When I Called On Jesus, He Called Me to Worship: The Beginning of Walk & Worship

It started with one obedient step.

My story with 1:27 Strong started with one obedient step — literally.

In my mid-forties, I experienced a season of rebuilding strength and confidence. I was going to the gym consistently, building muscle, learning how to fuel my body, and feeling better than I had in a long time. When people asked me my secret, my answer was simple: Jesus.

At that time, if you had asked me whether I would ever consider opening a faith-and-fitness gym, I would have said yes without hesitation. I loved the gym, and I loved my Jesus.

But that was not when He called me.

God Did Not Call Me From My Strongest Moment

Very shortly after our wedding in 2023, I entered a difficult two-year battle with medical issues, the aftermath of injuries, weight gain, fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Over those two years, I gained almost 30 pounds and hardly went to the gym at all.

I cried out to God often — sometimes wavering, but still trusting and hoping. Life did not look like the strong, confident version of me I remembered. I did not feel ready to lead anyone. I did not feel physically strong. Some days, getting through the day felt like enough.

Then, on July 30, 2025, Jesus met me where I was.

On a very low day at work, He asked me to take one step of obedience for Him. Not ten steps. Not a complete transformation. One step.

That step became the seed of 1:27 Strong.

You can read more of the story on the About 1:27 page.

When I Called On Jesus, He Called Me to Worship

The obedient step was simple: I started walking on the walking pad in my office while listening to worship music.

It started with one song.

Then one song a few times a day. Then five minutes every hour. Then ten minutes every hour.

I called it Walk & Worship.

It was not a perfect workout plan. It was not a dramatic comeback. It was a small, repeatable way to say yes to God with the body and energy I had that day.

And He met me there.

In those minutes of worship, I would cry. I would feel comforted. I would feel joy. I would start healing. My spirit started to wake up while my body followed along.

Walking gave me a place to move, but worship gave the movement meaning.

What Worship Did for My Mind, Body, and Spirit

Worship did not make every problem disappear. It did give me a steady place to bring what I was carrying.

Worship and the mind

Worship helped interrupt the cycle of anxious and discouraging thoughts. Instead of allowing every fear to have the final word, I filled those minutes with truth, praise, and reminders of God's character.

For me, worship became a way to refocus. It created space to breathe, to process what I was feeling, and to remember that my circumstances were not the whole story. It helped me practice gratitude even before everything was fixed.

Worship and the body

Worship made movement feel less like punishment and more like stewardship. I was not walking because I hated my body or because I needed to earn worth. I was walking because this body was still a gift, even in a season when it felt unfamiliar to me.

Worship music also made it easier to begin. One song gave me a manageable starting line. Over time, those small sessions added up to more movement, more energy, and a growing desire to care for myself again.

Worship and the spirit

This is where the deepest work happened. Worship reminded me that I was not abandoned, forgotten, or disqualified by weakness. It brought me back to relationship with Jesus when I did not have polished words or a perfect prayer.

Sometimes worship looked like singing. Sometimes it looked like tears. Sometimes it looked like walking quietly and letting God meet me in the silence between songs. All of it counted.

What Walking Gave My Mind, Body, and Spirit

Walking may look ordinary, but ordinary obedience can become holy ground.

Walking and the mind

Walking gave my mind a rhythm. The simple repetition helped me step away from the desk, the screen, and the heaviness of a difficult day. It gave me a few minutes to reset and return with a little more clarity.

It also helped me build trust with myself again. I did not have to promise a complete life overhaul. I only had to take the next walk.

Walking and the body

Walking is approachable, adaptable, and easy to scale to the season you are in. I could start with one song, pause when I needed to, and build gradually. That made movement feel possible when a full gym session felt out of reach.

Over time, consistent walking supported my energy and helped me reconnect with the joy of using my body. I am now down 20 pounds, but the number is not the whole testimony. The bigger story is that I started showing up for my health again while I was still healing.

Walking and the spirit

Walking gave me a moving place to pray. It reminded me that progress does not always look dramatic. Sometimes progress is ten minutes. Sometimes it is one worship song. Sometimes it is choosing to begin again.

With every step, I practiced surrender: I would do the obedient thing in front of me and trust God with the pace, the outcome, and the parts of healing I could not control.

Faith and Fitness Began With a Yes

This was the beginning of Jesus introducing Faith & Fitness to me.

Not as a way to chase perfection. Not as a way to prove my worth. Not as a promise that life would become easy.

Faith and fitness became a way to live awake — to care for the body God gave me, strengthen my mind with truth, and keep my spirit connected to Him through every season.

Life is not perfect. I still struggle. I am still healing. But every day is filled with worship, praise, and gratitude to a God who hears my calls.

Wear the Reminder

The I Call On Jesus T-Shirt carries the message that started this chapter for me. It is a reminder that calling on Jesus is not weakness. It is where my strength begins.

Wear it on a walk. Wear it to the gym. Wear it on the hard days when you need to remember that you are not walking alone.

And if you are in a season where a full workout feels impossible, start smaller than your shame tells you to start. Choose one song. Take one obedient step. Let worship meet you there.

A Simple Walk & Worship Practice

1. Choose one worship song. Give yourself permission to begin with something small.
2. Walk for the length of the song. On a walking pad, outside, or wherever you can move safely.
3. Use the time to worship honestly. Sing, pray, cry, give thanks, or simply be present with God.
4. Repeat when you can. Build gradually instead of demanding perfection.
5. End with gratitude. Thank God for the strength to take that step, even if it was the only step you had that day.

One song became a few minutes. A few minutes became a rhythm. That rhythm became healing, movement, worship, and the beginning of 1:27 Strong.

When I called on Jesus, He called me to worship. And while I worshiped, He taught me how to walk again.

Learn more about the beginning of 1:27 Strong, or wear the I Call On Jesus T-Shirt or Sweatshirt  as your own daily reminder.