What if redefining your relationship with exercise could transform your life? Nicoletta Bradley, founder of Noble Fitness Ministry, shares her compelling journey of overcoming an eating disorder and societal pressures to embrace a life rooted in faith and resilience. Her story takes us through a challenging broken engagement that propelled her to create a space where women can redefine body image and self-worth beyond physical appearance. Nicoletta's retreats combine fitness and Bible study, providing a holistic approach to healing and growth.
Exercise isn't just about weight loss or fitting into societal norms—it's about joy and self-care. Nicoletta's perspective challenges conventional views, encouraging us to see exercise as an expression of love and identity. By sharing personal anecdotes, like preparing for an endurance race, she highlights the importance of balance and understanding one's motives. This episode dives deep into the cultural pressures we face and the liberation that comes with embracing our unique identities and trusting in a higher purpose.
Vulnerability is the key to authentic connections and personal growth. Nicoletta's retreats emphasize the importance of creating spaces where women can express themselves freely, shedding societal and self-imposed constraints. By focusing on truth and love, participants can discover a sense of freedom that transcends any diet or exercise plan. This episode is a testament to the power of community, vulnerability, and the transformative journey of finding one's identity and healing through faith. Join us as we explore how embracing vulnerability can empower and liberate us on our path to personal growth.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
In this episode of Restoration Beyond the Couch, dr
Lee Long welcomes NicolettaBradley, founder of Noble
Fitness Ministry.
Nicoletta's journey frombattling a 20-year eating
disorder to thriving in thefitness industry has inspired
many women to overcome harmfulbody image narratives.
Through her non-profit, shehelps women transform their
(00:25):
views on body, exercise and foodthrough a biblical lens,
championing authenticity andtrue self-worth.
Nicoletta also co-hosts theCall Her Holy podcast, offering
a biblical perspective on topicssuch as body image, singleness
and dating.
Don't miss this insightfulepisode.
(00:46):
Your path to mental wellnessstarts here.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Welcome, Nicoletta.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Hello.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I'm so glad you're here.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Thank you for having me.
I'm so excited.
Oh, my gosh, me too.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So when I learned about what you do and your
mission, I got so excitedbecause in my mind, in my
beliefs, in my world, identityis at the core of all things
that we do.
Yep, core.
(01:27):
I believe that identity is atthe core of attunement, because
if I'm not attuned first to meand understand who I am, then I
don't know how to then attunetoward you.
Yeah, therefore, attachment isimpossible.
So when I understood the waythat you approach identity and
with the group that you use toapproach it, I got so fired up.
(01:48):
So thanks for being here.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Come on, I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Awesome.
So tell us about Noble Fitnessand where did that come from?
Your background, who you are,and I'm giving you like a whole
lot of but take it, my friend,and go Gosh Okay.
Well, thank you for having meso excited to be in this space
and just to, I'm giving you likea whole lot of oh.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I can go for it, but come on but take it, my friend,
and go Gosh, okay.
Well, thank you for having meso excited to be in this space
and just to encourage whoever islistening to this podcast right
now.
Um, my name is Elena.
I'm originally from California,santa Barbara to be exact, and
full transparency.
My whole life I've battled areally bad eating disorder.
So I remember in third gradelooking in the mirror, hating
(02:24):
what I saw, and so I remember inthird grade thinking these kids
on the playground don't like me.
I need to figure out what'swrong with me, and I just
associated it has to be my body.
Wow.
And so and I mean third grade,that's pretty young, that's very
young.
I mean girls as young as fourare now struggling with body
image.
It's proven that women as youngas four years old are wanting
(02:46):
to lose weight, and so I justwas part of that demographic,
even though that was 20 yearsago.
I'm 32 now, and so that reallyled to my whole life believing
that my body was the problem andthe solution to being liked, to
having a guy like me to bepopular, popular to anything,
was fixed.
My body improve my life, wow.
(03:06):
And so I got to high school.
Big part of my story is even aguy verbalizing like if you were
just thinner you'd be hotter,and that triggered anorexia.
That triggers working withpersonal trainer.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
That led to bulimia, which then, getting to college,
led to a binge eating disorder.
Wow, and so really, truly havegone.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
whatever you, You've really run the gamut with it.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Yeah, I've done everything possible to get what
I think would satisfy and thehard thing is is I got it Like I
lost the weight, looked thepart and I never satisfied and
it was just chasing after thisthing, which I know we're going
to jump into the Bible andGenesis, but it's just the apple
that tells you, like me, justtake a bite, and once you get a
bite you'll have it and you'llbe satisfied.
(03:49):
But really got to college andthat's where I landed in eating
disorder counseling reallyseverely.
Never had to go to treatmentlike outpatient, but when I
graduated college after goingall through that, I was just
like I want to enter into aspace to encourage women to not
believe the lies.
I've believed my whole life andfor me that was fitness.
So if you're local to FortWorth, I worked at Zen 22 for
(04:12):
six years and my philosophy wasthere's 55 bikes in one room,
you are strapped in, I've got amicrophone attached to my head
and you can't leave and so Iwill preach all day long at why
your body's least importantthing about you and it was so
fun because I got to play musicdo these random crazy things on
a bike and remind women like youare loved, your body is
(04:37):
valuable, but it's not the mostimportant thing about you and
that just the lord allowed thatto then translate to personal
training and then did that.
And then COVID hit.
A big part of my story is abroken engagement, but that
really is what allowed me tolaunch into kind of what I'm
doing now.
But through that breakup Iended up starting my own
(04:58):
business during COVID and thengot pulled out of that, went to
seminary, graduated seminary.
It's like a church year longprogram, basically like seminary
to what I'm doing now which isNoble, and Noble is a fitness,
faith and body image ministrythat we basically believe in
putting on a workout followed bya Bible study or a lesson over
(05:19):
what does the Bible have to sayaround body image, fitness and
food.
Originally it wasn't Fort Worth.
We had rented out gyms.
We ended up pop's gym endurolab and we did these five-week
programs for college women, wedid for high school girls, we
did it for young adults um, wedid mother daughter at one point
and I bet that was powerful.
Oh, yes, that I mean my hopeand goal, which we are now no
(05:43):
longer doing the five-weekprograms and now we're doing
full-on retreats.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
In 2025, we will be putting on a mother-daughter one
that's so fascinatingly,amazingly awesome, because body
image and identity tends to spangenerations.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Oh, it's biological, it's genetics, it's literally
passed down.
My grandma had one, my othergrandma had one, my mom had one.
Like it is literally passeddown.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Yeah, because our, our traumas, which I mean a
third grader, a third grader,like I can't sit with that for
too long, otherwise I willprobably dissolve into tears
because I can't imagine a thirdgrader.
How old were you in third grade?
Eight, yeah, I mean.
Gosh.
I mean you should be worriedabout like sports, yeah, like
(06:30):
it's.
You know, like, am I going toget to swing on the swing or do
I get?
I have to have somebody to dothe seesaw with me, like, yeah,
like it's, it doesn't need to bethat complex.
Yeah, the other one.
So our traumas, like our traumas, settle in our DNA and so that
is traumatic and so, you'reright, it spans generations One
(06:50):
of the things that I think is sounique there's so many things I
think are unique about whatyou're doing but one of the
things that really highlights tome that's unique.
Having recovered from an eatingdisorder, often what you see is
someone who does not have agood relationship with fitness
(07:12):
and there's a lot.
There's sort of a tug of warthere, but you're like racing
headlong into it and making it areally foundational part of
your approach, because you thinkabout longevity, like we think
about longevity and how do welive longer and live better
lives, have better mental healthand fitness is part of it.
(07:35):
Yeah, movement weight, you knowlifting weights, you know those
types of things and you're notshying away from that.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Yeah, and I do want to caveat we just got done with
our first retreat in Waco.
So we've done a retreat forcollege women, young adults,
guys who went to Costa Rica forspring break in March of 2024.
And we just got back from Waco.
We had 60 women ranginganywhere from 20 to 30s, and we
had some women that are battlinga severe eating disorder.
(08:03):
I tread lightly into that spaceonly because I wouldn't say
that we're necessarily eatingdisorder ministry.
No, of course not.
We're a body image ministry,because I don't like we have
professionals that come andattend these retreats with us,
because I believe in the powerof Bible plus science plus
counseling.
There's so much going on withthat.
But there are women that wehave to make sure that they are
(08:25):
approved by their team andcounselors to be approved of
exercise.
To move, to move, because I knowthat there is.
I mean, you're not allowed toexercise if you're not eating.
That's right.
And so we had women that werein retreatment.
We had to get approval fromtheir team to get even allow
them on the trip.
But what I believe is thepurpose behind movement is that
(08:46):
it's an act of worship, it'shonoring to your body and we
have created something that theLord has given us for good and
taking it and turn it into bad,and it talks about in the New
Testament, for training is ofsome value, but godliness
training for godliness has beenfor this life and next.
And so the question is justlike, what are you doing?
You doing more?
Like?
Are you so focused on yourfitness routine?
(09:08):
Because, yes, this has valueand it's healthy to move, but
also culture and society hastaken fitness and turn it into
something that, if we don't hitthis amount of time and burn
this amount of calories and dothis type of workout, what are
you doing?
Because this is the type ofthing that you need to do to
look a certain way, I kind offlip it on top of his head of
(09:28):
going.
What do you like to do?
Like we are not supposed tolive this life consumed with
rules.
We're supposed to live thislife.
Come on, enjoy, love this.
And so what do you like?
And so some girls are saying Ilike to walk, but I know that
walking isn't as good as thistype of exercise.
It's like, no, what do youenjoy?
Because, even scientificallyspeaking, if we look at health,
(09:50):
you only need a moderateexercise for 20 to 30 minutes a
day, like moderate exercise, abrisk walk.
You will have health, you willlower your cholesterol, you'll
lower your blood pressure.
All these things will decreasejust by 20 to 30 minutes of
Brist.
And then, if you want to gointense, it's only three days a
week, that from 40 to 60 minutesof intense exercise that you
(10:12):
need to have health benefitsRight.
But Holter has made exercise asa means to weight loss, and
weight loss is a result ofapproval, identity, love, and so
I'm just trying to change it.
It was so powerful because Ihad amazing fitness trainers
come on this retreat to lead theworkouts and I told the girls
before they said they go, someof you will be frustrated after
(10:33):
this, some of you will go,that's it, and that's the point,
because that's all you actuallyneed.
And what if we restoredexercise to be something fun,
something that gives us energy,something that is enjoyable,
rather than something we areforced to do have to do in order
to maintain a body size that alot of you?
(10:54):
I always say this if your bodysize currently is a nightmare to
maintain, it might not be thebody size that your body feels
for intended for.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yeah, you know what's so interesting about this?
I love the way.
I love the way you'reconceptualizing this.
What's so interesting is Iremember, um, I was training for
a 50 mile race and I rememberthat's probably one of the
sickest times in my life.
I got pneumonia the week beforeI got a virus the week before I
(11:24):
was supposed to toe up on thestart line and like three or
four days before the start ofthe race, because I was just
going to run through it and Iwas like, wait, what am I doing?
And one of my friends who's aphysician.
She said you're going to getcancer If you do this to your
body, just like.
I'm going to pray that Godstrikes you with something that
prevents you from running and Iget pneumonia.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
I'm like thanks why.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
But I'm glad I didn't do it because it took me.
I'm not and again, I'm not.
I'm not saying and I don'tbelieve you're saying that doing
those longer, the you know, theendurance races and all that,
there's nothing wrong with that.
If anything, I think whatyou're proposing is let's take
the freaking judgment and thecondemnation off of all of this
(12:12):
and let's evaluate it for whatit was.
And I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed doing that.
But what I realized was Ididn't have enough recovery.
I was doing too many things atonce and it just took a toll on
my body and so it I think itbroke something inside of me.
And now it's that space ofsaying, okay, now what do I
enjoy?
And it's approaching it from aplace of not being condemning,
(12:34):
yes, of self, so that we can bemore curious.
Who are you?
Who are you designed to be?
Speaker 3 (12:41):
and I think it goes down to motives a lot of times
like why and I once again thatis tied to identity.
Because if you're working outbecause you need to lose weight,
that isn't actually a weightloss or a fitness problem, that
is an identity problem, becauseoftentimes, once again, my
ministry is called noble.
Here's why because when youbelieve that you're the daughter
(13:03):
of the most high king, that, Ibelieve, is the solution to
breaking free from body imageand insecurity.
And I always joke around thatif Prince William walked in this
room, he's not nervous aboutwhat people are thinking.
He knows who he is.
But if you are in Christ andyou know your identity, you have
the same confidence of goingman.
The God who split the red sea inhalf calls me his.
(13:25):
Why do I care what you thinkabout my body?
My king knit me together in mymother's womb intentionally, and
knitting is a long process.
He was intentional in the wayhe made you short or tall,
brunette or blonde,thick-thighed or thin-thighed.
There's so much to that andwhat I have seen from a woman
who has battled this my wholelife.
The only thing that has everset me free is believing in what
(13:51):
God says about me rather thanwhat culture demands of me.
And so, once again, going backto motives, we need to check
ourselves before we wreckourselves because you don't want
to say because, it just comesdown to motives.
My motives for working out formajority of my life was to train
my body because I didn'tbelieve I was enough.
And it's powerful when you takea step back and you check your
motors on everything and youstart to realize that if you fix
the problem of knowing youridentity is a problem, get that
(14:15):
right and then your security issecure and then exercise can
come from a place of man.
I love this.
I'm going to do this because itgives me the energy to run
around with my kids or whatever,but identity at its core is the
problem.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
If you are feeling the need to overexercise every
day but that might be a hot take, yeah, one which I agree with
and I love in the sense that wedo need to understand who we are
.
And I always say that, well,there's one and one only time
when Jesus answers a questionwith a direct answer, just once.
(14:54):
Every other time he answersinto the parable.
Yep, one time, and it was whenhe was asked by, he sent off the
Sadducees.
The Pharisee attorney comes andI always say, slithering, sorry
, everybody up to him and saysokay, rabbi, and the Greek says
that it's kind of a contentioustone, it's sort of a mocking
tone.
Okay, teacher, which of all ofthese laws and they were two
(15:17):
good scholars, they knew therewere 613 laws which of all these
613 laws is the greatest?
Even Mesa B, he says love,thank you, bono, is 613 laws.
Which of all these 613 laws isthe greatest?
He doesn't miss a beat.
He says love, thank you, bono,is the highest law for you, you
two fans, love is the highestlaw.
Love who first?
And then he creates a schematiclevel of your guy with our
heart, soul and mind.
And the second one is much likethe first that we would love
(15:39):
our neighbor.
And we stop.
That's not what he said.
Yeah, we would love ourneighbor, how, as ourselves, the
way we love ourselves.
So it's a, it's a, it's aninverted sentence.
Loving others is predicated onloving self.
So, truthfully, the God of theuniverse says love the Lord,
your God, love God, love God,love yourself, so that you have
(15:59):
the capacity to love others.
And I look at that in a way oflike how we form our worldview.
We have to have a set of values.
Okay, so you don't believe inGod.
Okay, you have to have a senseof value.
What do you value?
If you don't know what youvalue, you will not know what
you're utilizing to formulatewho you are.
(16:20):
So you have to have a sense ofvalues that you and I would say
we we believe in God.
Yeah, that's our sense of value,yeah, so everything we look
toward is that truth Next is nowbased on that truth.
Who am I?
Now we have a sense of identity.
(16:41):
Now we know where we are, nowthat I know that, now I know who
I am and what I might be ableto offer to you as an other.
And I think that thegenerations that are coming up
now, the Gen Z and themillennial generation, I think
you fall into those right and Ilike the millennial generation.
I think I think you fall intothose right.
(17:02):
I think that you all arebeautifully changing the
landscape of our world in a wayof vulnerability and a demand of
vulnerability which is what tome sounds like you're asking for
in noble is be vulnerable,explore, be curious, learn your
body.
Is be vulnerable, explore, becurious, learn your body.
(17:25):
If your body doesn't, uh, ifyou're not good at pull-ups,
okay, you're probably good atsquatting.
Yeah, like, find what you dowell and what you enjoy.
But you asking you, I thinkthis generation demanding
vulnerability, I think is reallybeautiful, because
vulnerability happens on theothers, like you know what I'm
saying by that.
It happens between you andanother, your neighbor.
(17:46):
Yeah, well, in order to bevulnerable, I have to have a
self.
Yeah, in order to have to havea self, I have to have values.
Yeah, in order to have values,I'm going to divide, going to
derive a self.
In order, when I have a self,I'm going to want to have
connection with another.
Yeah, and it's anyway it.
To me it's like this beautiful,like movement, totally, if you
(18:07):
tip it on its side.
To me it looks like a half pipe, because yes, half pipe yes,
and it's like we just keepmoving through the sense of
identity with one another.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
I think it's just healing yeah, and I think it's
so important because, for thosethat maybe don't have a faith, I
just I heard it was out for you, because what has changed this
and what changed all these womenthis weekend was in culture,
with weight loss, with bodyimage, with image, it's always
changing, right?
(18:36):
You know what I'm saying?
And it's a multi-billion dollar, and if they created this one
body that was decent, where theyaccepted everybody's okay, they
would lose multi-billion dollarbusiness.
And so they're constantly goingto send out messages of this
year, this is the move, thisdiet is good this year, this
diet's right, this is in, thisis out, and it's just constantly
confusing.
And so what is so powerful aboutwhat I believe in, when it set
(18:59):
me free, is the one opinion thatnever changes, is the Lord's,
the one opinion, the onestandard, that is, you are
fearfully and wonderfully made.
You are my beloved daughter andson.
That I'm well pleased with.
It doesn't change.
So, no matter what you looklike in the mirror, you aren't
going up and down compared toculture.
Culture is this emotionalrollercoaster that's going to
tell you you're good one day butbad the next, based on what you
(19:21):
eat, how you look, what you do,what you say, kind of going
back to what you said, thiscondemnation, this guilt and
shame and the guilt and shametriggers.
You need to be better all thetime, and the only place that I
believe you will ever find noguilt and shame is the Bible,
with the Lord.
Romans 8 says therefore,there's no condemnation, there's
no guilt and shame for thosewho in Christ Jesus.
And it is so powerful when youactually get to rest that your
(19:44):
identity is secure with the Kingof the universe, because he's
the one that made you, he's theone that loves you, and that has
just changed everything for me.
Because if we are constantlyseeking identity from these
things, what happens when youlose it?
You're going to be tossedaround in the winds and the
waves constantly going forth,and that was my whole life.
I'm going to get identity fromthe body.
(20:04):
Okay, I got the body.
Now I'm going to find identityfrom the boys.
I'm going to get the boys and Igot the boys and it just didn't
work.
So I got it from alcohol, I gotit from drugs, like, and that
is where it led me to.
So, not just some Bible thumpergirlie who has been like oh, I
(20:25):
just tried Jesus.
It's like no, I've triedeverything and it left me empty,
vulnerable and lost, and theone thing that changed why it's
called noble is that my identityis secure and it just brings
this piece that then allows thisform of connection, cause that
even goes into food, because,well, I mean, we had dietitians
(20:55):
that came and spoke at thisretreat and we just talked about
weight and just go man.
A lot of times we think thatthis we I'm going to try to
communicate this effectively wetalked a lot about health and
weight and how often we relateto if we fix our weight, we will
fix our health.
Often we relate to if we fixour weight, we will fix our
health, but what she debunked isit's actually the things that
we are doing in order to loseweight.
It are the symptoms of us nothaving good health, correct?
So if we are starving ourselves, overeating, under-exercising,
(21:16):
over-exercising, these are theproblems, not the weight.
Our weight is a by-product as aresult, right, and so we're
getting it mixed up compared tobeing in connection with the
body that the lord madeperfectly connecting with when
we're hungry, stopping whenwe're full, moving when we need
to move and resting when we needto rest it.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Once again, it's just this we have a beautiful body
that works we do, and one of thethings that I want to throw in
as a caveat to those who arelistening is that there's church
hurt.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Yes, there's church hurt abundance?
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Yes, and there is.
There are reasons why,unfortunately, there are really
devastating reasons why somepeople cannot find peace in
their own body, and a lot ofthat boils down to trauma, yes,
and a lot it boils down to something or someone misusing, yes,
(22:13):
and harming and destroyingcertain parts, and so I I want
to throw that out there and Ibelieve wholeheartedly that you
are totally in agreement withthat.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
We actually bring in professionals to talk about
violation and abuse.
So we have people that, like wedo a breakout session on that
for women that have experiencedthat form of trauma how to start
healing in the process.
So I'm so sensitive to that andfor the women or men that are
listening to this podcast, likeI want you to know that I'm so
sorry that it's part of yourstory.
Church hurt is actuallysomething I address majorly
(22:47):
because I am so passionate aboutmen.
I'm so sorry that you'velearned that this place is not
safe.
Yeah, church is a place ofrules.
It's a place of condemnation.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
It's a place of like it's your fault, be better, fix
it right, and that really is,which is not a different message
than the body image, exactly,and so you look at it's, it's
not just body image where thisfalse message of be better
strive to be up here.
It's like can we find a place?
Can we find a place?
Can we find a group of peoplewho can accept us where we are
(23:17):
and continue yes, accept uswhere we are and continue to
call us to something more, butnot something more than we are?
Speaker 3 (23:25):
yeah but something more of discovering who we are
yeah, and that's wherevulnerability is the beginning
and that's where I mean Iliterally say the point.
We were doing the five-weekprograms and we went to the
retreat model specificallybecause when you are pulled
outside of your normalenvironment, placed into an
environment with a group ofwomen all dealing with the same
(23:46):
things, desiring freedom,there's a vulnerability that
happens on a vacation.
I mean, you've done that,you've gone on trips with
friends and what happens and Ialways joke around, but I always
say what happens on the retreatis equivalent to 20 coffee
dates with someone.
Yeah, it is, and it's justpowerful.
And so that's really why wetook out the fort worth just
working out at a studio on aretreat is equivalent to 20
coffee dates with someone.
Yeah it is and it's justpowerful, and so that's really
why we took out, before we'rejust working out at a studio, to
(24:07):
putting you into a place thatyou are infiltrated with truth,
infiltrated with vulnerability,and whether you come in as a
believer or not we have plentyof women that came in that don't
know god, but it's thisenvironment I was like.
You are safe here to just be,because that's what identity is
is when you can just be you,that's right, who you've
designed to be.
Take away the striving, takeaway the doing, take away all
(24:28):
the things you think you have tobe, you need to be, and just
rest.
That is freedom.
Yeah, that because I take itfrom a professional striver
you'll never be able to win.
Yeah, striver, you'll never beable to win.
Yeah, you'll never arrive.
That's made me better.
You'll never arrive in strivingpromises us arrival it so does.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
And you think about.
I believe we were given thephysical to understand the
metaphysical better.
That's my belief.
Yeah, and I remember my veryfirst marathon.
I'd run a bunch of halfmarathons and I thought, oh, a
marathon should be easy not easy, but it should be conceptually
not difficult.
I can put two back to backhalves and go for it.
(25:10):
What I realized was I keptthinking about the finish line.
I kept thinking when I getthere, it's going to be great.
When I get there, it's going tobe great.
And I ran New York, like NewYork was my first marathon.
How amazing, right.
And I got there and I was sopissed off, I was so angry, I
was like this does nothing forme.
And I remember my phone died.
(25:33):
I had a splitting headache, Icouldn't connect with my wife, I
couldn't find my wife and allthat.
So I had to walk back to thehotel.
I'm glad I had to walk.
It was by design.
I had to walk back to the hotelby myself and I was like a mile
or two away and I just rememberthinking so many angry thoughts
and then thinking like I wastedmy time.
Why did I do that?
(25:53):
And then I started thinking, no, this is a process.
You were looking at it from astep away from, so how process?
You were looking at it from astep away from, so how?
If the results orientation iswhat I'm stepping away from, how
do I need to approach this?
Do I run another marathon?
And I did.
I went to Missoula, montana,and the way I approached it was
mile by mile.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
I started running mile one.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
And mile one I was like, man, you're beautiful.
Now, granted, it was beautifulbecause that's where they filmed
.
The river runs through it.
Yeah, it's gorgeous, I'mrunning along.
And mile two I was like, hey,thanks, mile one, I can't wait
to see what you have for me.
Mile two, and I would say thatout loud.
And then, by the time I got tothe end, it was like this, this
religious experience where I'mlike hugging the people.
(26:35):
And this was.
This was the arrival that I waslooking for, because it was
part of a process, and to me,that's what you're offering
these ladies in this retreat is.
This isn't a results-orientedthing.
This is a process-orientedendeavor, like let's be on this
process together.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
Yeah, and our tagline is fitness that sets you free.
But reality is just truth thatsets you free.
And what my goal is toinfiltrate you is truth, truth.
And I don't claim that thisheals you, I don't claim that,
hey, come on three day retreat.
You'll never struggle with bodyimage, you'll never show with
relation, poor relationship,with food, exactly, but it is.
I'm gonna give you truth thatif you continue to walk in the
(27:16):
path believing these truths, Ibelieve there is freedom that
offers you more freedom than anydiet or exercise plan ever will
.
Because, once again, we all, ifyou're a woman in any way, shape
or form I think 98% of womenhave been on a diet in their
life as well as men Um, we'veseen that it never actually
satisfies and 95% of diets failus anyway.
(27:38):
So we always end up gaining itback.
And something's really powerfulthat when you can go day by day
believing the truth, taking yourthoughts captive, renewing your
mind, focusing on what is trueand fighting against cultures,
lies that tell you all thesethings are the solution, that is
the process, and slowly you'regoing to be able to look back
and go oh my gosh, I feel morefree than I've ever felt.
(28:00):
I don't feel enslaved to a dietand I don't feel hungry, I don't
feel overworked, right and it'sjust.
But it's a process and we're weneed to accept the process.
And the process is good becausein that you learn, like I look
back on my 20 year however longI, I don't know 25 year eating
disorder and while it was sopainful and, yes, a lot of it
was because I wasn't willing todo to surrender, I kept tight,
(28:23):
gripping all these things.
But my hope in these retreatsis just can I offer you truth?
Can I offer you truth?
And if you fight to believethis, I promise you it will
bring you more closer to whatyou're looking for than anything
that Instagram, tiktok andculture will supply you, and
what I see and hear from youthat you also offer, it's not
(28:44):
just truth, it's also love.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Yeah, it's a place to be accepted for who you are.
It's a place to know thatyou're safe.
It's a place to know that we'regoing to find you and there's
value in that.
Yeah, over and over and overagain.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Yeah, that was my favorite part about this weekend
Girls all were terrified aboutcoming.
Sure, they're like I don't knowanyone, I'm terrified, I don't
know if I should come.
Every girl left, meetingfriends, finding community, and
it was crazy because so manywomen kept coming up to me.
They just were tears in theireyes going.
Thank you, I've.
I've been counseling, I've beento church programs and the
(29:23):
truth that was in this space wasunlike anything I've ever heard
, because once again, itinvolved all these different
components vulnerability,transformation, truth in a way
they hadn't heard it before.
But it was also mixed withdietitians, counselors, like all
these other aspects were alsothere too.
So it was just all of itincubated in a three day retreat
(29:43):
.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
But I think the key to what you're talking about and
I think that this is one of thethings that I think is missing
in mental health and counseling,in therapy and treatment is
that there isn't a call forvulnerability.
Yes, there really truly is moreof a call to let's give you a
new process, let's give you anew this and, yes, process is
important, yes, butvulnerability is.
(30:06):
Vulnerability is the oil thatkeeps the engine running.
So, absolutely, you need aprocess so that there is an
engine.
If you don't put oil in theengine, that engine's going to
freeze up and it's not going towork again.
There's going to be a lot ofdamage here.
So vulnerability and theability to be, I think, is so
(30:27):
needed.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
You just don't get that.
You can be vulnerable in acounseling office.
It's a one-on-one and anyonecan do that one-on-one.
We did really, really powerfulexercises where women had to
write down lies and believeabout themselves and they have
to be in a small group.
And I made them put the papersin the middle.
You had to grab one, you had toread the lies that your friend
(30:51):
wrote about them.
You didn't know who it was, butseeing one that every other
woman in the circle will be theexact same thing, do you believe
that you're not alone, right?
That just creates thisempowerment to move forward in a
way of like, let's do thistogether in vulnerability, like.
I truly believe.
I say this all the time.
I believe vulnerability is thebeginning of freedom.
You have to be vulnerable inthe same way that I'm not
(31:14):
married, I'm single, but I canimagine and maybe you can speak
more to this that and I meanI've seen this, I've been
engaged relationships, but whenyou finally say the thing that's
been hurtful or hard, itcreates reconciliation in a
beautiful way and you start tofeel free.
Yes, vulnerability createsfreedom.
Vulnerability creates freedom.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
It so does with a, with a meaningful caveat that we
don't misunderstand and I don'tthink you are, but we don't
misunderstand that vulnerabilityis and I'm air quoting,
speaking my truth, yes, that is.
I think we often use one, weoften bastardize vulnerability
(31:55):
to believe that this is.
I'm just going to say what Ithink.
I'm not going to consider who'swith me, because vulnerability,
with true vulnerability, youhave the greater opportunity to
beget more vulnerability, and Ithink that's what you're
describing in your, in yourretreats, which I think is
(32:16):
fantastic.
And yet, all too often, we saywell, I'm just going to tell you
I don't like this about you,it's like that's not
vulnerability, that's just rude.
Yeah, because vulnerability isabout me, it's not about you,
not at all.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
I mean, it's just think it's, this is me.
It's like you're laying you ona table.
It's like right, this is how Ireally feel.
This is what I really think,with no ulterior motive to
attack or offend, but truly,just like.
I'm gonna show you the innerparts of myself, that is so hard
for me to let people in, but Ithink what's so freeing about
this and what I've seen breathethrough exist in these retreats
(32:52):
is when they do that theyrealize they're not alone, yeah,
and they realize that they'reloved, because these women and I
mean we prayed over each otherlike they wrote down these lies.
They had someone else read itover them and then everyone put
their hand on each other andprayed over it that we would not
believe those lies anymore andthere was no shame and there was
no condemnation.
Grand, I'm not married.
I can imagine that's true,you're in a married setting, but
(33:16):
in this sense, women were likeI said the thing that I've never
said out loud and I wasaccepted.
I wasn't shamed for it, becausea lot of times I believe in
vulnerability.
We can often believe if I sayit out loud, I'll be rejected.
If I say it out loud, peoplecan't know the real me.
But something that I live by isyou'll never know if people love
(33:37):
the real you if you aren't youright because otherwise they're
gonna love the fake version ofyou and you'll never live free,
because then you'll have tomanage, you'll have to protect,
you'll have to be what you thinkother people expect you to be,
when they never ask you to beanything different.
It's just you put on this imagethat you think you need to be.
But just what if you were likefor this?
(33:59):
A lot of it with volume is whatif you let your body be where
it's supposed to be and see whathappens?
You don't know if someone willchoose you based on that body
size, if you never let yourselfactually go to that body size
because there's so much power ingoing.
Oh, I didn't lose friends whenI stopped dieting.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Oh, it's interacting with what?
The potential of truth?
Yes, and when we have anxietieswe tend to, one of the
treatments that we tend to do iswe have phobias, we have fears.
We have to look at thosephobias and fears and see oh my
gosh, we're not going to die.
I don't like heights.
(34:37):
Oh my gosh, we're not going todie like I don't like heights.
Uh, it's a, it's a geneticthing I don't like heights.
And so when I'm, you know, in alike, say, new york, I will
walk to the edge of a, of anoverlook, and I will look down
and I'm like, okay, I didn't die.
Yeah, I was really scared soalive and I didn't die, you know
, or the you.
I go for a hike with my brother,you know, for whatever reason
(34:57):
it skipped him because he enjoysit.
And I look over and I'm like,okay, I'm not, I'm fine here,
and it's that place of going upto it.
And again, you go up to itreasonably, with the ability to
regulate your nervous system,and that's where I think what
you're calling for isvulnerability.
But you're also creating andclearing out a very safe space
in these retreats that thatwomen can really like there
(35:19):
isn't going to be.
If somebody is vulnerable,they're not going to go.
Yeah, that's what I wasthinking about.
You, you are all those thingsLike.
That's not tolerated.
Therefore, there is a safetythat you are providing that is
giving these ladies anopportunity to show up, to show
up authentically them, andyou're saying no, no, no.
(35:39):
The guidelines here are suchthat we're going to honor this
and if you can't honor it, keepyour mouth shut.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
Yeah, and it's so beautiful though, because
they're desperate for it.
We all are, everyone is and oneof my favorite things I mean we
do all these like differentexercise.
One of them is I make them takea photo.
They partner up and they makethem take a photo with their
partner they're not allowed toshow their partner yet and they
write down the first things thatcome to mind when we see their
partner's photo.
You know so, and I love theexercise because it's so
(36:09):
powerful, because at the end ofthe lesson I make them swap and
you now see the photo ofyourself and you have to write
down the first things you see.
And it's hilarious because it'salways the opposite.
Sure, every single time.
Sure, she goes.
One girl goes rosy cheeks, redcheeks, beautiful, uh, love her
ponytail, messy ponytail.
Uh, love her eyes, um, squintyeyes, like.
(36:31):
It's always like.
Like her nose is petite andcute and fun and hers is my nose
is.
It's always like.
Like her nose is petite andcute and fun and hers is my nose
is disgusting and needs a nosejob.
And it's funny how we seethrough these lenses of no one
ever sees the things that we seewhen we look at ourselves in
the mirror.
No one ever sees the things thatwe're often anxious about,
we're fearful of.
People actually often see thebest.
(36:55):
We are our own worst critics,critics.
And so it's so beautiful andjust in general when you realize
, one, that no one's thinkingabout you the way you're
thinking about you.
No one's thinking about youbecause they're thinking about
themselves, right, and.
But it just allowed thatvulnerability to not only see
that no one is thinking the liesyou believe about yourself, to
then eventually get into thelast night where we had to
confess the lies and everyone isjust not alone in it.
(37:17):
You're not alone, and I thinkvulnerability I mean I remember
when I was in college and I wasstruggling with my binge eating
disorder, I was like I needeveryone to know that I'm
struggling so they don't thinkI'm just getting wasted every
weekend and just gaining allthis weight.
But it was like I'm strugglingand the amount of women at Tcu
that came forward saying me too,was so powerful, because I
(37:38):
think, whether you're battlingan emus or body image whatever,
if you can raise your hand andsay me too, it opens a door sure
for women and men alike to beknown and a lot of people you
might just need to be the boldone to say like I'm struggling.
And that's why this weekend isso powerful, because they just
took the first step in saying,obviously I'm struggling if I'm
(37:59):
here, but then it created thisenvironment of everyone being
like then let's fight to notbelieve anymore.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
I love that so the retreats.
How often do you do them?
Speaker 3 (38:10):
So the goal for we just did our first one, and the
goal for 2025 is to host.
My goal is minimum four, and myguess is we're going to do
mother-daughter college.
Um, we're launching this on tcucampus in a really big way and
I'm so, so excited.
And all of this honestly comesdown we're non-profit, so it
(38:31):
requires funding, sure, um, sojust praying bold prayers for
that um, but we're going to do acollege one, a young adult one,
a mother daughter one.
And then the fourth one is stilla little unclear, maybe another
young adult, but the goal iseventually to do one for new
brides, because a lot of timeswhen you get married you will
get a new one's way, and to havea biblical view of sex be
taught.
And then another one is pre andpostpartum moms.
(38:53):
Pre and postpartum moms becausea lot of women will get out of
baby changes, but that's a gooddesign.
But what if we taught you thatthat is a good design.
You don't have to bounce back.
And then we have trainers tocome in to teach you how to work
out in a way that's good foryour body.
And then honoring.
And then another one that Ibelieve will be within the next
year or so is a retreatspecifically for those who have
(39:14):
been violated and abused, toremind them that their body is a
temple of the holy spirit, nomatter what's happened to you,
and to restore that identityinto them, because a lot of
women I mean no matter whatstruggle it is like you, just
you will.
Your identity is stripped fromyou when you're in that
vulnerable position and we wantto help restore it, and so that
(39:34):
is the the goal for 2025,full-blown TCU club.
We were going to do a workoutin the Greek, followed up by a
lesson on these topics, bringingin licensed professionals,
counselors, providing resourcesfor all college women.
I mean, tcu is supposedly intop 10 eating cert colleges in
the country, so it's very, veryprevalent but while also
providing retreats in Texas butI mean only 10 women were from
(39:58):
Texas at this retreat.
Oh really, it was crazy.
Every woman was from adifferent part, because I have a
podcast called Call Her Holy,so every woman was from Canada,
mexico, maine, florida, like allacross the country, new York,
yes, so two things One, how, ifsomebody wants to donate to this
, to this, tell us how to dothat.
(40:19):
Gosh, if you want to donate tothis, I would love to either
grab coffee with you, get toknow you, but it would just be
going to areyounoblecom and itsays support in the top right
corner.
Okay, but the goal is is that,I mean, every single penny of
donations goes straight backinto this ministry and it goes
straight back to getting thismessage and really truly a big
(40:41):
one is generational curses.
Speaker 4 (40:42):
Eventually, the goal is to do high school, middle
school, elementary, I just can'tdo it all on my own and that's
going to require hiring womenand hiring a team which all
requires funding.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Second question is so somebody wants to go on the
retreat.
Are you noblecom?
Speaker 3 (40:59):
Are you noblecom?
Yep, we are dropping ourcalendar for the next year
within the next month or two.
Okay, so if you join the emaillist you just go to, are you
noblecom?
There will be a pop-upimmediately that says drop your
name.
You put your name email inthere.
We will be sending out in thenext month or so, four to six
weeks.
Here's our retreat schedule for2025.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
If somebody wants to follow you and know more about
the things that you're talkingabout in a greater, more
long-form way, tell us your.
So you call her Holy.
Call her Holy.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
It's a spin-off of Call Her Daddy.
Don't look it up.
It's a terrible podcast.
It's the worst podcast foryoung women in the country, but
it's also the number one podcastin our country with terrible
advice, and so we named it CallHer Holy, so that it provides
alternative information andcounsel.
Speaker 4 (41:51):
If you found value in our discussion and wish to
uncover more about thefascinating world of mental
wellness, don't forget to Thankyou.
(42:11):
Have you with us every step ofthe way.
Until next time, keep exploring, keep growing and remember to
celebrate restored freedom asyou uncover it.
In this episode of Restoration Beyond the Couch, dr
Lee Long welcomes NicolettaBradley, founder of Noble
Fitness Ministry.
Nicoletta's journey frombattling a 20-year eating
disorder to thriving in thefitness industry has inspired
many women to overcome harmfulbody image narratives.
Through her non-profit, shehelps women transform their
(00:25):
views on body, exercise and foodthrough a biblical lens,
championing authenticity andtrue self-worth.
Nicoletta also co-hosts theCall Her Holy podcast, offering
a biblical perspective on topicssuch as body image, singleness
and dating.
Don't miss this insightfulepisode.
(00:46):
Your path to mental wellnessstarts here.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Welcome, Nicoletta.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Hello.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I'm so glad you're here.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Thank you for having me.
I'm so excited.
Oh, my gosh, me too.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So when I learned about what you do and your
mission, I got so excitedbecause in my mind, in my
beliefs, in my world, identityis at the core of all things
that we do.
Yep, core.
(01:27):
I believe that identity is atthe core of attunement, because
if I'm not attuned first to meand understand who I am, then I
don't know how to then attunetoward you.
Yeah, therefore, attachment isimpossible.
So when I understood the waythat you approach identity and
with the group that you use toapproach it, I got so fired up.
(01:48):
So thanks for being here.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Come on, I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Awesome.
So tell us about Noble Fitnessand where did that come from?
Your background, who you are,and I'm giving you like a whole
lot of but take it, my friend,and go Gosh Okay.
Well, thank you for having meso excited to be in this space
and just to, I'm giving you likea whole lot of oh.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I can go for it, but come on but take it, my friend,
and go Gosh, okay.
Well, thank you for having meso excited to be in this space
and just to encourage whoever islistening to this podcast right
now.
Um, my name is Elena.
I'm originally from California,santa Barbara to be exact, and
full transparency.
My whole life I've battled areally bad eating disorder.
So I remember in third gradelooking in the mirror, hating
(02:24):
what I saw, and so I remember inthird grade thinking these kids
on the playground don't like me.
I need to figure out what'swrong with me, and I just
associated it has to be my body.
Wow.
And so and I mean third grade,that's pretty young, that's very
young.
I mean girls as young as fourare now struggling with body
image.
It's proven that women as youngas four years old are wanting
(02:46):
to lose weight, and so I justwas part of that demographic,
even though that was 20 yearsago.
I'm 32 now, and so that reallyled to my whole life believing
that my body was the problem andthe solution to being liked, to
having a guy like me to bepopular, popular to anything,
was fixed.
My body improve my life, wow.
(03:06):
And so I got to high school.
Big part of my story is even aguy verbalizing like if you were
just thinner you'd be hotter,and that triggered anorexia.
That triggers working withpersonal trainer.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
That led to bulimia, which then, getting to college,
led to a binge eating disorder.
Wow, and so really, truly havegone.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
whatever you, You've really run the gamut with it.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Yeah, I've done everything possible to get what
I think would satisfy and thehard thing is is I got it Like I
lost the weight, looked thepart and I never satisfied and
it was just chasing after thisthing, which I know we're going
to jump into the Bible andGenesis, but it's just the apple
that tells you, like me, justtake a bite, and once you get a
bite you'll have it and you'llbe satisfied.
(03:49):
But really got to college andthat's where I landed in eating
disorder counseling reallyseverely.
Never had to go to treatmentlike outpatient, but when I
graduated college after goingall through that, I was just
like I want to enter into aspace to encourage women to not
believe the lies.
I've believed my whole life andfor me that was fitness.
So if you're local to FortWorth, I worked at Zen 22 for
(04:12):
six years and my philosophy wasthere's 55 bikes in one room,
you are strapped in, I've got amicrophone attached to my head
and you can't leave and so Iwill preach all day long at why
your body's least importantthing about you and it was so
fun because I got to play musicdo these random crazy things on
a bike and remind women like youare loved, your body is
(04:37):
valuable, but it's not the mostimportant thing about you and
that just the lord allowed thatto then translate to personal
training and then did that.
And then COVID hit.
A big part of my story is abroken engagement, but that
really is what allowed me tolaunch into kind of what I'm
doing now.
But through that breakup Iended up starting my own
(04:58):
business during COVID and thengot pulled out of that, went to
seminary, graduated seminary.
It's like a church year longprogram, basically like seminary
to what I'm doing now which isNoble, and Noble is a fitness,
faith and body image ministrythat we basically believe in
putting on a workout followed bya Bible study or a lesson over
(05:19):
what does the Bible have to sayaround body image, fitness and
food.
Originally it wasn't Fort Worth.
We had rented out gyms.
We ended up pop's gym endurolab and we did these five-week
programs for college women, wedid for high school girls, we
did it for young adults um, wedid mother daughter at one point
and I bet that was powerful.
Oh, yes, that I mean my hopeand goal, which we are now no
(05:43):
longer doing the five-weekprograms and now we're doing
full-on retreats.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
In 2025, we will be putting on a mother-daughter one
that's so fascinatingly,amazingly awesome, because body
image and identity tends to spangenerations.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Oh, it's biological, it's genetics, it's literally
passed down.
My grandma had one, my othergrandma had one, my mom had one.
Like it is literally passeddown.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Yeah, because our, our traumas, which I mean a
third grader, a third grader,like I can't sit with that for
too long, otherwise I willprobably dissolve into tears
because I can't imagine a thirdgrader.
How old were you in third grade?
Eight, yeah, I mean.
Gosh.
I mean you should be worriedabout like sports, yeah, like
(06:30):
it's.
You know, like, am I going toget to swing on the swing or do
I get?
I have to have somebody to dothe seesaw with me, like, yeah,
like it's, it doesn't need to bethat complex.
Yeah, the other one.
So our traumas, like our traumas, settle in our DNA and so that
is traumatic and so, you'reright, it spans generations One
(06:50):
of the things that I think is sounique there's so many things I
think are unique about whatyou're doing but one of the
things that really highlights tome that's unique.
Having recovered from an eatingdisorder, often what you see is
someone who does not have agood relationship with fitness
(07:12):
and there's a lot.
There's sort of a tug of warthere, but you're like racing
headlong into it and making it areally foundational part of
your approach, because you thinkabout longevity, like we think
about longevity and how do welive longer and live better
lives, have better mental healthand fitness is part of it.
(07:35):
Yeah, movement weight, you knowlifting weights, you know those
types of things and you're notshying away from that.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Yeah, and I do want to caveat we just got done with
our first retreat in Waco.
So we've done a retreat forcollege women, young adults,
guys who went to Costa Rica forspring break in March of 2024.
And we just got back from Waco.
We had 60 women ranginganywhere from 20 to 30s, and we
had some women that are battlinga severe eating disorder.
(08:03):
I tread lightly into that spaceonly because I wouldn't say
that we're necessarily eatingdisorder ministry.
No, of course not.
We're a body image ministry,because I don't like we have
professionals that come andattend these retreats with us,
because I believe in the powerof Bible plus science plus
counseling.
There's so much going on withthat.
But there are women that wehave to make sure that they are
(08:25):
approved by their team andcounselors to be approved of
exercise.
To move, to move, because I knowthat there is.
I mean, you're not allowed toexercise if you're not eating.
That's right.
And so we had women that werein retreatment.
We had to get approval fromtheir team to get even allow
them on the trip.
But what I believe is thepurpose behind movement is that
(08:46):
it's an act of worship, it'shonoring to your body and we
have created something that theLord has given us for good and
taking it and turn it into bad,and it talks about in the New
Testament, for training is ofsome value, but godliness
training for godliness has beenfor this life and next.
And so the question is justlike, what are you doing?
You doing more?
Like?
Are you so focused on yourfitness routine?
(09:08):
Because, yes, this has valueand it's healthy to move, but
also culture and society hastaken fitness and turn it into
something that, if we don't hitthis amount of time and burn
this amount of calories and dothis type of workout, what are
you doing?
Because this is the type ofthing that you need to do to
look a certain way, I kind offlip it on top of his head of
(09:28):
going.
What do you like to do?
Like we are not supposed tolive this life consumed with
rules.
We're supposed to live thislife.
Come on, enjoy, love this.
And so what do you like?
And so some girls are saying Ilike to walk, but I know that
walking isn't as good as thistype of exercise.
It's like, no, what do youenjoy?
Because, even scientificallyspeaking, if we look at health,
(09:50):
you only need a moderateexercise for 20 to 30 minutes a
day, like moderate exercise, abrisk walk.
You will have health, you willlower your cholesterol, you'll
lower your blood pressure.
All these things will decreasejust by 20 to 30 minutes of
Brist.
And then, if you want to gointense, it's only three days a
week, that from 40 to 60 minutesof intense exercise that you
(10:12):
need to have health benefitsRight.
But Holter has made exercise asa means to weight loss, and
weight loss is a result ofapproval, identity, love, and so
I'm just trying to change it.
It was so powerful because Ihad amazing fitness trainers
come on this retreat to lead theworkouts and I told the girls
before they said they go, someof you will be frustrated after
(10:33):
this, some of you will go,that's it, and that's the point,
because that's all you actuallyneed.
And what if we restoredexercise to be something fun,
something that gives us energy,something that is enjoyable,
rather than something we areforced to do have to do in order
to maintain a body size that alot of you?
(10:54):
I always say this if your bodysize currently is a nightmare to
maintain, it might not be thebody size that your body feels
for intended for.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yeah, you know what's so interesting about this?
I love the way.
I love the way you'reconceptualizing this.
What's so interesting is Iremember, um, I was training for
a 50 mile race and I rememberthat's probably one of the
sickest times in my life.
I got pneumonia the week beforeI got a virus the week before I
(11:24):
was supposed to toe up on thestart line and like three or
four days before the start ofthe race, because I was just
going to run through it and Iwas like, wait, what am I doing?
And one of my friends who's aphysician.
She said you're going to getcancer If you do this to your
body, just like.
I'm going to pray that Godstrikes you with something that
prevents you from running and Iget pneumonia.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
I'm like thanks why.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
But I'm glad I didn't do it because it took me.
I'm not and again, I'm not.
I'm not saying and I don'tbelieve you're saying that doing
those longer, the you know, theendurance races and all that,
there's nothing wrong with that.
If anything, I think whatyou're proposing is let's take
the freaking judgment and thecondemnation off of all of this
(12:12):
and let's evaluate it for whatit was.
And I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed doing that.
But what I realized was Ididn't have enough recovery.
I was doing too many things atonce and it just took a toll on
my body and so it I think itbroke something inside of me.
And now it's that space ofsaying, okay, now what do I
enjoy?
And it's approaching it from aplace of not being condemning,
(12:34):
yes, of self, so that we can bemore curious.
Who are you?
Who are you designed to be?
Speaker 3 (12:41):
and I think it goes down to motives a lot of times
like why and I once again thatis tied to identity.
Because if you're working outbecause you need to lose weight,
that isn't actually a weightloss or a fitness problem, that
is an identity problem, becauseoftentimes, once again, my
ministry is called noble.
Here's why because when youbelieve that you're the daughter
(13:03):
of the most high king, that, Ibelieve, is the solution to
breaking free from body imageand insecurity.
And I always joke around thatif Prince William walked in this
room, he's not nervous aboutwhat people are thinking.
He knows who he is.
But if you are in Christ andyou know your identity, you have
the same confidence of goingman.
The God who split the red sea inhalf calls me his.
(13:25):
Why do I care what you thinkabout my body?
My king knit me together in mymother's womb intentionally, and
knitting is a long process.
He was intentional in the wayhe made you short or tall,
brunette or blonde,thick-thighed or thin-thighed.
There's so much to that andwhat I have seen from a woman
who has battled this my wholelife.
The only thing that has everset me free is believing in what
(13:51):
God says about me rather thanwhat culture demands of me.
And so, once again, going backto motives, we need to check
ourselves before we wreckourselves because you don't want
to say because, it just comesdown to motives.
My motives for working out formajority of my life was to train
my body because I didn'tbelieve I was enough.
And it's powerful when you takea step back and you check your
motors on everything and youstart to realize that if you fix
the problem of knowing youridentity is a problem, get that
(14:15):
right and then your security issecure and then exercise can
come from a place of man.
I love this.
I'm going to do this because itgives me the energy to run
around with my kids or whatever,but identity at its core is the
problem.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
If you are feeling the need to overexercise every
day but that might be a hot take, yeah, one which I agree with
and I love in the sense that wedo need to understand who we are
.
And I always say that, well,there's one and one only time
when Jesus answers a questionwith a direct answer, just once.
(14:54):
Every other time he answersinto the parable.
Yep, one time, and it was whenhe was asked by, he sent off the
Sadducees.
The Pharisee attorney comes andI always say, slithering, sorry
, everybody up to him and saysokay, rabbi, and the Greek says
that it's kind of a contentioustone, it's sort of a mocking
tone.
Okay, teacher, which of all ofthese laws and they were two
(15:17):
good scholars, they knew therewere 613 laws which of all these
613 laws is the greatest?
Even Mesa B, he says love,thank you, bono, is 613 laws.
Which of all these 613 laws isthe greatest?
He doesn't miss a beat.
He says love, thank you, bono,is the highest law for you, you
two fans, love is the highestlaw.
Love who first?
And then he creates a schematiclevel of your guy with our
heart, soul and mind.
And the second one is much likethe first that we would love
(15:39):
our neighbor.
And we stop.
That's not what he said.
Yeah, we would love ourneighbor, how, as ourselves, the
way we love ourselves.
So it's a, it's a, it's aninverted sentence.
Loving others is predicated onloving self.
So, truthfully, the God of theuniverse says love the Lord,
your God, love God, love God,love yourself, so that you have
(15:59):
the capacity to love others.
And I look at that in a way oflike how we form our worldview.
We have to have a set of values.
Okay, so you don't believe inGod.
Okay, you have to have a senseof value.
What do you value?
If you don't know what youvalue, you will not know what
you're utilizing to formulatewho you are.
(16:20):
So you have to have a sense ofvalues that you and I would say
we we believe in God.
Yeah, that's our sense of value,yeah, so everything we look
toward is that truth Next is nowbased on that truth.
Who am I?
Now we have a sense of identity.
(16:41):
Now we know where we are, nowthat I know that, now I know who
I am and what I might be ableto offer to you as an other.
And I think that thegenerations that are coming up
now, the Gen Z and themillennial generation, I think
you fall into those right and Ilike the millennial generation.
I think I think you fall intothose right.
(17:02):
I think that you all arebeautifully changing the
landscape of our world in a wayof vulnerability and a demand of
vulnerability which is what tome sounds like you're asking for
in noble is be vulnerable,explore, be curious, learn your
body.
Is be vulnerable, explore, becurious, learn your body.
(17:25):
If your body doesn't, uh, ifyou're not good at pull-ups,
okay, you're probably good atsquatting.
Yeah, like, find what you dowell and what you enjoy.
But you asking you, I thinkthis generation demanding
vulnerability, I think is reallybeautiful, because
vulnerability happens on theothers, like you know what I'm
saying by that.
It happens between you andanother, your neighbor.
(17:46):
Yeah, well, in order to bevulnerable, I have to have a
self.
Yeah, in order to have to havea self, I have to have values.
Yeah, in order to have values,I'm going to divide, going to
derive a self.
In order, when I have a self,I'm going to want to have
connection with another.
Yeah, and it's anyway it.
To me it's like this beautiful,like movement, totally, if you
(18:07):
tip it on its side.
To me it looks like a half pipe, because yes, half pipe yes,
and it's like we just keepmoving through the sense of
identity with one another.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
I think it's just healing yeah, and I think it's
so important because, for thosethat maybe don't have a faith, I
just I heard it was out for you, because what has changed this
and what changed all these womenthis weekend was in culture,
with weight loss, with bodyimage, with image, it's always
changing, right?
(18:36):
You know what I'm saying?
And it's a multi-billion dollar, and if they created this one
body that was decent, where theyaccepted everybody's okay, they
would lose multi-billion dollarbusiness.
And so they're constantly goingto send out messages of this
year, this is the move, thisdiet is good this year, this
diet's right, this is in, thisis out, and it's just constantly
confusing.
And so what is so powerful aboutwhat I believe in, when it set
(18:59):
me free, is the one opinion thatnever changes, is the Lord's,
the one opinion, the onestandard, that is, you are
fearfully and wonderfully made.
You are my beloved daughter andson.
That I'm well pleased with.
It doesn't change.
So, no matter what you looklike in the mirror, you aren't
going up and down compared toculture.
Culture is this emotionalrollercoaster that's going to
tell you you're good one day butbad the next, based on what you
(19:21):
eat, how you look, what you do,what you say, kind of going
back to what you said, thiscondemnation, this guilt and
shame and the guilt and shametriggers.
You need to be better all thetime, and the only place that I
believe you will ever find noguilt and shame is the Bible,
with the Lord.
Romans 8 says therefore,there's no condemnation, there's
no guilt and shame for thosewho in Christ Jesus.
And it is so powerful when youactually get to rest that your
(19:44):
identity is secure with the Kingof the universe, because he's
the one that made you, he's theone that loves you, and that has
just changed everything for me.
Because if we are constantlyseeking identity from these
things, what happens when youlose it?
You're going to be tossedaround in the winds and the
waves constantly going forth,and that was my whole life.
I'm going to get identity fromthe body.
(20:04):
Okay, I got the body.
Now I'm going to find identityfrom the boys.
I'm going to get the boys and Igot the boys and it just didn't
work.
So I got it from alcohol, I gotit from drugs, like, and that
is where it led me to.
So, not just some Bible thumpergirlie who has been like oh, I
(20:25):
just tried Jesus.
It's like no, I've triedeverything and it left me empty,
vulnerable and lost, and theone thing that changed why it's
called noble is that my identityis secure and it just brings
this piece that then allows thisform of connection, cause that
even goes into food, because,well, I mean, we had dietitians
(20:55):
that came and spoke at thisretreat and we just talked about
weight and just go man.
A lot of times we think thatthis we I'm going to try to
communicate this effectively wetalked a lot about health and
weight and how often we relateto if we fix our weight, we will
fix our health.
Often we relate to if we fixour weight, we will fix our
health, but what she debunked isit's actually the things that
we are doing in order to loseweight.
It are the symptoms of us nothaving good health, correct?
So if we are starving ourselves, overeating, under-exercising,
(21:16):
over-exercising, these are theproblems, not the weight.
Our weight is a by-product as aresult, right, and so we're
getting it mixed up compared tobeing in connection with the
body that the lord madeperfectly connecting with when
we're hungry, stopping whenwe're full, moving when we need
to move and resting when we needto rest it.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Once again, it's just this we have a beautiful body
that works we do, and one of thethings that I want to throw in
as a caveat to those who arelistening is that there's church
hurt.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Yes, there's church hurt abundance?
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Yes, and there is.
There are reasons why,unfortunately, there are really
devastating reasons why somepeople cannot find peace in
their own body, and a lot ofthat boils down to trauma, yes,
and a lot it boils down to something or someone misusing, yes,
(22:13):
and harming and destroyingcertain parts, and so I I want
to throw that out there and Ibelieve wholeheartedly that you
are totally in agreement withthat.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
We actually bring in professionals to talk about
violation and abuse.
So we have people that, like wedo a breakout session on that
for women that have experiencedthat form of trauma how to start
healing in the process.
So I'm so sensitive to that andfor the women or men that are
listening to this podcast, likeI want you to know that I'm so
sorry that it's part of yourstory.
Church hurt is actuallysomething I address majorly
(22:47):
because I am so passionate aboutmen.
I'm so sorry that you'velearned that this place is not
safe.
Yeah, church is a place ofrules.
It's a place of condemnation.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
It's a place of like it's your fault, be better, fix
it right, and that really is,which is not a different message
than the body image, exactly,and so you look at it's, it's
not just body image where thisfalse message of be better
strive to be up here.
It's like can we find a place?
Can we find a place?
Can we find a group of peoplewho can accept us where we are
(23:17):
and continue yes, accept uswhere we are and continue to
call us to something more, butnot something more than we are?
Speaker 3 (23:25):
yeah but something more of discovering who we are
yeah, and that's wherevulnerability is the beginning
and that's where I mean Iliterally say the point.
We were doing the five-weekprograms and we went to the
retreat model specificallybecause when you are pulled
outside of your normalenvironment, placed into an
environment with a group ofwomen all dealing with the same
(23:46):
things, desiring freedom,there's a vulnerability that
happens on a vacation.
I mean, you've done that,you've gone on trips with
friends and what happens and Ialways joke around, but I always
say what happens on the retreatis equivalent to 20 coffee
dates with someone.
Yeah, it is, and it's justpowerful.
And so that's really why wetook out the fort worth just
working out at a studio on aretreat is equivalent to 20
coffee dates with someone.
Yeah it is and it's justpowerful, and so that's really
why we took out, before we'rejust working out at a studio, to
(24:07):
putting you into a place thatyou are infiltrated with truth,
infiltrated with vulnerability,and whether you come in as a
believer or not we have plentyof women that came in that don't
know god, but it's thisenvironment I was like.
You are safe here to just be,because that's what identity is
is when you can just be you,that's right, who you've
designed to be.
Take away the striving, takeaway the doing, take away all
(24:28):
the things you think you have tobe, you need to be, and just
rest.
That is freedom.
Yeah, that because I take itfrom a professional striver
you'll never be able to win.
Yeah, striver, you'll never beable to win.
Yeah, you'll never arrive.
That's made me better.
You'll never arrive in strivingpromises us arrival it so does.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
And you think about.
I believe we were given thephysical to understand the
metaphysical better.
That's my belief.
Yeah, and I remember my veryfirst marathon.
I'd run a bunch of halfmarathons and I thought, oh, a
marathon should be easy not easy, but it should be conceptually
not difficult.
I can put two back to backhalves and go for it.
(25:10):
What I realized was I keptthinking about the finish line.
I kept thinking when I getthere, it's going to be great.
When I get there, it's going tobe great.
And I ran New York, like NewYork was my first marathon.
How amazing, right.
And I got there and I was sopissed off, I was so angry, I
was like this does nothing forme.
And I remember my phone died.
(25:33):
I had a splitting headache, Icouldn't connect with my wife, I
couldn't find my wife and allthat.
So I had to walk back to thehotel.
I'm glad I had to walk.
It was by design.
I had to walk back to the hotelby myself and I was like a mile
or two away and I just rememberthinking so many angry thoughts
and then thinking like I wastedmy time.
Why did I do that?
(25:53):
And then I started thinking, no, this is a process.
You were looking at it from astep away from, so how process?
You were looking at it from astep away from, so how?
If the results orientation iswhat I'm stepping away from, how
do I need to approach this?
Do I run another marathon?
And I did.
I went to Missoula, montana,and the way I approached it was
mile by mile.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
I started running mile one.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
And mile one I was like, man, you're beautiful.
Now, granted, it was beautifulbecause that's where they filmed
.
The river runs through it.
Yeah, it's gorgeous, I'mrunning along.
And mile two I was like, hey,thanks, mile one, I can't wait
to see what you have for me.
Mile two, and I would say thatout loud.
And then, by the time I got tothe end, it was like this, this
religious experience where I'mlike hugging the people.
(26:35):
And this was.
This was the arrival that I waslooking for, because it was
part of a process, and to me,that's what you're offering
these ladies in this retreat is.
This isn't a results-orientedthing.
This is a process-orientedendeavor, like let's be on this
process together.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
Yeah, and our tagline is fitness that sets you free.
But reality is just truth thatsets you free.
And what my goal is toinfiltrate you is truth, truth.
And I don't claim that thisheals you, I don't claim that,
hey, come on three day retreat.
You'll never struggle with bodyimage, you'll never show with
relation, poor relationship,with food, exactly, but it is.
I'm gonna give you truth thatif you continue to walk in the
(27:16):
path believing these truths, Ibelieve there is freedom that
offers you more freedom than anydiet or exercise plan ever will
.
Because, once again, we all, ifyou're a woman in any way, shape
or form I think 98% of womenhave been on a diet in their
life as well as men Um, we'veseen that it never actually
satisfies and 95% of diets failus anyway.
(27:38):
So we always end up gaining itback.
And something's really powerfulthat when you can go day by day
believing the truth, taking yourthoughts captive, renewing your
mind, focusing on what is trueand fighting against cultures,
lies that tell you all thesethings are the solution, that is
the process, and slowly you'regoing to be able to look back
and go oh my gosh, I feel morefree than I've ever felt.
(28:00):
I don't feel enslaved to a dietand I don't feel hungry, I don't
feel overworked, right and it'sjust.
But it's a process and we're weneed to accept the process.
And the process is good becausein that you learn, like I look
back on my 20 year however longI, I don't know 25 year eating
disorder and while it was sopainful and, yes, a lot of it
was because I wasn't willing todo to surrender, I kept tight,
(28:23):
gripping all these things.
But my hope in these retreatsis just can I offer you truth?
Can I offer you truth?
And if you fight to believethis, I promise you it will
bring you more closer to whatyou're looking for than anything
that Instagram, tiktok andculture will supply you, and
what I see and hear from youthat you also offer, it's not
(28:44):
just truth, it's also love.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Yeah, it's a place to be accepted for who you are.
It's a place to know thatyou're safe.
It's a place to know that we'regoing to find you and there's
value in that.
Yeah, over and over and overagain.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Yeah, that was my favorite part about this weekend
Girls all were terrified aboutcoming.
Sure, they're like I don't knowanyone, I'm terrified, I don't
know if I should come.
Every girl left, meetingfriends, finding community, and
it was crazy because so manywomen kept coming up to me.
They just were tears in theireyes going.
Thank you, I've.
I've been counseling, I've beento church programs and the
(29:23):
truth that was in this space wasunlike anything I've ever heard
, because once again, itinvolved all these different
components vulnerability,transformation, truth in a way
they hadn't heard it before.
But it was also mixed withdietitians, counselors, like all
these other aspects were alsothere too.
So it was just all of itincubated in a three day retreat
(29:43):
.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
But I think the key to what you're talking about and
I think that this is one of thethings that I think is missing
in mental health and counseling,in therapy and treatment is
that there isn't a call forvulnerability.
Yes, there really truly is moreof a call to let's give you a
new process, let's give you anew this and, yes, process is
important, yes, butvulnerability is.
(30:06):
Vulnerability is the oil thatkeeps the engine running.
So, absolutely, you need aprocess so that there is an
engine.
If you don't put oil in theengine, that engine's going to
freeze up and it's not going towork again.
There's going to be a lot ofdamage here.
So vulnerability and theability to be, I think, is so
(30:27):
needed.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
You just don't get that.
You can be vulnerable in acounseling office.
It's a one-on-one and anyonecan do that one-on-one.
We did really, really powerfulexercises where women had to
write down lies and believeabout themselves and they have
to be in a small group.
And I made them put the papersin the middle.
You had to grab one, you had toread the lies that your friend
(30:51):
wrote about them.
You didn't know who it was, butseeing one that every other
woman in the circle will be theexact same thing, do you believe
that you're not alone, right?
That just creates thisempowerment to move forward in a
way of like, let's do thistogether in vulnerability, like.
I truly believe.
I say this all the time.
I believe vulnerability is thebeginning of freedom.
You have to be vulnerable inthe same way that I'm not
(31:14):
married, I'm single, but I canimagine and maybe you can speak
more to this that and I meanI've seen this, I've been
engaged relationships, but whenyou finally say the thing that's
been hurtful or hard, itcreates reconciliation in a
beautiful way and you start tofeel free.
Yes, vulnerability createsfreedom.
Vulnerability creates freedom.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
It so does with a, with a meaningful caveat that we
don't misunderstand and I don'tthink you are, but we don't
misunderstand that vulnerabilityis and I'm air quoting,
speaking my truth, yes, that is.
I think we often use one, weoften bastardize vulnerability
(31:55):
to believe that this is.
I'm just going to say what Ithink.
I'm not going to consider who'swith me, because vulnerability,
with true vulnerability, youhave the greater opportunity to
beget more vulnerability, and Ithink that's what you're
describing in your, in yourretreats, which I think is
(32:16):
fantastic.
And yet, all too often, we saywell, I'm just going to tell you
I don't like this about you,it's like that's not
vulnerability, that's just rude.
Yeah, because vulnerability isabout me, it's not about you,
not at all.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
I mean, it's just think it's, this is me.
It's like you're laying you ona table.
It's like right, this is how Ireally feel.
This is what I really think,with no ulterior motive to
attack or offend, but truly,just like.
I'm gonna show you the innerparts of myself, that is so hard
for me to let people in, but Ithink what's so freeing about
this and what I've seen breathethrough exist in these retreats
(32:52):
is when they do that theyrealize they're not alone, yeah,
and they realize that they'reloved, because these women and I
mean we prayed over each otherlike they wrote down these lies.
They had someone else read itover them and then everyone put
their hand on each other andprayed over it that we would not
believe those lies anymore andthere was no shame and there was
no condemnation.
Grand, I'm not married.
I can imagine that's true,you're in a married setting, but
(33:16):
in this sense, women were likeI said the thing that I've never
said out loud and I wasaccepted.
I wasn't shamed for it, becausea lot of times I believe in
vulnerability.
We can often believe if I sayit out loud, I'll be rejected.
If I say it out loud, peoplecan't know the real me.
But something that I live by isyou'll never know if people love
(33:37):
the real you if you aren't youright because otherwise they're
gonna love the fake version ofyou and you'll never live free,
because then you'll have tomanage, you'll have to protect,
you'll have to be what you thinkother people expect you to be,
when they never ask you to beanything different.
It's just you put on this imagethat you think you need to be.
But just what if you were likefor this?
(33:59):
A lot of it with volume is whatif you let your body be where
it's supposed to be and see whathappens?
You don't know if someone willchoose you based on that body
size, if you never let yourselfactually go to that body size
because there's so much power ingoing.
Oh, I didn't lose friends whenI stopped dieting.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Oh, it's interacting with what?
The potential of truth?
Yes, and when we have anxietieswe tend to, one of the
treatments that we tend to do iswe have phobias, we have fears.
We have to look at thosephobias and fears and see oh my
gosh, we're not going to die.
I don't like heights.
(34:37):
Oh my gosh, we're not going todie like I don't like heights.
Uh, it's a, it's a geneticthing I don't like heights.
And so when I'm, you know, in alike, say, new york, I will
walk to the edge of a, of anoverlook, and I will look down
and I'm like, okay, I didn't die.
Yeah, I was really scared soalive and I didn't die, you know
, or the you.
I go for a hike with my brother,you know, for whatever reason
(34:57):
it skipped him because he enjoysit.
And I look over and I'm like,okay, I'm not, I'm fine here,
and it's that place of going upto it.
And again, you go up to itreasonably, with the ability to
regulate your nervous system,and that's where I think what
you're calling for isvulnerability.
But you're also creating andclearing out a very safe space
in these retreats that thatwomen can really like there
(35:19):
isn't going to be.
If somebody is vulnerable,they're not going to go.
Yeah, that's what I wasthinking about.
You, you are all those thingsLike.
That's not tolerated.
Therefore, there is a safetythat you are providing that is
giving these ladies anopportunity to show up, to show
up authentically them, andyou're saying no, no, no.
(35:39):
The guidelines here are suchthat we're going to honor this
and if you can't honor it, keepyour mouth shut.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
Yeah, and it's so beautiful though, because
they're desperate for it.
We all are, everyone is and oneof my favorite things I mean we
do all these like differentexercise.
One of them is I make them takea photo.
They partner up and they makethem take a photo with their
partner they're not allowed toshow their partner yet and they
write down the first things thatcome to mind when we see their
partner's photo.
You know so, and I love theexercise because it's so
(36:09):
powerful, because at the end ofthe lesson I make them swap and
you now see the photo ofyourself and you have to write
down the first things you see.
And it's hilarious because it'salways the opposite.
Sure, every single time.
Sure, she goes.
One girl goes rosy cheeks, redcheeks, beautiful, uh, love her
ponytail, messy ponytail.
Uh, love her eyes, um, squintyeyes, like.
(36:31):
It's always like.
Like her nose is petite andcute and fun and hers is my nose
is.
It's always like.
Like her nose is petite andcute and fun and hers is my nose
is disgusting and needs a nosejob.
And it's funny how we seethrough these lenses of no one
ever sees the things that we seewhen we look at ourselves in
the mirror.
No one ever sees the things thatwe're often anxious about,
we're fearful of.
People actually often see thebest.
(36:55):
We are our own worst critics,critics.
And so it's so beautiful andjust in general when you realize
, one, that no one's thinkingabout you the way you're
thinking about you.
No one's thinking about youbecause they're thinking about
themselves, right, and.
But it just allowed thatvulnerability to not only see
that no one is thinking the liesyou believe about yourself, to
then eventually get into thelast night where we had to
confess the lies and everyone isjust not alone in it.
(37:17):
You're not alone, and I thinkvulnerability I mean I remember
when I was in college and I wasstruggling with my binge eating
disorder, I was like I needeveryone to know that I'm
struggling so they don't thinkI'm just getting wasted every
weekend and just gaining allthis weight.
But it was like I'm strugglingand the amount of women at Tcu
that came forward saying me too,was so powerful, because I
(37:38):
think, whether you're battlingan emus or body image whatever,
if you can raise your hand andsay me too, it opens a door sure
for women and men alike to beknown and a lot of people you
might just need to be the boldone to say like I'm struggling.
And that's why this weekend isso powerful, because they just
took the first step in saying,obviously I'm struggling if I'm
(37:59):
here, but then it created thisenvironment of everyone being
like then let's fight to notbelieve anymore.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
I love that so the retreats.
How often do you do them?
Speaker 3 (38:10):
So the goal for we just did our first one, and the
goal for 2025 is to host.
My goal is minimum four, and myguess is we're going to do
mother-daughter college.
Um, we're launching this on tcucampus in a really big way and
I'm so, so excited.
And all of this honestly comesdown we're non-profit, so it
(38:31):
requires funding, sure, um, sojust praying bold prayers for
that um, but we're going to do acollege one, a young adult one,
a mother daughter one.
And then the fourth one is stilla little unclear, maybe another
young adult, but the goal iseventually to do one for new
brides, because a lot of timeswhen you get married you will
get a new one's way, and to havea biblical view of sex be
taught.
And then another one is pre andpostpartum moms.
(38:53):
Pre and postpartum moms becausea lot of women will get out of
baby changes, but that's a gooddesign.
But what if we taught you thatthat is a good design.
You don't have to bounce back.
And then we have trainers tocome in to teach you how to work
out in a way that's good foryour body.
And then honoring.
And then another one that Ibelieve will be within the next
year or so is a retreatspecifically for those who have
(39:14):
been violated and abused, toremind them that their body is a
temple of the holy spirit, nomatter what's happened to you,
and to restore that identityinto them, because a lot of
women I mean no matter whatstruggle it is like you, just
you will.
Your identity is stripped fromyou when you're in that
vulnerable position and we wantto help restore it, and so that
(39:34):
is the the goal for 2025,full-blown TCU club.
We were going to do a workoutin the Greek, followed up by a
lesson on these topics, bringingin licensed professionals,
counselors, providing resourcesfor all college women.
I mean, tcu is supposedly intop 10 eating cert colleges in
the country, so it's very, veryprevalent but while also
providing retreats in Texas butI mean only 10 women were from
(39:58):
Texas at this retreat.
Oh really, it was crazy.
Every woman was from adifferent part, because I have a
podcast called Call Her Holy,so every woman was from Canada,
mexico, maine, florida, like allacross the country, new York,
yes, so two things One, how, ifsomebody wants to donate to this
, to this, tell us how to dothat.
(40:19):
Gosh, if you want to donate tothis, I would love to either
grab coffee with you, get toknow you, but it would just be
going to areyounoblecom and itsays support in the top right
corner.
Okay, but the goal is is that,I mean, every single penny of
donations goes straight backinto this ministry and it goes
straight back to getting thismessage and really truly a big
(40:41):
one is generational curses.
Speaker 4 (40:42):
Eventually, the goal is to do high school, middle
school, elementary, I just can'tdo it all on my own and that's
going to require hiring womenand hiring a team which all
requires funding.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Second question is so somebody wants to go on the
retreat.
Are you noblecom?
Speaker 3 (40:59):
Are you noblecom?
Yep, we are dropping ourcalendar for the next year
within the next month or two.
Okay, so if you join the emaillist you just go to, are you
noblecom?
There will be a pop-upimmediately that says drop your
name.
You put your name email inthere.
We will be sending out in thenext month or so, four to six
weeks.
Here's our retreat schedule for2025.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
If somebody wants to follow you and know more about
the things that you're talkingabout in a greater, more
long-form way, tell us your.
So you call her Holy.
Call her Holy.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
It's a spin-off of Call Her Daddy.
Don't look it up.
It's a terrible podcast.
It's the worst podcast foryoung women in the country, but
it's also the number one podcastin our country with terrible
advice, and so we named it CallHer Holy, so that it provides
alternative information andcounsel.
Speaker 4 (41:51):
If you found value in our discussion and wish to
uncover more about thefascinating world of mental
wellness, don't forget to Thankyou.
(42:11):
Have you with us every step ofthe way.
Until next time, keep exploring, keep growing and remember to
celebrate restored freedom asyou uncover it.
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