You, He Knitted

"You knit me together in my mother’s womb." --Psalm 139:13

Read: Psalm 139

God spoke, and there was light. He breathed the stars in space and put the moon in place. But you? You, He knitted. Imagine, the God who filled the oceans with water made your eyes to blink. After spraying the cosmos with trillions of galaxies, He gave you goosebumps. (And then you did the same to Him.)

--Jimmy Peña

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Build, Burn

Try the following workout to jump-start your week. Build muscle, burn calories...all at your own pace. Everyone has a "best." What's yours? That's what your effort should be everyday. Walk in place with high knees - 1 min. Jog in place - 1 min. Jumping jacks - 1 min. Jog with high knees - 1 min. Rest 30 sec. Push-ups - 30 sec. Straight-arm plank - 30 sec. Standard plank - 30 sec. Push-ups - 30 sec. Rest 30 sec.

Repeat the entire sequence 2-3 times. Perform this workout up to three times per week, allowing 24-48 hours between sessions. For your push-ups, regardless of what type you are doing, count your reps and strive to increase that number from workout to workout.

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YOU, HE KNITTED

September 12, 2011Read: Psalm 139

“You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” --Psalm 139:13

God spoke, and there was light. He breathed the stars in space and put the moon in place. But you? You, He knitted. Imagine, the God who filled the oceans with water made your eyes to blink. After spraying the cosmos with trillions of galaxies, He gave you goosebumps. (And then you did the same to Him.)

-J.P.

Please join us this week as we look at the miracle of our bodies as His prized creation, and how His temple on earth will outshine the stars.

WORKOUT of the WEEK

Try this workout to jump-start your week. Build muscle, burn calories...all at your own pace. Everyone has a "best." What's yours? That's what your effort should be everyday.

Walk in place with high knees - 1 min. Jog in place - 1 min. Jumping jacks - 1 min. Jog with high knees - 1 min. Rest 30 sec. Push-ups - 30 sec. (modify per your abilities) Straight-arm plank - 30 sec. Standard plank for - 30 sec. Push-ups - 30 sec. (modify per your abilities) Rest 30 sec.

Repeat the entire sequence 2-3 times. Perform this workout up to three times per week, allowing 24-48 hours between sessions. For your push-ups, regardless of what type you are doing, count your reps and strive to increase that number from workout to workout.

WHAT'S NEW/HOT AT THE PRAYFIT FORUMS:

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He's On Watch

"And even the very hairs on your head are numbered." --Matthew 10:30 Parents do the greatest things. I got an email from my Mom this weekend about a bird's nest in the backyard that she and Dad have been keeping an eye on for the last few weeks. Well, I'm happy to announce on their behalf that the lone egg finally hatched. Truly, something that happens in backyards everywhere is the highlight of their week. In fact, my parents are so proud, Dad pulled out his mega-powered telescope from storage so they could watch the little thing. Now mind you, the bird's nest is maybe 10-feet from the back door, but they're using a lens that can detect moisture on the moon. "Honey, come look!" I can just hear them now.

Funny, that little bird has no idea its being watched so closely. And if you'll forgive the comparison, sometimes we forget, too. While God is powerful enough to see beyond time and space, He's focused on our little lives. We're His highlight; under His wing and His watch. Isn't today just like any other day? Not to God.

--Jimmy Peña

LOOKING UP

March 11, 2011Read: 1 Peter 3

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." --1 Peter 3:15

Last night Prayfit VP Eric Velazquez called me to share his excitement of seeing the International Space Station (ISS) flying across the horizon. Before I could say anything, he rattled off the staggering facts that the ISS is about the size of a football field and orbits the earth at over 17,000 mph. (These facts, he repeated over and over.)

When he finally took a breath, he said something that caught my attention. He explained that as he was looking up, a curious neighbor approached him and inquired. Standing there assured, Eric explained what he was anxiously awaiting, so the neighbor stayed. After a few quiet, awkward minutes, sure enough, the ISS appeared, torching the sky for almost four jaw-dropping minutes. For the neighbor, worth the wait. For Eric, worth the risk.

Pretty awesome. Eric did exactly what you and I should be doing. Not only was he looking in the right direction, he convinced others to join him. Though the sky was clear and without proof, Eric knew what he was waiting for and he didn't want anyone to miss it.

Neither should we.

--J.P.

Application: 1. Are you and I looking up enough for others to be curious? 2. It can be awkward at times, but what are some ways to witness to strangers? 3. Can our fitness be a witness? How?

STRETCH QUIZ ANSWERS

Thank you everyone for participating in our quiz on stretching yesterday.

Stretching is a delicate issue, literally and figuratively, and should only be done at certain times, under specific circumstances and for the right reasons. So as to which one of the reasons listed was not true...

1. Stretching doesn't necessarily prevent injury.

True: Research confirms that just as many people injure themselves who stretch as those who don't.

2. Stretching actually makes you weaker before a workout.

True: Stretching target muscles prior to a workout relaxes the natural tension within the muscle, preventing it from being as powerful as it could be had it not been pre-stretched.

3. Stretching is for range of motion purposes only.

True: This one is tricky. While there may be benefits of stretching like reduced soreness following rigorous activity, the research-based, ultimate purpose of stretching (functional or for performance) is for range of motion. It makes no sense nor does it provide any benefit to stretch even a sufficiently warm muscle if the ROM is achievable without it. You may see people stretching prior to a jog on the treadmill, but that is not only needless, it could induce unwanted damage. Most people have the range of motion necessary to jog.

4. Stretching a cold muscle could actually cause injury.

True: Think of your muscles like a sponge. The more fluid a sponge has, the easier it is to move. Twist a dry sponge and what happens? Same goes for your muscles.

5. Stretching is best done after a workout, when your muscles are warm and full of fluid.

True: After a workout, the target muscles are full of fluid (water, blood, nutrients, byproducts). It's that fluid that allows for safe and effective stretching for reasons previously mentioned.

So what should you do pre-workout? Get warm. Take a few minutes to do a general warm-up, such as a brisk walk on the treadmill, and follow that with some dynamic exercise such as walking knee hugs, jumping jacks, butt kickers and shadowboxing. If you're weight training, do a few light sets of your first exercise as a specific warm-up before going heavier. General, dynamic, specific. It sounds like a lot, but it will only add minutes to your workout and it can boost performance while decreasing risk of injury.

So...the winners are: Alyssa, Phil, Peggy, Bill and Maria. To Alyssa, Phil, Peggy and Bill, we'd be honored if you let us send you a complementary Prayfit bracelet. For Maria, you were first, so we hope you enjoy your brand new Prayfit Baseball Cap! E-mail your mailing address to [email protected].