Sharon Aspinall

        The Good Lord made me active, and martial arts fits right into His design of my personality. I broke the mold a long time ago by not going about life in a traditional manner, so when I said to my husband and kids–a couple months shy of my 30th birthday–that I wanted to take up Taekwondo, they weren’t surprised.

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        My daughter began learning from Sensei Stratton at a class for home school students in Kalamazoo. I asked if I could also join. Though she was content to stop at yellow belt, I was hooked.

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        Participating in the classes helped me learn new skills, and it appealed to me in a way that my previous sports exposure hadn’t included. With a strong faith focus and emphasis on developing the whole person during any stage of life, Taekwondo through Dojos of the Risen Son was something I looked forward to every week. I also appreciated how Sensei Stratton mixed his pastoral profession with passion for martial arts. A few years in, I earned a black belt.

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        Christianity has been part of my life from a young age. My parents had a lifestyle of following Jesus through reading the Bible, prayer, and fellowship. I saw their example and followed suit, beginning with a personal decision of asking Jesus to be my Leader at age four. Decades later, seeking the Lord and asking the Holy Spirit to guide me continues to be a regular habit. I have had the opportunity to lead many various church groups (for children, teens, and women) in multiple capacities.

 

        One winter afternoon as a high school sophomore, I suffered a major neck injury and doctor’s orders were to avoid any activity over walking. It devastated me in a number of ways. After extensive rehab, at the same time as graduating, I was given the green light to be ‘normal’ again. In college and beyond, I resumed physical activity with a new appreciation for the gift of movement God had re-granted me. Even though those subdued high school years were tough ones, I grew deeper in my devotion to the Lord and how I relied on His strength to a greater degree.

 

        After attending Bible college, I pursued an adventurous lifestyle, then ‘settled down’ by becoming a personal trainer in my first year of marriage. Soon kids arrived and I chose the home school teacher role. Staying at home hasn’t dampened my lively spirit. Rather, our family goes on excursions, often enjoying physical activity outdoors in God’s Creation.

 

        I live in Illinois now and teach martial arts as an extension of the same Dojos of the Risen Son style in which I was taught. My fellow black belts are a fantastic support system, and we communicate so the classes, expectations, and tests align.

 

        One of my high school teachers–also a Believer in Christ–wrote “Jeremiah 9:23-24” in my senior yearbook. It has been monumental as I continue pushing to achieve in parental, personal, career, physical, spiritual, and life goals. The Lord keeps me grounded and reminded that He is the Source. From Him comes the ability to accomplish much. Joining Him on life’s journey and giving back to Him for His glory is the greatest adventure.