It's official... I have a stress fracture in my right foot. I broke my foot about two years ago and I guess it decided to comeback to haunt me. I'm not quite sure EXACTLY what all this means for my mileage goal or my message goal, but I'll be certain to keep everyone updated.
Count your blessings!
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Excitement and Struggles
Yesterday after running my foot was quite sore. I didn't think much about it as I broke this same foot last year and just figured it was a little "aggravated". However, today my foot is causing me some pretty serious pain. This is a major disappointment as I was truly looking forward to running my two miles today. I'll see how I'm doing when I get home today, but I'm guessing I will not be running today.
On a brighter note, we have had 234 pages views since I started this blog 11 days ago... that truly blows my mind! If you are visiting this blog, please comment and let me know where you are from and what drew you to the website. I would love to connect! This will help me to make decisions about the blog as well. Thank you for visiting and for your support!
The passage I would like to share with you today is Romans 12:12: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
Our 234 pages has brought me so much joy and hope towards this blog. Today, I noticed that someone had visited the page from Ukraine. I truly cannot believe it. I am so glad that this is working as almost a mission; spreading the Word far and wide.
This foot injury is coming as a disappointment. I definitely feel as though it is holding me back, however, I will be patient. When it passes I can continue on towards my goal.
With both this excitement and this struggle I am praying. I have prayed prayers of thankfulness and prayers for patience. I have a rule that I am trying to follow, that with each prayer of request I put in that I also thank God for two things. It is so, so important to me to be thankful... "Dear God, I am concerned about my foot. I prayer that you heal it and give me the patience to allow it to heal. Thank you for allowing me to come as far as I have with only minor setbacks. Thank you for driving people to this blog..."
Stay healthy!
On a brighter note, we have had 234 pages views since I started this blog 11 days ago... that truly blows my mind! If you are visiting this blog, please comment and let me know where you are from and what drew you to the website. I would love to connect! This will help me to make decisions about the blog as well. Thank you for visiting and for your support!
The passage I would like to share with you today is Romans 12:12: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
Our 234 pages has brought me so much joy and hope towards this blog. Today, I noticed that someone had visited the page from Ukraine. I truly cannot believe it. I am so glad that this is working as almost a mission; spreading the Word far and wide.
This foot injury is coming as a disappointment. I definitely feel as though it is holding me back, however, I will be patient. When it passes I can continue on towards my goal.
With both this excitement and this struggle I am praying. I have prayed prayers of thankfulness and prayers for patience. I have a rule that I am trying to follow, that with each prayer of request I put in that I also thank God for two things. It is so, so important to me to be thankful... "Dear God, I am concerned about my foot. I prayer that you heal it and give me the patience to allow it to heal. Thank you for allowing me to come as far as I have with only minor setbacks. Thank you for driving people to this blog..."
Stay healthy!
Monday, January 11, 2016
"But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand." ~Isaiah 32:8
I ran 1.5 miles yesterday and today, both times on the treadmill. I can run this distance pretty easily now. Starting tomorrow I'll make my minimal mileage per day two miles. I'm excited to start building up my daily mileage so that I can eventually take days off and not feel so guilty. That's right... I feel guilty when I don't run. I know I'll only truly be letting myself down, but I think that's what makes it so hard. I've set this goal for myself and I want to see it through.
As some of you may know, I am a black belt in world martial arts. I learned so much about goal setting in martial arts and have been applying those lessons to this goal. One thing we talked about was "constant and never ending improvement". I often use this when setting short term goals; I want to be certain that I am continuing to improve and am never settling. I hope to continue to build on the distance I am able to run and eventually work on increasing my times... I want to be a running machine!
Another thing we spoke a lot about in martial arts was breaking through barriers. There are so many barriers when it comes to running: time restraints, aches and pains, weather, etc. I hope that I do not make a habit of letting those be excuses, instead, I hope to break through these barriers and excel at my goals.
"Finish Strong" was another big one. I hope that with each run, short term goal, and my goal of running 1,000 miles that I finish strong. On each run I try to picture an imaginary finish line and I run my fastest to it. With each short term goal I hope to not only reach it, but surprise myself and surpass it. With this big, ultimate goal, I hope to finish strong by ending it with my longest run of the year, at one of my best paces, and with the deepest faith I have ever felt. I know this may seem overly ambitious, but that is what finishing strong is all about.
Let's see what the Bible says about setting goals:
2 Chronicles 15:7 “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
Isaiah 32:8 “But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.”
Matthew 17:20 “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'”
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Finally!
"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps." ~Proverbs 16:9
You guys, I finally did! I ran three miles! This may not seem like much, but after starting the year with a cold it took awhile to build to.
I plotted it out and one lap around my apartment complex is exactly .25 miles... so yesterday I was the crazy girl running 12 laps around the complex. Strangely enough, it was the easiest of my runs this year. The weather was great, my body felt good, and I knew I wanted to be able to tell Jacob "I did it!"
You guys, I finally did! I ran three miles! This may not seem like much, but after starting the year with a cold it took awhile to build to.
I plotted it out and one lap around my apartment complex is exactly .25 miles... so yesterday I was the crazy girl running 12 laps around the complex. Strangely enough, it was the easiest of my runs this year. The weather was great, my body felt good, and I knew I wanted to be able to tell Jacob "I did it!"
I expected my body to be very sore today, but it feels really good! I am excited to run again tonight and see how I do.
Keep running...and keep sharing!
Keep running...and keep sharing!
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Noble Character
The rain kept me from running today. Normally, I wouldn't let it, but I'm just now starting to feel better and didn't want to give myself another cold. I am worried that I'm already falling behind on my goal, but this is a goal that I will not let myself fail at. It's too important.
Today I took some time to reflect on what I talked about in my first post - deciding who I want to be...
Sadly, this summer on May 25th my grandma, "Grandma Pink", passed away. At her burial my mother told our family how Grandma was a "Proverbs 31 Woman." Since then I have returned to that passage many times in my studies. For me, is sums up so much of what I hope to be... a woman of noble character:
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Stay warm...and dry!
Today I took some time to reflect on what I talked about in my first post - deciding who I want to be...
Sadly, this summer on May 25th my grandma, "Grandma Pink", passed away. At her burial my mother told our family how Grandma was a "Proverbs 31 Woman." Since then I have returned to that passage many times in my studies. For me, is sums up so much of what I hope to be... a woman of noble character:
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Stay warm...and dry!
Finding Symmetry Thru a Biblical Lens
Hi there. I'm that guy Laura mentioned in her first post. She invited me to contribute to her blog and initially I was unsure how or even if I would. But on my run this morning I got thinking about a fact of life that brings a smile to my face (I think a lot, especially when I run). I am not going to post too often, so this may be a 'bit long, please accept my apologies and don't hold it against Laura.
As an atheist, I struggled when I observed the world around me. Life wasn't fair. Why do bad things happen? Most things just didn't make sense to me, especially people's actions and the way they treated other people. Selfishness, pride, anger, jealousy... we were all laced with it and all it did was drag us down. The worst part is, it was/is all self-inflicted.
When I started reading the bible, it wasn't long before I started to view it as more of an owner's manual than anything else. What The Godfather is to movies, the Bible is to books - it has the answer to every question! So my thought this morning...
Statement: When you look at things thru a biblical lens, they start to make sense. There is a great symmetry to our existence.
Is everything perfect? No. Is life still unfair? Yes. Do bad things still happen? Yes. Do people still act poorly towards others and themselves? Yes. That's not the point. The great fallacy in a walk with Christ is that everything is going to be perfect. When in fact, Jesus said the opposite. We live in a broken world (1 Peter 4:12-19). What does that mean? It means things might suck sometimes. But... view them thru a biblical lens, open that owner's manual.
He left us with a promise. That no matter what happens, it won't be in isolation (Psalm 23:1-6). I look thru all these things with a biblical lens and it helps me construct a basis on which I can create who I am, who I want to be, and how I need to act to fulfill that.
How does/can running glorify God? I point here to the Parable of Talents. Admittedly, I am not that smart, so I usually need to dumb things down for myself. I don't get hung up on what "talent" means here. I look at the context of the message and roll with that. God gave each of us abilities that we are called on to be faithful with. I am not sure how religious Steve Prefontaine (google him, seriously) was but he said something once that sums this up perfectly: "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."
Fact: God is always with us (Isaiah 41:10). He puts desires in our hearts (2 Timothy 3:16). He gives us abilities (see? I didn't use 'talents' - Matthew 25:14-30). He wants us to enjoy what He has given us (1 Timothy 6:17). Put those together and view them thru a biblical lens.
When I started my run this morning it was pouring down rain and I was exhausted, I didn't want to run at all. Honestly, the biggest reason I ran is because I didn't want to tell Laura I didn't run today. But just a few steps in, I came alive. In a way that's not possible unless divinely driven. It was in that moment that the symmetry of life I mentioned above became clear. Like when two components in a system meant to move together fitting perfectly. I was meant to run. Not to win races. Not to show off. But why? I think that's what this journey Laura and I are on is all about. But we do know that once we find it, we are called on to cultivate it (Galatians 6:4-5).
Conclusion: Do I think God is up there tinkering around in our lives, having a hand in every aspect and moment of our day? No. But I do believe he created this world. We destroyed it. He created me. And I often work to destroy me. But if we seek Him, view things thru a biblical lens, the design He laid out becomes clear. We start to know what to do and why we're doing it. He does have a plan. There is a distinct symmetry.
So... we run. We sink ourselves into God's word daily. 7 days in, 7 runs. We're going to complete our journey because God is always with us, He put this desire in our hearts, He gave us this ability, and He wants us to enjoy what He has given us. I could not be more excited for what He has in store for us along the journey for we both have other desires and abilities and I know that as long as we follow the design He laid out, His promise will remain.
Today's verse for my run: Jeremiah 29:11 - I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. We just need to view things thru a biblical lens...
Happy running!
As an atheist, I struggled when I observed the world around me. Life wasn't fair. Why do bad things happen? Most things just didn't make sense to me, especially people's actions and the way they treated other people. Selfishness, pride, anger, jealousy... we were all laced with it and all it did was drag us down. The worst part is, it was/is all self-inflicted.
When I started reading the bible, it wasn't long before I started to view it as more of an owner's manual than anything else. What The Godfather is to movies, the Bible is to books - it has the answer to every question! So my thought this morning...
Statement: When you look at things thru a biblical lens, they start to make sense. There is a great symmetry to our existence.
Is everything perfect? No. Is life still unfair? Yes. Do bad things still happen? Yes. Do people still act poorly towards others and themselves? Yes. That's not the point. The great fallacy in a walk with Christ is that everything is going to be perfect. When in fact, Jesus said the opposite. We live in a broken world (1 Peter 4:12-19). What does that mean? It means things might suck sometimes. But... view them thru a biblical lens, open that owner's manual.
He left us with a promise. That no matter what happens, it won't be in isolation (Psalm 23:1-6). I look thru all these things with a biblical lens and it helps me construct a basis on which I can create who I am, who I want to be, and how I need to act to fulfill that.
How does/can running glorify God? I point here to the Parable of Talents. Admittedly, I am not that smart, so I usually need to dumb things down for myself. I don't get hung up on what "talent" means here. I look at the context of the message and roll with that. God gave each of us abilities that we are called on to be faithful with. I am not sure how religious Steve Prefontaine (google him, seriously) was but he said something once that sums this up perfectly: "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."
Fact: God is always with us (Isaiah 41:10). He puts desires in our hearts (2 Timothy 3:16). He gives us abilities (see? I didn't use 'talents' - Matthew 25:14-30). He wants us to enjoy what He has given us (1 Timothy 6:17). Put those together and view them thru a biblical lens.
When I started my run this morning it was pouring down rain and I was exhausted, I didn't want to run at all. Honestly, the biggest reason I ran is because I didn't want to tell Laura I didn't run today. But just a few steps in, I came alive. In a way that's not possible unless divinely driven. It was in that moment that the symmetry of life I mentioned above became clear. Like when two components in a system meant to move together fitting perfectly. I was meant to run. Not to win races. Not to show off. But why? I think that's what this journey Laura and I are on is all about. But we do know that once we find it, we are called on to cultivate it (Galatians 6:4-5).
Conclusion: Do I think God is up there tinkering around in our lives, having a hand in every aspect and moment of our day? No. But I do believe he created this world. We destroyed it. He created me. And I often work to destroy me. But if we seek Him, view things thru a biblical lens, the design He laid out becomes clear. We start to know what to do and why we're doing it. He does have a plan. There is a distinct symmetry.
So... we run. We sink ourselves into God's word daily. 7 days in, 7 runs. We're going to complete our journey because God is always with us, He put this desire in our hearts, He gave us this ability, and He wants us to enjoy what He has given us. I could not be more excited for what He has in store for us along the journey for we both have other desires and abilities and I know that as long as we follow the design He laid out, His promise will remain.
Today's verse for my run: Jeremiah 29:11 - I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. We just need to view things thru a biblical lens...
Happy running!
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Atticus and Proverbs 18:10
I decided to take my four-legged friend, Atticus, running with me today. Poor guy could barely make it one mile... and poor me because he runs like a spazz! I am no graceful runner, but Atticus runs like he is being chased by bad guys on a secret mission... there was a lot of bobbing and weaving, as well as evasive maneuvers. We only ran one mile, but it felt like three. Plus side? He's exhausted and has been a very good puppy since we got home.
My verse for today was Proverbs 18:10: "The name of the LORD is a strong tower and the righteous run to it and are safe."
As I run I sometimes feel like I'm running towards a stronger relationship with God. I try to think about the verse and what it means, and more importantly, what it means to me. This verse was an important one today to help remind me of my goal. Today is only the 5th day in this journey, but it was the first day that I truly did not feel like running. I had to think about what this goal is all about, what all I hope to accomplish with it.
Keep running!
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