Shout Out! ::Pure Barre::

I can't talk highly enough about the work out that I have fallen in "burning"-love with! :) Pure Barre. A fusion of pilates and ballet.
Lift. Tone. And Burn, Baby Burn! It's a 45 minute full body workout that will flatten abs, lift the seat, tone your thighs and give you well-defined arms. It works every area a woman could want to work - arms, thighs, butt and abs. It's amazing and addicting. Each strength section of the workout is followed by a stretch section which will help achieve the slim look of a dancer. While my whole body is stronger and leaner, I can see the most difference in my thighs. They've always been my "problem, fat-gathering" area. I've never been able to achieve leaner, tighter thighs. I tried running 3-4x/wk, weight workouts 3-4x/wk and could not achieve the results I wanted like PB does. And the burn!! oh the burn!! it is like dark chocolate! you just want more and more. I have such a feeling of accomplishment after a "burn-session" and I've done my sweating for the day in 45 minutes!! I still try to run 2-3x/wk b/c it's a stress reliever for me but honestly PB is all you need to melt the fat. I own the original workout dvd which is no longer available on www.purebarre.com but can be purchased on amazon. It's the first dvd that comes up when you search "pure barre".

Carrie Rezabek Dorr (creator/founder) has since put out 5+ dvds and they are all great. Basically the same muscle groups worked in different ways. If you live in a city that has a PB studio, join! It is so encouraging to be in class with 20+ other women who are burning with you! It is a bit pricey so I recommend owning a dvd and taking one class/week. I look forward to the day PB comes to Columbus, GA! Two of my sorority sisters, Danielle Davis & Lindsay Lancaster own the studios in Birmingham and they are the ones who inspired me to try PB. I was hooked after the class I took from Lindsay! I wish I had a studio here to teach at but I'll continue to lift, tone, burn in my living room! So if you're looking for a great workout that's quick (but not easy) and effective, try Pure Barre.

work: a blessing

Back in April I was hired to work as the high school administrative assistant at Calvary Christian School. This job has been wonderful for me. I feel like it is tailored for who I am and that who I am is being tailored for this position. It's such a privilege to work around other believers. I have held jobs in the corporate world and in the christian business world and the difference is remarkable. (as it should be) I love the women and men I work around 40 hours a week and love the high schoolers I see roaming the hallways. We just finished teacher orientation week and talked about everything mentioned in the student and faculty handbooks. It was exhaustive but lots of great information. Our mission statement made me love this school even more. It says this:

Calvary Christian School exists to encourage students to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, develop a Biblical worldview, attain their individual academic excellence, and fulfill their God-given responsibilities in the home, church, and community.

I love the choice of words. "encourage" students. "attain" "individual" academic excellence, "responsibilities". Such great exhortation for our young, bright minds! The education world requires a lot of one's time and energy. I love our teachers and admire them so much for the endless hours they put in to give our students the very best educational experience they can receive. No one works at a Christian school because of the salary. Every teacher and staff knows that we would be paid twice what we make if working in the public school system. Every co-worker of mine is at Calvary because God wants them there and gave them a love for children. If you would've asked me a year ago what would make me most joyful, I would've said, "having a baby and being a mom". My response now is "serving the Lord joyfully in whatever capacity He has me". I feel like I'm right where He wants me to be. For now, my "children" are the 147 high schoolers.