Your spine is out of place

Im not a builder but I understand the importance of a correctly built foundation. Scratch that...I understand the importance of a correctly built foundation for the goals your house/building needs to meet.
If you want a half story, broken down, walls crumbling house, any foundation will do. If you want  a skyscraper, a deep solid, well designed structure is a must. its funny though, the most important part of the building is not seen, just as the most important part of out bodies (The spine or backbone) is not seen, just as the most important part of our spiritual life is also not seen.

I like to consider myself a healthy guy not because of the way I look or appear today but rather because of the years and months of hard work I have put in. I read a quote one day that said "the amount of time it takes you to get out of shape, is the amount of time it will take you to get into shape." It was the most heart wrenching quote to a young athlete who had lost 20 kilograms in two month but had layers and layers of skin covering my belly. I just couldn't get rid of it! The truth was that there was no shortcuts. For years and years I had conditioned my body to eat what it liked and be generally unhealthy. I now needed years to fix that period. Its safe to say, I have put in many many years. Years that people will never ever see.

Now the fruits of the labour, thats different. That can be seen. A great pair of legs and arms and strong core, these can all be seen and the world has found a way to package and market this look to make it look easy in a sense. Hard work has been made to look bad, its the enemy, path of least resistance, make a quick buck, get a 6 pack in a week or two, thats the goal. But what if this is the path to a deep feeling of unfulfillment. The definition of unfulfillment goes a little something like this: lack of execution.

Our faith has been packaged in the same way. A quick fix, a quick read a quick verse...life solved, life healed. I believe that there is nothing we can do to fall in and out of grace, nothing separates us from that Love God shows us. Jesus did the work, there was nothing quick and easy about his life. It was 30 years of a foundation based in God, and based in himself. Only after 30 intentional years was he ready for the world to see the fruits. We need to change our minds regarding everything.

One quick last story, and my main story I would say. My friends and gym partners always speak about this craze of going to a chiropractor. To be dead honest I had no interest at all. As I say, I have put in the years of hard work and feel I am the most flexible I have ever been, the strongest and the healthiest. There was nothing wrong with me...except one thing. I have a niggle in my left glute/buttocks after a heavy squat set, snatch set or clean and jerk. The next day it is really tight and I could never figure it out. But I have "learnt to live with the pain"

lets remember this "learn to live with the pain" keep this in mind as we press on. I have suppressed it, learnt to live with that discomfort and written it off as a norm in my health and fitness walk. Yesterday I decided I would visit this mysterious Chiropractor, for reasons I have no idea, i just felt I needed to go. So off I went not knowing if this was the guy you used cups to suck on your muscles, a person who stabbed needles in to you or a person who walked up and down your spine while burning incense. Thankfully it was non of these.

I explained my niggle to the doctor and told him why I was there and told him that I thought I didn't really need to be there but just wanted to try it our for my members at the CrossFit so I could advise if they ever needed to go see him.
"Ok Keegan, lets do a little check...."
He twisted me into some stretches and I felt my glute really being tested in certain positions and then he straightened my legs after the routine and to my horror said...
"So your left leg is about 2cm shorter than your right leg because of an irregular hip rotation. Your hips are out of alignment with your spine and its causing a problem in your mobility in your hips..."

Slowly it started to dawn on me all the exercises I was struggling with but was putting through regardless of the pain. Then we got into the business side of things. He pulled and pushed at me till every bone in my spine and his were manipulated back into alignment! I walked out of there feeling taller, no jokes. I felt weird man, super weird! But I felt good!

Later that day I did a maximum 1 rep max squat at 170kg...easily, got the video to prove it on my instagram! As I lay in bed last night, Jesus whispered into my heart.

"People have learnt to live with a pain they don't need. They are living around something, ignoring the pain and not functioning at their best, not living the abundant life. Their spirits are not in alignment with mine, their hearts are not in alignment with mine, their minds are not in alignment with mine."

I got goosebumps. I lay their, looking at my ceiling and just cried out to God and realized the following and I believe the message and principle has the power to change your life forever, if you let it!

If the fruit of your life is undesirable to you, even despised by you. Perhaps there is a niggle in your life that you need to get in alignment with Jesus. Jesus can show you what that is, he can pull and push you and gently get you back into place! If we can't love people, perhaps its because we can't love ourselves. If we can't forgive, perhaps its because we can't forgive ourselves. If we can't get over our pasts, perhaps its because we don't fully grasp the wonderful work, the full work, the completed work of Jesus on that cross.

We are a completed work! You cannot be more or less complete. The three things we can learn to live by that can transform our lives are simple:
- Intentional living (why do you respond like that? why do you react like that? why do you always do the things you don't want to do...ask God to reveal the "niggle" in your life, its usually as simple as a painful memory.)
- Stop living around your niggle- Face it head on and ask God to put you back in alignment to see his thoughts and his will for you and your life. Often when we see through our minds, pride can cloud and push Jesus out of the picture. Let him back in, practice stopping in a moment, recapping and skiing God what he sees.
- Patience -  Stop crucifying yourself! Jesus has completed that work. Be kind and gentle to yourself, show yourself the same love Jesus shows you daily. You are forgiven, by his works you are free from every chain. Start believing that. Be patient with yourself...commit to learn, this is long term, not a quick fix.

Can you commit to building that foundation in Christ, regardless of your past (that is wiped clean by the way) to commit to being the person your soul truly desires you to be. It will take some lying on Jesus's Chiropractor bed, it will take some awkward moments and movements and it will for sure involve some pain, but the long term effects will change your life forever!

"When your endurance is fully developed you will be strong in character and ready for anything." James 1:4

God the restorer

I took over a business that had seen its shares of ups and down over the past year. Stepping into the unknown. Myself and the other director received a word from God: "I will raise you up, I will deliver this into your hands, there will be challenges and I will fight for you, I will restore everything taken from you, and more."

Looking back on that promise this month has been quite difficult. But in the end, I have been brought to my knees again.

Many of you know I have become part owner and Director at CrossFit Mammoth , it has been a roller coaster ride in which God has taken the business to new levels. Both in a business sense and in terms of members results, God has blessed us immensely.

"Please note that there are two urgent payments to be made for the year 2015 and 2016..." the amounts totaled in the thousands of rands. A bit of "entitlement" welled up inside of me, as I brought the issue before God. "Lord this is not my responsibility, I didn't mess this up..."
The previous management had missed two important payments that could lead to a couple of legal issues for whichever reasons. Then another email "I have sent a mail canceling my membership 3 months ago, we would like the money back,"
Again this sense of anger, adopting issues I hadn't been aware of. Again this payment led into the thousands.

With two big payments due I realized that sometimes in life, we need to take ownership. Own the dream, own every part of it, even the bad...and if you don't, you will never own the blessing. In Faith I made the two payments and remembered the promise..."I will restore."

Its funny when we let go, and peacefully walk faithfully, you move out of Gods way to work.

Last night a member I haven't seen in months came into the box. I was so excited to see him and to have him back training and after the session we got speaking.
"Who runs the invoices...." He Asked, I cringed because this is something I had taken over as well, with all its many months of "mess" it had run into. Solving the accounts was near impossible and tens of thousands of rands needed to be written off. Own it all....I thought in my mind. I smiled.
"Thats me," I said
"I got an invoice saying I am behind three months, I think its wrong because I paid ahead 6 months, thats ended and now I have paid another 6 months."
It was true, the account was reflecting his payment. I sorted the issue with him without him knowing how much that 6 month in advance payment had assisted us in the month. Then another 3 new members joined and paid there fees to recover the exact amount we had lost in the month. and then...Another new member joined and paid and Gods promise over us was fulfilled..."I will restore everything taken from you and more..."

I got home last night emotional realizing the blessing and promise.

I want to encourage you today. God is so faithful to his word, if you will trust him in faith and not try figure everything out, he will fight for you while you sleep. He is opening doors you couldn't even imagine. Try trusting him today with the promise you have received. Take heart in the small victories and give him the glory for your success.

We are only stewards with entrusted Kingdoms on this earth, always remember that, he owns it all.