As the story has it, one day I headed to the opposite side of the globe – the Flipside. I arrived in Korea February 16th, 2005 and thought I’d do a year, then leave. I was wrong. I stayed, launched my first company, Flipside Fitness, and then opened Korea's largest boxing club, Hulk's Boxing (now called Hulk's Club).

After 11.5yrs in Korea, I then picked up one day and returned to Toronto, Canada. But then I left again.

Now I live in the Philippines where I am the CEO and head coach of Empowered Clubhouse, the Philippines' first and only boxing clubhouse exclusively just for women. I also am the founder of the Lil' Sistas Project, CEO and designer of Slay Gear and Baa Baa Black Sheep .Ph.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Feeling at Home at Church... Sunday, December 18

And while my parents would describe themselves as religious, I'd call myself spiritual. For me, to be healthy means to address issues of the mind, body and spirit.  Church feeds my spirit and what's good for the spirit is good for the mind and body.

It's taken me many, many moons to find a church where I feel that homey, comfy feeling that I once felt growing up.  When I was young we went to a church in Ajax and then we switched to a closer one, one here in Whitby.  My dad was on the board, my mom was the church secretary, my oldest brother taught Sunday School, my other brother helped with the sound system, and I bounced around juggling various tasks and roles from teaching Sunday School and Junior Youth to running the sound system, ushering and playing the piano.  I grew up in the church but at my church in Whitby my family and I were very much a part of the church.

I miss that. 

In Korea I was someone who filled up one of the seats but fell into going because of habit.  I'd occasionally attend one of their coffee night meet-ups but always felt like I didn't belong.  I was an outsider.  I remember the day someone in front of me recognized who I was so they lifted up their camera and snapped my picture as I tried to listen to the sermon.  I've always been disconnected, going through the motion, keeping the habit and hoping something would click.  

It never did.

Today it clicked.

I usually attend church with Skittles but today he wasn't able to attend.  Siitting through the service alone though it clicked.

I really wasn't by myself; others around me at the church greeted me and I got smiled at and hugged by many of my fellow church goers present.  Many of them greeted me by name and during the service I caught others smiling me as if to say "nice to see you again" with their eyes.

I feel I'm a member of their church, a person who they all consider "one of them".

During the service today a young lady stood up and performed an original piece she had written.  It was called "Your Silver Lining".  She started off singing but half way through it she broke out into almost a rap-like rendition of the message she was sharing.  It was awesome and it gave me goose bumps.  

I was picked up after church and when I went to share about what had happened during church I found myself saying "You should have been there!"  There's a lot of "you-should-have-been-there" moments at my church and I think that's where the click happened, knowing that my soul, my spirit, IS getting fed and I love every Sunday service I attend at this particular church -- MY church.

No comments: