A Note from Monica (from Monthly Maintenance: March 2016 Edition)

Easter has come and gone and I can’t believe we are looking at the month of April already! 

Here in Texas we didn’t get a very cold winter, so it really doesn’t seem like spring should be here except for all the pretty wildflowers blooming along the highways. One of my favorites, TX Bluebonnet, makes a sea of blue when it spreads - so refreshing! 

When I was growing up in the country we lived on 20 acres and the fields around us would bloom and it was always a beautiful view to see my horses out in the field grazing - especially our mare, Duchess, who was large and white! Such a contrast from the blue sea of flowers along her legs... great memories! 

With spring comes new beginnings for sure - from flowers to animals to spirits. For me, Easter isn’t about bunnies, although extremely cute and fun to hold (pictured above: My model bunny ‘Sienna’ photographed here back in 2007 by Lisa Brewer) it’s about renewing the mind and soul with what Easter really is about and why we celebrate it (or at least IMO) we should. 

As I am earning years I have grown so much in all areas of my life. I strive to grow spiritually just as much as I am growing as an athlete and caring for myself with my nutrition. One of the Pastors I chose to listen to on a consistent basis is Dr Charles F. Stanley and his devotional for Easter reads easily and I figured I would share with you - hoping to bring renewed spirits to you as well! 


by Charles F. Stanley 1 Corinthians 15:13-23 

What does Christ’s resurrection mean to you? Is it simply an event in the distant past with little relevance for 2016, or does it affect how you think and act each day? Many people look at Easter as an occasion for purchasing new clothes and going to church. But it’s not just a day to celebrate the empty tomb and then move on as if nothing has changed. 

Since we didn’t personally witness the risen Christ after His burial, imagining that first Easter morning is difficult. Not only that, but our traditional celebrations and familiarity with the story make it easy to overlook the stunning magnitude of what transpired. Then we run the risk of taking the resurrection for granted and missing the impact it still has today. 

 In 1 Corinthians 15:13-17, the apostle Paul gives us a glimpse of the resurrection’s importance by describing what would have happened if Jesus had not been raised. Our Easter celebrations would be a big lie, and our faith would be worthless. Worst of all, we’d still bear the guilt for every sin we’ve ever committed—with no hope of forgiveness, salvation, or eternal life in heaven. If Jesus hadn’t been raised, His death would have accomplished nothing. Without the resurrection, our faith would be worthless, and Jesus’ death would have accomplished nothing. That’s why Easter is an awesome reason for celebration.

Jesus died in our place to satisfy the requirement for our atonement—a price far too high for us to pay. His resurrection proves that the Father was satisfied with His sacrifice (Rom. 3:25) and counted it sufficient for the forgiveness of all our sins (1 Cor. 15:20-23). And because of Christ’s victory over death, we too will be resurrected and receive an imperishable inheritance reserved for us in heaven. This hope enables us to rejoice every day, even in the midst of trials and suffering (1 Pet. 1:3-9). So if we attend an Easter service but remain unchanged for the rest of the year, we’ve missed the purpose of the resurrection. Each day is an opportunity to let the living Christ impact our character, conduct, and conversation as we “put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the one who created him” (Col. 3:10). In essence, we are displaying God’s nature with a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love (Col. 3:12-14). 

Jesus’ resurrection should also direct and motivate our mission. Christ told His disciples, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21). Having seen the risen Lord and being filled with His Spirit, those first Christians spread the message of salvation throughout the Roman world. The impact of their witness was so great that they were described as “men who have upset the world” (Acts 17:6). In essence, we display God’s nature with a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love. 

Throughout the ages, the gospel of Christ has continued to be proclaimed, and people all over the world have been saved. Today, it’s our turn to share the same message, which offers forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life to all who believe. No other major religion has a leader who overcame death. How can we keep silent about the most important event that ever happened? This month you will celebrate Easter by gathering with fellow believers, joyously singing of Christ’s resurrection, and listening once again to the story of the empty tomb. But don’t let the familiarity and holiday customs steal your wonder and appreciation. As you continue rejoicing at Jesus’ victory over death, look forward to that day when He will return and resurrect all those who have trusted Him as Savior. And keep living in the newness of life that He’s provided for us through His resurrection power. 

On top of continual spirit renewal, I have been working very hard on a new fitness goal over the last few months. Next month I hope to share what that is exactly! As the training for this event is quite intensely challenging I have been structuring my nutrition and supplementation to supply my needs for fuelling correctly. At this point in the game the ‘scale’ isn’t much help and I really needed to take a detailed look at my BodyFat/composition plus I have always thrived on knowing this info for past competitions and events. 

Since I haven’t lived in the SA area for long, again I researched online for a local top notch BF testing site and happily found Inside Outside Medical Spa and quickly sent an email to book an appointment for the first available spot. What a wonderful experience this turned out to be! 

Upon showing up to the office, Dr. Christian took me through the presentation to explain how the DXA scanner works and what I could expect following the scan. He provides so much info that is actually very easily understood and being someone who enjoys learning, I soaked up the details! I have shared my initial scans with you so you can see a very small portion of what Dr Christian prepared for me post DXA Body Scan. 

This machine is a Bone Density scanner; however, Doc has a body fat component to it as well. I was pleasantly surprised of my 11.1% BF score! 

After the scanning Doc has a ‘Nutrition Prescription’ planned for the goals of the person scanned based on Paleo/Zone programs he has studied. I am happy to report after following the ‘prescription’ for the week I went back in for another procedure called the Diamond Microdermabrasion and weighed in at 135.2lbs. which was 1.5lbs lighter! We didn’t retest my BF but I did see the difference in my leanness and of course the scale was showing lighter. I am excited to retest maybe another week or so and see where I can get my BF. It’s hard to describe the learning opportunity available at this medical spa. Dr. Christian is a wealth of knowledge and has so much to offer. I wish everyone could go in to sit with him as he explains BF, nutrition, his exercise philosophy, skin care and so much more. I am definitely looking forward to my next visit.

Stay Fit & Love Life, 

​Monica

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