When Tragedy Strikes

Saturday evening, long after our church services at Calvary of Albuquerque ended, the 15 year old son of a man who had been one of our pastors for years as well as a chaplain to the fire department and running a jail ministry for 13 years, shot his father, mother, younger brother and two younger sisters to death in their home. The 5 year old who died, had been in church class with my daughter Carly.

I am deeply saddened that gun violence of this magnitude and with the grief that it has brought to our community has occurred in Albuquerque. I ask that you keep the young man, Nehemiah Griego, in your prayers. He is now an orphan, his younger siblings are dead and he will be haunted for the rest of his life with the images, described as "horrific", that he saw as he committed this senseless act.

Below is the weekly newsletter that I prepared to send to you. I hope that you find it useful.

What's Your Power Point?

I've heard the expression many times, "go with your strengths" and always took it to heart. Since my injury (radial tear to the medial meniscus which happened New Year's Day morning), I've been challenged by the basic activities of every day life. Now bearable, I realize that at least for the short term until it either heals or I get arthroscopic surgery, I am having to go with some of my strengths that I have not used for awhile - like my brain!

For so many years, my life revolved around running - training hard, racing and living, eating and breathing a runners life. That was my comfort zone (obviously whoever made the image below left out running obsessively...)

Sometimes we get the message on our own that it's time to change and at other times, we have to run into a 2 x 4 before we change directions. I guess that Tuesday morning just over two weeks ago when I couldn't take a step, was my 2 x 4!

I could never lay down and nurse my injury because there is way too much in life left to do, but I have been doing way more sitting than usual and, not surprisingly, using my brain more. In the past, I have been way too comfortable to learn to use PowerPoint and I still only know the basics, but I think that it is going to be my strength eventually and my "power point".

As I sit in church on Wednesday and Saturday nights, I think about the awesome ability to change people's lives that conveying the Word has on people as our pastor teaches the Bible to us. For those of you who have been getting the newsletter know (at this point it comes down to how many times have I said it), when I was at Rutgers, a guidance counselor sophomore year told me that I should either be a brick layer or a preacher. Brick layers are exceptionally capable craftsmen, but my body type is not that of a bricklayer. The idea of being a preacher on the other hand, has always stuck with me and I find myself now going more and more in that direction. But instead of preaching the Word, I will continue to preach the gospel of health and fitness and how it can change your life. With PowerPoint and online presentations, I will step out of my comfort zone and go with what are truly my strengths - a passion for helping other people and my total devotion to my "congregation" (that's you) to have the best life possible.

As I Close...

I want to share with you a few more things, but the newsletter is already long enough so I will only provide you with links.

The first is, do you ever wonder when you are going to start losing weight with P90X? Well Tony Horton shares that answer on my P90X blog. If you click here, you can watch it.

The next is a PowerPoint presentation that I did about Challenge Packs. If you would like an answer to the statement, "Are Challenge Packs Too Good to be True? ", then click here to find out.

Finally, there is a new price for TurboFire and the TurboFire Challenge Pack. For just $79.90 and $180.00 respectively, this is what you get (add a one month's supply of Shakeology, a one month free trial of the Team Beachbody Club, free shipping and free sign up for the Coach Discount program (25% off on all Beachbody product orders) if you buy the Challenge Pack):

What's included in this TurboFire

• 12 Smokin' Hot Classes on 5 DVDs
• Fire Starter
• Low HIITs: Low HIIT 20 & Low HIIT 25
• Fire HIITs: Fire 30, Fire 40, Fire 45, Fire 55
• Extreme HIITs: HIIT 15, HIIT 20, HIIT 25
• Abs 10
• Stretch 10
• Quick Start Guide
• Fuel the Fire Nutrition Guide
• Class Schedule
• Instant Online Access to the first workout

What's different?
The workouts included in this offer do NOT require any equipment. All you need is a good workout space, quality shoes, a towel and water!

So that's it for this week unless I am moved to share more of the "gospel" with you. You, too, can step up and dare to be different. What are your strengths that you haven't used because you've been staying in your comfort zone too long? Below is the second message in the I Dare series if you would like some motivation to step up...

"Step Up" from the I Dare You Series at Calvary Albuquerque

Any crisis we face is a test. How will we respond? What actions will we take? What will our faith in God mean to us and to others in that moment of crisis? Daniel and his friends faced their moment of crisis when the King of Babylon's insomnia became their worst nightmare. As they faced the possibility of their own death, they used the situation to display their life-giving faith. Let's consider how we can step up to life's difficulties and use them as spiritual opportunities.

Join Our Plan Your Success 30 Day Challenge To Change

If you buy a Challenge Pack, then you need to get the guidance, support, accountability and motivation of a Challenge Group! Our Simple Steps To Success 30 Day Challenge group will guarantee that you get the most out of your Challenge Pack!

What You Need to Do to the Plan Your Success 30 Day Challenge

• Visit our "Simple Steps To Success 30 Day Challenge" Facebook page.

• "Like" the page and we will add you to our 30 Day Challenge Group and explain to you what is possible when you make a commitment to yourself for the next 30 days!

That is all there is to it. We can lead you to the promised land of health and fitness, now you have to take the next step.

How you spend the next 30 days is your choice...

The Future of Team Beachbody - The Company With the CEO that Doesn't Give Up

Want to Join Our Team?

Is it time for you to become a Team Beachbody Coach so that you, too, can earn while you learn, get into awesome shape and positively change other people's lives? If it is, then click here to learn more.

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Please join the Team Lean Facebook group today to start becoming a lean, fit, fighting machine! Overweight and out of shape? Who ya gonna call? Team Lean!