ALL In

I have been participating in two different things this summer- the Bold in the Soul challenge through Revelation Wellness.  Here is their description of it: Rally yourself and your communities and share with us what makes YOU #boldinthesoul. This can be anything from a physical character trait about yourself, a soul trait that God has given you like integrity, generosity, optimism, OR you can simply share God’s truth. Be as creative as you like—get BOLD and let the world know what makes you, YOU!

 (Take a picture of yourself using your WARPAINT (a.k.a. sharpie marker, or whiteboard marker) to write, either on yourself or a piece of paper, your word(s) that share your #boldinthesoul statement for that day.)

and also I have just started an online study using Lysa Terkeurst's book Uninvited.  I have had the book for a while and had actually started it.  I was also reading another book so I put it down for a while and then this study came along.  

All that to say- since June 1 I have been putting on my warpaint on a daily basis- sometimes it's on my arm/hand and sometimes it's on a sheet of paper.  This morning as I was running I was thinking of words and then a song came on (at the end of post) and this phrase popped up- I'm all in.  And it hit me- that was my word for today- then I came home and started journaling and read Uninvited and also some scriptures about what that word meant to me. 

All In- Goes to the commandment to Love the Lord with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, ALL your mind, and ALL your strength.  Not a portion- but ALL!

ALL in exercise- I have always heard that you get out what you put in.  If I am putting in partial effort then I will get partial results.  If I go ALL in and put forth all of my effort then my results will show that.

ALL in relationships- If I am not fully invested in my relationships- whether family or friends- then I am not all in- and that can make or break that relationship.  It will either flourish and grow or it will die. 

ALL in Christ- To go along with my Uninvited study that talks about Living Loved- I can turn this into Always Living Loved in Christ.  This comes down to a simple truth.  Christ loves me- and I need to grasp the fullness of His love to truly grasp the fullness of God.  If am ALL in Christ then that will show in my words, my actions, my heart and my life.  

It's time to go ALL in!

A Beautiful Life

I really do have a good life- I have a job (that I enjoy), I have family and friends spread around the globe, I have a "home", I have a great church family here in Indiana (and one in TN that I miss like crazy) but until today (Monday) I don't know that I would have called it a beautiful life- because that's not what I saw.  However, in the reading of the book I Am by Michele Cushatt I ran across this chapter called "I Am Beautiful" and it really made me stop and pause- especially when I read these words:

"It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  But too often, we choose the wrong beholder- ourselves and others, flawed beings who can't see clearly.  Only God has perfect vision, seeing beyond the false exterior to the authentic heart.  And when He looks at you, He sees an unmatched creation, someone He loves enough to die for."

Ouch- right?  Michele goes on to list things that God sees as beautiful and not a single one of them focus on the exterior.

See part of this balance thing for me- part of this working out and exercising isn't just for the external- and while that's part of it- what it's really all about is getting to the heart of the matter.  MY heart.  The heart that's laid dormant, the heart that's been through a winter, the heart that two years ago this week made a decision that would take a broken, bitter (not by a relationship) heart to a place where healing has finally started.  The heart that almost gave up if it were not for the love of friends and family- and a God that never gave up on me.  This balance thing- it's done a number on my heart- it's shown me that I can be a good teacher while still taking care of myself.  It's shown me that I may have to work a little harder but a small treat every once in a while doesn't have to derail me.  It's shown me that if I take the step down the wrong path I have the light that will get me back in the right direction.

So- what does Michele say are things that God sees as beautiful? (just a few because I highly recommend you get this book yourself) Giving your life for another, comforting those who hurt, finding joy in the ordinary of each day, believing God is with us, even when we feel alone and my favorite- "Beautiful is knowing you're beautiful, believing your beautiful, because the one who sees the real you better than anyone else says so."

When reading this chapter and journaling after- I hit on something I want to try for the month of February- I am working on putting it all together in my head and on paper but it's coming.  So- hopefully I can get that post together and flesh it all out by Wednesday!

Where I am Going...

Honestly, I have NO idea LOL but I have decided that it's time to hop on for the ride.  Several years ago when I was going through my studies at IIN I had a dream that I would then go on to get my personal training and group training certifications and then tie them all together- especially in a faith-based setting (and to be honest- that's the first time I have put this out there).  Well, after IIN and gaining weight and feeling like I had no business doing any of that I put that dream to the side.  With the most recent involvements- my participation in a couple of online studies through Revelation Wellness and the challenge at the Y and getting back into exercising on a more regular basis- the dream has started to be stirred again but I still go through the doubts- the questioning if this is really where God is leading me, that this is crazy and I am not qualified.

**ETA- I started this post on Sunday night and then on Monday one of my friends posted this:

found here

Wednesday I worked on this assignment for The Little Way 30 Day Challenge and wrote this- the top part of this was to be written in our non-dominant hand as a way of taking us out of our comfort zone but then I added the bottom part on my own.

One of my friends saw my post and sent me a link to a pre-order book by Michele Cushatt.
I ordered and got some bonus gifts for preordering.  One of those were lock screens for the phone- I looked and chose this one.

Then Sunday comes along and my dad starts to preach (more on that in a bit) and then he brings up Jeremiah 1:18-19 which caused me to do a double-take because of how in line it was with the above.

"And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”

  Hmmm... this was about the point where the 2x4 hit me over the head!


Back to the sermon- My dad was talking about what it means to be a fool and followed it up with these people (I am not going to name all of them- just the ones that were specific in my thought process):
Abraham- "Obedience is easy when it fits into our plan or scheme.  Abraham was willing to obey even though it was crazy."

Naaman- "Sometimes we are asked to take steps of wild obedience where we have no clue where it will end.  Stop too soon and we miss out on God's phenomenal blessings."

Gideon- "It doesn't matter the size of the army or the enemy coming against you when God is fighting the battle for you."

Hosea- "Though we fail; we are not failures.  Though we are unfaithful; God is faithful."

So- in the midst of this crazy (some would say foolish) dream that I am dreaming is it possible that dream  could come true?  I don't know yet if this is where it is going to unfold.  What I do know is that I am going to live my life to the fullest, trusting that with each step I am being led by God.

To end this post- this song- it was played in the video for the torchbearers for our county.  It's not a "Christian" song or even by a Christian group but I LOVED the song and think it fits (although there are several others that fit also)



(and after watching this official version- how can I NOT go for my dreams- I have been given this one wild and crazy life for a reason- to share Jesus with others-the question is how?