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Join Me In a Fall Reset · Honoring My Temple

• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Honoring My Temple podcast.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: If you're looking to put God at the center of your life and live that out perfectly through your health, habits, and everyday choices, this podcast is for you.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Kelly Winner, founder of Soul Strength Fit, and author of Honoring My Temple.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: Here we explore biblical wisdom and how to apply it to real life, your mindset, food, exercise, and the habits that shape who you're becoming.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get started.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to Honoring My Temple.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: In yesterday's episode, we talked about getting back on track, about recognizing where we may have drifted, creating some structure around the things that matter to us, and preparing for the season ahead.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: And today we're going to make that practical.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: But before we get into the daily habits I'm committing to for this fall reset, I want to begin with a verse and really a prayer from Psalm 9012.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: I love that prayer.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Teach us to recognize that our days matter.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: Teach us to steward our time well.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Help us to live with purpose and intentionality.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: Show us where we need to grow, what needs to change, and the character you want to develop in us.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: And then give us the courage and discipline to pursue those things with our whole heart.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Because our days matter.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: How we spend them matters.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: And what we repeatedly do with them matters.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: And as we think about our time and our habits, I also want to remind you something that perhaps you can sometimes forget.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: You matter.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Your health matters.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Your well-being matters.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Your dreams and your goals matter.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: You matter to God.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: You matter to your family and to the people who love you.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: And because you matter, all of you, body, mind, and spirit, how you care for yourself matters too.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Caring for your health, nourishing your body, spending time in with God in His Word, tending to your emotional well-being.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: These aren't insignificant things.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: They affect how you show up for the life that God has given you.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I think most of us know what happens when we neglect these things for too long.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: When we're not caring for ourselves physically, emotionally, or spiritually, something begins to diminish.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: We lose some of our energy, our enthusiasm, our desire to grow, pursue meaningful goals, and fully engage with the life that God has given us.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: And there's something else I've learned.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: No one else can do these things for you.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: I don't mean that cynically.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: We absolutely need other people.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: We need encouragement.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: We need support.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: We need community.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: But there are certain things in your life that only you can choose to do.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: No one can exercise for you.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: No one can choose what you eat for you.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: No one can open your Bible and spend that time with God for you.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: No one can choose gratitude for you.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: No one can choose to get up when the alarm goes off for you.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: No one can pursue your goals for you.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: At some point, we have to take responsibility for what is ours to do.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: There's a phrase I come back to often.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Control the controllables.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: There is so much in life we cannot control.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: We can't control other people.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: We can't control every circumstance.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: We can't control every outcome.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: We can't control what tomorrow will bring.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: But there is also a lot that we can control.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: We can decide whether we're gonna get up and exercise.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: We can make intentional choices about what we eat.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna decide whether we're going to make time for God's word and prayer.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: We can choose to look for things to be grateful for.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: We can choose to fast.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: We can seek out community.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: We can continue learning and growing.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: We can make room for Sabbath and rest.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: We can take responsibility for what we can control.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: And we trust God with the rest.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll be honest, sometimes taking responsibility for the things we can control is uncomfortable.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: Because once we acknowledge that something is within our control, we also have to acknowledge that our choices matter and that we have a responsibility to make those choices well.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's easier sometimes to say, I just don't have time to exercise, than to take an honest look at how we're spending our time.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's easier to say, I'm just not disciplined, than to begin practicing discipline.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: It's easier to say life is just too busy right now than to put some boundaries around the things we've decided matter.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: Our job isn't to control every outcome.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: Our job is to faithfully do the best we can with what God has given us, to take responsibility for what is ours to do and trust Him with the rest.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Colossians 3.23 says, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: And that's how I want to approach this fall reset.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: I want to take responsibility for what God has put within my control, do it wholeheartedly, and trust Him with everything else.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: So as I thought about what I want this reset to look like, I came back to eight simple practices.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Four I'm committing to every day, and four I'm committing to every week.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: They're not complicated.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, you've probably heard me talk about them many times before, but that's kind of the point.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: Getting back on track usually isn't about discovering something new.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's about consistently doing the things we already know matter.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: So my four daily practices are exercise, eating God-given foods, prayer and time in the word, and gratitude.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: And these aren't necessarily in order of importance.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: If anything, I may be starting with some of the things that tend to get pushed aside first when life gets busy.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: So let's start with exercise.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: Exercise is normally a very consistent part of my life, but this summer it became much more sporadic.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: Some weeks I did great.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: Other weeks, travel late mornings, and changed schedules made it really easy to say, I'll do it later.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes later just never came.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I could feel the difference, not just physically.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: I have more energy when I exercise, I feel stronger, I sleep better, but I notice it mentally too.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: Exercise clears my head, helps me manage stress, and just puts me in a better frame of mind.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Honestly, when I'm exercising consistently, I feel more like myself.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: So exercise is the first thing I'm recommitting to, making a consistent part of each day.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Ideally, I recommend aiming for at least 30 minutes of exercise a day with a strong emphasis on strength training.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: And that's how the workouts inside Soul Strength Fit are structured.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: And especially as we age, strength training needs to be a foundational part of our exercise routine.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: So 30 minutes is the goal.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: But there's another goal I think matters even more, especially if you've gotten out of the habit of exercise, and that's consistency.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why for this reset, I'm giving you a daily minimum of 10 minutes.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Because we can all find 10 minutes.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: And I know this won't work for everyone, but if you can, I strongly recommend making those 10 minutes or your full workout part of your morning routine.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: There's a couple reasons for that.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: First, getting your body moving and your blood flowing in the morning can make such a difference in how you feel heading into your day.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: I notice it in my energy, my mood, my focus.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: And there's something about starting the day with a win, knowing that you've already followed through on something you said you were going to do.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: But there's another really practical reason I like exercise first thing in the morning.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's done before work starts, before the emails, before the appointments, before the unexpected things that inevitably come up.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: You remove a whole day's worth of opportunities to procrastinate, make excuses, or simply run out of time.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: My mornings normally have a very consistent structure.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: Time in the word and prayer, and then my workout.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: And that's one of the structures I lost this summer.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: I felt the difference in my energy and my mood, but I also saw it in my consistency.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: When my workout wasn't done first thing, it became a whole lot easier for it to not happen at all.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: And on mornings when I genuinely don't have time for my normal workout, I have a few little walking loops around my neighborhood.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: I know exactly how long they each take.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: One is about five minutes, one is 17, one is 25.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't have to think about it.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: I know how much time I have, I pick a loop, I walk out my front door and I go.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's not a replacement for my strength training, but it's a way of making sure that a busy morning doesn't automatically become a day when I did nothing.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're really short on time or exercise simply isn't a regular part of your life yet, I created a bonus program inside Soul Strength Fit for exactly this reason.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's called 28 and under 8.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: And it's exactly what it sounds like: 28 workouts, and every one of them is under eight minutes.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Each day focuses on something a little different.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: So you're working different areas of your body throughout the month.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to imagine something.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: What if 28 days from now you could look back and say, I exercised every single day this month?
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe some days it was only eight minutes.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe other days you did 30 or 45.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you just stretched or did a walk, but you showed up 28 days in a row.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine how that might change the way you feel, not only physically, but the way you see yourself.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: You kept a commitment to yourself.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: You built evidence that you can be consistent.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: And then imagine where you could go from there.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: That's what the 10 minimum minute minimum is about.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: 10 minutes isn't the goal, it's the minimum that keeps you moving forward.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: So do the 10 minutes.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: Get the win.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: Keep moving forward.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, the second daily practice is eating God-given foods.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: And honestly, even more than my workouts, I think my eating habits took the biggest hit this summer.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: Travel was definitely part of it.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: I normally eat most of my meals at home, but we traveled quite a bit this summer, which meant a lot more restaurant meals than I'm used to.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: But even when I wasn't traveling, I noticed my eating habits changing.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: And when I really thought about why, I realized the biggest issue wasn't that I suddenly forgot how to eat healthy.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: I stopped preparing to eat healthy.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: Normally I planner meals and grocery shop over the weekend.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: I know what I'm making for lunches and dinners for all of us.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: I get the groceries in the house, and I usually do a little bit of prep, nothing elaborate.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe I cook some chicken breast, cut up some vegetables, or just make sure there are healthy foods ready to go.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I was not doing much of that this summer.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: And it definitely threw me off.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: It goes right back to what we talked about yesterday.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: My freedom from meal planning and meal prep did not bring me more peace.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: It actually made meals more stressful, especially because deep down I still wanted to eat healthy.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: I just wasn't prepared to do it.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: So as I get back on track, I'm going back to two really basic things: God-given foods and planning.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: There is so much we could talk about when it comes to nutrition.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: There are different goals we could set, different approaches we could follow, and plenty of details we could get into.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: But that's not what I want this reset to be about.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: I want to simplify.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the ways I'm doing that is by seeing how many of my meals I can build around two things: a good source of protein and produce.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: That's it.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: For protein, I'm focusing on God-given sources, primarily meat, poultry, and eggs.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: Fish, of course, is a great option too.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: I just don't happen to like seafood.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: And personally, I don't eat much dairy because I feel much better without it.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: And then I add produce.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: I'm trying to keep my meals incredibly simple.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: For at least one meal a day, and often two or even all three, I'm choosing a good source of protein and simply pairing it with vegetables and sometimes a little fruit.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, I'm almost challenging myself not to use a recipe, to eat foods as close to their natural form as possible.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're roasted or sauteed with a little olive oil and salt, but that's about it.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: So that might be scrambled eggs with roasted broccoli and potatoes, a turkey burger wrapped in lettuce with a roasted sweet potato, sauteed ground beef with zucchini, or if I need something really quick, a turkey stick with carrot and apple slices.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: Protein, produce, keep it simple.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't have to be a recipe.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: That's part of what I'm trying to get away from.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_00: Healthy eating doesn't have to be complicated.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: I've been challenging myself to see how many meals I can make that simple.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: Protein plus produce.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: But here's the catch.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: Simple still requires preparation.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: Those vegetables have to be in my refrigerator.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: The protein has to be in the house.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I know myself, if I wash and cut up the vegetables ahead of time, I am much more likely to eat them.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm getting back to planning my meals, grocery shopping over the weekend, and doing a little preparation ahead of time.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe that's where you start too.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you don't overhaul everything you're eating this week.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you start by choosing one meal a day and making it really simple.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: Protein plus produce.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: And as you do, I want to encourage you to start appreciating simple food again.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: We tend to crave what we repeatedly eat.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: So learn to enjoy the natural sweetness of a raw carrot.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: Slow down and really taste it.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: Appreciate it just as God gave it to us and thank Him for it.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: An apple doesn't need to become something else.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: A sweet potato doesn't need 10 ingredients.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: A piece of grilled chicken and some roasted vegetables doesn't need to be complicated.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: Learn to enjoy the simple foods God has given us, and then make it easier to choose them by preparing ahead of time.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_00: All right, the third daily practice is prayer and time in the word.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_00: Now again, I haven't put these four habits in order of importance because this is really the foundation underneath everything else.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: And for that reason, I want to strongly encourage you to make this the first part of your day.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: Our days fill up quickly, but there are responsibilities, stressors, distractions, and to-do lists waiting for us almost as soon as we open our eyes.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: Proverbs 3 9 tells us, honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now that verse is specifically talking about honoring God with our wealth, but I think there's a principle here that we can apply to our time as well.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: What if we gave God the first part of every day?
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: Our time is one of the most valuable things we have.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: We can't earn more of it.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: And how we choose to spend it matters.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: I want to give God the first fruits of each day, the first moments of my day.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: I think of it as an offering to him.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: My way of saying, God, before I give my time and attention to anything else, I'm giving it to you, before the phone, before the news, before social media, email, the to-do list, and everything else that will eventually need my attention.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: I want God to be first.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: I want time with him to be the foundation that I build my day on.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: And for me, that begins before I even get out of bed.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: When my alarm goes off, the very first thing I do is check in with God.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: I thank him for the new day and for his presence.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I do a quick mental run through of what I have coming up that day.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I give it to him.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: That project I'm working on later, God work through me and bless my work.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: That call I have, God give me wisdom.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: Something going on with one of my kids.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: God guide them.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: Help me know how to support them.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: Before my feet find my slippers, I've given my day to God.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: And that part actually stayed consistent throughout the summer.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's maybe the first 60 seconds of my day.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's so established that travel and changing schedules didn't really disrupt it.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: But I'll tell you what did change.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: My longer morning time spent with God did.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: My normal practice of getting into scripture, getting to know God a little more each day, praying, journaling, and intentionally carving out time to simply be with Him.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: That was much easier to push aside when we were traveling, schedules were off, or I got up later than usual, and I felt the difference.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: Of all the habits I've committed to over the years, consistently spending the first part of my day with God has changed me more than any other.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't have to take an hour.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: Even 15 intentional minutes spent in scripture and prayer, when practiced consistently, can change you.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: You're learning more about God, you're listening, you're reflecting, you're allowing his word to shape the way you think and live.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: And day after day, those moments with God begin to shape the person you are becoming.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: And when that time started slipping this summer, I noticed the difference.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't feel as close to God.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_00: I wasn't as aware of his presence or as attentive to his guidance.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: But God hadn't moved.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: I was the one who had allowed other things to take up the time and the attention that I had been given him.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: And it can happen so easily.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: So as I step into this new season and as I reset my habits, I'm recommitting to giving God the first part of my morning.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: For me, that means grabbing my coffee and settling into the corner chair in my office with my Bible, my journal, and often a book.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I'll light a candle.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: And it means protecting that time.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_00: It means ignoring the dishwasher that needs to be unloaded.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: It means leaving email and social media alone.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: It means setting my alarm earlier because if I don't make room for this time, the day can easily take it from me.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I rarely leave that chair the same way I sat down.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe something in scripture encourages me.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe I recognize something I need to change.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe I feel more peaceful about something I've been carrying.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I simply know God a little better than I did before.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: And that's enough reason for me to keep coming back.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: And just as a resource, if you're not sure where to begin or what actually to do during that time, this is really what all my Bible studies and the studies inside Soul Strength Fit are designed to help with.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_00: Time in scripture, understanding what you're reading, and then considering how God wants you to apply it to your life right now.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_00: If you're new to my work, Transform Daily is a great place to start.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: And again, I'll put all of that information on the fall reset page so you can find it if it's helpful to you.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_00: But whether you use one of my studies, another study, or simply open your Bible on your own, make the time, guard the time, and give God the first part of your day.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: And that actually leads beautifully into my fourth daily practice gratitude.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: Gratitude is already a part of my morning time with God, but during this reset, I want to be even more intentional about practicing it every single day.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: Psalm 100 gives us such a beautiful Picture of approaching God with gratitude.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I love the way the message paraphrases that.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: Enter with the password, thank you.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_00: What a beautiful way to think about beginning our time with God.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, we can bring him our needs.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: We can bring him our fears, our tears, our questions, and even our complaints.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: Scripture shows us that over and over again.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: But what if before we begin telling God everything we need, we first stop and recognize what he's already given us?
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: That's the practice I'm committing to.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm keeping it incredibly simple.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: Each morning I think back over the previous 24 hours, and I thank God for three specific things.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: And they don't have to be big things.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_00: Often mine are incredibly ordinary.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: Something fun I did with the family yesterday.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: A phone call with my dad, time with a friend, something beautiful I noticed, a way I felt God's presence, or saw him answer a prayer, really good cup of coffee.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: The point is to train ourselves to notice.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: Because there is good happening around us all the time.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: And we can become so preoccupied with what's wrong, what's stressful, what's missing, or what's coming next that we stop seeing what's already good.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: For me, writing it down helps.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it's just a blank journal, the date, numbers one, two, and three, and a few words besides each.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_00: Right now I'm using my temple planner because it gives me one place for my gratitude list, along with my top priorities for the day, takeaways from my time in the Word, and my monthly and daily plans.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I will put that on the fall reset landing page too, if you want to see what I'm using.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_00: But you don't need a special journal or planner.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: You just need to stop long enough to notice three things every day and thank God for them.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: So those are the four things I'm recommitting to practicing every day: exercise, eating God-given foods, prayer and time in the word, and gratitude.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: And next week we'll build on those with the four practices I'm committing to each week.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: But before we finish today, I want to tell you what I've already noticed.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: Now, we in this house have been back to our normal schedules for about two weeks now, and I already feel such a difference since refocusing and resetting these habits.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll be honest, part of that has required setting my alarm about an hour earlier than I was doing during our more relaxed summer days.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_00: The first few mornings were definitely an adjustment.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_00: But that's exactly what they were: an adjustment.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: It didn't take long for my body to adapt.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_00: And now not only do I feel more energetic, lighter, and more focused, I feel a greater sense of peace.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_00: Peace that comes from structure.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_00: Peace that comes from protecting the habits that matter to me.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_00: Peace that comes from consistent time with the Lord.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_00: Peace that comes from putting my head on my pillow at night, knowing that however imperfectly, I did the best I could with the time and the opportunities God gave me that day.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what I want for you too.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_00: Galatians 6.9 says, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_00: I love that reminder because the harvest comes from continuing to show up, from doing the good thing again and again, even when we don't see the results right away.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: I want to feel stronger, I want more energy, I want to feel closer to God.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_00: We want more peace.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_00: We want to grow.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_00: We want our lives to change.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_00: And so much of that growth happens through the small choices we faithfully make day after day.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_00: Ten minutes when you don't have time for the full workout, preparing some healthy food before you're hungry, opening your Bible before you start your day, stopping long enough to recognize three things you're grateful for.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_00: None of those choices seem life-changing in the moment.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: But what happens when you keep making them?
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_00: What happens after a month?
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_00: Three months, a year.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine how you might feel physically.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine how your relationship with God might deepen.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine the discipline you might develop.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine how much you might learn about yourself and about God.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine the energy and attention you might have for the people you love and the work God has given you to do.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine who you could become through months and years of small, faithful choices with God at the center.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what excites me about this reset.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's not really about checking four boxes every day, it's about what those repeated choices can begin to produce in us.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to invite you to do this with me.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_00: You'll find a link to the Soul Strength Fit Fall reset page in the show notes.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_00: I've put together some simple printouts there to help you think about where you've drifted, focus on what you're committing to and track your progress.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_00: You'll also find resources to help you put these habits into place and keep growing through them.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_00: And we're not finished.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_00: Next time we're going to continue the reset with the practices I'm committing to each week, how we develop greater self-discipline over time, and why pursuing growth alongside other people can make such a difference.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so happy you're here with me for this.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_00: And my prayer is that this next season would be a beautiful season of growth for you, that you would feel stronger, you would know God more deeply, that you would have greater peace, that you would keep growing into the person God is shaping you to become.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_00: And then when you look back a few months from now, you'll be able to see just how much God can do through small, faithful choices with Him at the center.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: I'll meet you back here next time.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for spending this time with me.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_00: To learn more, visit SoulStrengthFit.com.