She came to me with three specific goals: strengthening her VMO, glutes, and inner thighs. Before meeting her, I wouldn’t have known what a VMO was, or so I thought. I knew it by another name: bodybuilders call it the teardrop muscle. But when your […]
Category: PRAY SWEAT EAT REPEAT
The Strength of a Woman
There’s a phrase I can’t stop thinking about. It’s the Hebrew phrase “eshet chayil,” a descriptive term used in one of the most well-known passages in Scripture. “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.” Proverbs 31:10 ESV You […]
Names Matter
At a powerlifting meet, the coach of my competitor introduced himself and then asked for my name. After I said, “My name is Alida,” he laughed and said, “I’ll probably make up a name for you by the end of the day because I’m terrible […]
Prepare Our Hearts
Like a reporter, Luke begins his Gospel with a careful investigation. Because of him, we have the accounts of Elizabeth and Mary’s miraculous pregnancies. Through their personal stories, we glimpse the wait for the Messiah and see how we can prepare our hearts for His […]
From Confused to Confident: A Look at Mary
We meet Mary as a young teen in the gospel of Luke, suddenly swept into God’s redemptive story. She is “confused and disturbed,” before she declares, “my spirit rejoices in God my Savior”. In her story, we see one of Scripture’s most beautiful progressions of […]
Becoming a Modern-Day Anna
I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few weeks reading and re-reading about Anna the prophetess. I think what attracts me most is her age. Especially since I am one of the oldest women at the gym I go to, I love having […]
Appreciate the Outcome
Isn’t waiting supposed to get easier as we get older? Right now, I am leaning into God for strength. Striving to appreciate the outcome, no matter what happens. My left leg is sore and swollen. If I take more than 4000 steps in a day, […]
Push Away From the Floor
Push away from the floor—a simple cue that I’d forgotten. Tired and frustrated with my slow progress on deadlifts, I grabbed my phone, recorded a whiny message, and sent it to my powerlifting coach in Belize. I thought he would text me. But no, it […]
Strength is a Skill
I am convinced that strength is a skill. A skill we learn and master strength over the course of time. Physical strength isn’t just about muscle mass; strength training requires the brain and body to work together efficiently. I am discovering that over time, with […]
Self-Soothing or Self-Care?
In spite of my disciplined fitness routine, I was today years old when I realized that I needed to make a choice: self-soothing or self-care. For me, self-soothing comes naturally. A package of gluten-free Oreos, washed down with sugar-free Dr. Pepper while binge-watching Netflix, takes […]