Stories about faith, fitness, and the healing of broken hearts, minds, and bodies 

(Not my tum. Just a photo I pulled from online.) Two years postpartum, I still had pain in my incision site, or what I affectionately call “my sweet spot.” I named my scar because I wanted to remember the blessing that came from it instead of the pain. But most of the time it felt as if a knife was lodged into one side, and my skin was pinched with a spring clamp. I had diligently cared for my scar, massaging it daily, and at times, applying ice or heat. I also sought chiropr

Her hard snub made me wish I’d stayed in the bathroom stall. She was a world-renowned athlete and a main speaker at our fitness...

I wrote this prayer nine months after my unexpected c-section. Residual pain from pregnancy and surgery made exercise more challenging than ever. Even after seeking physical therapy, I continued to battle nerve pain in my hands, feet, and around my incision. I would not allow it to stop me. I knew I needed to write this prayer to help others like you power on, no matter what kind of pain you’re dealing with. If you’re able, touch the place you feel pain, and say this prayer

I don't know why I was surprised to have had an eight-pound, six-ounce baby considering my husband, Charlie, is 6'5". An eight-pound,...

My baby had been in an optimal position most of my pregnancy. I wasn’t worried because I’d prayed, “Baby, I command you head down, face...

Most people don’t know much about midwifery. I didn’t. From what I’d seen, home birth could be weird. I didn’t want some New Age backwoods hippy-gypsy fanning me with feathers or rubbing crystals over my belly any more than I wanted doctors and nurses unnecessarily probing me or capitalizing on my vulnerability. Some people assume home birthers are ignorant and irresponsible. From the stories I’ve heard, I agree that some are. A lot of people think home birth is scary. “W

I was fully dilated. My midwives could see my baby. But after 24 hours of labor, Charlie and I were speeding to the hospital at 3:00 am....

Nothing has ever knocked me on my butt harder than pregnancy. I love physical challenges, but there’s a big difference between doing...

For years, I prayed on and off about having children, never receiving total clarity. I believed procreation was God’s will, but it was...

I hesitated to write this story because I know a family who recently lost their 10-year-old to cancer. I hate it for them. I hate it for...

He was an older dad, a 70-year-old gentleman, who served as the head of his department at the state university. He drove a Beemer and...

Lord, I don't feel like doing this today, but by my authority in Jesus, I cast away my emotions of (say whatever emotions hold you back—unwillingness, complacency, apathy, laziness, sadness, depression). Lack of motivation has no power over me. I disown it. It no longer controls me. My physical and mental health are no longer jeopardized. My body must follow what I speak into the spiritual. Holy Spirit, fill me with Your presence. You supply all my needs (Philippians 4:19), i

Preacher will do anything for a treat. At least, I thought he would. Preach is a wild man at heart. He would take full advantage of our countryside if he were released on his own. But I want him to stay nearby, so I use treats as an incentive while training him to take walks. Preach usually trots alongside Itty-Bitty, staying attentive to my high-pitched cue “treat.” But one day, he sniffed his own path and wandered out of sight from Itty. When the two met back up, Preach for

She came to work out. Instead, she spent the hour telling me about what her daughter was going through at school. I know how to guide a person into their routine, but there are times when people just need to vent. Some call it therapy, and it’s as much of a release for them as exercising. I empathized as she stood before me, hands flailing, tears surfacing. She reminded me of the many parents I’ve talked to over the years who desperately want to save their children from bully

I know what it feels like to step in front of a plyometric box, recall a misstep, and feel my shin throb. To resist performing the same...

Pre-season training for college basketball was one of my toughest challenges ever. My team and I had spent months running and lifting,...

Use this prayer in between workouts, when you’re sore, while you’re soaking in an Epsom salt bath, on walks, during stretches, as you lie...

He could barely walk. With his hind legs tucked under his torso, he was literally and figuratively crossing a bridge in an area where...

Today, I took Itty to the vet for a re-check. A few days earlier, I had called to cancel another appointment. Except someone made a...

I had just watched Itty-Bitty shimmy down a tree and sprint across the backyard. By the next morning, she was blind. Itty mostly hangs...