My near death experience was worth it if it inspires you!
I was at a meeting on Sunday with a great group of people. We
were meeting at the headquarters of Healing Waters (www.healingwaters.org). Healing
Waters International is a nonprofit organization providing safe water solutions
in communities where poverty is compounded by contaminated water. While I was
listening to the presentations I was reminded of something God put on my heart.
Some of you might know this story but in August 2009 my
family was in England enjoying a home exchange. My husband had just returned to
a meeting in the US and I was going to spend the last week with my three
children who were 14, 13 and 11.
I woke up one morning feeling off. I was nauseous and a bit
week. I just didn’t feel good. Over the next five days I deteriorated. I went
to the doctor who had no answers. Another doctor came to the house –no answer.
My husband was wondering if he needed to fly back. My mom wanted to get on a
plane and help. My kids didn’t know what to do.
By day five I was scared. I really couldn’t do anything. I
hadn’t eaten anything. I wish I could help you understand what I was going
through – every cell in my body felt like they were dying.
I was taken to the hospital –no answers but they gave me lots
of IV fluids. I flew home needing a wheel chair to get on and off the plane. I
know the people sitting near me really wanted their seats moved because they
did not want what I had. The flight home brought the most challenging hours of
my life.
From the plane we went straight to the hospital – no answers.
Back home for a day and back to the hospital. We finally had a diagnosis. I had
a parasite (cryptosporidium) from the drinking water in England. I know, who
goes to England and gets a water parasite.
By this time my digestive system was in bad shape and my
liver results weren’t great either. For 13 days I didn’t eat and then for 10
days an extremely restricted diet. Not a good way to lose weight!
So back to what God reminded me of at the Healing Waters
office last Sunday. I believe God allowed me to go through this so that I could
share it with you. I know this because one morning when I was lying in bed
asking “WHY??” I heard the word “inform”.
So often when I am talking to someone about a challenge in
their life they say, “You can’t understand what I am going through because you
haven’t walked in my shoes.” I have walked in the shoes of someone who is
suffering from a parasite. I have felt the incredible misery of this disease. I
would have died of dehydration if I didn’t have access to medical care. My kids
would have watched me die.
It makes my heart absolutely break for the moms who watch
their children die from a parasite.
There are great ministries whose goal is to allow everyone a
clean glass of water. They bring them physical water but offer them living
water too.
Healing waters has developed a purification system that
takes disgusting water and makes it safe for drinking. They are looking for
people who are willing to band together and make a change. Click here to see how you can get involved
I really mean this….. I am thankful that I went through this
experience if it changes any of you to be moved to action. Like I said, I have
walked in their shoes and I felt their pain.
Be A Tebow
My husband recently forwarded me an article about Tim Tebow’s testimony. I knew there was going to be something that was really going to grasp my attention in this
article. When I read this sentence it was as though God put neon flashing
lights on it. I knew this was what I was supposed to share with all of you.
At the 2010 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Tebow offered the closing prayer, “Thank you for bringing together so many people that have a platform to influence people for you.”
Can you imagine if all sports and entertainment figures used their platform to reach the world with God’s message? But even more can you imagine if we all used our
platform to spread the Truth?
This is what hit me; we ALL have a platform; your home, your office, the stands at your kid’s sporting event, the grocery store…….. Your mission field is all around
you.
Doesn’t that make life exciting – you are no longer just going to get your hair cut you have been given a moment to share God’s love with the person cutting your hair. You
are not just going to a job you are going into the mission field that God has prepared for you. Think about it everywhere you go today, tomorrow, and until
you die is your platform!
This gives your life purpose, a reason to get out of bed each morning. Taking proper care of your body will help you have the energy to go out into your mission field
and do what God has called you to do.
When Tebow used his platform at the University of Florida and put John 3:16 in his eye black, 92 million people googled the verse. At the end of the day will you get
92 million people google searching a verse – probably not. But could you play a part in changing the eternity of one – you bet!
My “Top 10″ to getting & staying at a healthy weight.
Happy New Year! Did any of you make resolutions? 70% of people make “weight
loss” part of their New Year’s Resolution. Sadly, only 6% succeed. If you
want to get to AND stay at a healthier weight here are my suggestions.
1. Ask God to help you, He cares about all parts of your life. Pray that He will give you
the strength to make healthy changes!
2. It starts with your attitude – Be thankful you are healthy enough to exercise. Be
thankful you have access to healthy food and clean drinking water. Don’t go – “poor
me I have to eat veggies” or “I hate exercising”. Imagine if tomorrow you were
in an accident and you couldn’t exercise wouldn’t you wish you could?? Imagine
if tomorrow you only had access to rice wouldn’t you miss a fresh apple?
3. Have your goals be based on your activities, not the results.
Goal: Eat 7 servings of fruits & veggies each day this week
Goal: Exercise four times this week (of course have Faithful
Workouts be part of your exercise routine!!)
Not: Lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks
4. Find a friend to exercise with – it’s more fun and the accountability will make a
differenc.e
5. Cut back on sugar. Sugar is addictive, it feeds cancer cells, and it causes weight gain, premature aging and a multitude of other health problems. Sugar, in all its forms, is taking a toll on your health. You might be thinking this is a bit extreme but I have researched what added/refined sugar does to your body and I can’t stress enough how bad it is. As sugar consumption has increased in our country so has the number of overweight people.
6. Get rid of your excuses. The biggest reason people don’t exercise is because they say they don’t have time. OK, do you find the time to shower??? Do you find the time to eat?? You will find time to do the things you value. Remind yourself daily why you are making healthy changes. If you really value getting healthy you will find the time to exercise and eat properly.
7. Put together a plan. If you wake up and say, “If I have the time I will exercise
today” it probably won’t happen. Write down in your calendar when you will
exercise and make it a priority. If someone asks you to do something and it is
during your exercise time just let them know that is not a good time for you.
Your exercise time is one of the most important appointments you will make.
8. If you want to eat healthier you have to have healthy food in your home. If you don’t
want to eat junk food don’t have it in your home. I know for some this is a
challenge because you don’t have total control about what food is brought into
your home. If someone is bringing unhealthy food into your home sit with them
and explain how much you would appreciate it if they would not bring it home.
You could also ask them to hide it if they do bring it home. I know that might sound crazy but if you don’t see the food you won’t be tempted to eat it. Have healthy food ready to go. If I have whole red peppers in the fridge and I am hungry I might not take the time to wash and slice them but if they are in a baggie ready to go I will eat them. (I know you might be thinking – well I have to have treats in my home for my kids. Your kids don’t need Oreos or junk food.)
9. Don’t go on a “diet”. When you put yourself on a “diet” it makes you
feel depressed. Instead just commit to eating healthier.
10. Like Nike says “Just do it”. I feel so bad for people who beat themselves up because
another year goes by and they haven’t made the changes they wanted to make. This is your year to stick with your plan for a healthier you. God wants you to care for your body. When you take proper care of your body you will have more energy, be sick less, have a better attitude……you will be in better shape
to respond to God’s calling on your life!
Please let me know if I can help you. I am here and I care about you!
Michelle
Don’t fall into this trap.
OK so here is a trap I think many of us fall into, we fear human
rejection more than we crave praise from God. John 12:43 says this, “For
they loved human praise more than the praise of God.” How many things do
you do or don’t do because of what people will think of you. Really, stop and
think about that – how does your concern about what people think influence the way you live?
When I turned 40 (also when I became a believer) one of the
biggest changes I noticed was that I was freed for being too concerned with
what people thought. Not that I don’t fall back to old ways but for the most
part I do not worry what people think of me. What a difference it makes when
you don’t have to make decisions based off of what others will think of you.
This is when life really becomes fun!
If you are searching for peace this is one change you can make
that will help bring peace into your life. You can try and live by God’s
standards rather than the worlds. The world will have different expectations
for you. One person wants you to live this way the other has a different path
in mind for you. Focusing only on God’s path frees you from all the confusion.
You might be thinking well you can’t just disregard what people
think because I don’t want to hurt people’s feelings. I believe if we really
try to follow God’s ways He will guide us to say and do what we should do. I
find the challenge can be in feeling confident that I am hearing how God wants
me to handle situations. If I pray and move in the way I hear God guiding me
than even if things don’t turn out as I had hoped (feelings get hurt) I still
have peace. The more I read the Bible I see that Jesus was always true to what
He was here to do. He was super kind and loving but He had a purpose and He didn’t
allow what people thought of Him to take Him off his path.
Along with John 12:43 here are three other verses that help me
when I fall into worrying about people’s opinions of me.
Galatians 1:10: Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of
people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s
servant (live this!)
1 Thessalonians 2:4: Our purpose it to please God, not people. He
is the one who examines the motives of our hearts.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14: Be on guard. Be true to what you believe.
Be courageous. Be Strong. And everything you do must be done with love. (what a verse to live by!!)
I hope this helps you have more peace and joy!
Michelle
New Faithful Workouts Youth DVD Series
Hey there – hope you are doing well!! I am so excited about the new Faithful Workouts DVDs series made especially for kids. The set includes three 30 minute workouts.
Finally — a Christian workout DVD series for youth that is fun, cool, uplifting and based on God’s Word!
After helping thousands of adults get physically and spiritually healthier, I felt God prompting me to produce a series of workout DVD’s with music, messages, and moves that kids will love.
If you are looking for something fun and educational to help your kids get healthier and learn more about nutrition and God’s Word, these workouts are for you. Each workout contains popular Christian music, cardio, strength training, stretching and a unique message of hope.
Instilling a lifelong appreciation for faith and fitness in our kids is not easy to do. But it’s essential if they want to live a life of joy and health. Faithful Workouts for Youth is specifically designed to help parents accomplish this important goal.
I have three kids 16, 14 and 12 and I’ve been working with middle and high school kids so I hear about the challenges facing them. It’s tough for them to get physically and spiritually fit.
You can watch a video clip of the new DVDs and purchase the Faithful Workouts Youth DVD series at http://faithfulworkouts.com/store
Thanks all for supporting Faithful Workouts and for helping your kids get physically and spiritually fit!!
Michelle
Can you help FW inspire others
If you feel Faithful Workouts has inspired
you on your journey to better physical and spiritual health can you help bring
this inspiration to more people!
I just received this letter from a
wonderful lady who has been working out with Faithful Workouts; I would
never believe that exercising would change my entire life. It has truely
allowed me many opportunities to witness.
Another wrote in and said, I can NOT believe how strong I’ve become in less than a month! Thank
you! Thank you!! We homeschool and have incorporated this workout every morning
at 9:30!!Recently, I lost a great friend in a car accident and each day, you
seemed to say exactly what my heart was crying…truly anointed!!
So cool to see how God is using
Faithful Workouts to reach people!
Here are a few ways you can help
Faithful Workouts
You can purchase one of the Faithful
Workouts items. I just added two new listings!
1. A “faithful” grey tank
top – $15.95 Free Shipping Until 5/1
2. A 3 DVD Box Set – $27.99 Free
Shipping Until 5/1
You can support Faithful Workouts
with a financial donation. Your money will go to spreading God’s message in
this unique way. Also, your donation is tax deductible because Faithful
Workouts has been approved as a non-profit!
(Think of it as paying for an
exercise class!!)
Please also keep Faithful Workouts
in your prayers. God promises that He hears our prayers!!
As much as I don’t like having to
think about money – I realize that in order to continue to deliver the Faithful
Workouts message I need your help.
Faithful Workouts is now reaching
people over the TV in Canada, South Africa, Great Britian and other parts of
Europe. Through the internet it is available all over the world!
Thank you for your support!
Michelle
What’s keeping you from being fit?
Do you want to be Physically Fit & at a Healthy Weight?
I would guess that if I went around asking people if they would like to be physically fit almost all would answer “yes”. If I asked if they would like to be at a healthy weight almost all would answer “yes”
So if people want to be physically fit and they want to be at a healthy weight why is it that the majority of people aren’t???
What’s missing in our life that is keeping us from getting fit and to a healthy weight? It’s what we want so why can’t we get there?
I believe what’s missing in so many of our lives is discipline. Why is it that we lack the discipline necessary to achieve these goals and what can we do to become more disciplined? (I also realize that eating healthy can be expensive so for some of you it’s not as much about discipline as it is about having access to healthy food.)
Ever since Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the garden we have battled with being disciplined. In reality most of us want to do what feels good and we don’t want to do what we don’t feel like doing.
I love when Paul says in Romans 7: 15 and 18 “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do…… For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”
This type of battle is going on inside many of us when it comes to our health. We know what we should do and we don’t do it. We know what we shouldn’t do and we do it.
How can we break out of this? How can we start putting into practice the disciplines that we know will help us achieve our goals of being physically fit and at a healthy weight?
First thing is to pray for God’s help. He cares about every part of your life so ask Him to help you make the changes you need to make.
Second, don’t over complicate it. Eat healthy and exercise. Eat fruits and vegetables, drink lots of water, eat breakfast, avoid sugar, watch your portion sizes, eat what God created (avoid packaged foods). That is a good starting point for eating healthy.
Exercise, do a Faithful Workouts program 3 times a week (5 would be even better). I suggest Faithful Workouts because I really believe they work. You might think – “well that sounds a bit arrogant” – but hold on. I believe in them because I know God has given me the passion to inspire people to get physically and spiritually fit. I feel God has given me this gift to share with others. It’s not about “me” being better than other instructors; it’s that God is directing me to help you get healthier. (I’ve also spent over 25 years in the fitness industry and have learned how to safely and efficiently work out.)
Three, for most people, if they want to change the way they live one of two things has to happen
1. Their current state is so miserable that they want to change to get out of it
2. They see great benefits attached to a different lifestyle that they will do what it takes to get there
Unfortunately, for many they can’t get motivated to take better care of their body until they are so miserable with their current health. They have a heart attack and so they finally make changes. The problem with this is too often people have a heart attack and instead of finally being motivated to make changes – they die.
Don’t wait until your current state is so miserable before making healthy changes because if you wait too long you might not get a chance to change.
I want to paint a very real picture of what life can be like for you. You feel strong, you have energy, you sleep well, you don’t suffer from depression, your clothes fit and you don’t feel guilty because you are finally doing what you know is right. Doesn’t that sound like the way you want to feel!!
I don’t know if you have ever thought this way about your physical body or if I am the only one. I think God created our bodies like they are for so many reasons. He created our bodies to need food to survive but we need to use discipline in our food choices to make our bodies function optimally. He could have created our bodies to not need food or that we could eat all we wanted and it wouldn’t affect our health but He didn’t. We have to use discipline.
I have heard from several of you who said once you discovered you could be more disciplined in how you cared for you physical body you were able to carry over being more disciplined into your spiritual life too.
Being disciplined will make your life better. It will help you live more in line with God’s plan for your life. The more we can get it into our sometimes stubborn brains that life is not always about what feels good at the moment. We need to be disciplined and think about the future benefits that will come along with doing the right thing instead of what feels good at the moment.
I want so badly for all you of to start making healthy changes to your life both physically and spiritually. Don’t miss out on the abundant life that God wants for you. If there is anything I can do to help please let me know.
I will be praying for all of you!
Michelle
Great healthy comfort food recipe
Creamy Chicken & Vegetables
This recipe gives you all the pleasure of comfort food but it’s still really healthy! Before you look at the ingredient list and think – wow there’s way too many ingredients I can’t cook this – keep in mind that you don’t have to use all the vegetables I listed. Use whatever you have in the fridge. Use only one vegetable. If you don’t have rosemary you can substitute tarragon, parsley or oregano. You can make changes to this recipe. I made it for dinner last night and it was a hit.
Ingredients
Olive Oil – 1 TBSP
Chicken – 4 breast with bone (I did it with skin but can use skinless)
Chicken Broth – ¾ cup
Celery – 4 stalks diced
Carrots – 2 large peeled and diced
Onion – 1 medium diced
Zucchini – 1 large diced
Mushrooms – 1 cup diced (I used shitake but use your favorite)
Grape Tomatoes – 12 sliced in ½
Sauce
2 TBSP
Flour – 2 TBSP
Skim Milk – 1 cup
Chicken Broth – ¾ cup
Yogurt – ¾ cup plain
Rosemary – 1 TBSP
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat over medium heat 1 TBSP oil in large pan, add chicken skin side down. Cook until skin is browned (about 7 minutes) add ¾ cup broth and all vegetables except tomatoes. Cover and cook on low heat for 40 minutes or until vegetables are softening.
In saucepan heat 2 TBSP oil and whisk in flour. When mixed and clumps are gone add milk and broth. Whisk until smooth. Add yogurt and rosemary. Cook on low heat until sauce begins to thicken.
Add sauce and tomatoes to chicken and vegetables and cook on low for an additional 15 minutes covered. Serve over brown rice, quinoa or farro.
Great Tasting, Easy to Make, Ultra Healthy Salads
When I was at the “Lose it for Life” conference in San Diego (http://loseitforlife.com ) the Sprouted Kitchen shared these two great recipes.
I’m so glad Steve Arterburn with New Life Ministries asked me to be a part of this conference. If you know of anyone who struggles with maintaining a healthy weight I highly recommend this conference. Next one is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 19 -23 in San Diego. I will be there with Paula and Francis!
Roasted Pear and Goat Cheese Salad
2 Pears
4 Tbsp Herbed Goat Cheese
2 Cups Lettuce
2 Cups Arugula
½ Cup Toasted Pistachios
¼ Cup Olive Oil
1 Shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
3 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste
Heat oven to 425. Half the pears and scoop the seeds out. Fill each pear with 1 Tbsp Goat Cheese. Place pears on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. For the dressing combine oil, shallot, mustard, vinegar and salt and pepper. Whisk dressing (or you can blend in a blender). Mix the lettuces together and toss with dressing. Place the lettuce on a plate, add ½ a pear on top of the lettuce and sprinkle with pistachios.
Kale Salad
1 Bunch Lacinato or Tuscan Kale
1/3 cup Whole Grain Breadcrumbs*
1/3 cup Parmigianino Cheese
¼ cup Olive Oil
¼ Cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
2-3 Cloves of Garlic
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
*To make the bread crumbs, toast day old bread, set it aside for 15 minutes, break into small pieces.
Fold the Kale leaves in ½ and cut away the hard spine (discard spine). Chop the remaining leaves of Kale. Put kale in large mixing bowl. In a blender combine oil, lemon juice, garlic and red pepper and mix. Add the breadcrumbs & cheese to kale, pour dressing over and toss.
The great thing with this Kale salad is it stays fresh for several days in the fridge!! Kale is so good for you try adding it to your favorite soup or stir fry!!
Back on TV
Some of you might have read this on my Facebook but wanted to let you all know that Faithful Workouts is back on TV. Here is the airing information:
NRB Network Monday – Friday at 9:30am EST
On Directv – #378
On SkyAngel – #126
Online only at 9:30am EST http://www.nrbnetwork.tv/WatchOnline/Pages/default.aspx
Angel 2 Newtwork Thursday at 5:30am EST
On Dish – #266
On SkyAngel – #102
My son asked me, “How did the show get back on” I answered with all sincerity “God”
Just to tell you a few parts of this story. My biggest challenges were music and production costs.
I was flying to a MOPS convention, as I walked to baggage claim I saw one of the greeters holding a sign with someone’s name with “MOPS” written underneath. I was pretty tired from a very delayed flight but I felt the urging to go introduce myself to the person who was also attending the MOPS convention. During the introduction I learned they were there to film the convention and they were based in CO. We spoke for only a moment but as I walked away I thought, “I wonder if that was a God moment”
I didn’t think too much about it until just after I returned from the convention and I received a call from the owner of the production firm. After several conversations this amazing man offered to film 20 TV programs and said we would worry about the money later. He brought his crew, tons of equipment, edited all the programs (takes hours) and said for the most part, pay what you can when you can.
As for the music – I had just said talked to my husband once again how challenging the music for the TV program and DVDs was. I went to teach a class and there was a women there that I had met briefly once before (her husband and I sit on a board together). We started to talk and I asked her what she did. She told me she was an intellectual property lawyer. I was like, what’s that. Part of her answer was, “I deal with music licenses”. After a few discussions and without me knowing she went to her firm and asked them to take on Faithful Workouts probono (no charge) they agreed!!
I also found a group of Christian artists whose hearts are all about sharing God’s word through music. They agreed to allow me to play the music on TV for either no cost or minimal cost.
So like I answered my son, the reason the show is back on the air is because God allowed it to happen and some incredible people listened to God’s urging to help Faithful Workouts.
Thank you God!!