DeAnna Smothers, co-founder of Yahweh Yoga

Hello Friends –

As promised I am writing to share what I learned from my Lenten Vows, which were basically to give up something I love that I know probably isn’t the best for me, and to start something new that I would love that I know will be very good for me. 

While I was not perfect, I have to say God has blessed my truly genuine efforts. As I challenged myself to accent the positive and eliminate the negative--things just started coming together.

The result has been that I am enjoying my life and all the people in it more and more. I am inspired by them, and I love them on a deeper level. My work to help develop Intimacy with God through the practice of yoga-–it is thrilling to my soul. I have never felt or looked healthier.

 Lessons learned during Lent:

• I wanted to do something to honor our Father, Son, Holy Spirit for our salvation. I wanted to grow in intimacy with God… mission accomplished.
  

• With God’s help I wanted to tweak some things in my life that I knew were not serving me and add some things that would serve me better… I made some great health changes, which have and continue to improve my strength and energy levels. I had to go to God for his help with conviction and purpose in attaining these things, so I spent more intimate time with God and that’s always full of delight and meaning.
  

• I learned how to eat for performance and create more muscle (making a new DVD soon) Yesterday I was at LifeTime fitness, and I asked one of the personal trainers if he assisted women like myself in their seventies, and he said, “There aren’t any other women like you in their seventies at this facility.” That made me feel good on a lot of levels, but mainly that I’m absolutely shining for God to the best of my ability. (Here's a link to a blog post that has been motivational to me, exercising in my seventies.)
  

• To top things off… in that very facility I was walking out to my car, and a 5-year old pushing his sibling in a stroller came running behind me only to knock me into the air to land right on the marble tile. It was an exceptionally hard fall. I was flat on my back in complete shock for a few minutes wondering if anything had broken. No, nothing… just a couple of very deep bruises. I went to the doctor, and in his genius he gave me short-period, high dose of steroids, and it brought the entire body inflammation down very quickly. I mention this because it totally worked: I really wasn’t that sore even though I could have been out of commission for a few weeks or in the hospital. Instead I am going to class tonight and preparing for our next group coming to teacher training on Friday--preparing them to go teach within their communities to shine light for God. I know God spared me and healed me like He always does. I love God!

Thank you for allowing me to share this blog with you.

The moral of the story is that when we know we’re not supposed to do something, we should stop, and when we know we are supposed to do something, we should do it.

Easy, no... Possible? Yes.

If Lent was not exactly all you expected this time--every day is new.

Where can you find grace in this day?

Love to you all –

DeAnna