Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
Bring Me To Life
"But about the day or the hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father knows." --Matthew 24:36
Goofing off with Loretta in the truck outside of Trader Joe's this weekend, we were asking Siri (the male voice) some questions on our phones. Have you ever done that? Well, from updates on football scores, weather and traffic, he had all the answers. And then in jest, I asked him something nobody knows the answer to. I inquired, "When's the end of the world?" His answer hushed the truck.
Loretta and I sat silent, staring at each other with wide-mouthed grins. Typically, Siri will check the internet or offer some type of helpful pathway for most questions. But instead, he made a wish.
Now I admit, the sentimental side of me could have easily formed a lump in my throat, but I assure you, I pulled it together. It's just a computer after all! But his sense of urgency to enjoy life was something to take to heart. Amen? Even though he didn't know the answer, he gave us one.
Bring me to life for one glorious day. Wow. Is that your heart's desire? What do you burn inside to do? Share Christ, celebrate health, spend time with family, make a difference, run on the beach? I'm guessing all of the above and more. Well, me too. And yeah, maybe with a little ice cream.
--Jimmy Peña
For Discussion: The nightly newscast is full of stories of pain and loss, even recently with car accidents and train derailments. Our hearts ache for those who are suffering. Like Siri, you and I don't have the answers about the end of the world or the end of the day for that matter. But sometimes they share the same date. That's why we have to choose now. To accept Christ, to share Christ, to serve Him. Along with that comes all the rest, including the need for health. What can we pray about with you today? List it below or simply say, "Unspoken" and we promise to lift you up. We don't have the answers, but we know Who does. Let's ask Him for one more glorious day.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Deuteronomy 8:8 Cookies
A cookie recipe? Here? You betcha. A delicious, too-good-to-be-true cookie recipe that you can whip up in no time flat. But this delightful, fresh-from-the-oven treat doesn't fall into the same category as other waist-widening delectable desserts. Read on to find out why.
Time to Board
"What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." --James 4:14
Read: James 4
With flights being cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy, I can relate to those in airports. A few months ago, I found myself stranded. No flights coming or going, I settled into my corner of the gate area and watched others do the same. Turns out, airports are to a writer what open car windows are to my chocolate Lab Josey; an overload on the senses.
As I sat there, I watched my fellow travelers as they took ownership of their waiting space. One lady turned a few open seats into a makeshift office. Another man used the floor for a picnic. I thought I'd seen it all until a young couple installed a mailbox and rolled-out a welcome home mat. Their address: 2 Stayforeverlane
Okay, so maybe the young couple didn't exactly make the waiting area their front porch, but you and I sure do. We claim what's ours, deadbolt our belongings, and even though we're not, we make ourselves at home.
Truth is, we're not here to stay and our wait isn't all that long. But instead of seeing the brevity of life as encouragement to stay strong and healthy, we rationalize since it's not gonna last, why bother? But we have to remind ourselves that we don't do good things in order to be loved, we do them because we are. (If only we saw our health that way.)
So, after a five-hour delay, it was finally time to board. I began packing up my things when a little girl holding her father's hand walked by and asked, "Daddy, will there be someone waiting for us?" And while I didn't hear the father's reply, I do know the answer. And because of that, I think the best we can do is wait and live abundantly like God intended...and be ready when it's finally time to board.
--Jimmy Peña
P.S. All of us at Prayfit are thinking about and praying for everyone affected by Sandy. And while most of you within its terrible path won't see this, we're praying for your safety, comfort and the same for your loved ones.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK: ORANGE-CHOCOLATE COOKIES
That's right, it's time for some dessert. Being healthier, after all, isn't about painful deprivation as much as it is about better choices. So if you are moving your body regularly, you shouldn't feel guilty about occasionally giving in to your sweet tooth. But if you are being calorie-conscious, this can be a bit more agonizing unless you know how to indulge without going overboard. That's where PrayFit contributing nutritionist Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, comes in.
"My mother-in-law discovered this recipe last year in a magazine, and these cookies became an instant family favorite," she says. "The combination of orange and chocolate makes for a light but decadent cookie. At 90 calories each, you can have one (or two) and not feel guilty about dessert."
Orange-Chocolate Cookies
Makes 4 dozen
1 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg yolk 2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup orange marmalade 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate 1 tablespoon shortening
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolk and orange peel. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut into rounds. Press your thumb into center and fill with 1/4 teaspoon orange marmalade.
Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets in a 375-degree oven for about 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate and shortening over low heat. Dip half of each cookie in chocolate mixture. Place cookies on rack to set.
Calories: 89 Fat: 5.5 grams Saturated Fat: 2.5 grams Protein: 1 gram Carbohydrate: 11 grams Sodium: 2 milligrams Cholesterol: 15 milligrams Fiber: 0 grams
Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC is a registered dietitian and is currently a nutrition expert for the Food Network, and has worked as a media spokesperson for Cooking Light Magazine. She has appeared on Good Day Street Talk, Food Network.com, Access Hollywood and GMA Health. Visit her at Dana White Nutrition. You can also visit her blog for more recipes at http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/.
LIVE TO SELL IT
May 26, 2011Read: 1 Corinthians 6
"Honor God with your body." --1 Corinthians 6
During a radio interview yesterday, while thundering away about PrayFit -- probably using 20 words when ten would have sufficed -- the radio host said, "Jimmy, I like to tell my listeners that I want to live until the day I die." What she said made me lose my train of thought. Many of you know how I like to capture moments and phrases, well, this one just so happened to hit me during a live radio interview.
In one sentence, a voice I had never heard with a face I hadn't seen summed things up perfectly. What's funny, although I was invited to her show to talk about my book, she was the one selling it.
Fittingly, last night I caught an early round match of the French Open tennis championships, where an underdog opponent was losing two sets to zip and down five games in the final set. And while nobody would have blamed him if he quit trying, the man was diving for the ball and fighting for every point as if it were the first game of the match. The crowd noticed, and so did his opponent, with applause.
Isn't that the way you and I should be living, working and training? Like it's the first game of the first set? We should live until we die. After all, a voice we've never heard and a face we haven't yet seen has a book, and by taking care of our health, we can sell it.
--J.P.
CRUNCHING, THE NUMBERS
PrayFit contributing dietitian and advisor to the Food Network shares some ways that are proven to help burn off unwanted/extra calories.
"Calories in and calories out — the calories you eat from food are expended with physical activity. When eating outweighs what you’re burning, you can pack on the pounds. High-cal foods take more exercise to get rid of, and sometimes it makes it more real to visualize just how much moving you’d have to do to shed those decadent calories."
(The values below are average based on a 155-pound person.)
Dessert Damage 2 small scoops of chocolate ice cream = 1 hour 20 minutes of tennis 1 medium strawberry milkshake = 1 hour 30 minutes of high intensity aerobics 1 slice cheesecake (restaurant portion) = 1 hour 10 minutes on the elliptical trainer
Fast Food Frenzy A large order of French fries = 1 hour of swimming laps Bacon cheeseburger = 1 hour of fast running at 8 mph Fried chicken sandwich = 45 minutes hiking
Takeout Trouble 1 slice pepperoni pizza = 30 minutes of medium-paced jogging Medium-sized movie popcorn with butter = 1 hour 20 minutes of downhill skiing 1 order General Tso’s chicken = 2 hours on the stair-climber
Snacking A candy bar = 1 hour of brisk walking at 3.75 mph A (12-fluid ounce) can of soda = 30 minutes of volleyball A 1-ounce bag of potato chips (15 chips) = 45 minutes of weight-lifting
Damage Control We aren’t suggesting banishing these foods from your diet forever, but if you want to indulge a little more sensibly, consider:
Serving up smaller portions Indulging only on occasion Increase your calorie burn by getting out there and exercising more often
TELL US: How do you like to burn those extra calories?
Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC is a registered dietitian and is currently a nutrition expert for the Food Network, and has worked as a media spokesperson for Cooking Light Magazine. She has appeared on Good Day Street Talk, Food Network.com, Access Hollywood and GMA Health. Visit her at Dana White Nutrition. You can also visit her blog for more recipes at http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/.
I'LL DRIVE
December 8, 2010Read: Psalm 139
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." --Psalm 139:14
"Jimmy, you drive." Those three innocent words used to cause me serious panic. Well, it wasn't so much what was said, but who said it. Growing up, whenever the family went anywhere, Dad drove. In fact, I can probably count on one hand the number of times he didn't. But on the other hand, when I got old enough to drive, he'd surprise me and want to take my truck.
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't so much the driving that worried me, but it was the condition of my truck. See, I wasn't a neat freak. Alright, that's putting it mildly. I was kinda messy. (My mom and Loretta are both nodding and shaking their heads right about now.) And whenever Dad caught me off guard, his disappointment in how I was taking care of the truck he gave me was like a dagger.
See to Dad, that truck was more than something to get me from here to there. It was a gift that he practically built with his own hands. And my negligence might as well have been a blow to the gut. Speaking of, at PrayFit, we believe that our effort to be healthy, whether it be to lose weight or lower our blood pressure, is a way to show God just how thankful we are for the body He made to get us through life. Hypothetically speaking, if God asked us to take Him from here to there, in what condition would He find us? On second thought, that's not all that hypothetical after all.
--J.P.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK: ORANGE-CHOCOLATE COOKIES
That's right, it's time for some dessert. Being healthier, after all, isn't about painful deprivation as much as it is about better choices. So if you are moving your body regularly, you shouldn't feel guilty about occasionally giving in to your sweet tooth. But if you are being calorie-conscious, this can be a bit more agonizing unless you know how to indulge without going overboard. That's where PrayFit contributing nutritionist Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, comes in.
"My mother-in-law discovered this recipe last year in a magazine, and these cookies became an instant family favorite," she says. "The combination of orange and chocolate makes for a light but decadent cookie. At 90 calories each, you can have one (or two) and not feel guilty about dessert."
Orange-Chocolate Cookies
Makes 4 dozen
1 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg yolk 2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup orange marmalade 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate 1 tablespoon shortening
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolk and orange peel. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut into rounds. Press your thumb into center and fill with 1/4 teaspoon orange marmalade.
Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets in a 375-degree oven for about 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate and shortening over low heat. Dip half of each cookie in chocolate mixture. Place cookies on rack to set.
Calories: 89 Fat: 5.5 grams Saturated Fat: 2.5 grams Protein: 1 gram Carbohydrate: 11 grams Sodium: 2 milligrams Cholesterol: 15 milligrams Fiber: 0 grams
Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC is a registered dietitian and is currently a nutrition expert for the Food Network, and has worked as a media spokesperson for Cooking Light Magazine. She has appeared on Good Day Street Talk, Food Network.com, Access Hollywood and GMA Health. Visit her at Dana White Nutrition. You can also visit her blog for more recipes at http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/.