I did it!

I finished the Kiawah half-marathon in 2.47.01, slower than I was hoping for, but I'm okay with that. It was humid (100%) and I started out a lot faster than I should have. I just had a hard time slowing myself down, so I was worn out by the time I was halfway done. I think I managed to push through about 8 miles or so before I slowed down to walk off and on the rest of the distance. I haven't checked the Garmin yet to see what my splits look like.

About this time last week, I was plotting my next half. Now, though, I'm not sure if I'm going to do another one. I mean, I got my medal and my 13.1 magnet. I also have sore legs, a sore shoulder, an aching back, a knee that's catching, and a hip that hurts if I move it the wrong way. Oh, and my feet hurt. I'll give myself a few days to recover and then go from there.  I was considering the Palmetto Half for my next one. I'll make a decision by the end of December because it's greatly discounted if I register by the 31st. I've also tossed around the idea of doing the Kiawah marathon next year. I'll just hang on to that idea as an idea for now.

Loving the little things

I love how God works. I had a passing thought this morning about needing to spend a little time in God's word. A little while later a sweet friend from church sends me a private message about wanting to check in with me about how my quiet times are going because she needs accountability in that area also. That led me to actually OPEN the Word and spend a little time there.


Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." - 1 Peter 1:13-16


Striving for holiness today.




As I'm focusing on holiness today, intentionally focusing, not just a thought in passing, verse 16 keeps coming to the forefront of my thoughts. "Be holy, because I am holy." Frustration and my initial reaction to said frustration is this verse. Be holy. Keep reign on thoughts. Don't let the frustration get the best of you and don't dwell on it and progress to sin. Handle with grace.

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for reigning in my thoughts and actions this morning. For being faithful to provide a Word when I need it.

The Word given to me may not be powerful to others at this moment, but it's what *I* need in the moment. He meets me where I am.

I know, it's been forever. I'll work on that. Really. I just had to come over here today to record a FB status I just wrote so hopefully I won't forget it because it's so true.

"I love how just a few minutes in God's word can settle my spirit.  Doesn't matter what I read, I know His word is alive and active and speaking to me."

I was having a bit of a spiritually unsettling morning. Questioning things. Wondering about my salvation (again) because I'm hesitant to participate in a particular activity and because I have such a hard time being in the word every day. It's a discipline, I know. Discipline by definition is training. I have trained myself to run 3 times a week and for pretty decent distances at times. WHY, then, is it so hard to train myself to be in the word more than once a week, every 2 weeks, month? It's something I'm struggling with right now.

I did pick up my Bible this morning and read out of 1 Peter. All I did was read. Did not meditate or dig deeper. The Holy Spirit settled my spirit with just the reading of a few verses. I don't want to forget this. I want to remember so I can return again and again to His word for the spiritual feeding I so desperately need and yes, so I can help others to do the same. It's what I, as a Christian, am called to do. Yet, I buck against it. I give excuses. I fear what people will say. I do not have boldness when it comes to sharing what Christ has done in my life.

I know Christ lives in me. The very fact that I'm struggling with spiritual matters tells me that. One part of me wants to push for the prize that awaits. Another part just wants to sit and be content with where I am and not move forward. That's the struggle. Today, pushing for the prize is winning. I spent time in God's word. It's a good place to start.

Vegetable fail

I'm not surprised my little container garden failed. Not at all. I have never had a green thumb. My carrots sprouted, but that was all. The zucchini plants flowered and then died. The sunflowers and broccoli are still green-ish. Maybe something will come of those. I'm thinking not, but you never know.

We're into the swing of things with school now. The kids have been in for 3 weeks and are doing great. I've picked back up on running regularly (only have missed 1 day of the 9 I planned to run and that was because it was a holiday and I just didn't go). My distances have varied, but at least I'm getting back out there. Half marathon training starts a week from Monday. I'm praying the humidity will be lower when it's time to start making long runs. I did manage just over 4 miles this morning. That's actually the first "long" run distance when I start training. So, I know I can make it and I even have a route already.

Update of sorts

I'm growing vegetables! Or at least trying. I have zucchini, broccoli, and carrots in pots on my back deck. I also have sunflowers. They're all growing and I'm really hoping to get veggies from the plants. I'm not much of a green thumb...I've killed a cactus.

School starts in a week. I've got one kid in 4th grade and the other in Kindergarten. Time flies. I'll be going to 2 schools this year since 4th-6th grade is considered intermediate around here.

I've been doing a Bible study on the names of God. I'm only about halfway through it and plan to finish it, but I've learned a lot about who God is through his different names. I think my favorite so far, the one that means the most to me up to this point, is El Roi, the God who sees. He sees everything...the big picture all the way to the smallest hurt in my heart. The one I'm learning to trust is Jehovah-jireh, my provider. That should be easy if I look back over my life for the past 3 years, but it's not easy. I have to remember, remember, remember the things God has done for me and how he has provided. His provision has been great over the years. He's provided in the small things and the big. There's no reason to doubt that he will continue to provide. I've just got to trust and believe him.

The Heart Reader

I just finished this book by Terri Blackstock. I'm not 100% sure what to say about it. It's convicting. Very convicting. Makes me take a look at my own life and realize that I am so far from telling people about my savior, Jesus. How he is the only one I need. How he gives peace in the hardest of circumstances. How no matter what you've done, he offers forgiveness and mercy. How he is faithful even when I am not. How he has changed my life over the years, starting with the day I gave my life to him. Yes, it takes courage, which he will give. I don't have to have a script to go by. All I have to do is tell people what he's done. It's so hard, though. What do I have to offer? The woman who was in church from the time she was in her mother's womb? Was in church every time the doors opened? Who really didn't do anything "bad." I have no amazing  story of repentance. I wasn't into drugs, sex, or anything like that before I came to know Christ. I was disrespectful toward my parents, my brother. I watched and read things that I had no business watching and reading. I went to church because that's what we did, not because there was anything (at the time) to be gained from being there. It's entirely possible that I came to know Jesus at the age of 7. I don't know for sure because I can't tell that there was a change in my life at that time. I mean, at 7 how bad can a person be, right? If I didn't come to know Jesus at 7, then I certainly did at 15. All I know for sure is that God showed me my heart that night and it was burning. Felt like a literal burning. I was all jumbly and feeling knotty inside when I prayed that night and still was after I asked Jesus in. But, over the course of the next years, I knew I was different. It wasn't always a good different. I remember that I stopped wearing the Christian t-shirts. Why? Looking back, my guess is that Satan got right to work on me. I mean, I grew up in church and had worn the t-shirts through middle school and up to that point in high school. Now, all of a sudden, I *do* have a relationship with Jesus and I'm ashamed to admit that I was a fake before then, so I quit proclaiming him through my t-shirts. I grew some over the next couple of years and used a couple lines from a Christian song in my valedictorian speech and without shame. I let God lead me to the college I attended. I only applied to 2 of them and was accepted to both. The one I *really* wanted to attend did not offer me any scholarships, so I went to the other one. My roomie at UM told me one night that she thought I was pretty shallow in my faith until she needed prayer for a friend and I prayed with her. I'm not one to very openly display what I believe, but I have gotten bolder as the years have gone by. I felt God calling me to missions. At the time, I believed it to be career missions, but looking back, I think it was a calling to a mission trip. Specifically, the one where I met Clayton. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was going on that mission trip a year and a half beforehand. The day it was announced, I knew. The first penny had not been raised/paid toward it yet I knew. God didn't do anything incredible with me on that trip (at least as far as I know), but he did allow me to meet my husband and know not long after we met that he was the one for me.  Here we are, about to celebrate 13 years of marriage, after a year and a half long distance relationship, with only 6 weeks of that time being in each others' presence. Truly a God-thing. There are so many other things I could write about how I have seen God's hand, especially over the last 2.5 years. From job changes to motorcycle accidents to crazy, unbelievable happenings, he has been in the center of it all. Orchestrating. Not a thing comes to me that God hasn't allowed. How amazing to know that he is sovereign and Satan can't touch me without his permission. Especially when I look back over the last year. I *know* my God has something BIG in store for us. We may not see it this side of heaven, but he loves me and my family way more than I can imagine. Way more.

Wow

I was just going back and reading some posts I made over the past year. I'm amazed at how God has carried us through truly hard, confusing times and how He has spoken to me through different people and how my faith has truly been challenged. I was listening to Greg Laurie's radio program this morning and one statement he made really stood out to me: "Faith that cannot be tested is faith that cannot be trusted." While we're still not through with the big things that have happened over the last year, I can say that I believe we can trust our faith. We have definitely been tested. My faith is in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. And I can trust Him.

And in my true blogging form, it's time to mix and match topics. On the subject of running...I planned to get out tonight and run. That didn't happen. (Big surprise there). Tonight ended up being a kid-free night, so Clayton and I went out. I was a little too full still to run. I should be able to fit a run in tomorrow morning after I take him to work and after I get groceries. (His car is in the shop at the moment). Grocery list is already made, so all I have to do is stop somewhere on the way back home and then when I get home put everything away and hit the road. After I run, I'll head to the YMCA for the deep water fitness class I've been taking. I LOVE it! I even want to continue my membership through the winter so I can keep going 3 times a week for it. Now, if I can get my eating back under control, I should be able to get back on the weight loss wagon. I know I gained 4 pounds over the course of 2 months and I'm pretty sure I've put some more on since that last time weighing. After all, I *was* on vacation last week.

Vacation...what a fun week. We drove down to Pensacola, FL on Saturday, June 30. My phone rang just as we were pulling into Newnan, GA for lunch. It was my dad calling to tell me that pork chops were no longer on the menu for supper that night. He and my brother had gone fishing early that morning and caught 13 mullet, so mullet was on the menu. Oh, what a treat. It's been a LONG time since I had fresh-caught-the-same-day-I-ate-it fish and mullet is a must when in Pensacola.

This is a picture my brother (Jason) took of my dad while fishing. 

Sunday was the patriotic service at church. I tear up every year. Every. Year. We also had a cookout in the afternoon. I didn't get any pics of family members who were there.

Monday was the Naval Air Museum. That's another annual event for vacation.

Cousins at the museum.

Monday evening was spent at the beach. It was soooo gorgeous. Jason, Andrew, Kristin, Jacob and I met up with my cousin and her family there. We took pictures and talked. The kids weren't supposed to get wet, but they were soaked by the time we left. 

The "Hot Now" sign was on when we drove past Krispy Kreme, so we stopped for a couple dozen donuts. And coffee. (This was donut stop #1).

Tuesday morning saw Jason, Andrew, and me up at 5 to go back out to the beach to try to get sunrise pictures. We almost missed it.

All of us went back out later in the morning just to enjoy the beauty (and play in the water).

Wednesday was declared a do-nothing day...up until time for the fireworks, that is. However, Clayton and Andrew went back to the museum.

Thursday morning saw us waking before dawn to hit the beach again for the sunrise. This time was 4:30 and it was Jason, Allison, and me that went.

That's about where the pictures end. Of course, I have loads more. Clayton and Andrew went to the USS Alabama during the day and we all went to a baseball game Thursday night. Friday was spent doing pretty much nothing. We were all exhausted, so it was a welcome change. My family of 4 did make it out to the beach one last time Friday night for a seafood supper. We ended up leaving later than planned on Saturday, but made good time coming home. It was great to sleep in our own beds and get back into the regular routine.