Yesterday on our Facebook page, I said,

"I've lost health, friends, dignity. Personally and physically, I've lost my grip on a lot. But God's grace has a grip on me. He won't let go. That's my boast.

Physically, I have irreversible bone loss and disk degeneration and unrecoverable colon function. I have trouble sleeping. Working on getting my mind right. On the shallow end, my muscle will never thrive like it once did. I can't run, twist or jump. But my physical state doesn't determine my call to steward the body God gave me. So I keep tryin. Fighting.

Spiritually, well, that's far more important. I need clear eyes and a clean heart. New morning mercy. I'm growing in grace because of how much I need it. My sin is met by amazing grace. Wow. He's holding on to me.

Free-flowing this Thursday. On my way to edit something for you guys. It's a gift to me and from me. Hope you enjoy it when it comes out. Typing in tears as I listen to "Holding On" by Josh Baldwin. Just Jimmy being Jimmy.
Grace. Period."

Yesterday's emotion and reminiscence had me raising the banner verse Psalm 139:14, "I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Let's look at the verse for a second.

"I will praise you." In other words, the outflow, the attention, the adoration, the praise is appropriately leaving the Psalmist. Nowhere in that verse is there any sense of a longing for attention from the writer.  

"Fearfully and wonderfully." Adverbs that divinely and miraculously qualify the verb, made. 

Made. Created, done, finished, completed, approved.

Fearfully and wonderfully made. In other words, completely dependent upon; nothing until made something. The created (that's us) totally releasing all honor and glory to the Creator (God) for the most basic of reasons: being nothing without Him. 

A.W. Tozer says, "The worshipping heart does not create its Object." Guys, the fact that we're fearfully and wonderfully made says something profound about us, but not nearly as profound as what it says about God.

Our workouts are a begging. Our workouts are an ovation. You and I aren't "creating" when we train. We're not making, or building, and we're most certainly not improving God's work. But every move, every step, every rep, set and stretch is a glorious unfolding and an instantaneous, miraculous unveiling. Just...not of us.

-Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: The worshipping heart does not create its Object. What makes our workouts worship is not the effort or the byproducts, but the target of our affection. Does this connect with anyone? Hope you have a good weekend.

In The PrayFit Kitchen NOVEMBER!
Jennifer has out-done herself once again for each of us. Her new, original 2-day meal plan is full of fresh ingredients and real food. She designs these special for you. Won't you join us at the table! She's created recipe cards for each meal, shopping list and the summary meal plan. Amazing.