This is the year of Joy. I have found joy in a very interesting thing recently: working out. This year, we are working out as a family in our homeschool. Not once or twice a week, but almost every day. It has been fun to create the exercises for the day, divide them up into stations, and rotate through them as a group.

Previously, working out with my kids was frustrating because I would spend the majority of the workout trying to help them with their form and posture and miss my own workout. Now they are older and a lot more capable of holding their bodies properly as they exercise. But more specifically, they are motivated to do it.  And now I get to do the workout too. Sometimes with them, sometimes right after they are done. Either way, I have found joy in watching them challenge themselves and hold their own.

The first few times was not filled with Joy, just like any new routine that you are trying to put into place, it is just figuring it out. There is usually a plan in my mind, and when I put it into action, things don’t always look as pretty as it did in my mind. But I find my way, and eventually, with consistent effort, it becomes something to find Joy in.

The first week, I had the kids start with easy stretches that I did in school growing up. Really basic stretches. Even though I know much more complex stretches now, they aren’t ready for them yet. I need to teach them the basic level and then we can add upon it. Our workout took a long time when we first started because I had to take the time to go around and help my kids feel where they are stretching. I would tell them if they were not feeling a stretch in these certain muscles, we needed to figure out what they were missing.

After our stretching session, I explain the exercises that will be done at each station. I show them how to do those exercises and we set a Tabata timer. This timer has certain alarms that tell us when to workout and when to rest. It has the ability for me to set how many rounds we need and then we can start. I love this alarm. When the alarm starts, we all know what to do. We perform our exercise until the alarm indicates that it is time to rest and go to the next station.

The first couple of workout sessions, I spent a lot of time helping my kids to feel how to tighten their abdominal muscles and their glutes while they perform these exercises. The core is the key. Strengthen the core muscles, and everything can become stronger. Some comments were given, “How do I breathe while doing a plank and tighten all the core muscles at the same time?” Good question! It takes practice and mindfulness. Keep going you’re doing great.

One day, my husband was home and he got to work out with us. He began showing the kids more challenging versions of the same workouts we had previously done. The kid’s eyes were popping out of their heads as they watched him demonstrate these advanced exercises. I finally had to interrupt and help him understand that our kids were not at that level of difficulty and he needed to break the workouts down to the basic levels until they were ready for more of a challenge. That day, as we worked out together as a family, I had a lot of fun with everyone. We got sweaty together, we got strong together, and we got healthy together. I was energized.

Fast forward a few weeks and the kids are really enjoying the workout. They help to motivate me when I’m not feeling so motivated. While the beginning was a little frustrating and it seemed to take a long time to get everyone to feel where to hold their bodies and muscles to workout safely, now it seems to have gone into their muscle memory and they can do it without much assistance needed.

I am finding the Joy in working out as a team. I am finding the Joy in seeing them enjoying themselves. I am finding Joy in seeing them be able to do an exercise that they couldn’t do before. I am finding Joy in watching them progress.

It makes me think about our Heavenly Parents and elder brother, Jesus Christ. I know that They watch us struggle. I know that They help as best they can. I also know that They celebrate our wins with us. They find Joy in our efforts. That is all that They ask of us, to put forth great effort.

Just like my kids starting out with basic exercises and stretching, we need to start at a basic level of understanding our purpose on this earth and who our Heavenly Parents are. Who is Jesus Christ? Once we can learn and understand this, there are many more things to learn. Everyone is at a different level.

The core of our body is so important to take care of and strengthen. Likewise, our core understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is important to take care of and strengthen. When we nourish this core understanding, even the most complex questions can be answered. It is in our core that we feel the Spirit and can receive confirmation from God.

For a long time, I was content to just know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are real. I knew that to be true in my soul. No one could challenge that, diminish it, or take it from me. I was happy to just hang out there. It seemed safe. God will never push you to know what you are unwilling and not ready to know and understand.

This last year has been very exciting to me as the gospel has come alive to me. I have learned a lot. I have searched through fascinating books and histories and I have so many questions. And through it all, I am still unmoved in my testimony of the truthfulness of His gospel. The things I am learning light a fire in me and I am so excited to be able to learn line upon line with Him.

Where are you finding yourself at right now? Are you in the basics? Are you a little further along? Are you stretching yourself to learn more? Are you finding every quiet moment of your day to feast upon the words of Christ? If you are ready and willing, I invite you to dive in. It is an amazing way to spend your time and it brings me Joy. Especially in the winter when I struggle to find the Joy with my winter blues.

Most importantly, if you find yourself stretching, but don’t feel it, what are you missing? Ask Him, “What lack I yet?”, He will help you to know.