Out Of Options

If you could pick a Biblical character to help me bring home this week's theme of "I'm Stoppable" who would it be? Maybe Peter? (Who can't relate to Peter, amen?) Bold one moment, denying Jesus the next. Or maybe even my favorite, Paul? Stopped cold in his tracks, his eyesight was taken away before he began his ministry. Or I suppose we could choose any one of the disciples. They would all meet the requirements for our definition of stoppable. But how can we not consider the Old Testament Job. Given unbearable, excruciating sores from head to toe after losing his family, Job was in so much misery that as he laid in the dust, scraping the sores to find relief, he wished he had never been born. "Tho He slay me, yet I will trust Him." No match physically, but Job exercised faith without a stitch of muscle in a pool of misery.

Pastor Tullian (grandson of Billy Graham) writes, "We like our Christianity to be muscular, triumphant. We’ve come to believe that the Christian life is a progression from weakness to strength. But the message of the Gospel will only make sense to those who have run out of options and have come to the relieving realization that they’re not strong."

Ooof. Powerful stuff. And since nobody on earth is strong spiritually (with souls that will last eternity), how strong do you think we are physically with bodies that won't last a second in comparison? Yes indeed. To test his faith, God didn't bolster Job's body, He allowed it to suffer. Face in the dirt, Job was anything but muscular or self-confident. Guys, our weakness can't be overstated, but thankfully God's strength has never been exaggerated.

Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: Tomorrow we'll finish our series, but as we often do and for the first time this year, who reading this today could use prayer? With the new year in full swing, someone reading this might be facing struggles, worries, health woes and status quo. Let's go to the Lord together. If you'd rather not be specific, just say "Unspoken" and we promise to pray for you by name. With our faces in the dirt, let's stop and trust Him.

What About Heart?

If you've ever been through a tough set in the gym or sprinted around a track as fast as you can, you know the feeling. Strength leads to struggle, struggle to fatigue, fatigue to failure. We hit a wall. We can't lift another ounce. To move our arms or legs any faster - or at all - would be impossible. One day in graduate school, my professor talked about VO2 max testing which is a brutal test of the rate of oxygen efficiency during exercise, and he mentioned there's a point at which no matter the effort, the value can't increase. I smirked. I shifted in my seat as I glanced around the room. I remember the day like it was yesterday, and so do my fellow classmates (watch the video they made me). But the idea that I - me, Jimmy Peña, the guy who never backed down from a fight or a challenge in the gym or otherwise - the idea that I could not improve, was foreign to me. My professor might as well have been speaking Yiddish. It did not compute.

I raised my hand and said, "Doc...what about heart? What about if you just want it more than anyone else?" And even though I got schooled, I still had trouble accepting it. And I think that's how we view our Christian life sometimes and even our lives as health-minded believers. Be it in our spiritual walk or health journey, we max out. But what's worse, when we fail spiritually or physically, we feel our identity is at stake. But what did Jesus say? “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Come...take...learn...light.

Someday it'll come naturally to do what Jesus said, but in many ways, my hand is still up. What about heart I ask? It's stoppable.

Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: Here's the video I mentioned. This was a surprise presentation before an alumni award I was honored with a couple years ago. Enjoy.

I Didn't Hear No Bell

In Rocky V - one of the least known of the series of films - Rocky has a flashback where he sees himself inside the ring with his trainer, Mickey. It's a great scene. One of my all-time favorites. In the midst of his work, Rocky lowered his arms signifying he was finished, but Mickey quickly shouts, "Hey, I didn't hear no bell!" and Rocky assumes the battle. I think about that scene a lot. Used to be, I'd whisper "I didn't hear no bell" to myself while we destroyed each other in the gym, loading plate after plate for rep after rep. But over the years the scene has grown to mean much more.

We're stoppable. We have God-given abilities with God-given limits. And that's a God-given compliment. What do we do with a compliment God gives us? We accept it. And our response in the form of our highest effort is one of the ways we simply say thank you for the gift of limitation. When was the last time you praised and applauded God for His allowance of your limits? I've said it before, but when we honor Him with our bodies, it's worship. And that worship won't stop until He says the fight is over.

You know, like Rocky - whose time in the ring ended only by the bell - you and I are still in it. We're mixing it up with the best life can throw at us. Finances, relationships, health. And when it comes to our health, even though we do our best to put up our dukes to slip its jab, the physical fight is one we will eventually lose. I know it's a blow to the body, but health is a losing battle. Thankfully, gracefully, our spiritual battle was fought and won only when He said, "It Is finished."

Oh yes. We're stoppable. And if the world hears that as an admission of weakness, they're right. Only, we hear it as applause. From us. Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: I'm so glad to be back.  (Thank you guys for your comments yesterday.)

I'm Stoppable

Welcome back to PrayFit and Happy New Year everyone. Seems a lifetime since I took to my corner, and I want to welcome you back or say hello for the first time. There are thousands of new readers today, both on the app and on the site. And today we begin the "I'm Stoppable" series. Now, it may seem odd for the idea of "I can't" to be used to reach your heart, but if you surf the internet this month, you won't need to search long before you find someone telling you how unstoppable you are; that every goal is yours if you just want it bad enough, work hard enough, put in the time, push the limits. And I get it. I've lived it. But the truth is, we're weaker than we think we are. Now, I don't say that to make you or myself feel weak. I say it to remind us that we are weak. Tough to hear, especially at the beginning of a new year, but I assure you it's really good news.

Speaking of the Good News, the grandson of Billy Graham, Pastor Tullian, recently wrote, "The gospel is for the defeated, not the dominant." The older I get, the more I'm realizing how true that is.

Earlier this week I shared something on social media and I think it's appropriate today:

"I'm sitting outside my therapy clinic, just took my daily dose of 8 nerve regeneration pills to help keep my spinal cord talking to my toes as I age, and I'm about to see where I'm at in terms of range of motion. You know, some say that the mind will fail a thousand times before the body ever will. That ain't true. Sounds good, sounds "tough," but it's false. Truth is, my body failed long before this mind, way before this heart and an eternity before my soul ever will. I'm stoppable. Which means, I keep fighting until God says I'm finished. Here comes a fighter; a weak and frail, stumbling and fumbling, sinner saved and sustained by grace and stoppable fighter. Watch me touch my toes.

This week we'll explore just how stoppable we are. And for the hard-chargers, the climbers, the go-getters, the never-quitters, and the fighters - like me - among you...well...the fact that we celebrate our dependence on a grace-giving God that can stop us on a dime just may inspire us more than any goal we've ever set. - Jimmy Peña

 On The App: We're reading the entire Bible together using the daily reading plan. If you don't have the app, download it free and click the audio Bible tab. You also have the option of listening to the beautiful narration as you read.

Epilogue

"To love another person is to see the face of God." If you missed any of the week's "Les Mis" entries, I hope you take a few minutes to go back and review them. I wrote "What Prison?" "Who am I?" "There is a Life About To Start" and "One Day More"  just for you. (And I had so much fun doing it.) I realize not everyone has read the story, watched the play or been able to take in the movie, but hopefully you're inspired to watch it this Christmas. Neat scenes of grace, I tell you. Next week we'll be taking a few days off for the Christmas break, but we'll be working on some great things for 2015, including a brand new website! And on Tuesday next week, the paperback version of my latest book hits bookstores everywhere. We're so blessed to be able to provide such a neat resource. If you don't have yours yet, click the book and it will take you directly to it on Amazon. And tell others please. (Help this little book hit the NYTimes list!) It's filled with grace and stories of Biblical faith and an incredible meal plan with recipes designed by Dana White of the Food Network. It's a perspective-infused teaching tool for healthy eating. I hope you get yours today.

So have a great, great weekend everyone. I'll be in touch over the next 10 days with news and updates and please follow me on social media. The Lord bless you guys. It's my life's honor to serve you. Keep growing in grace. - Jimmy

One Day More

"One day more. Another day, another destiny. This never-ending road to Calvary." Jean Valjean lived to see another day, and he lived to see his place in glory. In the end, he joined his heroes. He discovered what God in Heaven had in store. In a week that could have been written to go a thousand directions, I hope something you've read about Les Mis has inspired hope in some area of your life and health. "Just have a seat, Jimmy. The doctor will see you shortly." Many of you know because you were praying for me that I had an MRI yesterday to determine the fate of a 5th disk. Well, as I sat in the waiting room, I ran across a retweet of someone quoting a popular fitness athlete who said, "No one and nothing can stop you from getting fit if you truly want to." (Oh to hear Jean Valjean's reply to that statement.)

Anyway, not sure how many "likes" she'll get on her wisdom, but I doubt she's ever visited a cancer wing or walked the halls of a children's hospital, and I know for certain she doesn't have a spinal disorder. I tell ya, sometimes pride makes us say the ugliest things. Truth is, you don't always get what you work for. But you always know WHO you work for, and that's the difference. Guys, if you have health, it's a gift. Treasure it, use it, enjoy it, give thanks for it, and thrive. But you can't applaud Heaven while beating your chest.

Anyway, she needs grace just like the rest of us. Just like me, just like you. Jean Valjean-like Grace. Speaking of, turns out I get to keep that 5th disk a little while longer. I have another day. One day more. Another day, another destiny. My never-ending road to Calvary. Isn't it something? We're called to care for bodies that are designed to fail. What a humble honor. Some days just feel more humbling than others. Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: I love you guys for all of your prayers yesterday. I read each one. More importantly, God heard each one. Thank you.

There Is A Life About To Start

Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men?It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again. When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes.

If you know this song, it has a particular cadence. Yes indeed. Grace has a certain beat. And it builds.

Scotty Smith once wrote, "Lord, thank you for giving me back the control that I had given to others over my heart." Amen and amen. "Others" can be people, insecurities, jealousies, (insert your "others" here). When we get out of step when it comes to our relationship with the Lord - much like when we get out of our physical groove - our hearts tend to miss the beat. Nothing is more paralyzing to our souls than being out of God's will. Shame sets in like rust to a gear.

But thankfully, Jesus paid our sin debt which means God loves us as much as He ever has or ever will. And He'll never love us less regardless of how good or bad we act. In fact, God loves us as much as He does His own Son because our lives are hidden in His. And that's what I mean about grace having a certain beat. We can count on it. It is life's inexhaustible incentive and our eternal metronome. Jean Valjean sang his music like a man who would not be a slave again, and he did so with the fight of his life!

Guys, the closer we get to the Lord - each day nearer to Heaven - the greater the unmistakable echo grows. We may be fitness-minded, sure, but we're marching in the crusade nonetheless. Let's give all we can as we join the fight. Hearts under His control. Stand with me as I stand with you. We have a banner to advance. Jimmy Peña

Prayer Request: By the time many of you read this, I will be in an MRI. Symptoms have prompted my surgeon to determine the fate of a 5th disk. Just help me pray for clear pictures and clear heads (the clear head part is for me.) Much love. Banner waving. Free. Do you hear me singing?

Who Am I?

For his entire life, Jean Valjean ran. From his past, from guilt, shame, and from his accuser, Javert. Javert - who preferred to address Valjean by his prison-issued convict #24601 - made it his life's purpose to never let Valjean forget the past, the guilt, the shame and the law he broke. And in a terrible struggle with himself, Valjean faced his darkest fears by remembering who he was and where his strength came from. He goes to court to free an innocent man by revealing that he himself is the one the law pursues. He admits his guilt. He stops running. (Enter genuine freedom.)

Who am I? Can I condemn this man to slavery Pretend I do not feel his agony This innocent who bears my face Who goes to judgement in my place Who am I? How can I ever face my fellow men? How can I ever face myself again? My soul belongs to God, I know I made that bargain long ago He gave me hope when hope was gone He gave me strength to journey on Who am I? Who am I? I am Jean Valjean!

Chills just typing that. Jean Valjean defined himself by the One his soul belonged to; not by staying silent or claiming innocence. Freedom happens for us when grace happens to us; when we face the fact that we are nothing unless we accept Jesus and admit our sin. And His extended grace is what makes life possible. It's how we forgive others, love others, pursue life, and yes, it even defines our pursuit of health. You are not defined by your fitness or your illness. But rather, your health is worth the effort, your modesty is worth the privacy, your illness is worth the pain, and your struggles are worth the agony, because God says who you are; His. So stop running. Turn, face your accuser and answer the question. Jimmy Peña

Have a good Tuesday. Be blessed.

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What Prison?

Meet Jean Valjean. A just-relased prisoner. A vagabond with a past. No room in the inn. Nobody to take him in. Until he knocks on the door of a bishop named Monseigneur Myriel. Valjean tells the bishop his story and the bishop gives him a seat at his table, feeds him and provides a roof. Valjean, however, just can't wrap his head around forgiveness. It's too much for him. Restless in the still of the night, he proceeds to steal what little the bishop had and rushes out into the dark. He doesn't get far.

Police: "Monseigneur. We have your silver. We caught this man red-handed. He had the nerve to say you gave him this."

Bishop: "That is right. But my friend. You left so early. Surely something slipped your mind. You forgot, I gave these also. Would you leave the best behind?"

I'm not the first and I won't be the last to hoist the story of Les Misérables as one of the best tales of grace ever written. The things that Jean Valjean endures, and builds, and creates, and struggles through are too much to fill a week's worth of devotions. But like us, Valjean had a choice. Believe his accuser and be chained to his past, or trust his forgiver and live a life of victory; choose to stare into the whirlpool of his sin or let another story begin.

Starting tomorrow, we'll begin answering questions like "Who Am I?" and "Has Life Started?" as it relates to the stewardship of health. But for today, here's a question I'd love for you to answer. Are we breathing, living, forgiving, working, striving and training for results? Or are we breathing, living, forgiving, working, striving and training AS as result? One is fleeting. The other, endless. One has limits. The other, limitless.

Isn't it amazing? Grace didn't simply give Jean Valjean the key to his chains, nor did it merely open the jail's door. Grace said, "What prison?"

Welcome to a week of Les Mis.

Jimmy

PrayFit Update!

I think it's time for a theme, amen? And to that end, I'm introducing all new devotions next week with "Les Miserables" helping fulfill that need. If there has ever been a story with a message of grace, it's Victor Hugo's Les Mis. Unashamedly, the latest version starring Hugh Jackman is my second favorite movie theatre experience of all-time. I highly recommend it and I highly hope you check in next week for our daily devotions and time together. And seeing as it's Friday, I do have a few housekeeping items to mention and celebrate. First, thank you for helping make the new PrayFit App a massive success. So many of you are finding it extremely helpful in reading the devotions, and you're digging the new features. Personally, the audio Bible has been such a blessing for my quiet times. The wonderful narration of the gospel is so helpful. I've taken Louie Giglio's challenge, and I am trying to memorize the book of Colossians. Our audio Bible is helping!

Secondly, my latest book, "The PrayFit Diet" is about to hit bookstores in paperback form. It's so cool, and it's available everywhere books are sold on Dec. 23rd including Barnes & Noble, Family Christian, as well as Target and Walmart.

I don't do a lot of promotion of my products on social media or on the site, but I sure do hope you get this one. Grounded in grace and endorsed by Pastor Randy Frazee of Oak Hills Church (with Max Lucado), Terry Crews of The Expendables and Congressman Aaron Schock.

And what's awesome is the 33-day food plan - of perfectly proportioned days of protein, fats and carbs - (recipes designed by Dana White of The Food Network ) pairs nicely with our 33-Day at-home DVD series by my digital partner and producer Lionsgate Entertainment.

Greatly blessed to have such an incredible team surrounding PrayFit and to have friends who love me and who love the message inside. Click the book to get your copy. I hope it blesses your life.

You'll forgive the long entry, but it's important I share these resources with you. I'll see you Monday for Les Mis Week. Grow in grace. - Jimmy Peña

Me and My Drum

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, working as unto the Lord, not for men." --Colossians 3:23 Turns out PrayFit has a theme song -- a song that sums up PrayFit perfectly. My wife and friends might guess it's a Rocky montage, but alas, no. I have one better. The Little Drummer Boy. (Pa rum pum pum pum)...

Why? Cause I got nothin. I'm like the little drummer boy, "I have no gift to bring that's fit to give a King." But because of grace, He smiles at me when I play. But what brings that smile isn't how well I do, or how "fit" physically or spiritually I pretend to be while I do it, or even my effort, my grit, my stamina, endurance through my illness or strength (or better yet, my lack thereof)...

It's His grace, because He sees Himself in my heart. And that's what I want to brag about. (1 Cor. 1:31) I want to brag about Him. And that smile He gives me because of grace? That's why I bring it. That's why I bring the effort. That's why I play for Him. Play my best for Him. And if that effort produces temporary results, I lay them down when I'm done. Me and my drum. They're His. Cause I got nothin.

–Jimmy Peña

FOR DISCUSSION: Speak this song out loud before you start your day. Before you close this page, hit the office, the gym, the road. Say it or sing it. Then answer the questions below.

"Come they told me, a newborn King to see. Our finest gifts we bring, to set before the King. Little baby, I am a poor boy too. I have no gift to bring, that's fit to give a King. Shall I play for you on my drum? Then He nodded... I played my drum for Him. I played my best for Him. Then He smiled at me. Me and my drum."

Question: What is your offering today? And what is your favorite line in the song?

Be Born In Us

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy."— Matthew 2:10

If you missed Christmas Presence yesterday, we talked about the shepherds and their efforts to see the newborn King. We agreed that their best was all they had to offer Him -- our pacesetters if you will, and they made it. Can't you just see their cold breath and chests rising as they arrive? But today, let's focus on the one who didn't run. Though she trembled when she was told of the miracle, Mary waited for the promise.

As I write this, a song by Francesca Battistelli called Born In Me is ringing in my ears. The chorus:

I'll hold you in the beginning, you will hold me in the end. Every moment in the middle, make my heart your Bethlehem, be born in me.

Isn't that what we want? For our hearts to be His Bethlehem? Born in us? When you and I walk into work or school or the gym; when we make dinner for the kids or visit a neighbor, we hold Him. We're His home on earth. Mary offered to God what she was denied at the inn: a vacancy. The shepherds offered to God the only thing they could: an audience.

As Christmas nears, let the ones who ran to Him, and the one who didn't run from Him, give us courage to do both.

–Jimmy Peña

Prayer Requests: Will you pray for me today? I'm delivering my last lecture of the year at Pepperdine University. Thanks everyone. And if you have a prayer request, please list it here or say "unspoken" and I, the team and the rest of the readers will pray for you by name. Grow in grace.

Christmas Presence

"So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger."--Luke 2:16

"What do you give to someone who has everything?" That's a common question asked year after year by a countless number of people.  But what do you give someone who is everything? Well, that original question was uttered only once by a small group of eyewitnesses. Maybe the Shepherds asked each other that very thing as "they hurried off "(v. 16).

Wait, did you notice that? Long before Jesus gave the lame the strength to walk, He had shepherds running. After the angel told them the news, I doubt they hung around the fields, or grabbed a bite to catch up on the latest herder's gossip. No, the news of Jesus had these shepherds high-stepping with hearts pumping. Were they unsure of what to give God? Perhaps. But they were ironclad-certain about doing their best just to get there. Showing up out of love, out of excuses and out of breath. What they lacked in presents, they made up with their presence.

–Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: If you've been on PrayFit for a few years, you recognize today's entry. I just can't help but imagine that night, right? The announcement, the reaction, the action. Just to be near Him. What do you give someone who IS everything? You give Him everything, beginning with all you got.

Misfits Seldom Do

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." --1 Corinthians 1:27 If he were your neighbor, you'd move. If choosing teams, he'd be the last one picked. Without a doubt, on the island of misfits he'd be king. But he didn't care. More bold than beautiful, John knew the act to follow was really the act to follow. So he used whatever God gave him to get his message across to a world in need.

Friends, our bodies are tools. In the end, they get us from life's A to B. But our short trip was so important that Jesus made His. So as we begin to prepare our hearts to celebrate His birth, let's add how we eat and exercise to the list of strange ways God makes Himself known to those around us. Will you be popular? Maybe not. Regarded or rewarded? It's doubtful. But then again, the only attention that's really important is the attention you're paying to God and honoring Him with the body He designed for you. So go ahead. Be the last one standing. In a world that disregards the body as a means of praise, you'll be in good company when you don't fit in. Misfits seldom do.

--Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: I may be IN the fitness industry, but I'm not OF the fitness industry. What are some other ways you can be a misfit - in God's will - when it comes to your role in the health and fitness world?

Thank you: I want to thank all of you for your prayers, thoughts and emails last week concerning the passing of my "Tocayo" Uncle Edward. I sincerely appreciate you all for being so thoughtful.

We Shook On It

Years ago, during one of my first book tours in El Paso, I had the chance to see some family. One dear couple in particular was my Uncle Eddie and Aunt Margaret. My Uncle Eddie was my "Tocayo." The term Tocayo means "someone with the same name." But not only did we share the same name -- Edward -- but I was named after him. James Edward Peña. We even had a Tocayo handshake -- it was a special bond. Well, I'm using the past tense because my Tocayo went to be with the Lord on Thanksgiving. He was the sweetest man with the best heart. A contractor by trade and known for being able to build anything whatsoever, that weekend together Tocayo sat and told me of the old days when he'd build someone's home on their word alone. Long before you needed things in writing, my uncle said that a handshake meant the deal was done. We shook on it. I'll never forget him.

As he spoke that day, my thoughts went to Jesus. As believers, we all wear His name. He's never changed and never will. Talk about someone we can trust. He not only said it, He put it in writing. And rather than offer a hand, He extended both.

--James Edward Peña

Prayer Request: I'll be with family tomorrow so please pray for us all. I have the humble honor of officiating both the funeral and graveside services. Heart is heavy and I'm just wanting to serve the Lord and bring honor to my Tocayo and comfort to the family. Please help me pray for his wife, Margaret. They were married 51 years. And for the entire family. Even though we know He's in Heaven, everyone including my Daddy, is having a tough time. Thanks. The next PrayFit Entry will likely be Tuesday.

A Flood of Hope

"When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth."— Genesis 8:11 It might seem odd during Christmas season to read about the flood, but if you live in sunny southern California, it's pretty appropriate this week. It won't stop raining. At all. Ever. Where's the nearest gopher wood vendor when you need him? And we are loving every drop.

When Noah built the ark, those around him probably laughed and scoffed. But we all know the story. The ark was completed, then came two-by-two, and then the rain (a lot of it). A year later, the dove returned to Noah carrying hope; the olive branch meant land was near.

You and I just might be going through a flood this week. Sure, maybe not a literal downpour of rain, but caught in a torrent all the same -- up to our knees in doubt, our waists in worry, and our necks in fear. An olive branch to grab onto right about now would be nice, amen? A little break in the clouds maybe?

Well, it is Christmas time after all -- a reminder that the hope we need came in human form. And those ten little fingers and toes would eventually heal the broken, raise the dead and yes, calm storms. You know, if I'm not mistaken, I think it just stopped raining.

–Jimmy Peña

The PrayFit APP: Has anyone seen the new videos on the App? Thankful to those of you that have sent in your training questions. I've enjoyed stepping into the gym and answering them. Please keep them coming. We'll be loading a handful of videos at a time in order to serve you as you serve the Lord and others. If you haven't seen them or downloaded the app, click here.

A Healthy Conscience

"But we must hold on to the progress we have already made." --Philippians 3:16Read: Philippians 3

Scotty Smith recently said, "Advent requires hush and eschews rush."

With Thanksgiving in the rear-view -- deep breath -- it's time to gear up for Christmas. School activities, shopping lists, travel arrangements. Add to that a genuine desire to be healthy and fit, and the days get pretty packed, right? If it takes an hour in the gym or on the track to get a workout in, sparing even 10 minutes to read and pray is, well, tough to spare. A show of hands of those who can relate. Who has time to get quiet? Doesn't God know how busy I am!?

But like Scotty eludes, if there's ever a time to create new habits or fortify old ones, it's during Advent.  It's far more important to have a healthy conscience that it is to be health conscious. For the fitness-minded, shame on us if we train and eat "perfectly" this week but never crack open our Bibles or hit our knees. Sure, it's great to plan your workout, but more important to work your heart out.

So let's enjoy the season; shop till we drop, pull out the Christmas sweaters and hang the lights. But as you set the week's schedule including your workouts and meal plans, bless the Lord and your life by adding in those precious few minutes of reading, praying and listening. God knows time is precious, and He misses His with you.

--Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: What better time than this month to create the best, most important habits of our lives. Anyone with me? Can we slow down? (A show of hands of those who immediately said to themselves, "I can't. And that's for the weak.") Well, you'd be right.

Advent

We know the story, but we love it. Two thousand years ago, God made an unexpected trip. Because we were unable to get to Him, He came to us. God left Heaven's hall for Bethlehem's stall. He then climbed out of his crib and onto the cross for your sins and mine. Imagine, God with us. Say that out loud and emphasize a few words with me. God with us. God with us. God with us. Amazing, isn't it? The distance He traveled for you and me. I love Christmas time. The traditions, old and new. But something about Christmas will never change, and that's the story of our Savior. So Jesus, we know the story, but tell us again. Show us the faith in Joseph's eyes. Reveal the awe on a shepherd's face. Convey the courage of Mary. We know the story, but take us back. Remind us that your birth began a rescue mission. We know the story, but please Jesus, we love it. Be born again. --Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: Now and again over the next few weeks, we'll take a look at Christmas and some of the incredible themes we can apply to our health. What are some of the ways Christmas helps put your health into perspective? I'd love to know. I may even write about it, so please share. Let's have a good week, friends.

CYBER MONDAY: We're having fun with Cyber Monday, so please head to the store and enjoy 15% off all clothing items. Thank you so much for you support of this ministry. Code: CYBERMONDAY2014

Great Lengths

Today many of us will leave work early. Some of us will be making trips to the grocery store yet again.  Others will be boarding planes, departing trains and loading up automobiles. We'll battle the weather, the traffic and time zones. There's something special about Thanksgiving. You know, something tells me the Lord loves to see us listing blessings, enjoying food, family, sharing memories and making new ones. Guys, I sure to hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Among the blessings I will share with Loretta as we give thanks tomorrow will be you. I thank the good Lord for you and I pray that wherever you spend Thanksgiving, you'll be reminded of Jesus and the joy of salvation

And yes, about the food. If it means listening to your family tell their stories (even if you know how they end); or if it means sharing Jesus with neighbors when you don't know your next opportunity; or if it means agreeing to split that extra helping with someone who has no place to call home; or if it means having one more bite out of respect for aging grandparents or for the spouse hosting the family as the first-time cook, or simply because it's your favorite meal of the year, don't hesitate. For some of us, one of the godliest things we can do on Thanksgiving is "sabotage" our diets.

Happy Thanksgiving. Much love from my home to yours. Jimmy

P.S. (I hope your team wins, if you're a Cowboys fan.)

The 'Weak' of Thanksgiving

In all things, give thanks. (A show of hands of those who find that to be one of the most difficult, curious, or at times seemingly impossible messages we can find in God's word.) Yesterday we began listing our blessings and what we're thankful for, and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed your comments. Truly, if the week of Thanksgiving reminds us of anything, it would be our ultimate and utter dependence on the Lord. When we imagine what all we have, we acknowledge that none of it is earned or deserved; from the air we breathe, to the cars we drive, to the family and friends joining us at the table. All blessings, all gifts, all God. But then come the weaknesses of life. Those don't always make our list, right? In this selfie generation and especially in the fitness industry, we don't like to talk about our weaknesses. We'd rather boast, gloat, and promote ourselves. But friends, thankfulness and contentment aren't found in self-confidence, self-talk, self-esteem, self-sufficiency or self-assurance. If anything is self-evident, it's that we need a little 'self' control. The Biblical truth? God doesn't applaud our self-reliance.

So, pause on this: One of our greatest strengths is realizing just how weak we are. If that's tough for us to admit, chances are we'd feel really uncomfortable around Paul. After all, it was Paul who said, "I am going to boast only about how weak I am and how great God is to use such weakness for His glory." Friends, make no mistake, our weakness drives us (and those around us) to the Lord. And that's one of the ways we can give thanks in all things. Call it divine irony. The tough stuff of life brings us to our knees, which just so happens to be the only place of strength. --Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: How has God used your weakness for His glory? Can you look back at a time when illness or other weaknesses drew you nearer to Him? If you're a Christian in the fitness industry and you struggle with humility, constantly trying to impress others with perceived strengths, try and remember that our greatest impact on others won't come when we're pretentious, but rather when we have a good, tight grip on the obvious: our smallness.