Tag: jiu-jitsu

A Fair View

On By mygodroomIn blessings, gratitude, Leverage, marriage, obedience, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Thank you, Jesus, for letting me breathe deeply today.

It’s after six and other than placing an order earlier, this is the first time I’ve touched the computer. Of course, I am running straight to My God Room to chat with you in writing. Still, I appreciate the way you navigated this day for me in photos and images.

Struggling with this letter and website hasn’t been a typical struggle. It feels like it’s meant to be this way for reasons I just don’t see yet. You showed me a bajillion words and feelings in some key photos. Perhaps the most loving way to explain “Why the BPC White Belt” is to pick 12 photos to represent the heart of what you are showing me. At present, there are more than twelve and I trust you will be the Grand Master of Editing, as well.

Thank you for keeping me so incredibly busy for YOU and for giving my writing a necessary rest. You know exactly how you wired me. You’ve had me creating, pondering, praying and simply loving everyone on my path. Today, you connected me to Brittany, mom of four, and let me meet her sweet kiddos, Sage and Ryman. Thank you for her sweetness, honesty and willingness to consider how Jiu-jitsu may be a great solution to benefit her. What a wonderful day it’s been at CV with our customers. Maurice’s smile and KO talking about his five years of BJJ before hip replacement last year. I praise you for all of it.

I believe you closed our Smyrna Community Vapor so I would find my jiu-jitsu community at One Nation Jiu-Jitsu. You know how grateful I am for everyone there. I am still closing my eyes from time to time to remember how radiant Mushaffa’s face was two weeks ago. Somewhere, I have written about it but I don’t think it ever got posted in here. In short, to be witness to the spark which was evident on Mushaffa’s beautiful face when a move clicked was encouraging to me. I know she has only been rolling about three weeks more than I have. In short, it was humbling and exciting in the same breath. It felt good to miss her last Sunday and yet pray she and her sweet family had a blessed trip to Costa Rica. I’m looking forward to seeing all the women at class tomorrow.

You’ve given me a full week without writing here for your good purposes. I may not know all of the details yet, but the one thing that is crystal clear is that there will be a very public letter to serve as the landing page of Jiu-Jitsu Wilderness. #ISWYDT.

Letters, letters, and more letters. Hey, Hey Hey—-I remember it is the fifth letter in Hebrew and in YHWH’s name.

You do like to teach me things based on things you’ve had me to write down. I just learned there are roughly 442 public posts in the entirety of My God Room, spanning nearly ten years. I’ve just had my eyeballs attacked by counting how many posts since May 8.

Holy Mother of Pearl and Praise you, Father God! You are the Master of the Universe and clearly the Master of My God Room.

Considering I haven’t posted anything in 8 days, this is still my 19th post in November. There were 48 in October. You CLEARLY had me busy. That is 67 in the past two months alone.

Add another 20-September, 13-August, 25-July, 29 in June and 5 in May. That is another 92.

159 posts since May 8.

Yippee! More than 33 percent of “My God Room” has been posted since May 8. I am not surprised. You know me, Jesus. I’m giddy each time you teach me anything. But in nearly ten years, I don’t think I’ve ever posted this much in such a relatively short time. I know mathematically it’s closer to 35 percent. I am keeping in line with “dropping the 2” here. #YESSiR

Father God, thank you for cranking my spirit the way you did on May 8. It is proof to me that there are “good cranks”. 🤣🤣🤣 I won’t be using that language tomorrow at One Nation Jiu-Jitsu, as this is between us. Thank you teaching me to “drop the 2” and the pure gem you gave me in Lamentations 3:58. I love you.

Psalm 137:4

On By mygodroomIn blessings, gratitude, Leverage, obedienceLeave a comment

137.44 was a really important number yesterday in our business. It stood out immediately and the Lord made it clear enough that I couldn’t ignore it. He nudged me straight to Psalm 137, and specifically verse 4:

“How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?”

And the moment I read that, I felt it. Not sadness—clarity. This wasn’t about sales. It was about assignment, and about how some things in life just quietly shift seasons without making a big dramatic announcement.

Fast-forward to today. I pull into One Nation Jiu-Jitsu, listening to Zahira Zachary singing “Stay” from my iTunes library—already deep in worship, already soft in my spirit—and when my Bluetooth disconnected as I parked, the exact same song was playing on the radio.

If that wasn’t a Godwink, then I don’t even know what qualifies anymore.

Inside the gym it was Q&A day. Tyrone and Matt were there, Geo was teaching as the black belt, and Jaden popped in. Coach Sadie and Coach Sam were around too. I watched them drill getting out of an anaconda and a couple of other tight spots, and then I asked my question about shrimping—the way your hips need to rotate, the angle, the mechanics. And I actually got a great answer. That’s something I need to drill again.

Then came the moment:
“Carol, do you want to roll today?”

And yes, of course I wanted to.
But I told them the truth. My plan is to roll on Sundays and Mondays, take Tuesday through Thursday to heal, and then come on Fridays and just feel it out.

Coach Sam said, “That’s wise.”
Not “wise for 57.”
Just… wise.

Right there, between the Godwink in the car and the confirmation on the mat, Psalm 137 started making sense. It wasn’t God saying, “Stop singing.” It was God saying something else to me.

There are times in life where the Lord lets you hang your harp—not in defeat, but in obedience. Not because the music is over, but because the location of the song is changing.

And then, as I sat with it, He brought me to the very last line in Psalms:

Psalm 150:6 — “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”

Psalm 137 is the moment the song pauses.
Psalm 150 is the moment the breath returns.

Yesterday felt like Psalm 137.
Today felt like Psalm 150.

Breath.
Clarity.
Rest.
Strength.
Direction.
A new song rising.

And all of it—from the strange sales number, to Zahira Zachary singing in stereo, to the wisdom on the mat—was the Lord saying:

“Daughter, you’re not in the foreign land anymore.
Breathe.
Move wisely.
Walk in the pace I give you.
And let everything that has breath in you—praise Me.”

Exactly the plan as I enter the quotes into a standard format. Thank you, Jesus.

BPC-157

On By mygodroomIn blessings, obedienceLeave a comment

In between getting my messy nightstand cleaned off and other tasks, I hopped on Facebook and shared about my cousin “retiring from retirement”. 🤣🤣🤣

I clicked to join a jiu-jitsu Facebook Group and there was a post which delved into injuries in the comments.

I bumped into something called BPC-157 and had to laugh. Come on, I AM the Original Blonde Polish Chick!

I am ONE 57 year old Blonde Polish Chick who loves to help others in healing. I am just beginning at One Nation Jiu-Jitsu and I am recovering from rolling Sunday and Monday.

I am PEP Personified and now I learn 15 peptides use BPC to define them!

Three fives. Threes and fives. Jesus has rhythm no doubt.

And honestly, the more I read, the funnier it got.
People in the Phoenix MMA/BJJ world are swearing by this little peptide for inflammation, tendon repair, gut healing — basically everything short of resurrecting your dignity after being pancaked by a purple belt half your size.

Laughter is fantastic medicine. Still, His Word is salve to any wound. Let’s go straight to Scripture.

There is only one verse 157 in the entire Bible, and it is in Psalm 119:157.

One verse numbered 157, in the longest chapter of Scripture, and it is about standing firm under pressure without abandoning what God has said.

Then the “old Ronco commercial” strikes again and I am nudged to wait because “there is MORE!” What about the fifteenth chapter and 7th verse? What about the first book with 57 verses?

For clarity, it’s NEVER a bad idea to hunt everything down in scripture.

John 15:7 says, “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

This is the verse of abiding, alignment, and answered prayer — the heart posture of staying close enough to hear Him and bold enough to ask.

Romans 15:7 says, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

This is the verse of community, hospitality, and belonging — exactly the message that has been echoing through everything we are building for the JJ Wilderness project.

Proverbs 15:7 says, “The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not steadfast.” This is the verse of wisdom, discernment, and the responsibility to speak truth with clarity and intention.

Luke 1:57 says, “Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.” This is the verse of divine timing, fulfilled promise, and the birth of a calling long prepared.

Suffice it to say I have accepted my calling of 44 years at an exponentially deeper level. I am within weeks of delivering this little “creative baby” to the world.

All of them together — Psalm 119:157, John 15:7, Romans 15:7, Proverbs 15:7, and Luke 1:57 — form a pattern: standing firm, abiding deeply, building community, speaking wisdom, and stepping into the moment God has appointed.

And, maybe, just maybe, because Divine Humor is one of His Love Languages with me, He flipped the script and this appeared. of all the chapter seven and verse fifteens, this is the one He chose for me.

Thank you, Grand Master Jesus.

Jiu-Jitsu Wilderness

On By mygodroomIn blessings, gratitude, Leverage, obedienceLeave a comment

There is no way on earth I could ever explain how God chooses to use me. I have written many times how Jesus love, love, LOVES to get me carried away with Him whenever I am isolated. More on that later. The point is the Holy Spirit moves mightily in me and through me whenever my husband is out of town.

Jiu-Jitsu Wilderness was “electronically born”around 2 am Sunday morning. By that. I’m I mean I purchased the websites around 2 am. As I am following wherever the Spirit leads, I need to pause the floodgates and catch my breath. Just breathe. The inception was on Saturday, as I was pondering how my earthly father would have been celebrating his 81st birthday “in three days”.

Suffice it to say that the Spirit showed me gifts He has given me and how I am to share those gifts His Way. That’s about as clear as I can get until certain steps are completed.

To say I am excited to share a gift with One Nation Jiu-Jitsu would be an understatement of epic proportions.

Despite being exhausted (yet highly energized in Spirit), I went to church without Mark yesterday. Obedience is KEY for me. I heard the best sermon possible about DIRT and truly felt Gen 2:7. We sang Trust and Obey and boy, oh boy, #ISWYDT

No doubt, It hit deeper to realize God literally breathed life into humanity. God didn’t do that for anything else, only for humanity. It’s beyond precious and powerful to me. I’ve known He was the breath in my lungs for a long time—- just felt it in palpable manner yesterday. It was invigorating. 💜✝️💜

Praise God!!! Praise, Praise and more Praise! #MOLA

Seriously, think about it with me. If the Earth shifted even a single degree on its axis—- our seasons, climates, oceans, and habitability would all be dramatically altered. Everything we call ‘normal’ depends on a razor-thin margin of balance — and Colossians 1:17 tells us exactly Who holds that balance together.

In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, leverage changes everything.

One inch, one angle, one shift of weight. And the universe works the same way. A single degree of tilt would undo life on Earth… yet He holds it steady. He is the Master of leverage. The One who keeps every angle exact so that we can stand, breathe, and roll. That’s My Jesus in his “red” belt…the FIRST and LAST GrandMaster in everything.

Invigorated as I was yesterday, of course I went to ONJJ yesterday, as well. What a difference one week and seven days can make in a persons life! My song, “Stay” found me on the way to the gym. I did manage to post about that as soon as class was over. When the Lord delivers a song the way He does with me, it must be honored. I think I posted it from the parking lot at the gym! From that same parking spot, Mark floored me in the best way —-he was already at the airport!

So why did my husband leave me in the Jiu-Jitsu Wilderness?

I wish my facetiousness and humor translated better here. Let’s just say I am a safe driver but my household has jokes about my driving and especially, my parking. 🤣. We’ve got nearly fifteen years of jokes about him leaving me or staying for the dog. We are silly and playful, indeed. In all seriousness, My sweet Gingerbeard Man left town to drive a U-Haul to a Wisconsin for our former employee (forever CV Family member), Jenn. It was the best gift we could offer her after twelve years of faithful service.

Facts? I am not fearful of anything except Holy Wrath. That said, I would not be comfortable driving a 20-26 foot loaded U-Haul and towing a car from Tennessee to Wisconsin, or anywhere else. It’s not my strength and my husband is the best driver I have ever known. We love Jenn and it was clear that our gift needed to be from our heart and God-given talents.

Mark made the drive joyfully, despite his exhaustion from our extra early Saturday morning commitment at Creekmont Church. We love our new church so much, he insisted on being present and then opening the shop for me. He knew I needed rest and he protects me (and the world 🤣) from “hyped up Carol”. Mark wasn’t upset that the Good Lord knocked me out so hard, I didn’t wake until after 3. He never said it was my fault for his late departure of 4:18—he was thrilled I received the true rest I needed.

My husband serves in so many ways like this one. One of my soul sisters, JoJo, knows we have jokes about his “Apostolic actions”, as well. Mark has helped her a few times with various “man tasks” around her home. He loves helping others and JoJo is always so authentic in her gratitude. Heck, Mark even gifted her some Eagle Rare Bourbon for her retirement party last year. He has such a generous heart and spirit!

Anywho, Mark left Saturday at 4:18 pm and was safely home 27 hours later. I picked him up shortly after 7:18 last night and we stopped to split a fantastic steak dinner.

While I have SO MANY BLESSINGS to write out and share, I am just tickled he was blessed to come home a day early. I sleep better when he is home, in general. But, I confess I was thrilled for several reasons and equally excited how he was blessed with no charge for cancelling a hotel reservation with less than an hour or two notice and for finding 95 dollars he forgot about on Venmo- how Jenn chose to pay for the gas and his airline ticket. And, bonus blessings like the flight attendant looking at his 6’5” frame and graciously telling him he was welcome to his favorite emergency section seating.

The extra added bonus blessings for me was being able to be present at ONJJ with Mushaffa and Miss Vee today. As this post has run quite long, there will be a separate post today to honor what God did at the gym.

What a GEM!

Thank you, Jesus, for this Jiu-Jitsu Wilderness with you. I praise YOU for all the colors, beauty, grace and my current position. I love, love, LOVE having your seatbelt around me. I love you. 💜✝️💜

Jesus Has My Back

On By mygodroomIn gratitude, Isaiah, Leverage, obedienceLeave a comment

This morning, I flipped to Isaiah 22–23—pages in my Bible that had never been marked, which is rare for me. And as soon as my eyes landed on the words, “You saw the breaches in the wall…” something in my spirit stirred. Breaches. Blind spots. Exposed places. The kinds of openings in jiu-jitsu that an opponent takes instantly.

Isaiah 22 is a picture of vulnerability—cracks in the defenses, unseen angles, places where we try to fix things ourselves. But the Spirit whispered, “Daughter, you do not guard your own back. I do.” Then chapter 23 shifts the tone completely. From judgment to sovereignty. From exposure to restoration. It is Yahweh saying:

“I see the openings. I see the places you cannot protect. And I will be the One who stands behind you.”

Not an accident.

Not a coincidence.

A setup.

Later, the Lord gave me a song—“Stay” by Zahriya Zachary—and as soon as I heard it, I felt the seatbelt.

That secure, unbreakable hold in jiu-jitsu when someone takes the back with intention, with closeness, with stability. The moment the song said, “If my head’s on Your chest, I can hear Your heartbeat,” it felt like the exact pressure of an arm across the shoulder. Then “If my hand’s in Your hand,” felt like the underhook that completes the seatbelt.

The whole song is a spiritual rear-mount revelation:

He closes the space between us He breathes life into me He anchors me He guides my movement He knows my soul He holds me with no holding back

This is the ultimate jiu-jitsu metaphor:

Jesus has my back.

And not loosely.

Not casually.

Not “spiritually symbolic.”

But in the most real, embodied way—like an instructor settling behind you to protect, to steady, to teach.

In jiu-jitsu, the back is the power position.

It is the safest place for you and the most dangerous place for whatever opposes you.

It is control, guidance, protection, and presence.

It is where the breath is felt most closely.

It is where trust is necessary and surrender is holy.

And today, the Lord gave me a picture of Himself taking my back with a perfect seatbelt grip—an embrace that says:

“I see every breach. I know every blind spot. You don’t have to defend what you can’t see.

Stay close to Me. Stay tethered.

Let My heartbeat steady you. Let My breath fill your lungs. I’ve got you.”

Isaiah 22 exposed the walls.

Isaiah 23 showed the restoration.

And the song “Stay” wrapped it all in the reminder:

“This is the gift of My great love—so stay.”

Stay close.

Stay tethered.

Stay held.

Stay in the position where He guides your movement and guards every unseen angle.

I love that my Savior has such a sense of humor.

He knew exactly how to speak to me today—

in the language of breath,

the language of the mat,

the language of intimacy,

the language of grappling,

the language of a daughter learning a new art and a new obedience.

Jesus has my back.

And because He does, I will stay.

Thank you, Jesus! Thank you for ONJJ. Please use Jiu-Jitsu Wilderness for YOUR GLORY.

The Fourth Mat

On By mygodroomIn gratitude, obedienceLeave a comment

Today was my fourth time on the mats at One Nation Jiu-Jitsu. Tyler was teaching and it is Q&A day — which meant the room felt open, curious, and full of little moments where someone else’s question unlocked something in me. Six men, myself, and the instructor… but I never once felt out of place.

I was completely present.

When drilling time came, Tyler paired me with Isam and Sterling. Isam is a pinch shorter than me but far stronger and Sterling would be considered a heavyweight. Both were helpful and I felt no discomfort or awkwardness.

To me, jiu-jitsu feels like a sacred dance, where bodies become teachers and breath becomes instruction.

The drill was one I hadn’t seen before: someone lifts one of your legs and controls it. The instinct is to panic or freeze, but the technique teaches calm pressure. You take your hands and squeeze inward toward their elbows, arms, even their shoulders — not to hurt, but to create just enough space to recover your balance. That tiny moment of relief is where the “step” happens. You plant your other foot, rotate, and it’s almost like opening a door and then slamming it shut as you step back and pull free.

A simple movement… but full of metaphor.

Something else caught my eye: head placement matters. Watching the more experienced men drill, it was a good question for me to understand the basic rules of head placement.


If I’m holding someone’s right leg, my head should align under their right armpit. That positioning protects both partners and gives structure to the movement. I noticed the larger partner had drifted his head off to the side, so I asked Tyler about it — and he confirmed the importance of alignment.

Form matters. Intention matters. Structure matters.

I learn best by watching first. If I anchor the instructor’s form in my mind before I try it, my body follows more naturally. That was especially true today.

I drilled with Isam and Sterling and it was wonderful.

There is such kindness in the way God keeps showing me His heart on these mats. Strength that doesn’t overpower. Instruction that disciplines without shaming. Brothers who partner respectfully without hesitation. A space where I get to learn, grow, and be sharpened — and also show up fully as the woman He is forming.

I want to keep marking these days, because each one teaches me something that will find its way back into this book that isn’t done yet — this book God is still writing in real time on the mats, in my heart, and in the lives He keeps intersecting with mine.

One step, one sweep, one turn —
and doors keep opening and closing under His hand.

And one more thing…

When I left the gym and headed home, I called my husband. I needed to get ready for an appointment before going into the shop, and I just wanted to check in with him.

The first thing he said was, “You always sound so happy when you leave that place.” Then he repeated the same sentiment in different words.

His confirmation matters to me.
He is my spouse — my covenant partner, my witness, my encourager. And hearing his voice recognize the joy in mine… it touched something deep.

The Lord keeps affirming this path through so many voices — even the ones closest to home.

As an added bonus, I really dig the rapper, NF, as Tyler shared a video that had over 650k views since last night. The song is called FEAR and it moved me. I think the last rap song that moved me is more than 20 years old from Eminem. 🤣

I just looked and now there are over a million views in less than 24 hours.

God is so good Thank you, Jesus, for a glorious day!

Mat Three:Observation

On By mygodroomIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today was such a beautiful Wednesday. I went to get my hair done and had the sweetest, most meaningful conversation with Becky—my dear friend, my hairdresser, and the pastor’s wife at our church. Every visit with her feels like a little ministry moment—two hearts sharing stories, laughter, and faith.

Today was in particularly different in that I shared my Messianic experience when I learned Becky’s sister and three of her daughters are Messianic.

I didn’t have enough time to warm up and roll at jiu-jitsu today, but I still went and observed. And honestly, it felt like a spiritual experience just to watch. I saw how intention was born on the mat—how every shift of weight, every exchange of energy carried its own story. When partners switched, the entire rhythm changed—body type, flow, and balance transforming the interaction completely.

The loving way they taught and corrected one another reminded me so much of how the Lord disciplines us—not in harshness, but in love. Gently guiding, refining, shaping us through each encounter until strength and grace meet as one.

Even without stepping on the mat, I left feeling deeply connected—part of something living and breathing, a quiet lesson unfolding before me. Sometimes the holiest thing we can do is simply observe, and let His Spirit show us what we might have missed in motion.

Thank you, Jesus! As I wore my ONJJ “Positive Energy Activates Constant Energy” purple Tshirt- I must smile and giggle a pinch as the Blonde Polish Chick I am. The tshirt spells PEACE upside down. I see what you did there. #ISWYDT. I love you.

Not Forrest Gump’s Shrimping

On By mygodroomIn gratitude, Leverage, obedience, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today was only my second class at One Nation Jiu-Jitsu. There is much to unpack.

BJJ Technique Focus: Shrimping (Hip Escape)

The shrimp, or hip escape, is one of the first movements every Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu student learns.
From your back, you press one foot into the mat, lift your hips, and slide them sideways while curling onto one shoulder.

The goal is to create space between you and the pressure holding you down. It looks small—but it’s the move that keeps you from being crushed.

I just learned that shrimping is an escape method and scooting can be offensive or defensive option.

Shrimping teaches that survival doesn’t come from strength. It comes from angle, timing, and breath.
You don’t fight pressure head-on; you shift, realign, and make room to breathe.
It’s the language of escape written into the mat.

⸻

📖 Scripture

“You brought me out into a spacious place; You rescued me because You delighted in me.”
— Psalm 18 : 19

⸻

💭 Reflection

When I shrimp, I feel it in my ribs first—breath meets resistance.
Every inch of space feels earned.
And that’s what the Spirit does inside us: He gives us room where the world tries to press us flat.

Sometimes God doesn’t lift the weight immediately.
He teaches us to move under pressure without losing peace, to shift our hips instead of panic, to create a little grace-space before the breakthrough.

The shrimp reminds me that freedom isn’t always dramatic; it’s often quiet, rhythmic, and deliberate.
Each small escape becomes worship in motion—breathing, turning, trusting.

⸻

🕊️ Coach Jesus Says

“When life pins you down, don’t freeze.
Breathe. Turn toward Me.
I’ll show you where the space is.
It’s not running away—it’s moving wisely.”

⸻

✨ Golden Nugget

“He sets my feet in a spacious place.” — Psalm 31 : 8
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” — 2 Corinthians 3 : 17

Shrimping is the gospel in motion—
God teaching us how to make space for grace when the weight of the world presses in.

That’s how it feels today.

Thank you, Jesus. I love you.

Seatbelts and Safety

On By mygodroomIn blessings, gratitude, Leverage, obedience, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I went to my second jiu-jitsu class today. Sadie and Sam were there, as was Mushaffa. It was helpful to hear Mushaffa’s growing process with BJJ. In fact, it was so encouraging, I went ahead and paid through December 15.

My husband fully supports me taking these classes. Added bonus- It was a stellar deal and provided me a tshirt, ONJJ Irreverent compression shirt and shorts.

This was the photo taken yesterday, maybe a minute or two after Mushaffa left.

Today’s class was four women and 11 men. While I observed them all rolling, My favorite lessons came from watching Mushaffa with Sadie and Sam with a male professor.

Truly, every person has a different style which makes sense based on body type. I love there is isn’t a “one size fits all” when it comes to “good jiu-jitsu”. What is “good” is indeed a very individual variable.

BJJ Technique Focus: Seatbelt

For things like definitions, it seems wise to use BJJ accepted definitions. To that end, I read several and this is the gist:

The seat belt is the foundation of back control.
One arm threads over the shoulder, the other under the arm. Hands clasp palm-to-palm across the chest as you press heart-to-back. Your head stays tight beside theirs; your chest follows their spine.

It’s called the seat belt because it keeps you connected through chaos.

Nudged to learn if anyone particular in BJJ made it famous and this was the response:

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), the seat belt control position was popularized by Marcelo Garcia. While the grip itself may have existed in various grappling arts before, Garcia integrated it into a highly effective, modern system of attacks and transitions, making it a standard and essential part of the BJJ arsenal. 

Even if your opponent rolls, twists, or bucks, you stay attached—anchored, calm, and ready.

My life verse is Galatians 6:9: “And let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give up.”

I see how it applies here. #ISWYDT.

Control before victory. Connection before submission.

⸻

📖 Scripture

“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
— Philippians 3 : 12

Greek katalambanō = to seize firmly, to grasp with purpose.

⸻

💭 Reflection

When I learned the seat belt, it felt less like domination and more like devotion.
One arm over the shoulder—the arm of authority.
One arm under the heart—the arm of compassion.
Together they hold without harming, guiding without forcing.

That’s how God holds me.
He doesn’t choke me into obedience; He secures me into peace.
If I thrash, I lose connection.
If I breathe, I feel His rhythm.

The seat belt teaches me that staying connected is stronger than any submission.
Control comes through closeness, not power.

⸻

🕊️ Coach Jesus Says

“My grip on you isn’t to choke—it’s to keep you from falling.
I’m behind you in every scramble.
Breathe. Stay connected. I’ll guide you through.”

⸻

✨ Golden Nugget

“Your right hand upholds me.” — Psalm 63 : 8
“No one can snatch them out of My hand.” — John 10 : 28

His hold is holy.
The safest place on the mat—and in life—is under His seat belt of grace.

Jesús, thank you for getting me through the first two classes. Thank you for encouraging my husband to make me rest today. Getting to spend the whole afternoon with you has been beautiful.