I can’t eat meat or dairy at this point in my life. They both cause discomfort and unpleasantness in my body. I’ve spent the last 11 years explaining over and over and over that avoiding gluten is about decreasing my fibromyalgia pain and not about […]
Tag: spiritual journey
5 Ways to Taste and See
Sweet. Sour. Salty. Bitter. Savory. Taste is one of our five senses, and, as it turns out, there are five ways to taste. A quick search of scripture yields verses that include samplings of all five ways to taste and see that our Lord is […]
What Went Wrong?
Today during my training I failed a lift. It was a weight that I’d successfully lifted before. Since it’s my practice to video my lifts, my coach advised me to watch the video to figure out what happened. He wouldn’t let me redo the lift […]
Certificate of Participation
My powerlifting career began the moment I watched a woman at the gym bench pressing. Before that day, I had seen mostly men on that piece of equipment. Having grown up with four brothers, I wanted so badly to give it a try. Have you […]
You’re Not Everyone’s Cup of Tea
One green tea bag, a cinnamon stick, milk, and honey to taste. I take a deep breath and stare at the teapot I’d just filled. Since I have to be back at work in 45 minutes, I set the timer on my watch for 30 […]
“You. Know. Better. Than. That.”
There was time to run to the corner store in the small gap between Sunday School and the church service. We purchased two bags of barbecue-flavored potato chips and a roll of Peppermint Lifesavers and tucked them inside Auntie Lisa’s purse. My mother’s youngest sister […]
Where Could I Go But to the Lord?
“Where could I go? Where could I go? Seeking a refuge for my soul. Needing a friend to help me in the end. Where could I go but to the Lord?” This precious memory comes to life with the close of my eyes. As a […]
Stop Thinking the Problem is the Problem
Sometimes the problem isn’t the problem. I’ve been struggling with tightness above the front of my knees. I tried elevating my legs, Bengay, heat, ice, rest, and so on. Most things only gave me temporary relief. Then I read an article that quadriceps stretches are […]
Calloused Hands, Not Calloused Hearts
I left the soft-hand life behind last year. On deadlift days, chalk mixes with sweat filling the ridges of my hardened callouses. Pulling 280lbs off the floor requires hands that can handle the pressure. Hands harden in response to training. Callouses help protect our hands […]
Abba, Father.
I hand my passport to the agent, who kindly asks me to lower my mask as he examines my documents. “Welcome, Mama!” the warmth of his greeting takes me by surprise.