Fit for the Kingdom

I'm not writing this to show off. I'm not writing this to show how good I am. I'm writing this to maybe inspire some of you ladies to do the same, and to love who you are.

Somehow, I find myself every year thinking, how did summer come so quick? And then I take out the bathing suits, and put them right back. As ANY girl knows, it's a struggle to love your body. Maybe it comes with just being a girl, but every girl struggles at some point. I found myself sitting in front of the television, eating chips and dip more times than I can count. At first you don't notice a difference, or at all, until you try on those clothes that used to fit, or you get on that scale at the doctors. It's gut wrenching. 

There came a time recently where I was sick of all the excuses, sick of feeling like crap, and did something about it. I dusted off the workout shoes, and put those babies on. And let me tell you, it's been the hardest thing I have done, but the most rewarding for sure. It did not all come overnight either. I struggle daily with the decision to just watch TV and eat my favorite snack, or to get my butt outside for an hour and work it out. It changes your body, that is one thing, but you don't realize until after a while how it changes your mind and perspective. You start viewing yourself differently, you start looking at the world in a new way. You feel good about yourself. 

Great, you say.... I've been working out forever and never feel that way. Well, that isn't the only thing that has helped me feel better about myself. I have chosen that no matter what, two things are the most important in my life in this season. NUMBER ONE: Spending time with my Father. He knows me best. He knows my weakness, He knows my heart, and He understands. Even in the times that I don't want to do things, God whispers, "get out, go do it, you will not regret it, and I will be with you". No matter what, I know this is the most important thing, spending time relaxing in His presence. He  helps me on my workouts. When I feel like giving up, I look up and say, HELP!! And almost instantaneously I feel this push to keep going. To push through, and keep on going. Not only does this work in working out, but it works in all areas of life. It amazes me how God uses situations in life to point to Himself. He is SO GOOD.

NUMBER TWO: Being Healthy. As many of you know, I will be heading off to YWAM in Montana in the Fall. It hit me the other day, and realized, if I wanna do all I can do for Christ, I need to start being healthy. Often I get people saying, Megan, you are so skinny, you don't need to do that. No, actually, I don't do any of my workouts to necessarily "lose weight", I am doing it to stay healthy and be fit. God said to take care of His temple, and our bodies are the temple. During one of my workouts recently, my body was aching so hard, and I felt like giving up, but something inside me said, "Well maybe if you took care of the temple I gave you all along, you wouldn't feel this much pain.." BAM... God sure knows how to motivate me. 

So what this whole blog is, is to encourage you. GET OUT THERE! Do something you love to do. Whether that be running, biking, walking, dancing, whatever it may be, PUSH yourself. Do it until you can't breathe. It will hurt, but after you do it, you will be so proud of yourself, and God will be too. 

I will post some of my workouts for you guys to read and maybe follow if you are lost in that area. But seriously... get out there. Don't let excuses run your life anymore. Give those excuses to God and see what He says about them. :) 

For everything there is a season..

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Isaiah 43:2

So, I haven't updated my blog in a while, and thought that this would be the perfect time to do so. A lot has happened, and I feel as if God has been teaching me a lot in the last month. From having more patience, to my parents moving 1,500 miles away, I have had a lot of change in my life.

As many of you know, my parents have wanted to make a move to Arizona for a long time now. Well, they finally made their dreams a reality in the recent weeks.  In the middle to end of May, my parents sold their business, and decided to pack everything up and move to Arizona. I did not think it would go as fast as it did, however, but within the next month, my parents had sold their business, and just this last Sunday, they headed on their journey south. I stayed behind because in September, I plan on heading off to YWAM in Montana, and it just wouldn't worked out for me to move for only a couple months. It has been one hard transition, and I feel like it still isn't complete for me, but I'm getting there.

It's been a pretty rough transitioning from living with my parents, to not having them here. I've had to do things I've never done before, and it has just left me thinking, "When did I grow up? How did this all happen so fast?" I know that God has a plan, and everything will work out for my good, but right now I just feel so overwhelmed by the emotions, and things I have to do. And this is where God has gotten me the most. Put down the lists, put down the emotions. Lay them all at the cross. That is what I keep hearing in my head. That's what I keep feeling God is trying to teach me on a daily basis. I have had to constantly be in the mind set of, His will will be done, and to just relax in His presence and let Him work out the details.

I was listening to a sermon on Elevation Church app, as I always do in the mornings, and Pastor Steven was talking about this in the one I listened to this morning and it hit right at home. We all pay to be apart of something. Whether that be a club, or membership, we pay. We can pay in time, energy, or even money. If we want it, we will pay for it. God wanted us, so He paid the price for us by sending His son to die. So, if He did this, why would He just abandon us now? He wouldn't. If you paid for something, wouldn't you go to that place, or use that item? OF COURSE you would! So this is kinda what God has been teaching me. That He hasn't abandon me, that He paid the initial price for me, and will continue to do so until the work He has for me here is finished. He will never leave me. He is always right beside me.

As I get ready for YWAM, and prepare for a basically whole new life, I know I will have challenges, but I know that if I am just patient to wait on God, and His timing, everything will work out, and it totally has already! He is definitely providing for my needs for YWAM, and even daily life, and I am ever so grateful! He is so good to us. :)