Greatness of Soul

Over the years, I've tried to make it a point to encourage you to take care of the body that carries the soul. Not that I won't continue to cheer us on in the fight for bodily stewardship, but the more I study and grow and fail, the more certain I am that while the body carries the soul, it's the soul that protects the body; not the other way around. Perfect for our week of legacy.

John Ortberg writes, "The soul knows a glory that the body cannot rob. In some ways, in some cases, the more the body revolts, the more the soul shines through." He goes on to say that the "greatness of soul is available to people who do not have the luxury of being ecstatic about the condition and appearance of their bodes."

(Word.)

That particular quote came on the heels of a story about Patricia. Patricia suffered from the effects of diabetes, a heart attack and two strokes. She went blind and lost both legs...all in her thirties. But before she died, she led a team to build a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C. At her funeral, alongside Secretary of State James Baker, standing in reverent respect were - of course - the homeless. "The only thing I can depend on with my body is that it will fail me. Somehow my body is mine, but it's not me," she said.

Greatness of soul. I'd say that's a legacy.

-Jimmy Peña

Waving A Legacy

Willy "The Waver." That's how he came to be known. If you went to Baylor University or lived in the area in the late 80's and early 90's, you knew of Willy. He walked everywhere. And every few steps - as if having just been told hello or goodbye - he'd stop and wave; to cars, to people, to buildings, to everything, to nothing. Willie became a fixture in the city. Rumor had it that he was a war veteran. I remember seeing his story featured in the local paper years later. Pictured, of course, waving.

Yesterday we started our week-long discussion about legacy with Breakfast In Bethlehem, and I have to tell you guys, I was floored by your responses. I just sat, read and cried; nodding my head and saying your names out loud in agreement and prayer. If you missed yesterday's entry, skip down to the comments section and be blessed. And if you can, add your own thoughts to the list.

Friends, when you hear the name Barnabas, what comes to mind? Encourager, right? What about John the Baptist? Bold or maybe even radical? Indeed, scroll the Scriptures and reputations accompany names. Lifestyles beg legacies. And it's fascinating to me to think of the men and women who started it all; those whose names we now associate with characteristics we aim to emulate. All because of a carpenter who taught them to carve a life of love.

Fast-forward 2,000 years and here we are on a normal Tuesday. You may be about to hit traffic or you're getting ready to start a load of laundry or perhaps it's gym time or that morning walk; just sinners saved by grace, trying to live and love like Jesus, needing our health to get His message around the world. Wherever you are the second you read this sentence, I hope you're encouraged to put one foot in front of another. To give grace away. To love unconditionally. And to make the kinds of decisions physically and spiritually that allow you to fulfill your mission and with a legacy that makes a statement. And if you're not sure where to begin, wave.
 

- jimmy peña

For Discussion:  Lifestyles beg legacies. Yesterday we talked about what legacy means and what kind of legacy you want to leave. If you're like me, you need to recalibrate yourself from time to time. Yesterday when preparing this entry, I turned on some old-school Acapella music and, "Lord, Reign In Me" came on. I tell you, if we want to reflect Him, He needs to reign in us, huh? 
 

Lord, reign in me
Reign in your power
Over all my dreams
In my darkest hour
You are the Lord of all I am
So won't you reign in me again?

Breakfast In Bethlehem

There's something about an itinerary. I mean, you can talk a good game about going on a trip to serve the Lord, your church or spreading the gospel to those in need, but when you receive your itinerary for the first time, something changes.

Yesterday after church, Loretta and I had an all-day gathering with our fellow team members for Israel. As many of you know, we'll be traveling to the middle east as part of a reconciliation mission between Jewish and Palestinian children, and the first item on our agenda the morning we arrive in Tel Aviv is: "Breakfast in Bethlehem."

Now, I'm not the first person to travel to Israel for a mission trip, but part of me wonders if everything God allowed for me over the course of my 44 years - all my failures, all my faults, all my futility, all my training, all my lifting, all my study, all my daily devotions, all my surgeries, all my illness, all my inability and abilities, my weakness, my atrophy, my brokenness - everything - He has allowed for my good and His glory was meant to prepare me for that little meal.

Ok, perhaps I'm being a bit sentimental. But on Saturday morning, we had a men's prayer breakfast at church. The topic: Our legacy. We learned that our legacy can be many things. For some, it's what we earn, or drive, or live in. My mind wandered to our fitness industry; what we build, how we look, our physical impression, our struggle, our transformation. 

So please do me a favor and help me write this week's lessons. In the comment section below, what does legacy mean to you? It's our topic this week, so I would love to hear your thoughts. Define it for me, and if you wouldn't mind, tell me what you want your legacy to be. 

My legacy, as it turns out, will peak a few hours after I land in Tel Aviv; at a breakfast in Bethlehem.

- jimmy peña

Preparing For Israel: For the believer, no legacy is worth anything unless it points others to Jesus. And it's with that heart that I'm working hard to get ready for the trip. I'm trying to get a little lighter (currently weighing 170 lbs.) Many of you know I try and stay lean because my spine (and colon) function best the lighter I am, but I would like to live around 160 lbs by the time we leave. Would you like to be a part of my training journal? If so, give me a thumbs up. 

Dress Like A Man

“Dress for action like a man;
I will question you,
and you will make it known to me.
”

— Job 38:3

Dress like a man.

Now, stick with me, because this isn't God telling Job how great his manhood is. Actually, this is God telling Job how great his manhood isn't. God is putting Job in his place. Pastor Paul Tripp says that when God tells Job to dress like a man, he's demanding that he put his best "person pants" on, because He is going to ask him a couple of questions.

See, God is drawing a line of distinction between creature and Creator. In the next verse God says, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. Who determined the measurements? You surely know." 

Does your fitness or general health as a dependent, created being help produce awe, wonder and worship inside you? Or does it produce a desire for you to be worshipped; for others to be in awe of your story and in wonder of your achievements? If so, then we have a lot in common. But God was doing for Job what we need to happen for us. Here's the picture God was painting: I'm God, you're not. Get dressed. Lift some weights. Get pumped. Feel the fullness of your manhood! Ready? Good. Because in all your "human" ability, you can't answer Me.

Awe, wonder, worship. That's what all this health stuff is about; to enable us to look up while being face down. The fitness industry - and even the "faith & fitness" industry - wants you to think it's about you; how you're enough. But in truth guys, it's when we realize that God is God, and we're not, that we actually get it; that our greatest achievements in life (especially our perception of physical strength) are a distraction if we allow them to be, especially when we buy the lie that we deserve anything. The line of distinction between the created (us) and the Creator (God) will never be crossed.

- Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: God never commanded me to put on size. You would have thought He did considering the decades I spent trying to. But no, He commanded me to put on things like gentleness, kindness and humility. But I will never put those things on if I don't have a clear understanding of my place before God. (Is this reaching anyone?)

I grin, because my dad used to encourage me to have confidence by saying, "They put their pants on one leg a time, same as you." Well, the next time you get dressed, let it remind you of where our confidence should be; where our awe and wonder should be directed. And as big and tough and "put together" we feel we are when we get both legs in, let it remind us that even at our best, we don't have any answers.

You Were Carried

“Kings of the mountain
forget Who carried them up there.”

— Max Lucado

Vince Lombardi famously said, "The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there." Now, you don't have to read this entry to know what he meant by that. But of the many takeaways, one is that if you've reached the summit, you worked for it. You put in the miles, the time. Three cheers. You weren't given this view.

Now, Lord knows I'm nobody to argue with Vince Lombardi; arguably the greatest football coach of all time. But, the quote is a little - how do I put it - off.
Right? 

You'll forgive my simplicity, but if God made the man, and God made the mountain, and God gave man the grace to have the desire to use the ability of putting one foot in front of the other to get up said mountain...at what stage on the mountain does God not deserve all the credit? But that's not my focus today. My focus isn't the credit Vince failed to give away, but it's the glory he wanted us to keep.

Max Lucado once wrote, "God let's you excel so you can make Him known. Kings of the mountain forget Who carried them up there." Now, I'm not waging Max against Vince (after all, winning isn't everything), but what I am saying is that our success, whether physical or otherwise, is intended to reflect God. And to bring it home to this little corner of the fitness world, it's God who gives us the ability to be healthy. But if you're like me, you find it pretty easy to plead for God to help you accomplish a goal, and rather than let others hear God's thunder, you want to steal it.  

Thing is, we don't disagree with the great Vince Lombardi; about the work needed to climb the mountain, we just try to remind ourselves where the glory goes, even as we wipe the sweat off our brow. It takes a lot of work, even when you're carried.

- jimmy peña

Deep Breath: I saw a news story last week about people dying on the way back down Everest. See, once climbers reach the summit, they can't spend too much time celebrating because they waste their oxygen and energy. There's a thought. Our industry will tell us that we weren't dropped atop our peak, so spend as much time as we need to bask in our glory. We're "worth it." Hogwash. And I wonder how much precious energy we waste trying to gain attention for every hard-fought byproduct of grace. Speaking for myself, more than I care to recall. 

Brave in the Attempt

“Let me win.
But if I cannot win,
let me be brave in the attempt.”

— Special Olympics Athlete's Oath

This weekend, Loretta and I had the incredible privilege of being a part of "Serve Day" through our church, Calvary Community in Westlake Village. Circled on our calendar for weeks, serve day is appropriately named; simply a day to come together in order to love on the surrounding community. Here we are pictured with over 1,200 of our closest friends. That's me, waving. 

Sporting our t-shirts, we gathered on the lawn, held hands and just prayed that God would allow us to spread the gospel while helping those in need. And while we could have chosen any number of projects; from home repairs to ranch renovations to senior living assistance, Loretta and I signed up to help facilitate the swimming competition of the Special Olympics in our area. Cue the opening ceremonies and tears.

Loretta was given the job of awarding the medals, while my primary purpose was to help escort the athletes from one side of the pool to the other after each race. See, they'd swim, get out of the water and there I was; smiling, clapping, and wrapping them in a towel. But I had one primary obligation: get them to their prize.

Many of you know me well enough to realize that I could spend an entire week drenched by what I witnessed near the pool on Saturday. I could allow a thousand words to fail miserably at describing Denise.

Denise was a real warrior.  The other kids had all but exited the pool as she approached her finish. With 15 feet left to swim, she sank. Hands moving, feet kicking, but body bobbing. Her swim cap would appear long enough for her to grab some air and down she'd go. Lifeguards at the ready with coach on hands and knees at the finish line, my heart eventually found it's way out of my stomach once she safely made it to the edge. By the time she was out of the pool, we all knew two things: her name and that she's a fighter.

Ryan could also easily take up residence with us if I'd let him. Ryan won first place early in the day, and every time I'd walk by him, he'd show me his gold medal as if it were for the first time. And for all I knew, to him it was. Later in the day I noticed him showing it to others, but it had broken away from the ribbon portion. But by the look on his face, I think he knew that even though it was a little broken, he still won and it was still his.

But it was something Mike said that stuck with me all day. As if being catapulted out of the deep end, Mike needed no escort to the awards ceremony. All but sprinting he wanted nothing to do with a towel. He just marched me there proclaiming, "I did it. I did it. I did it." Must have beaten his own record, I reasoned. Smiling ear to ear atop the 10-inch podium, he bowed his head, got his 3rd place bronze medal placed around his neck and then made his way back to where many of the spectators were gathered, but not before writing today's entry for me.

I did it, he said once again as he looked me square in the eye; almost as if to give me a heads-up that something cool was coming. And for the first time since getting out of the water - with friends and family gathered - he let us in on his secret:
"I never stopped."

- Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: It's impossible to be bold in the presence of the brave. This weekend taught me that I'm neither. And I am so honored to have been an eyewitness to the sacred this weekend. And as if he hadn't exploded my heart enough, while the others in the group were getting dressed, Mike stood among them shouting a question, "We're all going to eat together? Yes!" he said with a fist pump.

Mike was right. In this life, we serve. In the next, we eat. Together. Yes!

#ServeDay2016
May we never stop.
 

Our Choice Is A Voice

Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. (Luke 11:28)

I believe it was Francis of Assisi who said, "Preach Christ. If necessary, use words." Meaning of course, our actions to an unbelieving world matter more than what we say. Simple truth, amen? But I also believe in order to spread the Gospel in our industry and beyond, we have to speak up too. Gospel truth.

As Christians in the fitness industry, what an exciting opportunity we have to take God's message to our individual corners of the world. Without a doubt, someone is listening to your actions and to mine. Among countless other lessons, your daily diligence and discipline have helped them make better food and exercise choices. Imagine...your life in motion is a spark that may have extended the lives of others. Perhaps your dependence on the Lord during an illness has been an inspiration to others to help them lean on God during their pain.

Some are also watching what your life says about things like pride, humility, even modesty. In an industry with no shame, you -- the Christian in the gym -- roar when you don't compromise. Fact is, whether your life is all about His hands and feet - or your own abs and arms - they hear it loud and clear. What an awesome responsibility.

Friends, those around us who don't know Jesus, they live in silence. Our one chance to preach Christ could be their only chance to get the message. Our life is that chance. Our chance is our choice. Our choice is a voice. Let's keep talking. Let's preach Christ, even if it means use words. (And when we have the chance, let's speak up.)

–Jimmy Peña

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Glorify God

When advertising Hall of Fame legend Bill Backer died this week, the news may have been easy to miss. I mean, after all, who among us recognizes his name? Bill Backer...hmmm....nope. Doesn't ring a bell. But consider the phrases he implanted into our brain:

"Soup is good food." - Campbell
"Here's to good friends, tonight is kind of special." Lowenbrau
"Tastes great. Less filling." -  Miller Lite
And if those phrases don't resonate, Bill Backer was responsible for putting Dave Thomas into Wendy's commercials. The guy was a legend; just in obscurity.

What Bill Backer did for these companies, we're called to do for Christ; even as fitness-minded believers. Amid everything we set out to accomplish in the gym, it all comes down to this: Glorify God. Whether we're trying to lose weight, gain muscle, achieve flexibility, reduce blood pressure, or all of the above, the end result is to make Jesus famous. The final product isn't our reputation, or our "likes" on social media or our status. It's God's renown. Fact is, whether or not any of those goals are achieved (if they do, consider them gifts of obedience and progenies of prudence) our job is like that of Bill Backer: promote the prize, get out of the way, deflect attention.

Oh, to be Christ-marketers like that, amen? The moment we walk into the gym or step onto the mat or hit the road, the ad goes live, and we're on the air to promote Him. In fact, I like to think that Bill Backer set the tone for us when he wrote, "I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony."  Me too, Bill. Me too.

- jimmy peña

The Unnecessary Gift

What a gift it is to be unnecessary. This week let's remember that God doesn't need our muscle, our grit or our flex. He doesn't need anything. He's God. We...are the needy ones. We need Him. More than we need to crush our goals, we need to be crushed by His grace. A thousand times more than we need to beat yesterday's best, we need to remember that it is already finished. Let's start the week with that thought. Grace gives our goals meaning.

God, please rearrange our workouts around You this week. Let each rep, each mile, each stretch be a note in a symphony of praise; one that's pleasing to You. Help us remember that while our bodies have some value, the muscle we build on earth carries no weight in Heaven. Please let our workouts be forgettable and our daily feats be nothing more than measurable reminders that You gave us limits. Like oil upon Your feet, we give You this week's workout, and each meal, each session. It's all for You. May it please You. We love You.

God, You gave us the gift of being unnecessary. This is us opening it.
 

- Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: A show of hands for those that need to be forgettable this week.
 

Beautiful Things

“The suffering of the apostles is the means by which
the gospel makes its way.”

— NT Wright

Did everyone get a chance to read yesterday's entry about Jay and Katherine Wolf? If not, please take a minute and read the preview of their story. I promise you, however, my blurb is an injustice.

Well, on their website, Jay is heard singing a rendition of Gungor's hit song, "Beautiful Things,"
and the quick chorus says it all:

You make beautiful things.
You make beautiful things out of the dust.
You make beautiful things.
You make beautiful things out of us.

I don't always feel beautiful, do you? I mean, I'm capable of some pretty ugly things. Thoughts, actions, tendencies, habits. Put me in charge of something beautiful and I'll make it otherwise. But that's the beauty of salvation. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, He saves us from the penalty of sin. And as we live, He sanctifies us, progressively saving us from the power of sin. And ultimately, He will glorify us. Forever saving us from the presence of sin.

What a picture. Dirt that gets molded and formed into the likeness of its Creator. Not always painlessly or peacefully, but Jay and Katherine echo NT Wright's wonderful quote, that when God's creation suffer, we have the glorious appointment to further the gospel; like the outstretched arm of a runner in a relay delirious from battle. 

We're dust. Come hardships, come pain, come suffering. Make us beautiful, Jesus. Make us like You. 

- jimmy peña

For Discussion: If you're anything like me, you need a makeover. (A show of hands of those that want to look like Jesus.) I just want to live and love like Him, amen? I may not be pretty, but I will be beautiful.

Standby

Her husband, Jay, had 45 minutes to zip home for lunch between law school finals. The Pacific ocean in Malibu, visible from their home on the campus of Pepperdine University, was a daily reminder that God was good. Add to that the cooing of their healthy 6-month old bouncing baby boy, and you could say that life was going according to plan. That all changed.

Yesterday at church, Loretta and I sat and listened to the testimony of Katherine and Jay Wolf, authors of "Hope Heals" - the latest bestseller that has rocked our souls. 

Jay hadn't been home but for a few minutes when Katherine, feeling woozy and in a fog, found herself on her knees and sick to her stomach. Punctual paramedics determined her vitals were normal, but "normal" wasn't anywhere close to the truth. Katherine lost consciousness and woke up 2 months later and spent the next 40 days on life support. Fed by a tube in her stomach, she wouldn't swallow for nearly two years.

This week, we will explore the idea of "suffering." 

"If you need a reminder that things aren't that bad, just head down to your nearest brain rehab center for perspective," says Katherine with a sense of humor that somehow seems misplaced - as if she's listening to a joke nobody else can hear and with a joy and peace set apart for angels. From her wheelchair, with half her face paralyzed and a hand that doesn't respond like the other, Katherine Wolf, along with her adoring husband, showed us what hope looks like when tested. With every round of applause Katherine received during her speech yesterday, she'd just smile, deny the attention and point up to God. She says that's where hope can be found.

Well, during their message, they showed a number of images from her time in intensive care, post-op and rehab, but one shot in particular stood out to me. In the corner of the room, the green letters across the heart monitor faintly read, "Standby."

Now, I doubt anyone noticed, but for me, if there was a doubt that this sweet soul with a brain stem stroke was about to change lives, the life detector announced it: Standby. Just standby, and watch God do His work.

- jimmy peña

For Discussion:
Say "amen" if you know a survivor.
Say "amen" if God allowed you to be one.

Because We Are Dust

“He’s making diamonds out of dust.”

— Hawk Nelson

In Louie Giglio's  "Man in the Mirror" series he said, "When Heaven sees you, Heaven says I love you. Heaven says you’re a rare and beautiful treasure. It doesn’t matter if it’s a good hair day or a bad hair day; whether you’re tucking it in or sucking it in, you’re a rare and beautiful treasure." 

Go Louie.

Now, I realize the quote is a bit out of context, but Louie wasn't giving a self-help lecture. This wasn't a "believe-it-and-you-can-achieve-it" rally. No, Louie was explaining that when God looks at our lives, He sees His son. And because He does, He loves us, forgives us, believes in us and roots for us. Anyone here need to know that someone is rooting for them? Does it help to know that God - with millions of angels praising Him - is rooting for you?

God is full of compassion for us dear friends. He knows that we're clay; dust He breathed life into. Psalm 103 says, "As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust."  Which is why we can rest in knowing that He realizes we're gonna mess up, lose confidence, drag our feet, snub our noses, puff our chests, rush to judgement and slouch in guilt. 

Because we're dust. Beautifully formed, wonderfully crafted, fearfully made mud. Earth with a heart. Soil with a soul, and a stone face that looks in today's mirror with a question to answer: Will I believe what God says He sees?

-Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: Who feels rooted for? If not, you should. Despite what the world says about me or you, despite how much love we get on social media or at work or at school or how many people decide to comment on your blog (wink), God is pulling for us. 

Pre-Order: Guys, speaking of diamonds out of dust, I've been given the unique honor of reading an early edition of Pastor Shawn Thornton's newest book, "All But Normal: Life On Victory Road." Friends, please get this book. This man, this story, this reality is so piercing. A wonderful memoir of our pastor and his life growing up with a disabled parent. Please trust me and order this book for yourself or someone you love. It will reach you, enliven your faith and encourage you to live and love like Jesus.

Grace and Middle C

I have no desire to be as fit as possible. Been there done that. I spent decades strong, able and as it turns out in many ways, worthless to the Kingdom. Worthless because my health was all about me. Sure, I loved God in the process, but He certainly wasn't my purpose. Gone are the days of my sour notes of wasted health.

Many others have used the metaphor of "middle C" as a means of finding balance in life, so I won't dare claim it as an original thought, but oh, if only I could utilize it as a commanding one in my heart. Max Lucado once wrote, "We all need a middle C; a still point in a turning world."

Well, for our part at PrayFit Ministries, amid this industry that demands our pride and attention, we have a middle C. Somewhere between vanity and gluttony is abundant health; a health (or illness) that needs a tuning pillar and unshakeable landscape. In a word, grace. When it comes to our approach to health, grace is our middle C. 

This week, let's find it. Let's tune our hearts to its pitch, depth, height. Grace has a ring to it. Grace has a cascading, all-instruments on deck calling to it. Try lifting one weight tomorrow without hearing it. Try taking your first step of tomorrow's run in its absence. Attempt anything loud when grace is silent and you won't make a sound.

No amount of "Motivation Monday" can mock a muted grace. No goal is attemptable - let alone achievable- without its serenade.

So, play it. Play it often. Find it daily, hourly, and as often as possible in your pursuit of health or in your battle with illness. Graaaaaaace, grace, grace, grace. Middle C, C, C, C, C. It finds us at our highest highs and rescues us at our lowest lows. It bounces off the walls of the dungeons of infirmities and it travels down the corridors of every bodily blessing. As you wake this morning, pour your coffee, sit down at your computer, or turn on your phone, just tap the note and touch its tone.

It's true. I have no desire to be as fit as possible, just necessary; whatever God's will is for my life and the health He would allow me to fulfill it. That's the sound of middle C.

- jimmy peña

Sending PrayFit

Hello friends,

Loretta and I have some very exciting and humbling news. Calvary Community Church is sending a team to serve alongside other volunteers in Israel’s Christian ministry "Musalaha Ministry of Reconciliation," and Loretta and I are joining that team. We're going to Israel.

The main purpose of the trip is to work at a children’s camp alongside a wonderful Christian organization (the Musalaha Christian Ministry of Reconciliation) that works to build bridges of reconciliation among the competing ethnicities and religious groups in Israel. We are thrilled to be included in this trip, and we may even be able to see some of the places where Jesus actually walked, so you can imagine our joy.
 
Our team has been given the green light to begin fundraising - which includes airfare, room and board, insurance and meals - and it has just begun. And so, I'm bringing this request to you, our readers, as something you may want to participate in with us. This is not something we take lightly, so please know how grateful we are for your hearts toward this endeavor. And above all, please be praying for us, as this will stretch us both spiritually and physically.
 
Our trip dates are July 7-18, 2016 and the full amount is due by June 26, 2016.  If you are able to help financially, your gift of any amount is fully tax-deductible. There are several ways to give:

Online: You can give online via Team Israel’s trip support by clicking HERE. All of the funds go directly to Calvary Community Church, so please be sure to indicate that the giving is to send Jimmy and Loretta Peña to Israel.
 
By check: Payable to Calvary Community Church, 5495 Via Rocas, Westlake, CA 91362. On the check memo line, please write “Israel 868” and include a separate note indicating that it’s for my Israel trip.

Thank you so much everyone. Loretta and I are so grateful for your prayer support and financial giving that will allow us to make this trip. May everything we do together bring God glory.

Growing in grace,

- jimmy

On My Knees

The wonderful and talented Christian artist Jaci Velasquez once sang:

"There are days when I feel the best of me is ready to begin. Then there are days that I feel I'm letting go and soaring on the wind. Cause I've learned in laughter or in pain how to survive...I get on my knees. There I am before the love that changes me. I don't know how, but there's power when I'm on my knees."

Where exactly am I going with this? Well, nowhere actually. We're not moving a muscle. You'll forgive the analogy, but of the three types of muscle contractions -- positive, negative and isometric -- the isometric contraction has the least amount of movement (zero movement actually) but packs the most punch. Let me explain.

Lifting a weight upward -- even the heaviest possible for just one (1) repetition -- is a positive contraction. Lowering the same weight is called the negative. Now choose something too heavy to move. If nothing comes to mind, imagine trying to move a wall in your home, or even a massive boulder. Got the visual? Well, it takes more force for you NOT to move that boulder than it does for you to lift a super heavy weight even one time. (Let that bake your brain). To put it another way, you can generate more force within your muscle by trying to move an immovable object than you can when you are actually able to move anything else, no matter how heavy it is. (And you can't imagine the power you can produce following that use of force.)

I thought of that recently concerning a PrayFit project that came to a crossroads, with all roads needing to be traveled. One direction, positive, the other will generate a negative. But even though I'm able and obligated to do both, I did what many a better Christian has done before me and what many will do after me. I got on my knees. There is no greater force than going to the Lord and not moving a muscle. Fact is, I can't lift enough weight, run enough miles or swim enough laps to compare to what I get from spending time with my Savior. It changes me. I don't know how, but there's power when I'm on my knees.

--Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: Are you at a crossroads? What can we pray with you about? Let's not move a muscle together.

Joy Unleashed

Saturday night at church I had the job of security; put in charge of the fire pit and hallway, while Loretta was given the duty as official cheerleader on the red carpet and on-call dancing partner. They arrived in limos and walked the red carpet; the special needs kids from area high schools attended their prom; the first annual, "Joy Unleashed," produced and directed by Gina Spivey of Calvary Community Church.

And we were weeping eyewitnesses to that truth.

I wrote this entry at some point that night, not sure exactly when. Could have been when they approached the red carpet and heard the cheers of their adoring fans; some pushed in wheelchairs, others with their guides.  It could have been when I saw football players and cheerleaders of their respective schools dressed as their dates.
 

Or it may have been when I saw a mom bring her son to the venue and watch her boy walk away with event counselors. The look on her exhausted face and the tears in her eyes said it all. Who knows? Maybe she never imagined her son would attend a prom.

Guys, as we begin a new week, let's remember those less fortunate during our workouts. May every mile we run, every rep and set, every pose and stretch be a prayer for those that can't.

Lord, my arms work because of You. My legs respond to my thoughts and my mind is uncluttered. Every ounce of my body is a gift from You, and I realize there are those that don't have certain abilities. Prevent me from believing that I somehow earned any of this, but let my workout be as reckless and abandoned as those precious kids on the dance floor as they danced the night away.

- jimmy

Meekness Speaks

You may be reading this entry later than usual, and I'm grateful. Hope you're enjoying your Friday as much as I'm glad that it actually is Friday. But God saw me to my keyboard later than usual; oh His timing. 

Long story short, I happened to be in a meeting today - one that had you and I not been praying and talking about meekness this week - could and would have gone entirely differently. I probably would have thought and said things unbecoming our week's topic. Not that I was dishonest in the end, but when grace takes over your mouth, it's easier for meek to speak. During a point of the call where the hair on the back of my neck seemed to be doing the jitterbug, the words from an earlier entry came to mind:

"Oh, so you have been overlooked? They have placed someone else before you? They have whispered that you are pretty small stuff after all? And now you feel hurt because the world is saying about you the very things you have been saying about yourself? Only yesterday you were telling God that you were nothing, a mere worm of the dust. Where is your consistency? Come on, humble yourself, and cease to care what men think."

Where IS my consistency? The sins of jealousy and envy are never too far from the surface of my skin. Those sins truly prevent me (and all of us) from enjoying what others have; especially if you think that somehow you deserve something that was clearly not God's will for you. Let that reach you for a second. So after all my reading and studying the subject of being meek, I'm certain I'm not. But aren't we glad that God knows all about it?

So, whether it's about our health, our family, our friends, and careers, meekness I believe is a daily dependence - something far beyond my reach alone - and I fail too often each day for a victory lap, even during moments when I think I got it licked by holding my tongue . In Heaven, meekness will come naturally through Christ. And to think, someday in Heaven, we'll naturally extend grace to those that God calls us to show meekness to on earth; this is me, trying to start early.

With that thought, I'd love to let Tozer lead us in prayer as we close a pretty tough week for me, and maybe for some of you too.

Lord, make me childlike. Deliver me from the urge to compete with one another for place or prestige or position. I would be simple and artless as a little child. Deliver me from pose or pretense. Forgive me for thinking of myself. Help me to forget myself and find my true peace in beholding Thee. That Thou may answer this prayer I humble myself before Thee. Lay upon me Thy easy yoke of self-forgetfulness that through it I may find rest. Amen.

Love you guys. Thanks for reading.
- jimmy

In Meekness

After reading Tozer's excerpt on meekness last time (if you missed it, read it here), I came to many conclusions, but none more evident than this: I am not meek, and I certainly am not resting in Jesus like God wants me to. A few key thoughts jump back to me, and maybe they resonated with you too:

• The labor of self-love is a heavy one indeed. 
• As long as you set yourself up as a little god to which you must be loyal there will be those who will delight to offer affront to your idol. 
• The heart's fierce effort to protect itself from every slight, to shield its touchy honor... 
• The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort.
• He rests perfectly content to allow God to place His own values.
• He will be patient to wait for the day when everything will get its own price tag and real worth will come into its own.
• As he walks on in meekness he will be happy to let God defend him. 

Guys, I don't know, but there must be a reason why as I read these sentences and phrases, a strange peace comes over me. There has to be a reason why as I read them, I am - even but for a brief second - given deep release as if I'm actually living this way or that I've been given the keys to freedom; my heart buoyed in a sea that so easily causes me to sink. And I think the reason I feel that way is because Jesus truly does call us to His rest and meekness is the method by which we can.

Social media makes me anxious. It always has. I'm not on it much, but I relate social media to walking into a crowded restaurant and listening to every conversation at every table. Madness, right? And not only that, everyone in the restaurant is doing the same. Or imagine listening to every conversation and song of everyone sharing your daily commute to work. Crazy! And so here I come, like I'm climbing the onramp of the 405 freeway on a tricycle. Be clever, be inspirational, make a difference, grow, reach more people, keep up Jimmy or get run over! Keep up! HONK! HONK! 

Ok, maybe that's pushing it, but it is but one example of the things of life that if we let meekness be our method, we won't care what the world thought. And if God is pleased, it doesn't matter what the world thinks. Same goes with our health, our bodies. All we want is for God to be pleased, amen? I'm gonna get off at the next exit and finish this brief series tomorrow, but is anyone feeling this with me? You may not need to exercise meekness when it comes to social media, but what other areas is God speaking to you about?

In His rest,
- jimmy

Meekness Is His Method

As we study meekness, let's give ourselves homework. Tomorrow we'll review together this excerpt from Tozer as it pertains to our health and our pursuit of fitness. But find a good corner, a soft lamp, and a few moments to soak this in.

"Let us examine our burden. It is altogether an interior one. It attacks the heart and the mind and reaches the body only from within. First, there is the burden of pride. The labor of self-love is a heavy one indeed. Think for yourself whether much of your sorrow has not arisen from someone speaking slightingly of you. As long as you set yourself up as a little god to which you must be loyal there will be those who will delight to offer affront to your idol. How then can you hope to have inward peace? The heart's fierce effort to protect itself from every slight, to shield its touchy honor from the bad opinion of friend and enemy, will never let the mind have rest. Continue this fight through the years and the burden will become intolerable. Yet the sons of earth are carrying this burden continually, challenging every word spoken against them, cringing under every criticism, smarting under each fancied slight, tossing sleepless if another is preferred before them.

Such a burden as this is not necessary to bear. Jesus calls us to His rest, and meekness is His method. The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort. He develops toward him self a kindly sense of humor and learns to say, "Oh, so you have been overlooked? They have placed someone else before -you? They have whispered that you are pretty small stuff after all? And now you feel hurt because the world is saying about you the very things you have been saying about yourself? Only yesterday you were telling God that you were nothing, a mere worm of the dust. Where is your consistency? Come on, humble yourself, and cease to care what men think."

The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God's estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In, himself,,, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto. He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring. He rests perfectly content to allow God to place His own values. He will be patient to wait for the day when everything will get its own price tag and real worth will come into its own. Then the righteous shall shine forth in the Kingdom of their Father. He is willing to wait for that day.

In the meantime he will have attained a place of soul rest. As he walks on in meekness he will be happy to let God defend him. The old struggle to defend himself is over. He has found the peace which meekness brings."

Homework: Study this passage, reading it again and again if need be. How does this apply to our pursuits? Can meekness be our method? Our motto?

Muscle Meekness

“Blessed are the meek:
for they shall inherit the earth.”

— Matthew 5:5

Max Lucado once wrote, "A small cathedral outside Bethlehem marks the supposed birthplace of Jesus.  Behind a high altar in the church is a cave, a little cavern lit by silver lamps. You can enter the quiet cave where a star embedded in the floor recognizes the birth of the King. There’s one stipulation, however. You have to stoop. The door is so low you can’t go in standing up. The same is true of the Christ. Blessed are the meek, Jesus explained. You can see the world standing tall, but to witness the Savior, you have to get on your knees. While the theologians were sleeping, and the elite were dreaming, and the successful were snoring, the meek were kneeling. They were kneeling before the One only the meek will see."

And that's what we will do over the next few days. We will imagine the doorway to our gym or our studio has somehow been lowered; shrunk to the point that we - the typically upright and able hard-chargers - have to stoop. Our new posture - before and after every rep, every pose, every hold, and every goal that we set - will serve as a reminder that our health and our opportunities to succeed all come from God.

We have nothing in our hands, no grip, no nerve, no sinew, no muscle, no motivated mind, no desire in our hearts, no fire in our belly, and nothing in the mirror's reflection displaying the byproducts of those intangibles that we did not receive from God.

But may we all be warned. FOR that to happen, and IF that happens, there are consequences. It may mean - on the shallow periphery - less success, less strength, endurance or achievement. It may mean - on the invisible soul - that the weight of the opinions of others weighs less, and it may mean that the accepted and expected competition with yesterday's self is actually less competitive, less fierce, less intense, less obvious. But my prayer for all of us - especially for the pride-filled writer of this sentence - is that the consequence will be a blessing; one given to those that will inherit the earth.

-Jimmy Peña