Is planning even possible right now? This question hasn't just come across my desk...it has crossed my own mind several times throughout the last year. Double the good news: I'm right there with you, and yes, planning is still possible. We just have to continuously purify our motives + refuse to lose sight of the mission. Because the truth is: we often over-complicate forward progress. Whether you come to the workshop on Wednesday or not: the simplest path forward is found through listening and meeting the needs of others. So if "planning" stresses you out, I wonder if maybe you've simply fallen into the habit of doing a lot of talking and putting your own desires in front of the needs of others. (It's easy to do!) In a letter to the church at Corinth, Paul emphasized his role in the work God had called him and a ministry partner to do like this: "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow." - 1 Corinthians 3:6 Have you been so busy trying to make it grow... that you've lost focus on the "planting" and "watering" associated [...]

"I didn't know how much I needed this..." "I didn't know how much I needed this..." has been the resounding echo since class ended on Wednesday with Liz + Summer of Healthy, Whole and Free. Let's be honest: body image is usually a heavy subject. And while Liz + Summer didn't shy away from any truth, they simplified why it often feels so heavy: because we attempt to carry it on our own. Truthfully, this may be the first time you ever listen to a faith-based fitness conversation and leave feeling lighter. Liz challenged us with this question in class: "What have you not participated in fully because of your dissatisfaction and distraction?" ^ That's what they mean when they talk breaking free from body image bondage. It's difficult to be effective for the Kingdom and truly show up in our lives if we are self-focused. And that's exactly what poor body image does. We become distracted from what matters most by our dissatisfaction with ourselves. This convo is not the typical advice you hear. But that's kinda what we do around here, as what the world typically shares is rarely what is [...]