November Newsletter
Hi All,
This month's newsletter is going
to be combined
effort between Bobby and I. First
of all
I would like to say happy 45th
Birthday to
Bobby. Sweetheart, you're getting
better
every year. And also a happy
birthday to
our Jon Jon who will be 4 on
the 15th. Happy
Birthday My Loves!
Well, on to more serious matters. Midwest
Christian Bodybuilding has grown
over the
past year and a half from a blog
to a well
visited site. Although our counter
does not
reflect it and I keep saying
I am going to
fix it, we have had over 43,000
unique visitors
from all over the world. On any
given day
we get visitors from Germany,
Italy, Iran,
and countless places we never
imagined. To
tell you the truth, this site
was started
to find other christian bodybuilders,
chat,
banter back and forth and exchange
info.
It's become so much more than
that. We have been contacted to minister abroad,
ministered to many who write
in from day
to day and have had the opportunity to communicate
and dare we say, befriend, some of the most well known bodybuilders,
posting their testimonies, and
glorifying
God. They are truly some of the
best people
who have walked this earth, kind,
generous
and truly caring of their brother
builders.
After much prayer, we have decided
to organize
a board to help govern the organization
and
carry it to the next level. It
has also come
to our attention that a new,
clearer mission
statement be instituted. We are
a natural
bodybuilding organization but,
in the past,
some have asked us why we highlight
so many
of the former IFBB Bodybuilders.
These men
weren't natural bodybuilders,
they used steroids
and are not examples to the younger
crowd.
This is were I disagree. Who
would you listen
to when telling you not to do
steroids? Someone
who has tons of studies and statistics
or
someone like Steve Michalik who
has been
down that road and can TELL you
why you should
not. Anyone who saw him on Donny
Deutsch
knows where he stands on the
issue. He's
natural, no matter what he may
have done
in the past, he's natural. Oh,
it's true,
some have used them in the past.
But we will
say that NONE that we have interviewed
are
steroid users now. They do not
condone their
use in any way. We, as a christian
organization,
have to be able to forgive past
sin. God
has forgiven it and so must we.
Michael Wenger
of Stronghold Ministries said it best in this week's Thought of the Week
"I was thinking the other day about
ways we tend to judge other people’s
steps
in faith. We decide how far along
people
should be and look down on them
because they
still struggle in this or that
area of their
lives. Then Jesus brought to
my attention
Romans 14:4 which reads "Who
are to
judge someone else's servant?
To his own
master he stands or falls. And
he will stand,
for the Lord is able to make
him stand."
So I had to ask God to forgive
me for judging
others, because God has called
us all to
encourage each other, not judge.
Every one
of us has his or her own struggles
in life,
and you and I are no different.
Let’s change
the way we think about those
who are struggling
and leave the judging to the
only person
qualified for the job: God."
We have had similar themed topics in our
past "messages" We all sin, everyday. We need to help
one another up, not push one
another down.
None of us can ever live down
our pasts but
by the grace of God we can all
be forgiven.
So as promised, here is our new
mission statement:
|
We are Christians and everything we do gives
glory to God. Our bodies belong to
God and
He has placed in each one the Holy
Sprit.
We pledge to build and shape our bodies
to
reach their potential, keeping in mind
our
bodies are a gift from God, to be cherished
and developed, as He would want.
We will not dishonor God by taking
into our
bodies any controlled or illegal substance
that would unfairly alter our muscular
development
in order to gain a competitive advantage.
We pledge to honor God in word and
deed at
every competition or athletic endeavor.
We
pledge to compete as good sportsmen
and sportswomen
by setting an example befitting His
Warriors.
We welcome Christian amateur and professional
athletes, who admit to having used
illegal
muscle enhancers, and regretting their
decision,
are now adamantly against the practice
and
are willing to speak out in this organization
about the evil of steroids and other
illegal
drugs. We take Jesus’ teaching about
forgiveness
to heart in this matter and we honor
those
athletes who would bravely witness
to younger
athletes about the dangers of steroids.
We pledge to promote natural athletics
by
providing information on diet, supplements,
training and natural competitions,
stressing
the "all natural" verses
the "illegal
muscle enhancers". We pledge to
do all
of this in His Name. |
This is where we say thank you. Thank you
to all who have helped us during the
first
year of our journey! Without all of
you,
we would have never made it this far.
- Dave and Laree Draper who are the most welcoming,
humble and kind people ever
- Shawn Ray with this abundance of enthusiasm
- Steve Michalik who is a great guy and well,
Mr. Intesity
- Anibal Lopez, a well of information and
Godly wisdom
- Scott Hults, witty and determined
- Flex Wheeler, soft spoken, ever so likeable
- Russ Testo, well, what can we say about Mr.
Extraordinaire?
- Vince and Brielle Gazzara incredible people
with an incredible story of perserverance
- Ero Rivard who exudes a loving heart over
miles of cyberspace
- Kathy Roberts who is by far the most determined
and strong woman I have come across
- Alan Palmieri, loving father, gifted writer
and man of God and a plethora of
weight lifting
knowledge
- Kevin Parker, with us from the start, has
been a great prayer warrior and friend
|
