Kara

Revelation Wellness Instructor Training Retreat Part 2

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If you missed Part 1, you can read it by clicking here.

Once we were settled into our rooms, we headed to our Introduction and Opening Intention. It was a room with over 200 of us (there were around 40 from RevWell, the rest were HolyYoga) and Brooke and Alisa spoke powerful words. They set the focus for the week and discussed things that we would NOT have during the week and things we wanted to INVITE there.

Beautiful, right?

From there we began our week.

We had classes on all sorts of topics including Dysfunction and healing, anatomy (lots of anatomy!), teamwork, messaging, class design, warm-ups and cardio, partner stretching, helping the elderly and obese, resistance training, teambuilding, games for classes, Weigh Less to Feed More, original design, loving others and more.

Our “war paint” we put on each morning.

We also had some really good Bible study time and prayer. God used our leaders to speak truth and I learned so much. Some of my biggest takeaways from their teaching:

-In Judges 5:6-7, people held back until Deborah arose. This is the case for all of us. Until we ARISE and walk forward, people are held back. When we will WAKE UP, others will, too.

-I have an original design. God made me for a purpose and the further I walk in freedom with Him, the more I discover who I was made to be. GET FREE, STAY FREE! When I get discouraged of off track I need to stop and pray, “What have I forgotten about how you made ME, God?”

-What God designs, He directs.

-We aren’t called simply to help others to “feel better”, we need to help them “GET better”. The same goes for myself.

-A seed must come completely undone before it can flourish. And part of the remaking into our Original Design is found only through intimacy with God. God can unveil ourselves TO ourself.

-Sin ALWAYS costs something.

-Our own brokenness keeps us from seeing our brokenness.

-We have the CHOICE as to whether or not to take offense to something. Unforgiveness is the furthest we can get from our Original Design.Want freedom? FORGIVE. AWAKEN. ARISE.

-If we could run every decision by the foot of the cross, our responses would be different. We would give them NOT what we feel we deserve, but what THEY NEED.

Small group time was another highlight of the week and our small group leaders, Myra and Jolene helped us to process through our own stories and journeys and to determine what we needed to LET GO before we could really find freedom.

The week was full of some really GOOD workouts and I was exposed to some types of training I had never attempted before. Each workout TRULY was WORSHIP and at many times I was fully standing in God’s presence even though I may have been doing pushups, stretching, or burpees.

We were pushed to step outside of our comfort zones through tasks such as Ipod Karaoke, swinging while suspended 200 or so feet in the air, teaching our own class and being evaluated, allowing others to speak words of life and affirmation about us, dance parties, fire and water ceremony, partner games, and more. Each day they placed a new challenge before us, and each day, as a family, we walked through it.

The best way I know how to describe the week is that it’s just like church camp when you’re a teenager. Except: it’s church camp filled with 200 other people who are passionately pursuing a deeper relationship with Christ and holding nothing back. People who are willing to be real and messy and to show you all their baggage. People who hold your hand when you are scared or who stop in the middle of what they are doing to pray over you. People that fully understand the desire of your heart to lead others into freedom because it is the same one that they have. People who cheer you on and REALLY mean it. People who help you find your Original Design and then push you to brave enough to pursue freedom at all costs. People who are family.

It was a glimpse for me of what Heaven must be like.

By the end of the week, we were not just a group of people that went through a training program. We were family.

And then we were commissioned and sent out to change the world.


And we will.

Not because of anything that we will do or say, but because of what God can do through a willing heart.

Want to learn more about this amazing program? Visit www.revelationwellness.org and click on Become An Instructor.

Here are a few more of my favorite pictures from the week:

Revelation Wellness Instructor Training Retreat Part 1

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I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get this post written! I have started and stopped several times but haven’t known quite how to explain this week and all it meant.

If you’ve followed my journey from the beginning, you know that God
began placing a dream on my heart towards pursuing a certification
called Revelation Wellness. You can read that story here.

And then, because He’s God and He can throw open any doors that He wants to, he did THIS.

So in August, I began Instructor training. I posted about the first class here.

And the at-home training portion of this program was good. REALLY good. It was a lot of work, but it began changing the entire way that I looked at myself, my original design, my calling, my ministry, my health…everything!

I was all set to go to retreat and then about a week and a half before I was set to fly out, I received a call that confused things a little.

I was called and told that I had won High School Counselor of the year for the state of North Carolina. For School Counselors, this is pretty much as good as it gets as far as professional awards go. It was SO exciting! The only problem- the awards ceremony was on the Thursday of retreat. 

I contacted the RevWell folks about possibly going to retreat, flying back for the awards presentation and then going back to finish the week, but this wasn’t an option. They told me that I could wait and go to the Spring retreat in May if I wanted to.

After a few days of prayer and some deep soul searching, both my husband I came to the same conclusion: that I needed to be at retreat. Missing the biggest moment of my professional career was a bit strange, but I knew that I had to choose- was I willing to pursue the calling I had been given and to walk forward in obedience or would I choose to stay home so that I could receive this award and the recognition that would come with it?

So although it was hard to explain to others, we were at peace about the decision and I knew it was the right one.

I anxiously anticipated the upcoming trip and the day before I left, I wrote this.

I left for retreat early on Sunday morning. My parents kept my kids so that Marcus could take me to the airport. We got up at 3:30 a.m. and left for the airport at 4:30. I was a bit of a nervous mess!

I made it through him dropping me off at the airport without tearing up, but once I was through security and heading towards my gate to wait for my flight, it was a bit harder.

I got the sweetest text from a friend telling me that she was praying for me and then a friend posted this to my facebook page:

How amazing is that?!

And I knew that NOW was the time and that I COULD do just as the picture had said- open up my hands all the way and trust my Lord. To feel the fear and still do what I had been called to do.

So I boarded that plane.

Fortunately for me, there was plenty of excitement on the early morning flight. For the first part I was able to listen to the lady with two cats that meowed nonstop and then I got to sit beside a woman who enjoyed her seat plus half of mine as she loudly snored and caught up on her rest. At one point I really REALLY needed to get up to go to the restroom and couldn’t seem to wake her, so I had to stand on my seat and straddle over her seat to get out to go. I kept thinking, “if she opens her eyes and finds me standing straddling her this is going to be a mess!” Luckily, she didn’t. Fun times.

When I arrived at the Phoenix Airport I found my luggage (thank you Jesus!) and then went to grab some lunch. I was SUPER nervous but ran into a Holy Yoga lady (they retreat with Revelation Wellness), who showed me how to get to where our group was meeting.

Talk about awkward- walking up to a random group of people that you have never met and then trying to carry on a conversation for 2+ hours. One of the RevWell sayings is: Comfortable being Uncomfortable, and I kept thinking- I sure do have the uncomfortable part figured out!

Towards the end I connected with some ladies and I was able to talk with them until we boarded our bus which would take us to Williams, AZ. 

We snapped a quick group picture outside and then loaded the bus. I sat with a new friend named Katrina, who was so kind to me and the 3+ hour ride passed pretty quickly.

The further we drove, the higher in altitude we climbed and before long, we began to hear talk of snow.

One of the RevWell small group leaders was sharing her Peppermint Essential Oils with people as they began to experience headaches, nausea, etc. Since they all seemed to enjoy it I thought “why not” and slathered some on my temples like they were. I am quite uneducated when it comes to this sort of thing so I rubbed it all around my eyes NOT realizing just what a mistake that was. For the next 20 minutes or so my eyes burned like they were ON FIRE and watered. I finally put on my sunglasses so it wouldn’t look to everyone like I was crying. Lesson learned: Don’t rub those oils near your eyeballs!

When we finally pulled into the retreat center, Alisa Keeton was there to greet us, along with Jolene (a dear sweet RevWell friend) and my prayer partner Christina.

As we got off the bus they greeted each of us with a hug and a smile and it felt like family. No, it WAS family. It was. As Alisa hugged me and we stood in the snow, as scary as it was, I knew this was where I was supposed to be.

She said, “Kara. I know you” as she hugged me and at that moment, it was like God was saying.  Here! You’re here and I’m ready to show you what you’re made of. I made you and I KNOW you!”.

We grabbed our luggage and headed out for our cabins. I was a bit nervous at what they would look like, but they were great! We had a big enough room that I didn’t have a top bunk mate, so I had some room to spread out.

We settled in briefly and then headed to our first meeting. The adventure was getting ready to BEGIN!

Come back tomorrow for Part 2!

Enough…

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For much of my life, I’ve not really known who I am.Often told I was “too much” or it was implied many times that I was not enough.
In elementary school I was perceived too big and tall (my nickname from the boys in my 3rd grade class was NFL), in middle school I was “too awkward”, in high school “too good”, in college I was too insecure to know who I was, and in my twenties I was too consumed with people pleasing to even begin to know what I really was like.
Too much of this.
Too little of that.

 Too focused on everyone else around me to notice the design that God had given specifically to me.

And then around the time I entered my thirties I started to catch glimpses of who I was created to be. Alisa Keeton calls this your “Original Design”.

I started to learn that it was perfectly fine to be “too much” for some people, or that my personality didn’t sit well
with everyone.

I began to realize that not only had I been given a voice, but that I could use that voice to speak out on behalf of people and causes that mattered.

Part of discovering who I was created to be came because I began walking with Jesus in a new way that was authentic and no longer based on following a set of rules. I stopped striving to “be good” and instead began to rest in how good HE was.
Part of my progress was from finding community with others that were willing to fling off their masks of perfection and that were willing to show their messes. When I was brave enough to begin taking off mine, they loved me. They supported me. They said words such as “me too”, and “I’ve been there before”.
And then there has been marriage and parenting. And holy moly this has been a sanctifying process. I have struggled (I mean STRUGGLED) in these areas. God has used them to change me and to teach me that I have to die to self every single minute and to rely on Him. I’ve had to run back to Jesus more times that I can count and beg for forgiveness and for His strength to do this whole ‘Mom’ and ‘Wife’ thing as He would have me to.
I started filling my mind with truth and using HIS strength to crush old habits, patterns, and idols.

I have learned what it means to take care of my body in away that glorifies God and not some airbrushed image I had been chasing after in a magazine or on television.And when I got my body healthy, my mind followed.

 

As my heart was being changed to be more like Him, everything else began to come together.
I realized that I don’t have to strive…to perform…to earn anything.
It’s already been given.
Read that again- it’s ALREADY BEEN GIVEN.  
God accomplished the work for all of us. Nothing we do will change that.

All we do is accept His gift.What freedom!

And freedom is what I have found.After years and years of searching, I’m finally starting to figure it out.

God not only loves me, but He created me with a SPECIFIC purpose. And He says that I am good! HE says that I’m able because of HIS strength in me. Because HE says I’m enough, I can tune out all others that say
I’m not.

I was given a design- MY original design- and am starting to figure out what that is. That means that instead of trying to do EVERYTHING, I can focus on the few things that He has gifted me in and called me to.

I’ve been given ONE life and it matters.I can choose to spend it pursuing foolish and fleeting things that will never satisfy, or I can choose to pour out my life each day, each moment, for whatever purposes He has set before me.

I don’t have it all figured out. I still have moments when Ifeel  like I’m “too much”, or not enough.
I have moments when I begin to doubt the work that I’ve been given to do.
But, God steps in. BUT GOD.
God reminds me that LOVE is greater than Fear (Thank you RevWell and Alisa Keeton), that NOW is the time, and that He is allowing me to help lead others into a place of wholeness and freedom.He is showing me glimpses of MY original design.
What a gift.
And friends, He has a plan and a purpose for you, too. He has an original design for you and your life.
Things that you were CREATED to do.
Even if you don’t see it right now. Even if you don’t feel
it right now.YOU. ARE. LOVED.

You are valuable.You are worth pursuing.

In fact, the creator of the UNIVERSE is pursuing and wooing you even right now.God has a design for your life and He has promised that ALL things work together for our good and for His glory for those that love Him.

He says that you ARE good.

He says that you ARE enough.
He says that you are ABLE.
We can believe this:  “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6)

HE who began that good work in you WILL COMPLETE it.If God said it, He will do it.

 HE WILL DO IT.
HE. WILL. DO. IT.
Rest in that today, friends.

Sharing our Successes…meet Jenna!!!

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Today I get to share with you the story of one of my friends, Jenna. I KNOW it is going to be a blessing and an encouragement to you!
 
 
Jenna wrote:
 
My
health story may not be as dramatic as many, but it is my story. 
 
Growing
up, I was always active. Basketball, softball, and cheerleading were my
loves. I played sports year round and loved every second of it! So,
being young with a high metabolism and playing sports meant I could eat
anything and not see the physical effects of it. 
 
After getting married
and having my first child, I still kept eating like I did in high school
and college.

The problem: I was getting older, not being active, and my
metabolism was shot by the way I was eating.

For the last 11 years, I
have poured into my family, at the cost of my health.

I would wake up
and get everyone fed and start the day. I would forget that I had not
eaten breakfast but only had a cup of coffee full of cream
and lots of sugar. By lunch, I was starving so I ate anything, which was
usually a lot of carbs and sugar. Dinner came next,  which meant a lot of
casseroles, because they were easy, and mostly processed foods. The
easier it was to make, the better!

I began thinking about my health 3
and half years ago when my dad passed away at 58. He had dealt with
health issues his whole life, mostly from the diet he had. At that
point, after mourning and having no strength left, I knew I couldn’t
begin the change of eating. I had to let myself heal.

This past April, a
very good friend told me about Trim Healthy Mama. She explained that
it wasn’t a diet but a lifestyle change. I read the book, which was much
more like a health class to me. I just didn’t know what was good for me
and what wasn’t. I didn’t know the effect sugar and bad carbs were
having on my body. I also didn’t know that I could eat a “clean” diet
within my budget, I just had to be wise. Trim Healthy Mama was created
by sisters who are Christians so the spiritual aspect of my health was
also brought to my attention. I never saw that how I took care of my
health was an act of worship. 

 
What I had to decide was what or Who was I
going to worship? Food, comfort, ease, or Jesus? 
 
So, this past May, I
jumped right in. It was hard at first because this was all new to me. I
have never dieted or thought about what I ate. I am a French fry and
coke loving girl! I never had alcohol but theses two things, they were my
alcohol. I craved them constantly!

The coke was easy to give up but the
fries are now down to just once a week (the really are my favorite)!

There is so much grace with how I am eating and more freedom than I
ever thought I could have with changing my diet.

I give myself treats
because I know that for me, I need to do that for myself every now and
then.

I began working out with the Wellness Witness Workout group back in July and it was
just what I needed. I needed to see that my body could do more than I
had been allowing it to. I am so thankful for the mornings I get to
spend growing some new muscles(right Kara?). 🙂

I
am now down 30 pounds and I have 2 more pounds to reach my goal weight.

I have done it.

I have seen what my body can do and I have seen the
strength that only comes from The Lord.

He is what gets me through on
those rough days and Who I have chosen to worship with my health. 

 
Here are two Before and After pictures:

 The next few pics I share for a
reason. I never had energy to jump on the trampoline with my kids. This
morning, Samuel said,” Mommy, I know why you go to your workouts early
in the morning.” I said,” you do, why”? He said,” because you love us
and now you can jump on the trampoline with us. I hope you always
can.”………this also helps me a better wife and mommy!!
 
 Thank you for sharing your story with us, Jenna! We are inspired by your progress and motivated by how you’ve pressed in and relied on HIM to help you do this. 
Y’all be sure to stop by the Wellness Witness Facebook page and leave her a note of encouragement!
If you have made progress in your faith and fitness journey and would like to be featured, please contact me with your story!

Workout: ACCUMULATORS

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The lady pictured in the middle below is Myra.

She was one of our three online instructors for our Revelation Wellness Course, and she was also my small group leader.

Amazing woman.  Also, a smart and talented woman.

She led our group through a workout on our second morning of retreat and it was TOUGH.

I used it today with my local ladies for our Wellness Witness Workout, and then got Myra’s permission to post it here for all of you.

As always, keep in mind: I am not a physician. Before beginning any exercise routine, please check with your doctor. Exercise at your own risk. Be sure to warm-up completely before beginning and then stretch well at the end.

This one is hard, but SO good!

Myra’s Accumulators:
(Each move is for 30 seconds).

Set 1:
Mountain Climbers
30 second rest

Set 2:
Mountain Climbers
Skater Jumps
30 second rest

Set 3:
Mountain Climbers
Skater Jumps
Jump forward, complete two jumping jacks, jump backwards, complete two jacks
30 second rest

Set 4:
Mountain Climbers
Skater Jumps
Jump forward, complete two jumping jacks, jump backwards, complete two jacks
3-2-1 squat jump (start standing, lower down to full squat position using a 3 ct then jump)
30 second rest

Set 5:
Mountain Climbers
Skater Jumps
Jump forward, complete two jumping jacks, jump backwards, complete two jacks
3-2-1 squat jump (start standing, lower down to full squat position using a 3 ct then jump)
High Knees
30 second rest

Set 6:
High Knees
3-2-1 squat jump
Jump forward, complete two jumping jacks, jump backwards, complete two jacks
Skater Jumps
Mountain Climbers
30 seconds rest

Set 7:
High Knees
3-2-1 squat jump
Jump forward, complete two jumping jacks, jump backwards, complete two jacks
Skater Jumps
30 seconds rest

Set 8:
High Knees
3-2-1 squat jump
Jump forward, complete two jumping jacks, jump backwards, complete two jacks
30 seconds rest

Set 9:
High Knees
3-2-1 squat jump
30 seconds rest

Set 10:
High Knees

DONE!

Our focus was on Acts 17:28 that IN Him we LIVE and MOVE and have our being. Other translations say, “In Him we LIVE and MOVE and EXIST”, and “Certainly we LIVE, MOVE, and EXIST BECAUSE of HIM!”.

He is THE source of our existence and the source of EACH breath that we take.

Without Him we can do nothing.

Without Him we ARE nothing.

He constantly sustains.

And notice that it doesn’t say “with” Him we live and move and have our being…it says IN HIM. IN. So closely linked together that we exist only IN Him.

And when we are IN Him, friends, there is no room for fear, or for doubt, or for shrinking back. So when fear comes and says “I can’t do this”, God reminds you “You don’t have to. I’ve taken care of it.” When fear says “I am not enough”, God reminds us “You’re my perfect design.”

With Him we will find rest, hope, joy, strength and peace.

Praying for you today, friends, and cheering you on!

(Make sure you join us over at the Wellness Witness Facebook page and Instagram Account!)

If not now, when? If not me, then who?

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Hello, friends!

Sorry for my long absence. It wasn’t planned, but life has been full and busy and had lots of ups and downs lately. I plan to catch you up on everything that has happened in the coming weeks, but for today I’m posting quickly to ask you for some prayers.

If you’ve followed my journey from the beginning, you know that God began placing a dream on my heart towards pursuing a certification called Revelation Wellness. You can read that story here.

And then, because He’s God and He can throw open any doors that He wants to, he did THIS.

So in August, I began Instructor training. I posted about the first class here.

And since that time, I’ve been immersed in the world of Biblical wellness. I’ve studied, and read, and listened to recordings, and prayed, and sought God’s will. And He has taught me so much. I’ve grown from listening to and learning from the people in my training group, Platoon 10. I’ve grown from the wisdom shared with me by our teachers.

And truthfully, I still don’t know what all God is calling me towards for this little ministry He named Wellness Witness. I’m still teaching my local fitness classes several times a week, and still posting often on the Wellness Witness Facebook page and Instagram accounts. I’m reading and studying and trying to wait to see where God leads.

But a huge step in this journey will start tomorrow.

I’m flying across the country by myself tomorrow morning to attend the Instructor training retreat. It will be held in Williams, Arizona at a conference center there. We’ve been told to expect it to be life changing and that God will speak in new ways to each of our hearts.

And if you know me, you probably understand the huge conflict I have going on in my heart right now.

Waiting expectantly for what God will do, but battling against fear and anxiety over this huge step.

Knowing that retreat is exactly where I have been called to go this week, but feeling sad over leaving my family at home.

Feeling fully confident that God has gone before and prepared the way for me and for this ministry, yet feeling the flesh side of me tug and moan and groan over being outside of my comfort zone.

So I’m asking for your prayers.

Please pray specifically:
That I would choose LOVE over FEAR and walk bold and confident towards the calling I’ve been given.

That I would stay healthy and physically able to do whatever will be asked of us over the next week (LOTS of exercise coming.)

That I would have an open heart and mind and fully open myself up to whatever He has to teach me while there.

For safety and health and protection over my loved ones back home while I’m gone, particularly my children and husband.

That the high elevation (7000 feet) and the cold temperatures (in the 20s at times) wouldn’t negatively impact me.

That I would be brave and make friends quickly.

That I will not be homesick (this has been a lifelong struggle for me).

That we would be able to sleep. I haven’t stayed in bunk beds in a cabin since I was 13 years old, so this should be interesting!

(Here’s a pic I found on the website for what our rooms may looks like:

And lastly, that satan would be bound.

I’ve always had a tendency that when things get hard or get scary, I pull back. I contemplate quitting or come up with excuses for why I can’t do something.

But God keeps saying to me: “If not now…when? If not you….who?”  .

So I’m walking forward.

I can’t wait to come back and share with you what all I learn. Thank you for your prayers up to this point and for your prayers this week.

I love all of you and appreciate you!