Figure Road - Pound by Pound - Team 4:13: Go - Beautiful

" The spirit says go - its cold out there go - its a lonely road - but the spirit says go...I gotta keep going, even when my spirit is broken..." - excerpt from Mali Music "Go"

Words have escaped me in regards to talking about this journey, I've gone back and forth and forth and back trying to figure out how on earth I would ever adequately explain in words what I gained from this journey.....what God did.

1. God is amazing - I think that phrase is used so often in our society especially by people of faith that many times it may sound trite, but God has a way of reminding us of His awesomeness and power, even through simple things like a bodybuilding competition ;).

2. Who you are is enough....I have spent many years apparently not believing or knowing that, as it was revealed over and over and yes over again through this prep. I'm not a man so I can't tell you what men think, but speaking as a woman I know we often overlook how amazing we are in lieu of looking to be more - more successful than, more fit than, prettier than or as pretty/fit as such and such and many of you are probably saying , " girl not me, that was a your issue", but I challenge you to be honest with yourself and take a deeper look at why you buy certain things, eat certain foods, do your hair this way or that, heck why you exercise and the list goes on and on.... no matter how we may not want to admit it we are influenced to a certain extent by the culture that we live in. " be in this world , but not of it" - that takes work.

3. Your beginning does NOT determine your ending.....my life verse is " For I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strengthens me" as simple as this verse may sound it is not for the feeble of heart...it requires believing that no matter the circumstance or situation that God is and He can and that YOU ARE CAPABLE. I began the year preparing for a competition in June to which after three months of training God said NO - yep that's what I said very briefly (during my 5 minute pity part) my thoughts I've trained all this time and so and so gets to do this blah blah blah.....and then i said okay God you got it. On to the next prep, its Yours anyway. Please understand that is a dangerous phrase;lol, true but dangerous none the less, because it demands that you surrender to whatever the outcome may be.

4. His answer probably won't look like what you expect.
I began prepping again....headed in the direction I thought He was leading me and nothing was happening....it seemed like my body was fighting me. Frustrated and stressed 14 days before my competition God revamped everything and ultimately I dropped 10 lbs and 4% body fat in 2 weeks. I just need us ALL to understand that's just God....Lots of hard work over here, but completely Him blessing my efforts. His answers won't always look like what we thought, they are always GREATER. :)

5. What you think about me really doesn't matter....What I know about me and What He says about me is all I really care about.
10lbs heavier and about 2 to 3% higher in body fat than my first comp. I took the stage, and I felt GREAT! There was true freedom in feeling complete, whole, and happy in my own skin (we will delve deeper into that in a forthcoming blog ;) ). God has called you BEAUTIFUL - He says you are fearfully and wonderfully made, in other words I am the BOMB ( I'm sure there is new lingo, but I'm old so whatever :p).
That is my prayer and hope for each of you and every person that I am blessed with the opportunity to journey with - that you will feel/be complete and whole in your own skin. So no matter if you are standing in glorified bedazzled underwear in front of a panel of judges or naked in front of your bathroom mirror - that you would love ALL of you, because "you are not your hair" lol nor are you your jean size - you are much much more than that.

All in all the tests/life circumstances we find ourselves in call us to walk the walk ( that we often talk about), they press us to see what is really inside, they call out our shortcomings and give us the opportunity to work at making them better.
The facebook poster really is right - we really should train our minds to see the good in every situation.

You really do rock and I'm not just saying that.
Until next time - follow me on IG @ezefit7 or check for easy recipes, challenges, and encouragement on Face book at Ezell Health and Fitness.
I hope you will give my blog a follow as well, there's lots I want to share with you.
Let's Journey together :)
<3 Walking in my Grace gift ;)
Tam.