Elevating People:When Iron Sharpens Iron

When Iron Sharpens Iron: A Journey of Redemption, Discipline, and Belief

Three years ago, I began a journey to reclaim a body I had COMPLETELY neglected and abused through years of unhealthy choices and careless routines. The weight gain was significant—but heavier than the physical burden was the emotional one: shame. I had done this to myself. I had allowed stress, complacency, and poor habits to override the truth of who I was and who God had called me to be. This journey was never about vanity—it was about conviction. I had not honored my body as God’s temple, and I knew I was living outside of His word. Everything changed the moment I surrendered and asked Him to lead me back to health, strength, and purpose.

Something shifted deep inside me. I no longer wanted to be ruled by guilt or defeat. I asked Him to lead the way.And He did—just as He has every time I’ve come to Him broken. He picked up the pieces, put me back together, and began shaping a masterpiece once again. 

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” — Ecclesiastes 3:11

That path led me to a local gym. It wasn’t welcoming or warm to the fat girl in the room and it was gritty, loud, and intimidating. The trainer/owner there was mean. He barked instructions filled with technical fitness language I didn’t understand. He looked at me with what felt like contempt, as if he were thinking, She’ll never get this. She’ll never stay consistent. He doubted me, but with my commitment to God and my husband by my side—I didn’t let it stop me.

Quietly, I stayed. I didn’t understand why God would lead me to a place that felt so hostile and unwelcoming—but I chose to trust Him anyway. I believed there was purpose in the discomfort, and that God was doing something bigger than I could see in the moment.

I accepted his attitude because I knew who was truly in charge—God was leading this transformation, not the man in front of me. I stayed for two years. Through those years, I didn’t match harshness with harshness. Instead, I remained steady and grounded, hoping my presence would eventually ELEVATE his way of thinking. Maybe, just maybe, he’d begin to treat others with dignity, compassion, and respect—and ultimately, see Jesus in me and lean into His everlasting and forgiving love.

Over time, I came to learn that his anger wasn’t really about me—it was misdirected, rooted in deep personal pain and addiction. That’s when God revealed why He had placed me there. It wasn’t just about my physical transformation; it was about being a quiet light in someone else’s darkness, while I dealt with my own.

We were more alike than I realized. It became clear that my presence there served a deeper purpose—to reflect patience, humility, and perseverance as we each navigated very different, yet equally dark seasons of life. In that space, I was called to extend the kind of grace that only comes from Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

But I also believe in strong boundaries. And when I sensed that the work God had called me to in that season was finished, I knew it was time to go.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

This reminds us that not every relationship or assignment is meant to last forever. Some people are placed in our lives for only a season—and that’s by design, not failure. Learning to recognize when a season has ended is part of walking in wisdom.

 When I sensed that my work there was complete, I didn’t hold on out of guilt or obligation. I released it with peace, trusting that God had used that season for His purpose—and that it was time to move into the next.

Eventually, a new gym came to town—ISI, which stands for Iron Sharpens Iron—owned by Spenser and Hannah. My husband and I made the switch. I didn’t just find a gym—I found a tribe, a mission, and a second wind.

Since joining ISI, I’ve lost another 25 pounds. I hit my ultimate goal. I gained muscle, lost body fat—but more importantly, I found community. And in that community came belief. ISI didn’t just transform my body—it elevated my confidence and reignited a fire in me to keep showing up, not just for the workouts, but for the life God was calling me to live.

Coach Spenser didn’t just count my reps—he made me feel like a valued player on a team with a greater purpose. At ISI, it’s not just about fitness—it’s about showing up, growing stronger, and representing something bigger, like being part of a team where every person matters and every effort counts.

He believed in me when I doubted myself. He pushed me past my limits, not to punish me but to elevate me. And in doing so, he embodied true leadership. The kind that sharpens, strengthens, and shapes character.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV)
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”

That faith was reaffirmed at ISI, where Spenser’s coaching extended to the incredible team he hired—I consistently felt the same level of support, challenge, and care through each one of them and ISI is now part of my daily life.

ISI has become my favorite place at the end of the day—a space where I’m challenged, supported, and reminded of who I’m becoming through faith, discipline, and community. Best of all, my husband and I get to show up together and live this life side by side.

The video below captures one of those moments—where Coach Spenser’s belief in me shows what Iron Sharpens Iron really means. It’s not just a catchy name. It’s a principle rooted in God’s Word:

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
— Proverbs 27:17

This journey isn’t just about weight loss. It’s about redemption. It’s about becoming sharper, stronger, and more faithful—TOGETHER.

This video captures a powerful moment in my journey—a coach seeing potential in me that I hadn’t yet seen in myself. Through his belief and challenging encouragement, he pushed me beyond my limits and helped me rise to a new level—physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s a glimpse into the kind of transformation that happens when someone refuses to let you settle for less—and instead, sharpens you to become your best.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we all need our own version of “ISI”—a tribe of people who believe in us, challenge us, and walk beside us as we grow. This journey isn’t a sprint; it’s a daily commitment to show up, even when it’s hard.

As Coach Spenser always says, “If you stay consistent, the results will show.”

Fitness, like faith, requires trust in what you can’t see yet, per Spenser and I could not agree more. The results don’t come overnight—but with faith, discipline, and the right people around you, transformation will come.

So find your team, stay the course, and trust that God is shaping something far greater than you can imagine. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE

Joel 2:25 (NIV)
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…”

No matter how far you’ve drifted or how much time you feel you’ve lost, God is able to restore, redeem, and make all things new. Stay faithful—He’s not finished writing your story.