Senior Worlds in Ningbo, China 🇨🇳

Senior Worlds in Ningbo, China🇨🇳

We’re l👀king forward to watching the World Weightlifting Championships starting October 27! We always enjoy watching the world’s weightlifters compete and seeing how everyone performs on the international stage.

One of the things we love about this sport is getting to watch so many talented athletes push themselves, hit big lifts, and accomplish their goals. We’re always cheering them on!

We’re also thankful for our WH membership, which allows us to watch the sessions whenever it works for us. With the competition taking place in China, that means we don’t have to be up in the middle of the night to watch everything live! 😂

We’re excited to follow the competition and see what these athletes accomplish. Let the lifting begin!

Here is the USA Lifters Schedule adjusted to our time zone:

You might have to click on it to be able to read it clearly.

Update on Tim's Elbow: One Step at a Time

Update On Tim's Elbow: One Step at a Time

Tim’s stitches are officially out! 🙌 It may seem like a small milestone to some, but after everything he has been through with his elbow, it’s another step in the right direction.

He’s still limited to lifting no more than 5–10 pounds with his right arm, so he has to be patient and follow the restrictions given to him. For someone who loves Olympic weightlifting and has worked so hard to get where he is today, having to slow down and let his body heal has not been easy.

Now, the real work begins with physical therapy. The goal is to rebuild his strength, get him back to where he was before all of this happened with his elbow, and then continue building from there.

Tim is so glad to finally be getting to the other side of this, and Scot and I are excited for him. We know there's still work ahead, but we're thankful to see him moving forward.

Watching your child work toward something they love and then having to step away from it because of an injury is hard. As parents, we want to see our children succeed, accomplish their goals, and keep moving forward. Sometimes, though, the road to those goals takes an unexpected turn.

This journey has been a reminder that progress doesn't always happen as quickly as we'd like. Sometimes progress looks like a new personal record. Other times, it's getting through surgery, having the stitches removed, or being able to straighten an arm a little more than you could before.

Not every victory comes with a medal. Some victories happen quietly, one small step at a time.

For now, Tim's focus is on healing, showing up for PT, and doing the work necessary to rebuild. We don't know exactly what the road ahead will look like, but we're encouraged by the progress he's making and excited to see what comes next.

We're learning to appreciate each step along the way instead of focusing only on the finish line. And if there's one thing this journey has reminded us, it's that sometimes the small victories are the ones worth celebrating the most. 

Jesus, the Bread of Life

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to look for fulfillment in all the wrong places?

We look for happiness in the things we own, satisfaction in the things we accomplish, and comfort in the people around us. There's nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings God has given us, but none of these things can satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts the way Jesus can.

In John 6, Jesus had just performed the miracle of feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Can you imagine witnessing that miracle? People had seen Him provide food for a multitude, and they continued looking for Him.

But Jesus knew they needed to understand something much greater than the miracle of a meal. They were focused on what He could provide physically, while He wanted them to recognize who He was and what He came to offer them eternally.

That's when Jesus declared that He is the Bread of Life.

Just as our bodies need food to survive, our souls need Jesus. We can fill our days with responsibilities, surround ourselves with people we love, work toward our goals, and enjoy the blessings of this life, yet still feel an emptiness that none of those things can fill.

Only Jesus can satisfy the deepest hunger of our souls.

I think it's easy to get caught up in the busyness of everyday life. We have things to do, places to be, responsibilities to take care of, and people who depend on us. Before we know it, we've spent more time tending to everything around us than tending to our relationship with the Lord.

Yet He is the very One we need most.

I've learned that life doesn't always go the way we expect. There are seasons of joy and seasons of uncertainty, times when we feel strong and times when we need to lean on the Lord more than ever. Our circumstances may change, and the things we once depended on may not always be there, but Jesus remains faithful.

This verse reminds me that I don't have to look to the world to find what only He can give me. I can come to Him in prayer, spend time in His Word, and trust Him with the things I don't understand. I can bring Him my worries, my disappointments, my questions, and my gratitude.

Coming to Jesus doesn't mean every problem will disappear or that I'll never experience another difficult day. It means I have a Savior who offers me something this world cannot: a relationship with Him, the hope of eternal life, and the assurance that my circumstances don't have the final say over my faith.

I don't want to become so focused on the blessings in my life that I forget the One who blesses me. I don't want to seek His hand without seeking His heart.

I want to know Him more, trust Him more, and make spending time with Him a priority, not just when I need something, but because He is my source of life.

Jesus is the Bread of Life. He is not simply a temporary source of comfort for a difficult season. He is the One my soul needs every day.

What about you? Are you looking for satisfaction in the things of this world, or are you turning to the One who offers you life that lasts forever?

My prayer is that we never become so busy searching for what we think we need that we overlook the One we need most.

Because the things of this world can never take the place of Jesus.

Have Fun, Get Organized & Enjoy Life!

My home is always a work in progress. I'm constantly going through things and making my donate piles, throw-away piles, and keep piles. My problem, and maybe yours too, is that my keep pile always seems to be bigger than the other two combined! 😂

That means I have to get creative about organizing the things that stay. I want our home to feel cozy, comfortable, and inviting rather than leaving me stressed because things don't have a rhyme or reason to where they're placed.

I'll be the first to admit that organizing isn't one of my strongest suits. Of course I do like everything to have a place and be put in it. It's figuring out the best placement that's a challenge for me, but over the past couple of years, God has been showing me what's truly important to keep and what I can let go of. More things that we don't really need are leaving our home, and the things that remain need to have a place where they belong.

I'm learning that it's not just about getting rid of stuff. It's also about being intentional with what we choose to keep.

When your budget doesn't allow you to purchase the furnishings or storage solutions you'd really like to have, you have to get creative. And while creativity doesn't come naturally to me, research does! These days, research is my friend. I'm always looking for ideas and practical ways to make our spaces look and feel better without spending a ton of money.

I'm learning to work with what we have, make a plan, and tackle things one step at a time.

One of the things I want to change is how comfortable I feel inviting people into our home. I don't generally have many people over beyond family and close friends, partly because I'm not happy with how some of our spaces look and function. I'd love to change that. I want to be able to entertain, enjoy fellowship with others, and have a home that feels welcoming.

I'm not trying to create an immaculate masterpiece. That's not the goal! I simply want our home to feel more intentional, with things in their proper places instead of looking as though they've been put somewhere just because there's no room in the inn. 😉

Pets add another layer to the challenge, but my guys hear me say it time and time again: "One day at a time, and we will get there."

And we will.

I'm thankful that we aren't people who hold on to things just for the sake of holding on to them. These days, we're learning to ask ourselves whether something has real value or purpose in our lives before deciding to keep it.

Over the years, we've helped friends move their parents and sort through their belongings. We've also experienced the loss of loved ones and the difficult task of going through their things, deciding what to throw away, what to donate, and what to keep or sell.

In some ways, we've become pros at sorting through other people's belongings. But that's not something you really want to become a pro at doing.

Those experiences have changed the way we look at our own home and everything in it. We've seen firsthand how overwhelming it can be for loved ones to face a lifetime of accumulated belongings, especially when they're already dealing with grief.

We don't want to leave Tim with that same burden someday.

That doesn't mean we have to get rid of everything or live in a bare, empty house. It means being thoughtful about what we keep and recognizing that a simpler life can leave us with more time and energy for the things that matter most.

Life goes by fast💨, and I don't want to spend so much of it managing our stuff that I forget to enjoy the life God has given us.

When you reach a certain age, you begin to see just how precious and short life really is. You start thinking more about the time you have with the people God has blessed you with and less about the things you own.

I want Scot and me to enjoy the years ahead of us. I want to make memories, welcome people into our home, spend time with family and friends, and enjoy this season of life without constantly feeling like there's something else around the house that needs to be dealt with.

We want the years ahead to be some of the best years of our lives, and that means making some changes now.

So, we're working on it. We're sorting, donating, organizing, researching, and figuring out how to make our home work better for us without breaking the budget. We may not get everything done overnight, but that's okay. Progress is progress!

My encouragement to you is this: Don't keep putting off getting things in order until tomorrow. Tomorrow isn't promised to any of us. You don't have to tackle everything at once, and you don't have to spend a fortune to make a difference. Start with one drawer, one shelf, one closet, or one room.

Do what you can today to make life a little easier for yourself and the people you love.

Because at the end of the day, it's not about having a perfect home. It's about having a home you can enjoy and a life you have time to live.

Make room for what matters. Let go of what doesn't. And don't forget to have fun while getting organized so that you can enjoy your life for years to come!

Learning to Bear With One Another

I'll be the first to admit that I haven't always been very good at this. I'm pretty much a black-and-white kind of person. When someone does something or behaves in a way that doesn't line up with what I believe or how I choose to live my life, my natural tendency is to distance myself and move on.

I've never been one to feel the need to keep people in my life just because they've always been there. And when someone hurts me or someone I love, it's especially hard for me to want to have anything to do with them.

You see, I learned at a young age that sometimes you have to put distance between yourself and people who cause you harm, whether through their words or their actions. Over time, I learned to protect myself and the people I love by keeping my distance. And honestly, there are times when boundaries are necessary. Not everyone needs to have a place in our lives, and forgiving someone doesn't mean we have to allow them to keep hurting us.

But as I've gotten older and continued to grow in my walk with the Lord, I've realized there's a difference between protecting my peace and allowing my own way of thinking to determine how I respond to people.

That's where this verse gets personal for me.

Forgiving others has become easier for me over the years, but bearing with them? That's a different story.

I've worked long and hard on forgiveness. When someone has wronged me or my family, I have to remind myself of how much God has forgiven me. When I really stop and think about the grace and mercy He's extended to me, it puts things into perspective. I know I haven't always gotten things right, and I'm thankful that God doesn't give up on me every time I fall short.

You would think that remembering His forgiveness would make bearing with others easier, too. But if I'm being honest, this is still an area where I struggle.

I can forgive someone and still not want to deal with them. I can choose not to hold on to an offense and still find myself frustrated by someone's behavior. And when I see things as right or wrong, it's hard for me to be patient with someone whose actions I believe are wrong, especially when those actions have caused pain.

But Colossians 3:13 doesn't just tell us to forgive one another. It tells us to bear with one another, too.

I've been thinking about what that really means for me. Maybe part of it is learning to be patient with people even when I don't understand their choices. Maybe it's recognizing that not everyone is going to see things the way I do, and that I don't have to agree with someone to treat them with grace. Maybe it's learning not to let someone's behavior dictate the condition of my own heart.

And that's not always easy for me.

I know what it's like to be hurt by people, and I know how easy it can be to decide that keeping your distance is the best way forward. Sometimes it is. But I don't want my past experiences to make me so quick to walk away that I miss opportunities to show the patience and grace God has shown me.

The truth is, I'm still learning. I know God has helped me grow in forgiveness, but I also know He isn't finished working on my heart when it comes to bearing with others.

And maybe that's the point I need to remember most. God continues to be patient with me while I'm learning, growing, and getting things wrong. He doesn't expect me to have everything figured out overnight, and I need to remember that other people are works in progress, too.

I'm not saying this is something I've mastered. Far from it! But I want to be more mindful of how I respond when people disappoint me, frustrate me, or do things I don't agree with. I want to be willing to ask God to help me respond differently instead of automatically choosing to distance myself.

After all, I can be thankful for the grace God has extended to me while still learning how to extend that same grace to others.

I may not be where I want to be in this area, but I'm thankful God isn't finished with me yet.

Next Gen Different

Next Gen Different 

Scot and I both feel this way when it comes to Tim. Our desire is to see him surpass what we've accomplished in our own lives and build an even better life for himself and the generations that will come after him.

Don't get me wrong. We've lived a great life so far! God has blessed us in so many ways, and we've been able to support Tim, not only emotionally but also financially, in the things he's pursued throughout his young life.

One of the greatest blessings Scot and I have experienced is being able to show up for Tim in ways that our own families weren't always able to show up for us. It wasn't for a lack of love or trying. They simply didn't have the same means or opportunities that God has allowed us to have. We're grateful for what they did give us, and we're equally grateful that we've been able to build upon what came before us.

That's what we want for Tim. We want him to have a stronger foundation, greater opportunities, and the freedom to pursue what God places on his heart. We want him to dream bigger, work harder, grow in his faith, and become the man God created him to be. We don't want him to feel limited by where we've been or by the things we may not have been able to accomplish ourselves.

We want him to go further.

And as he builds his own life, our hope is that he'll continue building upon what we've worked so hard to establish. Not just financially, but in his character, his faith, his relationships, and the way he treats others.

Because this isn't just about Tim. It's about the generations that will come after him.

The more we can build, steward wisely, and pass along, the more we can leave for those who follow us. An inheritance isn't just about money or possessions. It's also about the values we teach, the faith we live out, the work ethic we demonstrate, and the foundation we leave behind. We want the next generation to start from a place that allows them to go even further than the generation before them.

Proverbs 13:22 tells us that a good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children. That verse reminds me that what we're building today can reach far beyond our own lifetime.

That's what Next Gen Different means to us.

It's not about thinking we're better than the generations before us. It's about recognizing what we've been given, being thankful for how far God has brought us, and doing our part to make the path a little easier for those who come after us.

God has been faithful to us, and we want that legacy of faithfulness to continue through our family.

Our prayer is that Tim will take what we've given him, build upon it, and one day pass along something even greater to his own children and grandchildren.

Not because we expect him to follow in our footsteps, but because we want him to have the opportunity to go further than we ever did.

And if the generations after him can do the same, then what we're building today will have mattered long after we're gone.

That's the goal. That's the legacy. That's Next Gen Different.  

I Will Restore the Years the Locusts Have Eaten

In Joel 2:25, God was speaking to a people who had experienced tremendous devastation. He was calling them to return to Him and promising restoration after a season of loss. Their circumstances had been devastating, but their devastation would not have the final word.

Imagine working an entire year, planting the seed, tending the land, and looking forward to the harvest, only to watch it all disappear before your eyes. Everything you had worked for was gone in what seemed like the blink of an eye.

That was the reality for the people in Joel's day. The locusts had devastated their land, leaving them without the crops and provisions they depended on.

But there was more to this than the loss of a harvest. Joel used this crisis to call God's people to repentance and to return to the Lord with their whole hearts. He also warned them of the coming Day of the Lord, a time of divine judgment.

I think it's important to understand this context because Joel 2:25 isn't an isolated promise that every loss we experience will automatically be repaid. God's promise of restoration came within a message calling His people back to Him and reminding them of His mercy.

That doesn't mean every hardship we face is punishment for sin. We live in a fallen world, and painful things happen for many reasons. But we can take comfort in knowing that God is merciful, faithful, and present even when life doesn't unfold the way we hoped it would.

For the people in Joel's day, restoration meant more than getting their crops back. God promised to provide for them, remove their shame, and remind them that He was among them.

I tell you all of that to say this: God's restoration is not only about what we receive; it is also about knowing Him more deeply through the process.

What really stands out to me about Joel 2:25 is that God speaks of restoring the years the locusts had eaten. The devastation had consequences that reached far beyond a single growing season. The people had lost food, income, and the fruit of their labor. It would take time for the land to recover.

Yet God promised that those years of devastation would not define their future.

And that is where this verse speaks to my heart today.

How many of us have looked back over our lives and wished we could get certain years back? Maybe there were years spent in painful circumstances, years filled with fear or regret, or years when we felt stuck and couldn't see a way forward. Maybe we spent years waiting for prayers to be answered, or circumstances took opportunities we thought we would always have.

We can't go back and change the past. We can't reclaim every opportunity or undo every painful experience. But we can trust God with the years behind us and the ones still ahead of us.

He can bring healing where there has been hurt. He can give us a new direction when we feel lost. He can open doors we never expected and bring purpose out of experiences we would never have chosen for ourselves.

Sometimes restoration doesn't look like getting back what we lost. Sometimes it looks like becoming stronger in our faith, learning to trust God in a deeper way, or discovering that He was with us even when we couldn't see what He was doing.

And sometimes, restoration means realizing that the difficult years were not the end of our story.

I want to be careful not to suggest that God has promised to give us back every lost year in a literal or material way. That isn't what this passage guarantees. But I believe we can hold on to the truth revealed in this Scripture: our losses do not limit God's ability to work in our lives, and our past does not place Him beyond reach.

When I think about God's faithfulness, I'm reminded that He sees the whole picture when all we can see is the part we're living through right now. We may not understand why certain things happened or why some seasons lasted as long as they did. We may never have answers to every question.

But we can choose to trust the One who holds our future.

Maybe you are in a season right now when you feel as though the locusts have eaten away at your years. Perhaps you're looking at something you lost and wondering how anything good could possibly come from it.

I want to encourage you not to measure God's faithfulness by what you've lost. Instead, look to who He is.

The same God who called His people back to Him in Joel's day is still worthy of our trust. His mercy has not changed. His faithfulness has not changed. And even when restoration looks different from what we imagined, we can continue to seek Him and trust Him with what comes next.

We cannot rewrite yesterday, but we can give God our tomorrow.

Our past may be part of our story, but it does not have to determine how our story ends.

What a Freaking Blessing ❤️

This is exactly how I felt after spending last weekend at the Carolinas WSO Championships!

Whether Tim is lifting or we're sitting on the sidelines cheering on the athletes who are, we genuinely enjoy being there. There is something special about watching these young men and women step onto the platform, give it their all, and accomplish things they've worked so hard for.

But what makes these weekends so special to us goes far beyond the lifting.

It's the community.

One of the things I love most about the weightlifting community is how much they genuinely want to see one another succeed. When an athlete hits a personal record, makes a lift they've been chasing, or earns a medal, there is so much excitement and celebration. You see athletes cheering for one another, encouraging one another, and sharing in those special moments.

Of course, they're competing against one another, but there is no reason someone else's success can't be celebrated, too. Someone else's accomplishment doesn't diminish what you've worked for or what you're capable of achieving.

And I LOVE that!

We've seen how sports can sometimes become wrapped up in backbiting, comparisons, and negativity. That's one of the reasons this weightlifting community has been such a blessing to Tim. It has lifted him up in ways other sports never did. The encouragement, friendships, and support he has found along this journey have made a difference in him, not just as an athlete, but as a young man.

As his parents, that means more to us than words can adequately express.

Last weekend at the Carolinas WSO Championships, we weren't just there to watch a competition. We were there to cheer, encourage, reconnect with friends, celebrate accomplishments, and make more memories with people who have become such a meaningful part of our lives.

We love watching Tim's fellow athletes succeed. We love seeing the hard work pay off. We love the excitement that fills the room when someone makes a big lift. And we love being part of a community where people can compete against one another while still wanting the very best for each other.

That's what makes this sport so special to us.

At the end of the day, the weight on the bar matters, the personal records are exciting, and the medals are wonderful reminders of hard work. But the people, the relationships, the encouragement, and the memories made along the way? Those are the things that stay with you long after the competition is over.

So, yes, we came home exhausted after the Carolinas WSO Championships. But it was the kind of exhaustion that comes from spending a weekend doing something you love with people you love being around.

And honestly?

What a freaking blessing that is! ❤️

I'll take a weekend like that any day. The tired feet, the long days, the excitement, the laughter, the cheering, and all the memories are worth every bit of it.

We are so thankful for this weightlifting community and the role it has played in Tim's journey. We may have started this journey because of a sport, but we've gained so much more than that along the way.

And that's something worth celebrating!

Happy World Weightlifting Day!

Today is World Weightlifting Day, and as the mom of an Olympic weightlifter, this day means a little something extra to me.

When I think about weightlifting, I think about so much more than the weights being lifted on a platform. I think about the dedication, discipline, and determination it takes to become an athlete in this sport. I have watched Tim put in countless hours of hard work, push himself to reach his goals, celebrate victories, and face setbacks. I have also learned that sometimes the hardest part of being an athlete isn't the training itself, but having the patience and perseverance to work through the challenges that come with it.

Weightlifting has taught our family that success is about so much more than the number on the bar or the medals hanging on the wall. It's about the character built along the way, the lessons learned, and the person you become through the process.

I also think about the coaches who invest so much of themselves into their athletes. They do more than teach technique and help athletes get stronger. They encourage them, challenge them, believe in them, and help them see what is possible even when the road gets difficult.

Then there are the officials, volunteers, clubs, and everyone who works behind the scenes to make this sport possible. Their time and dedication help create opportunities for athletes to compete, grow, and pursue their dreams.

And, of course, there are the families. We may not be the ones standing on the platform, but we are right there alongside our athletes through the excitement of competition, the sacrifices required, the disappointments that sometimes come, and the moments that make all the hard work worthwhile. We celebrate their victories, hurt when they hurt, and pray for them through the challenges.

One of the things we, as a family, have come to appreciate most about weightlifting is the community. People from different backgrounds, different ages, and different walks of life come together because of a shared love for the sport. Athletes compete against one another, but there is also encouragement, friendship, and support that extends beyond the platform.

Watching Tim grow in this sport has allowed our family to be part of something bigger than just weightlifting. We have met wonderful people, watched athletes accomplish incredible things, and seen how much heart goes into pursuing a goal.

Today, we celebrate not only the athletes who step onto the platform, but also the coaches, families, volunteers, and everyone else who helps make this sport what it is.

Happy World Weightlifting Day to the entire weightlifting community! May you continue to lift one another up, both on and off the platform!

Tim's 1st Post-Op PT

Tim's 1st Post-Op PT  

Today was a really good day for Tim!

This morning, Tim had his first post-op physical therapy session with the baseball specialist his orthopedic doctor wanted him to see. Because of the type of injury Tim had, his doctor felt it was important for him to work with someone who specializes in the kinds of elbow injuries commonly seen in baseball players.

Going into this first session, we were hopeful that things would go well, but I don't think either of us could have anticipated just how encouraging the day would be!

Today's session went amazing! Tim was able to straighten his arm all the way for the first time in months, and the best part was that he was able to do it without any pain!

If you have followed Tim's journey with this elbow injury, you know how long he has struggled with being unable to fully extend his arm. There have been so many questions, appointments, and moments of frustration along the way. For an athlete who loves what he does and has worked so hard to get where he is, having something as simple as straightening his arm become a struggle has not been easy.

So, you can imagine the smile on his face when he realized he could finally straighten it without pain! He left PT smiling from ear to ear, and honestly, I don't blame him one bit. 😊

Of course, after months of dealing with this injury and the time he has had to take away from his normal training, Tim can already tell that he has lost a significant amount of muscle strength in his elbow and upper arm. He has some work ahead of him to rebuild that strength and get back to where he wants to be. But he is thankful to have this time to heal properly and give his body the opportunity to make a full recovery.

One thing I know about Tim is that he is determined. He has put so much time, discipline, and dedication into his sport, and I have no doubt that he will bring that same determination to his recovery. He knows that getting back to full strength will take work, patience, and consistency, and he is ready to put in the effort.

Of course, as his mom, watching today's progress makes me hopeful that he will be back to full strength before we know it! I know we still have to take things one step at a time and follow the doctor's and therapist's guidance, but seeing this kind of progress on his very first day of PT is so encouraging.

And if you could see Tim today, you would understand just how happy he is! He hasn't stopped straightening his arm since he left PT. 😂 He keeps moving it and testing it because he is just so excited to be able to do something that has been painful and difficult for so long.

Sometimes, it's the little things we take for granted that become the biggest blessings when we have to go without them. Something as simple as straightening your arm might not seem like a big deal to most people, but after months of pain and limited movement, it means the world to Tim.

We are so thankful for today's progress and for the people who are helping him along this journey. We know there is still work to be done, but today gave us another reason to be hopeful and reminded us that progress, even when it takes time, is worth celebrating.

We are taking this one day at a time, trusting the process, and thanking God for every bit of progress along the way. We know recovery is a journey, but today was a really good step in the right direction!

Here's to continued healing, rebuilding that strength, and getting Tim back to doing what he loves fast💨!