I know that this is a repeat for many of you. But for others, the mystery remains. Why do I have a moose tattoo on my back? So here is the story…

I was 27 years old and in my first year of marriage when the diagnosis of stage 4b Lymphoma came. By the time it was known, I was bedridden, weighing in at a meager 107 pounds, with death knocking on the door. After 7 months of intensive chemo and high dose steroids, I went into remission. But the journey was not complete. I began dealing with the aftermath of all the drugs that had saved my life but ravaged my body in  ways that  the cancer had not. But I was hopeful; confident that full recovery was certain in time.

About a year later, a mysterious hip pain developed. Another diagnosis soon followed. Once again, I began treatment. The cancer and the treatments combined to severely erode the bone structure of my left hip, leaving me with a fracture, severe pain and on crutches with very limited activity. But overall, things seemed easy compared to the first diagnosis. Remission came quickly and once again, recovery ensued.

It was a short 6 months later, on my birthday, that I developed severe abdominal pain; pain that was paralyzing; pain that came in unannounced and violent waves. A sip of water would cause convulsive episodes and vomiting. It became nearly impossible to eat or drink without experiencing a crippling episode. Again, my weight plummeted and within a month I was bedridden. A third diagnosis was made and this time, survival was unlikely. Pain management was the best I could hope for.

The pain however was too severe to be “managed”. And with no remaining sense of hope for recovery I refused further chemo treatments. I simply gave up; decided that I was done; that life could not be lived that way. I decided it was time to surrender. It was time to accept death.

Time was very short. Everyday, I could see and feel the rapid progression of the disease and the certainty of death. But there were a few small dreams I wanted to accomplish. One seemed rather easy given the fact that we lived in Breckenridge Colorado.I wanted to see a moose in its natural habitat. My Oncologist warned me that even a small bug bite could kill me, but I forged ahead on my journey to Rocky Mountain National Park. After a grueling day of hiking and searching for moose, I began a disappointed departure from the park. It was then, that my dream became reality. I soon found myself standing before three large, mature bull moose. There was no fear by moose or man….just a silent, surreal peace. One bull laid down mere feet away.

In that moment, I felt what I believe to be the presence of God. And I heard, in what was to me an audible voice, “Choose Life. I have Life for you. Choose Life.” I knew that I had the opportunity to live. I also had the opportunity to die. I chose life. The next day, I began chemo with the understanding that remission was medically unlikely if not impossible. But just a few months later, I miraculously, but not surprisingly, went into remission.

At that point my oncologist insisted we seize the opportunity and undergo an immediate and complete bone marrow transplant (almost a death sentence itself at that time). I refused and believed for another answer. That is when, after much prayer, that in a meeting with a client, I discovered nutrition. I stepped out in faith, stopped all treatments and made radical changes to my nutritional strategy. Clean, whole foods became my treatment. That was nearly 13 years ago! I have not seen an Oncologist since.

It took nearly 10 years to fully heal and recover from all that had ravaged my body. But now, at 43, I am in the best health of my life. I am now a personal trainer, a nutritional coach and a wellness enthusiast with a passion to see others discover the great beauty and gift of our provision for health and wellness.

To this day, I have a connection with moose. Until this year, I have been blessed to spend at least part of my year where they visit the property, raise their young and allow me the joy of their presence.

I am blessed! And because God used those moose to remind me that there was Life, and because God fulfilled the promise that I could have Life, because God was faithful to reveal to me the truth of provision for health, I have dedicated my back as a memorial, and testament.

That is my story; my testimony!

Raw food. Have you ever tried it? I’m not talking about a green salad with ranch dressing either. I’m talking real, whole foods…RAW.

I have enjoyed raw foods for many years. However, in recent years, they have quietly slipped out of my nutritional strategy.  The reasons are not clear. I think its been an unconscious result of many factors, all of which led up to this season of re-invention which has defined 2010. Regardless, they are making a come back in my plan and I am thrilled. My body is especially excited!  

So when my buddy and personal trainer, Brian Johnson of The Movement Dallas (http://www.themovementdallas.com), gifted me with a Raw Apple Pie this week, I was in heaven. Yes, I shared. In fact, of everyone, I think I had the least. But that’s okay. I can and I will make more. And with that, I share the recipe and a big THANK YOU to Brian for his very kind, nutritious and delicious gift as well as his  inspiration as I continue forward in my reinvention. You rock, man!! 

Raw Apple Pie…eat it in good health!! And make it the first of many raw foods to enjoy in your nutritional strategy!

Ingredients:

For the crust…
2 cups raw almonds
2 cups organic pitted dates
Pinch of sea salt

For the syrup…
1/2 cup pitted dates or raisins
1 organic orange

For the filling…
5-6 whole apples
1 cup organic raisins
2 tbs cinnamon

Begin with the crust.  First put a handful of almonds in the food processor and grind.  Sprinkle on the bottom of the pan as a base layer so that the crust does not stick to the bottom.  Then put your almonds and dates, along with a pinch of sea salt, into the food processor.  Grind that up, and then form this sticky crust into the pan using your hands.

Next, make the syrup.  Mix your dates or raisins with a peeled, seeded orange.  Blend until it makes a pasty syrup.  Add a little water if you want a thinner consistency.

Then, for the filling, peel and slice 5 whole apples into a mixing bowl.    Add syrup and cinnamon to apples and toss with hands.  Take half the apples and put into food processor and blend.  Fill pie with apple filling.  Layer top of pie with remainder of apples and sprinkle raisins on top.  It is then ready to serve!

Webster defines an act as a: “state of existence rather than possibility.” Do you have an act? Sure you do. It’s a place you go to exist, to survive, to get away, to find safety, refuge, shelter, love, hope, forgiveness. It’s that place where you go to in your mind when things go wrong or you sense hurt, fear, shame. It’s not the truth of who you are and your heart knows it, yet it is familiar, even friendly and welcoming. 

But the act is bondage. It’s a prison that holds you back from your real possibilities. It’s a lie. And remember, we just spoke about exchanging the lie for the truth. So, if you missed that blog, be sure to check it out.

What is your act? Maybe its over eating driven by low self esteem. Maybe its substance abuse in response to rejection. Maybe its overachieving in an effort to prove your worth. Maybe its depression caused by shame or fear. Whatever it is, the root is a lie. Some where along the way, you bought a lie. But now is time for FREEDOM. It’s time to exchange the lie for truth.

Today is the day to begin living in your possibilities. The real you is fit and healthy. The real you is loved and accepted. The real you is a winner. The real you is invaluable to the world around you. The real you is powerful and worthy. The real you is desperately needed by the world. In fact, the world is waiting on YOU!

The ACT or the POSSIBILITIES. It’s your choice. We need you. Please chose your possibilities!

I celebrated my 43rd birthday this week. And with it came a desire to “Rev It Up”. To power forward in my re-invention and make absolutely certain that I live fully alive, fully ME. I know, it’s a theme and it’s not too likely to change any time soon. So, forgive me and hang on! I am simply passionate about the subject. Determined that we all become true to ourselves and how we are created to live our lives and impact the world around us.

But living true to ourselves is not so easy. There are things to conquer, to overcome, to defeat. There are lies we have been sold and have accepted. Lies about our our who, what, when, where, why and how. Lies!! But those lies need to and can be revealed and then exchanged for the truth. Let me share a quick story to attempt an explanation.

Driving home to grab some lunch after a morning of appointments, I discovered a nail on the interstate. I knew instantly that I was in trouble. But the car’s diagnostics system warned me of the issues developing and allowed me to respond rather than react. Its was all good. But then. The tire was totally flat, gone. I needed food desperately, I had a training appointment in 30 minutes and then a birthday lunch after that, both of which I was excited about. And agian I seriously needed food!!! So, I called my wife for help. No answer. I texted her. No reply. I repeated. No answer. Now I was getting worked up. And in no time at all I was in meltdown mode. I had survived a blowout at 70 miles per hour in heavy interstate traffic and remained cool as a cucumber the whole time. But now, I was a puddle of frustration. I felt abandoned, stranded, alone facing the challenge of the breakdown, repair and the schedule.

It was about 2 hours later that the revelation came. It wasn’t that I couldn’ t handle the situation. I could and I did. I just didn’t want to be alone! I had expereinced so many times like that as a child. Alone, forced to fend for myself when I needed help. Sometimes in violent, life threatening situations. It was a frightening thing at  a young age. So here I was, 43 years old and freaked out becuase I had to deal with this situation alone.

You see, that scene simply hit the nerve; one tucked away, forgotten, buried with time. But it had not been dealt with. I had not opened my mind to change. I had not allowed the lie of abandonment to be replaced with the truth. The truth that I am surrounded with people, even with angels who watch over me. I am never truly alone and I always have a source for strength when I am weak. Always!

Life sometimes brings a difficult, yet truly simple challenge our way that triggers a response that is entirely disproportionate. When that occurs, it’s time to look a little deeper. What is the trigger? What is the wound? What is the lie that you have accepted? Then what is the Truth to the lie?

There is always a truth. Always. I find truth in faith. In a relationship with God. There is where I find my strength, my hope, my promise!

So, you ask, how does this have anything to do with Freedom Fitness? Well, simple. Freedom…that is the key. My heart is for you to have freedom from anything that holds you back in life. In that freedom you will find wellness. You will find health and you will succeed in fitness! You will become the best YOU possible in every way!

You are created for freedom not bondage to lies! So, its time to exchange the lie for the truth.

I received this in a birthday wish today. I have read it before and found it packed with truth. How we live our lives is not about the response or reaction we receive from the world. It is about living in the truth of who we are created to be and designed to live. Our life should be a direct response to the Master Artist, the Poet, the Designer, the Creator. After all, we are the masterpiece, the poetry, the custom designed creation. Live in truth!
If you are kind,
People may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

Mother Teresa

Tomorrow is the big day. I turn 43.  Seems impossible. After all, I still remember when that sounded OLD! For that matter, I remember when that seemed entirely unlikely.

But you know what, I may be getting older by number. But I am not going to get old any time soon. I am becoming 43 in the best physical health of my life. My level of fitness exceeds that of my teens. And my emotional/spiritual health is surging as well. And the best part of it all, is that I know it is only going to get better.

At 43 years old, I am in the midst of a re-invention; a new beginning; a complete restoration. It’s out with the old, in with the new. It’s the end of a season of insecurities and fears that have held me back. It is the end of self doubt and uncertainty. It is the re-birth of creativity, passion, determination, ceaseless hope. It is the beginning of ultimate strength and wellness. It is the beginning of the true, real, whole ME!

I am beginning my 43rd year feeling the breath of new life, the joy of hope, the warmth of new love and passion. I am blessed and I am expecting blessings!!

There will be little fanfare tomorrow and that is just as I want it. I want to bask in the simplicity of a day filled with hope and expectation. I just want to believe for good things to come. I want to walk the road before me with a sense of joy, knowing that I am loved, that I have a purpose and plan for my life. That will be enough for me tomorrow.

As for a specific birthday wish. Well I think my buddy Brenden John Kelly said it best.  ”I believe the more you BELIEVE in yourself – the more the ‘impossible’ becomes the ‘inevitable’. That is my goal for this year. To believe in myself, the uniquely created me,  so much so that the seemingly impossible becomes the probable.

Tomorrow is the big day. I turn 43.  Seems impossible. After all, I still remember when that sounded OLD! For that matter, I remember when that seemed entirely unlikely.

But you know what, I may be getting older by number. But I am not going to get old any time soon. I am becoming 43 in the best physical health of my life. My level of fitness exceeds that of my teens. And my emotional/spiritual health is surging as well. And the best part of it all, is that I know it is only going to get better.

At 43 years old, I am in the midst of a re-invention; a new beginning; a complete restoration. It’s out with the old, in with the new. It’s the end of a season of insecurities and fears that have held me back. It is the end of self doubt and uncertainty. It is the re-birth of creativity, passion, determination, ceaseless hope. It is the beginning of ultimate strength and wellness. It is the beginning of the true, real, whole ME!

I am beginning my 43rd year feeling the breath of new life, the joy of hope, the warmth of new love and passion. I am blessed and I am expecting blessings!!

There will be little fanfare tomorrow and that is just as I want it. I want to bask in the simplicity of a day filled with hope and expectation. I just want to believe for good things to come. I want to walk the road before me with a sense of joy, knowing that I am loved, that I have a purpose and plan for my life. That will be enough for me tomorrow.

As for a specific birthday wish. Well I think my buddy Brenden John Kelly said it best.  ”I believe the more you BELIEVE in yourself – the more the ‘impossible’ becomes the ‘inevitable’. That is my goal for this year. To believe in myself, the uniquely created me,  so much so that the seemingly impossible becomes the probable.

Why is it that everyone else is perfect and I’m not? Well, neither are they really. It just seems that way sometimes.

The pursuit of perfection is a hopeless one. It just doesn’t exist. And I think its time that we all understand that fact. Especially those among us who are fitness enthusiats who are sculpting our bodies, honing them into a perceived state of perfection. I think we, I willingly include myself, stand a distinct chance of driving ourselves crazy by establishing wrong expectations that simply force us into addictive rather than productive behavior.

Yea, I’m gunning for “perfection”. I have an image in my head that I want to see in the mirror one day. I’ll admit it. Some days, I look around me and it seems I have to work twice as hard for less results than the average guy. And it makes me nuts. I wonder if I will ever get into the physical condition I so eagerly pursue and envision. Probably not. Is my dream any less worthy a pursuit? I don’t think so. It’s just about maintaining perspective while dreaming the dream. It’s about realistic goals and expectations. And I have to constantly check in to make sure mine are in line.

Sure, some may call me addicted. I am in ways. Yet, I am genuinely trying to be real. I think I know my weaknesses and I believe I am willing to man up and face them. Evenso, I have a dream. I’m just going to try to maintain a balance…at least one that works for me. I’ll keep working to attain the dream, but I’ll also make the effort to look in the mirror and be proud of my acheivements and even my imperfections.

My advice  tonight…Be real in your ideals and goals but dare to dream as well.

Have you ever considered sprints as part of your training regimen? You should. Those short, top speed, powerful bursts are incredibly effective. They are cardio and strength delivered in full on power moves. I simply LOVE sprinting. 

So when I began my new program yesterday, I was very excited to include sprints. Though this program is only for this week, I know that I am going to see great results. Whoooohoooo. I’m stoked. Anyway, today, I completed 8 sets of 5×40 sprints. That’s 40, 40 meter sprints. Now that was only a portion of my routine. And, yes, I know, 40 m is not a very long distance, but let me tell you, if you max out in those bursts, you’ll know for sure that you have worked out.  

Sprinting is an intense exercise. Period. And preparation is demanded in order to avoid injuries like hamstring tears. So, how do you prepare for sprints as part of your training regimen. Trunk/stability training…that is the key. Here are some great strengthening exercises that will help power your sprints in safe, effective manner.

We face so many pressures in the world today. Society demands that we look, think, behave, feel a certain way; a way that is acceptable to the masses; a way that does not step on toes or challenge anyone. We conform, little by little, until one day we are lost in surrender; living a life that is not ours; living someone else’s dream, reality,and ideal; no longer true to who we were and are created to be.

Yes, there are standards by which we must live. There are existing morals, values and principles by which to abide. In truth, those should simply be a part of our lives like brushing our teeth in the morning; instinctual;  spontaneous; natural. But, I’m not talking so much about those as I am our individuality; our person; our character; our gifts, talents, skills; the unique twist that we put on life that impacts the world like no one else can. When we surrender those, we become bound by anger, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, fear. We become trapped in a life lived unfulfilled; ineffective; falling short of the potential locked inside.

We have a light to shine that no one else has…NO ONE! Makes me think of that childhood song that says, “This Little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!” That really is what we all want, isn’t it? To be ourselves; to shine in the world.

Again, I’m not suggesting anything goes. Our identity isn’t found in a life without boundaries, limits, guidelines. That’s not freedom. But it is found in an understanding of our uniqueness and the freedom is in living from that very precious gift. Hiding our “little light” under a bushel is hopeless, pointless, nonsense really. It’s a sort of bondage, slavery. It’s being shoved into someone else’s box. I’m tired of it and I bet many of you are as well.

So, I believe that it is a time to become ourselves. It’s time to be free to be US!!  Its time to see the light of day. Time to break free from the cell that holds us captive. It’s time to let our little light shine and change the world as only we can!!

That’s really what Freedom Fitness is about. It’s not about another box to put someone in….a one size fits all system. Its about the individual; about discovering the true person locked inside. It’s about You becoming YOU!