Welcome to Coffee Talk!

I decided it was time to bring back an old friend, my blog. I actually started another blog at one point, but we are coming back to the OG. I'm hoping to publish weekly blog posts on all sorts of topics that I feel would be good conversation if we were hanging out over a cup of coffee.

For my first post in a few years 😉 I thought I'd do a little reintroduction. Some of you have been with me since day 1, over 10 years ago. And some of you are brand new. So, buckle up and let's get (re)acquainted. 

We are going to back it way up to bring it to today and why I am just SO incredibly grateful for God's saving grace and for new beginnings.

I had my son at the age of 20. I have a super supportive family, but as for parenting, it was just us. I tried to be the best momma I could be, but I struggled. My son is now 24 and I'm so thankful that he is such a wonderful young man. And I hope he learned some from my struggle.

My son was always loved and provided for, but I did not always love and care for myself and this did sometimes spill over to him. For probably the first 10 years of his life, my lifestyle was more than just unhealthy. I had walked away from attending church, I partied, had bad relationships and just barely got by financially. Not to mention, I also didn't eat right or workout, I've struggled with weight my entire life.

Around 2011-2012 I hit my rock bottom. Still a single mom, I was working two jobs, and going to school full time, while trying to do all the mom things. I crashed. I lost all of the things, my jobs (grant funded position that went away), my home, and relationships.

It was around 2013 when a light went off in me. I had been back in church for a year or so, I had been seeking Jesus regularly as a result of that rock bottom and I was helping care for my grandpa. Being one of his caregivers also allowed me even more time to spend with Jesus, but I was still not caring for my body.

In June of 2013, I had reached almost 300 pounds on the scale, I'm only 5'2'', I decided that was enough. It was time to make a change. I sought Christ to help me start making healthier changes for myself. He had rescued me from so much already, I knew he was the only way here too. The book "Made to Crave" was instrumental in my change at this time.

Over the next four years I lost approximately 130 pounds. I shared my wellness journey from June of 2013 until present time on social media as a way to hold myself accountable and to share my testimony of what God was doing with me. During this time, I, with a couple of friends, led fitness classes at our church. I was a Beachbody coach and coached many women.  I could share SO much about this time and how the Lord continually rescued me and also used me, but this is so long already, I really want to get to the now.

In 2017 things began to change again. Over the next five years, change was my middle name. I have switched careers three times. I got into a relationship and got married, he's the best. My son graduated high school and moved out. I have moved three times, including buying a home, something I never thought I would be able to do again. There was a pandemic, where I was deemed essential, working as a substance use counselor in a men's residential treatment facility. (Side note: I led weekly fitness classes here too, the guys had a love/hate relationship with me on Monday's, haha).

But, all of that change distracted me though from what I know and believe God has called me to do, and from God himself. I know I'm supposed to use this journey to share about HIM. I have gained back 50 (ish) pounds, I left Beachbody and that community, I have found myself struggling with my place. I miss having a community of women to do life, including workouts, together with.

Then there was Revelation Wellness! I found Revelation Wellness several years ago in the middle of my chaos. I knew I wasn't in the right place spiritually to lead at that time so I never completed the application. After getting married recently and settling more into my job and life in general, I knew the timing was right, finally, and I applied to platoon 31. We are just two weeks from completing training and about three weeks from our final retreat!

I couldn't really afford the training but I trusted that if this was God's plan, he would make a way. I got a scholarship that covered part of the cost. Then I worked on a fundraiser to help with the rest and boy did God show up in that! As a certified health coach already, I had previously done some walking challenges. Participants paid a fee, set a goal of steps for the month and became part of my group where I shared a devotional every day and updated step totals each week. I wanted to do a play on this with workouts, as I would start offering workouts soon after completing training.

I invited people to participate in my daily workouts. They paid a fee to join my group and get access to the workouts I was doing each day for the month. Five workouts a week, a mixture of cardio and strength. Some workouts are as simple as going for a walk, I have handwritten some workouts with demo videos and sharing some workouts are through Rev Well TV (check it out!).

This went over so well in September, I offered to do it again in October. And guess what, I earned almost exactly what I had left to pay that the scholarship didn't cover! God is so good. And while the monetary benefit was a great relief. Having women not just show up, but say that this group has been life changing was even MORE of the confirmation I needed to know that this is where I am supposed to be, doing what I am supposed to be doing.

Don't get me wrong, the devil is trying to use all the lies to talk me out of it, especially given my weight gain. He's trying to tell me I missed the boat. That I'm too out of shape now. I'm past my prime. But I know that God can make all things good. I know, through this training and as we study Nehemiah, that God rebuilds! I know that even if I start with two women in 2024, God can bring freedom to those two women, and those two women can share so God can bring freedom to two more and on and on. I believe God brought me to Revelation Wellness for such a time as this. I can't wait to see where he is moving here! And I can't wait for YOU to join me where he is moving!