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.
 

I just got back from my annual turkey hunting trip with my dad to the Black Hills - perfect timing to resend this oldie but goodie to you guys.

I love hunting because it requires patience and endurance...and definitely builds character. You learn to keep going with the hope that you will be successful even when dealt lousy conditions or setbacks.




 

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice."  Proverbs 12:15.  When I was younger, I could jump right into a workout and crush it with very little or no real warm up.  As I have grown older and wiser I have learned how important a good warm up is.  I follow the military rule of the "7 Ps."
 

Today, while we have accepted different body types, being fit is fashionable, and this is unlikely to change anytime soon. We all want to look our best at the beach, fit into that beautiful dress and moreover be healthy so we can enjoy all that life has to offer, to the fullest. However, when it comes to fitness, you may have many questions but often find genuine answers challenging to come by. Puravida Fitness wants to arm you with the most accurate information to help you make informed decisions. To do this, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about losing weight and getting in shape.

Does this sound familiar?  You start working out and going to the gym daily but after awhile you see little or no movement on the scale.  Yes, you feel stronger, have more energy and endurance but your clothes aren't fitting differently and you don't see the changes in muscle tone you wanted to despite the fact you are killing yourself at the gym.

A recent survey stated the average gym goer spends 11.7 hours per week on their health and fitness regimen.  That's a lot of time to invest in something.  With that much time invested, you would hope to bear some "good fruit" in the form of results.

As you probably know by now, I love football.  It has always been a BIG part of my life. I've played and I've coached.  I'm not a huge TV watcher but I love watching football on the weekends during my down time.  Whenever I'm watching I go nuts when a winning team decides to take their foot off the pedal and play the dreaded "nickel prevent defense."  What is that play all about and how does it relate to health and fitness?  Read on to find out

During my almost 27 years of personal training I have accumulated multiple certifications and tons of continuing education credits. While those accolades have been a big part of developing my training knowledge, they aren't nearly as valuable as the practical experience of training for a specific event or dealing with an injury.  Getting injured is a trial we all encounter at some point in our lives.  For me, it has become an opportunity to learn more about the body and support myself and our clients better.
 

And it shall be said, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people's way." Isaiah 57:14.

Skiing in the mountains is one of my favorite things to do.

I've been skiing out in Colorado since I was a kid.

One of the biggest challenges on the mountains are mogul hills.

 

"Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense."  Proverbs 12:11.

According to a recent survey in usnews.com, the average American spends 3.1 hours per day watching TV.  Digitalmarketing.org puts the average social media time at over 2 hours per day.

When I look at these numbers it's apparent most of us have plenty of time to kill.

The problem along with killing time is we are killing opportunities too.
 

"I have the right to do anything," you say—but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything"—but not everything is constructive. 1 Corinthians 10:23

I don't know about you, but summer is always the biggest challenge for me to stay on track with EVERYTHING.

"For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up." Proverbs 24:16.  Too often we when we fail (fall down) we think of it as a negative thing. This shouldn't be the case.  Have you ever heard the term "failing forward?"  Thomas Edison knew this. One of his most famous quotes is "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."  Failing is really learning.

 

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear." 1 John 4:18.

Fear is defined as "an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat."

Do you remember the last time you felt REAL fear?

 

My days are filled with coaching, instructing and counseling my clients through all kinds of challenges.  If I'm being honest, it can be very rewarding but also very frustrating at the same time.  You see, there are people who truly are their own worst enemies.

Jeremiah 8:5 says "Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return"

Two of the most dangerous words are "good enough."

These words breed complacency.
 

Ever wake up feeling tired and unmotivated?  Believe it or not, I do!  One of the passages I NEED to read every morning to get my mind right is Philippians 2:3-5.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus"   

Last Monday was one of those days. I woke up feeling tired and unmotivated.  I was having a pity party because I expected it to be a long challenging day. (Insert sad violin music here.)  How did I FLIP THE SWITCH?  Read more here.

If God were looking over your shoulder, would you be doing things differently?  

Would you be going through the motions or are you consistently giving 100% in all you do?

Colossians 3:23 created a big shift in my mentality.
 

It never ceases to amaze me how we will meticulously take care of our automobiles but completely neglect our bodies.

Only to act surprised and shocked when our health takes a nosedive after years of filling our body with junk food while starving it of exercise and proper nutrition.

The body we have is the body we've earned.

Would you be surprised if your car quit running if you never changed the oil or took it in for a tune up?


 

"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." James 4:17

I work with a lot of people. So many of them know the right things to do, but they rarely do it.  I hear it all the time - just like the scripture says.

I call it the "Should Syndrome."

There are at least two significant moments where encouragement changed the course of my entire life.