TESTIMONY

FITNESS & FAITH

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My Fitness Testimony

Some of you might have asked me once what had inspired me to start teaching the fitness classes. I’ve always replied in this way. “Because I made some poor choices, gained tons of weight –about 80 pounds overweight before my pregnancy– got deeply depressed, felt so weak, felt so low in self-esteem, felt no strength, felt so not-beautiful, frankly felt ugly about myself.” 

Our emotions lie to us.

These facts were so REAL to me, and they were certainly not the “inspirations” or “motivation” but it was my “desperation” along with faith and commitment that had helped me through — I decided to climb out of the pit and overcame those realities of my own during the tribulation of my life.

“How did you overcome, Eriko?” you may ask. I think you deserve to know the truth. I will tell you the truth. I hit the rock bottom to the place where I could only come up, and no lower place to go. I was very blessed that many people had encouraged me many times during the period of the fights against the overweight pains. But NOTHING WORKED… till I looked at myself in the mirror, and cried out loud! 

I knew the mirror wouldn’t tell me a lie how I looked like, but “something“ was telling me through my heart with small dose (like the size of a mustard seed) of the inner-power and positive attitude that were all left in me, what I saw in the mirror was not the TRUTH of me. I saw my potentials and hopes BEYOND WHAT I COULD SEE IN THE MIRROR — with HOPE and FAITH. I had to believe I can do everything if I put my faith, trust, and commitment. I decided to climb out of the pits to become all that I can be to see the true ME!

Truth — I was raised in a Buddhist family in Japan, and I’ve never heard of the word, “Faith” till I came to the United States, and my daughter’s grandmother always taught me by telling me, “Eriko, have faith!” when I doubted my abilities. Thank you, Barb! You saved my life.

The HATE towards myself was transformed by the LOVE that tells me to take care of myself, and to renew my strength to carry on that day, which is TODAY.

Then, I MADE A DECISION TO BELIEVE that if I committed myself on regular exercise routines, I would lose ALL my weight that I gained for two years after my daughter’s birth. No one knew when I was 5-month pregnant back then, but I gained at least 65 pounds by the time of my daughter’s birth, and guess what? My baby didn’t weigh 65 pounds, of course!

However, the very day had come after two years of taking fitness classes — my FAITH paid off, gave me a great reward!!! I lost the fat-weight from gaining from pregnancy, and gained muscle-weight by fitness classes and weight-lifting on my own. Gaining the muscles and the strength changed my metabolism to burn fat more efficiently.

So I told you the truth how in the world I got motivated, became passionate about fitness and health, and decided to become an instructor about 25 years ago when my daughter was 4 years old — about 2 years later since I had decided to workout.

The only qualification for me to become one was to experience the darkness and weakness at first, to become strong and to overcome them before I started teaching about health and fitness — furthermore, physically, mentally, and spiritually. So I lost them once, and I won them back! 

There is no such thing as “It’s too late!” As long as we have a new day, we have new grace & hope each day while we are alive. 

I am so thankful what I had to go through this tribulation, so that in turn, I can provide fitness classes and encourage YOU through my website.

Thank you for reading my Fitness Journey & Testimony. Now if you are interested in my Faith Testimony, please read the following messages. – Eriko Grill

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Daily Thanksgiving

I thank God that I became a new person with renewed strength through the discovery of His teachings of love, faith, hope and the truth. I’ve never been the same since. The old [Eriko] has gone; the new [Eriko] has come! It was God’s “Extreme Makeover” in my heart, my mind, my soul and my strength that I thank God for every single day.

“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13

My Faith Testimony

Jesus came to me in a dream despite the fact that I was raised as a Buddhist in Japan and became an Atheist later. I didn’t think God had existed.

Jesus came to me in a dream despite the fact that I was raised as a Buddhist in Japan and became an Atheist later. I didn’t think God had existed. In fact, I had been fed up with the hypocrisy of my Christian friends around me who had tried to share their religion. Their actions didn’t match their words which had disgusted me — so many times. I was very disappointed.

Then Jesus showed up in a dream and told me, “I’ve known you for a long time, Eriko. You have a daughter, and you are raising her on your own.”

I thought “Who is this man?” but I nodded yes. Then he said, “You are doing a good job. Keep doing that… I love you VERY much.”

After I heard His voice, all the sudden, I had overwhelming feeling that filled my chest to stomach –almost like steaming-hot liquid had passed through my body. He also put something special around my neck– a string of necklace with black beads with a sliver cross at the end.

Two weeks after the first dream, I had the second dream that had revealed me about God. I saw the sky was split into a half, and the powerful lightening came through the huge dark-gray clouds. The bright light was striking through the air and hitting over the beautiful and shiny emerald cross on the peak of the mountain range, beaming at me. In my dream, I was up in the air on the place where I could see the top of the mountains, waiting for something or someone to come.

I pondered about both dreams that showed me the cross. I only knew the cross is the symbol of Christians, but I didn’t know the true meaning of the cross.

One day, I had fear that if I didn’t take those dreams very seriously as signs of God revealing the cross, something would happen later that I would really regret for the rest of my life, not finding out the truth about this experience. To tell you the truth, before I accepted God does exit and He does care about me and loves me so much, I really resisted becoming one of them — the Christians. I hated what my Christian friends were doing. Their words and actions did not match at all. I really had resentment over their lives and their God who allowed them to do so many immoral things. I also considered that I was a Buddhist. I wanted to stay in that way.

Despite of all these resistances with my own strength, God revealed me His character, His love, and His power that had conquered everything — my heart, belief, and religions that had built my life. I absolutely had a stubborn-heart and a bad attitude toward God, but finally after those dreams, I took them as signs from God, and I surrendered my life and committed that Jesus is my lord and the master of my life. In turn, I asked God to show me who He is –from the bottom of my heart. That was all I did– simply surrendered my heart!

After that day, I had started seeing God’s beauty, characters and teachings everywhere around me. The rest is a history. I am so grateful that God revealed me that He loves ALL people who even still believe in the other religions or beliefs. His love is much bigger than what we can imagine or what we can believe. His love never fails, and conquers everything —absolutely everything!

“Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” – John 20:29

Yes, Jesus came to my dreams because I didn’t believe what I didn’t see in the past. I was a “show-me-the-proof” person, but now I “walk by faith, not by sight.” Praise the Lord! Now I have an important purpose of my life to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Savior and the Comforter.

Today, I’m here to bring you a very important message. I want YOU to invite Jesus in your heart as I did in the past. I have never regret the decision that I made, and now I’m here to share the Good News because I REALLY BELIEVE THAT WHAT I BELIEVE IS REALLY REAL!

After all, the most important message that has ever been told in history, that I honestly believe in my heart, is the Good News of Jesus Christ.

You can find it in John 3:16 in the Bible: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” In THIS promise by God, we can be 100% sure to enter His Heavenly Kingdom, and live with Him eternally, hoping and praying that all of my family and friends will come along together forever.

God promises that it is NOT by the good deeds we’ve done in the past that would let us enter into the heaven — neither by how many frequent-deeds-points we have accumulated in our deposit account in the earth. It is only by His mercy and Grace, and our faith in Him. It is only by the Grace of God (His Gift), we will not be perished, but will be saved from spiritual death, which separates us from God eternally.

God promises that the moment that we accept Jesus in our hearts as our Lord and Savior of our lives, He will save us from the judgement of our sins to face the spiritual death. Then, He will give us eternal life with Him, along with the loved ones who also accepted Him in their hearts.

How wonderful would it be if ALL of our friends can stay together and have eternal lives together forever in heaven with God, the All Mighty! God will always love you no matter what. His concern is in you, not in the world that other people live. It’s only you and God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. After you read my testimony, I hope you will be prompted by the Holy Sprit, and filled with the Spirit inside of you.

The time is running out, and I may never see you again. But I REALLY BELIEVE THAT WHAT I BELIEVE IS REALLY REAL! Therefore, I will have to take a great risk that you may think I’m crazy! Yes, and you are right; I’m really crazy about God and His Power of Love, indeed! I truly love and have passion in encouraging people in the name of Jesus, as He Himself showed up in my dreams and encouraged me to “keep going, Eriko, and I love you very much!” I want to ask you now, would you like to accept Jesus in your heart as I did in the past to be your Guide, Lord & Savior?

Are You Ready for Change?

I will guide you step by step. 

“God celebrates your progression, and so can you!”
– Eriko Grill

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