Fist Pump Friday with Mendy Shriver

Are you making body ideals your idol? Listen in to my interview with Heather Creekmore, author of “Compared to Who” for a powerful conversation about body image. You'll learn why the messages the church has given us fall flat, and the real answer we can find from the Bible. You can find Heather at: https://comparedtowho.me/

Every one of us will have moments where we struggle with body shame, and we each have a choice if we will believe the shame or choose freedom. Listen in to my interview with Counselor Racheal Gilbert, Author of Image Restored as she walks us through the process of restoring our image and choosing the freedom God offers. You can find Rachael at https://rachaelgilbert.com/ Connect with her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachaeljgilbert/

You will love this sweet and sincere conversation with Grace McCready, author of Real Recovery: What Eating Disorder Recovery Actually Looks Like.  You can find Grace on her website at https://tizziestidbitsoftruth.com/  

Ruth is a 5 time Author and diet-free Christ-centered weight loss coach. She has an infectious joy and you will love this episode gleaning from her wisdom. You can find Ruth at: www.weighdownlifestyle.com

Are you tired of losing weight only to regain it back? Do you know that you have deeper heart problems that have led you to this place that you need to address with the Lord? If these are true for you, today's episode will be super encouraging.  I speak with Charlene Dash, a nutrition coach, who learned how to overcome these obstacles little by little in her own journey to a healthy lifestyle. You can find Charlene's website here: https://procoach.app/livewholehearted And to really dive into healthy habits for lasting change, check out our Healthy Habits Bible Study and 90-Day Journal. 

Mendy defines healthy boundaries and encourages you to ask three important questions about boundaries. She shares personal examples and gives a great description of how you can learn to practive healthy boundaries in your relationships. This is the first of a 3 part series Mendy teach on boundaries.

Join Mendy as she interviews wellness expert Victoria P. Davis about her book, Addicted to Health. Victoria shares her personal journey through health addiction. Victoria found healing from anxiety, depression, and and her "crazy" fitness obsession. Now, Victoria helps Christian fitness business owners cast vision, develop soul giving content, and create lasting transformation for their clients. 

Join Mendy as she interviews Cynthia Damaskos. She is a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach specializing in Funtional Lifestyle Management. She helps individuals reach their healthy lifestyle goals in a Christ-centered way. Cynthia warns against how the world approaches healthy living by seperating bodies, minds, and souls in to differetn parts. She shares her tops 3 tips on how to fully integrate so you can achieve your goals. 

Mendy shares her personal story about how she discovered the roots of the enneagram whole researching the alarming influence and popularity psychedelics has on the youth and young adults of today. 

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is a Board-Certified internal medicine physician, speaker, and award-winning author. She is an international well-being thought-leader featured in numerous media outlets including Prevention, MSNBC, Women's Day, FOX, Fast Company, Psychology Today, INC, CNN Health, and TED.com. She is the author of numerous books including her bestseller Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, including insight on the seven types of rest needed to optimize your productivity, increase your overall happiness, overcome burnout, and live your best life.

Mendy dives deep into scripture searching for examples of imperfect humans who had symptoms of sadness and depression. From King David to Paul, there are many examples of depression and sorrow in the Bible. There is hope for you. Jesus took your pain and suffering to the cross so you don't have to feel the torture. 

Mendy offers practical and economical tips on how to set up and essemble your personal home gym. It's 2022 so there no need to feel like the only solution to getting your workout done is by hitting the gym. Even if you do have gym membership, a home workout space is critical for those times you accindently sleep in and miss your favorite fitness class. Maybe you've got Covid and you're qaurentining with your family - which unfortunately seems to be a new normal these days. Having a place for  a quick workout is critical to your daily consistency. Mendy will explain how to create it in this episode. 

It's never too late to dream big and plan accordingly. Mendy gives practical tips and personal examples for marriage, fitness, and emotional success.

Mendy talks with Ashley Christian, the author of several Christian emotional wellness resources for mom and their children. Ashley is the founder and creator of Margins For Moms, a website for adoptive moms and parents who are feeling overwhelmed and fatigued. Ashley is the mother to 5 children, 2 adopted daughters and 3 biological boys. Ashley shares tips on how to continue growing through the many seasons of parenting. She offers grace and support to adoptive families on a daily basis and values emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness along the journey. 

Teresa Shields Parks gained and lost 100 lbs. 5 separate times through her life. She shares the story of conquering emotional eating, sugar addiction, and doing it God's way, to eventually losing, and keeping off, 250 pounds! Teresa says: "I was a really really good dieter, I could stay on a plan and loose weight, but I could never keep it off. Because I had this mindset that once I got the weight off, then I could go back to the way I used to eat. Diets don’t change habits, diets are a short term fix for a long term problem. Habits are what create long term change."

I know that my strength, my worth, my everything, comes from my confidence in Christ. Webster’s definition of confidence says it arises from circumstances. When I think of the most confident times in my life, they were based on circumstance. My husband and I used to race all the time and were in really good shape. There’s sort of an exhilarating experience that happens when you cross the finish line, and I never want to deny that. Race’s are super fun. But we found ourselves, when our marriage was struggling, putting a lot of confidence in being endurance runners and athletes. When I think about confidence in Christ, it’s not based on circumstance. When I think on love, love is not based on circumstances. If I relied on my circumstances to have confidence, I would never have confidence.

You are more than happy or sad, you are more than the life of the party or the party pooper, you are more than a democrat or republican, you are more than just a mother or a father, you are more than all of those things. We are beautiful and messy all at the same time, because that is the creativity of our God. He is not a two party system or a two emotion God, he gave us a lot more to work with. Allow yourself to not be boxed in and live in an either or mentality.

Mendy Shriver shares her three most effective tips that can help you stop emotionally eating today! 

I had a no excuses mentality and I did well. There was never any room for, I feel like crap and I need to sleep for two days and recover and watch Netflix. That is the American mentality, and it became my mentality, and I’m wondering if it’s snuck in and become your mentality too, and ruined you? It’s kind of ruined me. Jesus got in a boat, he went across the lake, he knew he needed to rest, he went and chilled out. Why aren’t we paying more attention to our bodies?

When you’re extremely stressed and your body is sensing a threat, you begin to produce excessive cortisol and your body gives you these signs. Extreme fatigue, daily prolonged headaches, heart palpitations, stomach aches and diarrhea, new food sensitivities, joint aches, waking up several times a night or trouble going to sleep, dizzy spells, hair loss, mind racing, weight gain, or extreme weight loss, and any combination of these. I encourage you instead, to feel your feelings, pay attention to your signs and symptoms and move through them. You are not going there sister. You can do this. We can do this together. Listen for 2 practical tips you can do today to pay attention to the body God gave you.  

With all the craziness in our world, sometimes you just have to laugh! In this episode Mendy breaks down all the silly and hilarious things we have Corona to thank for. From Tiger King, zooming with lipstick on top and pj on bottom, apocalyptic toilet paper and mask hoarding, to throwing burritos at her family and all the "Karens", all you can do is laugh. You will love this lighthearted reminder to laugh at the things we cannot control, and cling to the few things we can: Jesus, our family today, and hope that we're going to be okay. 

Listen in on a powerful journey of anorexia and the fight for inner beauty with my courageous friend Carly Smith. At 17 years old, Carly has more hard won, Christ centered wisdom, than most. Following a collapse on the track field and months of unsuccessful counseling, she entered an out of state treatment program without access to social media. In those screen free months she clung to God and began a life long journey of knowing her triggers, knowing her worth in Christ, and healing.   

Mendy invites her husband, Dennis, to talk authentically about his one year journey going from a firm "no" to eventually leading the way for adopting two children. From their home office, on a snow day, they sit and recall the journey that led them to adopt from Sierra Leone, West Africa. 

Join Mendy as she interviews Andy Forbeck, a counseling graduate student and mens's ministry leader. Andy shares the definition of self-care. He profoundly explains the difference between relief and restoration. He urges Christians to allow their self-care to bring them closer to Jesus instead of themselves and the world around them. 

Mendy defines self-compassion. What is it. What is it not? Then she takes a deep dive into how Christians should be practicing self-compassion in a Christ-centered way. We should be leading the charge on self compassion because Jesus is the creator of compassion and love. Just like He gives us forgiveness, grace, and love, we can also allow for compassion to settle in while we worship at His feet. 

Shellie Tomlinson, the author of several Christian books, shares how she strives to practice good portion control with her favorite southern cuisine. She is a radio host, is a grandmother, and regularly speaks at women's retreat and Christian conventions. Her joyful attitude about living a healthy life for Jesus is contagious. Grab these portion control tips and use them for you own life. 

Mendy interviews Lana Stenner, the author of a 60-second devotional for parents and teens to do together before school starts. Lana shares how to create a shield around your home that creates a sacred and safe place for your teenagers to engage in short meaningful conversations. Lana also tells you how teens actually do want to engage in hard topics, hear God's scripture spoken over them, and get a gentle hug each morning before heading out to the war zone known as high school. 

Ashley Christian, an adoption advocate who intentionally eats to regulate her emotions and hormones, shares her favorite tips for success. She even shares her favorite healthy pizza recipe. Hear her story and be inspired to take flour, sugar, and alcohol from your diet. You'll also be motivated to try Kombucha. Ashley is relatable and sincere. Her real life journey will help you feel understood and normal. 

Mendy shares why yoga is not congruent with the teachings found in God's word about meditation. She also points out how deeply rooted yoga is in the the Hindu religion and culture. Then, she shares her own journey practicing yoga but eventually feeling a strong conviction to stop. 

Join Mendy as she shares why the rename, rebrand, and new direction for the podcast. Then listen as she explains and defines what is it like to live a Gospel Centered Healthy Lifestyle. Lastly, grab some awesome practical tips on how to implement a Gospel Centered Healthy in your daily walk with God. 

Join Mendy as she shares vulnerable details about her childhood. She'll encourage you to peel back the layers of your life and deal with your own childhood trauma so you can be the best version of the hands and feet of Jesus. God has a purpose for you. He wants you to move through the pain and live that purpose!

Robyn shares her compelling journey of going on a medical mission trip to Ghana. Shortly after, Robyn felt the call to open a school near Lake Volta, one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the world. It is a major hub for child trafficking. The school, Prosperity Academy, exists to provide hope, education, and the gospel to families and children in the area. Listen and feel inspired to do that big thing God has been calling you to do!

Ashley Christian, the owner of Grace and Treads, tells her compelling story of loss, heart break, exhaustion and debt while also sharing the hardest parts about adopting 2 twin girls through foster care. Ashley is passionate about helping other families who are going through adoption to feel loved and "normal." Through hardships and triumphs she gives only God the glory, and seeks to build His Kingdom rather than her own. 

Mendy interviews Chrystan Ferrell about her upcoming collaborative book titled, Sister Walk In Truth. She shares the hard parts about writing in the midst of life's ups and downs while navigating her marriage, motherhood, a ministry, and a job. Chrystan also shares her passion for speaking God's Biblical truths in the midst of a current climate of Christian pop culture. 

Mendy shares how the "I am worthy" messages of the world are a bit misleading to the Christian women who is ready to do the big things God has been asking her to do. Listen and hear the redeeming truth of God's word. Listen and get ready to do the hard things God is asking of you. 

Mendy interviews Jennifer Allwood, a Christian leader in women's business and social media marketing, about saying "YES" to God's call to do those big scary things that God calls us too. Jennifer shares her passion for adoption, her love for Jesus, and a few hard lessons along the way. She drops a lot of encouragement and wisdom in this podcast, offers a free download to the audience, and invites them to her latest adventure- a Christian Women's Conference called "Equipped." After listening, you'll want to jump off your seat and get busy dong all the those things God's been pressing into you heart. 

Mendy shares her thoughts on how God is the best planner that ever lived. She invites you into intentionally planning your 2019 with prayer and considering God's plan for your life. Then she recommends 5 best practices for annual planning and invites you to her free planning downloadable and online event for Dec. 30th 2018. 

Join Mendy as she interviews Melissa Crossland with The Farmhouse Native about her teenage pregnancy, trauma, and childhood abuse. Melissa shares how  God's endless love helped her overcome a life doomed to insecurity and feelings of worthlessness. 

Candace shares the gripping story of what was happening in her real life as she taught new Bible Study, "Out of the Chaos." 

Mendy share her first hand experience in adopting older children into your family. She wants youth understand the hardships that you might face as well as the beauty that lies within the redemption of Jesus' love. 

Mendy shares the inspiring story of how she decided to be bold and shift her career at 43. She decided to go back to school and finally get that masters degree she wanted from 25 years ago. She reminds you that you are worth it and that God's plan A is usually your plan B, but He's fun like. Mendy reminds you to savor the lessons along the journey.

Tina is an expert in Orphan Care development models. She has tried them all. Join Mendy as she shares Tina's 15 year journey of discovering what's truly the best way to educate and empower orphaned and vulnerable children all over the world. You will come away with your own awe-ha moments. 

In this episode Carrie Robaina shares her struggles of learning to live boldly for Christ. She tells about how she got into street evangelism and why it changed her relationship with God and others. She gives tips on how you can also practice lifestyle evangelism.

Bree, a successful Shelter Insurance Agent, shares how her life course changed in one year when her father needed a liver transplant. She gives her biggest tips on dealing with stress, loss, hardship, and pain. As a mom and business owner, she shares how to cope with being the bread winner of her home while still mothering 4 small children.