Meet Our New Shazzy Fitness Instructor, Colette Adams!

Hello! My name is Colette Adams. I am 36 years young and live in the beautiful sunny state of California. I am happily married and blessed to be called Mom by 5 amazing kiddos. I am a nurse by trade and work as personal health coach at My Body Tutor. God has giving me a heart and passion for helping other become the best version of themselves both inside and out.

I have always been a lover of dance and yoga and wanted to bring another element to my coaching business. Worship music has always been one of the biggest ways I connect with the Lord. It was important for me to find that bridge between my love for worship music and my love for dance and fitness. I stumbled upon Shazzy Fitness and knew that I found what I was looking for. Shazzy Fitness's mission to bring Faith, Fitness and Fun to the community was just what I was I needed. I enrolled in their Instructor Training Course in the Spring 2021. I am using what I learned through Shazzy Fitness to bring that same Faith, Fitness and Fun to my neighborhood community by teaching classes both online and in person. This allows me to share my passion for fitness and my love for Lord with others all in one place.

I hope to be able to bring a Dance & Fitness type ministry to my home church in the near future and have Shazzy Fitness be a part of it. I am thankful for Shazzy Fitness for giving me the platform and push to step out in faith and pursue my passion. 

My name is Shalane Jenkins. I am 57 years old. I was born and raised in a small town by the name of Fountain Hill, Arkansas. Even though we were a small community, the people there were loving and very supportive. The elderly people had strong faith in God and always instilled in us to “Always have faith, always pray, and always believe in God.” Their words were rooted within me and on more than one occasion while growing up, I relied on those words.

I am happily married to Samuel Jenkins, Jr. from Hamburg, Arkansas, where we are currently living. Together we have one son, a daughter-in-law and three grandchildren. I am employed at Drew Memorial Hospital in Monticello, Arkansas, where I work in Radiology as an Assistant Radiology Coordinator.

Since I was 20 years old, I had always had a strong desire to become a fitness instructor. I had always been a big fan of Denise Austin and Leslie Sansone, but life has a way of throwing some unexpected situations that can cause your plans to be put on hold. In October 2014, I lost my mother which caused me to fall into depression. I became addicted to food and I ate like there was no tomorrow. This was my way of dealing with my mother’s death. A 30-day devotional book written by Bishop Walter and Annette Hawkins stated, “Addiction is a deadly dance with a spirit that controls us like a puppet.” Well, I became that puppet and addiction produced an overpowering bondage. 

This picture below shows me (left) at my highest weight ever because I allowed my addiction to hold me in bondage.

In July 2015, I faced a scary encounter, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. My results were critical. My doctor recommended I use a C-Pap, lose weight, and stop driving long distances by myself. My life was turned upside down. Not only was I dealing with my mother’s death, depression, being overweight, and now I had to come to terms with sleep apnea.

I realized that before I could make any healthy changes in my life, I would have to believe in my heart that these changes were possible. I also realized that having faith and staying fit is important because unhealthy choices can leave you physically unhealthy and spiritually unfit. Through my realizations, it occurred to me that I must change my mindset because we do become what we think. I was introduced to Shazzy Fitness by my cousin to become a fitness instructor. In June 2018, I became a Shazzy Fitness instructor and I have been teaching ever since. I get joy out of leading others to a healthy and wholeness lifestyle, through this faith-based fitness class. Shazzy Fitness is music driven, dance, fitness, and inspiring that can be enjoyed by all age groups.

Shazzy Fitness has been a great inspiration for me. It has allowed me to utilize my talents and skills to become a better version of myself. While I am becoming a better version of myself, I am also helping others to create better versions of themselves by offering Shazzy Fitness classes. Currently, we are offering classes one day per week with hopes of transitioning the class into a virtual platform. One of my participants from the class stated, “Participating in Shazzy Fitness has been beneficial, especially during the pandemic. Even when we can not meet face-to-face, it has helped me be consistent with my fitness routine.” It is my desire to become a Shazzy Fitness Master Trainer in order to continue my journey in faith and fitness that will enable others to believe in themselves, eat healthier, train harder, and embrace faith through their journey.

Growing With Your Garden

Over the past few months at home, my family has really gotten into gardening and growing our own produce. Yesterday, as I spent some time outside picking herbs for our dinner, I realized that I have learned quite a lot about life during social distancing and self-quarantine from something as simple as gardening.

1. Plant your seeds

Until we planted our seeds in our garden, they were just sitting in a kitchen drawer just taking up space, because we always had the intention of planting them but kept putting it off. When we finally put them in some soil, we were so overjoyed to see little sprouts poke out, and now we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor (no pun intended!). This seemed like a really good representation of how we all have goals of new things we are going to try, or things we want to improve in our lives, but we just let them remain as thoughts and dreams without working to make them a reality. All it takes is one step in the right direction, and soon you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals.

2. Water your plants

Just like you can’t stick a seed in a pot of soil and magically expect plants (unless you’re Jack with magic beans!), you can’t just start a good thing, then leave it and hope for the best, because the positive things in our lives require attention and care in order to thrive. For me, my “good thing” I have been working to improve is literally drinking more water, so I’ve dedicated time to tracking my water intake in my journal and always making sure that my water bottle is full. For you, it might be reading more books, learning to cook, or exercising more. Whatever your “good thing” is, make sure you give yourself the resources to sustain it so it doesn’t just fizzle out.

3. Clear out the weeds

It’s not enough to keep and nurture the positive things in your life, but you also have to work to get rid of the negative, whether it is a habit you are trying to kick, an environment that doesn’t inspire productivity or creativity, or even clutter that doesn’t “spark joy” anymore. Decluttering anything from your to-do list, to your closet, will help clear space for the things that matter most to you.

4. Bask in the light of the Son

Most plants need sunlight to grow, but some flowers actually turn in the direction of the sun in a phenomenon called heliotropism! As the sun moves across the sky, they turn towards it to bask in its light and warmth more fully. We as believers should also seek to follow the will and path of the Son, Jesus. As we grow and walk through life, we should always keep ourselves focused on the Lord and rely on Him for our strength and joy, and everything else will fall into place.

I stood there tugging at my clothes but the mirror didn’t lie. I’d packed on so much weight during a particularly turbulent season of life that I barely recognized myself. Those round cheeks, wide hips, and flabby stomach must have belonged to someone else. But they didn’t and on top of that I felt sickly and weak. I knew something had to change.  

That was ten years ago and it’s been an imperfect journey. But, despite setbacks, I’ve maintained a desire to stay healthy and feel good. And, along the way, I’ve learned how to keep myself motivated when I’m ready to give up.

1. Remember Your Why

There are many reasons to start making healthy choices. Perhaps, like me, it’s to lose weight and feel better. Whatever the reason, it’s easy to forget once we start to see a little progress or run into a season of life that makes the commitment harder to keep. Writing down my reasons for getting healthy is a good motivator for me to come back to when I start to fall off track.

Why did you start this healthy journey? Write that down now, and then pull it out whenever you feel like giving up or when you lose sight of your goals.

2. Build on Your Momentum

It is almost always easier to keep going than to stop and start again. Do you sometimes feel tempted to skip that early morning run or feel like eating that second cinnamon roll? I get it. Me too! But, I know that if I let myself get off track, it will take me forever to start again and all the work I have done will be lost. Take a day off if you need to but get back to it as soon as possible.

3. Find an Accountability Partner 

Most of us know someone that wants to make healthy changes. Find a friend you can be honest with about your daily struggle, someone who can encourage you even if your goals aren’t the same. Be honest with your potential partner about what you need from them and what your goals are. Even if they don’t live near you, touch base over the phone or through pictures. My friend and I send each other pictures of what we are eating. It helps us both stay inspired and keeps us from getting into a rut when we need a new idea.

4. Leave Yourself Personal Notes

Positive affirmation can be powerful. I leave myself reminder notes like, “You are so close to your goal!” “Stay strong!”, and “You did it yesterday, you can do it again.” These little notes help me stay focused, put a smile on my face and remind me of my why.

5. Use Apps that Tracks Progress

I love apps that track my progress. I get a boost satisfaction when I get kudos and digital stickers and many apps allow you to invite friends so you can give each other digital high fives. And, apps help me push farther when I see that I am close to a new goal. But, I especially love seeing my own progress charted.

Most importantly find your why, stay strong, and keep working at your goals. We all have setbacks but it’s never too late to start again or up your game.

Love is A Verb

 

One Week Christmas Action Plan

Day 1 — Welcome the new month with all of its possibilities. Put on some Christmas music & sing or dance along.

Day 2 — Take 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a and replace the word Love with your name and post it somewhere that you can read it every day.

Day 3 — Look up a local charity and find out how you can help. It may be a small donation or volunteering your time either in person or from home.

Day 4 — Think about a teacher or someone who has had a positive impact on your life and find a way to reach out to them, on social media or by e-mail, mail mail or by phone. Just reach out and let them know that they made a difference.

Day 5 — Take a drive and look at Christmas lights or search online for virtual Christmas light tours and invite someone to watch along with you. Spread that Christmas Cheer.

Day 6 — Plan a virtual holiday party or an in person party for those that live with you. Find a new game or activity to introduce. If it is a virtual party a scavenger hunt always makes for a fun competition.

Day 7 — Choose a favorite Christmas tradition from your childhood and write about it. This could be in the form of a journal entry or a thank you letter to those who are still with us as well as those who are in Heaven. Think about how you can pass along this family tradition by sharing it with others including Shazzy Fitness. Just post and use #ShazzyFitness #LoveisaverbChristmasChallenge or comment below on this and share your tradition with us.

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Again, please let us know how your week goes!

From all of us at Shazzy Fitness we pray that this Christmas season will bring a sense of renewed hope and most of all an awareness of God’s abiding Love. 

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul writes that as believers, we should “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

It may seem like a tall order for God to ask us to rejoice and give thanks in ALL circumstances, but it’s important to realize sometimes we will be grateful because  of our circumstances, and other times, we will be grateful despite our circumstances. In the best of times and worst of times, there are a few constants that we can be thankful for in any situation. We have been saved by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and have been promised eternal life with our Father in heaven. The Lord assures us that He is always with us, always in control, and always has our best interest in His heart.

This “big picture” perspective is so vital, especially since the past year has been full of circumstances that have been disheartening and full of uncertainty. However, amid the negativity, there were many beautiful moments and cherished memories that we can look back on with joy and thankfulness.

How can we make the conscious decision to have an attitude of gratitude every single day? Just keep it simple. Every morning, thank God for the breath in your lungs and the sunshine streaking through the window. In the evening, reflect on the day and just choose to give thanks for one thing that brought a smile to your face, regardless of how miniscule or insignificant it might seem.

I personally do this by keeping a gratitude log in my bullet journal with enough space for one sentence each day, and one of my favorite part of my nightly routine is when I pull out my journal before bed to write down one thing I am thankful for. Throughout the day, knowing that I will update my gratitude log with a new entry in the evening has made me more aware of the amazing things that are happening around me, which has made me a more thankful person as a result.

Happy Thanksgiving! Let’s make every single day a day when we give thanks, because a thankful heart is a joyful heart.

Time is valuable. It is so valuable that once it is gone, we can't get it back. Other things we can replace. But not time. And yet it is the one thing that we waste the most. While I am sheltering at home I am working remotely and this has caused me to have a different routine. Since I don't have to get up, get dressed, and commute to work, my schedule is all off. I stay up sometimes until two or three o’clock in the morning. I might take a nap during the day. My whole concept of time is off right now. And because of that, it is easier for me to procrastinate. I will say, I will do that tomorrow. Whatever “that” is. Since I am staying at home, I rationalize that putting things off will make sure I have something to do tomorrow. Tomorrow. What a word. Procrastination. Another word. It is putting off until tomorrow what could really be done today.

The other day during my quiet time, I read an article that said that when we procrastinate and say we will do it tomorrow, we are presuming that we will be around tomorrow.  That really stuck with me. I find myself being more conscious about it now. When I put something off for no reason other than I just don't want to do it right then, I think about that statement. Looking at procrastination from a biblical standpoint, God gave us a certain number of days. We should plan on making the most out of that time. Procrastination can create havoc on our goals. If we keep putting things off, we will never accomplish all of the things we want to get done.

We procrastinate for various reasons. Out of fear, out of laziness, out of a lack of knowledge in whatever it is we want to do. Lack of time...the list goes on and on. But remember every time we put off doing something, there are consequences that come with that. If we put off getting our oil checked, we could cause major damage to our car engine. If we put off seeing our dentist, we could have painful dental issues later. If we put off going after our goal, dream etc., it might be too late when we finally get around to it.

Don’t let procrastination stop you from getting everything you want to get accomplished in a timely manner. Remember, there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV). Make sure you don’t miss your time.

I am going to start things off a little differently this month. I’m going to acknowledge the elephant in the room, and then I am going to politely ask said elephant to leave the room. The elephant being how very different this Thanksgiving will likely be with the fact that we may not be able to gather with family and friends because we are in the midst of a global pandemic. I am lovingly patting this elephant on the head and excusing it to go about its day. The reason being is that all of this chaos and turmoil is changing and will change just as all of the horrific happenings in the world were in flux at the time when Paul and Peter wrote encouraging words to us from their prison cells, but the unimaginable beautiful truth that I am writing to you about today and that they wrote about thousands of years ago will never change. You and I temples, sanctuaries of the Living God and for that we can be grateful regardless of what is going on in the world around us.

As I was thinking about this theme of Relentless Gratitude I was reminded of the lyrics of a song written by Randy Scruggs:

“Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

pure and holy, tried and true

with thanksgiving, I’ll be a living

sanctuary for You”

We can sing these words in church and we can read these words on a screen, as you are now, but let’s not miss this, let this sink all the way in and ask how this truth should inform our daily lives. When I was thinking about how to bring this to life with some powerful imagery to help us remember that we are God’s sanctuary and that this truth can be a catalyst for relentless gratitude, I was reminded of how personal God is for each one of us. If you haven’t experienced or been aware of the personal attention of God in some time, let me share what he did for me in writing to you and understand that it was intended for both of us.  

God brought to mind a Pastor whose transcripts I used to read while I supervised a high school study hall. I hadn’t read or watched any of his messages since February, but I chose to watch one of his sermons. I clicked on one of his most recent messages, and there he was..

Pastor Schuller talking about being a Temple of the Living God and what an honor that is when you think about it. Keep in mind, God was not bringing to mind a message that I had heard before, that would be neat, but less remarkable. God was leading me to a new sermon that affirmed and added to what I was already working on for the benefit of you and me. As the saying goes, “Won’t He do it?” I found my imagery when Pastor Schuller was saying that since we are home to the Spirit of God that when we walk into a room we bring a bit of Heaven into that space with us. I would add that this also applies to the space that we occupy on social media and in the workplace whether it be in person or virtual. Isn’t that beautiful? We bring Heaven with us! If you have a perspective that may be a bit unbalanced toward works, this might sound daunting, instead of beautiful, like you need to strive to hide your humanness. Thankfully, for you and for me, it is so much simpler than that. When we approach God from a place of humility and relentless gratitude, God works through our humanness to give others a glimpse of Heaven, doing only what He can do and what we could never do on our own.  

Think of it this way, if in those first couple of steps on the water, if Peter had been filled with gratitude over Jesus giving him the power to walk on water, there would have been no room for doubt. He could have just kept on gratefully walking on the water. If the woman with the issue of blood wasn’t humble and grateful to merely touch the hem of the garment that Jesus was wearing she would not have shown the faith she needed to be healed. If we use the term vicious cycle for when negative circles back around to negative, then surely we should call this the glorious cycle when faith bring us to gratitude and then circles back around to faith.

So, what does this mean from a practical standpoint for you and me? First, we can start our day focused on Relentless Gratitude, acknowledging that it is an incredible honor that the almighty God of the universe wants to not only commune with us each day, but He wants to partner with us. God wants to operate through imperfect and very human you and me to demonstrate to others Who He is and how rich their lives could be if only they would welcome the best House Guest of all time to stay forever. God doesn’t have to include us in this, but aren’t you grateful that He does? Second, we can seek out ways to bless others and thank God for the opportunity.

We at Shazzy Fitness are always eager to journey with you toward spiritual maturity and this November we are in pursuit of Relentless Gratitude right along with you. November’s readings and activities are going to be very interactive as we set out to live in the knowledge that we are a sanctuary (by one definition a place of worship) for the One Who made us. The Creator of Creation, upon invitation has set up residence in our hearts and wants to fill our minds with thoughts and our mouths with words that will reflect His love to others.  

Gratitude overwhelms our daily circumstances when we allow ourselves to dwell on the miracle that God The Almighty, lives on the inside of you and of me. He wants to use us as a sort of Holy Walkie Talkie, communicating with others through us. I also like the imagery of us as a home for God, then instead of our eyes being the windows to the soul, how about if they are the windows for the Spirit, allowing the Holy Spirit to peek out and inform our minds of the way that He views all of His children? 

You may have made gratitude lists in the past, but we are hoping that this month we can show you perhaps some new ways of remembering all of the good that God has done for us and through us. Again, we can do this each morning by intentionally thinking about how He chose to make a way just to be with us, through the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus, and everything about God says that He would it again. Remember, all of this going on around us is temporary, the good, the bad, and the ugly, but the work that we do now in connecting with our Holy God and with Heaven will be with us eternally. We, at Shazzy, want to remain grateful and we bet that you want this faith building, joy giving, relentless gratitude, too.

Start each day of November with the following suggested prayer or a prayer of your own that gets your heart in a place of gratitude:

Suggested Prayer:

Week 1 – OT: Psalm 95:2 & NT: 1 Cor 15:57

Challenge: Pray the suggested prayer each day, and then find an uplifting song that you love that talks about gratitude or the goodness of God. Share the title of the song with us in a post and don't forget to tag Shazzy Fitness and include the
hashtags: #relentlessgratitude #shazzyfitness

Week 2 – OT: Psalm 13:6 & NT: 2 Cor 2:14

Challenge: Do something to be a blessing to someone else and don't tell anyone. You can let us know in a post or comment just don't share the details. You can simply post the word done and hashtag: #relentlessgratitude

Week 3 – OT: Psalm 30:11 & 12 & NT: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Challenge: Go to our Shazzy Fitness FB page or tag us in a post sharing your best moves to some upbeat Christian music. Make sure you include the hashtags: #relentlessgratitude #shazzyfitness #mourningintodancing

Week 4 – OT: Psalm 107:1 & NT: Col 3:17

Challenge: Grab a jar and either rocks that you can write on with a permanent marker, or strips of paper and create a thankful jar. Start this Nov but fill it all year round and then read next year starting Nov. 1, 2021. It can be answered prayer, talking with an old friend, the sunset, anything at all that you are grateful to God for, you can include in the jar. Take a pic of your jar and tag us and use hashtags: #shazzyfitness #relentlessgratitude

I saw a social media post the other day that read in bold letters: “Don’t forget that you can still get ‘regular’ sick during a pandemic.” It was a fantastic reminder that even if COVID-19 is changing how we live our daily lives, it shouldn’t change how we maintain our overall health, especially since it can impact not only ourselves but our communities. Let’s delve into some of the reasons why! 

Prevent contraction of illness

The most straightforward reason why you should keep yourself healthy is to prevent contraction of the virus by boosting your immune system to become better equipped to fight off acute diseases caused by viruses and bacteria. This includes maintaining a nutritious diet filled with essential vitamins and minerals, hydrating to improve circulation and immune response, getting plenty of sleep to allow your body to build up infection-fighting cytokines, and staying active to slow the aging of your immune system. You can also prevent infection externally, by washing your hands regularly, refraining from touching your face, wearing a mask, sanitizing your phone and other regularly used items, and social distancing.

Decrease burden on the healthcare system

Staying healthy can keep you from having to go to a hospital or clinic, where there is a heightened possibility of being exposed to other sick people and contracting a nosocomial infection, or an infection “of the hospital.” Not having to visit a doctor will also alleviate strain on the healthcare system. The biggest concern is the risk of running out of adequate health care services, especially since many healthcare professionals are under extreme pressure on the front lines of COVID-19 (say a prayer for medical staff!). The goal is to make sure that the number of people in the hospital at any given time does not exceed the healthcare system capacity, which can impact EVERYONE who needs any kind of medical care, not just the people who have coronavirus. 

“Healthy Body, Healthy Mind”

Avoiding illness not only helps you stay physically healthy, but mentally healthy as well. Illnesses like the flu or the common cold can activate your immune response, leading to inflammation in your body that can mimic and even cause anxiety or depressive symptoms. In addition to the physical symptoms that come with sickness, such as fever, congestion, or respiratory issues, illnesses such as COVID-19 can lead to exhaustion and a lack of energy that can really take a toll on your mental health.

Protect health of other at-risk populations 

Although you may not personally be in a demographic that is at risk of being detrimentally affected by this virus, many of you may have young children, older parents, or immunocompromised loved ones in your household. This comes with an immense responsibility even under normal circumstances, but in the wake of the pandemic, it is even more important to stay healthy and stop the spread to prevent it from getting passed on to the elderly, children, or immunosuppressed people. If you are a parent or caregiver, encourage those under your care to practice healthy habits so that everyone is doing their part to stay safe.

Set an Example

The best way to encourage those around you to take care of their health is to lead by example and first care for your own health. There is strength in numbers, so if we can increase the number of people in world coming together to make a difference and slow the spread of illness, we can alleviate the impact of COVID-19 in our own community. 

"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."

—3 John 1:2

Spending a lot of time at home means that I have a lot more time to do things that I would usually be too busy to do otherwise, like reading! I wanted to share a few books that I’ve read both during shelter-in-place and in the past few years that have really stuck with me and encouraged me in my walk with God. 

1. “Lies Women Believe” by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

The enemy is a masterful liar and targets our weaknesses by feeding us lies that make us doubt our relationship with God. Each chapter breaks down a lie that is so ingrained in many of us that we might not even realize that we believe it, then gives us ways to overcome them. I went through this book with my girls’ small group at church, and it gave me guidance on how to seek solace in God’s truth when the way I see myself isn’t the way God sees me.

2. “Girl, Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis

This is another book that address the lies that hold us back from living our lives the way God intended us to. It is written with wit and unfiltered honesty, and it feels like listening to your best friend talk about the road bumps in her life and the advice she would give you to navigate those hurdles yourself. One of my friends recommended this book to me before she even finished it, and I just knew I had to read it when she insisted she had to finish the last chapter while waiting for our food at a barbecue restaurant! 

3. “Unglued” by Lysa TerKeurst

In the midst of everything that is happening in the world, it is definitely getting harder and harder to keep it all together, especially when it comes to relationships with the people around us. This book gave me both biblical inspiration and practical ways to find peace in the most difficult circumstances, communicate effectively even when it feels like people won’t understand, and react to situations with a sense of calm instead of chaos.

4. “Made to Crave” by Lysa TerKeurst

This book, also by TerKeurst, addresses the struggle that many of us have when it comes to our relationship with food. In times of stress (like now!) or boredom, it’s easy to check out and just raid the kitchen to distract ourselves. This book has detailed steps and reflection questions to help you learn how to break the cycle of looking to food for temporary satisfaction and instead turning to God for unending comfort.

5. “Looking for Lovely” by Annie Downs

This book is a collection of seemingly mundane moments in the life of the author and her reflections looking back and realizing the beauty in them. The goodness of God is seen everywhere, and after reading this book in a women’s bible study, I find myself looking for the lovely in every experience that God gives me. It’s such a valuable perspective to have, especially when dealing with everything that life is throwing our way in 2020.

6. “Jesus Calling”

Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a “good morning” text or email from your Savior waiting for you when you wake up everyday? God’s mercies are new every morning, and this daily devotional written from the perspective of Jesus reminds me of that every time I read it. There are so many versions (I have the original and the one for graduates) so there is definitely an edition of Jesus Calling that will cater to you and your stage of life.

7. The Holy Bible

There’s just nothing like going to the source. I’ve been going through the New Testament with my church small group, and no matter how many times I’ve read those passages, I always learn something new about God and our relationship with him. Not only is God the author of the Bible, but He is the author of our lives, so there is no one better to turn to for encouragement in our time of need.

Paul writes in Colossians 2:2 saying, “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.” Being encouraged in heart will help us draw closer to God and know Him better, but it’s definitely easier said than done. We all have seasons in our lives that can be discouraging or difficult, but I hope that these books will give you a dose of godly encouragement that you can turn to when the going gets tough.

What a perfect time to ask ourselves how we can daily prepare our hearts and minds to gracefully navigate this present world with relentless kindness as our mission.

We are a nation divided on so many fronts. People are feeling afraid, sad, confused, you name the emotion and we are feeling it to a heightened degree.  These feelings are often being expressed individually and collectively as anger— anger over everything from masks, to politics, to not getting everything that we ordered for curbside pick-up. It seems that this volatile world has caused many of us to have anxiety bubbling right under the surface all of the time. Let me be clear, it is not that there are not reasons for righteous anger right now; there are, but in general we are called to not let anger move us to sin. To word it more accurately and strongly, we are actually called to be kind—relentlessly kind, even in the face of posts that we disagree with, long lines everywhere because of the safety measures that have been put in place, and short tempers due to the reality of how weird reality seems right now.

Before we dive all the way into what we mean by Relentless Kindness, let’s say what it is not.  It is not being boundary-less or being a doormat, or ignoring injustice. It is more to be called to live life in such an elevated way that when we do speak up, our kind speech gains attention and it is measured and thought-provoking. This way of communicating is not only Christ-like, but it has a much better way of reaching the listener, because sometimes the listener can’t understand our words because they are too busy trying to process our emotions. This type of elevated living and relentless kindness was, of course, modeled perfectly in the Bible by Jesus, but we have some (slightly less perfect) modern day examples, too. We recently lost the beautiful Chadwick Boseman. We all knew that he was an amazing actor, but as more stories of his life have begun to surface, we are learning that he was an incredible person. He represented so much for all of us but especially for those who had been under-represented far too long. Mr. Boseman gave the world a much needed hero on the big screen, but his most heroic acts were in his personal life. 

First, he showed relentless kindness; and is never forgetting to pay tribute to those that showed such kindness to him.  Many have described Chadwick as humble and he certainly showed that humility in remembering and paying tribute to Mr. Denzel Washington.  Boseman explained how Denzel paved the way for him personally and for people of color in the industry. Not only did he pave the way, but he literally paid the way for Chadwick Boseman’s college education.  Chad was so grateful and he himself was committed to paying it forward in working with other young actors and in leading by example by turning down roles that would feed into negative stereotypes. Arrogance and self-sufficiency forgets who helped you get to where you are and kindness always remembers.

Suffering with cancer at the height of his career, Chadwick Boseman told only a select few of his battle and the amazing thing is....they told NO ONE. Let’s think about that for just a moment. What type of human being could draw people of such character that not one would be tempted to share or sell Chad’s story for any amount.  Those in that circle of confidence could have easily made a large sum of money as well as just the bragging rights of being so close that they were in the know.  It has become obvious that Chadwick was a man of such great character that he was so loved and his closest friends were fiercely loyal to him.  Mr. Boseman showed kindness as he continued to visit children who were also suffering with cancer, while he himself was in the thick of the battle. He kept a schedule that was unmistakably intentionally others focused. Then Mr. Boseman showed the most relentless kindness of all, as videos and photos showing his dramatic weightloss were widely circulated, and the trolls came out in full force, accusing him of drug abuse and saying horrible things. While people speculated and trolled, Chadwick’s friends stayed quiet in response, both keeping his secret and presumably following his usual, classy lead. He could have easily said, “I am dying of cancer and I ask for your prayers and privacy.” Instead, he just peacefully took down the videos and posts. I think more to protect his friends and family from the hurtful words and the temptation to respond, than for himself.  He was a man of faith, and he could have justified that these rumors could hurt his witness or he could have said that they could damage his career.  He could have used any number of valid reasons to lash out and fight back, but he stayed true to his real-life heroic character and remained kind.

Above I referred to Chadwick Boseman as a man of faith, but I think it is stronger than that, I believe that he was a true disciple.  A disciple is a student and Mr. Boseman studied well the relentless kindness of Christ and lived it out in modern times right in front of us. Christ was persecuted, spit on, betrayed, tortured even unto death, but the entire time He was thinking of others. He was asking God to forgive the very people who were persecuting and torturing Him. He was on the cross making sure that someone would look after His mother and He was ministering to the thief that was dying beside Him. I think that when we look at Christ’s life and the life of Mr. Boseman, we can either find condemnation for ourselves or conviction that leads to motivation.  What if the next time we felt like someone on social media needed a piece of our mind, we scrolled instead?  What if the next time we saw that someone was clearly misinformed or mislead, we prayed for them or our response was measured and kind?  What if we could strive to also be a bit kinder to ourselves? At Shazzy Fitness we know that the world needs more kindness right now and we are here to pursue it....relentlessly.

Week 1 – OT: Prov 11:17 ESV & NT: Eph 4:32 ESV

Week 2 – OT: Prov 31:26 ESV & NT: Col 3:12 ESV

Week 3 – OT: Prov 21:21 ESV & NT: Gal 6:10 ESV

Week 4 – OT: Prov 14:21 ESV & NT: Rom 15:2 ESV

*All verses are ESV

For most of us, our lives made an abrupt flip flop since March with the appearance of Covid-19. Many families left work and school and never returned. But, it wasn’t just jobs and schools that were affected, grocery shopping changed as well. I held out as long as I could before making a trip to restocking necessary supplies, yet I could only hold out so long.

When I finally did go shopping I already had a few helpful skills in my back pocket.  My family lives in one of the most remote counties in the U.S.A. and our closest grocery store is an hour’s drive, each way. I knew I needed to utilize those skills so I didn’t have to make a grocery run again any time soon. There are a variety of reasons for limiting public outings and here are 5 tips to help you make the most of each trip.

1. Plan Ahead

Create a menu plan for the month before shopping.  There are apps and programs that help with this and often you can find preplanned menus complete with shopping lists online regardless of your dietary restrictions are.

2. Strategize Produce Purchases

Fresh produce is desirable but it’s also highly perishable, so how do you get it to last 2 or 3 weeks out? The trick is strategic buying. When making your meal plans for the month, choose to use the most perishable items first. Fresh berries, for instance, have a short shelf life and perish quickly. Eat those in the first 2-3 days, then move onto more stable items. Full heads of lettuce, celery, and bananas have a longer shelf life and can be eaten a week out, sometimes longer. Oranges, apples, many peppers, and potatoes have a long shelf life, especially when stored correctly. Save those items for weeks 2 and 3. Buying produce that isn’t ripe yet can also extend the life of your fresh produce.

3. Utilize Frozen Ingredients

Weeks 3 and 4 of meal planning can be tricky especially if you live in a harsh environment or are accustomed to weekly or daily grocery store runs. However, there are many frozen produce options that are both healthy and convenient. I love adding frozen berries to yogurt and cereal. Frozen veggies can also be added to casseroles and enhance meals long after the fresh items are gone.

4. Consider Shelf-stable Milk

An often overlooked item is shelf stable milk. These can be found for both dairy and non-dairy options. While they may not be the ideal choice all of the time, they can stretch that shopping trip out and are a reasonable option for cooking and baking.

5. Take advantage of online shopping

There are many online vendors that can supply most of your needs and deliver them straight to your door. Many places also offer purchase and pick up options.  You shop online and then pick up your items at the store without ever going inside for a faster, lower stress experience.

There is no doubt that the new normal doesn’t feel normal at all. However, it is possible to reduce risk and simplify shopping by planning ahead and implementing a few basic strategies.

Over the past few months my family has learned more than ever the values of shared activities. With Covid-19 ravaging the world, and the resulting Stay at Home and then eventually the Safer at Home policies, my husband and I found ourselves looking for fun but isolation-friendly things to do with our young kids.

1. Improvised forts   

The rain clouds filled the sky as cold liquid pellets hit me in the face. My kid’s disappointment grew as our plans for a bonfire were melting into puddles at their feet. Sadly, they dragged themselves back inside the house while I gave into the load of laundry in the hallway. 

“Can we build a fort Momma?” My youngest looked at me with anticipation.  “Sure,” I smiled. It wasn’t long before the giggles began. My oldest daughter had the brilliant idea to try and build a fort that the rain could withstand. Before long cardboard boxes, blankets, an umbrella, and a whole slew of random items where pulled out into the rain. What a disaster! But the end result was a ramshackle fort worthy of stand up to the rain and three happy kids inside.

2. Gardening

I hauled the bags of soil from the car and planted them firmly on the porch. My youngest daughter had already ripped open the seed packages in her excitement, scattered them along the porch floor.  I gingerly sorted them while my kids stuffed soil into their pots. I instructed them on how deep to place the seeds into the soil and they carefully added water to them. A couple weeks later I heard the kids squeal with excitement over the seedlings beginning to immerge. Gardening has provided us with many opportunities to learn and work together.

3. Dance Parties

Is there anything more fun or energizing than dancing with children?  Dance parties in our family have been known to uplift sour attitudes, create laughter, get lazy bodies moving, and strengthen family relationships.  If all else fails, turn up that dance music and tear up that living room carpet with your dynamite dance moves.

4. Cooking lessons

My kids have picky palates.  I learned that selecting a dinner option we both agreed on and having them help make it changed their attitudes.  They started thinking ahead about what they wanted to eat on “their turn” to make dinner and started feeling more adventurous with trying new foods of their choice.   

5. Fairy Gardens

My kids have reached their boredom limit and wanted new ideas. Enter the fairy garden. A fairy garden can be created in an afternoon with a few everyday items found in the yard and some creativity. My kids collected rocks, twigs, dandelions, and treasures from their rooms. We won’t talk about the jar of glitter my littlest found…

They spent quite a bit of time working on their fairy gardens and were excited to show me their ideas. The best part is that they can keep adding to their gardens throughout the summer.

Feeling stuck at home can give way to mild depression, apathy, and stress among other things. With a little creativity, Safer at Home can turn into Fun at Home Together. Be safe and stay healthy. 

I don’t know about you, but never in my lifetime have I seen a greater need for Relentless Faith, so this is going to be a very practical post, even including an acrostic to help you remember the action plan. The hope is that these tools will help all of us to activate and relentlessly maintain our faith regardless of what is going on in the world around us. 

We hear it almost every day, words like uncertain, unprecedented, and tumultuous to describe these times in which we are living. This is when we must remember that faith is a choice, and relentless faith means making that choice anew every morning. Faith is not dependent on circumstances or feelings. Right now, it’s easy to spend five minutes on social media and lose faith in humanity. To avoid this we have to change our perspective. 

ALL

That’s where our Acrostic comes in ALL. Just tuck that into your back pocket for right now and we will come back to it in a minute.

So sticking with our example of social media, let’s say we see a post, we comment and begin reading some of the other comments on the post. Most of the comments are positive or at least civil, but then here come the trolls. There are only a few hateful comments compared to the many positive comments, but which ones grab our attention and our thoughts for the rest of the day? Which ones we allow to influence our faith in that moment? Do we focus on the hurtful comments from the hurting or the good comments from the seemingly healthier set? Before you begin to think that this post is about having relentless faith in humanity, let me clarify, that this example is to illustrate that we can choose our focus and either diminish or build our faith.

A -

Let’s relate this example to our faith in God starting with the first letter of our Acrostic: A. A stands for All good things come from God. ALL good things: every talent, every kind word, every moment of empathy, every bit of the beauty that surrounds us is all evidence of our good God that loves us.  Staying with our social media post example, if we believe all good things come from God then we can see God’s reflection in the goodness of the people leaving the positive encouraging comments, and likewise we can see the influence of the enemy in the hateful comments. We can build our Faith by meditating on the good that God allows to permeate into everything and remembering that we have a Redeemer who will deal with the bad on our behalf.  We need only focus on Him so that we do not let the thoughts and activities of the enemy deteriorate our faith in God.

L -

L - 

The final L in ALL is Lean. This becomes necessary when you are exhausted from trying to notice All of the good things, and you have been Looking but aren’t connecting emotionally to the times when God has been faithful both in your own life and in the Bible.  This is when we Lean on God and we allow the Holy Spirit to fill in the gaps while we just remain faithful and continue to do the things that we know are right. We stay vigilant and relentless in our prayer, in our pursuit of peace and we steady our faith, but simply going to God with our doubts.  When we feel numb, when we don’t see progress in our homes, or communities, or cities, or our country, or our world, and we can’t see a way that God will protect and provide we bring that confession to Him.  We ask God to help us in our unbelief. We look to the example of Jesus and we pray, “Your will not mine,” and we lean on the Everlasting Arms. God strengthens our faith, allowing us, even in our trembling, to turn our what ifs into even ifs. We read and reread the promises of God that assure us that even when we don’t see it, God is faithfully working all things for the good of those that love Him, and that includes you and me.

To wrap this all up, let’s review how we relentlessly increase our faith:

A - All good things come from God, so focus on the good not the bad.

L - Look over your life & The Bible and recall how God has been faithful.

L -  Lean on the Holy Spirit to restore our faith and help our unbelief.

Our challenge to you this September is to join Shazzy Fitness as we look for ways to reinvigorate and shore up our faith, even in these unprecedented, uncertain, and tumultuous times.  First, we have a guided prayer that we hope you will pray with us on a daily basis. Feel free to change the wording to make it specific and personal and new each day. Then we invite you to meditate and study the Old Testament and New Testament scriptures for each week. Most of these verses are very short so dive in to their chapters for context and study. Finally, as a part of looking back over your life and looking to the Bible for examples of ways that God has been faithful, write the examples on strips of paper and put them in a mason jar or another clear container, and when you are struggling in your faith, pull out one of the strips of paper and remember that our God is always faithful.

Guided Prayer:

Father, God, we thank You for all good things. We even thank You for the challenging things, because we know that You can make wonderful things happen out of even the most awful circumstances. We ask that when we don’t feel our faith that you would protect us from the thoughts of the enemy. Help us to recall Your Word so that we can stand firm in our faith and shut the enemy down.  Father, give us wisdom to know that You are still in control even when everything seems out of control.  Please forgive us, Father, for our doubt and for depending on sinking sand instead of the Rock of Our Salvation. Please revive our faith, restore us, and help us to be relentless as we faithfully pursue all that you have for us.

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Week 1 – OT: Habakkuk 2:4 & NT: Mark 11:23

Week 2 – OT: Gen 50:20 & NT: Hebrews 11:1

Week 3 – OT: Micah 7:7 & NT: Romans 10:17

Week 4 – OT: Proverbs 3:3 & NT: 1 Corinthians 2:5

*All verses are NLT

I am Robin Burch. I am an ordained minister of God’s Word for 20 years.

Many years ago when He called me to become a health minister, I didn't even know what was that at that time. I felt so inadequate and I didn't have any confidence because I used to be so overweight and unhealthy. I questioned Him, "Why would You choose me?" I knew there’s somebody out there better qualified and in better shape than me; but no matter what, I couldn't shake it, time did not remove it from my heart—God had called me to become a health minister to the body of Christ. 

He called me to inspire the body of Christ to get their temples together. He continued to tell me, "Robin, you have to be fit for the fight." That is when I started a thing called 'restoring your temple'. I remember in 2015, I was very unhealthy, I was close to 300 pounds, and all my internal organs were shutting down. I was to have a surgery at that time and I thought I couldn't make through it. I even wrote goodbye letters to my children and grandchildren. Good thing I snapped out of it and at that very moment, I remembered who I was and most importantly whose I was; so I put on my gloves and I stepped in the rink and I’ve been fighting ever since!

I repented and God gave me the go ahead to continue this journey. I know that becoming a Shazzy Fitness dance instructor is a very important part of His assignment for me!

Think about that for a moment. Relentless Peace. Although it doesn’t really mean the same thing, relentless peace probably makes you think of the idea of endless peace or ALWAYS having a calm, unshakeable grounded feeling. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? What would that even look like? Is that even attainable during these uncertain times?  Once we look a little closer at what we mean by relentless peace, I think that we will all agree that relentless peace is not only attainable but, in fact, necessary to grow through what we are going through. 

If you are a superhero or action movie fan, you have more than likely noticed that the main character possesses this inexplicable cool confidence, this inner peace.   He or she may be walking out of an exploding building, walking into battle with aliens, diving into the ocean to rescue a pilot, or defending their crown and their nation’s resources, but they make it all look like just another day at work. While these superheroes do make it look almost easy, the writers are careful to let us see that there are moments of doubt, missteps, and even fear. The important lesson that we learn from these characters is that they never stay in the fear and doubt for long. These great men and women of fiction have been trained from a young age to relentlessly default back to a state of calm quiet strength and renewed focus of purpose. If you are not a superhero or action movie fan, please stay with me, I’m going somewhere with this.  

Here in the real world, we have seen enough research on the brain to understand how much we can impact our daily lives by attempting to control not our thoughts necessarily, but the thoughts that we allow to stick, the ones that we entertain. We have seen many examples of how this works throughout history as well as in the Bible. When we picture Paul in prison, I don’t know about you, but I never picture him panicking. In fact, the Bible tells us that we would most likely find Paul praising in his prison cell, singing out and thereby encouraging fellow inmates and literally saving the soul of his guard. When we read about Jesus holding a giant picnic for thousands while He told them captivating stories about how to live and giving them a glimpse of heaven, do you picture him frenzied and frustrated or peaceful and loving? There were countless moments where Jesus or Paul could have justifiably become frustrated, for example, Paul being imprisoned simply for trying to tell the world the best news ever and Jesus still having to answer the question of “Who is this man?” when He had shown time and time again that He was clearly the Messiah. Jesus and Paul maintained their peace by relentlessly focusing on their purpose and continually connecting with the Father. Like we talked about in July, they were no strangers to relentless prayer. Jesus demonstrated for us and Paul understood the need for that ongoing conversation between our hearts and the heart of God. It is the way that we line up our will and purpose with God’s will, which ultimately brings His perfect peace. As we look around today, there are so many things pressing in on us that are the opposite of peaceful. For many moms (especially in the South), August means back to school time, when we typically are back to school shopping and looking forward to first day of school photos and all of things, but this year we are understandably worried and everything is so different. We are sending our kiddos either physically back to school or back to school online knowing that neither will look the same as it has in the past. We are all hoping that we are making the best decision possible for our children. To make matters worse, we keep receiving conflicting messages from doctors, news media, and government officials about this deadly virus, and the best way to deal with it. Add to all of this the ups and downs and triumphs and heartbreaks that accompany even the most diverse attempt to bridge a racial divide and bring about true permanent change. Whether we think we are ready or not, this is a pivotal moment in our movie, only this is not fiction. I’m not in any way comparing the severity, of course, but this is real like the suffering of Jesus and real like the trials that Paul endured. Our response is going to require the calm courage of a superhero and the real example in The Word of how we relentlessly pursue that peace that only God can provide. This does not mean that we can’t cut ourselves some slack, have days in our pjs, and just do well to exist. In fact at times, this pursuit may be as much about sitting at the feet of Jesus as it is about taking action.  

Over the next month, we at Shazzy Fitness invite you to go on a journey with us. Sometimes it will be about rest and just remembering that God is in control and other times it will be an adventure requiring you to adjust your imaginary cape, straighten your very real mask, put on the full armor of God and get ready to relentlessly battle for your peace. Don’t worry, we have a plan and we are going into battle with you, against all of the noise and the noise makers that are trying to steal our peace.  

We are going to take an OT & NT approach to regaining our focus and retaining our peace. Each week, take these verses and write them on index cards or slips of paper. Highlight or circle the word PEACE. Then put the index cards or paper somewhere that will catch your attention throughout the day. Maybe even go to a Bible app and create a graphic of these verses to put on your phone or computer screen. These verses are to remind us of where our peace comes from and that we need to apply that relentless prayer from last month (see blog entry titled Relentless Prayer) to achieve the peace of God which transcends all understanding. Over the next four weeks, when someone tries to steal your peace, think of how calm superheroes stay even in the face of an enemy.  Concentrate on your breathing, let yourself feel grateful for your breath. Think about Paul singing in his cell, picture Jesus sitting in the grass smiling and feeding thousands from a little boy’s lunchbox. Seek to find your peace each day, and if for some reason it eludes you that day, seek it the next, that is why it is called  Relentless Peace.  

Week 1 – Job 22:21 & Philippians 4: 6, 7 & 8  

Week 2 – Isaiah 54:13 & Hebrews 12:14

Week 3 – Isaiah 54:10 & II Thessalonians 3:16

Week 4 – Isaiah 26:3 & John 14:27

Remember, friend, we are right here with you. We praying with you and for you. You have your Shazzy family fighting alongside you as we relentlessly pursue peace in our hearts that will ultimately overflow to bring much needed peace to our world. 

Those who predicted 2020 to be the year of change probably didn’t imagine it would be this different. The COVID-19 health crisis has shaken the world upside down. Everyday life and preoccupations were drastically interrupted. Lots of businesses and personal plans were scrapped so suddenly. People everywhere were experiencing doubts and fears. There’s panic in the air. There’s unexplained anger. There’s unimaginable selfishness.

It’s like breaking new ground. For the observant and introspective, life is full of daily discoveries and learnings.

Here are two of them:

1. Life is uncertain.

When you’re young or busy with work or activities, you often take your health and wellbeing for granted. You think that tomorrow will be as you expect it to be. You think that you are in control of your life. You seem sure that you have all the time and resource in the world to plan and go about your business as you wish. 

Now, in this time of global crisis, you remember once more that life is uncertain, even for the Christian. James 4:14 is right to say that you don't know what will happen tomorrow. As for your life, it’s like a vapor that’s here today and gone tomorrow.

So what do we learn from this? We learn that we should enjoy life as it comes. We should value each moment. We shouldn’t waste an opportunity. We shouldn’t take the important things and people in our lives for granted. We should count and enjoy our blessings. We should follow King Solomon’s advice in Ecclesiastes 3:12. People should “be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live, and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things are a gift from God.”

2. People have been neglecting their families.

It’s easy to spend your time and energy on other things while you neglect your family. People are busy living their lives and making a life outside of their own family circle. People go after their passion and pursuits, not realizing how disconnected they’ve become from their own families.

As governments started enforcing lockdowns, there came a growing concern over issues like domestic violence. People were now forced to stay home and be with their parents, children, spouses, and siblings. And they didn’t know how to cope and relate. Families were having a hard time getting along. From time to time, you could hear news of high profile celebrities leaving their homes. They couldn’t stand being with their partners. It was just too hard.

So what do we learn from this? We learn that the family is still the core unit of society. It’s the primary and foundational relationship we have in this world. And if there’s potential for improving family relationships, we should make every effort to do so. The Christian’s primary venue for growth and ministry is the family abode. It’s where you can apply the Bible’s “one another” commands. Love one another. Pray for one another. Forgive one another. Serve one another.

Indeed, the current pandemic is teaching us once more that life is uncertain and that people tend to neglect their families. And so let’s remember that life and family are greatly valuable investments. Guard these two treasures. Make them flourish. And more importantly, bathe them with love, care, and prayers. Your efforts guarantee profitable returns.

Relentless Prayer

When we read a phrase like relentless prayer it can sound daunting or like it is going to be A LOT of work.  The reality is, relentless prayer, or even the scriptural reference of praying without ceasing, can be as much about inviting peace into our lives and circumstances as it is about petitioning Heaven for relief from the things that are pressing in on us here on earth.  There have been many excellent sermons delivered on the idea of a healthy prayer life consisting both of time set aside for intentional conversation with God, as well as the need for moment by moment prayers that become more like breathing to us....continual and second-nature.  

Sometimes the busyness or even heaviness of life can make intentional, scheduled prayer time feel forced, fortunately, this is something that we can bring to God, knowing that we have a God that understands ALL of our struggles.  These busy or heavy times are also when continual short prayers throughout the day can fill in the gaps for us.  Praying throughout the day not only centers us and helps us to regain focus on the most important relationship that we have, but it also brings a feeling of peace and control into even the most chaotic times. Right now, as we are living in these times of such uncertainty, we at Shazzy Fitness are certain that we can all benefit from a little more prayer in our daily lives. To that end, we are issuing a prayer challenge for the rest of the month of July. We will be looking together at ways that we can relentlessly pursue the guidance and actions that God desires from us, as well as asking for the peace that only He can bring into our world.

July | Week 2 

Set aside a space and time for intentional prayer and try to keep it the same time every day. Remember, think quality and consistency over quantity. This could be a 15 minute prayer time or an hour prayer time or whatever your schedule, or let’s be honest, attention span allows. We have some suggested prayer requests here to get you started, but feel free to pray about whatever is on your heart and mind.  

Suggestions for scheduled relentless prayer time:  

• The Lord’s Prayer
• Pray for peace, justice, unity, endurance and hope as we pursue lasting change
• Pray for our leadership in every area of government
• Pray for our first responders, our military and law enforcement
• Pray for those directly impacted by the Coronavirus, either from a health perspective, a lost job, or lost loved ones.
• Pray against anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Pray for an overwhelming sense of being loved and watched over. 
• Any other Personal Prayer Requests

Relentless Prayer throughout the Day – Choose a scripture that speaks to you and pray it throughout the day along with any prayer requests as they pop into your mind.   

Some suggested scriptures:

July | Weeks 3-4 

Continue with your set aside prayer time, and praying scripture throughout the day, but add in beginning and ending each day with 5 things that you are grateful for in your life.  It is okay if some of the answers are the same. Some days, the best thing that will happen to us is that we had breath in our lungs, so if that makes your top 5 both in the morning and at night, that is just fine. The idea is to develop a grateful mindset regardless of how many painful things are going on in the world around us.

We are all tired, but we have so many examples of people groups enduring hardships and even atrocities with praise on their lips. Let’s tap into their relentless spirit and prayerfully seek to honor them by doing the same. 

The COVID-19 outbreak has people worldwide worrying about their health.

World Health Organization says there's no available vaccine or course of treatment. People should practice cleanliness and physical distancing. They should also keep their health and strength up. COVID-19 is an infectious disease. Sufferers generally experience mild to moderate respiratory illness. But older people are at greater risk. They can develop serious illnesses. 

In fighting the coronavirus, the body’s immune system is at the forefront. It’s essential in shielding the body or helping it recover from respiratory diseases. That’s why it’s important to boost your immunity. This increases your fighting chance against COVID-19. Here are ways you can do that:

Eat foods that boost your immune system

Consume enough protein

Studies show that protein deficiency compromises the immune system. It depletes immune cells. It makes the body unable to produce antibodies. Boost your immunity with high-protein sources. Some are eggs, tofu, fish, quinoa, and broccoli. Try brown rice, nuts, and seeds.

Consume enough fiber

The gastrointestinal tract contains the largest amounts of immune cells. It’s 60% of your total immune system. The gut helps the body maintain immune homeostasis. Fiber helps keep your GI system healthy. It flushes out toxins from the gastrointestinal tract. Boost your immunity with high-fiber sources. Some are whole foods and grains. Try fresh fruits and vegetables.

Consume enough B vitamins

Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid helps the body produce and release antibodies. Vitamin B5 deficiency reduces levels of circulating antibodies. Vitamin B1 and B2 are essential to normal antibody responses. Give your immunity a boost with high B-vitamin sources. Some are Romaine lettuce and spinach. Try mushrooms and red bell pepper.

Dose up with enough vitamin C

It is true that vitamin C in itself is not a cure for the COVID-19 coronavirus. But it is important for quick recovery against inflammation. Take enough vitamin C. That helps your body fight upper respiratory viral infections. This antioxidant promotes faster healing. Boost your immunity with high vitamin C sources. Some are citrus fruits and collard greens. Try asparagus and kale.

Don’t compromise your immune system

Stay away from processed foods

Studies show that processed foods increase inflammation in the body. They reduce the body’s ability to control infection. Food additives and preservatives in foods can weaken your immune system. Avoid eating canned goods, fried foods, and snacks. Stay away from fast food and instant microwaveable food packs.

Don’t sleep late 

Mayo clinic confirms that a lack of sleep can affect your immune system. People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to catch a virus when exposed to someone who’s sick. Sleep deprivation also slows recovery time from illnesses. 

Avoid environmental pollutants

Exposure to toxic environments can weaken your immune system. Avoid exposing yourself to second-hand smoke. Keep away from hazardous chemicals and other air pollutants whenever you can.

The Fourth of July is the quintessential American summer holiday, celebrated across the United States with parades, backyard barbeques, picnics, and fireworks. It’s a day that commemorates the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America as an independent nation, but this year’s festivities are going to look a little different, with people staying home and refraining from traveling or gathering in large groups.

America celebrated its liberation 244 years ago, and we’re still writing the story of freedom to this day. In the midst of a movement that is calling for increased awareness and transformative action to combat racial injustice and systemic corruption, it is clear that there is still a lot of work to be done. Juneteenth commemorated the day on which ALL Americans were finally liberated almost a century later, and this year, the holiday sparked a lot of social discourse about how we actually define freedom. We’re in the middle of a pandemic and there have been discussions on what the exercise of our freedom looks like when mask orders and social distancing parameters are being enforced. So what does independence, and Independence Day, truly mean in 2020?

Although many may uphold the idea that independence means having the ability to act without constraint, this is only one half of the coin. Independence means being able to make decisions and provide for yourself without depending on someone else, and freedom is the right to have your own beliefs and pursue self-interests without infringing on anyone else’s right to do the same. Our freedom does not allow us to discriminate against others, nor does it permit endangering other people’s health for our own individualism. Freedom and independence come with the qualifier that exercising your own liberties does not take away from someone else’s, and unfortunately that is the mark that is missed by so many.

In a time when these rights are not equally given to everyone in present-day America, it is up to us to uplift those who are not fully experiencing the liberty that the American identity hinges upon. Our freedom is not freedom until everyone is truly free, and celebrating America means celebrating the people that make up America. For this Fourth of July, let’s celebrate independence by grilling out at home, setting off fireworks while social distancing, and wearing masks along with our red, white, and blue. We can also continue exercising our freedom by signing petitions, registering to vote, and speaking out against injustice. After all, just as the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia sounds thirteen times every year on July 4th in honor of the original thirteen colonies, letting freedom ring is the American way.

Happy Fourth! 

Meet Jordan-Leigh Frank!

My name is Jordan-Leigh Frank. I am 33 years old, have been married for almost 7 years, and we have three beautiful children together ages 5 and under. I work part-time, lead middle and high school youth at our church with my husband, and am about to start the journey of homeschooling. Life is wild right now. My family is my world. 

I have always been active. I played sports growing up, mainly tennis and soccer. In college, I was on a dance team for two years and ran cross-country for one year.  Going to the gym used to be a regular part of my routine until I got married and started having babies. After that part of our life began, I started having to workout at home via apps and Youtube videos. You do what you have to do sometimes, but it is simply not the same as working out together with community. Community fitness helps to provide accountability and most of all, FUN!

My children are truly wonderful, but having them so close together has been, well, mentally and physically exhausting. It's absolutely a full-time job, starting very early in the morning and ending just before I go to bed myself. Our oldest has special needs, which is beautifully challenging all by itself. I have been struggling with finding something just for me, an outlet that gives me a bit of a mental break and that lifts me up and encourages me at the same time. A month or two ago, I found something that lit a spark and began my journey to where I am now.

I have younger siblings that are much more "hip" than I am in pretty much all areas, but especially with technology. My sister started raving about the TikTok app, which I quickly brushed off. However, eventually I became curious. I downloaded the app to see what all the fuss was about and quickly became intrigued. There were so many awesome Christian dances out there! I quickly began to "duet" them and found my smile growing bigger with each one. Doing these dances with my fellow brothers and sisters brought me so much joy! I began posting them on my Instagram and Facebook pages and noticed people kept commenting on how much they liked the videos and how happy I looked in them.

One day I posted one and begged someone to start a Christian dance fitness class in our small town.  Many people commented that I should be that someone. Ask and you shall receive, right? There was a lot of interest and excitement from my community about the idea! I was shocked! I used to be the captain of a dance team and thought, why not? Why not me? I prayed about it and felt the Lord guiding me and leading me forward. 

I began searching for dance fitness certifications and eventually stumbled upon Shazzy Fitness. Something just clicked for me. I had researched other options and for many reasons they were never the right fit; I felt like the music, dances, and/or missions were not right. They didn't glorify the Lord. Finally, I found Shazzy Fitness and felt God leading me to say "yes". I took a leap of faith and here I am! With every step forward towards certification, I feel in my spirit that this is the right direction.  God is opening the door and making a way.

I realized long ago that I don't have to see the end to move forward, I just have to keep taking the next step and trusting Him.  

I am so excited to bring my community together with all that Shazzy Fitness has to offer! I know that it will be such a blessing to not just myself, but to everyone that becomes a part of it. God is so good and I am so thankful!

However, this order for liberation was not enforced everywhere in the US until over two years later on June 19^th 1865, when slaves who were still being held captive in Texas were set free.

Juneteenth - also called Freedom Day, Black Independence Day, Jubilee Day, or Emancipation Day - is the day on which ALL Americans were finally liberated.

Juneteenth has been celebrated in African-American households, especially those in the South, since the first Juneteenth with parties in the streets and the sharing of oral history, and the tradition has been carried on from generation to generation for over a century.

Many Americans have admittedly never heard of the holiday, so in light of the resurgence of Juneteenth in the media in association with the Black Lives Matter movement, you may be wondering - why does it matter now?

The reality is that Juneteenth has always mattered, but has historically struggled for basic recognition because most state governments never recognized it as an official holiday, many workers were not given the day off to celebrate, and schools failed to teach students about its significance (2,3). 

This year Juneteenth coincides with protests against racial injustice in the United States, which call for systemic reform in racism and discrimination against Black Americans.

As a response to this call to action, numerous organizations have announced that Juneteenth will now be recognized as an official paid holiday, many cities have organized virtual gatherings and festivities to celebrate, and political and social change is happening even as we write this article.

The fact that so much of our country doesn't acknowledge such a momentous day, reflects how Black Americans have been historically treated and serves as a reminder of how equality for African-Americans has always been an uphill battle.

The story of freedom on June 19, 1865 is an integral part of the story of America, and the key elements of the American identity are the shared ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These ideals are not dependent on a shared bloodline or ancestry.

Juneteenth is a celebration of African-American freedom, and therefore it is a celebration of American freedom for us all.

Happy Juneteenth!

References:

1. Weisberger, Mindy. “What Is Juneteenth?” LiveScience, Purch, 17 June 2020,
2. Wellington, Elizabeth. “Where Juneteenth Comes from and Why We Should All Celebrate It.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 19 June 2020
3. Jackson, Kellie Carter. “Black Joy-Not Corporate Acknowledgment-Is the Heart of Juneteenth.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 19 June 2020,

We can feel it. 

This is a pivotal moment in our lifetime and we at Shazzy Fitness are here for it. 

We have always known that dance is powerful and can bring so much hope, unity and joy - even in the middle of pain.  

You are also probably witnessing that truth wherever you are too. We have seen dance parties break out right in the middle of peaceful protests all over the nation as we work together to once and for all eradicate racism in all of its forms.

Through dance, we have created a diverse Shazzy Fitness family that not only embraces inclusion and equality for all, but celebrates that we are all colorful masterpieces, united in our love for God and dedicated to loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.   

Our dedication to loving our neighbor means that we speak up for one another, we seek justice on each other’s behalf, and we look for ways to build up and edify each other. 

To that end, will you please join us as we pray for -

… relentless hope
… lasting change 
… peace in our nation

and the 
 … courage to see 

which roles we should play individually and collectively?  

We pray that hearts would be open not only to self-examination to see if there is anything that needs to be rooted out, but that we also would be brave and lean into tough conversations with our families, neighbors, friends and community. 

There is an undeniable hope that is rising right now as we see our African-American brothers and sisters begin to unpack painful truths -
while others compassionately listen and say, 

“I may not have understood before, but I believe you, I see you,  I am here to stand alongside you for as long as it takes for real lasting change to become a reality.” 

There is so much work to be done, but we know that together we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us.

There is a saying that goes, “When you don’t know what to do next, do the next right thing.” 

So, we challenge you and we challenge ourselves, to ask:

what is the next right thing? 

and how can we help each other to not only do the next right thing, but the next and the next …?

until freedom, justice and equality has come for all. 

We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters.

BLACK LIVES MATTER.

"Let us spur one another toward love and good deeds." - Hebrews 10:24

Mothers especially also have to handle child care and self-care. The dutiful and loving mom is no doubt doing her best to relieve the worries of her family members while trying hard to put a lid on her own. These are indeed difficult times. How can mothers cope in times like this?

Prioritize self-care.

Self-care is often last on the list for wives and mothers. But in times like this, self-care is most important. Don’t leave yourself to the point of exhaustion and neglect. It will likely lead to illness or depression. When that happens, you won’t be of help to anyone.

Make sure you get enough sleep. Studies confirm how sleep is crucial to health and personal survival. Resist the urge to keep working around the house especially at night when you should already be unwinding and preparing to retire for bed. Next, make sure your brain gets its period of rest and reset. Downtime is essential for your mental faculties to replenish focus and increase productivity. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Meditate. Take short walks around the neighborhood or nearby park. Take your dog with you.

Don’t do too much.

When lockdowns were first enforced, people saw it as a chance to organize their homes, do overdue gardening, or even take control of their children’s education. These things may come easy for some personalities. Others though will succumb to the pressure, exhaustion, and stress. Now is not the time to set unrealistic expectations. Now is not the time to crowd your life with endless chores and activities.

Do what you can but don’t obsess about tasks and chores. Focus on what (or shall we say, ‘WHO’) is important. And yes, you may have to do some hands-on teaching to your kids. But, don’t let study time turn into a shouting match. Let it be a time of bonding with your kids. Let your kids experience, not your frustration or disappointment, but your love and support.

Nurture core relationships.

There are 2 things this COVID-19 health crisis made us realize the most: #1 – Earthly things and situations are temporary. And, #2 – Relationships are more important than material possessions. This crisis will pass. But, the positive things we can learn and become from this great challenge will help us build lasting character and strong foundations for life. So don’t despair. Life will bless us with better days. It’s a promise from God. (Romans 8:28).

Stay connected to God and don’t alienate yourself from family and friends. People cope in different ways. Some express, others repress. Some focus inward. Others look outward and choose to find brightness by shining whatever light they have on others. Sometimes, the best way to cheer yourself is to cheer another person. Try it. It will take your mind off your problems. Something happens when you see other people who are in the same or worse situation than you are. It lessens the complaining and resentful attitude that’s building up inside of you. Instead, it breeds thankfulness in your heart.

But there is another ever-present invisible force in our lives that has not only swept across the entire world, but actually created it. God carefully crafted every single person that lives on this planet, including the healthcare heroes that we applaud as they walk out their front doors, the essential personnel who provide us with the resources we need to get through each day, the scientists who are studying this outbreak meticulously, the press who brings the latest updates to us, and the officials who gather all of the information to make decisions that will keep our communities safe.

God has always used ordinary people to carry out His extraordinary plan. He told Noah to build an ark to save themselves and the animals instead of just speaking an ark into existence. Before a huge famine, God sent Joseph a dream that led him to store up food that would tide the population over for 7 years. In Egypt, He instructed the Israelites to paint their doorposts with the blood of a lamb so their firstborn sons would be spared during the first Passover. After the Exodus, when the Israelites were bitten by snakes in the wilderness, they were told to look to Moses’ staff and they would be healed. Naaman was a leper and searched the world for a cure, but was only healed when his servant told him of God’s prophet Elisha, who told him to bathe in the Jordan seven times to be cleansed.

Having faith in God our Healer doesn’t mean we can just sit back and do nothing. Just as God asked all of those biblical heroes to take a step in faith by taking action, we as believers are expected to do the same in the midst of this pandemic. As followers of Christ, we are called to honor and respect the decisions of those who in leadership (Romans 13: 1-7), which means following the shelter-in-place guidelines and wearing masks when required. We are commanded to love our neighbor (Mark 12:31), which means taking the necessary precautions not just for ourselves, but for those around us who may be in at-risk populations. And above all, be a source of encouragement and hope for those in your community (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Even though it is safer not to physically go to church or social gatherings, attending church or bible studies online and calling up friends can be a wonderful way of honoring God and His call for believers.

These are trying times that we are living in, and it is more important than ever to put our faith in God, the only constant in a rapidly changing world. Honoring His commands and adhering to the guidelines of those that the Lord has put in places of authority can be our “step of faith” that will slow the spread and bring healing.

This is a strange time that we are living through. The whole world being shut down. Food shortages. Toilet tissue shortages. People not working. A sense of the unknown. Yes, it is a strange time and also a scary time. People are dying. People are scared.

When you don’t know what tomorrow might bring, it can bring on a sense of overwhelm, fear, and anxiety. Some people try to go on as if everything is okay. I was one of those people. I didn’t want to fall into the trap of worrying and talking about the Coronavirus all the time. But the daily list of people dying or sick with the Coronavirus on my Facebook timeline was depressing. Seeing people getting into fights and arguments over a roll of toilet tissue was bad.

The final straw for me happened two weeks ago. One Saturday morning, I woke up and I just didn’t want to get out of bed. Corona had struck. Not my body, but my mind. I was sad. I had such a feeling of hopelessness. When would the world open? What would it look like when it did open? All questions that I could not answer. Actually, no one could. There were no answers.

But I am the strong one. I am the one other people come to. I handle problems. But this day, I knew that I needed to do something different. I needed to honor my feelings and work on taking care of me. I knew that it was okay to not be okay at this minute. Okay to not be in control.

So, what did I do? I listened to my body. I kept the curtains closed, I stayed in my pajamas and I watched Hallmark movies all day. I didn’t call anyone. I didn’t look at my social media. I got lost in the romances happening on the screen. Each episode ending happily ever after. I journaled about my feelings. I said out loud that I was upset, scared, worried, mad, curious, anxious. All of the things that I was feeling. I admitted it. And I felt better. I prayed and listened to praise and worship music. I cried. I cried for the people who had died from this disease. I cried for the people who were fighting through. I cried for the people who had lost their jobs. I cried for me. And with each tear, I felt lighter. I felt at peace. Tears are not a sign of weakness. They are cleansing. I felt so much better the next day. Once I admitted that I was not Wonder Woman and that I was not good…things became better.

Don’t be afraid to give in to your feelings. Do whatever you need to do to take care of you. Just know that we will get through this.

I have an amazing husband of 15 years and four precious children, 3 daughters and 1 son. I am blessed! I love Jesus with all my heart! I am thankful for the strength, wisdom, and healing He has given me in my life of being delivered from a home of alcoholism, domestic violence, and fatherlessness. I am passionate about the call that the Lord has on my life. I have been a nurse for 16 years and a pastor’s wife for 9 years. I have also served in children, youth, women, and marriage ministry. Currently, in my job as a nurse, I am a Youth Wellness Nurse for our local Indian Health Care facility. I work within a diabetes prevention program. My focus is on preventing diabetes and chronic disease among youth 0-18 years old. I work with the medical providers to identify youth at-risk due to childhood obesity and work with their families by educating about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity to prevent diabetes and chronic disease. I also assist in the diabetes clinic and provide education to patients in regards to healthy eating and physical activity.

In our communities, there is always a need for creative way to engage people in physical activity. I have been a fitness instructor for three years and have taught step aerobics at wellness center where I work. I look forward to providing Shazzy fitness classes at the wellness center and at our church, and perhaps, in the community in open areas. I am confident that I can start a fitness or health ministry by inviting people from the community to join in Shazzy Fitness classes and connect with people and offer prayer and encouragement from God’s word! I could also add in nutrition education as well. Holistic wellness is important to me and I believe that we must honor God by taking good care of the bodies that He gave us. Also, God desires for us to experience life abundantly, and I believe, by eating healthy and exercising, we prevent many diseases that would otherwise limit us from being active in our lives, doing God’s kingdom work and ministry! I see Shazzy Fitness as a fun way to exercise to uplifting encouraging music with a message about our God! Amen!

Instagram models. Sports bras. Yoga pants. The gym seems saturated with it. In fact, you’re the only person wearing a tshirt for miles around.

Like all the good things that God has created, sometimes, humans use them for the wrong reasons. This is more true for health and fitness than it’s ever been, so today, you’re going to find out why fitness has a place in your Christian life, and why you should embrace it. And boy, let me tell you, I know how you’re feeling.

I decided a while ago that I wanted to train to become a competitive athlete, but I was concerned for such a long time that it wasn’t ‘Christian’. I worried that I was going to do it for the wrong reasons, that it was going to become self-serving. To be honest, the worry in itself should have shown me that my heart posture was already rightly placed. I wanted to compete in sports to inspire other women, and to show them just how resilient God has designed our bodies to be. But I was so wrapped up in thinking that at some level I might be doing it for the approval of others, that I almost gave up on the idea altogether. But I didn’t, and you shouldn’t either.

So whether you want to be a bikini model competitor, professional Crossfitter, or just somebody who’s passionate about inspiring women to take steps towards a healthy lifestyle, you’ll want to read on and find out why God calls us into the fitness industry.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

—1 Corinthians 10:31

Fitness can help grow our relationship with God. Those gruelling workouts that feel the toughest are when I feel closest to God. God uses fitness to grow characteristics in us that he wants us to use. Mental toughness, persistence, resistance; struggling through workouts helps us to grow so that we are better equipped with life. 

Do you ever get through a really tough run or workout and think at the end of it, ‘I’m glad I showed up for that’? Even though you hated every minute of it, the reward was better than you could’ve ever expected or imagined. We are taught through the practice of exercise that on the other end of the struggle, there is greatness lying in wait. And even through the midst of a hard workout, having faith in a God that is good reassures us that He is carrying us. We can appreciate that Jesus Christ knows how we’re feeling, because He took the burden of tremendous torture onto Himself so that we don’t have to.

Fitness gives us a whole new perspective of God’s grace and grows our relationship with Him. Fitness can be used by God to serve His purpose. 

All good things from God can be twisted to elevate the self, it’s just something that we’re very good at doing as humans. Unfortunately, that has appeared in the fitness industry, with men and women alike placing importance of their body image over everything else, and basing all of their happiness on whether they ‘look good’. This is a form of idolatry, and God calls us to avoid falling into these traps. This isn’t because God wants to take away all the fun, but because idolatry, especially self-idolatry, transforms us into people who are hurting.

Being obsessed with the way your body looks and placing all of your happiness on it will ultimately end in misery. You’ll be stressed on the days that you’re bloated, you’ll snap at people who don’t understand the diet plan you’re following, and you’ll constantly compare yourself to others. This is not a happy way to live. More importantly, it’s not how God wants us to live.

But fitness doesn’t have to be like this. We just have to change the dynamic. Having God in the forefront of your mind when it comes to health and fitness allows you to make decisions for the good of the kingdom. You want to be a fitness professional? That’s amazing, because God has given you the skills to inspire and help other people to become their healthiest self. You want to be a competitive athlete? Using the gifts that God has given you in fitness allows you to demonstrate how resilient God has made our bodies. It allows you to show others that they can achieve similar things because God has given of all us different gifts and designed us to be able to withstand enormous pressure.

Instead of wanting to achieve these things because you want to stand on a podium and hear everyone chant your name, change the dynamic. Achieve these things so that you can be the one chanting God’s name because of what he has done through you. 

"For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."

—1 Timothy 4:8

As Paul says, health and fitness are important, but making sure your relationship with God is strong is most important. Using fitness as a tool to show God’s goodness and how He wants to help us and rescue us is a desire that He put in you in the first place, so don’t be afraid to use it!

The old hymn, “Because He Lives”, says:

“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives, all fear is gone.

Because I know He holds My future

And life is worth the living just because He lives.” 

Even if we can’t take part in all of the traditions that we associate with Easter, let us seize the opportunity to get back to the true meaning of Easter. The death and resurrection of Jesus means that we can face every day without any fear because we know He is in control. Although our lives have taken on a new look, it is still worth living and celebrating, simply because of the fact that our Savior lives. Each day comes with new developments that we might not know of or be prepared for, but God knows them because He holds the future. Jesus lives, which means we get to live in communion with Him.

Why do we describe Good Friday as “good”?

Because looking back on that day, we are able to recognize that Christ’s sacrifice, although painful, led to our ability to have a direct connection with God. If such a day can be celebrated, this Easter should be all the more celebrated despite the unexpected circumstances. Let’s all resolve that even if this is not a typical Easter, we’re going to make it a good one!

Many churches are live-streaming Easter services on Zoom, Facebook Live, or other online platforms, so it is easier than ever to join in worship, Bible study, and fellowship with the body of Christ. I would encourage you to still dress up in your Sunday best, take photos, sit down together for a meal, and have some family fun. Call loved ones and share in the festivities. Celebrations are what you make of them, and Easter is far more than the Easter Bunny or an egg hunt, so this might even be a chance to start a new family tradition or two!

Once again, Happy Easter to you all! I pray that this Easter would be a time of reflection and commemoration of Jesus’ resurrection, and a celebration of the new life that we are all given in Him.

This year as I thought about what I wanted to do for Lent, I decided to do something different. I decided to declutter. During Lent I made up my mind to not only declutter my home, but to also declutter my life. I am getting rid of stuff. But I love my stuff. I hold on to my stuff. I always think I might have a use for my stuff at another time. Just like I have stuff that no longer serves me, there are also activities that no longer serve me. 

For starters I made up my mind to only shop when it was absolutely necessary. Next, I decided that every day I would pick out five items to give away. This includes clothes that I don’t wear, books I don’t read, dishes I don’t use. You get the picture. I have a bag by the door to put things that I am giving away. My new attitude is everything must have a place. If it does not, then it has to go.  

Getting rid of the things in our life can be hard. We have formed a relationship with them. It can become overwhelming because we often don’t know where to start. We really don’t know if we should keep it or give it away.  To help me with this process I ask myself three questions.

1. Does it look good on me?
2. Have I worn it recently?
3. Have I used it recently?

This helps me to let go of the item. I have found that the more stuff I have, the more time and money I waste. I waste time when I have to search for something in all my stuff and I waste money because when I can’t find it, I often buy it again.

Like me, you probably have a lot of reasons why you have accumulated and keep your stuff. But remember this, just because an item still has use, it does not mean that you have to be the person to use it. If it no longer brings you pleasure or is no longer useful, then give it away to someone who will get pleasure from it right now.