"I'm Still Here. I Can Fight."

"I have fought the good fight." --2 Timothy 4:7

Read: 2 Timothy 4

Weeks before his HBO Pay-Per-View fight against top contender Timothy Bradley, Manny Pacquiao made a profession. Not a prediction, a profession. Proclaiming Jesus Christ as his Savior and rededicating himself to his family, Manny said he is a brand new man. So much so that he said he "hates the old Manny." In a profession where so many adhere to a strict philosophy of force, Manny had made a profession of faith. And in the days leading up to the bout, the naysayers grew louder. He's soft now. His faith has blunted his edge. Manny's warrior instinct has been replaced with bible verses and gospel hymns.

But it didn't take Manny 12 rounds of completely dominating his opponent to quiet the doubters. It was how he handled himself when the decision came down from the judges. See, although Manny beat him, he didn't win. Then after giving Christ glory, a winded, humble Manny said, "The best attitude is respect and professionalism. I did my best. I'm still here. I can fight."

Folks, the world may disagree with your profession of faith, but being obedient has never proven to be popular or easy – just effective. Beset by the unyielding flurries that life has to throw at us – be they health, faith, work or family – we are often left with a simple choice: to surrender to the call of the canvas, or to fight boldly in a manner befitting a warrior. Because you are still here. And you can fight.

--Jimmy Peña & Eric Velazquez

Question: What are you facing this week? Are you or someone you love hurting physically, or emotionally? Are you struggling for motivation to be healthy? Perhaps you've neglected your prayer life. How can you use today to get back on track? Leave your comments in the field below.

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: BOXING

You may not have any interest in the Sweet Science, but the fact remains that boxers are some of the best conditioned athletes on the planet. They have to be. The whole-body demand of jabbing, slipping, bobbing and weaving for any length of time, over time, makes them stronger, leaner and tougher than those who practice other sports. PrayFit partner and endorser Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero boasts a physique that is equal parts form and function from all of his years spent in the gym. But if you don't have the dough, or desire, to dive headlong into a franchise boxing gym membership, you can use this 12-minute, at-home solution to start building a pugilistic physique.

Why 12 minutes? Well, here, each minute will represent one "round" -- and high-profile, championship fights are always 12 rounds.

Straight punches - 1 min.

Crunches - 1 min. (VIDEO)

Straight punches - 1 min.

Bicycle crunch - 1 min.

Straight punches - 1 min.

Plank - 1 min.

>> For additional exercises and videos, click here.

Using a stopwatch or timer (www.gymboss.com), go through this workout circuit-style, taking little to no rest between moves. After the final move, stand up and get right into the entire circuit once more, for a total of 12 rounds. Perform this workout three times per week for max results.

Straight punches: A series of jabs and crosses (lefts and rights) delivered at eye level at an imaginary target at arms length. Throw as many punches as you can with good form in the scheduled minute of work. For more detail on boxing punches, click here.

ADVANCED OPTION: Finish off your workout with three sets of push-ups (any style) to failure, resting no longer than a minute between sets. Tally your number and try to beat it next time out.

DID YOU KNOW?: High-intensity boxing workouts can burn 750-1000 calories in one hour. Find a gym near you at www.boxinggyms.com.

RATE OF FAILURE

"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"— Galatians 2:21

Much is made of the failure rate in baseball.  A successful hitter, it is said, fails to get a hit seven out of every 10 trips to the plate. Despite this otherwise abysmal statistic, those who perform up to such a strict standard are held in high regard. The familiar sound of bat meeting ball is met by a chorus of applause, the hitter greeted by high fives and offered hands of affirmation by teammates upon his return to the dugout. The spoils of a job well done.

In our walks with God, the only measure of success -- the perfection of Christ -- makes failure a certainty. More often than not, despite our best efforts, we will swing and miss at opportunities to glorify God in how we live, work and play. Still, despite no quantifiable measure of achievement and no earthly rewards to be won, we test ourselves, training for a contest in which the outcome has already been determined. Because we know that someday, no matter our rate of failure, we too will be greeted -- not by the roar of the crowd but by choirs of angels. The spoils of a life redeemed by grace.

--Eric Velazquez

LIFE AND TIMES OF AN AGING ATHLETE What does science have to say about your ability to train into your 40s?

Aching backs, ailing knees and rapidly-declining energy levels. Once you hit your 40s, these may be a few of your least favorite things, perhaps even to the point of discouragement. Why train if I can't do it the way I did 20 years ago? Well, science has plenty to say about that. According to Jim Stoppani, PhD, co-author of "PrayFit: Your Guide to a Healthy Body and a Stronger Faith in 28 Days," some of your best years may be ahead of you yet.

Researchers at the University of Central Florida (Orlando) placed untrained men and women between the ages of 18 and 40 on a 12-week periodized, twice-per-week, strength-training program for their non-dominant arm (the opposite arm served as a control). All three groups gained about 20% more muscle on their arms. The only benefit of being younger was the ability to gain slightly more one-rep max strength on the preacher curl. The older the subjects were, the more strength and muscle size they had when they started the 12-week program. Typically, the more strength you have, the less strength you can gain.

"There really is no difference in the ability to gain muscle size as you age, at least up to 40 years old," Stoppani says. "You may find it tougher to increase one-rep strength but you are likely stronger at the beginning of a program than younger trainers are. It really is never too late to start lifting weights."

>> Why not get a head start on banking some of that strength now? Try this at-home bodyweight program for starters, or visit JimStoppani.com for detailed, member-exclusive workout plans.

NO OTHER WORD FOR GRACE

October 27, 2011Read: Romans 6

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our lord." --Romans 6:23

Before high-tech ventilation systems, coal miners used to send a caged canary down into the mine to help detect dangerous and lethal fumes. As long as the canary kept singing, the coast was clear. Silence however meant danger and the nearest way out.

We don't have canaries leading us each day, but we do have the Holy Spirit. We hear His warning and sense his guidance. It's when we disregard Him that we end up in the dark, in deep trouble or in dire need of an exit.

But thankfully, God never lets go of us. Our fall will never exceed His grasp. Like Mom used to sing, "There's no other word for grace, but amazing."

Lord, we love you. Thank you for your daily, amazing grace. And thank you for your Spirit that leads us and guides us. Where would we be without you? Amen.

--J.P.

P.S Lord, be with my mom right now. Please heal her; protect her. Whisper to her that I love her. Amen. And if you want us and others to pray specifically for your mom, just let us know in the comments below. Just say, "My Mom" and we will.

EGGS FOR MUSCLE How did the incredible egg earn its nickname?

Many of you may think that eggs are just a simple breakfast food — something that’s been on your plate every morning since you can remember. But it is so much more, particularly if you’re looking to gain muscle, says Jim Stoppani, PhD, co-author of “PrayFit: Your Guide to a Healthy Body and a Stronger Faith in 28 Days”(Regal Books). Researchers found that subjects who ate three whole eggs per day gained twice as much muscle in 12 weeks as those who only had one egg per day.

EGG FACTS: One whole egg contains 72 calories, 6 grams of protein, 0 grams of carbohydrate and 5 grams of fat. But don’t worry — about 80% of that fat is monounsaturated and saturated fat, which actually aids in the muscle-building process.

Source: www.jimstoppani.com

3:00 A.M TO NEPAL

October 28, 2010Read: Job 32

"'Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.' But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding." --Job 32:7-8

At around 3:00 this morning, one of the sweetest, dearest men I've ever known in all the world got up and boarded a plane, embarking on a mission to Nepal. He's been preparing for this trip for decades.

After spending over 40 years as a pastor in Texas and New Mexico, God called him to become a missionary (he's in his 70s now). And if asked, he'll tell you that all those years serving and preaching in churches were all to prepare him to get up and leave at 3:00 this morning.

All the weeks, the Saturday studies, the Sunday morning and evening services, not to mention every Wednesday night for over four decades were merely a prep course for what awaits him when he finally lands. He makes numerous trips like this each year, often to some of the most dangerous regions of Asia.

But though I don't know what awaits him when he lands, I do know what the people there can expect. The message he'll share with them is the same message an eight-year old Texas kid heard back in the 70s. A simple message of Jesus, spoken in love through tears.

What does it take to leave home, risk your life and freedom, and forsake all comforts of safety and family, in order to deliver the gospel to strangers halfway across the world? It takes a life. But not our own. Because over 2000 years ago, Jesus was led to Calvary, where He paid the penalty for your sin and for mine. He went there for me and for you...and died at 3:00.

And that's why Henry Powell got up this morning.

--J.P.

EXERCISE IN FOCUS Looking for a new abs move? Try this one the next time you're at the gym

DECLINE CABLE CRUNCH

TARGET: Abs with emphasis on the upper abs

IN WORKOUT: In general, always do abs last in your workout, following your major bodyparts. But within your ab specific training, put this weighted crunch before you bodyweight moves.

SETS & REPS: Perform 4 sets with 10-15 reps.

BENCH: Place a decline bench near a low-pulley cable (your head near the stack). Most gyms have portable abdominal benches, so drag or carry one to the pulley station. Place a couple feet away from the stack so that when you grasp and place the rope in place, the weight rises off the stack.

ROPE: Hook a rope attachment to the cable and hold the handles tight to your body outside your ears. You can also grasp both ends of the rope and hold them on one side of your head. The emphasis is not altered all that much and could be more comfortable and practical depending on the attachment. But if you do so, be sure to transfer your hands to both sides of your head from set to set.

RANGE OF MOTION: Crunch upward as high as possible, bringing your elbows to your quads. Because you’re holding a cable which provides constant tension, you can raise your body as high as possible. In other words, you don’t have to stop short of perpendicular to the floor as you do during the bodyweight version to keep the abs engaged and stimulated, but come up as far as you can go.

BACK TO START: Squeeze your abs hard then slowly lower yourself to the start position and repeat. Feel free to come all the way down until your head touches the bench, but if you want to make it more difficult, stop just short of letting your shoulder blades touch the bench. Either way, don’t let the weight plates touch at the bottom of each rep.