Thursday, July 31, 2014

He Had Me at Taebo

We all know the famous line form Jerry McGuire when she says "you had me at hello".  Well my dear husband had me at Taebo.  If you missed out on the hot trend of the late 90s/early 2000s of Taebo you don't know what you were missing.  A workout filled with a lot of bouncing, punching & yelling.  I used to do it religiously in high school and college so when my boyfriend(now husband) said he would do it with me one day I fell even more in love with him.


Our love definitely bloomed over fitness since we met working at the fitness facility on campus at OU and have enjoyed working out together ever since. We no longer do Taebo but I do now teach group fitness classes(like GRIT and INSANITY) and he goes for 70 mile bike rides(I haven't joined in on that one yet).

A few months ago one of my friends had posted something about doing a Spartan race on Facebook. Ever since I have been very intrigued, reading up on it, trying to figure out what to expect. So far all I can gather is that it's a 3-4 mile run plus 15-16 obstacles along the way. Should you fail any of the obstacles you do 30 burpees before you are allowed to move on(the math nerd in me already figured up I could possibly be doing 450 burpees...but that won't happen;)). You get muddy, climb over walls, crawl under barbwire, do log hops, climb ropes, monkey bars and much more.  As soon as I heard "rope climb" I backed out mentally.  I have vivid memories of being an overweight kid in PE being barked at by the coach to climb the rope and all I could do was just hang there.  So, I think it's time for a little freedom training in my life.  It's time for me to conquer those fears.  I was back on board yet still couldn't bring myself to register.

Fast forward a few more days and I found myself thinking about it again.  So this time I prayed about it(should have done this first).  As I was talking to God about it I felt him whisper "do you really think Satan would put a dream of doing something out of your comfort zone and conquering a fear in your head?"  The answer was no.  I knew only God can inspire us to do more and live life outside of our shell(i.e. comfort zone).  I was back on board to register!  Later that day I went to the park with my kids.  I decided to give the monkey bars a try since apparently I will be having to do them in this race.  The result?  I hung there like that same overweight kid did on that rope.  I was out again.  I went home and told Matt I need to learn how to do monkey bars and rope climbs before I can register.  His response stopped me in my tracks "Rach, go ahead and register and then learn how to do rope climbs. If you commit to it you will figure out a way to get it done."  Wow that was exactly what I needed to hear.  So today I did it....I registered us for the Spartan Sprint in November!  I have no clue how I'm going to learn to climb a rope between now and then but this girl is determined. :)  


So why am I sharing this with you?  To inspire you to do something that scares you.  Something you know God is calling you out from your shell to accomplish.  But don't let your process be as long and as painful as mine.  Here are a few tips:

1. Make a decision and JUST DO IT!
We are our own worst enemy when we waiver in our decision making.  If it is something that challenges you to be better and do more in any area of your life you will grow.  If you feel a nudge in a certain direction that is the Holy Spirit.  Make a decision and stick to it.

2. Follow that voice.
God is always speaking to us.  He wants us to live a full life with no regrets.  Don't wait until tomorrow to do that "thing" you've always wanted to do.  Every day is a gift from God and we must seize the day.

3. Surround yourself with eagles.
My husband, Matt, has been an eagle in my life.  He has always encouraged me to do try new things and go confidently in the direction of my dreams.  My prayer for this blog is that you can use it as your "eagle" to give you that same confidence to take a step in the direction of your dreams.

I will keep you posted on how our training is going...feel free to join our team at www.spartanrace.com.  We are doing the Dallas Spartan Sprint on November 2nd.  When you register click on registering as a team. Our team name is Back & Body Chiropractic and team password is backnbod.

If you need me in the meantime you can find me at the monkey bars ;)

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Own Your Zone

What some people don't about me is that I used to be a baller.  And by baller I mean I was on a basketball team in middle school.  And by being on a team I mean that my coach was nice enough to let me wear a jersey for a team picture but I never actually got to play in a real game(unless, of course, we were ahead by a million points in which case I got to play the last minute of the game).  

Don't worry, I have worked through that embarrassing part of my life. :)  I did, however, get to practice a lot with the team and learned a thing or two.  I was actually decent at defense and we had a certain type of defense called "zone defense".  Instead of man on man the coach would tell us to do zone, which meant we were assigned to a specific zone on the court to defend our opponents.  You were responsible for anyone who came into your specified zone.  

Though I may have failed at basketball God has used that lesson to teach me a valuable lesson about life. We are all assigned a specific zone.  Your zone may look like your job, kids, household, marriage, ministry, and really anywhere you are planted in life.  When the opponent, satan, comes in to kill, steal or destroy any area of our life where we have been assigned we are to defend our territory.  We have been given all the tools we need to defend our zone but we do have to be on guard to notice when an opponent is in our territory.  Sometimes opponents can slip by without us even noticing.  Some unnoticed opponents can be simple distractions, like tv and smart phones, while others are more obvious, like an illness or loss of a job.  

So how do we defend our zone?  Definitely not in our own power.  We do have to train in order to defend our zone.  It's just like basketball, if you don't know how to defend and you haven't been staying in shape physically, you won't be able to keep up with your opponent.  The same thing applies spiritually, if we don't stay in God's word and pray without ceasing we won't be equipped to defend our zone.

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.  If we are to win this battle we can't fight with our own weapons but with the weapons of God.  

Take a moment today to evaluate the zones in your life.  Are any of them a little "out of whack" or "unsettling" to you?  If so, that is the Holy Spirit trying to gently remind you that it is your territory and you must defend it.  You don't have peace about a place your kids are going or maybe even being friends with someone?  Ask God how to defend that.  Sometimes He gives us solutions to resolve things and other times it's His way of showing us that person, place or thing needs to go.

Don't forget, you are the only one who can defend YOUR zone.  I can't defend yours and you can't defend mine.  We have each been planted different places for a reason.  Let's partner with God today and defend our zones!  

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Permission to be Confident

As I was tucking my daughter, Olivia, to bed tonight I was telling her I was so proud of how fast she can run.  She makes running look easy(something she most definitely didn't get from me)! I told her one day she needs to run in races.  She immediately gasped and said "No people will be watching me!"  I then talked with her about the fact that God gave her a gift of running and if we choose to we can use our gifts for his glory.  I said "Liv, don't think about yourself, but focus on God and it takes the pressure off of you".  

This story is just a glimpse into something everyone, including myself, struggles with and that is confidence.  

 What is confidence?  The dictionary defines it as "the belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities".  Some people think confidence is a good thing while others think it is a bad thing or view it as being prideful.

The real question is what does God think about confidence?  I personally believe he made us to be confident people.  Not confident in ourselves like our dictionary term describes but confident in who we are in him.  Confidence in ourselves is pride and Proverbs 16:18 reminds us that "Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall".  But when we are confident with who we are in God then it brings glory and honor to him.  He wants his children to be bold and confident, not timid and weak.  We are to be a reflection of Him and no one wants to serve a weak and timid God. 

We tend to see two extremes of people: prideful(full of themselves) or meek(and proud of it).  Because of this fear of being prideful we can tend to back down, slump our shoulders and not walk in the fullness God created us to be.

I used to be the "humble and proud of it" type of person.  Ironic I know but you know that person(or maybe you are that person) who takes pride in being humble and passive.  I remember trying to blend in with the crowd and making sure to not make eye contact with anyone out of fear of being noticed.  The problem with that mindset is that you lock yourself in a cage and you miss out on God's will for your life.  You will never know His will until you look up.  

So what do you do if you feel you have absolutely nothing to give to the world?  Stop reading this right now and find your pulse.  You can find it easiest by placing two fingers(pointer and middle finger) and the opposite wrist.  Once you have found it repeat this out loud:
  

God does not make accidents or rejects.  He knit you together in your mother's womb and you are fearfully and wonderfully made(Psalm 139:13).  If you still have a pulse you still have a purpose.  

Your next step is to look up.  When the enemy whispers in your ear that you are no good and have nothing to offer to the world, look up and say hello to a passing stranger.  Watch the shock on their face at the fact that someone noticed them.  When you begin to allow God to use you in your imperfections it turns something alive on the inside of you and you begin to find a purpose again.  

I have to admit, there are still some crowds of people that are "scary or intimidating" to me.  When I notice myself starring at the ground in those situations I remind myself to look up to the one my confidence comes from.  When we try to have confidence in our own abilities we will feel insecure every singe time.  It is only when get our confidence from God that we can truly be confident in who He created us to be.  

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Real Life is Messy

We went to a workshop at Marriage Today in Southlake that was all about technology and how it influences your family.  We talked about Facebook, smart phones and video games.  There was a ton of great information but the speaker said one statement that really stood out "Real life is messy".  He was talking about the difference between Facebook and real life.  On Facebook if we say something incorrect we can simply edit the post or delete it all together.  Not so in real life.  The moment you say something to a friend or family member it is out there.  No taking it back.  So if we aren't careful we begin to idolize our Facebook friends over our real life friends(and family) because, let's be honest, everyone on Facebook just looks perfect.  

How about this picture for example.  On the left is an example of a picture you usually see of me on Facebook, every hair in place and makeup carefully applied.  But if I were honest with you, the picture on the right of me sitting in bed with not a lick of makeup and obviously no hairs in place is the reality of what I look like when said "glamorous" girl on the left is posting to Facebook.  

How about this for another real life example.  Normally when we take pictures of our kids we are sure to clear the clutter in the background to make our homes look spotless.  The reality?  Toys everywhere, a basket of unfolded clothes on the couch and a sister passed out on the floor over being upset with baby brother.  

So am I saying we all need to go around showing the dirty, messy, negative things about our life?  Not at all.  In fact, I don't want to follow a bunch of negative Nellie's on Facebook so please don't start only showing us the mess in your life. :)  However, I do think it is important for us all to keep these visual images in mind when interacting with each other on Facebook.  No matter how perfect someones life may seem, the truth is that everyone has mess in their life.  It may look different depending on what season of life you are in but we all have a mess.  We are all real humans who make mistakes sometimes.  Don't let the devil convince you otherwise.  Be you, be comfortable in your skin and remember:

:)

Friday, July 18, 2014

Will You Make an Impact?

A few days ago my daughter, Ellie, and I were reading her devotional.  It talked about being thankful and I had her list things to be thankful for, one of which was our house.  I explained to Ellie that not all people have a home.  She asked where they live and when I told her some of their options, like under bridges and in cardboard boxes, she began to cry.  I was so moved by her heart that I told her we need to find a homeless shelter to serve.

Fast forward a few days and I had already forgotten about that sweet moment I had with my daughter. I had already forgotten the power of compassion.  I was driving by myself, headed to do some work and was just "venting" to God.  Explaining to him that there are so many things I thought would be different by now.  Talking to him about dreams.  Wondering why he gave me some dreams that never came to pass.  Asking him if the things I do are even making a difference?  Is anyone even reading my blog?  Are we really helping our community?  Do my kind words and actions to friends and strangers really matter?  Let's be honest, being seflish is a much simpler and easier road to travel!  But that is not God's best for us.  So here are a few things he showed me:

1. He gives us dreams for a season in order to prepare us for even greater dreams to come.  I used to desperately want to be a Mary Kay Sales Director.   That dream never came to pass and it is no longer a dream of mine.  However, the Lord showed me if he hadn't allowed me to dream of that I wouldn't be equipped or confident enough in who I am in him to dream the kind of things I do today.  Today I dream of being in women's ministry or marriage ministry with my husband.  I dream of us owning and operating multiple clinics with multiple doctors(being kingdom business leaders). 
 *Note: I am not saying one dream is better than another, just that some dreams were never ours in the first place. 

2. He goes before us.  
After I got done venting I saw a homeless man riding his bike in the pouring rain pulling a cart of junk(talk about a reality check/perspective shift).  I drove by and said a prayer for him.  But The Lord quickly said "go back and give him money".  So I began to argue "but Lord, I might get killed with all these cars passing by plus what if he pulls a gun on me?!"  He reminded me of Joshua and this scripture came to my mind: 

I almost never have cash on me and it just so happened that I had a $10 bill(it's as though God planned it or something!) :)  I had the thought "Lord, how is $10 going to change this guys life?" To which he reminded me of another truth:

3. We are called to plant hope. 
What we think of as small God can use to do mighy things.  The Bible is filled with stories of people who gave what little they had(the boy with the fish and bread for example) and He multiplies it.  

As I pulled up to the man and rolled down my window to hand him the money he said "I was just talking about you. Well, not you exactly but just that someone like you...I said it sure would be nice to have some petty cash right about now. God bless you."  

I will never know the impact I had giving a $10 bill to homeless man riding in the pouring rain with all his belongings in tow but my prayer is that it planted hope in him.  Hope that God is real and that God does see him.  Hope that this is not the end of his story in life.  Hope that he was called to be so much greater because he serves a great big God who saw Him on a rainy day when it seemed no one noticed him. I don't know this man's name or his life story but God does.  As the sign at my church says "Every person has a name and every name has a story and every story matters to God".  

 Will you please join me in planting seeds of hope to make an impact everywhere you go?  You never know what even a simple smile or hello to someone might do for them.  I believe it starts a forest fire type effect...as someone spreads hope to you, you can't help but turn and give it to someone else.  



Saturday, July 12, 2014

The Day I lost my tooth

A few days ago Livvy, our  5 year old, had a new tooth growing in behind her wiggly tooth.  I scheduled an appointment with a dentist(thank you Dr. Thorpe at Thorpe Family Dentistry in Southlake for getting us in on such short notice!).  Dr. Thorpe examined Livvy and said we could give it a try at getting it out on our own.  So we decided to do that and were able to get it out that day!  However, Livvy was pretty scared at the thought of Daddy pulling her tooth so after he got it out she immediately said "Mom, can I blob(what she calls a blog:)) about the day I lost my tooth?!"  So here you have it, Livvy's version of the day she lost her tooth.  :)

One day I noticed I had a bump in my mouth.  I told my mommy about the bump.  She said I have to go to the dentist.  And I was scared!  But then my mommy told me he was nice and he wouldn't hurt me.  So after church we went to the dentist.  I liked the dentist and the yummy chocolate toothpaste.  He said my daddy could try to get my tooth out at home.  When we got home and daddy told me he was going to pull my tooth I cried.  I was scared.  To calm down I told myself my daddy would never hurt me.  Then my dad got the tooth out and I was excited.  

Whenever you are scared just say your memory verse "God has not given me a spirit of fear or timidity but a power of love and a sound mind".  That memory verse calms me down a lot.

love,
livvy

Friday, July 11, 2014

Fit Friday: Bible Reading Plan & Core Tabatas

As you know I am very passionate about not only being physically fit but also spiritually fit.  So today I am going to share with you two ways I stay fit.

1. Reading the Word of God

So I have to be real with you for a minute and share that I have not always enjoyed reading the Bible.  In fact, until the last year, it used to be something I somewhat dreaded.  Not because I didn't believe what was I taught about there being power in the word but I was just so overwhelmed.  Let's be honest, the Bible is long and can be hard to understand at times.  I remember having the desire to read it but just didn't know how to when I felt so confused at how to do it.  It reminds me of an illustration I use when teaching group fitness classes.  For example, you can yell in my face all day long to do a back flip but if I don't have the tools to learn how to do that back flip it isn't going to happen.  The same can be true in our walk with God.  If we don't have the proper tools to know how to walk out our christian life it just seems too overwhelming so we simply don't do it.

At the beginning of this year my church(Gateway church) put out a devotional called "It is Written".  That devotional made me so hungry to get in the word.  So I began to pray and ask God to give me a hunger for his word then to show me how to understand it.  He lead me to do a chronological study of the word.  I have to say it has been the BEST thing that I have ever done!  Because I am reading it in chronological order it is like reading a novel that I can't put down because I am so anxious to find out what happens next! 

You can find these reading plans a lot of places but this is the one I am doing.  Just be sure to not view it as a check list but instead something to look forward to finding out what God is going to reveal next.  If you miss a day, no worries, just do it at your own pace because I am certain that God would rather us read the word as we can as opposed to quitting because we can't get it done quick enough. One of the biggest schemes of the enemy is to keep us out of God's word because he knows the power it has in our lives!


2. Core Tabata

After having 3 kids I had to learn quick yet still effective ways to workout.  One of my favorite things to do is a tabata(done in 4 minutes).  You can watch the first video I posted about them here.  I did 2 core tabatas a few days ago and I loved them so much I wanted to share.  Please forgive the way I look because I had just got done working out myself.  Also, the camera is a little shaky because my 7 year old filmed for me.  I hesitated to post it because of that reason but then I realized this is my life and I want my kids to know what their mamma does so if that means some not so perfect videos than I am okay with that.:) 


Monday, July 7, 2014

Sin: The Silent Killer

This is another post that God put so strongly on my heart to share that I'm up at 1am to write about it.  You can read the first one I wrote at 1am a few weeks ago about social media here.

Before I share the heart of what I feel God wants me to share I need to tell you a little more about our family.  Our family is what some would consider "crunchy" or very wellness, whole body minded.  My husband, Matt, is a chiropractor, I am a group fitness instructor, we both have our Bachelor's degree in Exercise Physiology and Matt has done more trainings and certifications on wellness than I can count.  We could both write for days on the benefits and importance of taking care of your body through the foods you eat(and shouldn't eat), exercise, chiropractic care, vitamins, fish oil, probiotics and so much more.  We try our best to avoid dairy, gluten, wheat and soy and even buy organic produce through Bountiful Baskets each week.  To say we are passionate about wellness and taking care of the body God has given us would be an understatement.  There are fewer things that bring us more joy than helping others be healthy and whole so they can live a long and enjoyable life.

However, as I am concerned that we(as a nation) are becoming way more concerned with our physical bodies than our spiritual beings.  If you are a mom, like me, you know that every day someone is posting something new to Facebook or you attend a play group where you learn that the very thing you have been letting your kid eat or drink or wear is actually poisoning them and is what is going to eventually lead to their death.  WOW what PRESSURE!  I mean, really, everywhere we turn we find something we could be doing better to give our kids, and ourselves, a longer life.  While I love being educated and making good choices for my family I am concerned with the fact that you rarely hear mom conversations talk about the spiritual things our kids are or aren't being fed.  When did our kids physical health become more important than our kids spiritual health? ( If you don't have kids this still applies to you or anyone in your life!)

Believe me when I say that it is very important to me that my kids learn healthy habits for their bodies because it says in the word that our bodies are temples of the holy spirit.  We need to take care of them so that He may dwell in us and bring glory to Him.  However, it can't stop there.  We must be bold and teach them that being physically fit is just the beginning.  We must teach them that being spiritually fit is what will sustain them in this life and the life to come.  My kids will eventually age and they will eventually die.  The question is will they ever come to know Jesus and give their heart and life to him?  Will they see the need to submit to the Holy Spirit on a daily basis or will they be so consumed with their physical well-being that they silence Him?


According to this scripture in James 1:15 the most lethal killer we need to worry about is sin. Sin is a silent killer because it can creep into our lives without us noticing it and before long it has taken over our hearts, minds, bodies, spirits and families.  It is more lethal and deadly than drinking Draino straight out of the bottle.  At least with the Draino we know it is an emergency and we call 911. Sin is much more subtle and will strangle us slowly over time if we don't renew our hearts and minds daily.

 I believe it is time that we challenge ourselves spiritually the same way we do physically.  As this scripture from James 1:15 says we will give birth to death if sin is not brought under control and submitted to God on a daily basis.  We do that by praying, worshiping, staying in the word and allowing the Holy Spirit into every part of our lives.  As we do this for ourselves, our kids and anyone else around us will be changed and challenged spiritually as well.  

I pray that this causes you to stop and evaluate what message you are sending your kids or anyone else in your life today.  My prayer for my family is that our passion for God and His word will far outweigh the passion we have for being physically fit.  This body will pass away but the legacy that can be left by being a family who is spiritually fit will last forever. 

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Maui, Hawaii 2014

My husband and I were blessed to go to Maui, Hawaii in March of this year.  My mom agreed to keep our 3 kids so we could go alone so it was almost like a second honeymoon for us!  Thank you again mom and all my family who helped out so we could go!  I took over 500 pictures plus the ones that the photographer took on our snorkeling/whale watching trip so these are just a few phone snapshots of some of the fun we had.  If you ever get a chance to go to Maui you must go, it was amazing!!

We stayed at the Grand Wailea and it was absolutely gorgeous with so many amazing amenities like an adult only pool, a kids area with slides, lazy river, rope swings and the world's largest water elevator, yoga on the beach, a fitness center, a spa, restaurants, shopping and so much more.  The day we arrived it was raining but the sun still peaked through the clouds.  This is a pic from our room that night.

Another view from our room...it truly was paradise.

A few pictures of the Hibiscus pool(adults only) plus the gorgeous fountains and wedding chapel.

The first night we went to a Luau and had a blast.  I was volunteered from our table to do the hula...luckily no pictures of that survived :)  We also got to see an amazing fire thrower.  

One of the days we went exploring on the island and discovered so many fun, local shops.  We especially liked this place on the side of the road that we found frozen chocolate bananas and fresh coconut(they cut it open right in front of us)!

We found this hammock on one of our nightly beach walks :)

More fun exploring of the island.  Everywhere you turned there was such beautiful scenery!  The top took pictures are actually inside the resort!

And of course a beach trip wouldn't be complete without writing our names in the sand!  

We did a snorkeling and whale watching tour and it was amazing.  The bottom left picture is of the Captain and crew who waited on us hand and foot for breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks!  

Some fun pictures the ship photographer took of us snorkeling.  

The last night we were there we ate at a restaurant called Humahumanukanukapuaa.  The food was excellent and it was surrounded by water(you can kind of see that in the middle picture with the dolphin in the background).

To say we had a good time would be an understatement.  Thank you to my wonderful hubby who made it all possible.  We are ready to open a clinic in Hawaii! ;)

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Just breathe

This is my first time linking up with 5 Minute Friday.  We get a word prompt every Thursday night and we are given 5 minutes to write about it.  No editing, no planning, just writing.:)  

This week's word is exhale.  For me, the word exhale goes with breathe.  To breathe is to inhale and exhale.  As a group fitness instructor one of my most commonly used phrases is "just breathe!".  Why?  Because when the going gets tough I look out and see my class holding their breath.  It's as though they think that holding their breath will give them more energy.  But nothing could be further from the truth.  When we hold our breath it actually makes us weaker because we aren't getting oxygen to our muscles and brain thus causing us to grow weak, light-headed and in extreme cases pass out.

This is so parallel to our spiritual lives.  If we hold our breath, that is forgetting to inhale the word of God and exhale with praise and thanksgiving to Him, we grow weak.  We think we are saving time by not having that quiet time but in reality we are just weaking ourselves for what lies ahead.  

So today my challenge to you is to be sure to inhale & exhale or....


My 5 minutes is up!:)  Make it a great day!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

What's your number?

The scale, measuring tape, checking account, business profit & loss, facebook friends, Twitter followers, Instagram followers, shoes, bench weight, mile time, age, anniversaries.

What do all these things have in common?  Numbers.  I am a numbers girl and I can see numbers in everything.  However, I don't believe you have to love numbers to see numbers in everything.  For example, how often do we step on the scale and see our "number" and claim that as our identity?  Or how about looking in our checking account and claiming that as our identity?  Maybe we compare ourselves to others our age and think "wow if I only my numbers matched theirs then I would be somebody".

The problem is that we are not defined by our "numbers" but we are a number because of our identity in Christ. God put this blog post on my heart last week and I hadn't felt it was time to write about it until I was walking through my church this morning and saw this sign:

The truth is that you are not just another number to God.  He doesn't care about the number on the scale, how much money we have, how many Facebook friends we have or how long we have(or haven't) been married. He cares about us and our story.  Your story matters to Him.  It matters so much to Him that he gave his one and only son so that you and me could have a relationship with him and share our story.  

So next time the enemy comes to you and tries to get you to believe that unless your "numbers" look a certain way than you have nothing to give, remind yourself of this:  I have a name and a story and it matters to God.  YOU are the ONLY one who can share your story.  Don't ever discount your value because of your postion in life. The power to share your story lies with you.  You are valuable, you are loved and your story matters.

I leave you with a passage from Luke 15:3-7 "Then Jesus told them this parable: Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?  And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

God loved us enough to come after us. Now we must stop letting our numbers control us and instead use our number, or story, to go after the other lost sheep!