Congratulations on becoming a certified Bodypump instructor here recently, Bond! What an accomplishment that is. I’m sure that process wasn’t easy at all. What have you learned as a result of that experience — actually becoming certified and now as an official instructor?

Thank you!! Where do I begin? I think the biggest lesson and the most important lesson I learned and continue to learn through that experience is how intimately the Lord can be and wants to be involved in every area of our lives if we will only allow Him in. When I think back to that process, I’m completely overwhelmed by how the Lord took care of every detail for me from who my trainer was, to the tracks I was assigned to teach, to the time it took to get my release filmed. He showed up every. single. time. And because He showed up I was able to do it. Even when I was petrified. And it’s been the greatest gift from Him because teaching BodyPump is exactly what I was created to do!

So you’ve been involved with Reclaiming Hearts Ministries in a few capacities since you first sat in that Bible study, now about 6 years ago. What prompted you to dive even deeper in your involvement with the ministry and serve as a mentor with the Next Experience?

The only answer I can give is that it was the Holy Spirit who prompted me to get involved. I remember sitting in that appreciation lunch as Denise was discussing it and feeling the Spirit’s suggestion that this might be something I need to be a part of. At that point I had no idea what that was going to look like, but I knew I needed to say yes.

Since we’re highlighting our student ministry this month and since you’re a rather fashionable woman — thinking back to your high school days…what was your favorite fashion trend as a high school student?

Oh my goodness! I definitely had some favorite trends! I think it’s a tie between the button covers I wore over my chambray shirt with the collar buttoned up to the top and the long linen shorts that I used to wear with my ribbed mock sleeveless turtleneck. Talk about high fashion!

And, lastly, what advice would you give someone who is ministering where they know the Lord has called them to minister but maybe they’ve been met with a couple challenges that they didn’t necessarily anticipate?

I have definitely experienced this! And my only advice is to keep placing it before Him and asking Him for wisdom. The Lord and I have had a lot of dialogue about this and it usually sounds something like this, “Okay, Lord. This is not what I thought was going to happen. This looks nothing like I pictured. What are we doing??” His answer is usually to keep pressing in, keep praying, keep trusting, and finish well. And honestly, when does anything look the way we pictured it? It usually doesn’t. But what I know from experience is that He is good and that He can be trusted. And that’s all I need to know.