EXERCISE: Do you know the secret to your metabolism? *Bonus: Spiritual Fitness

As I did a final stretch on my red mat this morning with my magenta shirt drenched with sweat, it really clicked as to why I had gotten so sweaty from Chalene Johnson's "Buns" workout that's included in her PiYo program.


"You know why it's so important to work your legs?" Chalene asked me from the TV screen.

"Your legs are the secret to your metabolism" she answered. "There's more muscles in your legs. So, when you build strength in your lower body, you build your metabolism. That's your calorie-burner right there,"she explained.

Chalene's dynamic and fun 25-minute "Buns" workout focuses on the glutes, but I just did not to expect to sweat like I did from this one. By the time we got down on all fours to continue sculpting lower parts of the body, beads of sweat were just dropping onto my mat from my face. Naturally, the "Sweat" workout in PIYO makes you sweat, but "Buns" made me sweat just as much...or more. I can only imagine what PiYo's "DRENCH" workout will do when I get to that one in nine days.

Because of very limited workout space due to my son's Ping Pong table being housed in our family room right now, I was prevented from going as big this morning with some of the moves as I would have liked to, but that didn't stop the sweat or the wonderful feeling these exercises offer.

I give this workout a two-thumbs up! Lots of variety and all in the right amounts...even the squats! :-)

Remember:

 "Your legs are the secret to your metabolism. There's more muscle in your legs. So, when you build strength in your lower body, you build your metabolism. That's your calorie-burner right there."

Now on to some spiritual food for thought: A quote from "The Call" by Oz Guinness that I read in an article on Today's Christian Woman:

"Our primary calling as followers of Christ is by him, to him, and for him. First and foremost we are called to Someone (God), not to something (such as motherhood, politics, or teaching) or to somewhere (such as the inner city or Outer Magnolia). Our secondary calling, considering who God is as sovereign, is that everyone, everywhere, and in everything should think, speak, live, and act entirely for him. We can therefore properly say as a matter of secondary calling that we are called to homemaking or to the practice of law or to art history. But these and other things are always secondary, never the primary calling. They are 'callings' rather than the 'calling.' They are our personal answer to God’s address, our response to God’s summons. Secondary callings matter, but only because the primary calling matters most."

See my article about what I believe is one of my callings...

STRETCH & RELAX: In His Presence

In a previous blog post, I responded to a "Your Work Matters to God" prompt on The High Calling. In 600 words or less, those who accepted the invitation were to write on this subject. After submitting my 600 words, I found myself stirring some things left unsaid or needing to be more deeply expressed about why I believe my "work matters to God." I could have really written that differently, I thought. Then, I knew that the writer in me would not be satisfied until I included more depth about my work's purpose...

So, here is Part 2.

In the introduction of "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young, she quotes Psalm 46:10 as "a life-changing verse" for her: "Be still, and know that I am God." This has certainly been a life-changing verse for me; it's one of my favorites and the foundation of the work I do through ZoeHygiea "Stretch & Relax" classes.

Young goes on to say that "alternate readings for 'Be still' are 'Relax,' 'Let go,' and 'Cease striving.'" (NASB)

"This is an enticing invitation from God to lay down our cares and seek His Presence," she explains.

That, my friends, IS the key to my ZoeHygiea work and the ultimate reason I believe that what I do in my community truly matters to God. My role through ZoeHygiea is to help others of varying ages, from youth to seniors, to stretch and rest their bodies as a tool for removing tightness, stress, and confusion to more effectively seek His Peace IN His Presence.

Like Young explains: "...when I get to know people, I find that most of them also desire the balm of Jesus' Peace." And for those of us who deeply desire that, we also want to bring "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." (2 Cor. 10:5)

My stretch-and-relax work is an opportunity to help others (and myself) clean out the internal clutter to arrive at an open and fresh inner space that feels like Anita Scarnecchia describes it:

"...a peace that touches the soul as if you are feeling God's presence in you and and around you."

What matters more to God than us being in His Presence and feeling It? Isn't that the most balanced place/space we could ever go to -- His Presence -- to experience His intimacy that best helps us relax and move through all areas of life from the richest LOVE we'll ever know?

Anita consistently pours out gratitude for what a ZoeHygiea-style class "pours into" her son, Michael Scarnecchia, freshman quarterback at University of South Carolina with Coach Steve Spurrier.

While Anita initially hired me to help her son increase his flexibility before taking the field at USC, she soon learned that there was so much more to this "Stretch & Relax" class than the stretching of her son's physical body.

It's a peace you can instantly feel and absorb when you walk into it, says Ron Scarnecchia, Anita's husband and Michaels' father. He loved walking into this feeling when arriving home from work near the end of my "Stretch & Relax" sessions with Michael.

There's no secret about how moving the physical body helps us to feel better, but just imagine connecting that refreshed physical feeling to a renewed emotional and spiritual feeling. That's the "balance" that Anita speaks of:

"You receive the balance of physical and emotional all in a class," she says.

The simple yet profound writings in "Jesus Calling" have a special way of helping us 'rest at the feet' of Jesus and learn from Him during class, and these readings are a favorite part of class for many...

For instance, Stephanie, who attends a Wednesday evening class I teach at Grace Episcopal Day School, ordered copies for two special women in her life who also attend the class with her.

"Hi, Penny. Feeling prepared for Mother's Day. I have ordered Sarah Young's daily devotional for my mom and mother-in-law. I really enjoy our Stretch & Relax time together and wanted to give them something to reflect that."

"The messages are meant to be read slowly, preferably in a quiet place," Young explains.

If Sarah Young should read this blog, I want to use this opportunity to thank her for such a divinely-inspired book, consistent with the Word of God, that so beautifully supports the primary purpose of the type of "Stretch & Relax" class I believe God has led me to teach.

I agree with you, Sarah, that "in many parts of the world, Christians seem to be searching for a deeper experience of Jesus' Presence and Peace." Thank you for your work that helps my work to connect people to that deeper experience.

"When I miss your stretch class, I get a similar feeling as when I miss a week of church," stated a 92-year-old class participant at the Allegro, an assisted-living facility.

The deep peace, that extra-special feeling that came upon me during your sample class, stayed with me all night and well into the next day, said a middle-aged participant of a mini class I had given at an Advent dinner event held at Grace Episcopal Church. "God has given you a gift," she said.

Sue West, a weekly participant at a Wednesday morning's women's class, agrees. "This IS your calling," she has told me on more than one occasion.

When I began working with Michael via private classes at the Scarnecchia home, it was easy to see his flexibility quickly increasing. Then, his mom began noticing how the quiet and still moments from class were also trickling into his life outside of class.

Anita's heart overflows with gratitude for reminders given to her son that God is always with him.

"Caught this precious moment of relaxation after playing (with the dogs)," she texted to me with this picture. "See, your positive energy is even affecting both girls." :-)

 "I believe that God yearns for these quiet moments with us even more than we do," writes Young. "I also believe that He still speaks to those who listen to Him (John 10:27)."

Never stop "listening," Mike, so that your work in all areas of life -- on and off the field -- will always matter deeply to God!

In His Love & Work!

WALKING: God is Everywhere...

"I admire your endurance," a man said to me on Thursday when I was out on a walk in about 100-degree weather. He continued, "It's even too hot for me to pull my trashcan down the driveway and out to the road, and you're out walking."

What can I say, it must be the Bermudian blood in me, because I just wasn't "suffering" outdoors the way others were saying they would. In fact, I was loving the feeling of the sun on my skin. All morning, I had been craving sunshine and nature, so I went for it. I told the Powell fellas I'd be back in about 45 minutes, but my walk kept me out for three and a half hours as a result of time spent by the river and several other sweet encounters I was blessed to experience along the way.

At the river, I ended up seeing two friends boating whom I hadn't seen in about two years. They now live in a different state and had only gotten back in town just for the weekend the night before. It's interesting that when I first spotted the boat from a distance as I was walking, a strong feeling overcame me that I would know the people in it. There was even wishful thinking that I might even end up going for a boat ride with them. :-) Well, that part didn't happen, but the other part did since I ended up knowing the boaters and got to chat with them as they parked their boat to pull it out of the water.

The thing is, not long before arriving at the river, I internally thanked God for the beauty that surrounds us in nature. That, alone, is super special to me, but I also asked Him for one of those extra-special "God-Hugs" that He almost always sends to me in the great outdoors.

Then, voila... Minutes later, there were the friends I hadn't see in two years. David, pictured above, had once taken my son and his on a day-long wilderness-excursion for a cleansing from technology and such. When our boys first started high school, he had also planned to get a small group of dads and sons together, my guys included, to retreat at a mountain getaway to share some teen "accountability" ideas he learned in the book, Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis.

While his wife, my dear friend, Vicki, wasn't out on the water with her husband and daughter this day, she and I had JUST chatted via text that morning after having been out of contact for such a long time. Then, a few hours later, half her family turns up right before my eyes.

When they left the pier, I began walking the boardwalk again and suddenly felt led to look down to see this heart glaring up at me! Does God not communicate His LOVE in all sorts of forms?!

Thrilled about about this mini-reunion at the river and the related prayer during my walk right before it, I sat on the dock and called my husband, Collin, to blurt out all of my excitement. Next, I called my friend, Anita, to continue sharing my joy and the sequence of events. Oh how Anita "gets" these sorts of encounters that I get so thrilled about. Her enthusiasm that matches and/or exceeds mine just further adds to it all. According to her, I have a "gift" in this area of attracting these "God-Hugs" when I'm out in nature. Whatever the case, I love it...and I love when she and I share these "God-Hugs" together.

The call with Anita lasted for an hour and 30 minutes. While talking, I ended up at this somewhat secluded area (on right) where I paused for a long while to chat. Anita and I absolutely love God-related chats, so we really have no problem expanding on whatever we discuss.

At one point, I turned around and immediately spotted a silver letter "G" on a pole (below). I hadn't noticed it before, but there it suddenly was as Anita and I talked so joyfully about our loving God and our desire to go deeper with Him.

Lingering at my chat-stop, I crossed over to another side of the grass via a little muddy path. Once on the opposite side, I turned around, looked down, and spotted this cross with a heart not far from it (see it?) precisely at the time Anita was suggesting a special Bible-related writing project to me.

"Penny, who knows, you could be the next Beth Moore," she exclaimed. Always the encourager!

Hmmh, was God agreeing with her? As I looked up, there was a cloud shaped like an angel, and then it disappeared as quickly as I had spotted it, so no captured picture of that.

These sorts of little-but-big things that just show up during my walks are incredibly special to me, and I don't take them for granted at all. They are worth far more than any material object I could ever set my eyes on.

"Wow, God truly is everywhere," Anita texted to me when she viewed the pictures I've included in this blog post. "He surrounds you all from your true passion to seek Him first," she said.

Thanks, Anita, for also excitedly seeking Him and sharing your compatible enthusiasm for His love. The journey really is extra special having you as a co-seeker. I love you and your passion for our Creator and all of his God-Hugs! :-)

Sisters in Christ forever!

WORK: Blending our Passions and Skills

It's exciting to use this prompt from The High Calling -- Your Work Matters to God -- to write this piece. My work definitely matters to God, because He has been the One writing the "job description" for it for years now.

I'll begin with when I became a mother 18 years ago. In a "Momma's Home" journal I wrote during that time on CelebratingChildren.com, I said:

"It certainly wasn’t an overflow of money that made the stay-at-home mom decision easy for me. The way I see it, it could only have been a deep faith that gave me confidence that this was just what I was supposed to do and that it would work out precisely as God had designed it to."

Once my son, Caleb, was in middle school, another role was added to my job description, one that started out as "Yoga Teacher" but was amended by God to "Stretch & Relax Teacher" five years later.

Back in 2005, I had quickly fallen in love with the mindful exercises of yoga and the way I could FEEL Jesus' presence on my mat during classes I attended.

My passion for this practice led me to a 200-hour yoga teacher training that opened up various exciting teaching opportunities for me, working in schools, wellness studios, and even a senior facility.

My passions and skills worked together so harmoniously when I worked on a part-time basis at the Christian-owned Life's Journey Wellness Center. There, I taught yoga classes and was the studio's writer, editor, and community liaison.


Until...

One day, as I sat on my couch pondering if I was going to commit to a 500-hour yoga teacher training program from a Christian perspective, I felt a nudge from God. The message: it was important to Him for me to continue sharing good-feeling exercises with the community, but I didn't need to do that under the "umbrella" of yoga.

I thought this feeling might pass. The next morning, it was still there. I needed help processing it, so I contacted Pastor Mike Shreve, a stranger to me at the time. Years ago, I had read about why he suddenly cancelled all of his yoga classes to hundreds of students at four universities in Tampa, Florida.

Pastor Shreve told me that while he couldn't tell me what to do, because that was God's job, he could help me sort through the process.

Not much later, I stopped teaching yoga and resigned from my other roles at the wellness center that were connected to it. And, that stopped my consistent paycheck. Still, I was at peace. I knew God must have had a plan. He did.

First, God sent the name "ZoeHygiea" (which means "Life & Health") to Coach Grayson Marshall to pass on to me for my new model of teaching that would include readings from "Jesus Calling" with the emphasis of exercising and relaxing in His Presence.

Classes began opening up for me in unexpected ways. With each new client came tremendous testimonies about results they were getting: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

"You are helping me to wake up to my own body," says a private client healing from two hip-replacement surgeries. He couldn't get down on the floor to stretch when we first began working together. Now, he can.

"I always feel better after you've been here," an Anglican priest healing from a stroke states to me. "His balance is better, his gait is better, and his confidence is through the roof," his wife explains.

Against the backdrop of a gorgeous river view, a refreshed participant at the Wednesday morning women's class I teach, exclaims, "This IS your calling!"

If you'd like to share how your work matters to God, please visit The High Calling.

**Here's my Part 2...

POETRY: Birthday Poem for Cousin Johnette

Sitting here the night before my cousin's birthday

Pondering just what to say

I invite the Holy Spirit

To write for me today

My birthday gift is expressed through a poem

To my beautiful cousin Johnette

Living in Bermuda

Our native home

What to say about a woman so dear

Who takes time out

To let family and friends know

How much she cares

A woman of God is who she is

A child of the King

Undoubtedly His!

Anointed and Faithful

Loving and Kind

A jewel in His crown

God always on her mind

In her heart

In her soul

In her words

True and Bold

Kingdom Worker

Faithful and Strong

Gifted in spiritual understanding

Her life is a living-for-God song

To her today

I am honored to say

Johnette, I love you dearly

Have a Happy Birthday!

Love Always,

Cousin Penny

xoxoxo

 *Birthday was on July 24*