Body, Heart and Soul

Many of you know, and some of you may not, that every month I hold different challenge groups. Some are thirty to sixty days and revolve around health and fitness. Others are just seven days long and vary on topic from clean eating to how to create your own hand lettering pieces at home.

Well I've been brainstorming and I have come up with a really exciting new program that I will be launching this fall! My heart is totally in this one and I cannot wait to see it come to life.

As I have embarked on my own journey to health since February of this year, the one thing I have really noticed is that even though my original main goal was to get physically healthy, I have seen changes in all areas of my life.

I have seen physical transformation in the form of pounds and inches lost on my body. I have seen my energy increase, which has led to me dealing with situations in a better mindset and better emotional state. I have noticed that my energy and zest for life and being adventurous with my husband has increased.

My daily quiet time with the Lord has become more consistent and my brain feels clearer and less foggy throughout the day. I have put more discipline and passion into my work and my daily routines and interactions with people.

The transformation has not only been physical, but across the board. And that is what I am passionate about. Specifically in reaching out to other women. I know that I have only tapped the surface of potential in my own life, and it has ignited my passion to reach out to other women and lead the way.

That has led me to this new seven day group called "Body, Heart and Soul." For one week, I will teach women about exercise, healthy eating, and their Biblical identity in Christ. Every day will involve me posting a specific, easy but effective exercise to follow. I will also be posting a healthy recipe, and over the week you will get ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Lastly, and most importantly, I will be teaching from one of the most influential passages of scripture in my life, Ephesians 1. I struggled severely growing up with realizing my identity in Christ, and it's a passion of mine to teach what I have learned. So many of our body issues come from a deeper rooted identity issue.

The climax of the week will be something I am most excited about- a live event here in the Atlanta, Georgia area! I will gather together those from the group that are local to the area, and we will spend a few hours one morning on the weekend to be together.

It will be a morning filled with a workout together, a delicious brunch and time of fellowship, followed by a time of individual and corporate prayer. I'll be pulling out a lot of stops and my mind is already filled with tons of Pinterest-y ideas. So if you are in the Atlanta area, you are not going to want to miss this!

The dates for the group are still to be determined, but please message me or comment below if you want to be a part of this exciting new seven day group, I would love to have you be a part of it and learn how to incorporate some healthy ideas into your life and be in community with other awesome women!

Don't Quit

"Give me your very best! Don't quit on me! Your very best!"

The other day I watched the movie "Facing the Giants" with my husband. I forgot just how inspirational that movie is. If you have never seen it, I highly recommend it. It is packed full with some very valuable lessons for all of us.

One of the most powerful scenes in the movie for me was when the coach has one of his players do the "Death Crawl." He challenges his player to carry another player on his back to the 50 yard line- blindfolded. The player thinks he can make it to the 30 yard line, maybe the 50 if he had no one on his back.

He agrees to do the challenge anyway, and the coach simply asks him to give his very best. In the end, the coach is down on his hands and knees, encouraging his player to keep going, to not give up, to give everything he's got, and not to quit.

The player thought he could only make it to the 30 yard line. Blindfolded, he made it across the entire field with another player on his back. He went exponentially farther than he ever thought he could. He gave his best, even when it was hard, when it hurt, and when he wanted to give up.

There are so many circumstances in our lives where we limit what we think we can do. We put a limit on ourselves and allow too many excuses.

"Well, maybe if this were different, I could do that."
"It's just too hard to do that."
"I don't think I could do it."
"Someone else is better at that than me."

Even if we don't vocalize these thoughts, they are there in our mind, only limiting ourselves. Already defeated. Already failing, simply because we have not tried.

I saw a great quote the other day that "The only way you can fail is if you give up."

How many times have we written ourselves off before we have even attempted something? I know that I have- countless times. COUNTLESS. How many times have I quit half way in because it just seemed too hard, or the reward not near enough? Countless. How many times have I not given my best, because it seems like someone else's best is better than mine? Countless.

But you know what? We were not made to quit. We were not made to give up. We were not made only to put in half our effort.

You were made to live, you were made to be strong and courageous. To stand firm.

I'm telling you now- get rid of that self defeating mindset. It will keep you in chains the rest of your life, no matter what area of life you allow it in.

I challenge you today to challenge your own view of yourself. Try these 3 steps to take action against those areas of self defeat today.

1. Find one area where you are self defeated. Where do you talk down to yourself? (Oh, you can't do that. Well, maybe I'll try it a different day. I just need this circumstance to line up.) Write the area down. Recognize the issue.

2. Write down WHY you feel defeated. Write down at least 5 reasons you feel defeated about the issue. This may be a hard one. It's hard and can hurt to dig up the real root of the issue. Are you afraid of failure? Do you think you're not good enough? Are you afraid of what will happen after that?

3. Write down AFFIRMATIONS. Now I want you to take those 5 reasons you just wrote and flip them around. If you wrote "I am afraid of failure" I want you to write "I can and will succeed." If you wrote "The timing just isn't right." I want you to write "Timing will never be perfect, the time IS NOW." And so forth. Take what you wrote and write the opposite, speak positive life over yourself.

Be encouraged that you are not alone in self defeat. I have struggled with it so much in my life, and still do at times. But I also know the power of changing your mindset and shifting away from the negative to the positive. It can make a world of difference!

If you have never seen the movie "Facing the Giants" I really encourage you to check it out! Share your thoughts on the movie below, and if you're brave enough, share one way you turn around self defeat in your life. 

10 Active Things To Do This Summer

So summer time is now in full swing! The sun is shining, waters are shimmering, the grass is growing, the wind is fluttering through vividly green trees. While the days can be hot, humid (especially for this desert girl now in the south!), and sticky, there are still so many fun, active things to do this summer!

Take advantage of the good weather, you know you might be complaining about the cold come wintertime. Soak in those warm rays as much as you can! Here is a list of ten things that you can do for free or cheap to get out and get active this summer!

1. Go for a swim! If you don't have a pool, find a friend who does, use a community pool, a gym pool, buy a kiddie pool, go to a river or lake. Grab a loved one or a friend and jump into those cool, refreshing waters, and catch some vitamin D!

2. Go for a sunset or sunrise walk. Sometimes the heat of the day is intimidating, and lets be real, who really likes being in a pool of your own sweat from walking? Try walking early in the morning to get energy for the day, or take a stroll in the evening and soak up the last of the day. And who doesn't love a gorgeous sunset or sunrise?

3. Take a hike! State parks are some seriously sweet spots and are usually minimal in charge. Here in Georgia you can get an annual pass, or pay like $5 for the day. State parks are a great way to see different areas of your town or state, and enjoy the scenery and beautiful weather! You might find a new favorite spot. Check out this website to find great state parks near you! 

4. Wash your car! It may sound silly, but, you get outside, you get an arm work out when you put some elbow grease into washing off all that dirt, and you get a sparkly, clean car! Bonus! And you're out playing in water, so it helps keep you cool at the same time!

5. Have a picnic in your local park. Pack up a cute picnic lunch, grab a blanket and walk around the park to find the perfect picnic spot! If you're worried about the heat of the day, have a picnic brunch! Go before 10am and avoid the heat of the afternoon, but still have an ideal and whimsical picnic with your favorite people!

6. Be a tourist in your own city. Get on your good walking shoes, find a fun, historical, or interesting touristy spot in your town and go walk around and play the part of tourist! There are a lot of historical markers, town events, and museums around. Be sure to take some fun pictures while you're at it, too!

7. Have a water balloon toss (or fight). Seriously, who doesn't love a good water balloon toss that turns into a water balloon fight? Balloons are cheap, grab some from the dollar store, fill them up, and have some summer fun out in your drive way or backyard!

8. Create a scavenger or treasure hunt with family and friends!  You're never too old for a scavenger hunt in my book. Make people go outside, inside, all over! Have it lead to a yummy summer treat for everyone to share, or a fun prize! There are tons of ideas on Pinterest. AND bonus, if you want a REAL scavenger hunt, check out geocaching! The real life "treasure" hunt that happens all over the country and the world. Check this site out for more information. 

9. Take a bike ride. Brush the dust off your bike seat, hop on that beaut and go for a ride. Might I suggest a soundtrack by Queen, including "Bicycle"? Feel the breeze in your hair and the summer sun on your face. If you're really adventurous, ride it to the park for your picnic!

10. Play some yard games! Corn hole, badminton, volley ball, bocce ball, frisbee...there are so many fun games you can play! Have a dinner part, borrow games from others if you don't have some, and get the whole group involved in some fun summer time activities!

These are just a few ideas, there are so many ways you can get out and enjoy the sweet summer air this year. Don't let the season pass you by without soaking up some of this gorgeous weather! Be sure to put on some sunscreen as you have your fun, take pictures, and make memories with the ones you love!

What are some of your favorite summer activities? Comment below with your favorite!