With Honors

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." -- Ephesians 2:8

Read: Ephesians 2

I'm not the first writer to see heaven in a graduation and I definitely won't be the last. But sitting in the bleachers this weekend, waiting for the love of my life to stroll across that stage, I just couldn't help it. As the band played a few sour notes and the crowd fanned their glistening brows, the keynote speaker talked about all the reasons the graduates deserved the stage. The homework, the term papers, the finals. All tough, all taken, all passed. Tired and weary, all that was left to do was receive their prize.

At first it seems like a simple analogy. You did the work, you get the reward. But if Heaven were based on our ability to pass every test, there would be no thrilling cheers, no tossing tassels, no celebration. When Loretta fulfilled her course requirements last semester, she couldn't wait for the big day to arrive. Jesus fulfilled our course requirement when He walked the hill of Calvary and paid our sin debt. Now, we don't know when the day will come, but by His grace through faith alone, you and I will someday walk across the stage and receive a prize we didn't earn. With all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto -- tired and weary -- we'll graduate with honors...His.

P.S. As she promised, Loretta tried to walk slowly across the stage to soak it all in. She wanted it to last forever. Yeah, somehow I think God loves a good graduation. "Just wait," I bet He's saying. "Just wait."

--Jimmy Peña

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: PUSH-UPS Double your total on this foundation exercise in just a week

There's a reason that push-ups are included in fitness tests the world over: they work. Forcing your chest, shoulders and triceps to work in concert helps develop tremendous pushing strength, which translates over to a number of functions covering everything up to and including hand-to-hand combat (a handy skill for today's homeland defenders).

No matter how many push-ups you can complete, no matter your skill level, you can improve on that total drastically in a week's time by using this simple but effective workout. Try the following low-volume workout, each day, and track your progress online in your own PrayFit Workout Journal. Not yet a member? Click here to register.

>> Click here to learn how to increase your push-up max!

Worthy of a Frame

"I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. --Psalm 139:14

Read: Psalm 139

Where do you keep your pictures? I’m not talking about fun, random, cell phone snaps or Facebook profile images. I’m talking about the special ones –- those worthy of a frame. That’s where we need to start…the mantle of your heart.

You know, we’ve all heard the statement that if God had a mantle, your picture would be on it. And while I love knowing that, I wonder what you and I would actually look like? At first, that thought might sound a bit weird, awkward or even irrelevant. I suppose it would be if we were talking about the body, but God sees our hearts. And like we’ve said many times, life is not about the body, and our bodies -- these frames -- will most certainly not last heaven.

But if anyone knows our bodies, what they’re capable of, and most importantly, how healthy they were intended to be on earth, it’s Him. So I guess you could say, we’re just pictures of grace; souls He saw worthy...of a frame.

--Jimmy Peña

QUESTION: God loves our souls so much he framed them with bodies. How does knowing that change the way you view the importance of health? Please give us your comments below and please share this with your Facebook and Twitter communities.

DID YOU KNOW? Obesity is threatening national security, according to a new study, because one in four young adults is too overweight to join the military. In some states, as many as 44 percent of young adults, age 18-24, are obese and unfit to serve and protect.

Source: Mission: Readiness

COMMUNITY: Plug yourself into the faith-and-fitness discussion by joining our social networks! FACEBOOK - http://www.facebook.com/officialprayfit TWITTER - http://www.twitter.com/prayfit YOUTUBE - http://www.youtube.com/prayfit

IN HONOR OF...

November 11, 2011 In honor of all our veterans who have served this great land, PrayFit extends our utmost respect. No words of encouragement, no workout of the day. Just a simple, sincere day of silence, setting our pens down to applaud their sacrifice. Today, if you know a vet, reach out to say thanks. If you see one, take the time to offer a hand of gratitude. Join us in silent prayers of protection for those who so dutifully protect us. Thank you, veterans.

--Team PrayFit

>> MILITARY FORUM: If you are a member of our armed forces, we hope that you’ll share your thoughts on faith and fitness with the PrayFit family in our Homeland Defenders forum. If you know a faithful serviceman or woman, we hope that you’ll refer them there so that we can all benefit from their experiences.

A RESCUE MISSION

August 9, 2011Read: Hebrews 9 "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin." --Hebrews 9:22

By now you've heard the tragic news of the group of American troops, including 22 Navy SEALs, killed in Afghanistan on Saturday. According to news reports, the troops on the ground requested additional forces, at which time a CH-47 Chinook helicopter was dispatched, carrying members of the U.S. special operations command. They died on a rescue mission.

Yesterday morning, I watched an interview with the family of Aaron Vaughn, one of the SEALs killed in the crash. Of Aaron, his mom said: "Everything he did was secret, and it just feels really strange right now, that only in his death can we celebrate who he was in his life." Known as a devout follower of Christ, Aaron loved America, and there was nothing else he would rather do with his life.

Our hearts at PrayFit are heavy, and we honor Aaron Vaughn and all of those with him. We can't think of a more appropriate way to remember Aaron's ultimate sacrifice than to recall what Jesus did for us on Calvary. He loved us, and there was nothing else He would rather do with His life. He became the ultimate sacrifice, and died on a rescue mission.

--J.P.

>> We are grateful for those who serve in the military -- those who build their lives around defending those they will never meet, for a cause they believe in without compromise. If someone you know or love is serving in the armed forces, or if you have lost someone who wore the uniform, please share in the comments section below so that we can salute and pray for you (and them) as a community.

DID YOU KNOW? >> If you were born after the year 2000, you have a 1 in 3 chance of developing Type II diabetes. It is no longer exclusively called adult-onset diabetes, since kids today are developing the diet-induced disease at an alarming rate.

BY THE SUN

April 15, 2011 "I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

--C.S Lewis

PRAYFIT: WEEK IN REVIEW Absorb a week's worth of healthy living tips in just three clicks

>> WORKOUT: A 10-minute solution for lagging legs, triceps and abs

>> NEWS: What does it mean, exactly, to be "Army Strong?"

>> RECIPE: Looking for a no-guilt way to enjoy banana bread? Check Dana Angelo White's recipe.

TRIVIA ANSWERS from yesterday's trivia question... 1. The safest time to eat a cheat meal is actually right after a blistering workout. You are more likely to utilize the cheat meal for fuel and not store it as bodyfat right after a training session. The second best time for such a meal is first thing in the morning after an overnight fast.

2. The wide-grip seated row is a fantastic back exercises, and because of the wide grip which forces your elbows to raise  and arms to become parallel with the floor, it is an excellent way to target the upper lats, rhomboids and middle traps.

So, Phil...congratulations. You are this week's trivia winner. Let us know where to send your PrayFit gear by emailing us at [email protected]

IN HONOR OF...

November 11, 2010 In honor of all our veterans who have served this great land, Prayfit offers our utmost respect. No words of encouragement, no workout of the day. Just a simple, sincere day of silence, setting our pens down to applaud their sacrifice.

Team Prayfit

>> MILITARY FORUM: If you are a member of our armed forces, we hope that you'll share your thoughts on faith and fitness with the PrayFit family in our Homeland Defenders forum. If you know a faithful serviceman or woman, we hope that you'll refer them there so that we can all benefit from their experiences.