Prayers and Punches

I'm about to get real. Last week, I posted I had gotten back to my pre-pregnancy weight. And that is true; however, that is not the whole truth. One of those surprises post partum is HOW my body is different now than it was before going full-term. There are obvious differences I was "prepared" for like nursing, stretch marks, and extra skin. But, personally, the biggest difference lies in the way my body holds its weight. Namely, my rib cage and my hips/lower back. No one told me that my rib cage would STAY expanded making my current wardrobe almost obsolete! And while I knew my hips would expand, I didn't know that it would twist and turn in ways that aren't conducive to ALL the years of hardwork I put in before pregnancy to help my spine. I admit, I feel defeated some days. But that defeat comes from the WRONG mental thinking. I am comparing myself to someone who had never given birth before. Someone who had a DIFFERENT SET OF PRIORITIES. Someone whose body w

I could go on and on about the benefits on exercise. And if you're reading this, it's very likely that you already know most of this stuff: increasing our cardiovascular health, lower cholesterol, better stamina, etc. etc. But let me ask you something... has that changed your TRUE desire to get healthier? To wake up at 5am to hit the gym before work? Or take a job after dinner? I know many will answer YES to these questions, but I have a suspicion it's not "increased cardiovascular health" as your SOLE reason for changing your lifestyle. And if you answered no, then I am with you! These things don't MOTIVATE me to workout everyday. Even though they do provide a profit . What DOES motivate me, you ask? Being a daily example to my daughter that having high self-esteem is important--so when she becomes a teenager and the pressure is on, her default can be a mother who supports her physical shape and doesn't criticize her for it. Not being the person I

"godliness is profitable unto all things," These words are the foundation of this ministry. I read these words as a declaration to glorify Christ in whatever we do, so He will give an increase--in some way shape or form. But how can we exude godliness in all things? First, are our actions glorifying to Christ? 1 Thessalonians 5:22 commands us to "a bstain from all appearance of evil." I can try to justify my actions all I want saying that I am reaching the lost by participating in sin, but I am fooling myself. The Bible clearly states that we need to stay away from those that do such things: " Having a form of godliness , but denying the power thereof: from such turn away" 2 Timothy 3:5. I feel like there is such a fine line when it comes to the fitness industry. Racks of almost-naked people vying for public adoration are the norm. Social media is flooded by those looking for motivation but purposely filtering their photos to appear more appealing an

I often hear this verse used as an excuse for Christians to not exercise or eat properly. The first part is read as if bodily exercise has NO profit, despite that not being what it says. I also never hear the end of the verse. I believe this small section of scripture gives amazing potential to not only the believer, but to this ministry. I hope to look at these words a little closer to explain how they relate to this ministry and really to understand what my purpose is within this seemingly odd cross section of fitness and christianity.

There is a fine line between loving yourself and loving your flesh. The Israelites loved their flesh when they complained to God that all they had was heavenly manna to eat. God gave them their desire and gave them so much meat that it literally came out of different parts of their bodies. They loved their flesh. They wanted things to only TASTE good, regardless of its nutritional content or effect on their health. They were unsatisfied with HEAVENLY manna. Food that God just dropped from the sky and said, "This is perfect food for YOU! And there will always be just the right amount for you!" Isn't that just like us? Many of us know how to eat properly. We know that eating fried or greasy food 4+ times a week is unhealthy. We know that pouring butter on our vegetables, rice, and other "good" foods negates their purpose. We even know and feel the effects of our unhealthy eating--like kidney stones, chronic heartburn, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.

" Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." Ecclesiastes 7:8 I'm going to just lay this out there because I AM SPEAKING TO MYSELF! This is something that I struggle with all of the time once I am working out and exercising consistently. It is hard to be humble when I am feeling good about myself physically. But like I mentioned in the last post, this fitness journey is NOT about looks. Our bodies can fail at any moment, for any reason, irregardless of how much we can lift or how many miles we run. But we CAN take advan tage of what we use our bodies for. How many people do we try to encourage at the gym instead of making fun of them? How many times have you listened to a co-workers struggles during lunch instead of judging their fast food meal? How about keeping our mouths shut when a friend is feeling depressed instead of going on and on about how good we feel? This is a silent