text: The thing is... those things all may happen. But they don't change the fact that this will likely impact at least one person in a beneficial way. That the information will be communicated, whether I say it well or not. Or that there will likely be people who do understand and will be able to experience a better life.
  I've decided that I'm done being hesitant. I don't want my fears to keep me from blessing and helping others. I am confident in this message, and the only potential road block I see to delivering it is me!
  I want to see community fostered through life changes that bring about freedom from addictions, eating disorders, anxiety, stress, over eating, and degenerative diseases. I want to see people awaken to the more of life that can come through taking care of their whole self. I want to see the Body of Christ strengthened to bring God's love to their families, friends, co-workers, and cities for decades without being hindered by poor health. I want to see people free from disease and dependency on medications. I want to see memory function increase with age. I want to see cancer rates go down. I want to see diabetes lose ground. I want to see people healthy and whole!
  As believers, I think we can be leading the way.
  So, without knowing quite how to start or where I'll end up, I'm putting together a webinar that gives an overview of what I'm moving towards. I sat and thought and prayed for what felt like forever just to come up with the title. You can see it here in this image, "It is well with my body". For those of you who are familiar with the hymn, "It is well with my soul", it'll ring right away.
  I chose it because, from what I've seen, we often neglect the body aspect of our being. We have bought the idea that our bodies are separate from the spiritual, and that they do not effect our soul, our mind, or our spiritual life.
  I want to challenge that mentality. I think who we are called to be, as followers of Christ, has everything to do with what we eat, how active we are, how much sleep we get, and/or how much stress we allow in our lives. There is a ton of biblical support for that, and little that suggests otherwise.
  When I think of the principle behind taking care of our body, a particular encounter Jesus has continues to come to my mind.
  In John 8, a woman who was caught committing adultery is thrown in front of Jesus by the prevailing religous leaders of that day to test what he would do. These religious leaders then quoted a law that said when a woman is caught in adultery, she should be stoned.
  Jesus writes something in the sand and then says to them, "Whoever hasn't sinned should throw the first stone." Of course, none of those gathered could honestly say they had never sinned. So, one by one, they just walked away.
  When Jesus was alone with the woman, he asks her, "Is there no one to condemn you?"
  She replies, "No one, sir."
  Jesus then says, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on, don't sin anymore."
  As strange as it may seem, this story makes me think of the lifestyle choices we make regarding our health. I think it's easy to become embarassed or feel shameful about not eating the way you know you should or being active how you think you should. I also think it's normal to expect to have memory loss, have pain, or maybe even get diabetes when we reach a certain age.
  Some of us experience a confrontation with the consequences of our choices. We receive results that say we're pre-diabetic, that we're at risk for heart attack, that we'll have to be on medication for life, or worse.
  In majority of these cases, I think we have the opportunity Jesus offers this woman. He doesn't condemn us. He helps others to realize that we've all made unhealthy decisions. And he offers us a clean slate and a new opportunity, "Go, and from now on, don't sin anymore."
  This woman encountered grace. Her life was spared. She was given opportunity to change her future and the consequences she might have had.
  Similarly, no matter where we are in our health journey, we've got the opportunity and grace to change the direction of our health. We don't have to become diabetic, at risk for heart attack, or live on medication for life. We don't have to be in a wheelchair or use a cane by 70. We don't have to live on the edge of death!
  I am 100% convinced that the decisions we make now determine our future. God's grace is always there to step in, to heal, and to bring opportunity for change.
  With all that said, I want to invite you to the pre-launch of my webinar. I will be highlighting the connections between following Christ, living the abundant life, and taking care of our health. I'd love to get your feedback as I continue to take steps towards my dream!