Question from one of my fitness/business mentors:
“Do you mind sharing what you did to make this happen”:
My response (from my heart):
“I just truly stopped trying to be someone else. I’ve been praying hard about who I am and living so that my truest self shows up, no matter where I am. I’m learning that I’m not one person as a fitness instructor and another person in my ‘personal life’. I am who I am. I can’t turn something on for one group of people then claim to ‘turn it off’ for another. I stopped trying to please people and focused on pleasing God.
At the beginning of the year I decided I was putting First Things First; that meant God first, everything else was second…including my plans. I figured if God wants it in my life, He’ll see to it that it happens. And here we are!
Thanks to my fitness/business mentors for the push! {Jenn Hall, Christine Dwyer, Chalene Johnson, Kelly Olexa}
I soooo appreciate my Pastor for holding us accountable! We’ve gotta hold each other accountable on EVERYTHING (spirit, soul, body, finances & relationships) my pastor calls those the arenas of life. Arena-because that’s where battles are fought! And won!”
When you put your faith in God, raise your expectation!
What’s keepin’ your heart pumpin’ & spirit movin’? January is over. How’d you fair on your new year, new you goals? Did you set expectations that were S.M.A.R.T. (we can discuss that further), did you make sure you kept your F.O.C.U.S.?
Hold on, let me pause for a second, I really want to show you this. Maybe you’ve seen this already, or maybe you could use a reminder…
You feel that heart beat in your chest…that means get up & do somethin’…
Wasn’t that AWESOME? Don’t be boring…anybody can be boring!
So, I committed to a 30 day challenge and I’m proud to say it’s now day 31!!!
I started the challenge originally in 2011 with a totally different mind set. Yeah, I was quite negative and condescending. Consequently I had only completed the first half of the challenge. With that in mind and a biblical truth-anchored (Matthew 6:33) mantra of “FIRST THINGS FIRST”; I put my life, hope, trust, goals, priorities and family in His hands. I fixated my thoughts on the decision that where He says go, I’ll go, when He closes a door I’ll trust that He’s got something better.
I’ve prayed some big prayers over the last 30 days, focused and anchored in the truth of Gods word! The greatest opportunity in all of this, knowing that God has plans for my life (Jeremiah 29:11) and I have full access to those plans!
It feels like my life got a full detox, inside & out!!!
As a result of this challenge, one of the habits I’m working to develop is getting organized. I was gonna say more organized but that would be a lie, I’ve kinda got this system of piles going on.
I’m actually pulling together the February challenge so we’ll really sort through some things, we’re gonna learn what to keep, what to donate, and what to toss.
I read a blog on simple space & money savers…things like arranging packages so expiration dates are visible & keeping an inventory so you know exactly what you have, laying boxes on their sides saved space, etc. I can’t wait to get the next challenge started!!!
I’m jazzed about the progress I’ve had so far so I decided I might use some of my new-found F.O.C.U.S. to I tackle the office closet, y’all I found priceless fitness material I had previously researched and never used …SCORE…ooh the things to come from that treasure find! Anyway, I found a box of over 9 years worth of journals. Some bible study notes, others heart reflections that literally had me in tears. So much proof that God was watching over me & answering prayers. It really got me to thinking, some of the stuff I found, under all those piles of clutter, I had been scratching my head and flipping my house upside down trying to find it. Other stuff I was literally like whoa I forgot I had this. So I wondered, what could I find that I already have that might be hidden under a cluttered thoughts, cluttered expectations, cluttered vision. What hidden priceless knowledge or talents could be uncovered if I just learned what to keep, donate or toss? Where there prayers that have already been answered but I just couldn’t ‘find them’ under the piles of organized chaos?
How do you know when God has answered your prayers?
This 30 day PUSH challenge isn’t over. Honestly, not to sound cliché or cheesy but I feel like I just got started. I’m still nose deep in the self inventory of You’re Already Amazing and since I synced the chapters parallel to the calendar and this challenge I’ve cried so many tears of joy over the current chapter of “What Does God Want Me to Do with My Life”. Holley Gerth coaches us on how to uniquely craft a LIFE statement. She says…
In our culture, that’s often called a mission statement. And while I think those can be helpful, it feels like the title can be a bit misleading. As believers, we all ultimately have the same mission. God gave it to us in Galatians 5:6: (The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.) We’re here to express faith through love – for God, others, and ourselves.”
So instead of writing a mission statement, we’ve used the following prompt to create our L.I.F.E. statement. (Love Is Faith Expressed)
I am created and called to express my faith through love, especially by…
+ (WHAT) + ( WHO ) + ( HOW )
Holley’s example reads: I am created and called to express my faith through love, especially by bringing hope and encouragement to the hearts of women through word.
What would be your L.I.F.E. statement? I’m still working on mine, praying over it and letting this scripture guide me.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (MSG
We’re not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, “I believed it, so I said it,” we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise! So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:13-18 MSG)
You’re already amazing, be blessed in knowing this…
“God is love-whatever he directs you to do will be loving to others too.
Your house doesn’t have to be spotless.
Your work doesn’t have to be flawless.
You don’t have to please that finicky member of your family.
You don’t have to look like a page out of a magazine.
You’re already enough because Jesus is enough in you. ” -Holley Gerth
St. Augustine
Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity.
I’m breaking some old habits. Period. And rather than make the list of everything I need to work on, I’ve decided I’ll use all that energy to devote to the new habits! And here’s the thing, that energy & focus isn’t on ‘the working on & planning’ but on the actual doing.
So often we talk about what we’re getting ready to do. Then before long we are finding ourselves wandering around the mountains of Mt. woulda, coulda & shoulda. At some point we can’t keep running around the same mountain, we gotta be willing to move up.
This year I’m committing every area of my life FIRST to God. I mean full out, no apology, no question First Things First, God. I know if there’s something I should be doing, having, owning, enjoying…He’ll make sure I have it. So I’m cool with that.
Habit #1 I will be established, grounded, ANCHORED!
One Word – “One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live. One word that you can focus on every day, all year long.”
Habit #5 I will spend quality time with friends/family
Hebrews 10:25
not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-26 (in Context)
What habits are you establishing for this new year? Need some help establishing your habits? Whatever habits you’ve had, whoever you’ve ‘always been’, you have the power to change, it’s all in your decisions.
Your GPS (God Positioning System) is going to get you exactly where you need to go. And he promises to be with you every step of the way. -“You’re Already Amazing” by Holley Gerth (ch 5 pg. 79)
I was having a conversation with a few friends regarding fitness, spiritual balance and finding our own levels of accomplishments in the goals we’ve set over the past year and where we’re headed in the next year. Our conversation, I believe is the conversation most women are having either with trusted friends or among themselves for fear of being found vulnerable realizing we don’t yet have it together. I’m sharing this raw, unedited conversation with you because all to often we get trapped in this belief that we are the only ones who need help, lack strength, experience or flat out don’t know what happened to our ‘perfect plan’ and sometimes we don’t know how to move on.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it’s the Lord’s purpose that prevails”
(Proverbs 19:21)
CHRISTIE: have you or anyone you knew prayed verses or prayers through out the workout?
ME: yup I have, still do. And I know several women who do it when they run/workout
That’s why I chose some of the music I choose because the lyrics are usually straight from scripture
CHRISTIE: yeah ok, my thought is if you stay focused on word rather than just doing it or to any other music it will be more… motivation and… be retraining your mind as well
renewal
ME: Everyone finds their own level of motivation. Sometimes I find myself just praising in the middle of my teaching. In the spirit I’m fighting battles, praising victories or just honoring God but I’m still talking to my class.
THAT is exactly what inneractive IS Ephesians 3:16-22
CHRISTIE: awesome if that is not my focus, i won’t be able to continue
ME: see sometimes we get so super spiritual and we’re quoting scripture and we say we are spiritually “strong” yet on the outside we are all sorts of out of shape But here’s the thing the enemy does. He knows he can’t mess with you on the spiritual stuff. right…
So he keeps attacking you on the outside
CHRISTIE: yep i believe that was what happened to me
cause i was praising,praying,professing & believing & doing and bam!
but then again i did not heed the warning the lord gave me
ME: He puts you in front of the mirror, someone you’ve been trying to prove yourself to or you’ve been subconsciously measuring yourself against and he starts to whisper lies
Trust me. I know it well he tries to get me all the time. sometimes I fall for it
CHRISTIE: we all do,i had to realize i am not you,you are far advanced than i even though it is a challenge & even though i received a set back,i am not a loser i just need to persistently keep movin
i was trying to prove i could with out paying attention to my body”s signs
ME: You aren’t me. You aren’t susie works-out-a-lot, you aren’t betty excuse-maker, you’re Christie!
God will only allow YOUR body to get in the shape IT needs to be in for the task YOU need to accomplish and YOU can only do what YOUR body will do
CHRISTIE: Learning to be a steward of my body,mind & spirit
it tells me what i need & what i need to focus on & adjust
ps 23: he is my shepherd/coach
If you’ve just joined our book discussion, this week we’re reviewing chapters 5 & 6 of You’re Already Amazing, in chapter 5 “Where Am I Going?” Holley Gerth helps us navigate the path we’re currently on. For some that path is twisting and seems like a bunch of zigzagging. For others it’s a long country corn field road that seems to go on forever with no scenery worth taking in, just straight ahead. Been there? I certainly have. What about the lonely road? The one you’re driving on, you keep checking your GPS to make sure you haven’t lost the signal cuz you’re the only car on the road? Did you miss the detour, the BRIDGE OUT sign…
God has a journey for your life. It looks different than anyone else’s. the road he’s carved out for you is yours alone. It’s always the road less traveled because you’re the only one who is ever going to walk it. (p.79)
FRIEND #2
ME: Why do you say you’re tired. I don’t like those words “I’m just tired”
those words are more emotional/spiritual than physical
FRIEND: I don’t like saying them
ME: you’re not allowed to stop fighting
but you are allowed to stop TRYING
there’s a difference
You know the scripture that says “pick up my yoke, it’s easy”…
FRIEND: I have been struggling spiritually also. I know, I know. I am so UNBALANCED now. I feel lost.
ME:
when we TRY that pretty much means we’ve decided to carry everything on our own shoulders and back, with hardly enough endurance to keep movin’…we say that we are letting God do it for us, when in fact we’re just barely lifting up our eyes toward the sky to make sure the sky hasn’t fallen on us. LOL the weights we carry around become so heavy that it literally pushes our head down to the point that we can’t even lift it. All we can do is lift our eyes
FRIEND: It ends today. I can’t continue to feel this way. I want to blame it on Lupus, on my job- it ends today!
ME: BUT THE WORD SAYS…I will lift my eyes to the hills where my help comes from.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates (cutting between)/dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges (exposes) the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (innermost thoughts and desires). Hebrews 4:12 (NIV/NLT)
Most of us are rekindling “best of” memories from the year, hashing over the “how-on-earth-did-I-survive-that” mind blowing moments and doing our best to lay out realistic intentions/commitments/resolutions for the coming year. Whatever you find yourself doing in these few countdown days & hours, always remember that God will never leave you or forsake you.
“When we’re in the ‘middle’ of life, we can take comfort in knowing we’re right in the center of God’s hands too.” (Holley Gerth)
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