Don't Lose Sight

What I have found true throughout life is that life can be tough from time to time.  There are setbacks, fears, discouragements, and failures, but there is also hope that one may overcome all these things and even push through to success in the midst of each.

In Beyond Failure, an earlier blog, I discussed the idea of failure in relation to muscle and strength training and the notion that we should allow our failures (also applies to setbacks, disappointments, and fears) to produce growth.  Today, I want to look at what it takes to push through tough times and obtain success. So let's get to it!

Identify your purpose.  What is it that you were created for? What is your life goal? What legacy do you want to leave? Answer this and you will find your motivation to start the journey to fulfilling it; however you have to do more than identify,  you have to understand it and believe it and allow yourself to dream big dreams.  It has to be more than a goal.  It has to stir deep within you and become a desire that can stand up to any fear or discouragement. When you reach this point, courage appears and you realize that doing nothing is a bigger prison than any fear of failure. Now you're ready to lace up and get in the game. Sure there is opposition, but  don't lose sight of the goal because without it you have nothing to fight for.  Having the goal in sight reminds you why you are in the game and gives you everything to press on for.

Be in it to win it!

Shante
 
 

Parched

The other day I was thinking about the blog and how there hasn't been much new content.  Life has been going in many different directions and creatively I have felt dry, but as I tried to reconcile the word "dry" with my current state it didn't seem to fit.  After tossing the word around for a few days and truly reflecting on life, I realized that the word that better described my state is "parched."  To me, dry carries a negative connotation.  It seems to say there is little hope for refreshing, but parched seems different.  Parched is a state of thirst. If you have ever felt parched, your thoughts most likely turned to how wonderful it would be to quench your thirst.  That is exactly how I currently feel. I am hopeful for the refreshing that comes from fulfilling what I currently thirst for.

So what exactly is my thirst, you may wonder. I thirst to live a life of purpose.  I want to be like the tree that I wrote about in the post Stripped Away.  It stood out among the others because its inner beauty was on display.  And not only do I want to stand out and make a difference, I want to take others with me.  I want to encourage others to live with purpose.  I want to empower people to be all they were created for.  It was understanding these desires and knowing that I have recently taken many steps towards fulfilling my purpose that made me realize there is hope that this thirst or parched state will be quenched with overflowing waters. Such an overflow that there will be enough to share.  

Right now, I have two major goals: the first is to be consistently doing Cool Table camps on Saturday mornings, and the second is to encourage others to practice a healthy and active lifestyle.  Here is a bit of the progress on each: our first Cool Table camp took place on March 29, and we had 13 kids.  It was a great time and we have big plans for what is to come!  In order to encourage others in a healthy and active lifestyle, Chris and I are doing the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge and are looking for at least 10 people to join us in the journey.  In addition to the challenge, I also plan to start offering Boot Camp classes in May.

So why does this matter?  It matters because we all get parched, and I want to encourage you to focus on the hope that quenches the thirst rather than the dryness of the thirst. Or maybe you are the one who has a child that can be impacted through The Cool Table, or one of the 10 that will kick start a healthy lifestyle and shed a few (or many) pounds by joining us in the 24 Day Challenge, or the one that will show up for Boot Camp and be empowered to push beyond any potential you thought you had. All I know is that to someone somewhere, it does matter.

Parched? Look for the the overflowing waters that will forever quench your thirst.

John 4:14

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁴ But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Vows

We haven’t posted in a couple weeks as we have been steady working to get The Cool Table mini camps kicked off. You can help by using our Amazon link to make all your Amazon.com purchases and be sure to share it with family and friends. It is painless for you and puts a little change towards the vision for us!

Ok so here it is, we were cleaning out some files today and found our wedding vows. It was great to take a minute to reflect on the promises we made and to gauge where we are with those promises. It was also nice to remember the joy, love and healing that filled that day. Since we our sharing our life journey with you, here we will share our wedding vows too:

To Chris:

God has indeed blessed my broken road. Everything I have read in scripture in relation to marriage and everything that I have needed and desired He placed in you. You have already displayed the attitude of love and adoration to me that Christ has for the Church. You are steady and selfless. You cover me and make me safe. You love me despite my flaws and failures and you have washed my account clean of past mistakes.

Today my tears of brokenness have turned to joy and it is with confidence that I make this life long commitment to you. I choose this day and everyday forward to love and comfort you, to pray for you, and to be a source of encouragement and support. I commit to listen to your hopes and dreams and to rejoice in your victories; to be a place of refuge for your fears and a place of renewal in your trails. I will take pride in honoring and respecting you. I vow to work daily to keep our marriage and home our oasis, a sweet place of renewal, laughter, and joy.

To Shante:

I have prayed and waited for you my whole life, not knowing who or where you were. I have fought through pain, heartache, and disappointment waiting for the time that God would reveal you. I have waited 30 years to be your husband and you are more than worth the wait. I can not think of anybody better for me than you. You truly are my rib and I am complete now.

I promise to love you unconditionally (even when you don’t love yourself) I promise to protect you, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

I promise to cover you with the love and grace of Jesus Christ. I promise to take care of your children as if they were mine. I also promise to serve God alongside of you and most importantly I promise to lead us before the throne Of our Lord in everything we do. I love you more than you will ever know.

　

 

 

From Chris to Jeremiah and Sierra:

I promise to love you and your mother unconditionally. I will protect you in all things. I will guide you with grace, and provide a nurturing home for you so that you may become and know all God has designed you for.