Hello, my friend!
I hope your week is going well, and if it’s not, that you’re giving any cares, burdens, fears, doubts, frustrations, you name it… to the Lord. Here are a few verses that I regularly turn to when I’m having one of those days…or weeks or months or seasons!:
But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31
There is none holy like the LORD: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. – Psalm 28:7
Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” – John 14:27
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34
Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:6-7
I’m sending this email out on a Tuesday because we have yet another unusually busy weekend ahead (I suppose that after a few more such weekends, “busy” will be the new “usual” – let’s hope not!), and I have just enough time this afternoon, while the kiddos are napping, to tappa-tap-tap on my lappa-lap-top (can you tell I’ve had coffee?).
We had a wonderful morning today swimming at our gym’s indoor pool, followed by making major messes on the kitchen island; my four-year-old loves playing chef/artist/chemist with anything mixable he can get his hands on. Today, his materials were water, food coloring, paint, corn starch, salt, baking soda, shredded cheese, and organic cinnamon square cereal. He really wanted to eat it and I probably would have assented were it not for the paint. He desperately wants to make his own bath bombs, so that may be the next DYI experiment/kitchen catastrophe we tackle. Wish me luck! And who knows, maybe I’ll be able to sell you or two of his foamy, frothy, fragrant creations if and when they’re perfected!
This week, to make my alliteration-adoring self satisfied, I’ll be sharing a Top 2 Tuesday, instead of a Top Five Friday or Top Six Saturday. But, though the number is small, I think the takeaways will be big! 
Without further ado…
My Workout “Why”
During Bible Study yesterday, the ladies and I chatted a bit about our fitness journeys, and I later felt led to share this on my Instagram account:
Once upon a time, I worked out to get stronger muscles for high-school tennis.
Later, I worked out because I had made an idol of my body, and also turned to disordered eating and compulsive over-training as a way of coping in the wake of my first heartbreak. In other words, exercise was an idol, too.
After that, I worked out because I enjoyed being competitive with myself and seeing how strong and fit I could get, à la CrossFit style. Nothing wrong with that, but the competitiveness can get a little distracting and idol-ish, #knowwhatimean ?
Today, I work out because, well, if I don’t, I feel cruddy: lethargic, grumpy, weak, less confident and capable…I also believe that as a Christian, my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, that it belongs to God, and therefore I am called to treat it with respect and keep it in working order! So here’s to growth and finnnnallly working out for all the right reasons.
Question for you: What is your “why” for working out and eating healthily? If you find yourself falling off the bandwagon, I’d be willing to bet you haven’t solidified a Why that will get your body moving even when your mind is in a shambles.
Mighty Magnesium
Do you take magnesium? In the last year or so, I’ve come to learn just hugely important a nutrient it is. The following facts are from Dr. James DiNicolantonio:
Magnesium improves your sleep, relaxes your muscles, calms your mind, gives you energy, relieves headaches, strengthens bones – it’s a miracle mineral!
50% of adults are deficient in it. Consequences of magnesium deficiency are arrhythmias, high blood pressure, kidney stones, heart disease, bone disease, heart failure, muscle cramps/spasms
Most people need an extra 150-300mg per day just to hit the recommended daily allowance (RDA).
BEST absorbed magnesium:
Glycinate/malate
Threonate
Citrate
Orotate
Taurate
WORST absorbed:
Oxide
Sulfate
My personal favorite form is Magnesium Threonate because it’s been shown to help relieve symptoms of depression and improve cognitive function.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s health-centered Top 2! As always, please reach out with any questions, concerns, prayer requests or praises you may have. I love hearing from you!