Day 1 Devotion: PRIDE is it good or bad?

Day 1 - PRIDE is it good or bad?

Strange how a word such as pride can have 2 very different definitions or connotations, what was the first thing that came to your mind? I often think of the pride comes before the fall, but there is another kind of pride, the pride that we can take in our motivations, self-respect and dignity, the pride that can motivate us to take care of our health and appreciate of our personal talents and strengths. Then there is the flipside the pride that I know I often think about first, the pride that leads to our fault, containing self-centeredness and boasting in ourselves, rather than building us up we tend to pave a path of destruction for ourselves with arrogance, egotism and conceit.

I”ll remind you of another word that has 2 connotations in our daily life and that is diet, do you see diet as a restriction of food or simply the daily food you put into your body. This word controls so many individuals and much like pride you can choose to see the word diet for what it is; fueling your body with nutritious food or you can choose to allow diet to guilt you into feeling bad about yourself and your food choices. Much like pride depending on the way to use it, sometimes diets build up your health and others diets tear it down. Diets can lead to your downfall and rob you of true happiness.

Verse: 2 Chronicle 26:16 But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall

Focus: What do you take a healthy pride in? your job, children, abilities and talents? turning our feelings of pride into feelings of being truly humble is going to be our focus today, how do we cultivate the right kind of pride in our lives? similar to deciding to choose a healthy diet and the right balance of food, we must choose to look for ways to choose humility with the right relationship with God. We must choose to see the wonderful gifts He has given us, we must choose to cultivate healthy pride not in ourselves but in Him who has given them to us.

Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. 2. Corinthians 10:17

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for allowing us to dig into your word daily and draw closer to you. I ask that you bring each women here into your arms of comfort and peace today. Please help us seek your will with the talents and blessings you have given us. Guide each women here to choose to be humble and only boast in your name. I also pray for our earthly bodies that we learn to use our words and choices wisely and would honor you with our diets, our activities and our words so we can humbly come to you more energized, more focused and ready to be filled each day with your word and blessings,. Amen.

Joy Bracero: Daily Devotions for Women- Aligning Your Everyday Life According to His Plan and Design

Ever try to "change" your spouse, to make them become better or different how'd that go?

Ever try to "change" your spouse, to make them become better or different how'd that go? 

After sitting in a conference last week listening to Chalene Johnson speak, I had so many stories come to mind about my own marriage and me trying to leap into my dreams and leaving my husband behind after 10 years of marriage and 14 years together our communication is great but sometimes I'm the only one talking...not that he doesn't want to, I just have a hard time staying quiet long enough for him to voice his opinion. 

Well, I have learned from many years of my own marriage and coaching many women that if we keep trying to do things different or wanting to see a change in their lives, health, job, finances, family dynamics etc. that we often experience pain and give up, the let down and devastation when one goes after a goal without bringing their spouse along is devastating to not only the person wanting to do things but the spouse that feels left behind.

When making a change in your own self and future you need to think of how your spouse perceives your desire for change, you taking the steps to change yourself, can be just as scary to them as you trying to change them, the thought that you might change or become different and not desire them anymore is a real threat to any marriage, so we sit in unhappiness instead of communicating our desires out of fear.  And so I encourage you to have a real heart to heart with your spouse about your reasons for taking on a personal development course, a fitness class or nutrition challenge or simple wanting to be more than you are now. Not to be a different you but to be the real you, the one you feel is on the inside waiting to come out and live. 

Take the time reduce the fears for both of you and gain the support you need from within your home and relationship. Growth in one person and not the other can be scary and can cause separation of you and your spouse or family but guess what it doesn't have to. I guarantee if you talk things out share your goals genuinely and ask for your spouse to join you or invite him or her to think about something they'd like to do so you can support them on that adventure.
communicating and working together makes your relationship so much better in all areas if you know what I mean.  

Life begins when you give yourself permission to be the real you. 

Coach Joy 

Action step: plan a date night this week with your spouse, share your heart in a positive way and see what happens. don't try changing them but bring them along with you. 

Chalene's note: Bring the other along from "Mine to Ours" and watch not only your life change but your marriage get stronger than ever.

I would love to hear about your goals and your date night click here to share your best tips for a happy marriage

My best friend for life

Beachbody Classic Journey: Reaching My Personal Summit

My Beachbody Classic story.

I felt to post on Facebook without sharing my thoughts and feelings just felt wrong and I know I'll get more backlash regarding my choices but I prayed if this wasn't going to glorify God that He would take this opportunity away, so I hope you take a minute to read my Classic Journey.

"I am not ashamed of being a happy healthy energetic Mom of 3 that fell in love with at home fitness 8 years ago, sharing that health is within your reach if you choose to take the time to reach for it" 

Some say I'm "just" this or I'm ok "just" being that well I know that I'm not "just" a mom of 3! I say no one is "just"'anything we were made to be amazing but it takes work and belief in yourself to ignite that spark and my journey as a coach as taught me at least 3 things

1. I get to choose to live intentionally everyday no matter what others say or do.

2. I can and have made a difference in others lives while on my own journey. I'm not where I want to be but I've come a long way and that's being the real deal.

3. This platform that Beachbody gives is the perfect opportunity to truly be who I am body, mind, soul, working toward my goals and challenging myself and that included joining the Beachbody Classic to push myself more outside my comfort zone.

I didn't take this competition lightly as far as who and what I was representing a wife, mom, women and coach that says these programs work if you do and yes it did come with doubt, challenges and me almost quitting.

My varicose veins showed more and more everyday, I felt my cellulite was so obvious, my stretch marks were ever present, my baby belly skin was not going away and guess what even with doubt and flaws I'm so proud of what I represented, I was true to me.

You might look at the top 10 and say I had no right being up there and that might be true I mean all I do are 30 minute workouts drink Shakeology & I ate pizza & frozen yogurt the week of competition.
I was representing all of my followers and challengers it's real life and you'll get real results.

I knew signing up on a whim was probably not my best decision, but I'm not a quitter ever (says a girl who stood on an ice rink over 20 minutes barefoot to win a pizza and watch a hockey game.) I know I'm goal oriented that's what's gotten me this far in life along with passion and desire to share and show being a healthy women is so incredibly worth it.

I'm not fitness challenged either, I love fitness. I love sweating and feeling strong, I love working out at home, finishing one program after another I like having a goal to visually see the finish line. Like I said my Nutrition was not so great, not spot on because I like food I like treats I guess that's what I'm working on.

So this is my story I enjoyed it, I like the stage and my husband was so proud, excited and supported and for that I'm grateful, supported with kindness never judgment.

I met amazing men & women that each had their own story to tell and used this to better themselves and show others they to can do scary things.

What are you scared of? Are you hiding behind someone, something or living in skin you'd like to shed? You don't need to walk across the stage to be a better you, but I challenge you to have a heart to heart with your reflection and set goals that scare you because you are stronger than you think or feel.

Let's set goals together! 

Coach Joy

Need a coach that will help and guide you? I'm your girl Let's connect"

"Everyone has a Summit" do you know your way?

As I sit sharing, reading and praying I'm nervous that I'm about to climb very close to a scary summit, why is it scary? Because it's dangerous? No! Because I'm alone? No! Because it's new and unknown to me.

This week my husband and I hiked new trails to a waterfall and swimming hole beyond the "normal" trail walk, I was calm mostly because I didn't have our kids with us, but I got nervous getting close to the ledge, seeing the sheer drop to wherever, and yet we continued because we knew it would lead to the water we kept hearing. Was it work mud, using trail ropes tide by others to the trees, talk about  trust!!! I fell a few times one big thud but we continued on to what was one of the most best cult falls and water hole. Had we given up when I first got scared we would have seen tree tops and missed out of all the beauty God had tucked away back on that mountains.

Do you know where you are headed, everyday you'll be faced with reaching a summit, some days it's just the other side of the laundry pile and other days God will be asking you to walk one to the sheer rocks and trust He has something amazing to show you. 

Today write down 3 thoughts, dreams, plans you have regularly and put them in order from most scary to more rewarding. Then next to them write why you haven done those things & what IF you tried to do those things, how would you feels? Whether you fail or succeeded. 

Have a great day! 

I'd love to hear about your personal summit, let's connect on  Facebook

JoyforFitness