In Strength and Fitness
We are more than simply a fitness organization. We are intentional about our faith, living life well, and being our best in whatever role(s) we find ourselves in life. We aim to honor God with everything we are. And we want to help you do the same.When you become a Body & Soul® Fitness student, you’ll be given a free copy of our most current devotional booklet. In this, you’ll find our current playlist of songs/artists, and spiritual content that we hope will encourage and inspire you. Download a copy of our previous devotional booklet.
My husband and I recently enjoyed a little getaway in the Pocono mountains. We did it to spend some time together away from home but we also did it with a specific purpose in mind. It was our vision retreat!
Marriage is tough and we have spent 32 years trying to make ours a priority...
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I went on a beach trip recently with some girlfriends and had a great time enjoying the rolling waves while hanging on to a noodle so I could float. It was a lot of fun, except for the sunburn that came along with it! We set up a shade canopy and spent most of my time there, but I still got a nasty sunburn on my lips!...
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I reminisced as sat in our church nursery, watching two little boys argue over a ‘liked’ toy. (My boys were that age once and I vividly remembered the interactions.) Two children can be happily playing side by side but the minute one goes to get a new toy the other’s interest is immediately peeked! He now wants the toy the first child has shown interest in. Observing these kids’ interactions opened my eyes to how valuable ‘liking’ something in the world around us really is and what that can mean for those who love Jesus.
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Pencils are sharpened, backpacks and lunches are packed and kids, parents and grandparents all are prepared to conquer a new year of school. The change from summer routines to school year schedules can be dramatic! When my kids were little we had to start rolling back bedtime a couple of weeks before school started so that the early morning wake up calls weren’t quite as shocking as they would be otherwise. Transitions are rough but there is something rather wonderful about falling back into routines...
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...The lower path leads past a beautiful stream of clear water where small rocks are abundant for skipping. The quiet bubbling of the water is soothing. Every so often along the way I would stop and close my eyes, taking time to just smell the forest air—full of oxygen, no pollution. Air, the way God planned it...
I am a “Jersey Girl” and grew up along the New Jersey shore 2 miles from the beach! I had a healthy attitude toward the surf, its beauty, power and a healthy fear of those waves. I have always felt the presence of God on the sand! I vividly remember walking several blocks to the beach and almost physically feeling the stress, anxiety and fear falling away! Breathing in “The Marvelous” presence of God (the Holy Spirit) and breathing out the burdens that were weighing me down...
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As I was experiencing a weariness of being pulled in many directions, I read today’s Scripture, focusing on the message of running with perseverance the race “marked out for us”. See, God gives each one of us a unique race to run. My race does not look exactly like yours, and your race does not look exactly like mine. Some legs of our races may be similar, and our tools to persevere can be similar, but God gives each one of us something a little different to do. The passage says that God has set the race before us. He provides us with tools to endure and finish the race. This message was life-giving to me, as I was focusing on my circumstances and not fixing my eyes on Jesus. I needed to change my focus...
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I love gardening. I love digging in the dirt and planting new flowers, both annuals and perennials. This year I’ve been expanding the gardens around our new home and we even added a flowering tree. It’s been work, but also good exercise, and the reward is having lots of colorful beauty surrounding our home. I appreciate God’s beauty in creation.
But gardens need tending, and I’ve been learning what they need to thrive...
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“Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:11 (NIV)
For the past four years I’ve been selecting a word for the year - a reminder of something I value that I want to focus on, with the Lord’s help. My 2022 word is REST. Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith’s book “Sacred Rest” helped me realize my need for more intentional REST in specific areas of my life and also highlighted ways daily choices were robbing me of that REST. So, REST is my word. And summer is a great time to be thinking about REST!
Hebrews 3 and 4 reference the Lord’s ‘rest’ and how not to enter it...
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Opposites make such great comparisons.
Sweet and Salty…
Tall and short…
Up and Down…
The comparisons are easy to understand because we have experienced both things and know the difference between the two. The differences can deepen our understanding of the two opposite concepts. I love sweet things in part because I can contrast them to salty things. My understanding of what sweet means is deepened by my experience of what it means for something to be salty.
I think freedom is another concept that works in the same way...
