Joshua 1:9

^"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

I try very hard not to be paranoid about my safety. I was raised to be aware of my surroundings, but not live in fear. I'm home alone quite often with Josh out of town, and I lived by myself for over a year prior to us getting married. I go line-dancing in a not-so-safe part of town (Josh hates that by the way... both the line dancing, and the part of town), but I never walk alone. And Josh and I definitely take precautions to ensure we are safe - God help the person who would break into our apartment. It would certainly be their last.

But I have to tell you, when things like the Pennsylvania Fitness Club Shooting happen, I struggle for a few days because it hits so close to home. If you haven't heard about it, last night this normal-looking guy in his 40's walked right into a Latin dance aerobics class full of women and opened fire. He killed at least 3 women, injured 9 others, and then turned the gun on himself.

I've recently started going back to the gym 4 times a week. I feel I need to get back into shape and loose the weight I gained after the wedding. My favorite way to get cardio in since I absolutely hate cardio, are the group classes. I do Body Jam, which is like hip hop dance routines (completely fun) and Yoga/Pilates. I thoroughly enjoy them both, and they really, really work for me.

I've never once worried about being safe in a gym class. A gym class? Really? Now I do certainly pay attention on my way in and out of the gym, because sometimes it's dark out and I'm usually by myself. But never once have I thought about being on the alert while participating in one of my classes.

At the moment, I feel like we women are not safe anywhere anymore. And I hate that feeling. I hate that I feel that way. It means I'm succumbing to fear. I am not a paranoid person.

God gave us wisdom to keep ourselves out of dangerous situations, but He does allow bad things to happen. God will also never give us more than we can handle. And, I firmly believe everything happens for a reason. We cannot live in fear of the "what if." We take precautions, be as wise about situations as we possibly can be, and live life. Everything else is in God's hands, and He is always with us, wherever we go.

And even though I know all that, I still somehow missed my class tonight. Yes, I was late leaving work and there was no way I'd make it in time, but I hope I didn't subconsciously do it on purpose.

I'll be back there tomorrow night for Yoga. Can't miss another class, I really do love them. But I think I'll be claiming a spot by the exit door for awhile.

Kim