Consistency is Key

"10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he knelt down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, as was his custom since early days."

For context, in an effort to sabotage Daniel's rise to power, some laws were intentionally passed that were in conflict to Daniel's faith.  Specifically, the new rules required idol worship.  Daniel refused, and instead remained consistent in his faith, specifically praying to God three times each day.  While Daniel soon found himself face to face in a den of lions, all things ultimately worked out in the end due to his dedication in his faith.

While we may not have laws enforcing idol worship today, our cultures worship ideas that are not always good:  unhealthy eating, unhealthy exercising, and unhealthy body image; providing the false promise that following an unhealthy idol will provide magical internal fulfillment and happiness.  This is truly Fake News!  Trust the Process: Remain consistent in your discipline with the long-term in mind.    

​​​​We just wrapped up an exciting week of assessments. This is a great time for new goals, renewing our commitment to the Process, and putting each of our individual lions behind us and moving forward to victory.  

Have a great week and don’t forget to Trust the Process! 

~Coach Michelle

Focus and Confidence

Be Strong and Courageous. Do not be terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Good Morning Worthy Family!

Assessment week is always an exciting time, but for some it can be nerve-wracking. I myself tend to get a little anxious during this time, but overall I feel a sense of accomplishment when I see how I measured up in each exercise. The results of your performance are indicators of not only the work you put in physically, but how you approach the task mentally.

Every day we are faced with new challenges in our lives. Your attitude and approach towards those challenges will always determine the end result. The workouts can be used a tool to help shape you mentally. When you are going through a rough day or feel too tired and just want to go home, I encourage you to get that workout in!

The goals you are working towards will not be achieved if you only do the work on the days you feel good. Each day when you are faced with a challenging task or situation, pause, take a deep breath, and attack that challenge with confidence and focus. 

I was scrolling through social media last night and saw many of you reach new heights in your strength and endurance. This is a testament to your hard work for the last few months. I want you to know that all of you are amazing. Remember to approach this week with confidence and focus! 

Coach Syl

Getting Your Mind Right

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.  Psalm 1:1-6

"You just can't keep one foot in the mud and one foot in the dry if you want success in your faith and in your life.  At some point, you'll need to decide where you will stand.  God tells us how he feels about indecision and living a double life on the fence.  Mature faith begins when we accept the responsibility of our actions and then make a firm decision to stand with Christ.  We will step in the mud from time to time, but we choose if we remain or if we step back on the path." -live bold-

I believe that this message can apply to many of you for many reasons.  It may be lifestyle related, faith related, or even relationships.  I think back to my teenage years when I had two different friend circles. One group was more innocent and stayed away from trouble for the most part.  The other group, not so much.  I sort of split my time hanging out with each set of friends and without a doubt, it delayed my ability to find my true identity.  It also led to me making some really poor decisions in my younger years while spending time with the not so innocent group.  After all, you are who you are by virtue of the company you keep. 

I love to relate these messages to health and fitness.  I see many people who act this way with health, weight loss or even muscle gain goals.  They are willing to do the workouts needed to be healthy, but not willing to eat the proper way.  It's balancing the fence between healthy and unhealthy.  The result is little to no progress with body composition.  These people can see progress in strength and even cardiovascular fitness, but their body composition is likely to stay the same.  

In order to have great success at anything, you have to be all in.  Identify the things that will help you achieve your goals.  Then identify the things in your life that are holding you back.  If the goal or goals are important enough to you, then you will begin to remove those obstacles one way or another.  It may not be all at once, but it's needed in order to reach those goals. 

Coach Mark

Be Careful Not to Dry Out

Coach Mary here. 

Ahhhh, a much needed shower soaks my very parched, brown grass. I am thankful for the rain, especially when the dry grass crunches under my feet. The rain this weekend was refreshing to the thirsty ground, and to my flowers. 

The gentle rain reminds me of my need for refreshing. I am guilty of letting my mind and my soul dry up, letting the cares of the day suck life and joy from me. Too often, I get caught up in what screams for attention, be it family crisis, the unknowns of tomorrow, important decisions to be made right away, or health concerns. There are so many things in everyday that can leave us dry, thirsty and crunchy.

Stop!! Rest!
Take time to refresh!
Maybe refreshment for you is a cup of coffee and a good conversation with a dear friend. Maybe refreshment for you is getting 8 hours of sleep, or perhaps it’s taking time to belly laugh and play with your kids, or a long quiet walk! One of the first places I go for refreshment is in the Truth of the Bible! I need the words of God to soak over my parched spirit and soul.

Psalm 42:1-2 says “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”    

Ahhhh! Refreshment! Find your refreshment, and let it soak over you!

WORTHY STRONG

Good evening Worthy FAM! Murray here.  :)

For those of you who are new to us, the coaches take turns in sending out a bi-weekly devotional to encourage you and share our story.  You may have seen the WORTHY STRONG shirts around the gym, and we wanted to let you know the story behind those!

This past April (2020) marked our one year anniversary in our current facility.  We had a one year anniversary party planned.. BUT THEN, COVID.  The mandated shutdown brought out so many fears and unknowns, and for those of you that have been around, you know that fear and unknowns haven't been strangers to our Worthy journey, thus far.  Yet again, we were faced with another opportunity (I can say that now) of growing our faith and to challenge us to dig deeper to grow our dependence on God.  

Mark and I have been so fortunate to have amazing coaches and clients that continue to inspire, encourage, teach, and pray with and FOR us.  When the shutdown started, we were sad, scared, upset, and very worried about what the future of Worthy would look like - "How do we train?" "How do we keep up with monthly expenses?" "How do we continue to care for our Worthy Family?" You are our friends, Worthy is our baby, together, we are a FAMILY.  "How long are we going to remain closed?" "Will people come back?" What happens to this business that we have poured into for the past 6 years?" "How long can we sustain paying for all of our expenses before we have to close our doors?" 

Mark went into protector and provider mode and started to look at our finances to evaluate the length of time we could self-sustain our business during the shutdown.  We started coming up with ways to cut business and personal expenses.  After a few days of trying to come up with a plan, we still didn't have one - we were also looking at what other gyms were doing.  We received so many calls and texts of our Worthy family checking up on us to ask what they could do to help.  We had a list of clients that we also knew were affected by the shutdown, so we started to check in with them.  One of those clients called us before we had the chance to call her.  She called to let us know that she wanted to continue to support us by paying for her monthly sessions.  WHAT!?! Here she was, twenty something, single, her job was affected by the shutdown, and she wanted to continue paying? 

WHY??

She said, "I prayed about it, and this is what I am supposed to do." OUCH, conviction hit me like a LOAD OF BRICKS.  Here we were, trying to figure out on our own how to make this work, and WE HAD NOT STOPPED TO PRAY ABOUT HOW HE WANTED TO WORK IT OUT.  Have you ever done this? I mean, come on... we know better than that.  We teach our kids to lean on HIM, we preach this, but we were trying to figure it out on our own.  At that very moment, we stopped, prayed, and asked for forgiveness for our selfishness, and asked God to provide the way for our business (HIS BUSINESS) to survive, should that be in HIS PLANS, not ours.  

We sent out options to our clients, and we were flooded with emails, calls, and texts from clients that had the means to continue to pay for their monthly sessions.  We did not expect the response we received.  YOU came together to support WORTHY, whether it was financially, emotionally, or most importantly, with prayer.   If you know Mark, this is something that was (and is) so tough for him.  He didn't know how to accept help and didn't like to ask for help, but HE was forced to accept it.  He got to see God's mighty hand, covering our business, providing for our family, PROTECTING WORTHY.  Dustin & Amy came up with the t-shirt design and it's true, all together we are WORTHY STRONG.  

Without HIM, Worthy wouldn't be.  HE has shown up time and time again - even when we forget to ask HIM first.  What have we been reminded of, yet again? This is all HIS, we don't have to figure it out on our own.  Psalm 121:1 says, "I lift my eyes up to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth."

Thank you for being a part of our Worthy FAM... and together, we are WORTHY STRONG.

What are Your Thoughts Saying?

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

A few weeks ago, as I was trying to get 1,000 things done, I had to put out a major argument between my two kids.  It was brutal!  One wanted a toy the other had and it was heading to be a fight to the death.  I seemed to be able to dissipate the fight only for it start again moments later.  After repeatedly redirecting the argument, they finally came up with a mutually beneficial arrangement of sharing the toy.  

Later, as I thought about how my kids were stuck in that negative cycle, I felt a tug on my heart saying, “you can be like that too.”  Whoa!  When my circumstances are not what I want, my thinking can get stuck too.  

We all struggle with negative thoughts; sometimes in our relationships (work, romantic, family, etc), but most often with ourselves.  “I’ll never get it.”  “I’m not good enough for that.”   “I wish I was more like them.”  Listen, even top athletes experience humiliating failure and loss. It’s a common battle for everyone.  That’s why it’s important to recognize these negative thought patterns and learn how to re-route them.  Acknowledge we have control over what we think.  

Next time you find yourself jumping to conclusions or replaying arguments, take each negative thought and replace it with something that is “excellent or praiseworthy.” 

Have a great week!

Coach Michelle

Self Care

“Dear friend, I Pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 John 1:2 NIV

Good evening  Worthy Family!

Let’s talk about self care. I am amazed at the hard work and dedication I see in everyone that comes into the facility. The 30-60 minutes of exercise is great, and as a coach it makes me happy.

After that 30-60 minutes of hard work what’s next? What healthy practices are you doing outside of working out? Good health is more than lifting weights, running, and good nutrition. Overall good health is a combination of a healthy mind, body, Sprit, and environment. Here are a few self care practices that are essential in building a better you for the second half of the year.

First practice is mental self care. Your thoughts and who you’re around greatly influence your psychological well being. A great start to developing a positive and healthy mindset towards life is daily affirmations. You will start to develop more self compassion and improve your self confidence. Are your family and friends helping your self confidence or hurting it? Who we surround ourselves with is another major key in developing  and maintaining good mental health. 

Second practice is Spiritual self care. Regardless of your religious preference meditation, prayer, attending a religious service, or other spiritual practices  Can help in developing a deeper meaning and sense of your life.

Third Practice is Physical. When focusing on your physical well being  I want you to look beyond working out. Look at the sleep your getting, how you’re refueling your body, and keeping up with your medical appointments. 

Three simple practices but, I feel we don’t focus on them as well as we should. Take the time this week to take a self inventory of yourself and your overall health. What are some things that you would like to see change? How will you change it? In order to change for the better it starts with you! 

Have an amazing week everyone! 

Coach Syl

Hopeful Prayer

Hello Worthy Family! 

Coach Mary here. 

Welcome back to Worthy Total Fitness!! We have missed you all and are so happy to see you again! And to those who are not yet comfortable with returning to the gym, we respect that. Please join us whenever you are ready! And to our new athletes, again we welcome you to the WORTHY Family!

Let me share a verse from the Bible that hopefully will encourage you this week. This is from Romans ch 12, vs. 12. “Rejoice in hope, be patient in trouble, be constant in prayer.”

There is so much to be hopeful for as we enter into June. We are hopeful for businesses returning to some degree of normal. We are hopeful for the summer, sunshine and warm weather. We are hopeful for a healthy community, and getting to see family and friends face to face! We are hopeful for a haircut. These are just a few things. 

Yet, there is still trouble in our lives. Cancer is still an everyday disease. There is conflict in our communities, and in our country. Not everyone is back to their jobs, or even know if they will have a job tomorrow. Many family members have not yet had the opportunity to exchange hugs. The verse in Romans encourages us to be patient and hopeful.

And it also directs us to be constant in prayer. Praying will bring peace, patience and hope when things around us are troublesome. Praying reminds us that we don’t have to do this thing called “life” alone. We do have a God who loves us and cares for our every need and concern. He knows every hair on your head, and your thoughts even before you speak them. And He loves you with an everlasting love. 

So be encouraged in hope, patient in trouble, praying to God who loves you.  

A Successful Future

We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  -2 Corinthians 4:18

"Your future is right now.  It consists of loving God and loving others daily.  String a few of those together and you will be able to see God in His fullest glory in and around your life minute by minute.  To build a successful future, focus on God's love and serving others because you care about them.  Making good choices today will shape your life tomorrow." -Live Bold-

We have had a lot of people reach out to us over the past 7 weeks asking if we are ok.  Thanks to this Worthy community and the grace of God, yes we are.  About 60% of you were able to continue paying and that has helped us to pay the necessary bills and feel confident we will get through this ok.  

It is humbling to rely on others.  I am a typical prideful man and hate to accept or ask for help from anyone.  I will figure out my own painful way more often than not, rather than burden someone with helping me.  In this situation there hasn't been another choice, which has caused me to feel everything from gratefulness to guilt.  Regardless, without the generosity that so many of you have shown, we would be in trouble. I have said in past emails that without each of you there is no Worthy.  That has never been more true than now.  

When we moved the business out of our basement last April I hoped that the gym would become more than just "Trainer Mark".  Over the past year I have watched exactly that happen.  You all have become the gym.  Our best selling point to a new person isn't my knowledge as a coach, it is how awesome of a community and environment we have.    

We genuinely hope that we are back in action soon.  We have the gym prepared and ready whenever we are given the ok.  We have the new schedule ready if you haven't taken a look on Wodify yet. You will notice a new session type and I will send another email detailing that.  

I am grateful for each of you, and I can't wait to get back to serving you.  

Coach Mark

Staying In The Game

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. - 1 Thessalonians 5:14

"Our teammates in faith and life are counting on us to stay on the field and help the team win this tough and muddy game. Commit to lead others as you travel your path. If a brother or sister falls and loses their desire to stay in the game... grab them and encourage them. Be an example for others to follow and find someone who will hold you accountable to show up for the game - every day." Live Bold

This applies to so many areas of life, right? This is exactly what we are trying to do with Worthy Total Fitness. Together, we are creating this community of people who are encouraging each other to be healthier, happier, more confident, and physically capable people. It is a tough journey, but when we go through it with others, we have a better shot at succeeding.

I also thought of marriage and raising a family. There are days that I feel defeated and want to collapse. On those days I know I have Murray to pick up the slack, pick me up (or kick me in the you know what), and help me stay in the game. Other days it's reversed and I am the one supporting her. We work together as a team striving toward our goals. Wherever you feel it applies for you, strive to be the example for someone else to follow, and when you are struggling, look for someone to throw you a lifeline… JUST DON’T QUIT.

Coach Mark

Noah and the Coronavirus

Coach Michelle here! I saw this article and I thought it would be good to share. Enjoy!

By DAWN REED

Did you know that Noah, his family and all the animals were on the ark for over a year?

When we study about him and the big boat, we often think it just lasted 40 days and 40 nights.  The end.  Exit with a rainbow.  In reality, it was a lot longer and a whole lot harder than that!

Today, to me, no other Bible story applies more readily to the Coronavirus.  In the book of Genesis, we read that God told Noah, to build an ark…and he did.  God told Noah to go into the ark with his fam…and he did.  (They were in there for one whole week before it started raining!) 

And then the rain came.  And came.  And came.  It was like forever!  The rocking, the mewing, the hissing-oh, you KNOW there were SNAKES!  The family was stuck together.  Did they play charades?  Hide and seek in the animal pens?  Did the daughters-in-law all get along?

Noah had only a few instructions from the Lord.  He hadn’t been told the WHOLE plan.  Probably a good thing! 

There were no daily updates from the governor of the land or the President of his nation.  There was only trusting in God!  Because of that, Genesis 8:1 tells us something fabulous: “God remembered Noah…”

After a million-non-NTI days on the water (actually 150), they finally docked on top of a mountain.  May the Lord be praised!  But…

THEY STILL COULDN’T GET OFF.  Dadgum it!  (I’m hearing their conversations in my head!)  It makes sense:  everything would have been completely muddy and gooey.  They wouldn’t have even been able to stand up!  The timing was not right … yet.  So they had to wait two and a half more months.  On the ark.  With the animals and the family.  (It feels like WE are on the ark, too, these days!)

And … then at just the right time … God said it was OK to disembark.  I’m picturing the humans off before the animals!  Men, women, and probably beasts, praised the Lord!  Did they EVER stop talking about their voyage?

At just the right time, our coronavirus quarantine will be over.  We will remember these days for the rest of our lives.  What stories will we tell?  Has it made us better?  Has it made our faith grow?

While we are in “our ark” (aka quarantine), let’s make sure we are doing good things to gear up for our release:  reading our Bibles, taking time to pray, enjoying-or trying to enjoy-close time with our family.  When it’s over, we, too, will move about without restrictions and we will praise the Lord for our freedom! 

We may even see a RAINBOW!

Persistence

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Every year, I select a word to intentionally focus on for 365 days.  This year is “persistence.”  I was getting frustrated with something and wanted a quick resolution.  I was reminded of these verses in 1 Thessalonians.  We could get into the nuances of what Paul intended, but, at the end of the day, we are called to focus on God and be persistent in our faith, even in challenging times.

Today, we get accustomed to getting what we want, when we want it.  The problem is that it does not teach us persistence.  When we are used to things happening at a moment’s notice, it is hard for us to slow down, be patient and put in the hard work things require.  Not to mention, when we believe we have failed, we may lack the ability to give ourselves grace to get back up and try again. 

Persistence is not a trait that we are born with.  It is something that we all can achieve if we work toward it and ask God to give us the strength to persevere.

It’s always exciting to start a new goal, whether it is weight loss, building strength, or starting a new job, but after the excitement of the newness wears off, staying motivated can be a challenge.  Stay focused on God and ask Him to give you persistence; you can continue to work hard and do what He has called you to do!

Have an awesome weekend!

Coach Michelle

One year anniversary!

Hi Worthy Fam,

I shared this a couple weeks ago and I thought I would leave it here to remind myself of how loved and blessed we are. Even in the midst of the chaos we are enduring. He is and will always be the way, the truth, and the life.

Our ONE year anniversary of our facility is on 4/1/20, and I thought it would be fitting to tell you the story of how Worthy came to be. I am the way:

Our family moved from Las Vegas to Gahanna a little over five years ago.  We had not found jobs in Ohio when we packed up our Penske and family, and if you know Mark, that’s not how he operates.  Thankfully, on the two thousand mile drive, I secured a job as an Intervention Specialist at The Learning Spectrum. Mark planned on going back to school for a graduate degree in physical therapy.  He took on the role as a work at home dad to Mila, while starting the very beginning stages of Worthy, formerly known as Mark the Spot. The transition was tough. This leap of faith was huge, and we knew we were being led to a new chapter in our life.  Two years into our marriage, we had plans, we had a map, but His plans were surely different.

One night as I was scrolling through Facebook, a woman posted that she was looking for a place to workout, where she could bring her kids.  I quickly responded, “We can do this!” and the birth of workouts in the parks commenced. We bought a play yard for the kids, packed up our trailer, and started our first park workouts.  Mark literally wore Mila on his chest for the first session. Take a second to just picture this.. In a sense, I guess it’s pretty much the same. Kids all over the place, a bunch of women.  He is happy to have more testosterone around now, for sure. Check with Jen, Lisa, or Danielle for park stories, they were part of that Original Park Crew (OPC).

In the winter, we partnered with the City of Gahanna to offer some mom and youth classes and sublet space from a couple of local gyms.  We decided that we needed to branch off on our own and this is where the Original Basement Crew (OBC) started. Our first OBC client was a former client of Mark’s that drove from Dayton to train with him.  Slowly but surely, over the course of three years, we approached thirty clients. You can ask Tim, Jon M, Danielle, Kristen, Steve, Heather, Lorrie, John, Annie, Kelly, Lisa, Brian, Catherine, Jen, Denise, Mary, Rhonda, Shannen, Shawn, or Zoey how hard it is to workout to the smell of dinner cooking.  Oh, and during the course of the three years, I had transitioned from teaching to becoming an independent insurance agent at Creekside. That’s a whole other interesting story…   

I am the Truth:

We had met with the owners of the property our gym sits on a few years prior, and I (yep, just I) was strongly convinced that it was ours.  The rent was too high (Mark isn’t a risk taker) and we were told repeatedly that it was getting torn down “soon” for a new development. I would drive by daily on the way to my office, often questioning God and why he had specifically placed this place on my heart.  Why was it now getting torn down? I was disappointed, frustrated, angry.. and on top of that, Mark was released from the Columbus Firefighter list, for some laughable (now) reasons. Security ripped, more waiting, He wanted us to allow Him to work and cling tightly to his promises.  So HARD.  

As we continued to explore other spaces, we met with a local contractor to give us an estimate of a buildout on another space at Creekside.  He just so happened to be one of the owners of the gym building. We walked away from that meeting without an estimate, and a lease agreement on our current space with a set opening date of 3 weeks! EEK.  We were moving from a five HUNDRED square foot basement, to a five THOUSAND square foot facility. FEAR.

We wanted to know every step and every turn.  We wanted CONTROL.  We had to surrender and trust in, “I am the Way.”  There are so many things we didn’t know, and so many things we got (and get) wrong, so MUCH waiting, and had to count on, “I am the Truth.”

Ultimately, we continue to have to hold on to, “I am the Life.”  This year has been so hard, so trying, yet, we have learned and are learning so much.  Our kids have spent countless hours watching TV and have been placed on the back burner.  Worthy is not just a gym to us. You are not just clients to us. Worthy Total Fitness is our way of sharing our life with you, sharing our gifts, talents, and treasures.  Even if we get caught up and don’t say it or show it, we are thankful that you are a part of it. We have prayed countless hours specifically for each and every one of you that walk in and out of the doors.  Sometimes it’s easy to get distracted, but He always pulls us back to the course. Why do we struggle, endure pain, stress, and even heartache? This life is not the point. We can live this life in such a way that we are not chasing things that don’t last but chasing the things that do last and have eternal significance.  We’d love to share our whole story, but you’ll have to keep coming back.    

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Coach Murray

Renewed Strength

The spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

"Fear can cause hesitation and keep you from reaching your full potential.  The world will use your fear to mock you and ‘sell you’ as timid.  Don't listen to them, they are wrong.  God gives us a pathway to His power and a master key to unlock our courage.  That key is self-discipline.   The greater our self-discipline, the more certain we become about who we are.  Confidence is rooted in self-discipline.  Your renewed strength can start right now." Live Bold

Fear and doubt hold us back from so much in life AND especially in times like this. The uncertainty, the waiting, the unknown. I am as guilty as the next person.  We weren't meant to live in fear though.  Every time Murray and I have taken a step out of our comfort zone and really leaned on our faith, we have been blessed more than we ever expected.  Fear still wants to hold us back, but each time we grow more and more confident and learn to be disciplined in our faith.  Make today the day you work toward your renewed strength! Faith over Fear!

Coach Mark

Making Good Decisions

I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship.  Romans 12:1

"How will you present yourself to God each day? Do you offer a battered, bruised, or defiled body for him to use? Or do you choose to offer Him a clean heart, pure mind, and honest hands for Him to use? Set your mind on today's devotion as you face any type of physical temptation today, and let your next decision be - good." Live Bold

I'm sure most of you have heard me say things like, "One step at a time, slow and steady progress, trust the process."  One day, one workout, one meal, one decision at a time.  String as many good decisions together as you can.  This strategy helps to create progress over time.  It's also important to remember that making one poor decision doesn't prevent you from reaching your goal.  It takes many good and bad decisions to move the bar in a positive or negative direction.  You are all worthy of reaching the goals you have set for yourselves.  You are also 100% capable of reaching those goals.  Focus on one decision/temptation at a time.

Set Your Sights Ahead

One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

"Yesterday is history, so don't get caught up in what should have happened. Living in the past, lamenting what could have been can suck the blessing right out of today. God has moved you into this moment to reveal Himself anew, let's focus on Him.

While we can recount and tell stories of yesterday, it's time to face the mountain and set our sights on reaching the summit.

Set your goal, write it down, give it to your brothers/sisters, be accountable, lace up your boots, soak your journey in prayer, get up, and get moving". Live Bold

As we set our sights on helping each other improve our healthy habits, lets keep these words in ingrained in our heads. You will make some mistakes, and that is ok. However, be sure to put those mistakes behind you and reset your sights on you goals. Then, help your fellow WTF teammates do the same. We are all after the same things and as a group we are far stronger than we would be on our own. 

Before you fall into temptation and have that sugary/salty snack, soda/alcoholic drink, or whatever habit you struggle with, do these 3 things.

#1 Have a "Mark" approved snack

#2 Drink 1 cup/bottle of water

#3 Think of your goal.

You may still fall into temptation, but you will give yourself a much greater chance of winning that battle if you follow these 3 rules.

Coach Mark

Are You Taking Care of Yourself?

Especially in times like this, we realize that we take things for granted and far too many people take their health for granted. People let their bodies deteriorate over time as if they have a lease on it like their car. "Oh well, we'll just get a new one in a few years". Ummm no, when this one is done, you are done. We wait until we have cancer, or diabetes, or on the verge of a heart attack before we get serious about taking care of ourselves. Why wait?

I have trained hundreds of people over the last 12 years, with many of those people being in the 60s, 70's, 80's and even 90's. Typically, clients that I have are often physically capable, but sometimes I have people that are fragile, have bionic bodies, or to what most would say, incapable. I have even witnessed a man who only had arms to his elbows and legs to his knees, still in the gym doing all that he could do to make his body strong. This is why I love the slogan "You only get one body, what will you do with yours?" Get the most out of your body, do not waste it. 

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and God's Spirit dwells in your midst? 1 Corinthians 3:16

"It's east to take this body for granted. Just remember it has a limited number of uses - so make every day count, and don't miss your chance to give thanks to God for walking with you through this crazy life. Taking care of yourself puts you in a better positions to serve others who need your energy, strength, stamina, and sharp mind". Live Bold

What are a few things you can do to take are of your temple?

Get rest: We become vulnerable to poor decisions when we are tired.

Eat healthy: Feed the machine with what it needs to run at peak performance.

Exercise: Stay loose, keep your strength, do hard things. This prepares us for the hard work of helping our neighbor.  

Coach Mark

Where is YOUR Focus?

Wow! What a month we had last week! We are living in some pretty crazy times and I’m sure there is more to come. Everyone has had life adjustments to make, from work to school to travel limitations and vacations. This virus has impacted us all in some way (not to mention the heavy rain last week too).  

It is very easy during all the unknowns of the COVID-19 to crumble into overwhelming panic. It’s hard not to focus on the “what ifs” and what will tomorrow bring. I get it. I’m right with you. Fear of the unknown can take us down mental roads that only lead to anxiety and worry, anger, depression or despair. God does not want us to live a life or worry and fear. He tells us to cast our worry on Him, to pray about everything, and His peace will guard your heart and mind in Jesus. 

One of the ways I do that is to be aware of what I am focused on. I love the verse Philippians 4:8. ”Dear brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think (focus) about these things.”

So I want to encourage you today, and this week, to be aware of your thoughts, what your mind is focused on. Because as you focus on the things that God’s word says, your will know that peace from God that passes understanding.

Know that the Coaches of WORTHY are here for you and are praying for you.

Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing! We miss you, love you and hope to see you soon!! ​​​​​​​

Coach Mary

Be a Difference Maker

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. -Matthew 12:35

"Our thoughts lead to our words. Our words lead to our actions. Our actions lead to our habits. Our habits form our character. Dwell on hope, joy, and generosity. It will flow out of your life and the people around you will notice and reflect your joy back to you. We are drawn to joy, it's the signature of God's love. Strive to be a person that others wish to be near. Start by training your thoughts on God's grace, then listen to how your words change." Live Bold

This hit home with me because I grew up hearing many hateful words and backhanded compliments from people close to me. Fortunately, I learned to be motivated by them. Don't get me wrong, I come from a good family, but many people in my family are not so good at speaking life into people. It has taken me many years to learn to be positive with people and give a lot of encouragement. I'm still improving, but it has been cool to see the impact I can have on people just by focusing on speaking that life into others. Who can you speak life into today?

Coach Mark

What Will They Say About You?

A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. Ecclesiastes 7:1

"Near the top of nearly every man's list is this question: "Has my life mattered to anyone?" We call that our legacy. Our good name is the sum of every decision we make from our childhood to our last years. It influences our family and friends far beyond our time on this earth. Today, consider your choices. Think about the pathway you are leaving for others to follow. We are following the trail left by others, while we leave our own marks on the trail." Live Bold

I like to do my best to look at my life in reverse. I imagine myself as an old man looking back at my life. What or who will I wish I had spent more of my time on. What will I see as a waste of my time and energy. I believe this makes it easy to find the true priorities in life. I have spent a lot of time lately thinking about all of the foolish decisions I made as a young adult. I can't change the past. All I can do is focus on today and make the best decisions that I can. Having little children I am constantly reminded of how many people are watching my decisions on a daily basis. Because of this, I have an opportunity to impact others in a positive or negative way. Today, try looking at your life in reverse. What trail are you currently following? And is that the trail you want to lead those around you on? 

Coach Mark