Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health
and that all may go well with you,
even as your soul is getting along well.
John the Apostle, 3 John 2
Welcome to Unleashing the Champion Within.
We are continuing our series from my new book, God’s Dream for Your Life. Our focus for this episode is God’s dreams for wholeness in your life, specifically in your body.
I want to tell you a little about where I am now, a physical challenge I had, and the journey God took me on to wholeness.
About a month ago I started thinking about the St. Anthony’s Meek and Mighty Triathlon that I had participated in many years ago. I trained every morning at 5 a.m. with two of my girlfriends.
It was so much fun I decided to go to the next step. So, I have begun training for the St. Anthony’s Sprint Triathlon 2019. The Sprint Triathlon consist of a 5K run, 750 meter swim and a 12 mile bike.
I am inviting all of you to join me in the training on my Official Facebook Page @drcindystewart . Or accept the challenge to:
– Meet me in St Petersburg FL – April 28, 2019 8:45am
– Run a Triathlon in your area
– Join the Cheering team!
How did I get started? I have always been somewhat athletic. In my twenties I played competitive tennis, ran and played a little golf. In the 90’s I really developed a passion for running and would run every day except Sunday.
Then, I ran into a physical issue which forced me to quit running. Here is an excerpt from my book of what happened next.
The vision in my right eye became very blurry. It was as if a film was over it, and I could barely see. I went to numerous eye doctors without success. Finally, one referred me to my medical doctor who in turn ordered a full range of tests, including testing for multiple sclerosis.
After months of doctors’ tests and friends praying for me, one Saturday morning, I had reached the end of my patience. I called a dear friend of mine who had repeatedly offered to help. He made a call to one of his friends who happened to be a retina specialist.
On Monday morning, I was sitting in his office looking at my file labeled with big bold letters FOD. It startled me because my file was the only file that was labeled as such. Once, he finished the battery of tests, he brought me into his office and after a quick exchange about our mutual friend, he asked, “Are you a pilot or a lawyer?” To which I replied, “Neither.”
He continued to explain the issue with my eye was usually found in men with high-stress positions. What?
When He asked me what I did for a living, I was a little embarrassed as I answered, “I am a mom and an elder at my church.”
Of course, I wasn’t embarrassed in what I did. I was embarrassed, because I thought my life was stress-free.
What I was diagnosed with was caused by stress. I learned that I internalized stress and the effects appeared as a physical ailment in my body – the loss of vision. Stress, in general, whether it is created by excitement over fun things or challenges in life, can create physical and emotional issues.
In my new season, there were many new opportunities, some requiring more education and all requiring a tighter schedule. I was enjoying it all, but they were stressors. Although, good stressors they still caused stress and I internalized it, with my eye suffering the consequences. (God’s Dream for Your Life, pages 141-142)
God does not want us to be sick in our bodies from the pressures of our lives. After I realized that I was causing the sickness in my body by internalizing my stress, I knew I had to make some changes.
One of the main changes I made was learning to partner with God in the day-to-day. I would make sure I started my day with Him by reading from Scripture, and spending time talking to Jesus asking Him to guide me through each step.
The other way I worked on my stress was to be intentional about what I allowed into my day. In the old days, I would say yes to almost everything, which would create a day of too much to do and not enough time to do it in!
I had to learn, as I teach others, NO is a complete sentence, and it is okay to say No.
Another way that really helped me was as I began to feel stressed over a situation, I asked myself why I was feeling stressed. For me, the simplicity of identifying the WHY helped me to find the solution to manage or even alleviate the stress all together.
Once the routine of running every day was broken, it took years to get back into the routine and see the health benefits. And the same was true with managing my stress levels. I can honestly say, just like with running — after years of practicing I have been enabled to have a much healthier life.
Is there a physical issue you are struggling with that we can pray together for healing?
I would love to hear from you. Leave your comment on my Facebook page by clicking here: CindyStewart or send me an email at cindy@Cindy-Stewart.com
If you want individual help through this process fill out the Connection Form.
Remember, you are the best investment you can make.
God’s Dream for Your Life is available on my website:
(Also on Amazon in Book and Kindle)
And now, God’s Dream for Your Life has a 4-Hour Video Class with a workbook. Learn more @ https://cindy-stewart.com/media/classes/
Coming Soon God’s Dream for Your Life online mentoring classes.
To be the first to know, join my mailing list!
Sign up at www.cindy-stewart.com/
Two upcoming events …
This week is our Invading the Heavens Conference –
It begins on Thursday, August 16th at 7 p.m. here in Tampa
With Sid Roth, Robert Henderson, Dr. Kynan Bridges and myself.
Frontliners: Kingdom Advance will be
October 19-20, 2018 – Tarpons Springs, FL
And I will be with Dr. Clarice Fluitt and Brandi Belt.
You can register for both on my website: cindy-stewart.com/events
#godsdreamsforyou