Posts Tagged With: health

Welcome Little Patriot: IT’S A GIRL!

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Sharita

Ladies and Gentlemen… It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for… (Well, at least a moment that my Beloved and I and our immediate friends/family have been waiting for…)

We are pleased to announce the birth of our first darling baby…

charis close

CHARIS BENNING KNOBLOCH

Our sweet Charis arrived on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 au natural (no pain meds) at 5:50pm. She weighed 7 pounds and 2 ounces and was 20.5 inches long (pretty legit for being 8 days overdue!)

Her name, Charis (pronounced like “KARE-iss”~ Rhymes with “Paris” or “ferris”)  is ancient Greek for “grace.” (Think: EuCHARISteo or CHARISma) We spent lots of time praying over this baby before her arrival, and God gave us this verse for her.

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” ~2 Peter 3:18 NIV

“Grow in grace and understand of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Yes!” ~2 Peter 3:18 MSG

Honestly, it’s hard to put into words how we currently feel. (Well, other than tired… and elated!) HOLY LORD WE ARE PARENTS!! (Sorry for the random outburst. Blame it on the post-labor adrenaline.)

mama and baby

Can we keep her?!?! Oh wait… WE CAN!?! (Thank you Jesus, for this little miracle!)

We couldn’t be more thrilled with this little miracle blessing. It’s been a long journey, but man– what an incredible reward to be a part of the coolest Jesus arts and craft project EVER!!

Momma, Baby and Daddy are all doing well… We have appreciated your love and prayers that you have shown us the past several months throughout this journey– and we covet your continued prayers as we transition into parenthood… In REAL LIFE. (WOW. Apparently this is really happening?!?!)

We praise God for this new season of life– and this wonderful, cuddly, sweet, snuggly little gift from heaven. We couldn’t be happier or more excited. THANK YOU, JESUS!!

Praising to the Heavens,
Mama Sharita (And Daddy Brandon… And “Big Brother” Justus the Pup)

“Before I shaped you in the womb,
I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
I had holy plans for you…”
~Jeremiah 1:5 MSG

Categories: Family | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 54 Comments

Operation “Fortitude” Fitness (Month #6)

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Sharita

I don’t know about you all… but I’m a little sweaty.

Ok, not sweaty at this very moment as I type, but I was sweaty earlier. (I showered. You are welcome.) This operation fortitude fitness business is sweaty work. Plus, it’s now July in Georgia.

Yikes. Can someone hand me a towel?

Anywho, June was a good month for my “Smart Changes” for 2012. (Click here to read the original post to get caught up to speed.)

Back in January, you were “voluntold” to be my accountability partner. (Much easier to stick to goals long term if when I don’t achieve them I have to write in my blog “Uh, yeah, it was too hard/sweaty/I quit.)  So as promised here is my monthly check-in.

SMART Change #1: Operation Fort-itude Fitness.  In short, my goal for 2012 is to log at least 98 miles per month via biking, swimming, running, elliptical etc to “travel” from Fort Benning, Georgia to Fort Riley, Kansas. Also, in order to stay on track with my strength training, I need to do 2,500 various reps per month. As of last update, I had logged 682.5 miles Jan-May and “arrived” in Springfield, Missouri.

RESULT: GOAL MET…   June was LEGIT. There was A LOT going on this department. So for your sake, I am going to bullet point this bad boy:

  • I ran my 3rd 5K. And it was great. Set a personal record. Got sweaty. Didn’t die. Receive a great God message in the process. (Read the whole story here.)
  • We fasted for the month of June, eating only 7 foods. My energy level was awesome considering the lack of sugar and caffeine in my life. (Read about THAT here.)
  • I logged 166 miles and “arrived” in my hometown of Colony, Kansas!! YEAH!!! ALMOST THERE! (And way ahead of schedule.) PS: Hi Mom and Dad!
  • Did much better with strength training. I am working on my sit up/push up abilities and also started ruck marching. (Fancy army name for walking around with a heavy pack on your back.) My total strength reps for the month was 2900. Can you say sore muscles?
In short: Good month. America!

SMART Change #2: Spend significant time Lord’s presence by using my Jesus Calling Devotional and studying the accompanying Scripture. I will also continue to keep a prayer request list in a notebook and/or iPad.

RESULT: ON GOING Coupled with our fast, I have really developed a hunger for God’s word. I’ve spent more time reading the Bible than probably ever before. Also, there have been some great prayers answered on my app as I took some time to follow up with people. Finally, God REALLY broke through in some areas in my life (but that’s tomorrow’s blog!)

SMART Change #3: Complete my 1000 Gift List (inspired by Ann Voskamp’s book) by the end of 2012.

RESULT: COMPLETED!!  Whoot! Throw some confetti, crank up the tunes! This is the first goal on my “smart change” list I have officially completed. Granted, some of my goals are ongoing lifestyle changes, but I made it to 1000 gifts this month.

Oh and by completed, I mean I am continuing past 1000. I am currently at #1031. And no end in sight. Boomshakalaka!

SMART Change #4:   Memorize a book of the Bible, starting with 1 John.

RESULT: ON GOING Did much better on this goal for the month of June. I have been working on it more– but memorizing a book of the Bible takes A LOT of time. (Why didn’t I realize that before?) 1 John is great and it has been awesome how I am able to recall pieces and parts of it when needed in discussions. However, it is still challenging. I have dubbed it the “Book of semi-confusion prepositions.”

SMART Change #5: Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry and submit to God DAILY in all areas of my life.

RESULT: ON GOING  Um yeah, definitely experienced some breakthroughs here too… But again– I don’t to give it all away just yet… Let’s just say that my heart is more peaceful than it has ever been before due to my daily submission to Him and the fact that I am actually DOING it not just saying it. Also, I am learning to chill out a bit– and figuring out that hurrying is really overrated.

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for me in 2012. It’s been a big year so far and I am excited for all that He will continue to do with myself, our family and this remarkable ministry. I would love to hear how 2012 is shaping up for you (Scale of 1-10)… leave a comment below!

Running to the Finish Line,
SGK

“So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us.” ~Philippians 3:15 (MSG)

Categories: fitness, God | Tags: , , , , | 13 Comments

Unblock Your Heart

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Sharita

I will never forget that phone call. It was March, my senior year of high school. I was “supposed” to be in English class, but of course was spending my time ever-so-wisely in the library. The secretary tracked down my location and transferred the call to the library. It was announced: “Sharita… You have a phone call.”

The chorus of “Oooooooo, I wonder if she’s in trouble?” echoed in the room from my schoolmates as I rolled my eyes and made my way over to the phone.

“Hello?”

“Sharita.” My mom’s voice sounded… weird. “Um, your Daddy is sick.”

“What kind of sick?” I wondered why Dad having a stomach ache would warrant a phone called to school.

“I think he’s having a heart attack.”

BOOM. There it was. He was 45 years old. I was a senior. My sister a junior. And little brother just started kindergarten that year. How could my Dad be having a heart attack? Just 45 days before, he had been to the cardiologist for insurance check-up stuff… and they gave him a clean bill of health.

 I didn’t really understand the severity of his heart attack until they decided to LifeFlight him to the Kansas Heart Hospital in Wichita. The events over the next several hours could easily fill up a week’s worth of blog posts. I will never forget the details.

Turns out, an artery in his heart was 98% blocked. By the time Mom, my two siblings and I got rounded up and arrived in Wichita, he was already out of surgery from receiving a stint and resting in the ICU.

Scariest few hours of our lives. All I could think about was the fact that we might lose him that day. Not fair. Where did that blockage come from? They said he was HEALTHY less than two months ago.  He was supposed to see me graduate high school and college, walk me down the aisle at my wedding and give me away, hold his grandbaby in his arms.

All of that was threatened to be taken from us from a tiny blockage in his heart.

When was the last time you had a heart check-up from God?

I am happy to report that over 8 years have passed and Dad is still kicking. (Thank you, Jesus!) As I reflected on this event, I couldn’t help but think how our OWN heart blockages can threaten to take our lives…

I am not talking about the heart blockages from plaque and build up. I am talking about the “heart junk” that keeps us from being in an intimate relationship with Christ. If our heart is blocked, it becomes hard… we start to die from the inside out. We grow farther and farther from Christ.

All the while, we could convince ourselves that we have a “clean bill of health” from the outside. We are “doing” all the right things– going to church, half-heartedly praying, giving to the poor– but inside, we are slowly dying. Our heart for Christ is blocked. Clogged. Slowing down. Ceasing to beat.

Our blockages can come in many forms. Unconfessed sin. Unforgiveness. Desire to control our lives. Inability to trust God. Worry. Anxiety. Depression. Unhealed hurt from others.

Fortunately for us, God is the most talented cardiologist that ever existed. He doesn’t require medication, LifeFlight helicopters, or surgery. We must simply RECEIVE His grace and mercy into our hearts. If we share with Him openly our hurts, sins and grudges, He is the one who can heal them. Clean them out. Immediately.

Ask God if you are living your “clean bill of health” from the inside out or if you have some blocked areas of your heart. Ask Him to reveal any “blocked areas” to you and then help you to clean them out… He is The One who can make your heart beat, healthily, wildly and passionately. For Him.

Today, let’s allow Jesus to unblock our hearts so we can Live for Him.

Lovin’ His Lub-Dubbing,
SGK

“…Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having ourhearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” –Hebrews 10:22

How is your heart beating today? Is it healthy? Has God helped to unblock your heart? In what ways? I would love to hear about it. Comment here.

Categories: blessing, Christ, faith, Family, fear, God, healing, health, hope, Love | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Operation Fortitude Fitness (Month #4)

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Sharita

Is it just me, or does it seem a little bit crazy that 2012 is already 1/3 of the way completed?!? Apparently time not only flies when you are having fun, but also when you run a personal ministry. (Fortunately, for me, those two are one and the same for me… most days :-)

April was legit. 7 Days Time Ministry continues to reach new levels (insert happy dance here!) and I feel like I’m kinda sorta getting back on track for my Getting Smart with 2012 goals. (Click here to read the full story from January.)

As promised, I will now update you on my personal progress for my 2012 goals… I know this might not be the most entertaining post on the planet, but let me tell you what, folks– if you want a great way to stay accountable, blog your journey and stick with it. There have been SEVERAL days over the last couple of months that I didn’t want to follow through on ANY of these goals. However, because YOU (yes, you!) are my accountability partner, I have pressed forward.

So without further ado… I give you… (hey that rhymed!) my April results for Operation Fortitude Fitness. (AMERICA!)

SMART Change #1: Operation Fort-itude Fitness.  In short, my goal for 2012 is to log 98 miles per month via biking, swimming, running, elliptical etc to “travel” from Fort Benning, Georgia to Fort Riley, Kansas. Also, in order to stay on track with my strength training, I need to do 2,500 various reps per month. As of last update, I had logged 423 miles Jan-March and “arrived” in Turrell, Arkansas.

RESULT: GOAL MET…  Again and FINALLY! The month of March and first three weeks or so of April I was really struggling. I mean, I was doing stuff, but without much enthusiasm. Or sweat. But praise 9 pound 3 ounce Baby Jesus, my exercise mojo appeared to be on its way back in at the latter part of last week. YES! On Friday of last week, I tied my personal best for distance traveled, logging 14 total miles. (8.3 on foot, 5.7 on the bike.)  I guess my body has finally recovered (ish) from the physical stress of our miscarriage. Yesterday, I started (and dominated!) my new re-training plan to run a 5K. I signed up for one in Americus, GA on June 23. My goal: Get my time under 30 minutes. I know I have a long way to go (my best “race” time so far is 36:30) but this will only be my 3rd 5K. Pray for me :-)

So, back to my “original” goals. I was able to log 2,975 reps in April! (Goal met!) I also logged 128 miles this month (551 total for 2012) and have “arrived” in Thayer, Missouri! YES! “Feels” great to be back in the Midwest. (I know. I am a nerd.)

Crossing the Missouri border! YES!

SMART Change #2: Spend at least one hour per day in the Lord’s presence by using my new Jesus Calling Devotional and studying the accompanying Scripture. I will also continue to keep a prayer request list in a notebook and/or iPad.

RESULT: GOAL MET (ok, kind of modified.) Here’s the thing, peeps. The first two months of this goal were INCREDIBLE. March was kind meh. Then April continued to get “routine” instead of relationship-seeking. When God called me away on my sabbatical, He spoke volumes to me. Turns out I was becoming legalistic in this goal. Instead of seeking to spend quality time with Him, my tick-tock hour was a “to do list” thing for me. So, I am still DEFINITELY doing quiet time every day and praying from my iPad prayer list app. However, I don’t look at the clock anymore. I make sure I am not rushing through it, but I am letting GOD decide how much time He wants me to chill with Him. Most days, it is still around 45 minutes to an hour, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. The time I spend with Him each day is once again back to the quality of Jan/Feb, not the legalistic “check it off the list so I can move on” mode of March.

SMART Change #3: Complete my 1000 Gift List (inspired by Ann Voskamp’s book) by the end of 2012.

RESULT: ON GOING  This month, I am at #839… an increase of  155 gifts from last month! (And a majority of those have come in the last 10 days.) God is awesome and I am well on track to reaching 1000. (But I doubt I stop there– this LIST is a gift in itself!)

SMART Change #4:   Memorize a book of the Bible, starting with 1 John.

RESULT: ON GOING I’m feeling pretty legit about this one for the month of April. I have stumbled my way to 1 John 4… It’s far from perfect and it isn’t completely ingrained in my brain, but I think by October, this will be doable in a “I-don’t-have-to-peek-at-what-comes-next” kind of way. YAY!

SMART Change #5: Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry and submit to God DAILY in all areas of my life.

RESULT: ON GOING Did you read my sabbatical post? Yeah. Making HUGE strides on this one by letting HIM do the hard work and me simply be the hands and feet. My soul is recharged and I am loving it!

Moral of the month: Allow yourself some flexibility. Sometimes (ok, almost always) God is going to have some hidden lessons along the way, especially when it comes to your own personal goals and plans. Make sure you aren’t blazing through life so fast that you miss those lessons! What God taught you so far in 2012? Have you achieved any of your goals? How have you witnessed God moving in 2012 for you?  I would love your input. Leave a comment here.

Thanks for coming along… You all are AWESOME lifetrippin-cheerleading buddies!

One step at a time,
SGK

“I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.” –Philippians 3:13-14 (MSG) 

Categories: 2012, accomplishment, America, Ann Voskamp, challenge, fitness, healing, living | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

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