PraiseMoves DeKalb: The Christian Alternative to Yoga

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MY STORY

So, here is a short summary of my story in a nut shell.

In the beginning...

I was always slightly overweight as a teen, but once I had my son my weight went up to 279 lbs, I tried to get the weight off, but I always seemed to fail. I know now, I was doing all the wrong things, still over or under eating, over exercising ...etc. My weight got to be so bad, I had to stop taking baths, because I could not pull myself out of the tub due to the pain in my knees. Same old story as most people right... so, I decided to have the gastric bypass and ended up with a leak. I should have been dead in 36 hours, but lived for 48 due to a small twist in my bowels.

6 Years in or out of the hospital

This led to over 6 years of being in and out of the hospital, ICU, and multiple surgeries including wiping out my 401K due to medical bills. I suffered from all kinds of infections, loss my gallbladder, Kidney Stones, Hernia... included 3 years of chronic yeast infections, and bleeding for over a year, and another twisted bowel surgery.

How much weight did I lose?

After all of this... I only lost estimated 50 pounds and started to gain the weight back again. I prayed to God, there must be a better way and asked Him to help me, plus I began taking communion every day and started seeing miracles in my healing every day. (i.e. being able to sit up, use the bathroom on my own...etc.)

Step One: Realize I was a Modern Day Pharisee

I did not smoke, drink, or do drugs, but I never saw gluttony as an issue for me. I had my own plans and left God out of the mix. I needed to go to God and include Him in my healing and my need for a life style change. For me, it needed to be a connection to my Spirit, Soul, and Body. I needed to reform my thinking. I realized Jesus did not die on the cross, so I could be in pain. Jesus wanted me healed and whole. "For you were bought at a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s" I Corinthians 6:20. When Jesus died on the cross and I was saved, He gave me everything I required to change. I just had to learn how to tap into the power that was already within me.

Step Two: I started watching and learning from everywhere, mostly at first Dr. Oz. My son introduced me to Keto eating and I realized sugar was a big part of the infections I was still experiencing. Once I removed the sugar it was like a load was lifted. Dr. Oz taught me how to eat the rainbow, Keto taught me how to cut the carbs, I learned to stop killing my food by over cooking, I learned the importance of drinking more water, and the benefits of moving in the right way, which for me is "using gentle exercise". Gentle exercise that I would be able to do for a lifetime. Jesus, Dr. Oz, Joyce Meyer, and Andrew Wommack, my local churches were a major part of my transformation. Please tell Dr. Oz thank you so much and I pray his show continues for many more years to come!!!!!

You know...sugar addiction is harder to beat than drug abuse. We have to eat, so we have to face our addiction every day. I had to make a plan to beat my cravings or my cravings were going to beat me. I learned to control my cravings using prayer. Scriptures to mediate upon when I am not truly hungry.

Scriptures for Comfort

• God comforts us (Isaiah 40:1-11)
• God promises to comfort those who mourn (Matthew 5:4)
• God’s Holy Spirit is our Comforter (John 14:16)
• Jesus has overcome the world’s troubles (John 16:33)
• God comforts those who are hurting (2 Corinthians 1:3 - 11)
• All pain will end (Revelation 21:3-4)

Personal Prayer Example used to fight cravings

Jesus, I need your help to make these changes in my life. With you anything is possible. I can do this, but only with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Help me to change the image of myself, into the person you would have me to be. My body was brought at a price, my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in me, whom I have received from God. I am not my own. I don’t know how long it will take to change this image on the inside. It may take a week, a month, a year, or ten years, but I will change. 1 COR 10:13 states, you will not allow more temptation than I can bear, but when I am tested... YOU will also give me a way to escape that temptation. I only need to wait and watch patiently for your rescue. I will do what God called me to do. God, I gave you permission to do anything you wish to me, with me, in me, or through me that would glorify Your Holy Name. I once claimed these rights as mine, but now they belong to you Jesus, as my body and mind belongs to you and are under Your control. God can do with them anything He pleases, in the name of Jesus and by the Blood of Jesus. Amen!

Step Three: I started walking with a friend and set up a gym in my dining room. It was fun going to Goodwill shopping for exercise equipment and buying items on sale. I tried many different activities looking for activities I would love. Rock climbing was not one of them, but swimming was fun, however I found walking was the best, so I started walking at Six Flags and Walking Trails in my area. Now, I ride my bike about 4 miles per day and walk for 2 miles. I have an old time bike with a big seat and a basket, all manual for me no 10-speed this way. Smile

Step Four: I also needed to deal with the depression, eating when stressed, plus find a way to handle my sugar withdrawal symptoms. I still have sugar cravings. Now I know it’s from low Serotonin. I needed more Serotonin/Dopamine boaster foods and activities in my everyday life. For me... stress was my main trigger. I had to find a way to relieve the need for emotional eating... I tried Yoga, however due to my religious beliefs, I was not able to practice Yoga, so I started looking for an alternative approach. I found www.PraiseMoves.org and loved the concept so much, I became a certified instructor in Feb 2015. Amen! It changed my relationship with food, my thoughts, and how I felt about my body.

Today, my current weight is 149.6 and I am still losing weight, I have about 25 lbs to go and I am confident I will get there. It’s nice and slow weight loss. I have been down now for 11 years... praise God! This time I am losing the weight the right way, a life style change way, which is for me the best way. I wear my "wings" with honor, that’s what I call all the extra skin I have on my arms and body. I have estimated 20 lbs of extra skin and it’s ok. I reminds me of my journey. Perhaps, one day I will get it removed, but for now I am loving my body as is.

How do I help my community

I teach free reading lessons to the children at my church, but my passion is sharing my story with church members and teaching a small class at Connect Church every Wednesday from 6 - 7 PM EST. I recently spoke at my first Women’s Conference (New Piney Grove Baptist Church) and will be starting new PraiseMoves DeKalb ( www.praisemovesdekalb.org ) fitness classes there as well in May 2016. I taught classes for a while at Allegre Point Senior home last year and got a reward. It’s my first year and I work a full time job, but I could not image not dedicating my life to this mission.

Free to the Public

All our classes are Free to the Public. I work with seniors, young adults, and children. I have a hard time with men, can’t seem to get them to come, but I am trying with PraiseMoves for Couples. Smile. My church also provides a Basketball and Cheerleading camp at the local middle school and I teach the parents while they are waiting on practice to end. We do a 9 week program every year, it’s called Connect Sports. www.connectsportsatl.org

My Mission

I am one person with a vision God has placed on my heart to enlighten my community ... informing them "You can change". Just as we wash our body on the outside to stay clean by removing bacterial, we need to clean our bodies and mind on the inside as well. We don’t have to remain in pain and we can have a better quality of life. We need to rethink our relationship with food, not as a comforter, but as it was intended a pleasure God blessed us with to be enjoyed with our family and friends, and for our nourishment. My class teaches people of all ages how to fight cravings and avoid the sin of gluttony (one of the 7 deadly sins) by mediating on God’s Word (going to Him as the comforter), how to eat the rainbow, how to cut down on total carbs (slow instead of fast carbs) , and how to move gently using flowing and stretching PrasieMoves "The Christian Alternative to Yoga" positions.

Our focus is not only to help other lose weight, but also to change their thinking ... about loving themselves and being able to see their bodies as God sees them, thru the righteousness of Christ, which is beautiful and complete. We focus on using the connection Christians already have with the Spirit, Soul, and Body.

I plan to get my certification in healing starting in August 2016 at the Life Center ( http://lifecenter.org/training/ ) . I realize Dr. Oz is for all audiences and all religions, but it would be nice to let others know that there are all kinds of fitness programs and more and more free fitness ministries available at their local churches. You need not be saved... the program is for everyone. Churches are on the move speaking about health issues and they are looking for people to volunteer and start fitness ministries just like mine. Thank you so much for wanting to hear my story... it was truly my pleasure. Amen!!!!

Check me out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PraiseMovesDeKalb

You are invited to come out, Praise God, and workout with us. Classes are held every Wednesday from 6PM - 7PM. God Bless!

www.praisemovesdekalb.org

Please continue to pray for me in hopes that PraiseMoves DeKalb will continue to touch lives by teaching how gentle movement and eating right can heal bodies, reduce stress, plus shows our community how to connect with God through meditating on HIS Word.

The goal of every class is to honor God with our bodies and share the peace, love, and connectedness I have found in spending time with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

PraiseMoves Foundational Scripture: For you were bought at a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s" (1 Corinthians 6:20)

I invite you, your family, and friends to try one of our classes and experience a different type of exercise and worship. Let’s join together and Thank God for all that he has done. Amen!

Class Schedule

Level: All Levels Standing, Chair & Floor (Begining)

CLASS LOCATION

- Connect Church (Wednesday @ 6 PM)