Wednesday, September 29, 2010

What Stirs Your Affection for Christ?


In our young married small group, we are going through a study on Philippians by Matt Chandler. We are only 5 weeks in, and it's already been a huge encouragement...and challenge to all of us.

This past week, Matt asked a very specific question that initiated an awesome discussion. So, I pass the same question on to you.

What stirs your affection for the Lord?
After thinking for a few minutes, I realized that whenever I see the ocean, I can't help but be in awe of God's power. To think that these massive oceans were created by the sound of His voice....that He allowed a gentle lift of Moses' rod to part the Red Sea...that terrifying waves were calmed at Jesus' command....and that He walked on the very same waves. Yet, the very same God knows my name and desires to have a personal relationship with me. It's overwhelming.

I always come back from tropical vacations with a renewed sense of God being in control - and it's better that way.

Obviously, this means I am called to some sort of beach ministry....right? ;)

Monday, September 27, 2010

Spiritually Fit

In less than 2 weeks, I am heading home to Knoxville. I am so excited to get to see my family and be in a city where the leaves actually change colors in the fall. (Texas, as much as I love you, you will never be as pretty as Tennessee. It just won't happen.)

I am also really excited to have two opportunities to share Christ's love - once with Fairview Baptist Church's women's ministry on Friday, Oct. 8 and the following day at Cedar Springs Christian Store on Clinton Highway from 12-3pm for a book signing.

Because of my fitness ministry, Myers Cross Training, I've been asked to speak at the women's banquet about being spiritually fit. For the past few weeks, I've had a blast digging into Scripture for God to show me what to share with these awesome ladies.


I was immediate struck by Paul's prayer by four desires that God has for us.

1) Glorious Inner Strength (aka the very same power that raised Christ from the dead!)

2) Christ's Presence in our Lives

3) Knowledge of His Love

4) Recognition that He is more capable to move greater in our lives than we have the knowledge to request....or even imagine.

I wonder if anyone is reading this post who has neglected to relinquish full control of their life over to God. Take it from someone who has tried and failed: If you think you can make better decisions than He can, you can't. If you are convinced you can live life alone, you're wrong.

Read the truths again. Won't you trust the character of the One True God who has such incredible desires for your life?


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Wondering Wednesday.....Boy or Girl?




It's a simple question today. I know what I think...but I want to know your thoughts.

Will Baby Myers be a boy or a girl?

P.S. We are happy either way, so there's no wrong answer!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Little Sins


"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." - James 2:10

Bet you've never seen that verse cross-stitched in a pillow.

It's sad, but it's true. Think about the verses that you have memorized, that are hanging in frames around your house, that are etched on the walls of your church. We choose to display the pretty verses - the ones that talk about God's love, His grace, and His mercy.

Not that God isn't any of those things - He most certainly is! But I can't help but think...If we really want to grow in our faith and challenge ourselves to be more like Christ, we have to be reminded of some of Scripture's tougher truths....like the verse at the top of this post.

If you truly want to know how to live out your faith, the book of James is a great place to start. He doesn't sugar coat anything. He calls out the readers for being of the world, and He pushes them towards God to seek wisdom.

In this passage, James is in the middle of calling out the church for showing partiality - for favoring people in their congregations who wear fine clothes in jewelry over those who can't afford as much.

Now, they weren't kicking them out of the service. They were allowed to stay. But from the text, it's obvious that the poor people weren't as welcomed into the church as those who were wealthy.

As Christians, if we labeled the sin of partiality, it would fall into the "little sins" category. You know, little sins are not near as bad a "big sins" like adultery, murder, stealing, etc.

Yet, when we look at James 2:10, God doesn't seem to have the same categorization system for sins as we do.

Now, this verse doesn't mean that if you steal, God automatically put you down for committing the other nine commandments too. But it does mean that if you sin in one area, you're every bit as guilty for sin as someone who has broken all of God's laws.

To this day, I've never touched alcohol. I didn't smoke cigarettes or even think about experimenting with drugs. I didn't have sex until I was married. And I was appalled by those who did.

But my heart didn't ache for them because they had acted against God's holiness. I was just disappointed in them and satisfied that I would never do such a thing.

You know what that's called?

Pride. It's a sin.

I elevated myself above them just because of a category of behaviors that I didn't participate in. And that arrogance in my heart disgusted God just as much as any substance abuse or premarital sex.

Over the next few months, I want to study the "little sins" category we've created: lying, jealousy, bitterness/lack of forgiveness, judging, pride, arrogance, greed, worldliness, selfishness, etc. If you can think of an area you want me to explore, please leave a comment on this post, and I'll add it to my list.

Monday, September 13, 2010

*NEW* Project!


I've decided to start a new blog that's a little different from this one. It's called...


So I guess you know what that means....I'm pregnant! :)

James and I could not be more thrilled. For those of you who have been following this blog for a while know what an answer to prayer this precious baby is to us. God's faithfulness is overwhelming, and we are so excited.

I'd love to tell you the whole story...but it would take way too long to type. So, how about you hop over to youtube and check out my video?

Don't forget to leave me a comment! ;)

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Wondering Wednesday: What show should have never gone off the air?

Confession time: I miss Jack Bauer.

No, really, I do. I got so attached to Fox's 2002-2010 show, 24, that I really do miss Jack Bauer. Who doesn't? I mean how can you not miss the kind of series hero that says stuff like this...

"I see fifteen people held hostage on a bus, and everything else goes out the window. I will do whatever it takes to save them, and I mean whatever it takes ... Laws were written by much smarter men than me. And in the end, these laws have to be more important than the 15 people on the bus. I know that's right. In my mind, I know that's right. I just don't think my heart could ever have lived with it."

I remember some pretty sad moments in my TV past....when the cast of Home Improvement took their final bows, waving goodbye to the cast of Full House, the cast of Friends leaving Chandler & Monica's apartment for the last time, huddled in a circle...

But when Jack Bauer said thank you to Chloe O'Brien and disappeared forever, I lost it like I was Chloe!

How about you? In your opinion, what TV show show have NEVER gone off the air?

Oh, and just to clarify: Superman wears Jack Bauer pajamas.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

5 Smart Nutrition Tips


Last night, I was blessed to attend an incredible nutritional seminar with Dr. Bill Wheeler. Among other notable accomplishments, he served as Staff Nutritionist to the President of the United States (1976 -1981), Staff Nutritionist to the 1996 US Olympic Decathlon Team and Staff Nutritionist to the 2002 US Olympic Snowboarding Team. He has been the personal nutritionist for athletes like Bret Favre and Michael Jordan. It would take way too long to list all of the sports teams he has worked with, but feel free to google him and be impressed.

Here are a few of the evening's highlights:

1. Daily Value: We are misled when we believe that our multivitamin contains 100% of the nutrients that we need. Daily value is actually defined as the minimum amount of a nutrition that will prevent a nutritional deficiency in a 12-year-old.

Chances are, your body is not getting enough of the nutrients it needs. If you feel like you are constantly hungry even though you know you have eaten enough to satisfy your hunger, your body is probably lacking some of the key nutrients it needs.

Key nutrients that people are frequently lacking: Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil), calcium & magnesium (work best when taken together), and for anyone extremely active or over 30 -- glucosamine. Over the next few weeks, I will be writing blog posts of the significance behind each of these supplements.

2. If you work out consistently, you must think of yourself as an athlete. The more active you are, the quicker you will see results in performance, energy levels, muscle soreness and appetite reduction when you practice proper nutrition.

The stress that an athlete's body takes in a week is equivalent to about 7 months of stress for the average person. The problem that many athletes, especially female athletes, create for themselves is that they exercise like an athlete, but they eat like someone who needs to lose 50 lbs. The body is not properly fueled, the athlete doesn't see the desired results and cannot figure out why.

This problem can be fixed with proper nutrition. If you would like for me to help you come up with a plan for fueling your body with proper nutrition, please leave a comment on this blog with your email address. I would be happy to send you an example of what I eat on a regular basis and help you tweak that plan to fit your individual needs.

3. The most critical window of time to capitalize on for proper nutrition is within 60 minutes of finishing your workout. During your workout, you break down muscle fibers and empty your nutrient storage. It is dangerous to not replace what you have depleted.

Proper nutrition post-workout will improve workout results, reduce muscle soreness, and keep your muscle metabolism higher for the next 48 hours. Even if you are trying to lose weight, don't freak out about the extra calories. It will help you burn more over the next two days.

The perfect combination is a balance of protein and amino acids, simple and complex carbohydrates, creatine, and antioxidants, especially Vitamin E & Vitamin C. Again, let me know if you would like to know what I do for recovery post-workout, and I will gladly help you.

4. Research shows that men can absorb 35-40 grams of protein per meal, and women can absorb 30-35 grams per meal. Anything extra simply results in gas. The best guideline for how much protein you need is to consumer a gram of protein per pound of body weight.

So if you've been taking 2 or 3 scoops of protein powder at once, your body isn't receiving all of that protein. A good protein drink shouldn't be higher in protein than the grams listed above.

Also, all protein is not created equal. I don't like bad-mouthing other products...but there's one best-selling brand...let's call it "Muscle Cow Juice." The quality of protein in that brand is just one grade higher than what is fed to livestock. Yikes!

5. I saved the easiest tip for last: Your body needs at least 2-3 minutes of exposure to the sun per day. You cannot fully supplement what the sun can do for your body with proper nutrition. NOTHING can replace it. So even if it's just 2-3 minutes, make sure you spend some time outside each day. Your body will thank you.

Over the next few weeks, I will post specific products Dr. Wheeler recommends, the benefits, and how to use them properly. For now, this is enough information to get you started in the right direction. Please don't hesitate to contact me for help if you need it or if something about this post is unclear. If nothing else, I hope you understand the importance of nutrition and educating yourself to best take care of your body. It's the only one you're going to get!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Wondering Wednesday: Customer Service


Today, I am making my third trip to Verizon Wireless in the past week for a malfunctioning phone... So in order to help me cheer up and have a better attitude, today's question is going to be about customer service.

What is the BEST customer service experience YOU have ever had? What company, what was the situation, and what impressed you so much about the way it was handled?

On a personal note, pray for patience and kindness for me as I go visit my friends at the cell phone company today...