Welcome back!!

Was that a great summer or what?!?! I hope this finds you refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to RE-BOOT in the training department!  Periodic breaks are healthy and serve us in many positive ways. We look forward the time away aaaaand then we look forward to coming back! Win/Win!

Okay, so....a few changes as we buckle up and begin our SEASON!

1. Per some requests and, AS A TRIAL, we are going to move our later Wednesday start time to 9:15 a.m. (vs. 10:00). Monday will remain the same (10:00) to accommodate for PSD late-start Mondays. A triple-check of the local school bell schedules and preschool start times in the area confirmed this is possible! 

< The 5:15 will stay the same! >

2. Saturdays are back on the schedule until the winter months. NOTE: We will be tossing in a periodic STEP class on Saturdays....Steps are limited so it's best to secure your own. Otherwise, first-come-first-serve. A reminder will be posted in advance if Step is on the schedule for a Saturday.

3. Thanks to a generous B2Ber, we have replenished some equipment this fall AND have new music equipment (if you missed it, our speaker croaked two days before we ended for summer.) So a HUGE thank you to her for donating to B2B and all of our peeps! Can you imagine class without tunes? EEK.

4. SCHEDULE CHANGE: No classes on Monday Sept 18th. And NO 5:15 on Wednesday Sept 20th. 9:15 will run as usual. A make-up class will be held on Friday, Sept 22nd at 5:15 a.m.

5. As we approach the 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY of B2B (I know, right?) we must acknowledge the unending support and love we have received from our incredible childcare team downstairs. As I reflect back on the past decade, my heart smiles when I think my baby(who is now a 4th grader) was six months old at the start of B2B! She spent every Monday and Wednesday morning with B2B childcare, now considers herself a "worker" and is always excited to visit when the school schedule allows. This sentiment is solely because of the dedication by Bethany childcare, headed up by Childcare Coordinator Ms. Joanie!! 

Moms, these years fly by. Enjoy the blessing of being able to have your children richly cared for while you spend an hour to exercise your physical and spiritual selves. I can think of no other fonder experience for my family than the one B2B offered to our kids. At some point this year, I would like to gather all children who have been a part of B2B Childcare for a group photograph! I hope you can make a point to be a part of that special occasion. 

6. And while we are highlighting the people who make B2B what it is, I would like to thank Will Whisenhunt, Bethany's Facility Manager, for all he does to accommodate B2B. Will is always one step ahead and goes out of his way in ensuring space is available for us and keeping us current in the calendar loop. When we offer special classes or need help in any way, Will is always there to make things happen! We appreciate you and all you do, not just for B2B, but for Bethany and everyone who benefits from your dedicated work!  On that note - if you haven't been in lately, WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE LOBBY, FRIENDS! Let's just say - - - wowza. Beautiful.

5. Lastly, the schedule for September is attached.  Have a peek if you want to plan ahead. Or....not :)

Teachers, administrators, staff, home-schoolers, and families - Happy Back-to-School! This is an exciting time of year for everyone. We will be praying for a smooth transition into a new schedule! 

I hope you have had a wonderful summer and are able to squeeze in a bit more fun! Be safe on Labor Day and I look forward to seeing new and familiar faces on September 6th (5:15 and 9:15)!

Blessings,

~h.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 

I truly hope your Christmas was amazingly blessed and your time with family and friends created lasting memories. We had a terrific Christmas and are excited for 2017!

So.

Has the food been to die for? Mine was. 

Was the sugar addicting? I embarrassed myself more than once.

Did you break a sweat much? Me either.

Ahem.  Soooo...I have purposefully taken significant time off from exercise.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 

Sometimes we need to listen to this. The 'ol bod and mind just need a break! Creaky joints, busy schedules, pulled muscles, stress of daily life, odd aches and pains, and mostly, time to be still with God; it's amazing what will reset when you rest.  I did enjoy walks with the Lord and my hubs regularly, but with that said....

Those breaks are usually best when brief, and it feels good to refocus and get back into an intentional pattern. I'm heading to Costco today as my Fitbit croaked over the break ~ can't say it hurt my feelings too much. Side note: I found it a bit refreshing to be "off" my tracker for a while. While you know I strongly encourage the use of devices, if you're at all like me, it can sometimes sneak over the line into obsessive/strict/guilt-ridden behaviors. Like anything, breaks are healthy and offer the ability to tap back into how we FEEL vs. what is REPORTED. Okay, off my psych box. I will now slap that bad boy tracker-buddy on my wrist with a happy heart and ready mind.

We begin classes again on Wednesday the 4th at 5:15 and 10:00. Helpful hint - DO NOT CONTINUE TO SIT UNTIL THEN. Get up and move for the next four days. Even intense workouts. What are you saving it for?? Let's not all collapse after Wednesdays class, eh? So, wake up your heart and legs and go workout. It will be less traumatic next week. 

The schedule for January is attached. Remember that Saturdays are on hiatus for a couple of months. However, don't be surprised if a periodic Step class appears. The two we did before the break reminded me of how fun (hard) they are. 

**Just a reminder about weather since there's currently simply gorgeous snow on the ground. If PSD is closed or delayed, we will not hold classes. If it has not been called by the 5:15 class, please check your email before you come in.**

Lastly, if you participated in the gift presented to me before Christmas, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Rico and I will very much enjoy a night away and a nice dinner {after basketball}! The thoughtfulness touched both of us so much and the generosity was humbling. You spoiled us and we can't wait to go!!!

I wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR! Looking forward to being blessed again by the relationships and work of God's hands that surround this fit little ministry-family of ours.

Many Blessings!

Heather

It's October!!

Hello, Friends!

Happy Fall!

Boy oh boy, did it turn on a dime or what? Love.Fall. I love football on t.v., falling leaves, and the excitement of the holidays in the forecast. And let's face it, comfort food ranks in the top five. That being the case, it's even more important that I/we be sure to stay dedicated to our exercise regime and work hard when we're at it. The schedule for October is to the right so you can recommit this month and get focused.

• Thank you for your amazing help in the new check-in system. Although it's still old-school (pen and paper :) it makes for great record keeping and helps keep me organized.
• Also, thank you for maintaining the equipment room. What a pleasure it is to have everything it its home. I LOVE ORDER, but you probably figured that out long ago!
• No class on Saturday, October 15th. Enjoy the day, but workout anyway!
• Okay, so I am apologizing for the lack of music variety in classes. ITunes most recent update deleted MY MUSIC LIBRARY AND PLAYLISTS (apparently this was a glitch for many folks.) After a lengthy phone call to Apple, I have to reinstall iTunes on my computer from it's original file. Problem is, we got a new computer and the old one (where the original file resides) is inaccessible right now. UGH. Any techies who would know how to retrieve the music that I've purchased from iTunes? This, I think, can be done without the original file. I'll fix you lunch if you come over and help me! :) Until then, I am sorry we're hearing the same stuff over and over.
• I am really enjoying the option of the new service at Bethany on Saturday nights at 6 pm.! If you are like our family, youth sports (more on that another day) often rob us of our Sundays so I am soooo grateful for this option!! I invite you to stop by and listen to the amazing worship team. Nothing like a warm beverage, my favorite jeans, a cozy sweater, and an amazing message from Pastor George to set my week up straight!

Couple of things I've been meaning to share:

1. It's important to remember, Friends, that (in general) B2B classes are not enough exercise in one week for the average person. We should be shooting for exercise four to five days per week. PLEASE feel free to copy a class and do it again later in the week ~ especially if it is weight training! Ideally, we should be targeting each muscle group (back, biceps, shoulders, triceps, and legs) twice a week. The class is always written down and planned, and although it may vary a tad, please don't hesitate to take a picture of it and use it again! As you know, most of our exercises can be easily replicated in your own garage/living room/backyard, so take advantage of it and steal the workouts! They are not top-secret! Just remember to give each muscle group a break for at least 48 hours before working it again to allow the tissue to repair itself. Go get 'em!

2. If you are at a plateau or struggling to lost unwanted pounds or inches, I strongly encourage the use of a fitness tracker and/or food app to help you along. These devices hold valuable information that you would not otherwise be aware of. We truly overestimate our activity level and underestimate our caloric intake and {good} food choices. It could be that all your body needs in an additional 200 calorie-deficit and most of the time, this is hard to judge. There are many quality tools out there that are easily accessed from your phone, so really...no excuses not to "be in the know." Just ask my husband who has been tracking food for about three weeks - I'm not his favorite person right now (hehehe) but he'll testify that it makes a difference immediately. View these tools as temporary because they are time consuming. Once you establish new ground rules, you can break away. But the better habits stick around and your teach yourself positive patterns. Remember.... if you want something you've never had, you may have to do something you've never done.

Thank you for being so awesome and making M/W/S mornings special. Although I am human and don't love a 4 am wake up, starting the stay with you folks negates my crabby attitude and energizes me. And then to get to come back and fellowship with another round of happy people at 10:00 makes the day complete. I hope you have a wonderful month and I look forward to many awesome workouts with you!

Blessings,

Heather

Well, HELLO Friends!

What a summa! I sure hope everyone enjoyed the weather, family, friends, and exercise as much as I did (...well.....three out of four isn't bad, right?) It's that time again - ready to fire up the schedule and a little routine? Clean up your kitchen? Stop sugar/eating out/midnight snacking/whatever your pitfall? Get a bit more focused on training? Good. Me too. There are some important things to cover as we prepare for the return of classes, so thank you for your patience in this email.

First, some standards:

• The Schedule for September is attached in this email. If you prefer to know what's on deck, have a peek. If the element of surprise is your flavor, don't open it.
• Classes resume on September 7th (welcome back to school, everyone!) Class times are Monday/Wednesday: 5:15 am and 10:00 am. Saturday 7:30 am.
• Saturday classes are back on the schedule until November 5th, in which we will break for the winter months and resume in the Springtime.
• Please prepare for weather changes and bring sweatshirts - I'd love to be outside as long as possible.

1. TIME TO TIDY UP THIS EMAIL GROUP. Over the course of 8 1/2 years, this email group has grown ~ a lot ~  and while I'm sure everyone waits with baited breath to read them at the start of every month (yeah, right) I'm also pretty sure it goes out to a good number of folks who no longer wish to receive them or no longer attend classes.

**IF YOU WISH TO REMAIN ON THE B2B EMAIL LIST, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO REPLY TO THIS EMAIL AND INDICATE SO**

Please reply with your First and Last Name and the Email address(es) you prefer to use. You will not receive the montly email or B2B Schedule if I do not receive this. Thank you for your help in keeping the communication portion of B2B manageable.

2. We will be using a new documentation system for attendance.

When you sign in, if you are purchasing a new punchcard that day, please indicate if you are submitting a payment with a check or cash. If you are paying for a single session, please indicate so in the column provided. We are attempting to better track our receivables system. If you are not leaving any form of payment, simply sign in as usual.  Thank you for the extra step at the sign-in table:)

When utilizing Childcare, please indicate on your payment if you are also purchasing a B2B punch card with the same check. Some payments have been combined (not a problem at all)  and we just want to be sure we assign the funds appropriately.

3. Before summer break, the equipment area was organized/cleaned up. Thanks for your help in putting equipment back in its appropriate spot and leaving the racks tidy. Makes its sooo much easier to set up for classes when toys are in their right home. Also, be sure to check your training area before you leave. Water bottles, sweatshirts, etc. get left behind and eventually get donated if not retrieved.

4. REQUEST: When using weights, PLEASE do not drop them on the floor. Please set them down on the floor (as if site.comyou were placing them on fragile ground.) The flooring and folks downstairs thank us very much :)

5. Childcare will be offered as usual on Mondays and Wednesdays. Saturdays are going to be offered unless/until we do not have the required attendance in order to warrant its availability. THANK YOU to Joanie and crew who are so amazing and accommodating and who continue to not "babysit" our sweets littles, but BLESS them and teach them about God's love day after day. We are spoiled to be able to workout and also have your loving hands caring for our kids. YOU ARE INCREDIBLE.

SOME AWESOME BETHANY NEWS:

• SOOOO excited to announce that Bethany will be offering SATURDAY NIGHT SERVICE AT 6 PM beginning September 17th! I am personally very excited for this opportunity and I hope it helps you, too!
• Sunday service times are 9:00, 10:15 and 11:30.
• AWANA registration available September 1st online or in the lobby. www.bethanysite.com
• Have some extra school supplies on hand? Bins are located in the lobby for collection of backpacks, binders, dividers, Sharpies, notebooks, etc.

In closing, I am very excited to see everyone in less than a week!! Please feel free to invite friends to class and just be sure they see me before participating. I hope you are ready for the change of season (looks like the weather helped that out this week!) and to get back to class.

Remember, you will need to reply with your NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS in order to receive future emails from B2BBethany :)

Many Blessings!

Heather

Seahawk Shuffle

Join us tomorrow, January 31st, for a breath of fresh air and nice little jaunt as we get Puyallup in SUPERBOWL SPIRIT!! Dress in your favorite Seahawk attire (be creative - it could win you something) and join us at 7:30 a.m. at Bethany as we begin the fun-filled weekend with a run or walk for our hour together. Childcare is provided so please arrive in enough time to check kids in so we can hit the pavement together!

GO HAWKS!!!!!!

Start it off simple.

Beginning 2015 with some goals or resolutions? Super! Here are some tips for this week to help you get started.

1) Plan your workout sessions in advance. Be proactive in carving out your four, five or six hours a week in which you have dedicated to training. Get yourself into a nice little routine so that in six weeks when the rest of the country falls off the fitness wagon....you don't. Watch those around you who vow to "get in shape" this year; most will start to lose motivation by Valentines Day. Help them (and build in accountability for yourself) by inviting them to work out with you and keep each other on track long after the (what I call) the six-week-slack.

2) Find a super cool water bottle/jug/container and drink the toxins right out of your system. How much? HALF YOUR BODY WEIGHT IN OUNCES. Every.24.hours.

3) Write down a couple of goals for the next few months. Be specific! Examples:

• I plan to achieve running three miles without stopping by March 1st (go ahead and add a time on that if you want)
• I will eat two fruits and two vegetables of my choosing every day for the next four weeks (Many find it hard to meet this nutritional minimum)
• I would like to lose six pounds by the end of January 
• I will cut my coffee intake back to two cups per day until April 1st.
• I want to prove to myself that I can attend class without absences (pending no illness) for three straight weeks.
• I choose not to eat out in the months of January or February
• I will download an app and track my food/water/exercise until Valentines Day

Share these goals with someone and post them someplace you will see them every day. It will work - trust me.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Reclaiming BALANCE in social media.....

In my opinion, a healthy lifestyle encompasses a slew of things; everything from food, working out, relationships, sleep, stress, hobbies, work, and definitely social media. It's not going away and our children will not know life without it, so how can we be sure we incorporate it into our lives in a way that is healthy? 

I saw this article and thought I had to share. It has nothing to do with diet and exercise, but it IS about striking a healthy balance in our socially-tech world. I have been thinking a lot about these very things and trying to organize my thoughts about them in my head. This article does a great job in doing that for me! :)

Enjoy!

5 Questions to Ask Before Posting To Social Media

By Cara Joyner
January 14, 2014

Cara Joyner is a freelance writer and stay-at-home-mom living on the East Coast with her husband and two sons. After years of working in student ministry, she has come home to raise her boys and pursue her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She loves hanging out with college students, watching Parenthood and eating chocolate like it's one of the food groups. Read more at carajoyner.com or find her onTwitter @cara_joyner.

Some guidelines for thinking before you post.

I was a freshman in college when Facebook came out and I distinctly remember thinking, “why would I need this? I have AOL Instant Messenger and MySpace!”
Well, times have changed. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram (and a slew of other sites I’m not cool enough to know about) have simultaneously brought us closer together and driven us further apart. With the exception of a few universally offensive statements or pictures, it’s a rule-free zone where we can interact with society while accepting minimal personal responsibility for the implications of what we do.
In absence of guidelines for healthy and polite social media etiquette, we are left to determine our own boundaries for navigating the seemingly endless opportunities available to us.
Before we snap one more picture of our hot chocolate topped with a foam leaf, perhaps we would benefit from a brief pause—an extra 30 seconds to ask five simple questions might suggest it’s time to unplug, or at least reconsider when and how we use social media:

1. Am I seeking approval?

If you’ve taken an introductory psychology class, you’ve probably heard of B.F. Skinner and operant conditioning. Skinner suggested that we learn behaviors through reinforcement.

When we view social media from a lens of discontentment, whatever we find will be colored with bitterness and ungratefulness.

When I seek validation through something I post and that little red flag starts popping up to notify me of each person giving me attention, it’s an addictive reward. And it works. I feel better, so I keep coming back for more. The next time I need to feel approval, I’ll return to the source that poured it out last time, and the cycle of reinforcement continues.What are the bigger needs asking to be met here? Maybe it’s a desire for community. Perhaps it stems from unresolved conflict with someone I love. Or maybe I just thrive on pleasing people and hearing their praise. If your interaction with the internet is driven by a need for approval, consider healthier ways to address this issue and choose to stop reinforcing the unhealthy ones.

2. Am I boasting?

There’s sharing excitement and then there’s bragging. Truthfully, we each know which camp we fall in.
When the Apostle Paul described what it meant to love others, he specifically mentioned that love does not boast. That post isn’t “just a picture” or “just a tweet,” it’s an opportunity to love others in a way that reflects Jesus. Or it’s an opportunity to show them something quite different, something that looks nothing like Christ.
Examine your motivations and walk away before using social media as the adult version of show-and-tell.

3. Am I discontent?

Are you looking for something “better”? If so, walk away. Nothing you will read, write or see is going to solve this one.
Instead, ask yourself why you are discontent and address those needs. When we view social media from a lens of discontentment, whatever we find will be colored with bitterness and ungratefulness. Their lives will begin to look brighter than ours, while our lives will take on a sense of lacking.
Let us not forget—their world is as ordinary as ours and our life is as exciting as theirs. Do you believe that in your core? If not, take a break. Deactivate your account for a couple months. Create space to reevaluate and look for answers in the places you’ll actually find them. Stop asking the virtual world to solve dissatisfaction with the physical one.

4. Is this a moment to protect?

When my son crawls into my lap, he doesn’t want me to take his picture and shoot it across Facebook. He doesn’t care who else thinks I have a cute kid. He just wants me to hold him and see him. To feel his soft, chunky arms and to focus on the way his eyelashes move when he blinks.
When we interrupt lunch with a friend in order to quote her on Twitter, we invite hundreds of people into a conversation that could have been sacred; and we miss the sweet memories that may have formed had her words remained simply between the two of us.
Not every great moment needs to be shared. In fact, some of the best times are most enjoyed privately. If we suspend the present in an attempt to capture its beauty in 140 characters or less, we sacrifice our experience of the moment itself. We also rob each other of something that has been lost in our digital age—keeping a handful of memories between us and those we are closest to, or even just between us and God.

5. Is it kind?

Let’s return to Paul and his call to love. “Love is patient. Love is kind.”
Our culture tells us it’s our right to comment on everything, regardless of whether it was addressed to us and without consideration for how it might affect others.

We have been given covered space from which to throw grenades, without requiring us to take responsibility for the weight of our words.

We’ve replaced face-to-face confrontation with sharp comments and mocking memes. We write demeaning tweets addressed to celebrities or openly criticize individuals we have never met, hiding behind the convenience that they cannot directly defend themselves and nobody is putting our personal lives on display for public criticism.
We have been given covered space from which to throw grenades, without requiring us to take responsibility for the weight of our words, their effect on other people and their reflection on the Church. Jesus said the world would recognize us by our love. What messages are we sending?

A Better Way

Social Media seems to be built around the idea that it can infiltrate nearly every part of our lives. And if we let it, that’s exactly what will happen. We are the ones who say when its reach becomes unhealthy.
As children, our parents laid out rules for our protection and as adults we took on the task of caring for our own well being and personal growth. It’s our job to set boundaries and ask tough questions, tending to the bigger picture of our relationships and the way our actions reflect Christ’s love for this world.
It’s worth noting that these are questions we ask of ourselves, not criteria for interpreting and evaluating others. We cannot know their hearts anymore than they can know ours.
Let us pause and give ourselves an honest moment to reflect—bringing discernment, love and wisdom to each picture and word we share.