Training Wheels

"Nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way Jesus our Master has embraced us." --Romans 8:38

Read: Romans 8

On my way to a meeting yesterday, PrayFit V.P. Eric Velazquez shared with me one of those moments. You know, a pivotal, unforgettable snapshot in time. The kind that leaves dads like him standing on sidewalks wondering where the years are going without his permission. Yes indeed, his little Mya is learning to ride her bike. He says she does alright until she looks back to realize he's let go. Real freedom is scary for Mya.

Yeah, I can't help it. Who reading this just loves the scene he's living? What a picture. We all know that Eric needs to let go so Mya can learn to ride on her own. After some good coaching and maybe a few innocent spills, it won't be long before she has the confident balance required to get up and go. What a spectrum. Mya will soon realize she doesn't need help, and Daddy will soon realize he has to stop giving it.

Letting go. Not something that comes easy for us. Whether it's about control, a habit, a burden, a worry, or the past, God knows how tough it is for us. But as Eric and I talked about the experience, we both gave thanks for one gospel fact: God never let's go of His children. Like little Mya, we pedal our hearts out, don't we? School, work, church, family, relationships, and health; a life full of spills, skinned knees, broken hearts and bruised egos.

Real freedom. Weeping dads on sidewalks know the feeling. Kids on bikes do too. But taking a page from Mya's lesson, real freedom for the believer comes when we look back only to realize that grace has a real good grip.

--Jimmy Peña

"Freedom for the believer comes when we look back only to realize that grace has a real good grip."

EXPERT ADVICE: Rest & Recovery

So here we are in the closing days of January. How are you doing with those resolutions? Have you been diligent about your workouts? Still using good discretion in the kitchen? We certainly hope so. Yet while some of you struggle to find a foothold with your recommitment to exercise and nutrition, others may be going a little overboard -- and feeling the effects. You see, you can get too much of a good thing. Click here to learn the signs of overtraining and how to scale back to keep your results on track.

>> WHAT IS OVERTRAINING SYNDROME?

FAITH & FITNESS ON TOUR IN 2014

Churches. Community events. Schools. Corporate events. PrayFit is on the march in 2014 with its unchanging message; one of stewardship, of faith, of humility, of endurance. The team is actively booking spring and summer events! Reach out to us at [email protected] for more details. As always, for churches and other non-profit events there is never a speaking fee. Talk to your pastors and leaders. Reach out to us and let's see health as a means of praise, together.

Throw Your Head Back

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." --1 Peter 5:7

Read: 1 Peter 5

Depending on when you open this entry, I'm doing one of many things. Check your watch. If it's early, and the sun is rising, be assured I'm dodging traffic and anticipating yellow lights. If it's mid-morning, I'm tapping my toes with my face plastered against the airplane window. And if it's around noon, I'm sprinting. I've let go of my baggage, thrown my head back and my arms are wide open. After weeks of touring, speaking and serving...I'm almost home.

Friends, life is a quick trip; a short but often brutal bridge. On it we sometimes get trampled. Maybe you can relate. Have you been overlooked this week? Ignored rather than recognized? Maybe you're struggling to cope with a troubled teen, financial hardships or health concerns. Whatever your recent trip of life has you burdened with, do what I am doing today. Drop the baggage and throw your head back. The One who knows you best, loves you most. So just run.

--Jimmy Peña

TRAINING TIPS: When to Pump the Brakes

Perhaps you’ve started out the year on a tear, working out several times a week and pushing your body harder with each session. That is fantastic but if you’ve started to notice that you’re a little slower, a little weaker and a little more fatigued than usual, or that your once-meteoric progress has come to a screeching halt, you may be a victim of overtraining.

>> Click here for more on overtraining.

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THANKFUL...NO MATTER WHAT

November 24, 2010Read: 1 Thessalonians 5

"In all things, give thanks." --1 Thessalonians 5:18

The bible is pretty clear when it comes to being thankful: we should be, no matter what. But if you're like me, it's easy to be thankful when times are good. But what about during the storms of life? What then?

Well, thankfully, God is as worthy of our thanks in rough water as He is when our seas are calm. Our circumstances might change, but He doesn't; no matter what. So, even though we might not be praying, "Thank you God for this storm", we can pray, "Lord, if not for this storm, I wouldn't be looking to you for shelter."

So tomorrow, before we eat with friends and family or watch a good game and doze on the couch, we simply want to say, "Thanks for being God, no matter what."

--J.P.

PRAYFIT 101: REST TO PROGRESS

A great many of you that we hear from on PrayFit are hardcore trainers -- people who workout hard four or more times per week. That is fantastic but if you've started to notice that you're a little slower, a little weaker and a little more fatigued than usual, or that your once-meteoric progress has come to a screeching halt, you may be a victim of overtraining.

Overtraining is a very real syndrome that comes as a result of training too often or too intensely -- or both -- and it can wreak havoc on your fitness goals. When you start to notice any of the aforementioned symptoms, take a look at your training regimen. Have you been pushing yourself a bit too hard? Well, as difficult a pill as this may be to swallow, the only prescription for overtraining -- the only thing that will get you back on track -- is rest. Take a few days off from workouts completely or scale your workouts back in frequency and intensity for several days or up to a few weeks. At the end of this "cooling off" period, you should be able to dive right back in with renewed energy, strength and enthusiasm. Training hard is great -- but as with all things, moderation is the key.

>> HELP PRAYFIT BECOME A BESTSELLER! As many of you know, "PrayFit: Your Guide to a Healthy Body and a Stronger Faith in 28 Days" from Regal Books, is due to start shipping to mailboxes December 6. And in the month of January, you can find us on display tables at Barnes & Noble. With your help, we believe that "PrayFit" has the muscle to be a bestseller. So pick up a copy or order a few for gifts -- help us spread the gospel of faith and fitness as we approach 2011! A portion of each book sold will go to support mission trips abroad.

THE RECRUIT

August 5, 2010Read: Luke 5 "Simon answered, 'Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.'" --Luke 5:5

Smelly, dirty, grimy -- these are just a few of the ways to describe Peter and his buddies. After all, they spent their days baiting hooks and cleaning fish. I'm smiling as I picture Jesus the recruiter walking up to this crew. Did He pause and grin, crouching down to watch and listen to them work? Maybe after a few minutes, He looked skyward with a smile as if to say, "I found them."

I'm not sure, but I like to wonder what happened in that moment just before the call. What we do know is that of all the fishermen that came off the water, this bunch caught God's attention. And not long after Christ borrowed Peter's boat, the two were catching fish in water too deep for the nets to reach; Peter's preview to the depths of His love.

So as we start our cars, open our offices, enter our cubicles or prepare for housework, let's do what Peter did and abandon control. Let's just imagine Him saying with a grin, "I found them", and this is that moment just before the call.

--J.P.

PRAYFIT TIP OF THE DAY: TAKE A BREAK

Of all the things that we recommend at PrayFit, we probably don't mention proper rest often enough. But the idea that you can take fitness too far is serious business. Overtraining Syndrome is real and it's serious. Here are just a few of the actual symptoms that some people experience when diagnosed with overtraining problems. Are you overtrained?

1 Sleep disturbances: Getting too much sleep or too little sleep; waking up fatigued despite a normal amount of sleep. 2 Psychological Reactions: Burnout, boredom, depression, irritability, anger. 3 Impaired performance: Decreased strength and endurance, delayed recovery, general intolerance to training. 4 Decreased immune function: Increased susceptibility to colds, flu and infections, or a slow rate of healing.

If you are suffering from any (or all) of these conditions, you may want to take a step back and look at your training program. You are likely doing too much of something. It's a good idea to reduce your workout frequency (how often you train), volume (how much you do), intensity (how heavy you're going) or just to get more rest between sessions. Also, you will want to make sure that your nutrition is adequate enough to support your training -- some people who are striving to lose weight will mistakenly slash calories in an effort to speed weight loss.

>> RECRUIT TO THE CAUSE: Expansion of our growing PrayFit army is up to you! Go to our new official Facebook page and click on "Suggest to Friends" to help loved ones get closer to their faith and fitness goals in 2010.

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