Do You Love Me? Feed My Sheep.

There's nothing quite like the kindness of a stranger. I could share a million stories of incredible things my family and close friends did for me while I was growing up. But whenever I am asked about a special memory from my childhood, there's one story that always comes to mind...and I can't even tell you his name.

We were on a church youth choir trip. My dad was the trip coordinator, so my while family tagged along. I was only five years old. When it was time to eat a meal, my dad always tried to stop at a mall. The food court was not only time efficient, but it gave more options for a variety of diet needs and taste preferences and gave everyone a chance to walk and stretch their legs after several hours on the bus.

As you can imagine, being an active five-year-old, I was done with sitting down by this point. I ate my meal in record speed. Since our table was right outside Bath and Body Works, I asked my mom if I could go in the store and look around. My mom was hesitant, but since she could see inside the store, she agreed.

I walked in and immediately began picking up everything labeled "tester" I could get my hands on. I would simply open it, smell it, and set it back down where I found it. I could only reach the bottom row, so I quickly ran out of new options to smell. Not ready to head back to sit down, I simply wert back to the front of the store and started down the line again.

There was a man working in the store. I noticed he was watching me, but I wasn't hurting anything, so I kept moving down the line: picking the tester up, smelling it and setting it back down. Then, I noticed he was walking towards me.

"Would you like to smell something from one of the other rows?" he asked.

Knowing I wasn't supposed to talk to strangers, I nodded. He began helping me with my pattern. He would pick up something from the rows I couldn't reach, let me smell it and put it back where it went. He continued this pattern until I had successfully smelled every scent the store had to offer.

My mom noticed that I had been gone for quite some time. When she saw the man helping me, she decided it was time to come get me. After all, I wasn't a buying customer. She didn't want him wasting his time.

She reached her hand out to me. "Come on, Michelle. Let's go take a walk down the mall now." She turned to the gentleman. "Thank you."

"Could you hang on just one second?" he asked my mom. "I'll be right back."

Confused, but willing to comply, my mom and I waited as he walked into the employee room in the back of the store. When he walked back toward us, I noticed he had two boxes in his hands. He opened them both to me to reveal two different scented soaps.

"Which one do you like best?" he asked. He held them up while I smelled them both several times. They both smelled good, so I wanted to make the right decision.

Finally, I pointed to the purple-colored soap (that I now know was Lavender Vanilla). "This one," I said, decisively.

"Okay, wait right there," he said. I watched in amazement as he went behind the counter, got one of the store's gift bags and wrapped the soap I picked in tissue paper and tied the package with a bow.

"Here you go," he said, handing me the bag.

I, of course, lit up like a Christmas tree. "Oh, we can't take that," my mom said. "I'm sorry I sent her in here alone. She just wanted to..."

He cut my mom off mid-sentence. "She was so good in here, careful not to spill anything or open a bottle that wasn't labeled as a 'tester.' I'd like for her to have the soap if it's alright with you."

My mom agreed. "What do you say, Michelle?"

"Thank you so much," I told him. "I'll take good care of it," I promised.

He laughed. "Just promise me you'll enjoy it," he said. He waved and moved on to help another customer.

Even then, as a five-year-old, I knew that I had experienced an abnormal act of kindness. When we got home after the trip, my mom started to open the box to put the soap in my bathroom.

"No," I insisted. "I want to keep it in the box."

"Why?" she asked, obviously puzzled.

"Because I want to save it...as a reminder to be kind to others. That man didn't have to give me that soap, but he did."

I don't think my mom knew what to say, but she put the soap back in the box. It stayed on my dresser in my room for the next ten years. Finally, when I was 15 and we were moving across the state, I decided it was time to use the soap. After all, I wasn't sure what six hours in a moving van would do to it.

However, the memory of that day is etched in my mind as if that box were still sitting on my dresser as a daily reminder. I was especially reminded of it today as I read Matthew 25:34-46:

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

How we treat others reveals our true devotion to Christ. Infact, before Jesus ascended to heaven after dying on the cross, he asked Peter the same question three times. Jesus said, "Peter, do you love me?" After Peter responded, "Yes, LORD, You know all things. You know that I love you," notice Jesus' response. He says phrases like, "Tend my sheep" or "Feed my lambs." (John 21:15-17) In other words, the best way we can show Jesus that we love Him is by caring for others.

Reflect on your own life. When is a time that you have seen Christ reflected in the way they treated you? Thank God for those momemts and pray God will give you opportunities to shine in someone else's life for His glory.

I'm not sure I'll ever see that man who worked in Bath and Body Works again, but the impact his small action had on my life is significant.

Do you love Him? Feed His sheep.

Do you love Him? Tend His lambs.

Volunteer Work that Matters the Most!

Volunteer Work that Matters the Most!

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Sometimes, being a writer involces knowing when you can't say it better than the original author. In a world that seems to value the family less with each day, I hope you will be challenged and encouraged by this post by Chalene Johnson (Pictured here with me this past summer at Camp Turbo). Just click on the title of the post, and you will be re-directed to her blog!

Give the gift of HEALTH this year!

Give a gift to a loved one (or to YOURSELF) this year that keeps on giving! Check out my special packages this year to help you and those that you love get physically fit. Prices available by emailing coach.chelle@gmail.com.

"GET WITH IT" FIT KIT

- One 30-minute Phone Fitness Consultation with Michelle
- eBook of Michelle's Favorite Recipes
- Written plan of Michelle's Favorite Beginner Workout
- You may add a personal training session either at the beginning or end of your workout plan with Michelle for an additional $25 to your purchase package.

"GET STARTED" FIT KIT

- Two 30-minute Phone Fitness Consultations with Michelle
- eBook of Michelle's Favorite Recipes
- 2 Samples of Shakeology (Chocolate or Greenberry Flavor)
- Customized Written Workout Plan by Michelle*
- You may add a personal training session either at the beginning or end of your workout plan with Michelle for an additional $20 to your purchase package.

"GET FIT" KIT

- Two One-hour Phone Fitness Consultations with Michelle
- eBook of Michelle's Favorite Recipes
- 2 week supply of Shakeology (Either Chocolate or Greenberry Flavor)
- Workout plan (Including 5-8 DVDs, basic nutrition plan)*
- You may add a personal training session either at the beginning or end of your workout plan with Michelle for an additional $15 to your purchase package.

"ULTIMATE GET FIT" KIT

- Three One-hour Phone Fitness Consultations with Michelle
- eBook of Michelle's Favorite Recipes
- 1 month supply of Shakeology (Either Chocolate or Greenberry Flavor)
- 1 deluxe workout plan (Including 12 DVDs, detailed nutrition plan)*
- You may add a personal training session either at the beginning or end of your workout plan with Michelle for an additional $10 to your purchase package.

*Workout selected based on Initial Phone Fitness Consultation

**Packages may be adjusted based on client need. Simply email Michelle at coach.chelle@gmail.com to work out a custom package.**

My Blogs MERGED!

For those of you who have been following both of my blogs, I've decided to make it easier on you...all of my posts will now be in one place! AbSolution4Her has been incorporated into www.michellemyerswrites.blogspot.com. This will now be your one-stop place for encouragement from God's Word, random happenings in my life, as well as fitness and nutrition advice.

Hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading!

My Will's and Won't of "I Do"

I wrote this three months before I got married. I thought I would post it to give my engaged friends some tips as they plan their weddings. Not only did these commitments make my engagement period much more enjoyable, but I believe it's helped my first year and a half of married life to be pure bliss. Enjoy!


The flower girl refuses to walk down the aisle. One bridesmaid forgot to get her nails done. The florist is short one centerpiece. Whatever will the bride do? Her perfect day is ruined. At the end of the ceremony, the bride is absolutely ______________.

Hysterical? Devastated? Maybe. But what is she absolutely? Married. Period. No matter what goes wrong, two things are left: the marriage and the pictures. So why have we turned wedding planning into a stressful and lengthy process?

Reality TV glorifies “bridezillas” who throw tantrums, put their families’ lives on hold, and force their parents to spend more money on a 20 minute ceremony than they spent on her college education. This behavior is not only accepted, but it’s expected.

The average cost of an American wedding is $28,800 – not including the rings, honeymoon, or wedding planner. (Why would you spend money on another opinion? Trust me. You will have enough.) Is this an investment? Perhaps. But Dr. Scott Stanley, author of The Power of Commitment, says 40-50% of young couples who marry will divorce.

Many people are shocked by this statistic. As a bride 96 days shy of our (not my) big day, I can clear up the confusion: Too much focus on the wedding. Too little focus on the marriage.

We’re not the only ones to blame, brides. Daily, we’re asked, “How’s the wedding planning?” But when was the last time someone asked about your preparations for marriage? No wonder we spend more time talking about the font for the invitations than offered advice on how to handle finances.

Divorce is not an option for me. Neither is valuing the wedding over the marriage. So here’s my plan:

I won’t spend more time dreaming, obsessing, and planning for the wedding than preparing for the marriage. Do I want a wedding or a marriage? Being married is work, and if I’m not willing to put in the effort, I should throw a big party because that’s all I want anyway.

I won’t try to be the bride AND the groom. If I trust him to take care of me for the rest of my life, he needs practice. He can pick out the ring, plan a honeymoon, and choose his groomsmen. And if his parents are paying for the rehearsal dinner, it’s up to them.

I won’t be a control freak. I picked a venue, set the date, and put it on my calendar. I selected a florist, chose the flowers, and paid the bill. In other words, I will do my part, delegate, and check it off my list.

I won’t repeat other’s mistakes. I hate paying too much money for an ugly dress I will never wear again. I will choose a color from one store that offers and variety of styles and prices. This way, I can let my bridesmaids choose a dress they can afford and feel comfortable in. (Plus, matchy matchy is not even in style anymore!)

I will say thank you and send thank you notes. This is practice for putting someone else above me, which is what marriage is all about. Plus, the more grateful I am, the easier I am to work with, and the more others will be willing to help me. I recognize I can’t plan a wedding alone.

I will seek advice from others. I will schedule pre-marital counseling sessions, ask questions of those who have marriages I respect, and read every book on marriage I can find. (P.S. This won’t end once I get married. I want to keep learning and keep getting better.)

I will expect imperfection. The day of the wedding, something will undoubtedly go wrong. Guaranteed. The only thing I can control is how I will respond. I can cry and make my mascara run, or I can smile, knowing I will laugh about it eventually.

I will eat, rest, and enjoy. Crash diets, lack of sleep, and stress will leave me unhealthy and unhappy. This is supposed to be the happiest day of my life. I can’t be a good wife if I’m sick and worn out. I will eat healthy, exercise, get enough rest and enjoy our engagement.

I realize keeping these guidelines will ruin my chances of being a reality TV star. America won’t be captivated by my fits or my dad’s checkbook. No one will fidget impatiently through a commercial break to see if my fiancé follows through with his threat to call off the wedding. But I imagine that I will still be smiling when I walk down the aisle in three months.

Peace out, Bridezilla. Hello, happy ever after.

Staying Health-Conscious in College

New city, new friends, new classes, new life. No parents, no busy work, no students there simply because they are required by law, no more 8am-3pm days of class without a break. Best of all? Total freedom.

There's no question about it; college is awesome. But as fun and rewarding as it can be, the college lifestyle can be devastating for your overall health. Everyone talks about the "freshman fifteen" but no one likes to talk about the 15 lb. weight gain that happens sophomore year...junior year...senior year...Over a 4 year degree, that means you could enter college weighing 125 lbs. and graduate weighing nearly 200!

Maintaining a balanced diet and exercise routine can help combat excessive weight gain in college. Here are some tools that will help you get your degree without packing on the pounds.

Nutrition Tips:

1. Always eat breakfast. Whether you scramble out of bed at 7:55 to get to your 8 am Chemistry Lab without time for food or just think your stomach doesn't wake up until noon, you need to eat something to get your metabolism going for the day. Aim for something with a balanced percentage of carbs, protein and fat. A great on-the-go breakfast is making your own trail mix. Mix 8 natural almonds, 1 cup of Kashi GoLean cereal, and 1/3 cup dried cranberries into a Ziploc bag. Even if you wake up late, you know you'll have something on hand to start your day off right.

2. Eat 5-6 small meals a day. Eating frequently will not only keep your metabolism at a steady rate, but it will prevent you from getting super hungry and eating everything in sight. It's easier to turn down that midnight pizza order when you feel full from throughout the day.

3. Pack snacks to take with you. Late night cram sessions in the library and dinner-time group project meetings may leave you craving fast food or stuck getting something out of a vending machine. Protein bars, nuts & dried fruit, and bags of whole grain cereal are just a few ideas of things that can easily fit into your purse or backpack.

4. Drink water. Don't let your body trick you into thinking you're hungry when you may actually just be thirsty. Drinking water helps keep you hydrated and full, especially when you are inbetween meals. Avoid empty calories from beverages that have no nutritional value such as sodas, alcohol and sugary juices.

5. Just because it contains the word "salad," that doesn't automatically mean its healthy. Dieters are naturally drawn to salad bars because it seems safe. However, dining hall salad bars are loaded with high-fat options including creamy dressings, bacon, cheese and butter-drenched croutons. Choose dark leafy green lettuce, load up on veggies, add 4 oz. of grilled lean meat, and serve oil-based viniagrette dressing on the side.

Fitness Tips:

1. Leave yourself enough time to walk or bike to class. You know you're going to have to sit through class, so be active while you can. Walking between classes will be a good stretch for your legs and give you enough of a mental break to help you go back into learning-mode for your next class.

2. Play intramural sports or get involved in group exercise classes at your campus gym. These are great ways to meet new friends and stay in shape at the same time.

3. Take your phone calls home outdoors...(or to a treadmill if it's too late at night.)strong> Between your parents, siblings, friends at other schools, etc., you're going to have several phone calls to make each week. Instead of sitting in your dorm room, head out for a walk while you catch up with friends and family. Every little bit helps!

4. Choose your electives wisely. Every degree program has a certain amount of free electives. Do you really need to sit through the History of Rock 'n' Roll? Try weight lifting, swimming or dance to get activity for class credit instead.

5. Watch out where you work. If you're biggest weakness is high-fat Mexican food, it's probably not a good idea to wait tables at On the Border. Or if you tend to snack when you're sitting around, a desk job may not be the best fit for you. Explore different opportunities, and try to find a job that won't leave you constantly inactive or tempted.

Remember, college is your first time out on your own. You are setting your personal habits for the rest of your life. Take this opportunity to get off to a fresh start that will benefit you for a lifetime!

September *SHAKEOLOGY* Challenge

Got plans for September? I have an idea - TAKE MY SEPTEMBER SHAKEOLOGY CHALLENGE! :)

Beachbody has a special offer right now that you don't want to miss. (Keep reading below for more info about Shakeology, but check out these cool bonuses first!) First of all, if you order Shakeology on Home Direct (meaning it ships automatically to you once a month), Beachbody will give you FREE shipping! You have the freedom to cancel whenever you wish...but once you taste it, I don't think you will!

ALSO, you can also get 2 *BONUS* Shakeology DVD workouts - a $30 value that you get absolutely free with your order of Shakeology!

So...for just $120, you will have your workout and one meal for everyday of the month paid for!

Now, I said $120 and you may have just been intimidated by the price. I understand. I'm not gonna lie - That was my initial reaction too. However, once I actually thought about it I realized that I would actually save money with Shakeology.

Here’s how...

The retail price for Shakeology is roughly $120 for a one month supply (30 servings at one serving per day). Shakeology is a meal replacement shake based on whole foods that can help you lose weight, feel energized, improve digestion and regularity, lower your cholesterol and detoxify your body. I have personally experienced these effects and have many people tell me that they have too. (Not to mention - it actually tastes REALLY good!) I look forward to my Shakeology every day because I know that I feel better and that I am healthier for it. You can choose between Greenberry and Chocolate flavors. (I've attached the nutrition information below for Greenberry...but the Chocolate nutritional values are very close to the ones below!)

To hear more success stories, check out www.shakeology.com. I don't doubt after reading this that you will want to try it...but you may still be asking, "Where does the 'save money' part come in?"

There are two BIG ways to save money with Shakeology so that YOU can finally get yours. One way to save is to do your purchasing using the huge coach discounts and the other way to save is the value of Shakeology as a meal replacement. I'm going to break both ways down for you so you can see how valuable these savings are in terms of saving you a good chunk of money.

Shakeology is a MEAL REPLACEMENT. You are going to spend money on your meals anyway. There is no way around that. Spend your money replacing just one meal per day with Shakeology, which typically is going to be more nutritious, have fewer calories, and honestly, more filling, than most "fast" foods. Shakeology is about $4 dollars per meal retail. When you consider that the typical fast food meal is around $6, the average Starbucks drink around $5, it seems that Shakeology is actually an inexpensive meal -- while you are getting far more nutrients that your body needs in far less calories. It is a WIN - WIN - WIN situation.

Not to mention.....free shipping and 2 FREE DVD workouts!

Create a FREE account on my Beachbody Products page at www.teambeachbody.com/chellemyers so that you can purchase Shakeology for yourself at retail price today and save using Shakeology as a meal replacement. (Plus, I have been experimenting for about 4 months now...I have many ideas for recipes and savings so make sure you take advantage of my free service to help YOU get the most out of your health and your purchases.)

P.S. This deal won't last forever, so be sure to act now! Message me on Facebook or email me at coach.chelle@gmail.com if you want more information.