Have you ever heard of the story of the frog in boiling water? If you put a frog in a pot of boiling water it will instantly leap out. But if you put it in a pot filled with pleasantly tepid water and gradually heat it, the frog will remain in the water until it boils to death. Crazy, I know.  But to be honest, I've seen humans play out this scenario time and time again. For example, there's a convenience store near my gym. I've become familiar with the staff there since I go there quite frequently. I've noticed a girl who works there…

Matthew 7:14: "For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it."

One of the craziest things about us humans is that we have a tendency to make things more difficult than necessary.  It's like my dad used to say "if you do it the hard way, you get it done right."

Almost every time I meet with a new prospective client they give me all the "politically correct" answers for wanting to get in shape...

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."  Philippians 4:13.  This passage is one of my favorites. It guides me whenever I am facing challenges.

This past weekend I was blessed to attend a women's conference at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie.  I love these types of events!  Not only do I get to spend time with my sister and friends but I get to be filled up with worship music, inspirational speakers, humor and motivation!  You can't help but feel good when you are there!  

"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" Mark 8:36

All too often, I encounter the client who seems to have it all together on the outside, but in reality their souls have been forfeited.  

When my nieces and nephews were younger I had the ultimate privilege of hanging out with them on many occasions.  Sometimes just because and other times when care was needed. Even though I wasn't their mama, they took notice to the things I did. 

"As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly." Proverbs 26:11.  I've used this passage before but it bears repeating, especially as we head into a new year.

2 Corinthians 4: 8-9 says "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed"

What's better than Proverbs 25:16 right now? It literally says... "When you discover something sweet, don’t overindulge and eat more than you need, for excess in anything can make you sick of even a good thing." We've got a house full of Halloween candy. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and all the holiday treats are about to make their entrance.  It's a perfect storm for overindulging and eating more than you need. If you know me, I NEVER advocate for completely cutting out ALL treats. In fact I coach my clients to eat some "fun foods" each week. The key is to stay within…

Many folks live with a 'good enough" mindset. Good enough is a "half assed" mindset that basically says you do the bare minimum (and even sometimes less than that) to get things done.  That's not my style.  And I encourage it not to be your style either.

Yesterday was the 40th running of the Twin Cities Marathon - The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America! If you are like me, you stop everything to take it all in.  Marathon Day is one of my favorite days of the year! A happy place! So much goodness packed into one perfect fall day! And yesterday was no exception! 34 years ago my friend and I were curious.  What is the marathon anyway?  It was hard to visualize people running 26.2 miles from the Metrodome in Minneapolis to the Capitol in St. Paul.    So without the assistance of Google maps, runner…

1 Corinthians 9:27 is one of my favorite passages.  "I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified."  It's all about leading by example. This hits home big time because I'm a parent, husband and business owner.  Many are looking to me as the example.

When it comes to transforming your body, nutrition is 80% of your success.  You simply cannot outwork poor nutritional habits.  Don't get me wrong. Exercise is vital for weight loss and reshaping your body. But if you don't put the necessary effort into your nutrition, you will never look the way you want to.

The other night I read a great quote from Zig Ziglar, a well known author and motivational speaker.  It said "Remember, failure is an event, not a person."  It got me thinking of times I had failed.  Not just one or 2 times, but multiple times...

Before coming to Puravida I ran marathons. Some were by myself and some were with a great group of running friends.  I absolutely loved to run!   I started running when I was 16 years and covered a lot of ground in the 30 years that followed.  All of my races and training programs brought life lessons, but my last marathon stands out the most. 

 

Philippians 3:14 says "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."  When working toward any worthy goal you are bound to experience frustration and setbacks.   I've always been very goal oriented and have definitely experienced frustrations and setbacks. But as the passage says, I always pressed toward the mark for my prize.

It might look like your fitness goals are done for 2022.  Don't give up! Call an audible.
 

Lately, I've experienced some setbacks with my finances and my business.

It feels like life has given me a hard push knocking me back and leaving me feeling stressed and anxious.