Grow Strong
In
Grace & Knowledge 

I've spent most of my life searching for WHO I really am.

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While it's true that some aspects of my personality have always been apparent—like drinking hot coffee anyplace, anytime; the natural inclination to dance to literally any type of music; an absolutely insatiable affinity for all things made of sugar; or the innate desire to reach out and help those in need—other parts of figuring out who I am in this big world were absolutely more puzzling than quantum physics to my VERY human brain!

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In 2017, I found myself grinding hard daily in a job that wasn't making ends meet, showing up as a wife and mother the best way I knew how at the time, and feeling absolutely exhausted—mentally and physically. I knew something had to change, so I began seeking out what things actually bring me joy. I quickly started dipping a toe in the water with coaching elementary and middle school cheerleading, hired a bodybuilding coach, competed in the NPC amateur bikini circuit, started a new job in a completely different field, and even spent time away from my family, heading to Chicago to earn my Confectionary Arts Certification. And so began a five-year stretch of throwing darts at a board to see what would stick! Truthfully, they all did—which confused and exhausted me on a whole new level!

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The more I searched, the further I seemed to be from any concrete answers. The longer this went on, the more I found that I was exhausting myself and pushing away loved ones who had good intentions and wanted to help my plight. The Lord surely blessed me with many rich experiences and relationships that I wouldn't trade along the way, but it would have been so much easier if I had included Him in the plan from the get-go.

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When push came to shove my health declined, I stopped coaching, returned to my career in social work, and closed the bakery. After hiring a nutrition coach who literally saved my life, I shifted my focus and dug into a new normal. The one constant that remained was the gym. I maintained daily, non-negotiable gym time, practiced intentional nutrition to fuel my body, and eventually settled into life. I wasn’t necessarily satisfied, but I had reached some level of contentment.

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Life, in its ever-changing nature, didn't stay smooth for long. Within a three-year period, I found myself becoming an empty nester to two children and in the midst of the end of a 22-year marriage. I can't express to you enough the pain of not knowing exactly "who" you are while also losing titles like "wife" and acknowledging that you aren't needed to be a mom 24/7.

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This is the point where I finally surrendered and began hearing the still, small voice. You see, God was with me through all of it; I was just too busy trying to figure everything out on my own to see or hear Him. I would pray prayers and then proceed without waiting to hear His answer, or I would push doors open that He was clearly trying to keep closed.

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Once He had my attention there was no going back, He began showing me things about myself and revealing the beautiful qualities I thought were just basic or, in some cases, downright embarrassing! He showed me things beyond what I would have ever dreamed lived within me.

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As I began to feel more comfortable in my own skin, I knew I wanted to help others feel the same. I was on fire and had a passion to seek out exactly how to do this when I came across the Life Coach Training Institute, which not only had the course I needed but also offered a Christian Coaching Certification! Little did I realize that it would be so much more than a course certificate. Somewhere in the middle of connecting with classmates and listening to lectures, I found parts of myself I'd never met before! The Holy Spirit showed up in ways I had never experienced before simply by walking out this journey and discussing His Word together.

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I am a believer that we each have unique spiritual gifts to share with one another for the good of all, and the enemy will do his best to hide them from us!

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I have 20+ years of experience in the field of social work, a lifetime of dedication to physical fitness, experience leading group exercise classes, and experience in bodybuilding, nutrition coaching—including macronutrient education—certified personal training, and Christian life coaching, along with a whole boatload of life experience that outweighs my age. ;)

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My hope is to walk alongside you as you discover all the beautiful gifts living within you and encourage you to live the healthy, joy-filled life God intends for you. I understand firsthand that sometimes we feel like we don't fit in with what the world would call "normal," but when we discover who God made us to be, we will never want to!