The county fair is one of those cyclical events we attend every year, arriving like clockwork just as summer winds down and the kids head back to school. As a mom of six, I can testify that going to the fair is expensive—and I usually feel drained by the time I walk out the gate. Every year, we walk the same paths, pass the same vendors, ride the same rides, and eye the same hyper-palatable foods that somehow seem to exist only at the fair.

To be honest, the fair is not my favorite place. I’d much rather be walking through a forest preserve, relaxing at home, or—dare I say it—even sitting in the dentist’s chair.

But every year, we go.

As I thought about my own journey toward losing weight and becoming healthier, I realized there are some striking similarities between my relationship with the fair and my relationship with food and weight loss. There are familiar paths I keep walking, temptations I know are coming, choices I’ve made before, and rides I’ve gotten on that I probably should have walked right past.

Over the next few months, I plan to explore this extended analogy of the fair alongside my own journey toward health within this blog. Topics will include stewardship. getting unstuck, nutrition, movement, the impact of stress on the body and how emotions/stress influence our choices, body image, food preparation and the practicalities of fitting health into a full life, mindset shifts, and many other topics.

My hope is that, as I share what I’m learning, someone else on a similar path might recognize a little of their own story in mine. In addition to the blog, I’m offering a group coaching opportunity (see link below) for those who want to explore this concept a little deeper within community.

Coaching Services

For years, I’ve felt like I’ve bought a ticket to the fair only to leave disappointed. Each new weight-loss plan felt like another ticket purchased with the hope that this time would be different. And when it wasn’t, the disappointment grew. Eventually, I started avoiding things I knew were good for me because this was the area of my life where I felt like such a failure.

I know now that, for many years, unhelpful scripts were running through my head. Those scripts shaped the way I navigated the “weight-loss fair,” and the ways I responded to my body and food ended up damaging me physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

But over the last few years, God has been healing so many things within me through Revelation Wellness, a faith-based ministry that trains the body, mind, and spirit. Now I believe it’s time to approach weight loss from a whole new perspective—one that honors God and helps me find the middle ground between obsessing and neglecting.

Stewardship.

That’s where I start.

God made me, and He made my body good. He has entrusted this body to me, and He wants me to care for it so I can live out the purposes He has for me.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies”.

I want to feel good. I don’t want disease to steal from me. I want to enjoy each day. I want to grow in character and become the kind of person who lives with intention and attention.

I don’t want to spend the rest of my life obsessing over my body.

But I don’t want to neglect it, either.

I want to learn what it looks like to care for the body God has given me—not because I hate it, but because I value it. Not because I am ashamed of it, but because I am grateful for it. Not because I need to earn worth, acceptance, or love, but because I already have those things in Christ.

Maybe this journey is about learning to take one step at a time, walking alongside the Holy Spirit and listening for His still, small voice in a world that can feel so noisy, with so many bright lights, distractions, and voices competing for my attention.

So, I welcome you to come along on this journey with me. I’m finally ready to fully align my actions with my beliefs. I promise to share from the perspective of someone who does not have it all figured out yet. I won’t pretend to be perfect. I’ll share what I’m learning and, hopefully, challenge you to look at this topic from a different perspective.

They say that “failure is data.” If that’s true, I’ve accumulated a lot of data over the years. And this time, I’m intentionally going to use what I’ve learned so that my experience will be different.

As I navigate the fair again, I want to pay attention to the paths I’m walking, the choices I’m making, the rides I’m getting on, and the things that could distract me along the way.

I want to walk through the fair differently this time.

What about you?

What “fair” have you found yourself returning to again and again? Maybe it’s the area of weight loss, or maybe it’s something entirely different. What patterns keep repeating? What have you learned from the paths you’ve walked before?

Maybe, together, we can begin to see our past experiences not as proof that we can’t change, but as data that can help us walk a different path this time.

Next Steps: Practical Application

SPIRITUAL

Let’s spend some time thinking about stewardship in light of 1 Corinthians 6:19–20. Meditate on this Scripture and journal about what it means that your body belongs to God and that you were bought with a price.

Ask the Holy Spirit to meet you in this space and gently reveal any ways you may not be honoring God with your body. Invite Him to show you what it looks like to care for your body as an act of worship, gratitude, and stewardship.

EMOTIONAL

I’ve shared some of the ways my mind and heart have been sidetracked by my tendency to obsess over and neglect my body. For me, discouragement, disappointment, and feeling like a failure have been some of the primary emotions connected to my weight-loss journey.

What emotions rise to the surface when you think about your own journey of caring for your body?

MENTAL

We tend to take all our “data” from past failures and use it to tell ourselves why this experience will be just like all the rest. But what if we flipped that on its head? What if, instead of viewing our past failures as proof that we can’t change, we saw them as valuable information that can help us approach things differently?

What “data” have you gathered from your past failures?

What have you learned about yourself, your patterns, your triggers, or what does and doesn’t work for you?

How can you use that “data” to approach your health differently this time?

PHYSICAL

Ask God to reveal one thing you could do to become a better steward of your body. It might be getting better sleep, improving the quality or quantity of your nutrition, increasing your activity level, drinking more water, or something else entirely.

Pick one.

Let’s focus on consistency rather than trying to overhaul your entire life overnight. Choose one thing to work on this week. One small step. One area of stewardship. One opportunity to practice faithfulness with the body God has entrusted to you.

RELATIONAL

Who Is Your Who?

Who can you share your discoveries and desires related to your health with? Maybe it’s a friend, a spouse, a health coach, or a small group leader.

A health coach is someone who comes alongside you to listen, ask thoughtful questions, and help you discover the ways God may be leading you—physically, emotionally, mentally, relationally, and spiritually. I’d love the opportunity to walk this path with you if you’re looking for a coach.

If you’re interested, I’ve got two options for you this fall. https://purposefullydesigned.org/coaching-services/

1. Group Coaching runs for 10 weeks and includes weekly discussion related to weight-loss blogs, weekly online coaching sessions, a private Facebook group, and reduced-rate private coaching. Check out the link for dates, topics, discounted pricing, and how to sign up. If your health goals are related to weight loss, the group coaching is a tremendous value.
2. Private Coaching-If the group coaching option isn’t for you, individual coaching may be an option-especially if you want to explore topics not related to weight loss. You can find a coaching interest form by clicking “Sign Up” on the “Coaching” tab at purposefullydesigned.org. Once you fill it out, I’ll contact you to discuss what coaching might look like for you. I’m currently offering a complimentary initial session so we can get to know one another, talk about where you are, and explore how I might come alongside you as you seek God’s direction for your health and well-being. I’d love the opportunity to walk this journey with you!

May God reveal what He wants to heal in your mind, body, and spirit.