Word of Life in Sand Springs has on staff their very own State Bodybuilding Champion, Smiley Elmore, Jr. as the children’s pastor. He recently won the “Mr. Natural Oklahoma” Bodybuilding Championship. He also placed 1st as “Mr. Tulsa - Masters over 40” and 2nd as “Mr. Tulsa Open” which includes participants of all ages.

Smiley who has been training since he was 14 won the “Mr. Tulsa Novice Competition” at 18. In this recent competition there were 10 other competitors from Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. Smiley says that, although others are in the competition, he really focuses on competing against himself.

Smiley says that he competes as a Natural Bodybuilder to show the world that Jesus is the real deal and that it is only through Jesus that we can do all things. He teaches the children at Word of Life that God has given each of us dreams and when we depend on God with everything we have, we can and will reach our dreams.

What is next for Smiley? He will be competing in the Natural Central Oklahoma Show in Edmond on August 8th and then his big show will be on September 12th in Kansas City to obtain his Pro-Card. Smiley trains with short intense workouts of 45 minutes to one hour at least 4-5 times every week. He says that it is also important to train spiritually, mentally and emotionally for these competitions. He says he always allows God to give him peace before entering a competition and then he dedicates the whole process to God’s glory. The 8-12 week pre-competition process includes strict discipline in diet, hard physical training along with praying and committing Scripture to memory. Smiley says he then meditates on the Scriptures he has memorized during his training sessions to motivate himself.

He told me that when he gets tired of the rigid pre-competition disciplines and feels the urge to eat a dozen chocolate chip cookies with a gallon of cookie dough ice cream, (he is human after all), he focuses on the dream God has given to him to show the world of Natural Bodybuilding that Christ is real and only with Jesus comes true victory in any area.

Smiley wants to tell all young people that it is never too early to have a dream. He says that before you were born God had a special purpose and plan just for you. Smiley strongly encourages young people to spend time daily with Christ in prayer and Bible reading. It is equally important, he says, to get still and quiet before God to listen to Him and then God can and will reveal His plan for you. “Believe me,” said Smiley, “it is an awesome plan!”

According to Smiley the most important thing when competing or taking on any task or dream in life is to obey God, totally and completely, and then wholeheartedly use the abundant gifts He has given to us. Obedience and discipline along with God’s supernatural power will make great things happen.