Free from Frustration

God sure is funny. Some times he teaches us things we knew we needed to know but didn't realize we would be learning. That make sense?? Let me explain - hopefully. I recently downloaded a sermon on Supernatural Childbirth. The bible says faith comes by hearing the word; I'm believing for babies, so I figured it was a good idea to listen to sermons on the subject, right? Anywho, as I was listening, the woman preaching was talking about how we have been redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). She said everyone likes reading the first part of Deuteronomy 28, the part of the chapter that lists the blessings, but she said it's also a good idea to read the "curses" part of that chapter, keeping in mind those are all the things we have been redeemed from.

So, the other night, I took her advice and read the second part of Deuteronomy 28, and then I came upon verse 20 - "The Lord himself will send on you curses, confusion and frustration in everything you do ..." Something immediately went off in my spirit. A little insight into Whitney (my husband can attest to this) - I am amazingly high strung. It doesn't take much to get me frustrated, upset or fired up. I constantly go home from CrossFit down on myself and frustrated because people beat me or lifted more than me when I felt like I should've done better.

What frustrates you? Just remember, God doesn't send frustration; Satan does. Notice how being frustrated puts you or those around you in a bad mood. My husband in turn gets upset with me because I'm frustrated; it can drive a wedge between us. Now is that second sentence making more sense? God used that sermon on childbirth to show me I have to deal with my frustration because it's part of the curse. This applies during workouts or anything that you're believing God for. If you're frustrated, your faith is being attacked. You have to remember that you have been redeemed from the curse of frustration.

I know God showed me this because of the way CrossFit frustrates me but also to help strengthen my faith as we continue to believe for babies. Faith doesn't get frustrated because faith continues to believe God is going to do what he promised. Frustration isn't just something that can raise your stress level or blood pressure; it's part of the curse and if you're a child of God, you have been redeemed!! Read through Deuteronomy 28 to see what else you have been redeemed from.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

No Rules, Just Righteousness

For whatever reason many people in the world have this idea that being a Christian is just a long list of things you can and cannot do. A whole lot of "Thou shalt" and "Thou shalt not". Maybe this perception comes from the fact that some people have portrayed the church in this light hoping to appear more pious or saintly; or perhaps it's because so many Christians have taken on a judgmental attitude, which makes people feel unworthy. I'm really not sure, but if you read the bible, it's not following a list of rules that makes you a Christian, it's simply believing in Jesus.

Throughout his writings, Paul hammers home the point that it's not following the law, but faith in Jesus that makes us right with God. Galatians 2:16 says "Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law ... For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law." How freeing is that?? You do not have to earn anything; God's grace and mercy is an absolutely FREE gift!!!! Romans 6:14 tells us sin is no longer our master, for we no longer live under the requirements of the law, instead we live under the freedom of God's grace.

Being a child of God is not a list of no-no's; it's an unbelievable freedom of knowing that I could never on my own be good enough, but simply because God loved me so much, I am now his child. We have all sinned because we are human, but if you choose to simply accept a free gift, you can be made right with God and become a child of his.

For whatever reason this morning while reading, this thought really struck me. I know I've had days where I've felt like I royally screwed up and like I would never be good enough. But I can take comfort in the fact that I never have to earn God's love or my place in his kingdom. Jesus dying on the cross and being raised from the dead already did that. I can just bask in that freedom and love each and every day.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Pouring a Little Oil

This past weekend James River Assembly held their Designed for Life conference, a women's conference. It is an amazing weekend where God works through the lives of girls from all over the country. One of the speakers, Donna Crouch, spoke Sunday morning, and the message she delivered is the reason this blog is back after a very long hiatus.

Her text was 2 Kings 4:1-8, the story of the widow who was about to have her sons sold to pay her debts (as of Sunday night, the message wasn't up, but I encourage you to check www.jamesriver.org and listen to the entire message as soon as it comes up!). Elisha instructed her to take the olive oil she had in her house and begin pouring it into jars. Donna's point was that Elisha didn't treat her like a victim, instead he took what she had and put it to use. She challenged everyone to look at their lives and see where they could start "pouring some oil." And that's when I got that urging. I really tried to ignore it, giving the usual excuses - "No one wants to read what I write", "I don't have any formal training", "What if I say something wrong." But as we all know, God isn't into arguing. He told me to get out the bottle of oil.

I really don't have any formal training, and I will probably never have some breakthrough revelation - although, maybe I will. This blog is God's, and I hope that he will use me to speak encouragement into people's lives. Sometimes we really don't need some deep revelation, we just need a little reminder of something we've known for a very long time. Today's reminder? God is bigger than your problems, and he can use those circumstances to help you have a positive impact on someone's life.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Monday 3/25/13

As I was driving home from church yesterday, enjoying the beautiful snow and jamming along with the radio, a song came on that brought a thought to my mind. The song is called "What If?" and after I listened to the chorus, the Holy Spirit brought this question up in me: "What if God never did another thing for you? Would you still serve him?" Basically, what is your motivation for believing in and serving God? Do you worship and serve him because he is the creator everything or because you need something from him?

This was not exactly a question I wanted to have to answer. This is one of those uncomfortable questions God asks you, and you know he might be asking because he knows the answer. Of course, I want to say that if God never answered another prayer or sent me another blessing that I would continue to praise him and live for him. But would I? Shouldn't it be enough that He gave his only Son to die for me so that our relationship could be restored? I mean, I'm the one who sinned and yet He's the one who did all the work so that I could be forgiven. It's very easy to think about God a lot, but only really let him in or get serious when life is falling apart. Even non-christians will hit their knees when the going gets tough. You hear it all the time; people who you know do not have a relationship with God, who will ask you to pray or say they have to pray because something terrible has happened. I know about you, but that frustrates me; but if I'm only serving God because of what he can do for me, am I any better?

This isn't exactly a light, fun subject for a Monday, but with Good Friday and Easter approaching, I think it's fitting. I am going to focus this week on just praising God for who he is, not what he can do for me. I need to get back to the basics of loving him and praising him because he is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords; because he is the Most High, who has already given me so much more than I deserve.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Friday 3/22/13

CrossFit is a funny thing, even funnier when you workout with your spouse. We are in the midst of the CrossFit Open, which is basically the playoffs to determine who advances to the CrossFit Games in July. Hundreds of thousands of people participate in the open, the vast majority knowing they won't even make it to regionals, but they do it to push themselves and see how much progress they're making. A new workout is announced each Wednesday and each athlete has until Sunday to perform that workout and post their score.

The biggest difference between this and our every day WODs is each Open workout must be validated by a Level 1 CrossFit coach. This is where the real point of this blog beings. This morning, I was counting my husband, Justin, through this week's workout. He was doing so well! He flew through his wall balls, then on to probably his biggest strength - double unders. His goal was to have five minutes to do as many muscles as he could (this week it's a 12-minute workout overall). He reached his goal; he had exactly five minutes to do his muscle ups. It's hard to watch him workout because he pushes himself so hard and has a look of pain on his face, and I absolutely hate to see it. I know he's getting better and that he loves it, but I don't want him to hurt! Anywho, it wasn't his best muscle up day. He gave it all he had, but they weren't flowing like he wanted them to; and it was absolutely breaking my heart. I was staring at him, in my head chanting 'You can do this'; almost trying to silently will him the strength to get up and locked out on those rings (just to let you know, I can't do muscle ups, but I believe I have the ability to will him the ability to do them - that make sense?). It was so hard to watch him struggle.

Then it hit me; that's exactly how God is. When he sees us trying to do things on our own and struggle, it breaks his heart. He wants to help us so bad, but we have to let him. I'm sure Justin would have let me help him on muscle ups if I could, but unlike that situation, God can help us in anything we encounter. We just have to ask and then let him help. It's not enough to ask and then continue trying to do it our way. Ask him to help and then allow yourself to be led; God may have a better way to accomplish your goal. No matter what you're facing, you don't have to go through it alone. God has promised that he will never leave us nor forsake  us.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Wednesday 3/20/13

"Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises."

These verses absolutely floor me while at the same time give me incredible encouragement every time I read them. The above passage is Romans 4:18-21. How many times have you felt there was "no reason for hope"? Abraham had hoped for a son for many, many years and still did not have one. Despite that, he kept believing and all because of one reason: He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.

Sarah was 90 years old; Abraham was 100. How many couples like that do you know that are having children? In the natural, there was absolutely no reason to think they would ever have a child, but they knew God had promised and that he is faithful. What are you believing God for? Does it seem like there is just no possible way? I'll admit, my faith wavers; and then I remember this verse. Do I truly believe God is able to do whatever he promises? If I truly, truly do, then why am I worried? He God, for crying out loud!! He's the one who made the heavens and the earth; he's the one who causes the sun to rise each morning and the stars to come out at night. He's the God who brought down the wall of Jericho, kept the lions from eating Daniel and protected Shadrach, Meshach and Abednedo in the fiery furnace!!!!! Ask yourself, is your problem bigger than that? Is your problem bigger than God?? NO!! His is the name that is above every name in heaven and earth and under the earth. He has defeated Satan; the battle has already been won. 

So whatever you are believing for, get touch, take a stand and remember that God is faithful. Do not waver. Your God, your Heavenly Father, is bigger than any circumstance that comes you way; and the best part is, he wants to take care of all of it for you. Just trust him and be ready to be obedient. Then sit back and watch God do amazing things in your life.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Tuesday 3/19/13

While they're all really good, I really think Romans may be my favorite book of the bible. Yesterday God really laid it on my heart to start reading Romans again (didn't take much convincing!) and now there are so many things running around in my mind. It's hard to decide exactly what to write about! So, I'll try not to ramble!

Paul spends much of the first part of the book trying to help people understand that we have all sinned and that obeying the law is not what gets us to heaven. It's faith in Jesus and his saving grace, not works, that get a person to heaven. That seems like a very simple concept, but really stop and think about that. There is NOTHING you can do to earn your salvation. While some people may think that is scary, what an absolutely freeing thought! The work has already been done; Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave. He did all the work; all you have to do it believe in him. I don't have to spend my days trying to earn my way to heaven. I can spend my days worshiping God and doing my best to be an example for him, knowing if I do slip up, I can go to him and humbly ask for forgiveness. He still loves me and will wrap his arms around me because I am his daughter.

In Paul's day, the Jews were very strict about ceremonies and the law, most notably circumcision. Paul talks many times about how basically if your heart isn't right with God, it doesn't matter whether you are circumcised or not, which is an idea that probably didn't sit well with many Jewish leaders in that day. So let me ask you, are there time where you get caught up in going through the motions? Listening to christian music, going to church or reading your bible because that's just "what you do"? I have to watch myself because it's easy to fall into a routine. Some times we really need to stop, read bible verses we've read a million times a little slower and take the time to simply worship God because of who he is.


This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Monday 3/18/13

If you haven't caught "The Bible" series on the History Channel, you are really missing out. The producers have done a great job of bringing the characters of the bible to life and displaying just how awesome and powerful our God truly is. However, the thing that has struck me the most is the way they have portrayed each person as human. I think it's easy to lose sight of this while reading the bible. We tend to see Abraham, Moses, David and Daniel as these amazing men of faith; and while they are, we forget that they had to deal with the same human emotions we do day in and day out. They were afraid; they were unsure; they had to make the decision to not care that some people might thing they were crazy. They did what they knew God was calling them to do and they trusted he would take care of them.

As we go through each day, we are faced with problems and we need God's help. I know for me, some times at the first thought of fear, I feel like I've blown it and God isn't going to help. I have to remember that God understands and that I need to take those feelings to him. I can't let that fear keep me from believing that God is going to deliver me. My faith has to be bigger than my fear. As we learn to trust God more and more, that first reaction will begin to move from fear and automatically jump to faith.

If you read Psalm, you will find a lot of the book is David telling God exactly how he feels. How he feels afraid or abandoned. God wants us to take these needs to him, then trust him to lead us down the path he has for us. If we are on the right path, we can have the assurance that everything is going to turn out just fine. Trust me, God knows what he's doing.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

What a Weekend!

There are times when you look around at the things that are happening and you just can't help but think 'Wow, God is so awesome!' And there are other times when an event has to be over before you can look back and truly begin to appreciate how powerful and wonderful God truly is. This past weekend, my husband Justin and I had the honor of hosting the 2nd Annual Couples Challenge at CrossFit Springfield. About 50 couples competed, and we asked them to raise money; and while we didn't charge admission, we asked for donations for money, gift cards and diapers and wipes from spectators. Driving home from the event last night, it really began to hit me how awesome God is.

We put this event together to help a great cause and have a good time, and God took it and blessed it over and over again. We don't have the final numbers yet, but from what we do know, we have raised more than $2500 and that's just in donations and extra money raised by competitors. We also collected a ton of diapers, wipes, formula and other baby items, as well as gift cards. These items will all be used to help orphans and foster kids in the area. These kids will be helped because of God.

A year and a half ago, Justin was set to compete in a CrossFit firefighter challenge. At the last minute, his partner pulled out, so he asked me to be his partner. I was scared to death and didn't think I was anywhere good enough at CrossFit to do it; but it meant a lot to him, so I put that fear aside and competed. We had a blast competing together and out of that experience the couples challenge was born. Little did we know, God was using that moment to set up this weekend.

So often we don't feel like we're doing anything or things seem insignificant, but just remember that God knows all. You may not understand why something is happening, or not happening, but God knows exactly why things are happening like they are. Just trust him. God knew Justin and I wanted to be able to help others but that we didn't have the money to give, so he used the resources we did have - that he had given us. He put us in the CrossFit community; he gave us our gym, and he did it to further his kingdom. When we began praying for our gym, we thought it was a prayer he was answering for us. Little did we know, he was giving us a ministry.

There are so many things I feel like God showed me this weekend. Even when it feels like you can't help in the way you want, be open. He may have you help in a different way. And some times, it may seem like you're just doing something for fun or because you enjoy it, but God is looking to use that to show his love to the world. The great thing is God has a plan and he is in control!

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

A Little Perspective

It's kind of funny that I am the one writing a blog on perspective and attitude. In fact, I guarantee my husband will laugh while reading this because most of what I'm about to write, he's forced to remind me more often than he should. So, I guess in a way, this blog is courtesy of my amazing husband, Justin.

I have to start off with a confession. I am one of those people who some times sets ridiculously high standards for myself, knowing there's pretty much no way I can reach them. You would think I would do that so when I fall short I have an excuse, but you would be wrong. When I don't meet my own expectations, I get extremely down on myself. This is the point where Justin then has to swoop in and be fabulously supportive. This could pertain to anything in life, but I have found it especially true at CrossFit. CrossFit is the most rewarding/frustrating thing I have ever done in my life. One day you walk out of that gym on Cloud Nine because you hit a new PR or you conquered a new skill or you posted a great time on a workout. Then the next day, you feel like you can't lift anything and your moving at the speed of frozen snot. It's usually on the frozen snot days that the person next to me is flying through the WOD. I am a very competitive person, and it's hard to admit that some days just getting through the workout is the challenge or that someone is flat out better than me. I want to be the best, but like my husband reminds me, there's no need to get down on yourself. You can't be the best at everything. But just because I'm not the best at a CrossFit workout doesn't mean I'm a failure at everything I do (rarely do I get that down on myself, but I'm ashamed to admit it has happened a few times.)

I am working on approaching each day with the intention of being the best I can personally be. Not compared to anyone else - just the best I can be. This goes right to the heart of why I started this blog. Each of us were created in a very unique way to be exactly who we are. There is a reason, a purpose. I'm not supposed to be the person next to me - I'm supposed to be Whitney. And when I get down on myself, I'm essentially saying that God made a mistake. God doesn't make mistakes! It's good to push yourself and try to be the best version of you you can be, but don't let yourself push to the point where you put yourself down or doubt your worth or ability. You are fabulous and strong! Just keep that mind set and approach everything in your life with a good perspective and positive attitude.

I came across this blog earlier today, and it really blessed me. It's about CrossFit, but I think you'll see that it easily applies to all areas of life ... Enjoy!

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

I love church - the praise and worship, that calm feeling of being in the presence of God, the fellowship, the sermon ... well, you get the point. We go to an amazing church, and I feel incredibly blessed. I love listening to our pastor; he just breaks things down so well, and makes the word feel easy to apply to everyday life. And while I love listening to him preach, there are two times during church that really make me smile - when they read the testimonies of the things God is doing and the altar call at the end. I love hearing how God is healing people, restoring marriages, providing financially, etc. It's just a reminder that he still cares and he still works miracles. It builds me up and gives me renewed hope that he's going to answer my prayers and meet my needs. I also love the end of service when you see people coming forward to be saved or to rededicate their lives. It almost always brings tears to my eyes because I know they are about to experience something they will never forget. They're about to meet God, and he's about to become very real to them. I love that we all clap to encourage them and celebrate with them.

While many people probably enjoy the testimonies more, I have often thought during the altar call, "This is the part heaven gets excited about." It's awesome to hear the testimonies, but the bible tells us the angels and all of heaven rejoice when someone gets saved. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the angels love a good healing miracle and a restored marriage, but it's people being saved that gets them up and celebrating!

I have had the privilege of going on three missions trips to Jamaica with the missionary Terry Mize. He is an incredible man of God who preaches the word to the lost around the world, and if you ever get the chance to hear him preach, GET THERE!! And no matter what the topic is that night, I promise you he will come back to one simple principle - missions is the heart of God. Going into all the world and preaching the gospel to everyone is why we're here. We are here to share the Good News with all mankind. What is the Good News? I think it is as simple and as complex as this - God loves you. He loves you exactly as you are. He knows your faults; he knows your past, and he doesn't care. Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (ESV). And we all know John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (ESV).

This is the message we should be taking to the world - GOD LOVES YOU!! He's not out to get you. He loves you so much that he gave up his only son. Stop and think about that. We all know someone who does not like us, for whatever reason. Now imagine that you, without being asked, give one of your children to save that person. That makes no sense! Yet, God, while we were all still living a life we shouldn't, gave up his Son so that we could spend eternity with him and live a life of heaven on earth. That is so hard to wrap your mind around.

It's then what comes out of that love that leads to wonderful testimonies. He loves us so much that after we make the decision to follow him he just wants to bless us. He wants us to have the best and be prosperous. He does all this to further demonstrate that love, and that's what we have to show the world. Not a God of fire and brimstone, but a God of pure, unconditional love that no human can understand.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Relax, We Know How This Turns Out

I'll try to keep this short, but I can't make any promises. There are a lot of days God lays something on my heart, and I end up preaching a sermon to myself. Today that happened on the way to work, and I felt very compelled to share, so here goes ....

I've shared before on this blog that my husband Justin and I are trying to have a baby. We've actually been trying for almost three years now. I never dreamed it would be this hard; I never imagined I would have three miscarriages, either. Growing up, I always just assumed that when my husband and I decided we wanted kids, it would just happen. And while it does for a lot of people (including a lot of people I know), that has not been our path. I have struggled with this in many ways, trying to figure out why this hasn't happened for us. I still don't have the answers, but there is a large part of me that feels it's happening so I can use my story as a testimony to encourage others. It doesn't matter what things look like on the outside, God is faithful. He answers prayer, so technically, I know how this story is going to end - with me holding my baby boys (and tears rolling down my face).

Here's where the sermon started on the way to work. I think about my boys constantly; they're not even here yet, but they are always on my mind. So, I was thinking about them and listening to Christmas music, which got me thinking about Baby Jesus. The reason some Jews didn't accept Jesus when he was born was due in large part to the fact that they didn't think God would send a baby to save the world. They believed God would send someone to help them basically take over their enemies (at least that's what I've been told). Because God didn't do things the way they expected, they missed out. I don't want to do that, so I've been praying a lot lately that God would show me what to do. We've considered adoption - if that's how God is going to give me my babies, I don't want to miss out. Anyway, back to Mary and Baby Jesus.

Think about it - how crazy, to the natural mind, does it sound for a virgin to have a baby. And for that baby to be the Son of God. And for that baby to grow up to perform miracles, die on a cross and rise from the dead. But because we've read the bible, we don't think the birth of Jesus sounds strange at all. We just think "Of course God would send a baby. Why would anyone question that?" But really stop and think about it. What if Mary had been your neighbor? Pretend you hadn't read the bible; you didn't know how this all turned out. How strange does all this sound?

You could apply this throughout the bible. Abraham and Sarah, 75 and 65 respectively, are told they're going to have a baby. Sarah tells Abraham to sleep with his maid to give them a baby (because all too often we think we need to kind of help God out with our own plans). We all agree it's dumb and think, "Come on Sarah and Abraham, just be patient; Isaac is coming." They didn't know that. They couldn't pop open the bible and see that when Sarah was 90 she would give birth. I can't imagine how she must have felt. I'm 32 and feel old because I haven't had a baby yet - and Sarah was supposed to just be patient for 25 years and simply believe?!?!

Joshua didn't know the walls of Jericho would fall; Daniel didn't know the mouths of the lions would be shut. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego didn't know they would come out not even smelling like smoke or that Jesus would be joining them in the fire. Jonah didn't know he was getting out of that whale's belly. We look at these great men and women of God and think it was easy for them to believe, but that's because we know how the story ends. It's harder for us to believe because we don't have our story in front of us to see how or when it ends.

But as I was thinking all this, God reminded me, we do know how it ends. Hebrews 10:23 - "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, FOR GOD CAN BE TRUSTED TO KEEP HIS PROMISE." Hebrews 13:8 tells us Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. That means if he has done something once, he'll do it again because he does not change!!. We may not know exactly how he's going to answer our prayers, but we know he's going to answer. And we have the blessing of the bible to encourage us, telling us that he gives us the desires or our hearts and if we ask we will receive.

I know this has gotten long, but this really encouraged me today. I also really hope my train of thought makes sense. I hope I was able to put into words what God put in my heart. Whatever you're going through, God knows about. He hears you every time you pray; so just keep believing - you know how the story is going to end.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Shortcuts

Brace yourself, I'm about to get on my soapbox and go on a tangent. Early Sunday morning I was flipping through the channels and came across several infomercials for some sort of exercise program. There were promises that "in only 20 minutes a day, three days a week" I could have this incredible body. You can hardly watch primetime tv or listen to the radio without hearing an ad for some sort of miracle pill or shake or food additive that will allow you to eat whatever you want and still lose weight. I cannot begin to tell you how aggrevated I get at these gimmicks. That's what they are - gimmicks. You want to know how to lose weight and get fit? WORK HARD AND EAT RIGHT! You want to know how those people on tv get those amazing bodies? They WORK HARD AND EAT RIGHT!!! I'm sorry, but there is no substitute for hard work. Don't believe me? Maybe this will help:

Proverbs 21:5 (NLT) - "Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty."

Even the bible warns against taking shortcuts. There are numerous verses in Proverbs that talk about working hard and how those who work hard will be blessed but those who are lazy will be cursed. Believe me, I wish it was easy. I was the girl who tried every diet pill and drink I could afford. I didn't want to give up the fast food or sugary foods (especially the sugar!). I didn't want to workout - I absolutely hated to workout. I didn't want to sweat; I didn't want to hurt. If it hurt, I would quit or scale way back. I was bound and determined to find a shortcut. Luckily for me, God brought my husband Justin into my life, and he got me involved with CrossFit. I figured out that pushing myself in the gym actually felt good, and that putting down the cake and fries paid off. I am proud to say that I am 32 years old, and I am in the best shape of my life. I have abs for the first time; I'm not ashamed to workout in just a sports bra when it gets hot. I have muscles in the my arms; I have traps! I can do pullups and double unders, and I can run!! None of this came easy. There was no shortcut. I learned (and am still learning) to push myself beyond what I thought I was capable of doing. I have also gained more self confidence, self esteem and self respect than I ever thought possible.

I also began making changes in my diet. Please don't think for one minute that this was easy for me. I struggle every day with the food part of this, but I know that it pays off in the end. I slip up and eat things I shouldn't, a lot, but I try to minize the damage and get right back on track. I'm not going to lie to you - none of this is easy. It would be a lot easier to let myself gain weight or to continue to look for that miracle pill or potion that would make me skinny, but working out and eating right has become much more to me than just being skinny. I want to be strong; I want to be fit; I want to be healthy, and I'm not going to find that in some pill or powder.

This tirade is not meant to discourage anyone, but rather to encourage you. I want to encourage you to not be afraid of a little hard work or a little sweat. Once you get past the initial hurt, you will realize that your body is an amazing thing that is capable of so much more than you think. If you apply yourself, you can do some pretty incredible things. The reason these shortcuts upset me so much is that I know people are cheating themselves out of discovering how amazing they truly are. I've been there, and I don't want them to be disappointed when yet another lose-weight quick scheme fails.

I have watched so many people at CrossFit who came in and thought they were in way over their head. I have then watched them undergo a transformation; and while the physical change is great, the mental change is even more amazing. I see people gaining confidence in their ability and in themselves. They walk in with their head held higher, and they are now ready to tackle a WOD instead of being intimidated by it. Once again, that doesn't come from a bottle.

I know this has gotten kind of long, but believe me, it could be a lot longer. I could go on and on and on when it comes to this topic. I challenge you to believe that you are strong and capable of some pretty amazing things, so get out there and push your limits. Don't be afraid of some hard work or sweat or of getting a little dirty. The results are well worth it, and you will be so proud of yourself for all that you have accomplished.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16:
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Backroads

I am not a woman with a sense of direction. I absolutely adore MapQuest because I cannot stand the feeling of not knowing where I'm going. My husband can keep driving and be going in the right direction and somehow end up in the right spot. It doesn't bother him to not know exactly where he is or how he's getting where he's going. I like major highways, not backroads; despite the fact that I grew up on a farm and everything was back roads.

You're probably beginning to wonder where I'm going with this. Well, the other day I was reading the bible when God showed me something I had never seen before. I've read the story of Israel leaving Egypt many, many times; but this time I saw something new. The following is from Exodus 13 (NLT):

¹⁷ When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” ¹⁸ So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.^[c] Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.

I guess I just always assumed there was one road out of Egypt and that's the path the Israelites took, but that wasn't the case. It wasn't the shortest route or the easiest way, but in the long run it was the best way. God helped his people avoid battles with the Philistines, which he knew would frustrate them and side track the plans he had. It also set up one of the greatest miracles in the bible - the parting of the Red Sea. That day the Israelites saw the power of God on display and saw firsthand that God was fighting for them. Also, in destroying the Egyptian army, God's people didn't have to look over their shoulders or be worried that the Egyptians were coming after them.

There were well over 6 million Jews that left Egypt that day. You know someone in the group was asking Moses why they were taking this road. I'm sure there were several people informing Moses that there was a better way to get where they were going. It was shorter and easier, which as humans, is the path we want. We want things to be smooth and easy; and if it does happen to get rough, we want that road to be super short.

I think we all have to keep in mind that God can see the big picture; he knows what will happen if we take that "main road". Don't get discouraged if things don't go the way you thought they should; maybe God is saving you from a battle or setting up for an incredible miracle. Just trust that he loves you more than anything and would never lead you down a path that would hurt you. In the end, God's way is the best way, and he wants to bless you beyond belief. Maybe it's ok to not know exactly what road you're on because God does.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16:
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Obedience

Realizing you're wrong is one thing; admitting it and correcting it is a whole different ball game. I started this blog because I felt God leading me; I felt like he wanted to use me to encourage others (and myself) through words. Relunctantly, I started. I didn't figure anyone cared what I had to say. I didn't have a blog that would give people tips on cutting their grocery bill in half or how to make homemade soap. I didn't think I really had anything to offer. I had that argument with God, but he really didn't see things my way, so I started. Then I got away from writing, but the thought would cross my mind; and in my spirit I knew that's what I was supposed to be doing. Just little thoughts and things that might encourage someone. Well, I'm back, obeying what God wants me to do.

I have two step daughters, and I'll admit, when I tell them to do something, I expect it to be done. So why should it be any different with me and God. He is my father, and the bible says to honor your father and mother. Lucky for me, God is much more patient than I am; and he's willing to forgive me over and over again.

I don't have all the answers, and I slip up many, many times each day. But I think that's where a lot of us are, and I hope this blog will help you remember that God loves you more than you will ever know. No matter how many times you fall, he's right there to pick you up and wrap his loving arms around you. Really think about that - the King of the Universe loves YOU!!! He cares about what is going on in your life and wants to help make your life even better than you can imagine. That's pretty cool, if you ask me. We don't have kings, but think back to when they did. If you were "in" with the king, your life was pretty good. People knew not to mess with you or they would have to deal with the king. God is more powerful than any earthly king ever was, so if he's on your side, no one can mess with you! Hopefully, today as you face the challenges of daily life, you'll remember that God is right there with you, and he is on your side.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16:
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of
the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Me vs Everyone Else: No Comparison

For as long as I can remember, I have been a competitive person. I grew up on a dairy farm and all my cousins were boys; I learned to try to beat them at everything. I played sports when I was younger and games with my parents, and my mission was clear - win! That philosophy hasn't changed much as I've gotten older. I can turn pretty much anything into a competition, which is a quality that can be very helpful. It can help push me to work harder and get more done, faster. However, I'm beginning to notice that more often than not, that competitive feel is a hindrance.

I constantly find myself comparing virtually every area of my life to those around me or that I grew up with. Before I met my husband, I looked at essentially everyone around me who was married, and I felt like my life didn't measure up because I was still single.  These days I find myself comparing myself to others in the gym and in nutrition most of all. If used correctly, this could be a great thing. It might help me push through a few extra reps to get a WOD done faster or keep me from reaching for that donut that sounds so wonderful. Bad thing is, it typically just ends up making me feel bad about myself.

Justin (my hubby) and I have been on a physical and mental nutrition challenge. We're working on eating perfectly Zone and being positive in our thinking. We have working on this for a week and a half and have a cheat day planned for July 4. Monday (July 2) was a very hard day for me in the nutrition realm, and I told Justin that I couldn't wait for our cheat day. He told me he had gotten to the point in his nutritional journey that he didn't even really want a cheat day. He is not the first person to say this, but I felt like a total loser because I still absolutely live for my cheat days. I began asking why eating clean had gotten so easy for Justin, while it was still such a struggle for me. I was comparing myself to my husband and feeling like I was losing, badly.

Then it hit me:  I am not my husband! Simple, right? But I needed to remember that we are two completely different human beings, so I shouldn't compare myself to Justin. He is so amazingly disciplined and makes eating clean look so easy. I envy that and wish that I didn't still crave sugar and other highly processed carbohydrates on a pretty much daily basis. I have, however, realized that food will most likely be a daily battle for me the rest of  my life. Parts of it may get easier, but healthy eating is probably something that will never be simple for me. As I sat at my desk Monday, I began thinking about all the things I used to eat. Not only the types of food, but the huge quantities of food I always ate, and I had another realization - choosing healthier foods in smaller quantities is happening more often than it used to. So while it feels like I still want those foods every day, I am not giving in to those cravings as much as I used to; and that's progress.

So, I'm not Justin. I still want my cheat days, and that's ok. Because that's me, and I have to remember I was created to be exactly how I am. The way I am is integral to God's plan for my life; so instead of constantly comparing myself to everyone else around me, I am going to focus on continuing to make strides in the right direction and being proud of exactly who I am. And that is pretty fabulous! This new frame of mind also includes not leaving the gym every night beating myself up because I didn't go faster or lift more weight. It means being proud of the fact that I worked out hard. It also means knowing there are good days and not-so-good days; and if today wasn't the greatest, there's a chance that tomorrow absolutely will be. But if it's not, I'll give it what I've got and be proud of that. Maybe God is going to use my struggles to help others around me, and that would be pretty awesome!

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16:  
     "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
     Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
     Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
     You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
          the womb.
     You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
     Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

The Tongue is One Strong Muscle

My husband Justin and I are very aware of the importance of physical health and the role nutrition plays. We work to fuel our body and our workouts with good foods, but I believe some times we forget a very important aspect of health - mental health. I believe each and every day the majority of us determine our own mental health. You can get out of bed grumbling because it's early or because you don't want to go to work, or you can get up rejoicing in the fact that God has created another day and is ready to present you with opportunities to touch people's lives. It's all in your mindset.

Don't get me wrong, being positive does not mean ignoring your circumstances. There are many mornings I would rather stay in bed and not have to hear my alarm clock, but it's important to quickly replace those thoughts before they turn into words. I read a great saying this week - "Your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your character and your character determines you destiny." So you have to watch more than your words, you  have to watch your thoughts.

The bible talks a great deal about the power of our words. It tells us life and death are in the power of your tongue (Proverbs 18:21). When Jesus talked about having faith that moves mountains in Luke 11, he said we could have whatsoever we say. Faith isn't ignoring your circumstances - you just know and confess that God is bigger than anything your facing and that you know what you are facing isn't going to last forever.

Justin and I have really put an emphasis on this in one area. We want children, but it hasn't come as easily as we would like. We have had lots of opportunities to speak doubt and frustration about the situation, but we have really watched each other to make sure that doesn't happen. We have by no means been perfect, but we have tried to make sure that we don't dwell on those negative statements; we quickly switch back and thank God for our healthy babies. We talk about them like they are here and call them by name. There is not a doubt in my mind we'll have children. We don't deny the struggle, but we know that God hears our prayers and has promised to give us the desires of our hearts.

Maybe you need a mental check of your own. Watch your thoughts and words over the next few days (or seven like we're doing). Are you speaking life into your life and the lives of those around you, or are you being negative? Every time you open your mouth, remember, you have the opportunity to either speak life or death into that situation. I guess that's why they says if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

Mental & Physical Nutrition Challenge Day 1 Update:

As with many things, day one was fairly smooth. Motivation was high! I had opportunities to get frustrated and be negative; but I made myself stop, and I quickly replaced those negative thoughts. On the food side, the hardest part was just not eating between meals/snacks. Eating Zone meals and snacks was easy, but I found myself wanting to grab a handful of cashews or a little bit of cereal in between meals/snacks. It was very hard not to nibble while I cooked dinner, but I didn't give in. I don't want to have to start over!

Dinner tonight was excellent! This is my version of taco salad (I don't do lettuce) - ground beef, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream and black olives. I measured out everything according to the Zone and then dug in! As long as I don't verbalize a negative thought the rest of the evening, day one is in the books. Just six days to go!

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16:  
     "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
     Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
     Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
     You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
          the womb.
     You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
     Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!