclesiastes 7:13-14
Read: Ecclesiastes 7
On the treadmill to my right, walked a man maybe 80 years old; on the one to my left, a teenager with a disability. The three of us huffed and puffed, each with a window overlooking a busy intersection -- sort of a fitness fishbowl, if you will. Each stoplight ushered in a new array of commuters and though every once in a while we'd capture the attention of a driver or two, one vehicle in particular caught mine.
But first, isn't it interesting that you really don't know what motivates someone? Some things you just can't see. You can only see the result. Oh sure, while the dashboard on my treadmill might give me distance, it doesn't know what it took to get me that far. Pastor Chuck Swindoll wrote, "Although this journey along the avenue of affliction is unpleasant and unappealing, it is inevitable. Working through the hurt is essential if we hope to become effective for God."
To be effective for God. Isn't that the goal both physically and spiritually? And since we know that nothing hits us without Him allowing it, it's a compliment that He believes we can work through the hurt. Or better yet, we're never in pain alone. So as I stepped in between the two bookends of life on my left and right, it was a comfort to know the steps God took to see me through mine. (Lord only knows what was inside their hearts-the history, the pain, the drive,- but whatever it was, they walked).
And oh yes, I almost forgot. The car that got my attention? An Official Vehicle of the Department of Aging. Somehow, the three of us "vehicles" could easily relate. Wow. Can't you just hear the applause of Heaven? Listen closely, take courage and keep going. Because thankfully, the road we're on as believers? It's an incline.
--Jimmy Peña
CARBS: CHOOSE WISELY
While PrayFit isn't completely against low-carb dieting, we stress the importance of choosing the proper types of carbohydrates to fuel your training and other daily activities. Carbs are, after all, the body's preferred fuel source, so extended or extreme deprivation can backfire for dieters as well as the companies that stake their futures on no-carb schemes. Case in point...
"The low-carb diet craze reached its peak in 2004, with far fewer people following diets like Atkins and South Beach in subsequent years," according to John Robbins, author of Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples. "On August 1, 2005, Atkins Nutritionals, Inc., filed for bancruptcy court protection."
Remember, the key is to control refined sugar, not to overly restrict healthy complex carbohydrates. Refined sugars, such as those found in sugary drinks, white bread and candy, digest quickly and spike insulin levels, which can cause the body to store fat. Complex carbs, such as those found in whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables, digest more slowly and provide sustained streams of fuel to cells.
Source: Healthy at 100 by John Robbins
VERIFIED ACCOUNT
June 16, 2011Read Luke 24 "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" --Luke 24:5
We can proudly say that PrayFit has a steadily growing Twitter account. Not sure if you've been on there, but for the more popular people on Twitter, a blue checkmark is placed beside their name to signify a "Verified Account" -- a sort of seal of approval that tells the world that all the others are fakes and phonies; mere look-alikes. The seal says you can trust who's behind it.
Well, today as I was updating "what's happening now," I saw people sharing all sorts of wisdom. I read a compelling quote from Ghandi, Confucius said not to chase two rabbits, and if I was born this month, my horoscope says I'm in for a big surprise. Awesome. But with all the different opinions, mantras and beliefs, who can we trust? Well, at PrayFit, we simply look to the empty tomb. The seal of approval? A rolled away stone -- a verified account that tells the world you can trust who's not behind it.
--J.P.
CALORIES IN, CALORIES OUT
While I'm on the subject of online debates, I saw a long stream of comments talking about the notion that losing weight (or not gaining weight) can't be as simple as taking in less calories than you utilize. Well, folks, it's true. The simple science of our bodies says that if you use more calories than you take in, you won't gain weight and you may in fact lose weight. But here's the catch: the quality of calories is key when it comes to how you look, perform and function. To be, act and appear your best, you must choose quality protein, complex carbs and healthy fats. Sure, if you take in a total of 2000 calories in a day, and those 2000 calories are empty calories, if you utilize 2001, you won't gain a pound. But you won't be your best either.
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