2 Year Anniversary @ Athletic Lab Weightlifting Club...

This is Athletic Labs Motto!

2 years ago today Tim began his Elite Olympic Weightlifting journey @ Athletic Lab Weightlifting Club.  He hasn't looked back at the TKD sparring world that he left behind except to see how his old teammates are doing in their competitions.  Everything has been full steam ahead from day 1 of changing sports.  He's the happiest we've seen ever him and that warms mine and his dads heart to no end.  He has such an amazing relationship with his coach, Jarrod Nobbe, too.  It's the best coach relationship he's ever had.  

To this date since making the change to Olympic Weightlifting he's gotten 2 Youth Gold medals/1 Junior Gold medal/1 Open Gold Medal/1 Best Youth Male Athlete Plaque @ States (WSO Carolina's Championships),  2 Youth Gold medals @ Athletic Lab's local Meets, 1 Junior Gold Medal at Barbells-N-Sprinkles local Meet, 3 Youth Silver medals @ The Arnold/VWS1 meet.  His Meet PR's to date are 90kg/198# in Snatch and 117kg/257# in Clean & Jerk.  His has had a great two years in the sport so far and he's still loving it.  

Now we are working on time management (making sure he's getting enough recovery time) and diet (eating the right things - lots of protein - is key to his future in this sport) so that he can be at his optimum level going forward because he moves to Juniors January 1, 2026.  

It's so wonderful that he gets to eat now but eating the right things is what he needs to be doing (he's been making up for lost time when he couldn't be a kid eating what he wanted to eat...LOL!!). Being able to eat and make gains has been huge for Tim.  He's gained so much muscle mass in the two years he's been in this sport that he doesn't even look like the same kid that was doing TKD sparring.  That's mostly because he's not having to cut weight all the time now and be so skinny just to be able to compete with competitors that are closer to his size in height.  

What a huge difference two years makes when you make a switch that makes better sense for your kid and makes them happier than they've ever been😱😊😱😊.  Of course it was totally Tim's decision to move on when we did and he was very ready for the change.  

As parents (hindsight is 20/20), we see our failure in keeping him in a sport (TKD sparring) longer than he should have been.  It's a tall persons sport and Tim at 17 is only 5'4" and to be competitive in that particular sport he would have had to stay in the 51kg weight division for like forever (which in the long run he wouldn't have been able to do) and that just wasn't what was best for his health so cutting the sport loose and moving on was the right call.  I just wish we had done it way earlier.  He was ready for a change a long time prior to us actually doing it.    

Now though, we are all so happy that we made the switch to Olympic Weightlifting when we did because he's been 5'4" for two years now.  He's in the 65kg weight division in this sport and as he gains more muscle mass doing Olympic Weightlifting he will continue to move up weight divisions.  It's just how this sport works.  It's a wonderful sport and everyone is so supportive of one another + they genuinely want to see one another doing their best.  At the end of the day they all understand and get that as a collective group we want our best athletes representing America on the International stage because we want to bring home wins for our country.  I can't say enough about how great this sport is and seeing Tim this happy is just so freaking awesome!  He's right where he wants to be and that makes all the difference in the world.  

Commitment in sports can sometimes,

Take you where you don't want to go,

Keep you longer than you want to stay,

Cost you more than you want to pay! 

(Be sure that it's a sport that #1 - you love and #2 - that you have the capability/body type for rising to the level you want to be a success at.  Being the right fit for what you are wanting to do/accomplish matters.) 

HAPPY 2 YEARS TIM!!!

"New" Barbell...

Tim has a new barbell because the one we bought almost 2 years ago started rusting.  We contacted Rogue about the quality issue we were having and they were so quick with their response to send out a replacement that I didn't have a chance to ask them could we upgrade it.  I got in contact with them quickly and they called back what they had set up to send out and allowed us to pay the difference and upgrade the bar.  We just wanted to be certain that the issue we had with the old bar wouldn't happened with the new bar so we paid the higher price for an all stainless Steel bar.  Tim is loving it too.  Rogues customer service was, bar none, the best customer service that I have ever experienced!  They were amazingly Patient with me through the whole process and so incredibly helpful as well.  

Romans 5:8 (NLT)...

Footnote From NIV Life Application Bible:

While we were still sinners - these are amazing words.  God sent Jesus Christ to die for us, not because we were good enough, but because he loved us.  Whenever you feel uncertain about god's love for you, remember that he loved you even before you turned to him.  if god loved you when you were a rebel, he can surely strengthen you, now that you love him in return.

Tim's Physical Results...

As more time goes by and the memories of what was fades into what is now I am more thankful than ever that Tim switched sports when he did.  it was the absolute best change for Tim.  The results from his physical this past Friday prove that.  just check out the comparisons from last year and this year below.  What you will see is that he's not gained in height but he's gained in mass because of how much muscle he's been gaining in weightlifting.  He would have never been able to fight and win and the level he needed to with the giants in the land.  his competitors would tower over him.  we are so so glad that Tim changed sports.  best change ever!!!

Stay Close...

This quote I'm about to share with you is one that we encourage our son to do all the time because it's what his dad and I already do.

When you make this your life practice you will have people close to you that really matter & they will forever be in your life.  

Walt Whitman...

John 3:17 (NLT)...

Senior Year Schedule...

Tim is doing some 11th grade and all of his 12th grade subjects this school year.  He has been given a schedule that he will have to keep for this school year in order to graduate on time in May 2026.  

Other than Church on Sunday mornings and going to bed by 10pm his Sunday's will be a free day for him.

Galatians 6:9 (NLT)....

Footnote from NIV Life Application Bible:

It is discouraging to continue to do right and receive no word of thanks or see no tangible results.  But Paul challenged the Galatians and he challenges us to keep on doing good and to trust God for the results.  In due time, we will reap a harvest of blessing.

Matthew 4:4 (NLT)...

Footnote from NIV Life Application Bible (v.3-4):

Jesus was hungry and weak after fasting for 40 days, but he chose not to use his divine power to satisfy his natural desire for food.  food, hunger, and eating are good, but the timing was wrong.  Jesus was in the desert to fast, not to eat.  And because Jesus had given up the unlimited, independent use of his divine power in order to experience humanity fully, he wouldn't use his power to change the stones to bread.  we also may be tempted to satisfy a perfectly normal desire in a wrong way or at the wrong time.  If we indulge for example in sex before marriage or if we steal to get food, we are trying to satisfy God-given desires in wrong ways.  Remember, Many of your desires are normal and good, but god want you to satisfy them in the right way and at the right time.  

Jesus was able to resist all of the devil's temptations because he not only knew scripture, but he also obeyed it.  

knowing bible verses is an important step in helping us resist the devil's attacks, but we must also obey the Bible!

note that satan had memorized scripture, but he failed to obey it.  Knowing and obeying the Bible helps us follow God's desires rather than the devil's.  

Joshua 1:8 (NLT)...

Footnote From NIV Life Application Bible (v.6-8):

Many people think that prosperity and success come from having power, influential personal contacts, and a relentless desire to get ahead.  But the strategy for gaining prosperity that God taught Joshua goes against such criteria.  He said that to succeed Joshua must 1) be strong and courageous because the task ahead would not be easy, 2) obey God's law, and 3) constantly read and study the Book of the Law - God's Word.  To be successful, follow God's words to Joshua.  You may not succeed by the world's standards, but you will be a success in God's eyes - and His opinion lasts forever.  

Joshua is one of my absolute favorites to read about in the Bible.  He was Moses's assistant and successor.  He was one of only two adults who experienced Egyptian slavery and lived to enter the Promised Land.  He led the Israelites into their God-given homeland.  He was a brilliant military strategist.  He was faithful to ask God's direction in the challenges that he faced.   We learn from his life that effective leadership is often the product of good preparation and encouragement.  That the people we pattern ourselves after will have a definite effect on us.  That a person committed to God provides the best role model for us.  

Something we should ask ourselves is Who is our Joshua?  We are part of the chain of God's ongoing work in the world.  We are modeling ourselves after others, and others are patterning their lives after us.  How important is God to those we want to be like?  Do those who are watching us see God reflected in every area of our lives?  We can and should ask God to lead us to trustworthy Joshua's so that we can become more like them as we strive to walk lives worthy of God.  

WHO INFLUENCES OUR LIVES MATTERS!!!

4 Years Ago Today...

Aug. 1st 4 years ago was release day from the hospital for Tim after which he had had a really close call from a super huge loss of salt in his body. His numbers were so low that he spent close to 30 hours in an extremely altered state in PICU. Life threatening events definitely bring things into perspective in a big way. As a family we all know how much we mean to one another. #godplusfamilyiseverything is our Motto. We know what is important and we value every single moment that we are given.

My Future Hope....

As Tim graduates high school next year this quote is my hope as he goes out into the world and becomes his own man.  As he makes a life for himself it's my hope and prayer that this will be our relationship.  He is so loved and treasured by his dad and myself and we can only hope and pray that he will continue to love and treasure us as well as he makes a life for himself as he continues to grow into manhood.  

Phillippians 2:3 (NLT)..

Selfish ambition can ruin a church, but genuine humility can build it.  being humble involves having a true perspective about ourselves (see Romans 12:3).  It does not mean that we should put ourselves down.  Before God, we are sinners, saved only by god's grace, but we are saved and therefore have great worth in god's kingdom.  we are to lay aside selfishness and treat others with respect and common courtesy.  Considering others' interests as more important than our own links us with christ, who was a true example of humility.