The Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise …

By Wendie Pett –

I like to think the above saying is a Southern thing (aka “thang”), having spent most of my life in the South. I’d heard it often – from relatives, my parents, in passing at the supermarket, even on the radio. Quite the common expression down there, but here in Minnesota, which is where I hang my hat now, I find myself wondering what that expression actually meant – and whether or not its implication rings true.

Turns out, the expression has at its root something akin to “This venture will be successful so long as we have a little luck and no major difficulties.”

Now that I’m a mother, fitness expert, speaker, and author, I find I need a little more help these days than merely hoping to be on the right path and that major flooding won’t occur. I need truth – solid Truth – and a roadmap to help me navigate. In a word, I need God.

That’s where my “Prayer Chair” comes in. At the start of each day, I snuggle in with Bible, devotional, puppy Kodie, and a growing list of prayer requests – for me and for others. Listening to the Lord, then, I’m immersed in verses that provide hope and encouragement. Even Scripture that offers correction pulls me toward new heights. It’s there that I learn how to discipline my son and to work as one seeking God’s plan.

My mind and heart having been groomed for the day, I set out to do what I believe God’s directed me to do:  help others – mind, body and spirit. Having survived a devastating snowmobile accident more than a decade ago, I learned to apply specific exercises and skills that helped my body heal naturally. My mission is to help others understand and care for their bodies as God intended. As temples of the Holy Spirit, after all, we rely on healthy bodies in order to live lives of purpose.

God does want the best for us, and that does not include haphazardly pouring money into health clubs or diet fads. None was around in Jesus’ time, and none was needed. Exercising often, eating wisely, and getting enough rest were all they needed.

Today, you can start becoming the best “you” you can be. Using nothing more than your body as your gym, a simple stop at a red light, for instance, is the perfect place to fine-tune arm and back muscles by practicing my Visibly Fit™ exercises. Become healthier, more energetic, and wonderfully fit as you learn to purposely utilize body movements even as you go about your daily chores. In focusing on fine-tuning muscles, the payoffs prove their worth, and metabolism rates remain high, burning even more calories as a result.

It takes more than an old-time favorite adage to make things happen. It takes wisdom, knowledge and determination. The most useful, healthiest people are those who utilize their complete self for God’s intended purposes.

Here’s to hoping your “creek” helps you rise to heights you’d once only imagined.

WENDIE PETT is a nationally renowned fitness expert and coach, mother, speaker, author and creator of the Visibly Fit™ exercise program. Wendie’s Visibly Fit™ instructional DVDs teach wellness maximization through the balance of mind, body, and spirit while using one’s body as a gym (and saving hundreds in membership fees). To learn more, visit www.wendiepett.com and www.visiblyfitin84dayst.com.