Who is ready to watch a family friendly movie this weekend? I am! I’m excited to share with you about my friend, Candace Cameron Bure’s new movie, “Finding Normal”! It premiers Saturday, May 18th at 7,9, and 11pm EST on GMC (Gospel Music Channel). They will also be showing it on Sunday, May 19th at those same times if you are busy Saturday night!

Here’s a little bit about it!

Dr. Lisa Leland is a brilliant surgeon with absolutely no bedside manner. She is leaving her practice at UCLA Hospital to move to the Hamptons where she will join her boyfriend as a concierge doctor, treating the rich and famous. As she drives cross-country to her new life she hits a tractor in Normal, North Carolina and her BMW is wrecked. Dr. Leland is found guilty of speeding and ordered to do community service – as a doctor – in Normal, population 332. In a town with no wi–fi, no lattes and no credit cards, Lisa Leland begins to find herself and discovers what a meaningful life is all about.

And if you’d rather see her talk about it, check out this video of Candace on “The Today Show” earlier this week!

(Email/RSS readers click here!)

I can’t wait to see it! She was updating us often during the filming of it in January (via her facebook and twitter accounts) so I’m looking forward to seeing the final product! (Here is her summary of filming it from her blog at candacecameronbure.net)

And some fun pics from her instagram account!

Give a shout out if you think you can watch it this weekend!

“Clare, this company will take everything out of you. The more you feed it, the more it wants. You have to figure out YOUR limits and stop feeding the beast.”

It was a conversation I had with a co-worker years ago when I was working in corporate America. I was in a department that had gone through it’s shares of ups and downs. We had gone through a layoff and I was one of the few left to manage an overabundance of work, to say the least. I have a tendency to be a workaholic and since there was a ton of work, I was working all the time (This was before I was married and with kids). After 2 weeks of driving home in tears, I realized that something had to change. God sent that conversation with my co-worker to me soon after and it was an eye opening moment. I never realized the power my job had over me. I felt enslaved to it and when I was told that it was MY CHOICE to create the parameters of what I did, then I felt relief and freedom.

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I tell you this story because I feel like we are all really good at feeding the beast. The beast looks a little different for each of us, but we all have one. Many times we don’t realize that we are doing it, yet wonder why we feel so enslaved to something. Some things in our lives will take and take from us, never giving us reprieve. We keep feeding it, many times, because we don’t even realize we are doing so and other times because it’s the only thing we know what to do. It takes a hard stop and intentionality to move away from it.

Not sure what I mean by feeding the beast? I consider a beast something that is never satisfied (in a negative way) and has control over your life (in a negative way). Here are some examples I’ve had from various emails from you of real life circumstances.I could expand on each of these but that would take me 3 posts! I think you get my point.

Physical:

- The beast of a sweet tooth

- The beast of laziness/procrastination

Emotional:

- The beast of  approval

- The beast of apathy

- The beast of pride

Relational:

- The beast of toxic-ness (is that a word?!)

- The beast of comparison

HOW we feed each of these beasts look a little different for everyone. Maybe it’s lingering on the dessert page of pinterest, watching that reality tv show that displays everything you want on it, scheduling every minute of the day, or staying in a dating relationship just a little too long. Remember–none of these things in and of themselves are bad or wrong, but in the context of the beast in your life you may need to reconsider.

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3 Steps to Defeat Your Beast 

- Determine your beast(s)

Not sure what they are? Refer to some of the ones listed above or think through what ties you down emotionally and mentally. Ask someone close to you who you trust. What are you enslaved to that is not bringing freedom?

“for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him” 2 Peter 2:19

- Note your triggers

Once I resolved to stop feeding the beast of work, I needed to know what would trigger me to slide back into it. I knew that as soon as I had a pile of folders on top of my desk, that my natural tendency was to kick into overdrive. I had to step back at that moment, take a breath, and reevaluate. This is where it starts getting hard. It’s where we have to look at some things that have always been our “normal” and kick them to the curb.

- Stop feeding it (snacks included!)

Do you want to know the quickest way to stop a beast from growing? Stop feeding it…now. Stop with the small snacks, too. The more taste he gets in his mouth, the more the beast wants. He may seem happy at one point, but give him some time and you’ll be back at it.  Turn around. Walk away. Quit feeding it. Just do it.

I want to end by saying that if you are feeding a beast all day, every day, it means you aren’t feeding anything else. You are consumed by this problem that has a never-ending appetite and other areas are malnourished. Oh friends, I want nothing more than for you to be FREE of things that enslave and chain you. I know what it’s like to be in that spot and it’s a fight that I am often engaged in, however, it is so worth the struggle because at the end of the fight you have freedom and abundant life!

Please don’t try to do this alone. A hungry beast has a loud roar and a scary presence. He can cause us to do things we never imagined ever doing. You need a real life friend to keep you in check but also remember, you have the ONE living inside of you who has stomped on death and has already won! Reach out, hang out, and let the Ultimate Satisfier fill your need!

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may  have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10

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Do you have a beast in your life that is never satisfied? Would you mind sharing below? If you have gained victory over a beast, I’d love to hear about it too! Please share whatever God may lay on your heart! I will be praying for all you specifically who note something below!

Oh I’ve got another great product review for you! Introducing, “The Slide Effect“! It’s sort of like a Total Body Gym/Pilates/TRX system rolled into one! I am a big fan of using resistance cords/bands in workouts and this fitness product puts them together in a unique way!

First off, here’s what you get when you order one:

Now to see how it works. Check out this 2 minute video from their website!

Here is what I LOVE about this product:

- The Size

It doesn’t take up a ton of room and it is easily transportable! So you can move your workout depending on where you need to be. If you travel, this would be a great option for you to take to hotels (or long family weekends away!) too!

- The Variety of Exercises

I love that you can complete upper body, lower body, and core exercises with one piece of equipment. The beauty of it is that on many of the exercises, you hit more than one area. Score!

- It’s adjustable to meet your needs!

Since you make your own adjustments with the resistance cord, anyone can do this. So if you aren’t as strong with your lower body, then you can lighten it up. If you need more resistance for upper, then you can change that!

- Helpful Resources: 3 DVDs, a workout guide, and a nutrition guide

You get 3 DVDs that will take you through 3 different types of exercises ( Full Body 360, Cardio Burn, and Mind & Muscle Connection) along with a workout guide that shows you different types of exercises and gives you a sample weekly program using this system! I thought that was pretty cool. The nutrition guide is also super helpful as it gives you some basics along with some great recipes!

And in the spirit of total honesty with a review, here are a few drawbacks:

- Cord adjustment can be difficult

While I LOVE that it uses a resistance cord, it is a little hard to figure out exactly what level you should be using on each exercise. There aren’t any numbers to note where you are so you have to eyeball, try it, then eyeball again. Since it’s one long cord, you have to make sure you have both sides even and if that gets off then that’s confusing too! I think the more you use it, the better off you would get, but if you get easily frustrated, this may bother you

- The wheels on the omni- directional handles aren’t always the smoothest

This is a great challenge if you are someone who is stronger, as the moving wheels provide an additional workout, but if you are a beginner, you may get frustrated with these handles.

I think this system would be really good to introduce to your children if you are wanting them to get into working out, but don’t want them at a gym, or lifting heavy weights.  I personally loved doing the pilates and yoga routines with this! Such great core and hip training! If you are a trainer or group fitness instructor, I think this would be a useful piece of equipment to incorporate during a circuit station. Very easy to transport to and from your class!

You interested in buying one? Check out their website here. Great price point and worth the money!

Disclaimer: I received this product for review purposes. All opinions are my own.