Now What?

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. —Ecclesiastes 3:11

Read: Ecclesiastes 3

Now what? Have you ever asked yourself that? If so, you're not alone. It may not comfort you to know that this ham-and-egg writer has asked himself that question many times, but a few others you'll recognize just might. Abraham when he reached the altar with Isaac, Moses when he reached the sea, or Joshua when they finally reached Jericho. The same question they whispered to themselves after being obedient was the same question Satan shouted when Jesus was on the cross: Now what?

In response, God left Heaven's hall for Bethlehem's stall. He then climbed out of his crib and onto the cross. He became the answer to our biggest question and our direst need. Are you facing a now what moment? Maybe your health is taking a wrong turn or the job you wanted is already filled. Whatever you're dealing with, the next time you look up at the stars with unanswered questions, think of Abraham. When you run into a sea of obstacles or walls too tall to climb, remember Moses and Joshua. Just like you, their question just before the miracle was Now what?'

--Jimmy Peña

86% of American workers are above normal weight or have chronic health issues

CALLING ALL PASTORS, CHURCH LEADERS, TEACHERS, AND INFLUENCERS >> Dozens of churches and small groups around the country are using our book, "PrayFit: Your Guide to a Healthy Body and a Stronger Faith in 28 Days," as bible study curriculum. From California to Texas to Florida, PrayFit groups are enjoying an enormous blessing, combining fitness and fellowship in His name.

If you're interested in more info on how these groups got started and how you might begin a small group in your city, reach out to us at [email protected]. We'd love to share the stories of others with you. This is our life's work. Let us help you and those you love be healthier for all the right reasons. For a sample of the message, click play below.

DAD HANDS

July 28, 2011Read: John 20

"So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.'" --John 20:25

The older I get, the more my hands are looking like my dad's. I'll be typing or writing something, and I'll pause to look at my hands and immediately think of his. But unlike my clumsy paws, Dad can actually put his to work. He can fix everything or put anything together. Weld it, untie it, prime it, paint it, dig it...you name it, if we put it in his hands, he's able.

It's funny...despite that knowledge, I've often handed something to Dad for help, and immediately began to tell him how to do it or what I think should be done next. To which Dad simply says, "James, am I doing this, or are you?" (Gulp)

I think we have the tendency to do the same with the Lord. We pray for His guidance, ask for His help, and we "give it to Him" yet we never really let go of worry, doubt or control. (A show of hands of those who can relate...)

But we need to remember that the very same hands that reached for a sinking Peter on the water, assured a doubting Thomas in the upper room, and rubbed mud into the eyes of the blind, are the very same hands that still reach for us today. They assure us in hospital rooms and lead us through the dark times. He can hold us like a newborn baby in one hand, while holding off Satan's army with the other. Big or small, He wants us to bring Him our knots each day. It's what He does. After all, He's got Dad hands, and He is able.

--J.P.

EXERCISE IN FOCUS: Power Push-Up

Once you've mastered the standard push-up...then what? We ask, we answer. The power push-up is a great way to build some dynamic, athletic activity into a stale routine.

Power Push-Up | Focus: Lower chest, shoulders, back, abs | (VIDEO)

Get into a push-up position with your body in a straight line, feet together, hands wider than shoulder-width apart and your eyes focused on the floor. Explode yourself up to full arm extension, allowing your hands to leave the floor. Catch yourself with your hands on the floor and decelerate yourself to the start and repeat. Don’t bounce your chest off the floor, but rather start each rep when your chest reaches an inch or so away from the floor.

>> For a video demonstration of this and other exercises, click here.

A FALL IN THE DARK

May 4, 2011Read: Genesis 3

"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it." --Genesis 3:6

It's not unusual to hear various levels of mischief in my daughter's room after lights out. Possessing the requisite toddler appetite for adventure -- and an apparent immunity to my sweet lullabies -- we sometimes hear her shuffling about in the dark of her room. Normally this isn't cause for alarm but a few months ago, on one of my routine parental patrols, I opened her door.

My eyes still adjusting from the brightness of the hallway, I caught a glimpse of Mya's silhouette across the room. Standing precariously on the three-inch wide, five-foot high edge of her toddler bed, she reached for the highest of the new glow-in-the-dark stars that I had just placed on her wall. Time froze. My chest tight with anxiety, my first instinct was to shout at her to stay still. Fearing that this would cause the very fall that I was afraid of, I quietly strode toward her with outstretched arms. Noticing me in the room, she turned.

"Hi, daddy," she said, caught.

Taking hold of her, I placed her back in bed and calmly explained the danger of playing nighttime gymnast on her bed rail. She knew that the stars were off limits, for her own good -- daddy's orders. She didn't understand it but by reaching for them from such a precipitous position, she was setting herself up for a fall in the dark. Sometimes, the most alluring things in this world are the ones that place us in the most peril.

This incident holds parallel for us all, doesn't it? As our childlike curiosity urges us to reach higher and farther, it's important to remember that our Father always knows best, that He will always be there to help us down from dangerous heights and, when we fall, He'll be at our side an instant to help us up.

--E.V.

SHAKE WEIGHT Which type of protein is best after a tough workout?

You just finished a tough leg workout. (One based on the almighty lunge, perhaps?) Time to replenish damaged muscles with the building blocks they need to come back stronger next time. The strategy is to consume some fast-digesting protein within 30-60 minutes of your last rep, which is why protein powder is ideal. For a long time, it was thought that whey protein -- which digests rapidly in your body -- was the bar-none choice for your post-workout shake but newer research is making the case for casein.

Casein is a very slow-digesting form of protein because it "clumps" in your digestive tract, therefore breaking down at a significantly slower rate. This is good because it provides your body with a sustained trickle of muscle building amino acids, the building blocks of muscle.

"Research has also found that when casein is taken after training, it boosts protein synthesis (muscle making) well as whey does," says Jim Stoppani, PhD, co-author of "PrayFit: Your Guide to a Healthy Body and a Stronger Faith in 28 Days."  "In addition, Baylor University (Waco, Texas) researchers reported that when trained lifters added casein protein to their postworkout whey shakes for 10 weeks, they gained significantly more muscle mass than study subjects who didn’t get casein after training."

So don't throw out your whey but it may be time to invest in some casein powder. In your post-workout shake, mix the two in a roughly 2:1 ratio. Hard training individuals should be getting 30-40 grams of protein after a hard workout, with men being on the higher end of that recommendation.  That equates to around 20-30 grams of whey and around 10-20 grams of casein.

Source: Jim Stoppani, PhD

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