Uncaged...Sounds Ferocious Doesn't It?

Hello Monday readers!!!! I just want to thank Lindsay for having me and allowing me to ramble on and on here!!! I have to say there's a different sort of pressure writing on someone else's platform but I'm up for the challenge. I will be posting a workout at the bottom of each post every Monday so look for it, enjoy it, let us know how it went.

I'm pretty infamous for falling asleep during movies. So much so that my sister doesn't really watch them with me anymore because I usually end up asleep 20 minutes in...I just can't help myself. So when a friend said to me that I had to watch the Lord of the Rings I scoffed a bit...I can't make it through 20 minutes how will I ever make it through the extended version trilogy? Well I happily can say, I MADE IT and I only fell asleep one time!!!

The movie was amazing, but there was one part that literally caused me to pause and journal the conversation between Aragorn and Eowyn...on a side note what a man eh??? I'm still single so I can look.... ;-) I'm getting back to it...sorry for the rabbit trail, I tend to do that often. Here is the exchange.

Eowyn: "I do not fear death or pain."

Aragorn: "What do you fear my lady?:

Eowyn: "A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accepts them. And all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire."

Aragorn: "You are a daughter of kings. A shield maiden of Rohan, I do not think that will be your fate."

As many of you know, and maybe some that do not I will inform you of her part in the story. There is a villain who cannot be killed by a man. As they ride to battle she disguises herself and goes to battle with the men and ends up killing the villain because a man cannot....but a woman could. Had she been afraid of death or pain she would not have gone. Had she been living in fear this villain would not have been overtaken. She was able to perform a task that otherwise could not be carried out by man. There are things that as women only we can do. There are dreams we dream because God placed them in us. He placed very specific ones in YOU. There are things in this world that YOU are called to do. Stepping out fearless, unafraid of death, unafraid of pain we must!!!

We as women were created to be mother's and wives. We will give birth to and raise good men, if we choose. We also can be great women who call out great men. And when I say call out I mean to fight for and call the best version of him forward. I do not mean nag him, criticize him, scrutinize him. I mean encourage, love, respect, honor, and tell him who he is....he's waiting and dying to hear it!!! As many of you know I am very single so you may think I don't understand but I heard someone once say, the truth is the truth whether or not you understand.

We are in the fight of our lives ladies. The enemy hates us and would like nothing more than for us to lived caged, confined, and imprisoned in our fear and insecurities. We just cannot be ok with it anymore. We were created strong, beautiful, confident, brave, fun...we are fun ladies. I challenge you to laugh and smile a little bit more today....sorry another random thought, they just keep coming so I'm just going to keep typing them.

We must be less afraid of the pain that may come with stepping out and doing the scary things. We must be less afraid of the death that may come to our old traits, old relationships, old habits. Pain and death can and will literally lead to freedom. An act of valor sounds like something that a man should do right? Well valor means boldness or determination in facing great danger, courage, or bravery. So I'm going to challenge you to an act of valor. Just keep in mind danger doesn't have to be anything death defying it could be even the danger felt when being vulnerable with another person. There can be danger of looking a little silly or making a fool of yourself. So here it is...an act of valor this week...what will it be? We want to know. So either email us something crazy you did or put it in the comments section.

You are a daughter of the King, you need not be afraid....wow I have watched entirely too much Lord of the Rings

Lu-the-uncaged-Crenshaw

For 10 minutes do:

1 Lunge, 1 Pushup, 1 Situp (all the way down and all the way up)

2 Lunges, 2 Pushups, 2 Situps

3 Lunges, 2 Pushups, 2 Situps and on and on for 10 minutes...you may make it as high as 12 or 13 rounds.

When you get to 10 minutes stop and rest for 3 minutes. At the end of the rest make your way back down.

If you made it to 12 rounds do 12 lunges, 12 pushups, 12 situps, 11, 11, 11...and so on!!!

Keep track of the time it took you to get all the way back down to 1. Keep a record of it then try it in a month and see how it goes.