Learning to give thanks in ALL things

Those who are thankful will always be blessed
This is re-post of my archived blogs and reminder to myself to always be thankful -MJ FitChik4Life

Learning to give thanks in ALL things(1 Thessalonians 5:18)

My prayer today is that you'll always be blessed even in your trials and tribulations. Some may ask how can you be blessed in a tribulation? Here is a perfect example, I lost my father in 2005 and it was and still is hard, but somehow God has given me this comfort that I know a human being could not provide. I still miss him and holidays are hard for me because he enjoyed holidays and he past 1week after New Years day, so though I think of him often I miss him most around the holidays.

I have chosen to be thankful for all the years God had him with us. I do miss him but the bible says in ALL, not some but ALL things be thankful.

So this week as I remind myself, I wanted to share with you and remind you that regardless of what things look like in ALL things give thanks for there is someone out there that have not what you have. There is someone out there that lost a friend and you still have yours, there is someone that had no food to eat and you just finished eating, there is someone that has no awareness of there faculties and you have all of yours. You don't want to go to the gym today and there is someone who can't go even if they wanted to. My friends look around you there is so much to be thankful for. Inspired from 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Don't be thankful when its sunny if you can't be thankful when it rains. A thankful heart is a soul that will forever be blessed-MJ

The King in Me! Working on MLK day

I own my own business, many asked MJ are you open today? I replied of course, if it wasn't for leaders like Dr. King and the grace of God I wouldn't even be able to open a business;The dream lives in me and YOU and YOU and YOU

On Dr. King Day as I was working the juice bar and serving shakes, then it dawned on me that I was serving whites, blacks, light and dark sitting at the counter drinking shakes TOGETHER. On this day of all days this meant so much to me. It has been less than fifty years since President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964 that prohibits discrimination. An act that would make me equal. That is equal on paper. Before this signing my ancestors where persevering through hell, some made it and some did not. But after this signing there was more hell in America and today my heart goes out to all who endured for me to have this business where I serve people of all color. There are many that still are terrorized by the devastating affects from the hate and horror. God has shown my brothers and sisters mercy in many ways and still he shows mercy on our country both whites and black.

WHEN will we realize that In the final analysis the weakness of Black Power is its failure to see that the black man needs the white man and the white man needs the black man. ~Martin Luther King, Jr., From: Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967

It's not the color it's the power of being one-MJ Fox MLK Lives in me

Some may disagree but I am honored to be open on a day such as Dr. King Day because it shows his dream is ALIVE!

There is a thief in our minds-I met my thief face to face!

“Don't become a victim of yourself. Forget about the thief waiting in the alley; what about the thief in your mind?”

I am having a wake up call. I have held myself to a higher standard of perfection because people look up to me and I find that when I fall short of this standard I allow the enemy and my mind to torment me as being less than God says I am. A special friend, I know loves me and I love him very much,shared with me this very subject and I must say it was very true. What hurt is the fact that I felt I was letting others down by not being perfect and letting myself down also.

Now some may relate to this and some may not but as I said my blogs are about learning and growing. I have stumbled fallen and now God is saying get up and who cares what man thinks just learn, hold on to my unchanging hand and press forward. Pick your head up and do not allow the weapons to prosper.

What is the weapon? you may ask. I have learned it can be your mind as well as circumstances, things and others. I have allowed what others think of me to become my thoughts and this self hate is NOT of God. I realize that the weapons that are formed against us can only prosper if we allow them. Unfortunately, I have allowed them. NO MORE will I be a victim or look at myself as such. NO I will not have self pity for myself and my wrongs or what people think.

Again, I have said when you pray for God to use you be sure to pray for strength. It's one thing to be used by God however, when we get personally involved our flesh can intervene in what he has us to do and this is where the chaos and a big mess is made.

God I praise you for your teaching I don't want to be right I just want to be right in you. When I am wrong if I repent then I will be right in you. I will not be able to please this world but I can please you. Lord, I surrender to you and all your ways. I will no longer lean on my own understanding I will listen to you. If I fall I know you will pick me up and allow me to repent, for this I say thank you in advance and I praise you for your unconditional love.

Inspired from the sermon at The Park Ministries by Bishop Claude Richard Alexander, Jr. titled :A Piece of Work! Yes I am a piece of work. I thank him daily for what he is teaching me, showing me and molding to be. I am a under construction.
God you are SOOOOOO AWESOME!

Experience God's Presence Tonight!

My soul yearns for You [O Lord] in the night,
yes,my spirit within me seeks You earnestly.
— Isaiah 26:9

Have you ever noticed that in the quiet darkness of night there seems to be something special about the presence of God?

He is always with you, even during the daytime, and you can talk to Him anytime, even when you’re busy. But during the day there are many distractions that keep you from focusing on His presence for an extended period of time. And by the end of the day you’ve often experienced problems and frustrations that can cause you to feel lonely and needy. It is then that you can finally give time and attention to the one who is the answer to your needs.

When you yearn for God in the night, seek Him earnestly, and you’ll find He will minister to you in a special way. He will provide answers to any problems you may have, and He will give you peace and rest.


Taken from Joyce Meyers Ministry
From the book Ending Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Evening of the Year by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2004 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/EverydayAnswers/dailydevotionals/

God does not lose focus, we do!

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.
~Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

I used to want to make a difference and make a change in this world and now I realize I must be the change I wish to see in the world.


We can get so caught up in the big picture that we lose focus of the small important details that make the big picture.
When I am growing in Christ there is a sense of assurance no man or women can provide no matter what I'm faced with. However, when I am drifting away or losing focus he has a tendency to strip away all the distractions and obstacles. Not sure if people understand that God is a jealous God and when Christians start to focus on man or things He will shake things up to get your attention that HE provides all our needs and gives us our desires (wants) of our hearts. It's sometimes painful because the truth comes out and the truth is how he can set us free.

At times, I want something to work so bad that I fight what he is showing me and telling me. The saying to thine own self be true. Well when you are a child of God, self is Christ. Because He lives in every child of God.

So today I will refocus on my heavenly Father as I have in the past. I'm ever so grateful that he does not lose focus of my life the way I have lost focus on him. That's the kind of God I serve and will serve him in spirit and in truth.

Thank you Father for reminding me that I am never alone and you are with me regardless.

The power of words

Stick and stones, may break my bones, but words will never hurt me

Remember that little rhyme from childhood?

It's wrong.More than that, it's a lie. Words are very powerful. Words can hurt or heal, build up or tear down, comfort or curse.

According to Mike Gordon, pastor at CenterPoint Church in Florida, very few of us are prone to slice and dice our partner with our words.

At the same time, most of us are guilty of making little cuts, or "nicking" those we love with our words.

Have you nicked your partner lately?

And no, I do not mean shaving. I mean nicking with your words. The little cuts and jabs, the sarcasm and put-downs we sometimes carelessly throw out there.

It took me just about the entire first year of marriage to figure out that what some of my friends found hilarious, my wife did not find at all amusing at best, and cut and hurt her at worst.

Other folks excuse "nicking" as just being brutally honest. In my experience, most of the folks who brag about being brutally honest enjoy the brutality more than the honesty.

"The genius of communication is the ability to be both totally honest and totally kind at the same time."

The power of the tongue

Our tongue, and the words that come from it, has incredible power. Words have the power to hurt or to heal, to tear down or build up, and to curse or comfort.

How have you been using your words with the one you say you love? If you realize you have been doing some nicking up until now, here are two things you can do:

1) Make a commitment to use your words to comfort not curse, heal not hurt, build up not tear down

2) Go to your love and apologize for nicking in the past and let the one you love know you intend to change this bad habit. The words could be something like:

"I realize I have nicked you and hurt you with my words, and I apologize and hope you can forgive me. I'm also making a commitment to you to control my tongue in the future."

A word of warning as you apologize. I know of one gentlemen who apologized by saying "I need to tell you I am sorry for nicking you." Well, somehow what she heard was "I want to apologize for Nicky."

You can imagine how the conversation took an unexpected detour from there.

The above example, and the one below, demonstrate just how very much the words we choose to use matter to those we love.

Different words, different result

A country boy fell head over heels for a little girl who lived down the lane. The problem was, every time he got around her, his knees shook and he stammered when he tried to speak. He just had no clue about how to talk to this girl.So one day he went to town and followed a city boy who was known for being good with the ladies, trying to pick up some tips. The country boy listened as the city boy looked deep into the eyes of his girlfriend and said "Your beauty could make time stand still."

"That's it!" he said, and rushed back to the country and found his girl. Taking her by the hand under the apple tree, he looked deep into her eyes and said, "Your face could stop a clock."

Same content. Different words. Very different result.

Remember, you have a choice, hurt or heal, tear down or build up, curse or comfort.
Which words would you like to use, and which words would you like to be used with you?

This has taught me to look at myself and I pray it helps you in some way too.

Taken from Jeff Herring is a Relationship Coach, Speaker, and Syndicated Relationship Columnist.

Making history!

I had no idea that history was being made. I was just tired of giving up. ~Rosa Parks Don't give up FitChiks4Life. We got goals to get. Let's get it!!

You never know what you are capable of until you are tired.  You never know how strong you are until you are physically weak.  One can go a long way when they are tired.  The human being is the most amazing thing God has created. Emotions, compassion, evil, love all these things that we display.  I am so thankful for what he is showing me at this moment.  Today, I say to you, embrace all that is coming your way. Hold your ground on what you believe to be true.  Never, let anyone take from you or convince you from what you believe.

"Now faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)

Lift your head through the sandstorms, close your eyes but continue to walk

Today make history in your life.  Whether displayed to the world or just between you and God, make the change to RISE RISE RISE.

Today I am being still and knowing that God is in control.

Learning to say no!

Hoping all of you had a wonderful weekend.  I have been going through a learning phase and thought I would share it with you, as I know many can relate. I am learning to say no.  I have found that I'm always so willing to help and many times I sacrifice my sanity to do so. I am not alone on this. Many of us do this and we tend to find we are not getting the satisfaction or joy from the action of doing.

Is this a bad thing? Well, yes in some cases. I truly believe, that there should be an automatic sense of joy when you do for others, not a sigh of relief. Even when there is no thank you in return or appreciation you should feel good with just the fact that you gave of yourself to something or someone. I'm learning that when I put me on the back burner to long, I tend to not get joy in doing for others.  Now, some are reading this and maybe saying oh no! that's wrong as a Christian you should always have joy doing for others. The bible does state we should not grow weary in well doing. However, it also states that we must take time for Him.  I feel if Christ is in my heart then is that not a part of my temple which is my body? So if I am taking care of my temple (body and mind) then it is not just for me it is for him also. When I speak on doing for me,  I am referring to things like not taking my devotional time away from Christ. Being sure of getting my workouts in which is part of my therapy to handle this thing called life. Taking a short vacation away from the chaos. I think taking care of the outside is important and taking care of the inside is even more so. At the young age of 39 (smile) God is showing me some powerful things.  I would not be able to see them if I don't slow down sometimes. I am so grateful for those he is placing in my path both good and bad because it is really making me stronger and better than I've been.

So I say ALL this to say, MJ is officially doing her and in return I know I will be able to do so much more for others. Yes God is so good, all the time.

A well cared for tree bares good fruit. However, a diseased and malnourished tree may not bare any fruit at all and the if it does how healthy is it, considering it's source.

Blessings to you all this week.  BTW Update on my training- I am now 18weeks out from shine time on stage. My back has been tight but nothing major and I am steadily able to increase weight and or intensity in my workouts. My diet is starting to be more consistent.  Ya know I am always gonna keep it real for you all. Updated progress pics soon to come. I say in advance, thanks so much for your support.


Remember Live discussion on the FitChik4Life fan page every Mon 9pm est. TALKING FIT!  You got questions, we got answers. Join Us!

Happy love day to you all. MUAH!

Love Love Love! What does it mean to you?
It is something different to each one of us.  But it is not rude.  It trust and it comforts.  It is giving and not expecting anything in return.  It is unconditional. Unfortunately, some have been taught about love in the wrong way so we have grown up with the wrong definition.  Love is something that is indescribable, but I have found in my spiritual journey, that it is best described as what Christ shows us daily- compassion(mercy), forgiving(sins), reassuring (faith), comfort (grace) and joy.

It is our choice to repeat this same love back to others, even when they hurt us. Yes it means love your enemies. You can kill hate with love. It is hard sometimes, but I always say wow God you still love me, WELL, I have no other choice but to love and love unconditionally.  I feel there is no other way.  Love does not come with conditions, either you love or you don't.  That's it. It's not complicated and its not rocket science.

This is a song I enjoy so much and can here it over and over 100x and it still refreshes me, I hope it can do the same for you. The words say it all.

What is love?  It's Jesus.  What is love? it is Jesus Christ in you an me.




Love is you-Chrisette Michele
What's your definition of it?
How's it make you feel?
Tell me what you say that truly makes it real
Kings and Queens, Philosophers have tried so hard to find
Tell me what it means to you dear, never mind

Love is kind when the world is cold
Love stays strong when the fight gets old
Love's a shoulder to lean on
Love is you
Love's like the water when the well runs dry
Quench my thirst, keep me alive
Just need one sip baby
Love is you
Love is you, love is you,
Love is you, love is you

Is it possible, there is a kiss that's so divine
Or am I just a fool, is it all in my mind?
Is there something chemical
A scientist might say
Well love must be a drug
To make me feel this way

Cause love's my permission to be who I am
No inhibitions cause you understand
Freedom to breathe oh baby
Love is you
Love's like a kiss when the sun goes down
Holds me tight when no one's around
Love's what I want to hold on to
Love is you

Love is you, Love is you, Love is you,
Love is you, Love is you,
Love is you, Love is you,

Love is kind, it makes me stronger
I don't have to look no longer
You're the one I cling to
Love is you
When the chips are down
Love will stick around
I'm so glad I found
Love is you

As much as I've tried to clarify
Love's quite simple, he's just my guy
Perfect definition
Love is you
Love is you, love is you
Love is you... is you...

No worries, I'm OK! Let's set a goal

OK. After the last post I think you all are a bit concerned about me. Thanks, but let me clarify I am depressed sometimes. NOT always. So what I am saying is I am focusing on the solution not the problem. After all I already know what the problem is, right?

So let's move toward achieving our goals.  Stepping on the giants.  My first giant is I get a lil weary in well doing. The bible says let us not grow weary in well doing.  I am trying to remove what gets me weary. I find it is the long term grind of it all. See when I am dieting down, trying to stay focus on the goal of building these legs and presenting a better package, ya know, life happens.

When life happens it can really derail you.  You'll find that stress is a culprit the enemy uses to cause us to fall short. Making us tired and weary, is his goal to wear you down. My friends I say this., WE MUST stand our ground when life is happening. NO MORE of the old way of everything take precedence over our fitness. NO! I am learning to commit to MJ this time and I want you to commit to you too.

Friends, it's not selfish but it may take a little more planning when you have another commitment that is the result of life happening.

Here is an example. Last week, we lost a loved one. So there was a funeral to plan.  I offered to do the program and obituary for the funeral. This means the layout, editing, printing and such.  As a family we needed to save and doing it ourselves was the best way to do it. It was a very hard task not just on managing my time with all my other projects but it was an emotional challenge too.  See my Dad past away in 2005 this very same time of the year, January 7th to be exact. My normal days are long and get hectic as the day goes by. So instead of putting my workout off till the evening, each morning I had to get up earlier to ride my bike to stay on track and it helped me manage the stress of my emotions better.

One of the main things it did was helped me have a sense of accomplishment before the day got started. Because though life was happening, I was doing what I had planned to do in spite of.

My friends don't let the normal occurances of life stop you from your goals.  We sometimes give the enemy to much credit. Come on enough is enough.

This weeks goal accomplishment

#1: Don't get weary in well doing.

For each day is a new opportunity to get closer to accomplishing your dreams.

So set a cardio goal for the next 4weeks.  Allow nothing to stand in your way of this. If mornings are less stressful then do it then. MAKE TIME FOR YOU!



My goal: is to do cardio every morning M-F this means I cant sleep in and Tue and Thur have a 6am client so I will have to do it when I am done with her at the gym.

May God bless you this week. Stay focused-MJ FitChik4Life

Those who are thankful will always be blessed

FitChik4Life

My prayer today is that you'll always be blessed even in your trials and tribulations.  Some may ask how can you be blessed in a tribulation?  Here is a perfect example, I lost my father in 2005 and it was and still is hard, but somehow God has given me this comfort that I know a human being could not provide. I still miss him and holidays are hard for me because he enjoyed holidays and he past 1week after New Years day, so though I think of him often I miss him most around the holidays.

I have chosen to be thankful for all the years God had him with us. I do miss him but the bible says in ALL, not some but ALL things be thankful.

So this week as I remind myself, I wanted to share with you and remind you that regardless of what things look like in ALL things give thanks for there is someone out there that has not what you have.  There is someone out there that lost a friend and you still have yours, there is someone that had no food to eat and you just finished eating, there is someone that has no awareness of there faculties and you have all of yours. You don't want to go to the gym today and there is someone who can't go even if they wanted to.  My friends look around you there is so much to be thankful for.

Don't be thankful when its sunny if you can't be thankful when it rains. A thankful heart is a soul that will forever be blessed-MJ

Merry Christmas to you all and may the peace of God be with you always
Hugs to all of you-MJ FitChik4Life

Just believe

Believing in a dream can sometimes be harder than said.  At times the road to that dream can seem unreachable. You stumble, you fall, but we all get up and when you do just keep stepping forward.You have heard me say, fall seven times, so what, get up eight.

You have heard the saying anything worth having is worth working for. Well my friends this includes your dream.  As as an entrepreneur I realized that when you work for yourself you will work the hardest you have ever worked, if you want it to be successful.  You are the marketing department, labor department, payroll, housekeeping, customer service department and what ever else your company needs.  Yes, you are all of these and the hardest job of all, you're the CEO. What I am saying is you are the chief and the Indian, until you successfully grow to hire others and even then you will still have to be an Indian at times. 

Action and effort is key in making your dreams come true but without the belief in your dream, yourself and the faith to know it is possible, all the action and effort can come to a halt.  What I'm saying is they all go hand in hand to work together.  If you have all the effort in the world and something doesn't work out the first, second, third time well, one can get discouraged.  BUT if you believe in your heart that it can work then that will fuel the action to put fourth the effort for the fourth, fifth , tenth time.

Never lose sight of your goals. Believe that you can do anything and with Christ on your side you CANNOT fail.  I always use myself as an example when talking to clients. I'm no different than them and have desires and dreams too.  I have always wanted to compete. Years ago there was no figure category only fitness and I wanted to do it since my 20's. In 2005 I was blessed at age thirty-five to get on stage and do it. After many setbacks and weight gain there I was competing at age thirty-five and doing it well. Placed 1st in masters and 2nd in open. Here I am just four years later one year shy of forty years old and am a professional athlete.  WOW!

When you believe you can do it. You can. Success comes in cans, not cant's.God has not failed me yet and he will not fail you. Just believe

 Be blessed my friends

Being used...not always a bad thing

Too often we underestimate the power of the truth, listening, a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

The holidays are upon us and many are worried about their finances. To often the worry is, how am I going to pay for Christmas? Well, I'm concerned about my finances too, but I'm not worrying about paying for Christmas. My friends, when are we going to realize what God is showing us and allowing to happen. Economical times have people losing there minds and depression is at an all time high.  For years we have been losing sight of Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Getting caught up in stuff and it's easy to get caught up in it the way our society is today. This is a time of memories, joys, fellowship and giving.  Not giving because you have it but giving because you want to give and when you don't have.  We can all give in some way regardless of our finances.

If you are not financially able to give monetary funds, I am sure you have some STUFF around the house just collecting dust. Ya know, one mans junk is another mans treasure. If you have already spring cleaned your house and you don't have any extra stuff, how about your time.  Yes, your time is priceless. Take an early Saturday and go to your local homeless shelter to aid in serving those that are much less fortunate than you.  Please never think yourself  better than a homeless person. Some of us are only one months pay away from being homeless and those that have a bit saved well what if something happened and you could not work for the next 6 to 7 moths and your back up savings is now used on monthly expenses. Now what? Yes, I know the people you see on the street some say can get a job. Well have you seen the current job market and have you looked at your monthly expenses.  It's tight for many and businesses are hurting too, so pay is not to high these days. If you could only get a job at Walmart or McDonalds would that minimum pay cover your families expenses? Your mortgage, your car note. Hmmm, I dont think it would. I am not trying to scare you BUT we should never judge the other man or women unless you have walked in their shoes. A guy was talking to me about the economics of our world today and he said "I don't understand homeless people, MJ. I mean the bible says God helps those who help themselves" My response was maybe the God in you is suppose to be the help from God.  He said yeah yeah it could be. Some peoples thoughts blow me away when they speak out loud.

God uses people on a daily basis to fulfill His work. You may say why me? Well, why not you?  Giving back to someone is a feeling that can't be bought it is priceless. So today or within next two weeks would you meditate on helping a local charity or someone in need. They are everywhere, from battered womens shelters, children that are left behind, those that have lost love ones or incarceration of a parent, perhaps our American soldiers families could use a little love from you. Nursing homes are another area around the holidays can be sad for our elderly some have families that don't care you can be that vessel that makes the difference. Look around your town, I know there is someone that would appreciate your helping hand.

You are a vessel to be used for good however, God gives us free will and it is your choice to choose to take action to care. I'm telling you it will warm your soul when you do.

Have a wonderful week my friends

Joy does come in the morning!

Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty and happiness, because weeping only endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Last night was rough. It started with my 6am client I was feeling fatigued all day and I did not have much of an appetite and those that know really know me know a sista can eat. I had 2 eggs for breakfast and lunch was some wild n brown rice with tuna. About 1pm I was feeling like poop.

Tired and feeling extremely bloated. After teaching boot camp class and training 5 clients I was ready to go home so I pressed through with another client and drank some tea thinking if its gas it should help my client is a nurse so I was safe with her right. lol.
Well I CX my 3:30 and praise God my 5:30 CX with me, so went home as I was driving home the abdominal cramping got worse and worse and Jesus had to hear his name the way I was calling on him.
I was hot then cold then hot then cold and of course traffic was not light. WHY WHY WHY? I get home and my other half is on his way. I throw up and the pain is a tad less than it was.

OMG Lord please I don't want to get sick-please take it away.

So I lay on the bathroom floor because I was scared to go to far from the toilet. While waiting on hubby my client calls and keeps me company on the phone. My hubby shows up and sees me on the floor and falls to his knees I had to reassure him I was gonna be OK, just in some pain. So we make it back to the bed and he prays over me hard and strong I just knew in my heart that it will pass. I kept reminding myself weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Problem is we just never know how long the night will be. But our faith and hope tells us it will not last. So long story short I tossed and turned and tossed and moaned. Heating pad to ice pack, to sweating to cold. I threw up again about 1:30am then lied back down and all I know is I slept. OH! JOY COMES IN THE MORNING-Thank you Lord. My side was a little soar still but I can stand up straight Hallelujah. I just thank God for his mercy, his grace and ability to hear and heal. Hallelujah

As I try to be still today in my time of rest this quote comes to mind about Christ dying for me

Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty and happiness, because weeping only endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

The word endures gives us strength, but the waiting is out hope we know the joy is coming, the when of it all is our faith. Have an awesome day my friends.

MJ-FitChik4Life