Four years ago when I began this journey of better health I never ever ever thought that this day would come nor did I set out to achieve something like this. I simply wanted to lose a little (lot) of weight and be able to keep up with my kiddos. To be able to say that, I am officially a Certified Fitness Trainer seems so cool! Couldn’t have imagined that I would ever say that.
Why? Well, I enjoy learning about fitness and nutrition in all forms. From stretching, to lifting techniques, to multiple forms of cardio, to all of the many details of nutrition. I actually think that it’s fun learning about the effects of glucose, resistant starches, and clean foods have on my body. Weird, I know. So, when I was asked if I would be interested in getting my certification and helping fill in at my gym (Carolina Sweat), I immediately said yes. I think I might had even said at one point that I was going to go back and read a few chapters for fun. And I have done just that, a few times.
I took 31 quizzes, one after each chapter I read. I then took a 160 question exam (only missed 9!), wrote 7 essays on different topics, and lastly did 2 case studies where I had to build workout plans and nutritional guides for new clients. It was a ton of reading, lots of writing, and a bunch of studying but I did it!
Lara and I talk often about how we can serve others better. We like the idea of having multiple tools in our “tool bag” of life that we can use to help and bless people. We know that we all are holistic people and if one area of our life is out of balance then everything will be out of balance. We can’t just pay attention to one area of life and expect to be healthy in all areas, much like fitness. You can do biceps curls all day everyday and have great looking arms but that will never help you have strong legs or good cardio. I have learned that when I physically feel better I also feel stronger mentally and emotionally.
Helping with the physical fitness side of life could very possibly lead to helping someone become spiritually, mentally, and emotionally a healthier person as well. That is the best reason I have for pursuing this hobby as a Certified Personal Trainer.
Much thanks to Lara for supporting me in this and Sarah Pay for pushing me to do it!
The Rousehouse has taken some big steps before but this may be the biggest one yet! We are moving to AFRICA!!! We are so excited to publicly announce this news as well as tell you a little bit about our story. So here you go…
d because we loved the idea of our family living missionally beside these people we had been serving and fallen in love with. We loved the idea of our family being intentional about building relationships in a community of people that maybe didn’t look or act exactly like we did. We believe there is a great big God who is constantly at work in this great big world and by living our lives this way our family will be able to experience Him more and hopefully, just maybe, He would use us to bring others closer to Him. What a privilege!
Lara and I had the opportunity to travel to Cape Town, South Africa to visit a missional community that I serve with at UWM called East Mountain. As we spent time with this group of people we saw something that sparked a passion inside of us. The excitement began to grow as we saw how they serve and support the local church and how they live in healthy community with one another. It was also very exciting to see how they are partnering with ministries in South Africa similarly to how we have partnered with Piney Grove. As East Mountain is serving alongside these national workers God is using them to grow His church, strengthen indigenousness leaders, and do good works while living in healthy community with each other. Lara and I have patiently been waiting for God to provide an opportunity for our family to serve overseas for a few years and through this trip He did just that. Our time in South Africa was awesome, simply because we heard the Father’s voice calling us to something amazing.
Mountain is a community of people who love Jesus and are passionate about teaching, developing and empowering leaders. They accomplish this through one-on-one discipleship, training workshops, theological education, and spiritual formation as well as forming authentic relationships with leaders already engaged in excellent Kingdom work in churches, non-profit organizations, and schools. While we are there we will spend a third of our time doing a specific role/job, and third of our time will be spent serving as a family in one of these local partnerships, and a third of our time being developed ourselves as leaders and Christ followers.
I have the privilege of working with some amazing hero’s of the mission world…as I am sure you have heard me say many times by now. When I am with them or hear their stories I am constantly blown away by the impact they have by simply answering the call to “go”. Being present with people, loving the unloveable, caring for the needy, and living a life that reflects Jesus is all it takes to make a great impact among the nations.
I received this story from a missionary that I get to serve with in Senegal, West Africa. I asked them if I could share this story and they were glad for me to do this because of the One who gets the glory from it. It is a story of how God is still at work even when the Evil one has such a strong hold. I pray that this encourages you and opens your eyes to see how God is at work in your day and life. 
t up early but I do like to get in a work out before the day starts. During the winter months this is extremely difficult to do since I do not enjoy cold weather. Those mornings when it is freezing outside and the sun isn’t up until later are really hard for me. Over the past few weeks however I have enjoyed watching the days get lighter earlier and earlier. Now as I drive home from the gym I can see the sun peaking just behind the tree line shining bright! It reminds me of a child standing ready to tell you all about a big surprise. This morning the sun was high in the sky and exploding with its brightness! So bright that it was blinding me and it was only 6:30am! I love this time of year!
The Rousehouse 