Some of my earliest memories are of reading Bible stories, singing songs about Jesus’s love, and going to church. I always loved being involved within the church and sought out opportunities to serve others. As I grew up, however, I never had the desire to pursue God on my own, and in fact I didn’t really know how to. I thought that if I followed the rules, went to church, and knew the basic Bible stories that I was a good Christian. 

 

As I got older, I became heavily involved in athletics, and the sport of gymnastics quickly became the most important thing in my life: it took the top priority over my friends, family, and even my faith. Over time, I placed my worth, identity, and value in my abilities as an athlete, and I trained to become a successful gymnast thinking that if I could achieve my goal of being a collegiate gymnast, I would have a happy and purposeful life 

 

One day as I was training, however, I had an injury that took me out of the sport for many years, missing the opportunity to be recruited for college gymnastics, and I was devastated. I was very angry at God for “ruining” my life and taking away the one thing I loved. I no longer understood who I was, what my purpose was in life, and what to do with my life since the one thing I spent all my time in was gone. 

 

So what did I do? I filled that emptiness in my life with new things that I thought would help me feel purposeful, happy, and valued. I looked to the things the world taught me to value, and pursued those things… I was a straight A student, I had great friends, and I dated guys, but I still felt empty and was longing for more…so I kept looking.

 

This time I turned to fitness. I wanted to be strong like the other athletes, and thought that if I could workout and lift heavy weights that I would be happy, noticed, and would have purpose. Overtime, I slowly became addicted to working out and battled with eating disorders. I never felt satisfied in the ways I looked or in my strength… Nothing seemed to fill this deep desire I had in my heart to be loved, valued, and purposeful.  

 

It wasn’t until I was in college when God opened my eyes and helped me see that HE was the only thing that could give my life meaning. God was slowly stripping away the things I held on to so tightly and opened my eyes to the fact that only in Christ was I fully known, loved, and given a purpose. BUT this purpose was different. My life was no longer focused on myself and what I could do but was now focused on how GREAT God is, and what He did for me and others through His Son. 

 

Throughout college, I attended a church on my campus, and the Lord surrounded me with others who had an authentic and deep relationship with God. I saw their faith in Christ demonstrated by the ways they pursued Him first in their lives, and I desired to learn how to do that in my own life. I started being discipled by other women in the church and learned more about the character of God. As I read the Bible, I began understanding how God desires for His people to follow and worship Him. He calls us to turn away from our sinful desires and follow Him fully. I saw how God transformed and changed me, and I began to desire to tell others about God: I saw that God was calling me to go and make disciples, teaching them everything He had taught me. 

 

At first, I didn’t know where to start. I prayed that God would open doors for me to disciple others, and HE PROVIDED! One of the first young women I discipled was battling eating disorders and idolizing fitness…I saw the way God used my story and past for His glory and to help others understand their need for Him. (Praise God!). I went on to realize that God could continue to use my passion for fitness and athletics to reach others in the athletic community, so I started a fitness Bible study called Lifted on my college campus. I saw the Lord work in incredible ways as we gathered together as a community with a similar passion and were able to talk about the struggles we may face, and how we can fix our eyes on Christ as we run the race before us. 

 

When it came time for me to graduate, I knew the Lord was calling me to pursue a career in ministry, and I continued working in college ministry until I got married. When I found out my husband and I would be moving to Los Angeles, I had to laugh, seeing that it is a city that is full of individuals who seek to idolize and focus on their body image and self.  I continued praying for doors to open for me to reach the fitness community, and the Lord placed a ministry directly into my hands. I was put in contact with the FCA staff in LA and was given an opportunity to continue making disciples in the athletic and fitness community.  So here I am ◡̈  

 

As I look back on my life, I see the many ways God opened my eyes to the sinful life I was living as I sought to pursue my own desires. BUT The Lord saved me and gave me a new life, new hope, and purpose. He put people in my life to help me learn how to pursue Christ and live my life in a way that exemplifies His love, grace, and mercy. He then called me to continue making disciples and sharing the story He gave me.