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Hail Mary, full of grace……Again!

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Seeding and Leading (Set up at the Bridge Church)

As you can see, it’s been a full year since I’ve “wo-manned” my blog. I have started and stopped blogging consistently on several occasions, but I have  said my obligatory “Hail Mary’s”, I am confessing to you now, and on your part, it is time for the grace to flow, yet again.  I have always valued and enjoyed writing, and I am a prolific reader of numerous blogs. I just can’t in good conscience let the world exist without the deep insights that I have to share with it.

You can read some details in the “About” section, but in summary, my life consists of these components:

SEED. LEAD. RUN. EAT. REPEAT

In the vast resources of my brain, I will share with you all of these segments of my life. Here is my solemn, sacred vow:

1) I will blog consistently (In fact, I pledge to fall into a blog routine and a predictable schedule/habit of blogging that you can follow even if you aren’t on amphetamines. This schedule is going to organically take route and I will keep you informed of it once the voices tell me to.)

2) I will talk about running

3) I will talk about eating

4) I will talk about my family

5) I will talk about people

6) I will talk about God

7) I will talk about leadership

8) I will talk about health

9) I will vigilantly and adamantly contend for the fact that YOU/I are/am Mind, Soul, and Body and NONE of these items operate independently.

10) I will NEVER post pictures about cats with a caption stating affection or in any way claiming they are lovable/cute

I transported in all of my old posts from my old blog. If you are bored, scared, fighting insomnia, intrigued, or otherwise have no life, please feel free to scroll through these blogs and comment on them. You will find evidence of my on again/off again relationship with blogging and my need for public confession about it.

What about you………………..

Have you ever loved something but had trouble staying consistent with it?

Do you have an affinity to post pictures about cats and how adorable you think they are?

Anecdotal, Fitness, Inspirational, Personal, Running

Passing the "Century" Mark

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Me and My honey at the finish line of the Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus, Ohio 2011
“Everyone is an athlete. The only difference is some of us are in training, some are not”. 
Dr George Sheehan
#runstreak Day 150 in the books. Gearing up to PR hopefully at 1:59:59 at my May Half Marathon Race.
This week while running I was hot, cold, tired, energized, sweaty, revived, inspired, focused, ready to quit, ready to run, and ready to rule the world…………..all at the same time.
2012 in review (1st Quarter):
January:                        117.89 Miles Run at a 6.2 MPH Average Pace Burning 12,088 Calories
February:                     124.20 Miles Run at a 6.3 MPH Average Pace Burning 14,811 Calories
March:                         146.37 Miles Run at a 6.5 MPH Average Pace Burning 17,365 Calories
April (Up until 4/11/12):  55.56 Miles Run at a 6.5 MPH Average Pace Burning 6,711 Calories
Total (Up until 4/11/12): I have run 444.02 miles– Burnt 50,975 calories– and Averaged a 6.3 MPH pace Running
I’m 44% of the way to my goal of 1,000 miles run in 2012, only 556 miles left to run. I’m thinking of reassessing my goal because we are only 1/4 of the way through the year and I’m almost 1/2 of the way to my goal. I want to always keep a challenge before my eyes.

My average pace increased from 6.2 MPH Average Pace to 6.5 MPH Average Pace due to speed drills and strength training. Plus, the difference between running in the dead of winter and nicer weather is significant, at least for me. My shorter runs have sometimes been as fast as an 8:23/mile average pace, but those faster times are balanced out by my longer slow endurance building runs.
 
In running, there are no time outs, half times, substitutions, or designated hitters. Running is the only true sport. It is up to you and you alone to perform and your greatest competitor is yourself. Ruminating on these facts brings me a great sense of pride. I’ve gotten to the point that I no longer really care if anyone else knows about my running, it is my own private little paradise.I’m carrying around a huge secret everywhere that I go. One of my favorite kid’s shirts says “My mom ran a marathon this morning. What did your mom do?” Now, the fact that I’m blogging about it seems to contradict the fact that it’s my secret and my private paradise, but there is a great sense of accountability that comes with linking up with other runners in the blogosphere, on twitter, and in private Facebook groups. Without the accountability of other’s, there are definitely days that I could have convinced myself to take a day off here and there, but at this point, the #runstreak owns me and it brings me great pleasure. Once you have run well over 100 days and are nearing the 6 month mark of running everyday with no break, you are intrinsically motivated to continue. Sometimes envisioning the race day crowds holding “Chuck Norris has never run a marathon” or “My sport is your sports punishment” signs can make even the most routine and mundane of runs a complete adrenaline booster. Whatever mantra gets you through the run can be the key to your success, and the great thing is no mantra is better than another. It’s whatever makes you run harder, faster, and longer, so start memorizing some energizing “pick me up” lines.

Endurance running is an indescribable experience for me. I’m the girl that would literally about pass out in elementary school during the Phys Ed President’s Physical Fitness test. I dreaded every year that we had to run a mile to be scored for some statistical analysis of the general American public. I especially dreaded running laps in Freshman and Sophomore gym class because there were always cute boys there, and I’m not one of the perfumed up honey’s that you see at the local Urban Active Fitness. When I run, I look like I’m running. I sweat. I breathe heavy, and sometimes I wear Kinesio tape on my leg to support my Achilles Tendon. In light of my physical fitness history, you can imagine why I constantly tweet about my running and blog about it and the beautiful thing is, if it annoys you, no one is forcing you to read it. I’m the king of the world! (It is Titanic celebration week so humor me.)

I’m celebrating the review of my 2012 running so far. Since the end of the 1st quarter of the year is upon us, I wanted to assess my goals and review them and share them with you. I’m hoping to inspire those who are just starting out to know that you can do it and show those that are way beyond me where they use to be so they can maintain perspective of the work it takes to make significant improvements in both speed and endurance with running. The “century” mark celebration refers to a distance of 100. Whenever the term century is used in sports, it’s used to speak about going 100 or more miles. I remember when I was as big as a house pregnant for Gentry, my husband rode his bike on his first century bike tour, then turned around and rode another century the next morning. I really thought he was nuts. Who wants to ride their bike 200 miles in 2 days? Of course, I was jealous that he was getting buff on his bike while I expanded to Martian proportions baking a bun in my oven, but I had not gotten the heart of an athlete yet. Now, I have found a whole sub group of people who run 100 plus miles at a time. These people are called Ultra Marathoners and Ultra Endurance Athletes.Believe it or not, these people know intrigue me. Instead of it being shocking for me to hear about people running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, I dream about doing it one day. I doubt it will happen because I don’t have the celebrity of an endorsed athlete to pull it off, but every month, every year, and every decade I can add miles and speed to my repertoire and no one can take that away from me.
Start training today. Find the athlete within. Strong is the new skinny. Running gear is the new “little black dress”.
Anecdotal, Inspirational, Personal

Own up to It

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Some people drift through their entire life. They do it one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time. It happens so gradually they are unaware of how their lives are slipping away until it’s too late.

Mary Kay Ash

 

Knowing that most New Years Resolutions are over by Valentines, I figured now that not only Valentine’s is gone, but St. Patrick’s Day and Easter, it was time to put my year and my rear back in gear: Game on! See, I haven’t strayed from the major boundaries of my 2012 resolutions, but it’s a few small things that I promised myself would change that have slipped. Often, it’s the small holes in a boat that cause it to capsize, not always the major storms that hit. I have a print out by my computer and a list in my phone that highlight my goals and resolutions for 2012. I know that in order to achieve goals, you must revisit them daily, and oftentimes, several times throughout the course of any day. The resolution that I have slipped on the most is my BLOG, as if I have to inform you of that. I’m borderline humiliated to see that my last post was in February. I must have caused extreme duress for all 1.25 fans out there that follow what I have to say not hearing from me for so long 🙂 It’s time for me to quit drifting in this area of my life and have a comeback.

This blog is important to me for many reasons:

1) I have been on a journey and am still traveling that journey and feel like my experiences and honesty can help you in your quest to get fit, stay healthy, and whip yourself into shape.
2) The blog helps hold me accountable to my health and fitness goals. Thankfully, my #runstreak twitter feed and countless running friends on twitter have held me accountable when I was slacking on my blog.
3) The blog causes me to think through situations in life and think of stories and scenarios for everything. In essence, the blog makes life even more fun and interesting. Life is just one great story to be lived out, and the blog helps me see the plot highs, lows, resolutions, and sequels.
4) I love to write. I identify myself as a writer. I am going to write something great one day and the way to be identified as an author and as a writer, is just simply to put words down and slowly build an audience. Truth be told though, even if no one reads or likes what I say, the fact I said it makes me a writer.
5) I get great pleasure in relaying pertinent information to people and drawing people together toward common ground. When I share my experiences in cyber space, I’m making myself available to people as an information resource and friend.

This list could go on forever, but the main goal of this post is to own up to the fact that I haven’t been faithful and consistent in my blog, and therefore, I haven’t been faithful to myself. Sure, I have lots and lots of very valid excuses for why I haven’t been on here. They are all legitimate and genuine, but great people do not build their lives on excuses, even the most well-founded life altering excuses. Even the Bible tells us that the race isn’t for the swift, but for those that endure. The prize is given to those that don’t make excuses, but keep producing and moving forward.

In closing, let this confession be a reminder to you to get back on track in 2012. We are only 1/3 of the way through. Picture the person you want to be on January 1, 2013 and start working on that person today. You still have 2/3 of a year left to do it. I’m happy to report that with the exception of the blog, my 2012 resolutions are progressing quite nicely. God is proving my scripture of the year that he gave to me, Romans 3:4 “Let God be true and every man a liar.” He has moved in amazing ways in my life and the life of the Bridge Church. I have continued my #runstreak and I am focusing on communicating, challenging myself and others, and connecting. Most of all, I am growing as an individual and growth is my word and theme of the year. Even dropping the blog portion of my communication resolution has helped me grow. Go get what you want out of 2012………………..NOW, NO EXCUSES!

Anecdotal, Inspirational, Personal

Love Challenge: Love the one you’re with

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The Love Challenge
A Love Note from Reese

  

Song of Solomon Chapter 1
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
   for your love is more delightful than wine.
3 Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
   your name is like perfume poured out.
   No wonder the young women love you!
4 Take me away with you—let us hurry!
   Let the king bring me into his chambers. 
(Love Lessons from Jessica: Kiss your spouse at least 10 seconds every morning and 10 seconds every evening no matter what. You will be amazed at how much benefit will come from this 20 second  investment into your day.)
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Today is the day of the year that you either dread, get annoyed by, are ambivilent too, or celebrate with the zeal of a 6th grade school girl with a crush on the popular boy in class. Thankfully, I feel like I fall into the ambivilent category. I am absolutely in love with love. I would choose a romantic comedy or drama anyday over any other type of movie, and love weddings just like everyone else. (Side Note: “The Notebook” is still my all time favorite romance movie. Confession: I’ve never read the book) However, I feel like society puts way too much pressure on relationships on these grandiose days. This is just my opinion, but, if the only time you ever celebrate the ones you love is when stores are pressuring you to purchase 4ft tall Vermont Teddy Bears or else divorce looms over your head, perhaps you need to take a new look at what love is. I do like the fact that Valentine’s Day netted me a bacon wrapped steak dinner on Saturday night though 🙂
Today I celebrate the great loves I have had in my life. My heart aches for those who have never experienced great love. The old adage says, “It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.” This can be debated for hours and I’m not even sure how I feel about that quote, but I do know that it feels good to love and be loved. The first great love of my life was my parents. Sure they annoyed me. Sure they wouldn’t always let me do what “everyone else” was doing. Sure, they forced me to do chores and homework, but they were my first glimpse into the world of love and they must’ve done a fantastic job. I have read that a woman can be saved by the love of her father. I believe that. Because my dad thought I was the smartest, prettiest, most talented girl in the world, I believed it, and didn’t need a pimple faced 15 year old pubescent boy to tell me those things. I was being hugged, praised, and affirmed at home, so, although I had thousands of crushes and plenty of gangly boyfriends, I didn’t need affection and affirmation from men enough to compromise my personal morals or values. My dad showed me that I was valued and worthy of a great romance in my life. I could wait for God to send me my knight in shining armor because my dad would fight my battles until then. My mom showed me how to respect and care for a husband and how to love my children through the love she gave me. I was blessed with an intact home, full of affection, and never once had to wonder if I was loved. Although, plenty of times I screamed ” I hate you” to both of my parents and slammed doors loudly because they must not have loved me when they wouldn’t let me be out until 3 AM when other kids were. (I’m so looking forward to these days with my own children. (smile))
Then, God blessed me with the very best man I could’ve ever hoped for. I can’t believe that He let me meet my soul mate when I was only 19 years old. Some people have to wait a lifetime to find “the one” and I had my “one” dropped into my lap while I was still too young to see it. (I tried my best to break up with him once, but he wouldn’t let me. It was quite the scene) This handsome, hardworking, respectful, and at the time kind of shy and quiet, romantic boy was chasing me and I was still stuck mentally on some loser. God and Jonathan must both really love me. On my 20th birthday he told me he loved me for the first time while we were gazing at the moonlit Ohio river. I mean, seriously, could you get any sweeter? At this point, I thankfully realized how insane it was that I was pining away for some guy that would’ve ended up destroying my life, and embraced the beautiful destiny God had designed for me. Our relationship, friendship, and love grew until the week between Christmas and New Year’s when my amazing boyfriend flew me to Europe to Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, and proposed to me on the Charles Bridge after a 5 star dinner and horse drawn carriage ride through the ancient town and cobblestone streets. He even had picked out my ring all on his own, a glistening princess cut diamond that he paid cash for because he saved all of his $1 tips from his bellman job just for me. Little did I know at the time what a blessing starting a marriage out debt free would be. I’m glad I didn’t spend the first 5 years of my marriage paying off a $3,000 ring because I had a man wise beyond his years that knew “cash was king” before Dave Ramsey was even popular. At 21, we married, and have  had an extraordinary life together since. One day I’ll detail for you some of our story. It has been a journey. It has been marred with sadness, sorrow, and struggle in the midst of all of the great joys, but any life worth living always has tragedy and triumph. You can’t have one without the other.
God instituted 3 types of love, but we, as English speakers, use the same word love for everything. Do you really love Doritos as much as you love your kids? I hope not, yet we use the same terminology for both. 
The 3 types of Biblical love are:
1) Eros: Erotic or Romantic Love (You Eros your spouse I hope)
2) Phileo Love (Which is a brotherly type of love)
and
3) Agape Love (Which is the most perfect form of love, the love God has for us)
Because of Jonathan and I’s eternal love for each other, we created 2 gorgeous blonde haired, blue eyed, smart, amazing boys. They are truly the greatest love I have ever experienced on this earth. There is no way to describe the depths of my love for these boys. I was awakened early this morning by their chatter because they had made me several Valentine’s Day gifts, of their own volition. Dad did not guide them or tell them what to do. Reese is also always making me love cards and poems (a picture is exampled above) and Gentry is always hugging, kissing, and snuggling me. This makes me so happy for two reasons. Reason number one is becasue I love it. It fulfills me. It makes the ocassional drudgery of parenting bearable. It gives purpose to my life. And, reason number two, because I am giving them the foundation for love that my parents gave me. They will know how to treat a woman right. They will know that waiting for the right girl is worth it. They will know that no matter what they say or what they do, they always have a place to go. They know that there is nothing in this world that can change the love or passion I have for them. They know that when/if they hit rock bottom and life gets tough, there are open arms of love to accept them.
Finally, I have experienced the love of Christ in my life. So, if your parents were abusive losers and you’re single and/or childless, there is still hope for you. Agape love is the purest form of love. It is the only love that never fades or changes and that is the love Christ has for His children. Therefore, today, love the one you’re with. The love challenge is to love no matter what. If you are with no one, love God and love yourself. If you are with someone, love them the way Christ designeed, with an unselfish love. If you have children, love with the love of the father of the prodigal son, never faltering no matter what. Love the one you’re with is not a death sentence, but a gift of life. Quit looking everywhere for love, you have love right in front of you. If you are married, commit to being the best spouse your spouse could ever have. You can only control yourself, not them, so make yourself the best you can be. If you have children, model for them self-respect, integrity, purity, and grace. Teaching them these principles will be one of the greatest acts of love you can do for them. Don’t buy their love, show them love with words and deeds. And, finally, if you are single, love yourself. Married people need to love themselves too or it will cause major problems in their relationship, but love yourself. Love your community. Love those around you. The grass is not greener on the other side. The grass is greenest where it is being watered and fertilized, so love the one  you’re with.
Anecdotal, Inspirational, Personal, Spiritual

Love Challenge: Go with the Flow

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My Valentine’s

Don’t compare your love story to those you watch in movies. They’re written by scriptwriters, yours is written by God.- @TheNoteboook

This week has been all about going with the flow for me. It started Sunday with one very sick 6 year old who was insistent that he couldn’t miss church. Reese woke up Sunday and threw up, but then afterward said he was feeling better and that Sunday was his favorite day of the week and he couldn’t miss BridgeKidz. He told me he had really been looking forward to starting “40 Days in the Word”, the “Bible Boat” with his Sunday School class. I, of course, melted inside and sighed. What Christian mother doesn’t long to hear those words? I must have done something good along the way. So, I relented and off we went for a great Sunday at the Bridge Church. (By the Way, My Bridge Church Commentaries are coming back to the blog. They have just been on the back burner with all of the curve balls life has been shooting). During the course of Sunday morning and church, he proceeded to throw up several more times and at the end of the day Sunday had thrown up 6 times. The most memorable moment was at the stroke of midnight (no joke, exactly 12) I heard noise coming from the boys room. They share a room and have bunk beds. I got up to inspect and Gentry, who to this point had not been sick, was standing there and starting throwing up all over the floor, walls, and doors while simultaneously Reese started throwing up all over himself and in his bed. I had put them to bed with bags and trash cans, but they apparently couldn’t get to them quick enough and we had the makings of a new Olympic sport “Synchronized Vomiting”. I stood there laughing hysterically like a crazy person. I mean really, what else could I have done? From there, baths happened, beds were stripped, the wet/dry vac came out, floors were mopped, walls wiped, sheets and blankets cleaned off and washed, and mattresses sanitized before new sheets were put on. It’s all part of being a parent. Those middle of the night events and our reaction to them all go to create the foundation of love, care, and acceptance that our kids can stand on when life knocks them down.

Reese continued to have a fever and be sick the next couple of days and then his eyes got red, itchy, crusty, and full of green goo. The school would not let him go back without a Dr’s note even though he was feeling better. I took him to the Dr and thankfully he didn’t have pink-eye, just bacterial conjunctivitis which is treatable with an antibiotic and eye drops. In the midst of all this, we had company in from out of town on Monday afternoon and evening that stayed through until Tuesday, music practice at my house on Tuesday, as well as all of the other duties, chores, and assignments of life. Flash forward to Wednesday and the record began to play again, only this time it was my husband. So, anyway, I sit here on Friday wanting to form the eloquent blog I had in mind for this week that now seems so far off from my mind. The good news for all of my fitness followers is that my running continued throughout all of this nonsense. I even ran my “long” training run of the week yesterday, 8 miles, just to get out of the house for a brief moment of fresh non-toxic air and sanity. In moments like these running isn’t a bothersome “to do” list item, but something I crave and need.

My intention was to blog a “Love Challenge” in honor of Valentine’s Day this next week. I am still going to blog the challenge I had in mind, but first wanted to issue a different type of challenge. I challenge everyone to go with the flow in their relationships. Relationships take a lot of work, but usually the hard work happens when we try to control everyone in our lives. I learned early on in my marriage that I can fixate on the fact that socks aren’t being put in the hamper or the fact that they are turned inside out or the fact that they are balled together when I go to do laundry, or I can fixate on the fact that I married a man of great integrity, character, respect, and love. Far too often we do not go with the flow. We get something set in our heads, possibly based on an unrealistic movie or novel, and then complain or nag when life doesn’t turn out exactly how you want it to. This can happen in love relationships, parental relationships, or friendships. I am a Type A personality, so going with the flow isn’t natural to me. Maybe it is for you. Maybe you let life happen to you and it doesn’t bother you much. My personality is to make life happen and to make life fit into the mold I have for it. This is a fabulous personality to have on a lot of days, but a frustrating one when others around me don’t do exactly what I want when I want it how I want it. It sounds so selfish when pen is put to paper, but it is what it is. I am yielded to God in this area of my life, and that is what keeps me from displaying the ugly side of my Type A and utilizing for His glory the good sides of it.

As a lady that lives with 3 men, I have learned that men need to be honored, encouraged, and esteemed. The greatest gift a wife can give her husband is to let him be the man. It bothers me so much to see a marriage where the man is emasculated. I am a strong woman, but being a strong, independent, educated woman doesn’t mean that you can’t be your mans girl. Real men want a real woman. The Bible has a lot more to say about being a Godly wife and mother than what you usually hear. I know that I used to get visions of women in Victorian dresses that are giddy about lace doilies when I would hear preaching about a Godly wife and mother. This is not a correct image or view, unless that is who you are. The most Godly wife and mother is the wife and mother that honors her family, reads and prays God’s word, and is true to herself. To me a Godly wife is one that makes her man feel like the most handsome, rich, smart, Godly man in the world. I could choose to be annoyed over the fact that certain things may not live up to my specifications at times, or I could choose to be thankful for my husbands hard work, diligence, character, and love.

This week for Valentine’s Day, don’t put weird undue pressure on your relationship. If you are only celebrating your love one day a year, you have bigger problems anyway. Everyday should be Valentine’s Day. I don’t want a teddy bear. I don’t want chocolates.  I really don’t even want flowers. I am happy, content, and beyond blessed with all of the love in my home. So, when you’re wiping vomit and knee deep in flu viruses from the men in your life, know that you are experiencing the greatest depths of true love. My dad asked me several times a week during my engagement “Do you love Jonathan enough that if he was paralyzed from a car wreck during your honeymoon that you would stay with him forever and take care of him and honor him with faithfulness, fidelity, and kindness?” As a 21 year old girl, that was a HUGE question. At the time I said “Yes” and honestly believed it, but after 11 years of marriage, 2 kids, major stressful life situations, and all that we have been through I believe it even more. The true love challenge of going with the flow is to love your spouse, your children, and your friends the way they need to be loved. Put yourself aside and jump into their flow. That shows true love and respect.

Here is an excerpt from the book “Real Marriage” that said better than I said what I want to say:

Ladies, you’re very powerful. And here’s what’ll happen if you disrespect your husband.

Number one, if you disrespect your husband, you put him in a lose/lose scenario, especially if you do it in front of other people. That’s why some of you do. It’s like a hostage situation. If you disrespect him, here are his choices. “I respond to her, and then I’m a bully, and I’m mean, and I’m not very nice. And I know she’s going to get loud and embarrass me or cry and humiliate me. I can’t beat this woman.” Or he says, “Okay, I’m just gonna take it,” and then he’s a wuss. It’s a lose/lose. A man can’t win an argument with a disrespectful wife. It’s a lose/lose.

Number two, if you disrespect him, you will drive him away. I’m not saying it’s right, but I’m saying it’s inevitable.

Number three, you can have a big, outgoing, vivacious personality and still be respectful. (My favorite line because this is me)
And some of you have believed a demonic lie: “I’ve got a big personality. I’m an outgoing, gregarious person. That’s why I’m disrespectful.” No, you can have a big personality. You can be a strong gal. You can have strong opinions. You can be an extrovert and still be respectful.

And number four, here’s the hard, cold, sad, painful truth. If you disrespect him and win, so that you can rule over him, you will despise him and not even be attracted to him. True or false? You’re like, “I beat that guy. Now I feel like his mother. He’s not even interesting to me.”