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The Joy of the Lord is My Strength

The Joy of the Lord is My Strength

November 7, 2014
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Building a Business, Coaching, Faith

I talk a lot about strength and muscles and fitness.  Watching my physical strength grow has absolutely amazed me!  I have muscles that I never knew I had.  I actually have some abs at this point in my life too, which I have really NEVER seen.  It has been incredible to realize what my body is capable of. 






But more than that, this has been spiritual transformation for me.  In May of 2014, I was simply having trouble getting some weight off.  I have never had issues with that until this last year, so it was definitely new for me.  I purchased the 21 Day Fix, because I knew I needed to learn how to eat and how to jump-start my very complacent metabolism.  I had no idea that my problem went deeper than that. 






But when I began my meal planning and exercise routine, I quickly realized how dependent I was on finding joy and fulfillment in food and the activities that related to food.  While I wasn’t morbidly overweight or anything like that, I was still very reliant on earthly pleasures to satisfy me.  When I began restricting myself from them, I felt a void!  As a follower of Christ, this realization hit me hard.  Wasn’t I supposed to find my joy and peace in Him?  Wasn’t I supposed to trust in Him to help me when things got tough?  Instead, I was relying on food, shopping, and other indulgences that fill me up temporarily.  Peace found in these things is only fleeting. 


I began to read Lysa Teurkerst’s Made to Crave, and this really brought things home for me.  (That woman has such a way with words!)  Through this Bible study, the truths above became so clear, and I knew that this health and fitness journey I had stumbled into was no accident.  God was leading me to a place of reliance and hope in who I was in Him…not who I was in the world or what the scale said about me.  





The following prayer is marked in my copy of this book and is something that speaks so clearly to where I was at this point:

Dear Lord, Your peace is what I plead for today.  I don’t want my focus to be on food, a number on the scale, insecurity, or inadequacy.  I want my focus to be on You.  That is where I will find true peace.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen

I was filling out a questionnaire from our church today that asked me to explain what God has done in my life recently, and I really felt moved to write this.  I share quite frequently about my hope in Jesus and my reliance on Him, but comparing where I am today to where I was a year ago really opened my eyes to the transformation HE has brought about in me.  



I take ZERO credit for the change.  It has all been done through the power of Christ in me. I am very thankful and excited about where I am now and only hope to grow further!  I want to use the tools and opportunities he has given me to impact other peoples’ lives for good.  I know that my physical health was affecting my spiritual health, because it was a problem area for me.  It took some pesky extra pounds and zero energy to catch my attention.  God has a purpose and plan in everything, and I know that this is no exception.  I have found an outlet in my Beachbody coaching through which to share what I have learned, and I will trust God to continue to use me as He already has!

My November challenge group begins next week, and my fellow coach and I have designed a curriculum to help our challengers realize these truths in their lives as well.  I am so excited about this and ask that you pray with us! I can proudly say today that the Joy and Strength found in my life come from Him!

xoxo,




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