The Next Street Sign

My legs were shaking.  My heart pounded out of my chest.  I was out of breath.

 

I had done it.

 

 

I had reached the street sign, feeling accomplished and surprisingly revived.   I had just finished my longest run to date.  After a workout at the gym near our office, my friend and coworker challenged me to run back to the office with her.

 

“I’ll do it, sure,” I said without hesitation.  Before this challenge I would have never committed to do something like this, but God is continually showing me how strong I can actually be.

 

Okay Lord, please help me finish this run.  I know I can do it through you Lord, but I need your help.  Just help me finish. 

 

 

Not only would God provide me with the physical strength to complete my run, but He provided me with someone who pushed me and encouraged me with each passing block.

 

 

Just make it to this bush.

 

Just make it the next sign.

 

This is where it gets hard, just push through and it’ll pass.

 

You’re doing it.

 

 

She didn’t know it, but with each encouraging word my feet hit the pavement with more motivation than the last step.  I was going to finish.

 

See, God does this for us all the time.  It may not be running, it may be other life circumstances, but He provides just what my friend provided me.

 

 

I know you’re in pain, don’t give up.

 

I know you feel defeated in your marriage, just bring it to me and push through.

 

I’ve got something better planned, just trust me.

 

I know times are tough financially, but I will provide.

 

With each of life’s unexpected and sometimes expected circumstances, God is running with us, helping us make it the street sign.

 

This week’s verse for the “Living and Active” challenge is from Matthew 6:34

 

 

We must choose to focus on today.  We must find the blessings and victories in today.  I could choose to get really down on myself at the distance I ran, knowing it is probably short to anyone else’s expectations, but it’s not about the distance.

 

 

It’s about making it to the next street sign.

 

 

I can’t worry about tomorrow and what will come.  I can only focus on what God wants me to see in today.  Each morning I pray, “Lord help me to see you in all that I do today.”   Sometimes God will reveal himself in big ways to you, and other times it comes in the small things.

 

Whatever is going on in your life today that you may not understand, or if you’re unsure about what tomorrow holds for you, for your marriage, for your finances, your health, whatever it is…

 

 

Stay with me.  Stay with God.  Run to the next street sign with me.

 

 

I’ll meet you there, precious friend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Week 1-Check In

Well, week 1 of my "Living and Active Challenge" is complete! Wahoo!!

I was able to complete my exercise requirements and memorize my verse for the week. It's been so helpful to be accountable for something and to know that I'm not only getting physically healthier, but my spiritual health is improving as well. I'm starting to see some things God is revealing to me through this challenge so far, and one thing He specifically showed me during my run on Friday:

I doubt myself way too much.

I wrap up week 1 and talk more about the challenge in this short video blog:

[youtube=http://youtu.be/b8pUgbO1G5w]

Doubt is holding me back, but I'm working to change that. The Lord is really showing me that through Him I can do anything. He gives me the strength to do anything.

Is there something holding you back today?

If you're part of the 5 week challenge, or you're doing a challenge of your own...keep it up! The race has just started, but we're closer to the finish line than when we first began!

Week 1 Memory Verse:

What does this verse mean to you? How can you apply it this week?

Here's to week 2!!

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Week 1-Accepting the Challenge

They say that the hardest part of starting a race is well, starting it.  The hardest part of beginning any challenge is actually saying yes and committing to it.  That couldn't be more true for me.

I remember the exact moment I finally gave this over to the Lord.  He had been working on me for weeks and weeks, and I had wrestled back and forth with Him for the majority of that time.  I am so glad that God is always patient with His children, because I sure was not making it easy on either of us.

I just didn't think God would convict me so strongly over my health choices.  But He did.

I remember finally surrendering to Him and one night while I was getting ready for bed,  I  literally cried out Lord, if this something you want me to do, something you truly want me to change, I need you to literally get in my face with it.  Show me through scripture, through songs, through others examples.  Show me this is what you're calling me to do at this moment in my life.

Cause see, I'm a visual learner.  I wanted God to just put it right in front of me.  I was already challenging myself in other ways to be radically obedient to God, but I never put two and two together when it came to my health.  God lined up scriptures for me.  My devotionals spoke directly to choosing to be obedient.  Songs like Mandisa's Overcomer became my daily encouragement.  God was requesting something from me and He was making it clear what it was.

Trust me.  

I truly felt God speaking to me to trust Him with the challenge He had set before me.  I needed to hand it over to Him and trust that He will take care of me during this process.  He was asking me to trust that through Him I can do all things and by His grace, I cannot fail at this.

I also felt Him nudging me to make my challenge public.  My dear friend on the other side of the screen right now, it is not easy for me to let you in on this journey, but I want to.  I want us to challenge each other, in whatever way we need to to grow.  Are you in with me?  I'd love for you to join me in this 5 week challenge, or create your own.

And friends, please pray for me throughout this challenge.  Pray for me to have the perseverance to complete it!

Here is my week 1 memory verse:

"Though one may be overpowered; 

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

Ecclesiastes 4:12 

What speaks to you about this verse?

I'll be back in a few days with a video blog about how week 1 went!

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Are You In?

You may (or may not) have noticed that I've been silent for a few weeks.  It's not that I haven't wanted to share things with you.  No, it's not even that I haven't had the time to write, I have.  It's because I've been waiting and I just felt the need to wait...in silence.

There's been so many times I've wanted to hop on here and share words with you, share with you the journey the Lord is asking me to begin with Him, but each time I've sat down to share these words with you, something has stopped me.  Be it the Lord, fear, hesitation, whatever it may have been, I just couldn't get it out.  But today, that's all changing.

Over a year ago, I wrote a post called The Stop Sign and many of you so graciously identified with my struggle and the desire to change it.  After that post I was determined to make a change in my life; for my health, for my future children, my family, my own approval, etc.  Well that time came and went and no change was made in my health.  I continued to eat the things I so dearly loved, craved even.  Any fitness or exercise routine I tried to establish fell at the waste side, or I should say my waist-line.  And all the while I went through each day desiring for that miraculous change in my body to take place, but not truly wanting to put the effort in to achieve that change.

I kept waiting for my rock bottom to occur.  You know, the one thing that would make me say "enough!" and I would never look back to the person I once was.  I so desperately wanted this moment to happen because I needed something, ANYTHING to shake me up and call me to change.

The problem with waiting on my rock bottom is that my expectations for what was my "bottom" just kept getting lower.   I thought when I went up a size in clothes it would do it, but no.  When I saw the highest number I've seen for myself on the scale, nope. The list could go on and on.

Because when the bottoms came, so did the excuses for those bottoms.  

See, this excuses thing for me has been going on for while now.  If excuses and I were dating, we'd be getting close to getting engaged now.  We are very familiar to each other.  I find comfort in excuses.

There's no way I can do it.  

I hate exercising.

I have so much weight to lose.

I'll fail.  

Ouch.  That last one stings me more than all the other excuses combined.  You see that last one, for me, has been my crutch.  I've rested on that fear of failing, because we all know, if you don't try...you can't fail.

Out of the many times and I mean MANY times I've tried to lose weight and get healthy, I've left one essential piece out of the puzzle.   I've completely left out the One who created my body in the first place, God.  Recently, I have felt like the Lord was telling me to step out in faith and take this journey WITH Him this time.  I have felt the Lord pushing me to step out and trust that He wants me to go through this process of change not just for health, but to grow stronger in my relationship with Him.  So while He's been speaking to me through devotionals, Bible Study, songs, and through examples of others, I've been silent...waiting for Him to tell me now is the time to jump in WITH ME.

It is with great excitement, trust, and for me, a major step out in faith moment that I tell you about the 5 week challenge that I will begin next week, called the Living and Active Challenge.   Click on the blog button below to find out more about the Living and Active 5 Week Challenge through Peak 313 Fitness! 

Each week I'll be writing and sharing with you throughout my 5 week journey to become not only healthier in body but spirit.  I trust that the Lord is going to reveal so many things about Himself to me and the reason behind Him placing this challenge in front of me.  I'll be posting about my trials and struggles through the process, as well as the victories and blessings that it brings.

I told my Acteens girls on Wednesday night that each time they saw me I wanted them to ask me how my challenge was going.  I want them to hold me accountable not only for the fitness challenge but for my memory verses and time in the word.  This isn't something I want to be silent about anymore.  We each have things that hold us back from fulfilling God's ultimate purpose for our lives and I believe this to be one of mine.  I spend too much time searching for the approval of others, not caring for my body as He designed it, and not including God in this battle I've had since childhood.

What's holding you back from a life full of God's blessing and purpose? 

What will your challenge look like?  For you, it may not be health related, it may be something else entirely and that's okay, but will you choose to take this journey with me?  Will you create your own challenge?

If you're in this 5 week challenge with me, leave a comment and say "I'm in!"  You can also write what challenge you're choosing for the next 5 weeks and we can pray over one another throughout the journey, but you don't have to.  I may fail at this and only complete 2 weeks, or I might go all the way, I don't know.  But I've got to learn to let God show me how my fear of failure can no longer be my crutch.  Now is the time to begin a new journey with Him and where this challenge and journey will take me, we will see.

So tell me...are you in?

To sign up for the 5 week challenge through Peak 313 fitness, simply head to www.peak313.com.

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The Stop Sign

This one’s gonna be a long one this week, but just hang in there with me! :)

My weight and body image has always been a big issue for me.  As a teenager I was so self-conscious of my body because I was overweight and I didn’t feel like I really fit in anywhere.  But I did discover that if I was always the one cracking jokes and if on the outside I was laughing, people wouldn’t be able to tell how hurt I was on the inside.  How I longed to fit in.  To be the “hot” or “beautiful” girl.  To be wanted. To finish the mile run in gym class when everyone else did.  To be accepted...by others, but more importantly…myself.  It’s something that has carried into my adult life, but let’s face it…adolescence is by far the toughest time to go through for most of us.  But I still feel the judgment, the longing to be accepted, and the desire to not feel like I need to “suck in” when taking pictures.  

Well friends, today when I woke up something was already stirring in my soul, something that I didn’t expect.  I woke up with this thought placed on my heart: I am in control.  Um…okay?  As I got up and got ready for work that statement kept running through my head.  “I must have had a really strange dream,” I thought to myself.  So I went to work and on about my day.  But that statement…that strong statement kept tugging at me all day. 

I’ve heard of people sharing their testimonies of how they heard God speaking to them strongly, almost as if He was just starting a conversation with them.  Could this be that?

 

Fast forward to this evening as I tore myself into different directions as to whether or not I should go to my Zumba class or trying something else. I've been trying to eat healthy and lose weight but I'm telling ya'll, exercise is HARD for me.  It just is. 

Run.  I heard it.  “Excuse me…God? Run?” I prayed.  That’s a little fact you should know about me…I DO NOT RUN.  I hesitate to use the word hate on my inspirational blog…but it borders it for me.  YES!  RUN!  I mean I’m always the first one to talk about how we should have faith and trust in God and listen when He’s laying something on our hearts…but…um…run?

But I obliged anyway and after dinner I grabbed my iPod, set it to my worship music and started to walk.  I really just felt like walking around my neighborhood, looking at the beautiful trees (pollen aside!) and seeing if God would speak to me again.  I decided that after I warmed up I would try to run.  The next song on my iPod was MercyMe’s Move.  Of all the songs to come on, I thought THAT must be the sign I needed to run.  But then something stopped me.

The scared teenager inside of me that has felt so judged and alone stopped me.  The adult that was afraid that the car passing by would think “why is she running?” stopped me.  The twenty-something that has battled with this her whole life stopped me.  And I actually attempted to make excuses to God on why I couldn’t run.  He would just need to understand…I couldn’t do it.  So MercyMe ended and I was furious with myself for letting the enemy- {Satan} get into my head and tell me I couldn’t do it.  

So as I rounded another block, I decided to try again.  But this time I prayed.  I prayed Lord, I can’t do this without you.  I literally need you to push me.  I want you to be in control…help me please.  Help me to not care what others think because YOUR opinion of me is what matters.  And before I knew it, I put “Move” back on and there I went.  {Insert Forrest Gump voice here} I WAS RUNNING!  

I prayed for God to push me to the stop sign.  I prayed for Him to help me breathe.  And so I did.  So when I finally made it to stop sign, I looked up and said “Thank you!” and gave a big smile to The One who literally pushed me for a half a mile.  Hey it’s not much, but it’s something!  I also thought about how much Jesus and His disciples walked throughout their journey of sharing the gospel with others.  I was complaining about a 1/2 mile run and Jesus along with His disciples would walk for miles and miles on end to share the love of God. 

I always want this blog to be an honest place for me, so I’m not gonna lie…it took me the walk back to my house to recover from my sprint.  But when I saw my house appear over the hill, I ran again…only faster (probably because the end was in sight!) and I finished.  Exhausted.  Out of breath.  But complete.

Friends, today I couldn’t have made it to that stop sign without giving up my control to The One who is always in control.  To some what I did today is a small triumph if anything.  But to me and my Creator, it was a release of control.  If you’re battling with something today that you need to release control of…do it.  Give it over to Him…He can take it all.  Take a deep breath and release whatever it is that you’re trying to have control over. 

I’m still not sure if God placed that statement I am in control on my heart for me or for one of you that needed to hear it too.  So if you needed to hear that statement as blatantly as I did, I’m with you.  Let’s run to the stop sign together.   

Here’s me after my triumphant run:

 Messy hair, red faced, and pouring sweat.  Yeah… it feels good to release control.  

Blessings,

Amanda

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