WARNING: Long Read Ahead!

Pivot Then Live It is our website and ministry devoted to serving people who want to start living a healthier lifestyle. Courtney and I have spent the last year busting our butts in an effort to change the way we eat, the way we drink, the way think…and basically the way we live. We used to live EXTREMELY unhealthy lives. I was 450.6 pounds! I was miserable! I couldn’t walk 5 yards without stopping for a breath. I was in the beginning stages of diabetes. I had super high blood pressure. My cholesterol levels were through the roof. Basically…I was living to die. That all changed the week of March 14, 2022. Here is our story…

The Rude Awakening

Pivot, then live it! That became our “life motto” in 2022. 

At the first of the year, Courtney and I were very unhealthy (me much more than her) physically (if we’re honest…mentally, and spiritually too). Then…a wake-up call.

On March 14th, we were boarding a plane to head out to Las Vegas with our daughters and some friends to celebrate our youngest’s 21st birthday. When I booked the flight, I paid extra so that I could get the “big boy” seat on the emergency exit aisle. After all, I was a “big boy”. 450.6 pounds to be exact!

Anywho…I started to buckle myself in and realized…I needed the dreaded EXTENDER for my seatbelt. I was so big that the normal seat belt would not rein in all my “girth”. So I got the flight attendant’s attention and asked her nicely for the extender. She then proceeded to inform me that since I was sitting in the emergency exit aisle, I could not use the seat belt extender. That I should have booked the more expensive “bigger seats” in the front of the plane. Then…she brought over another flight attendant and they both discussed my situation at length. That was then the decision was made that if the flight was to take off, I had to switch seats to a section that allowed “seatbelt extenders”. The move was on.

The second flight attendant proceeded to go and start asking passengers in the forward section of the plane if they would mind switching seats to accommodate my “girth-related” situation. The first few said no…but eventually, they found a nice couple that would allow me (and Courtney) to switch seats with them. It was an unfortunate event that I’m sure plays out multiple times a week for these “less expensive” airline companies. I wasn’t embarrassed per se, BUT…it gave me cause to ponder all of the inconvenience that I had caused by being a guy of girth.

As we touched down in Vegas, one of the attendants explained to us that if we had booked the same seats on the return flight, we would have to go through the ordeal again. The good news was, I had booked two front-row seats on the flight home just so I could have some leg room…PLUS…the last time I flew to Paradise City I flew in a front-row seat and I was able to have an extender.  I felt like I was good to go for the trip back. 

We spent 3 glorious days in “Sin City”, then sadly, it was time to head back to civilization. So we all packed up and headed for McCarran Airport. After making a big pull on a “one-armed bandit” in the terminal and winning $200, it was time to board our flight back to Texas. 

Upon boarding the plane, Courtney and I sat in our front-row seat, and I immediately asked for a seat belt extender. “Seat belt extenders are no longer allowed on the front row,” said the flight attendant. So then began the whole musical chair process again. Luckily, I was able to switch with a lady…BUT…Courtney had to stay in her seat as only one person was willing to change seats in the “big belly” section. The whole trip home was spent rubbing elbows with a gentleman whose idea of personal hygiene was…I honestly don’t know what his idea of personal hygiene was because he did not practice this most basic life skill. Like before, I wasn’t embarrassed so much…but I was disappointed with how I had allowed my body to become this stumbling block for basic activities in my everyday life. And, I was upset that my size was not just an inconvenience for me (and my family)…but for other people, I didn’t even know. Because of my “situation,” I was forced to make other people change their plans and switch seats they had already planned for and purchased. It was a “rude awakening”.

The truth was, I was weighing in at 450 pounds. I had the beginning stages of Type 2 Diabetes. I was a cheeseburger away from a major heart attack. And, I had a daughter turning 21…and I wasn’t sure if I’d be around to see her turn 31. 

Now…before you start yelling at me…I know that we all gotta go at some point and a car wreck or snake bite could easily cause me to take the “eternal slumber” and not see my daughter’s 31st birthday…BUT…I started to realize that outside of those types of circumstances that I cannot control, I was making poor choices that were impacting me physically and mentally in a negative way. 

It was time to PIVOT!

As soon as the plane touched down in Tejas, I was on my phone researching how I could change my life (physically and mentally) for the better. I knew I wanted to be healthier. Courtney and I had recently talked about cutting all the processed and preservative-filled “crap” from our diet just a few months earlier, so we were at least thinking about ways to be “better” stewards of the body God gave us. 

About that time, I somehow (God did it) stumbled across Andy Frisella’s 75 Hard. 75 Hard is a program that teaches folks how to own their destiny!!! It’s “awesome sauce”! It transforms physical and mental habits and encourages growth in the area of overall health…both physically and mentally. Through his program, Andy dares the participants to 1) start a diet (any diet); 2) workout twice a day (one workout has to be outside); 3) read 10 pages of a self-help book every day; 4) abstain from alcohol; 5) drink a gallon of water per day; 6) take a progress picture each day; 7) NO CHEATING! If you cheat, you start over. You do all of these things for 75 days straight. At the end of the program, you will prove to yourself that your mental endurance is more powerful than you think. And, you’ll create habits that will help you with lifelong change…for the better!

After reading many (many) articles and posts about 75 Hard, I knew I wanted to attempt it…and finish it. So I then started trying to figure out what my “diet” would be. As I said, Courtney and I had already had conversations about cutting out all the unnatural processed foods and preservatives, so I knew I wanted that to factor in. I also knew that I didn’t want to go on a fad diet like Keto. I had done Keto in the past and had good results…the only problem with me and Keto was…once I got off (for whatever reason) I gained all the weight back I had lost, PLUS MORE.

I also knew that I didn’t want to go the surgery route. As long as I was still able physically and mentally, I wanted to avoid any type of surgery. I know some people have no choice. Their current physical state won’t allow them to lose weight naturally and surgery is the only avenue.  BUT…my body was still able to perform workouts and eat healthily…so I wanted to proceed that way. After much (much, much) research, I decided to attempt a low-calorie diet. Which…at the end of the day is not really a diet…but a naturally healthy lifestyle. 

I waited to kick off 75 Hard until Sunday, May 15th (2022). I wanted to get through the stresses of State Testing that Texas schools go through annually toward the end of each school year (Courtney and I are both teachers in Texas). In other words, I wanted to make sure there was not going to be a chance for stress and anxiety to make me stumble as I began this endeavor. 

I also wanted to make sure I had ordered and received all of my reading materials for the challenge. I knew (and still know) that God was needing me to draw closer to Him, so I wanted to read books that help me dive deeper into His love for me AND I wanted to research (read) books that highlighted God’s plan for Christian men specifically. Men have become a masculine cliché… a punching bag if you will… over the past few decades. I believe it’s time for men to stand up (in Christ) and begin to honor their commitment to themselves, their families, their community, and their God! So I ordered books that dove into that very subject.

And…I knew I wanted to walk…a lot… on this new journey of 75 Hard. So I ordered new shoes and new walking shorts. Once my “walking outfit” and books had arrived, AND State Testing was complete…IT WAS TIME TO START 75 HARD!!! That’s when life started to get FUN!

The Pivot: Turning From The Unhealthy “Crap”!

Throughout those first days of the “75Hard Program,” I began to notice a change. NOT JUST PHYSICAL…but mental as well. The pivot I was making from unhealthy to healthy was starting to impact my mental toughness as much as it was my physical toughness.

Before starting 75H I was…let’s just say…I had a hard time following through. I would start something and either get bored or frustrated, then quit. I had good intentions, but somewhere along the way, I just didn’t feel like completing the task. This is sad because I’m the type of person who will jump off a cliff if I feel like what’s at the bottom of the cliff is rewarding. I’ll jump in head first and give 100%…but there are times when I just wouldn’t ever reach the bottom of the cliff. I grabbed hold of a shiny rock sticking out on the way down and stopped my fall before I got to the base of the cliff. Oh…did I mention I’m ADD? <Squirrel!>

But for this endeavor, 75 Hard, I wanted to see it through to the end. I wanted it BAD. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve completed things in the past. I don’t want you to think I was “a quitter” with every journey I ever started, but this time was different. This wasn’t for financial gain. This wasn’t for status gain. This wasn’t even for personal pride gain. This was for a life change. For better health and better mental focus. And once I got a taste of what life could be like through better lifestyle changes, I was hooked…addicted if you will. Being healthy became my drug of choice.

I didn’t even miss the alcohol. Don’t get me wrong…I wasn’t a “lush”. But I did enjoy my bourbon and Irish whisky from time to time. But I began to notice I didn’t miss it…at all. I am (was) a bit of a social drinker. But my mind and body began to enjoy not having the excess calories that are associated with “adult beverages”. Sounds crazy right? Not really…it’s simply a desire to be healthy. 

Furthermore, in reading 10 pages of self-help or inspirational books a day, a mental shift began to take place. I wanted to know more about God’s plan for my life. I was learning more in those 10 pages a day than I did when I was pursuing my Masters’s degree in education. The knowledge intake was amazing. And the life application was phenomenal. I was reading Phil Roberton’s “The Theft of the American Soul”, Mike Yarbrough’s “Tending the Fire”, Jerry Boykin and Stu Weber’s “The Warrior Soul”, Stephen Mansfield’s “Book of Manly Men”, and Brad Minor’s “The Complete Gentleman: The Modern Man’s Guide To Chivalry”. These books were having a major impact on how I viewed other people, how I viewed various circumstances, and how I viewed myself. The mind shift was awesome!

After about a month into the challenge, Courtney began to notice a change in attitude as it pertained to my eating habits, mental focus, and spiritual aim. She wanted to be a part of the journey and partake in the good things that were coming from this newfound lifestyle. So exactly one month to the day when I started 75 Hard…Courtney began her journey to a healthy lifestyle. 

She did not want to do all of the reading, progress pictures, or water drinking…and she only wanted to do 1 workout a day…but her mind and body were ready to start getting healthy. So on June 15th, Courtney began her health-conscious pilgrimage. And she never looked back. She didn’t want to count calories at first…she wanted me to do it on my “My Fitness Pal App”…which I tried to do, but between inputting my meals and snacks and her food, it got confusing. So after about 2 days, I convinced her to download the app to her phone. It wasn’t long until she was entering her food intake like a champ. It truly is easy y’all. She utilized the free version of the app. I cannot stand ads…so I paid for the upgrade to have the ads removed. I’m that guy.

It was around this time that we agreed that eating healthy would come much easier if we could purchase our fruits, vegetables, and meats from local farmers and ranchers. We had already been frequenting a roadside produce stand on the outskirts of town for about a year and a half. We loved getting fresh produce. So we decided to up our visits to this particular stand AND we agreed it was time to start visiting FARMERS MARKETS. One of the best decisions we’ve ever made as a couple.

The whole farmers market lifestyle is one of the pillars of our new life. It’s not nearly as important a pillar as Jesus…but it is still a very (very) important part of our new way of living. We began to shop at farmers’ markets and produce stands more and more, and we started shopping at the “big box” stores less and less. It wasn’t long before 80-90% of our groceries were purchased at farmer’s markets and produce stands. Sure, we still got our paper goods, cleaning supplies, dog food, and toiletries from the name-brand stores. We even purchased “snacks” like Good Pop fudge ice cream bars, protein bars, lentil chips, and veggie straws, as well as out-of-season fruits and veggies…and of course…ALMOND MILK. But the majority of our groceries were now coming from local suppliers. All natural beef. Free-range chickens. Humanely raised pork. And all the freshly grown vegetables and fruits you could shake a stick at.

So many people were like, “It’s gonna cost you an arm and a leg to buy your food from farmer’s markets. You’ll never sustain it!” Blah! Blah! Blah!

The fact is, it does cost more. We’re buying our food from mom and pop who have to do all the harvesting themselves. They have to do all the marketing themselves. They have to set up at farmer’s markets or on the side of the road and sell their product to their customers. There is a lot that goes into growing and raising your own crops and livestock to sell to the general public. So yes…it does cost more. There’s more effort, sweat, and love that goes into natural products than goes into processed foods with all their preservatives. So we are willing to pay extra for our all-natural foods. 

WITH THAT BEING SAID…we began to notice that all the other “crap” that typically ended up in our shopping cart when we shopped at the big box stores was no longer showing up on our shelves at home. No more Twinkies. No more sodas. No more cupcakes. No more potato chips. No more candy bars. NO MORE UNHEALTHY STUFF! And when you add up the cost of those items and add it to your total grocery bill…we are paying around the same for going all natural at the farmer’s markets and produce stands. It balances out.

As I quickly approached my 75th day of the 75 Hard Program, I started to realize how easy it could be for me to “slip” back into old habits. You see, research shows that it takes a person roughly 60 days to form a habit. Which is why Andy Frisella made the program 75 days. To form good habits. BUT…I needed to be sure that those good habits were set in place FOR GOOD! So I extended the challenge to 90 days. I continued doing all the things associated with the challenge for an additional 15 days so that I would without a doubt have the newly formed physical, mental, and spiritual habits securely embedded.

After 90 days of, excuse my language, hard @$$ work…I was down a total of 97 pounds. I had gone from 450.6 pounds to 353.6 pounds. Two workouts a day (at least one was done outside). One gallon of water a day. 10 pages of a self-help book a day. One progress picture of myself every day. I maintained my “diet” every single day. I did not drink any alcohol any of the 90 days I was challenging myself. And…I never “cheated”! Not once.

It was one of the most rewarding things I’d ever done for myself. It was beautiful. It was amazing. It was a God thing!  I had challenged myself…and I had proven to myself that I could do amazing things if I put my mind to it and see it through to the end. It was a total physical and mental shift. And it was AWESOME!!!

But…the journey was far from over. Courtney was still in the midst of her challenge, and we still had milestones to meet! 

The Faith, Family, and Farmers Market Pivot

As the initial chapter of our newly printed healthy lifestyle story came to an end, we were determined to keep building upon the characteristics and traits that had brought us success. Faith. Family. And FarmersMarkets. These 3 areas, which we like to call “the foundational pillars” of our family’s “pivot”, have become the driving force behind the success we’ve had over the past 6 months.

What’s crazy is how that mindset has extended beyond health and physical wellness. As we’ve come to terms with the fact that we can do anything we put our mind to (y’all…I was 450.6 pounds and had lost a ton of weight in a healthy balanced manner) we began to focus not only on setting (and hitting) health and wellness targets but also life-changing targets like growing a ministry…starting a business…and helping other people achieve their best life too.

FAITH

The area of our lives that has been most impacted throughout our journey has been the Strengthening Of Our Relationship With Christ. We’ve been intentional about maintaining communications with God through steadfast prayer, and we’ve been diligent about reading, studying, and reflecting on His Word.

“Alexa” now fills our home with praise and worship music (as well as Classical music), and we’ve spent countless hours doing deep dives in our Bibles as we attempt to grow stronger in Christ. I’m not bragging by any means…I’m letting you in on what we believe to be an area of our life that needs to be continually cultivated so that we can discern what is truly important in life from the distractions that Satan throws at us on the daily!

Our pursuit of God and our desire to know His will for our lives has opened our eyes (and hearts) to see the many opportunities for service within the various communities we are part of. We are desperate to be obedient, and we are constantly looking for ways in which we can help people.

We are growing more and more passionate about Helping Others Succeed.

We love Sharing Our Healthy Journey Experience!  Since starting our healthy lifestyle journey, Courtney and I have had tons (I mean TONS) of people reach out to us and ask us how we’ve accomplished what we have. We love taking the time to talk about what we’ve done to build a sustainable lifestyle of health and well-being. We can talk for hours on the subject. We even talk to people on the street (literally) who have noticed our weight loss and stopped to ask how. We love it!  AND…we love offering as much information about what we’ve done (our personal experiences) as we can in hopes that the person listening will find something in what we share that will help them start down their own healthy living path.

I recently had a conversation with my pastor and expressed to him a stirring in my heart to share our journey with members of the church who want to pivot and start living a more healthy life. He agreed that it’s something the church needs…something the world needs right now. Courtney and I are praying through what a ministry like that looks like and how best to minister to people who want to change their life for the better.

FAMILY

It goes without saying (or maybe it should be said) that Courtney and I have grown closer together during this pivot to overall well-being.  We now have newly discovered “things in common”. We both want to honor God…even more than we did. We both want to be mindful of what goes into our bodies in an effort to stay healthy. We both want to help others who are struggling with unhealthy habits. We both want to be more financially responsible so that we can enjoy retirement AND so we can partner with our church to minister to folks in our community who need help (spiritually, relationally, financially, etc.).

We’ve also had opportunities to work out with our daughters from time to time. That’s precious time that allows us to reconnect with our kids and find out what’s happening in their lives. They’re in their 20s and we rarely get a chance to see them due to their busy schedules. It’s nice to have chances to get caught up with all that’s going on in their lives, and it allows them the opportunity to ask us for advice. It’s the little things in life that can bring the most joy.

In addition to strengthening relationships within the immediate family, we have opportunities to strengthen relationships with other family members and friends (friends are family y’all) as well. Once they hear about the health choices we’ve made and they see the benefits of living a more health-conscious lifestyle, they want to connect and ask tons of questions and ask for advice. We love to share what we know (which is only what we’ve experienced). As stated earlier, we can speak for hours on the topic of God, working out, healthy eating, and buying fresh foods from local farmers and ranchers.

FARMERS MARKETS

“Farmers Market” is our code word for “healthy living”…be it our daily food intake, daily workout routines, mindfulness, and stress management. Fitness is another area of our lives that continues to evolve and grow is our desire to become even fitter. We’ve joined a Gym and we are focusing on upper-body and lower-body development.

To sum up this current chapter of my life, as it relates to fitness, I like to tell folks, “I was fat at 50, and fit at 51! In other words…we’re going to focus on “toning up” this coming year.

Courtney and I feel comfortable enough with our healthy eating and fitness habits that we can now begin to turn our focus toward building stronger and more efficient bodies. Adding muscle and toning will be major goals this coming year (2023). It’s been over 25 years since I went to a gym with a plan to get healthier. We’ve consulted with a trainer and he’s identified the specific exercises and weightlifting equipment that we need to use to meet our current, and evolving, goals. We did opt for the “premium” level at our local Planet Fitness so that we can take advantage of the “aqua massage” and massage chairs. #Spoiled!  This next part of our health and wellness adventure is gonna be a trip y’all…stay tuned for that!

Farmer’s Markets (and produce stands) have become a major foundational part of the health and well-being aspect of our life! 

We love actual farmer’s markets! It is another area of our lives that we will continue to pour time and effort into. What started as a way for us to get access to all-natural foods has turned into an obsession. Now we find ourselves making “farmer’s market hauls” on the road…not just locally! We’ve begun to visit popular (bigger) farmer’s markets throughout Texas. The hobby has evolved into a passion that we want to document and share with the world.

The relationships we’ve built with our local suppliers (farm and ranch owners) have been phenomenal, and they will forever be our source of amazing meats, vegetables, fruits, and of course coffee (as well as homemade products that everyday mom and pops pour their heart and soul into)! Our idea of “grocery shopping” and the impact it has on our bodies has changed. Thanks to roadside produce stands and pop-up farmers markets, we now know what to shop for and how to shop as it relates to buying foods that benefit “the temple”(i.e. our bodies)! Courtney recently returned from a trip to Tuscany, Italy where she noticed that the local market was the everyday shopping experience for the small communities throughout the countryside. It was just a way of life for them. It’s how they all get their groceries. I love that. We need more of that!

Which reminds me. If you have a favorite Farmers Market or small roadside produce stand in your area…let us know. We want to find time to visit them ALL.

Faith, Family, and Farmers Markets have been crucial parts of our success and are the 3 foundational pillars of what has become a well-balanced life. In our case, it all starts with faith…then all else falls into place. If we’ve learned anything through the early stages of this lifelong process, it’s that on our own, we can’t succeed…but by God’s grace…we can!

No Pivoting Back!

Faith, Family, and Farmers Markets have been crucial parts of our success. They are the foundational pillars of what has become a well-balanced life. In our case, it all starts with faith…then all else falls into place. If we’ve learned anything through the early stages of this lifelong process, it’s that on our own…we can’t do it. We can’t conjure the strength to hold ourselves accountable. We can’t make the shift mentally to work out regularly. We can’t bring ourselves to push past the pain that our bodies go through when we “hit the wall” when we work out. WE CAN’T…BUT GOD CAN! 

Throughout the beginning stage of this journey of transformation, Courtney and I have identified various passages of scripture that relate to what we have experienced. We like seeing where God has taken us (and is taking us) through the eyes of scripture. It’s a simple way of confirming we are doing His will and not focusing on selfish gain. PLUS…who doesn’t love to read the bible?

One word that has constantly popped up throughout our journey is “pivot”. I’ve used it as I’ve discussed how we had to pivot from the path of unhealthy living to a path of physical and mental well-being. Others have used the word “pivot” as they’ve described what we’ve done in their own words. AND…several of the Sunday sermons we’ve heard in church (and via podcasts) over the past few months have used the word “pivot”. 

I really do love the word “pivot”. It gives us this picture (and hope) of being able to turn from a path that leads to bad choices, bad experiences, and bad relationships…and choose a different path that leads to goodness and blessings (the Amaze-balls Path).

As we examined our newly found journey, we identified when (and where…and why) we chose to pivot then live a different life. A life that better aligns with God’s plan for us. A life that allows us to minister to other people by sharing our experiences. A life that allows us to grow closer to God, family, and friends. And a life that allows us to partake in the awesomeness that is…the farmers market (you knew I’d squeeze that in here somewhere)!

What God started when I discovered the 75Hard Program is still coming to fruition. He constantly brings folks into our lives with questions about pivoting to a healthier life…and we LOVE to talk about the strategies and hacks that have brought us success.

We’ve searched, with intensity, for scripture that best summed up our new life experiences. When we stumbled across Proverbs 3…we knew we’d found our “life verse”. This entire passage lays out a way of life that we’ve embraced. It talks about being kind and giving abundantly from the bottom of our hearts. It covers pursuing wisdom and being an upstanding citizen. God shows us the importance of loving our neighbor and being humble. If ever there was a roadmap to living a healthy and balanced life…this is it. The complete scripture can be found at the end of this post. What I want to focus on right now are verses 5 and 6 which read:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

    do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek His will in all you do,

    and He will show you which path to take.

~Proverb 3: 5-6

This one brief passage of scripture (31 words) brings to light this idea of “Pivoting” and changing direction from a path of destruction to a path of righteousness. Pivoting from the race to fame and fortune to the race of selfless sacrifice. Pivoting from toxic relationships to friendships with people who love and respect us. Pivoting from addiction to drugs, alcohol, food, or porn, to a path filled with hope and the power to overcome the demons that have us trapped. In other words…pivoting from the things holding us back THEN pivoting to a God who wants us to succeed beyond our own understanding.

By pivoting from a sedentary life dictated by food and laziness (sloth) to a life that centers around spiritual, physical, and mental well-being, we were able to break free of the mindset that had us convinced we were meant to be overweight and unhealthy. We had grown comfortable in the mediocre, and we were missing out on the blessings God had intended for us to have. 

I think back to that fateful day on that plane ride to (and from) Las Vegas where I was “trapped” and forced to sit in a seat that I didn’t want to be in. A seat change that forced other people to abandon their plans of sitting in a specific seat (one they had paid for) so that the guy who couldn’t control his unhealthy lifestyle could sit somewhat comfortably. What a dadgum shame! 

While I’m on the subject, it wasn’t just airplane seats. I had to stop going to baseball games because the seats were too small (OK…I was too big). I love baseball. The path I was on was interfering with my quality of life. Something had to change!

In addition to my big body in little spaces issue…I could not walk down the stairs in my house (our bedroom is upstairs) without turning sideways, grabbing the wall or the handrail, and hobbling carefully at an angle…hoping I didn’t fall (because 450 pounds falling down the stairs would not end well). Going upstairs took me forever, and when I finally reached the top, I was totally out of breath. Y’all…I was knocking on the door of a heart attack! (p.s. now I can run up and down those stairs)

I had to Pivot! Not only did I need to pivot, but I needed a plan that would allow me to live a better life. THANK YOU 75HARD PROGRAM!!! I have no doubt God brought this program into my life. It literally saved my life! I didn’t just choose to pivot…I chose to live it. I was ready to live a life of healthy eating, mental focus, and strength and endurance growth.

I had to trust in God and not in my own understanding of what “living” was. I had to trust that the path He had in store for me was far better than the path I was currently on…a path of destruction. 

I had to Pivot…Then Live It! It was a Mindshift…not just a physical reset. It was a choice made…that saved my life!

Why am I hammering this home??? Because we feel God laying it on our hearts to live out Proverb 3. Not only are we going to be living out Proverb 3…we’re going to share its sweet goodness with anyone. and everyone who will listen. We want the masses to embrace this idea of “Pivot Then Live It!”

We hope this book will encourage, inspire, and assist you as you begin (or continue) your healthy journey. We want to be able to encourage and inspire y’all because you encourage and inspire us!

Take comfort in knowing that if you are headed down a path that leads to a life that is less than what God has planned for you…you can pivot and live the life He wants you to have! It just takes that initial step…then it’s working to put one foot in front of the other. If you stick to it, you’ll start to notice how much more fulfilling the journey becomes.

My child, never forget the things I have taught you.

    Store my commands in your heart.

If you do this, you will live many years,

    and your life will be satisfying.

Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!

    Tie them around your neck as a reminder.

    Write them deep within your heart.

Then you will find favor with both God and people,

    and you will earn a good reputation.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

    do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek His will in all you do,

    and He will show you which path to take.

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.

    Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Then you will have healing for your body

    and strength for your bones.

Honor the Lord with your wealth

    and with the best part of everything you produce.

Then he will fill your barns with grain,

    and your vats will overflow with good wine.

My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline,

    and don’t be upset when he corrects you.

For the Lord corrects those he loves,

    just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,

    the one who gains understanding.

For wisdom is more profitable than silver,

    and her wages are better than gold.

Wisdom is more precious than rubies;

    nothing you desire can compare with her.

She offers you long life in her right hand,

    and riches and honor in her left.

She will guide you down delightful paths;

    all her ways are satisfying.

Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her;

    happy are those who hold her tightly.

By wisdom, the Lord founded the earth;

    by understanding, he created the heavens.

By his knowledge, the deep fountains of the earth burst forth,

    and the dew settles beneath the night sky.

My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment.

    Hang on to them,

for they will refresh your soul.

    They are like jewels on a necklace.

They keep you safe on your way,

    and your feet will not stumble.

You can go to bed without fear;

    you will lie down and sleep soundly.

You need not be afraid of sudden disaster

    or the destruction that comes upon the wicked,

for the Lord is your security.

    He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it

    when it’s in your power to help them.

If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say,

    “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”

Don’t plot harm against your neighbor,

    for those who live nearby trust you.

Don’t pick a fight without reason,

    when no one has done you harm.

Don’t envy violent people

    or copy their ways.

Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord,

    but he offers his friendship to the godly.

The Lord curses the house of the wicked,

    but he blesses the home of the upright.

The Lord mocks the mockers

    but is gracious to the humble.

The wise inherit honor,

    but fools are put to shame!~Proverbs 3