Peace of the Puzzle

"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." --1 Corinthians 14:33

Read: 1 Corinthians 14

I've never been very good at riddles. My brain just doesn't work like that. Crosswords? Forget 'em. For the life of me, I can't keep from looking up the answers in the back of the book. But puzzles? Well, that's a different story. Loretta and I enjoy a good puzzle. Shopping for one is easy too. You just find a cool picture, and that's it. You bring it home, spread the puzzle out on the table, prop up the photo and get to work. It's not long before what used to be in pieces begins to take the shape of the goal.

But how easy would it be if you took away the box with the picture on it? Tough, right? Or what if you turned off the lights, what then? How easy would it be to put that puzzle together?

For those without Christ, that's life. They piece together hours, days and weeks, assembling their lives -- on feel alone -- without Christ. As Christians, our lives are not easily assembled either. (If you're with me, say 'amen'.) Though we have Christ as our picture of perfection and more than enough light for a million-piece-life, we still stumble and struggle to put it together. Yet deep inside, we have that missing 'peace', don't we?

You know, Loretta and I can both be looking for the same piece of our little puzzle and when one of us finds it, what's the first thing we do? We show it to each other. We share it. Then we watch how it fills the empty space. And it's not long before what used to be in pieces begins to take the shape of the goal. You and I have the missing peace, and someone we know is searching for it. Let's show it. Let's share it.

--Jimmy Peña

Question: Whether at work, school, gym or even socially, where can we share Christ more unashamedly? Will you commit to sharing Christ with someone today? Use this (stole it from my grandmother): When you encounter someone who acts like a Christian, ask them, "Are you a Christian?" If they say, "Yes", say, "I thought so." If they say, "No", just tell them, "Oh, you'd make a great Christian." And then take it from there...

PLAYER PROFILE: Louie DeDonatis

Find out how this collegiate athlete has made relationship with the Lord his focus and what he has done on the field to build closing speed and game-changing stamina in this exclusive Q&A.

>> Q&A with Louie DeDonatis

A TETHERED FAITH

March 25, 2011Read: 1 John 1

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." --1 John 1:9

I hate tetherball. I've always hated tetherball. For those of you unfamiliar with this sadistic schoolyard pasttime, let me break it down for you. There's a ball tied to a rope, which is tied to a pole. You stand opposite your opponent and try to hit the ball in one direction, while your opponent does his/her best to hit it in the opposite direction. The one who can get the ball to swing around until it touches the pole wins.

Not surprisingly, this hatred can be sourced to my height-challenged dimensions. I am 5'7", short enough to be dwarfed by most fourth graders today (and by my daughters soon enough). If I was the one serving, that would usually be the only time I'd touch the ball. I'd end up watching helplessly as the ball swung overhead. Out of reach, out of luck -- someone show me the way to the kickball diamond.

Still, the image of tetherball is a powerful one -- the ball straining at the end of a taut rope, with physics doing its best to snap the ball loose. And the game is won once the ball is back in contact with the pole.

We all stray from the Lord. Sometimes, it feels so far that we don't think we deserve to be back with Him. We get pulled so far in the opposite direction, waiting for -- and sometimes expecting -- the line to snap, releasing us into spiritual oblivion. But once you accept Him into your heart, there's no outside force that can shake you loose, no circumstance that can separate you from your salvation. You are tethered to Him by a rope of grace.

>> What is your testimony? Share it with us -- swings and all -- on the PrayFit forums by clicking here.

--E.V.

COMPOUND MOVES If you are looking to build strength, devote your energy to multi-joint moves

The three most popular, widely-used lifts in the gym are the bench press, deadlift and squat. Referred to as "The Big Three," these moves fall into a category of exercises called compound, or multi-joint, lifts. These exercises require movement at more than one joint, which means that more total muscles have to get involved to complete each rep. And the more muscle you work, the more muscle and strength you stand to gain. As a bonus, the more muscle you recruit on a given exercise, the more calories you burn. Finally, any measure of muscle gain will improve your metabolism since muscle is calorie-eating tissue.

Anyone looking to gain strength would be best served by doing compound moves, almost exclusively at first. Isolation, or single-joint, moves like curls, pressdowns, leg extensions or leg curls have their place in physique building, but they are secondary exercises that should only be implemented once you have built an adequate base of strength from which to work.

But The Big Three don't stand alone in the strength-gain column. Here are a few more exercises that make you stronger in a hurry:

Barbell row Pull-up Dip Bodyweight squat Lunge Push-up

>> For exercise descriptions and videos, click here.

>> For more workouts and exercise tips, click here.

ALSO: Pictured below are the official fight night trunks of former (and future) boxing champ Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero, who is taking on Michael Katsidis on April 9 on HBO Pay-Per-View. For more info on the fight, visit HBO Boxing!

(Photo courtesy Team Guerrero)