When I began my gym search in February, I was prepared for the looks I would receive! One of my life’s simple pleasures is completely blowing people’s minds without cracking a smile while doing it. So, picture it: I go into a gym with my assistant and say I’m considering joining and want to look around. The person at the desk immediately looks at my able-bodied assistant which I meet with, “No, it’s me who would be joining.”

Jaw dropping confusion is on his face as he raises up from the desk to look at me from the waist down. Within one minute confusion turned to genuine panic and he seemed to develop a stutter! During the whole gym tour, I never so much as grinned … not even during his explanation of the abdominal crunching machine. “You put your arms…uh…uh…well…you would put your arms…”

Then, I visited Anytime Fitness where I was greeted by personal trainer, Drew Norton. All I got out of Drew was, “Wow! I’d love to work with you if you’ll let me!” Perfect answer to a crazy question!

Video to follow…..

Hello Living Limbless Faithful Followers!

It’s been a LONG while since I’ve added a new post. But it’s video time again! I’m recording the daily happenings of my life …. working out at the gym, traveling, presentations, and just being me! I stay pretty busy so video ideas should not be a challenge! Please excuse the rawness of me videoing myself!

Thank you for hanging in there with me. I’m looking forward to being back and I hope you enjoy it too!

I was born with what is officially known as quadrilateral tetra-amelia. However, it’s easier just to say I was born with no arms or legs. I can’t use prosthetic limbs because I have no partial limbs to which they could attach. So, I use a power wheelchair for mobility that I steer with my shoulder. I write with a pen in my mouth and type with a stick.
Out of necessity and confusion, I began communicating with God at five years old. I accepted His Son as my Savior at thirteen. I have often said that if I ever write an autobiography, I will title it after the sentence I have spoken more than any other in my life, “I was born this way.” Recently that sentence has come to take on a new meaning for me. I have come to realize that the Lord has blessed me with a resilience that is truly remarkable. I used to think that it was wrong, if not outright arrogant, to acknowledge my inner strength. I saw glimpses of it when healing from a broken heart or bouncing back from a disappointment. But I had never before allowed myself to affirm it. That is, not until I came to truly understand it’s source.
Our ability to live our lives to the fullest no matter what our circumstances is our gift from God. It doesn’t come from us. The ability to find the joy in being in a crowd at Christmastime, the strength to make peace with past mistakes, and the love it takes to forgive ourselves and others all comes from our Lord. It is not ours to boast about, but it is ours to use. My wish is for everyone to see this for themselves as well. I believe that if we claim to know the Lord as our Savior, it is our responsibility to use and share every bit of joy, love and strength we can muster up each day. God knew I would need these attributes within myself to navigate this life that He has given me.
So, I am strong. I am resilient. I was born this way. And so were you.

And here’s the finished product:

For more details, see my blog post, Dirt Between Your Teeth!

See Blog Post: Hands Free Make-Up Application