Wordless Wednesday: Replace the guy in a blue tank and white hat with Megaruu and I!

Things I know for sure...

1. There is absolutely no way in this world that I could function without Jesus. I try, sinfully, and fail, miserably.
2. I am really glad to have my sister home.
3. Having new friends is fun!
4. Chelan is more amazing then I remember, especially with old friends.
5. Marriage is hard. But worth it.
6. The more open handed I am to God the more I can be used by Him. "So just be open handed Shelby" Easier said then done sometimes.
7. I really, really, REALLY like be healthy (for the most part) again.
8. Running is WAY easier without PE. Duh.
9. Psalm 63 is just what I needed tonight.
10. I still have love handles. They say "what up."
11. My fav new Ben and Jerry's is Chubby Hubby. Hmmm....this might have a strange correlation to #10?
12. Disneyland Half is getting closer and closer and I am getting more and more excited.
13. God gives us blessings, that we don't deserve, to enjoy and to make His name more glorified. That is what we are hoping to do on Aug 26 with our new blessing.
14. I am really excited for Pioneer Woman's new show!
15. Go back to #1. :)

A Kingdom Heart

“when a woman has a kingdom heart, she has an active understanding of what matters most to the heart of God. she lives in the balance of passion and contentment. she learns to love well, give without regard to self, and forgive without hesitation. the woman with a kingdom heart may have a duffel bag full of possessions or enough treasures to fill a mansion, but she has learned to hold them with an open hand. hold everything with open hands. i don’t think we are ever allowed to grab hold of anything or anyone as though they matter more than the kingdom of heaven. when you hold relationships with open hands, then people come in and out of your life as gifts of grace to be cherished and enjoyed, not objects to be owned and manipulated. and then when you hold your dreams with open hands, you get to watch God resurrect what seemed dead and multiply what seemed small.” -uknown

Minimal Words from Me

Click Here! It is a great post and reminds us to say thanks!

See I told you...minimal words from me today on "Wordless Wednesday!"

Back next Monday

No worries. Matthew Monday will be back next Monday.

Today, I wanted to take a break and share with you guys something that I was overwhlemed by this weekend.

If you live in the great Pacific Northwest you knew that this weekend was Seafair. As all us Seattleites prayed for sun this weekend, the Blue Angels, boaters, hydro planes and sailors got ready for yet again, another amazing Seafair. This year I officially became a Seattleite! I have never been to Seafair....EVER! But this Saturday AA and I went to tour the battleships that were in town and raced over the Lake Washington to see the air show and Blue Angels....which were amazing! AA and I laughed and gawked at the planes as they flew over at death defying speeds. It was such a sweet blessing to be by the water, with my hubby and experiencing something so "Seattle."

And although our times on Saturday was great, I couldn't get over a feeling of sadness and at times failure. Let me explain...

We started the day wanting to see these battle ships that had sailed in over the last week and stared at us everyday as we went to work. So we made our way over there, got in line and were assigned "tour guide" aka members of the Navy to take us throughout the boat. As I started to look around at all of the sailors and members of the armed forces that were everywhere I started to really look AT them, not past them, like I embarrassingly do most times. And when I really started looking I started noticing how young these men and women are. I kept saying to AA, "they are just babies, just young young people!" He called me old and that yes, some of these men and women were 7 years younger then us. I started to think about who these men and women were. What's your name, where do you call home, do you have a husband/wife/kids, do you know Jesus, why did you join the Navy, ect? I wanted to just take one of them by the hand and start asking questions, but I didn't want to come off creepy. So I kept to myself, listening to all the facts they had about the boat.

This boat was huge. I MEAN HUGE! 3000 sailors can be housed on it at any given time. 3000? These people don't even know each other. What if you were the new kid? Who are your friends? Who helps show you around?

We went up on the main deck where they had helicopters and air crafts. And while everyone climbed in to take a picture, I was fighting back tears, thinking about how people's children and husbands and wives climb into these air crafts to go to war. War, where people die. These were not make believe things, these have been used to fight for our freedom.

We then went back down to underneath where they had military vehicles, tractors and other moving things. There was a young man who was sitting on top of one of the vehicles and was talking with a vet from Vietnam. I stood close enough to hear what they were talking about. As the vet asked this young man question after question, I couldn't help but be astonished by the answers he was giving. "Yes I have been to Afghanistan and Iraq, yes we just lost a vehicle last time we were there to an IED, yes I am proud I get to serve a country I believe in, yes I miss my family, no I have no plans of getting out of the service anytime soon." As I bit my tongue really hard to stop from crying the vet shook the young man's hand to thank him for his service and if I had any guts what-so-ever I would have done the same thing. But I didn't. And I wish I would have.

As we left the ship, the captain was there to thank US for coming. Are you kidding me? Why are you thanking me? I should be on my knees thanking you! As I looked down to his left hand, there was a medal band, just like my husbands. He was the same age as my dad and I couldn't help but think, "who are you away from your uniform?"

And as I left, I felt like a failure. I have never prayed for the military and their families. Oh sure, when we hear something bad on the news or radio, I will lift those families up to God to protect them and help them know they are loved and I pray those soldiers knew Jesus. But never have I constantly prayed for them. Well that all changed Saturday. I am making a commitment to add "military" to my quiet time. These men and women fight for this country so that I can worship Jesus, in the open, I can pray at restaurants, I can go to church and not be afraid. I can run, work, be a wife, friend, sister and anything else God calls me to do, because of the freedom I so often forget I have.

And although freedom in the American sense of the word is amazing and I take it for granted way too much, real freedom is in Jesus. Having Him write the story of my life has freed me from sin, anxiety and oppression. So that is what I will start praying for. That these men and women who serve our country come to know the freedom that is found in Jesus, that they have community within each other, that they find time to worship Christ, and that they are inhaling and exhaling the love of God.

Thank you troops, I am so sorry I have forgotten about you.

Thursday Latelies!!

Wordless Wednesday

Matthew Monday (aka Tuesday)

Hi everyone! Sorry this is a day late. Last night was cut short due to a long, long day at work for both AA and I. We both got home about 30 minutes apart from each other and pretty much collapsed on the couch. We both tried to read, but that was just too much for our brains. We hit the hay pretty early last night.

Side note: AA got up WAY TO EARLY this morning to get to work. He has a special meeting today at 2pm (I will chat about this later, in the coming weeks), so he needed to get there super early so he could leave early. And as most of you know I am pretty much dead to the world until about 6:45-7:00ish when my alarm blares and the daily struggle of "go to the gym" "no don't go to the gym" "no GET OUT OF BED AND GO TO THE GYM!" "but ohhh I feel so fabulous wrapped up in here." ANYWAY, he always comes over says goodbye and gives me a kiss. This morning was not pretty. I woke up to him giving me a kiss goodbye and my mouth was WIDE OPEN AND I WAS DROOLING! OH MY GOSH! How that man loves me I have no idea, but I am sure thankful he does. :)

Here we go....MATTHEW MONDAY (TUESDAY...whatever)

Matthew 9: 18-26

What:
-A synagogue leader told Jesus that his daughter had just died, but if He came and touched her, she would be alive.
-Jesus went with the leaders and the disciples followed.
-On the way, a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came up and touched Jesus' cloak and said to herself, "if only I can touch a part of Him, I will be healed."
-Jesus saw her and told her that her faith had healed her and the woman was healed at that very moment.
-When Jesus entered the house of the leader he saw all the commotion.
-He told them to go away, that the girl was not dead, but asleep.
-Jesus put his hand on her and she got up.
-News spread throughout the region.

So what:
-Jesus comforted the bleeding woman. She was a faithful woman and it took courage for her to even touch Jesus and have the faith that He would heal her. Jesus acknowledged this and healed her.
-When Jesus arrived at the house, there was gossiping and people there just to get the news, about what was happening in their "neighborhood."
-Miracles are real and only through Jesus.
-Jesus has ultimate authority over death. We can see this here with the girl and with Hi conquering death on the cross.
-Jesus has the authority to restore life in all of us.
-By touching the woman who was bleeding, was a clear illustration that Jesus cleans the uncleanness and messiness of this world.
-She was made whole by His touch.

Now what:

Jesus,

I need you. Lord Jesus I am a broken, an unclean person who can only be filled by You. I can only be made clean and whole by Your touch in my life. Lord Jesus, the only person that can make me whole is YOU! Lord I pray that as I struggle with wanting to feel worth from people, that you are reminding me and comforting me that it is only You who can fill that space in my heart. Lord that I am reminded that it is not people who saved me from eternal death, but it was You upon that cross. It is You who makes me clean and mends my heart. It is You Lord who I serve and that You have given me the opportunity to live in Your story that You are writing for my life.

I love you Jesus. Amen.

Thursday Latelies!

Hi everyone!

Click here for my Thursday Latelies video!

Can someone help me figure out how to embed this into this post instead of having everyone click over? Thanks!

A call to prayer

Hi friends!

I could go on and on today about whatever I usually talk about on here on a Tuesday, my love handles, something about running, how I was rocking out to Beyonce and got caught (true story), but I won't. Because today there is a need to pray.

Some of you know my friend Megan, I call her Yenster. Not to be confused with my other dear friend Meagruuuuu. Anywho, I talked about Yenster here and what she means to me. That love that I have for her and now her family grows everyday. She is teaching me things daily, even when we havn't talked in weeks.

Yenster and her husband, "Safety Steve," are expecting their second little one. Baby Yen #2 will hopefully be born Thursday sometime. Megan is being induced tomorrow night and labor and delivery will hopefully take place Thursday but no longer then Friday.

Why is Yenster being induced you ask? It is a long story, with lot's of medical words I am not sure how to even pronounce, but the basic term is that Baby Yen #2 has cysts in his lungs and need to be removed. The doctors found these at the 20 week check up and to say it deeply saddened the Yen's would be correct. It also saddened and confused all of us? The questions of "why God" flew through everyone who knows them. The cysts are dangerous and serious and need to be dealt with in that way.

But what was the most amazing, was that Yenster and Safety Steve never once doubted the plan that God had for their lives. They knew this would glorify God and that this baby would be a testimate to the goodness and grace that God gives. As all of us are still trying to deal with our emotions in this situation, Yenster has been the one with the supporting words and encouraging prayers. When we should be there for them, they were here for us. Not surprising if you know them. To say we are blessed by their friendship would be an understatement.

So that is why I am calling all of you to prayer. Below is a list of prayer requests that can be lifted up for the next 72 hours or so. Please, I beg of you, if you think of it pray for the Yen family. As much faith as they have in Jesus and his plan, the anxiety and fear are still there. Some of these prayer requests are ones that the Yenster has asked for. Others are just ones I thought of. Please pass this along to anyone you can think of so they can pray too.

I love you and know what the power of prayer can do. God does hear and answer our prayers.

14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV)

Psalm 6:9
"The Lord has heard my supplication, The Lord receives my prayer."

Prayer Requests:
1. Pray that Yenster's body responds 'well' to the induction process.
2. Baby will be strong, healthy, have no breathing complications or issues upon his birth.
3. He will undergo a series of tests/x-rays after he is born to see how everything is going internally, pray those go well.
4. Pray that Steve and Yenster will be Spirit filled and led as they wait for results, talk with doctors/nurses, and walk through this time.
5. Pray for Grandma and Grandpa who will be there with Oli and that they will know how to best help.
6. Pray for the doctors and nurses to see a miracle this week and that nothing will explain it except for God!
7. Pray that their hospital stay will be quick because Baby Yen will be ready to go home because he is strong and healthy!
8. Pray for Oli, that you will give him a sense of calm and understanding
9. Pray for all of the Yen's family and friends to know how to best care for them.
10. Pray that God's glory will be revealed.

Matthew Monday!

It is already Monday again? I guess time flies when you are having fun right? This one is a shorter one but JUST as powerful!

Hereeeeeeee weeeeee gooooooo......!

Matthew 8: 18-22

What:

-There was a crowd around Jesus
-When he saw this he gave commands to cross to the other side of the lake
-A teacher of the law told Jesus that he would follow him wherever he goes
-Jesus told the man:
-Foxes have holes
-Birds have nests
-But the Son of Man has no where to lay his head
-A disciple came to Jesus and told him he needed to first bury his father
-Then Jesus said "Follow me and let the dead bury their own dead."

So what:

-The passage before this one there Jesus performs miracles.
-A teacher of the law was someone who was well versed in the OT and who were looked upon for scriptural traditions.
-"The Son of Man" was used 81 times in the Gospels and was considered Jesus' "favorite" term for himself. No one used the term but Jesus himself.
-"dead bury the dead" meant let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead. The time of Jesus ministry was short and because of that demanded full commitment. Jesus asking him to follow him now and not after the burial of his father stressed the importance of his ministry over the Jewish significance of children burring their parents.

Now what:

-What am I putting in first place in my life that I need to give to the Lord, so that not only He can take control of it, but so that he will be number one in my life?
-There are things in my life, Some idols that I have struggled with ever since becoming a Christian and some that I never knew I had an issue with, that sneak into that first place in my life. Things that can be good, and things that can be destructive. But isn't everything destructive when it is taking the number one spot in your life? I think so. I am a Jesus follower FIRST, then everything else comes after that. EVERYTHING!
-There are certain seasons in my life when I don't struggle with this as much as I do in other seasons. The seasons that I do struggle with this, are dark and at times scary. I try to reach for Jesus but there is a spiritual war going on. It is only because of the hope that Christ brings me, he is able to pull me out of that pit.

Do you struggle with this? How can I pray for you?

Thankful

Jesus, today I am thankful for:

1. Your grace
2. The sun
3. The West Seattle parade and that you have called us to live in such a fun community
4. Being able to sleep in
5. Having a funny hubby who is "funmantic"
6. Avocados
7. What You are teaching me
8. That you don't think I suck, especially when I do
9. That there is nothing I have to be at today
10. That AA can break into his own car when he locks his keys inside :)
11. Upcoming trip to Disney

Thank you Jesus for who You are and what You do.

Amen

3 thing friday

Hello!! Here we go with three thing Friday.

1. I am reading a new book right now called "Prayfit." I am loving it! It has a daily new exercise to try, but more importantly it has a daily devotional to read and study. The book goes into why we, as followers of Christ, stay healthy. It is because we are stewarding the body God gave us. I love this, but I am LOVING the devotionals. I am reading parts of the Bible that I might have passed through before and it is teaching me so much. I have had a rule in my own life for awhile, "no time for prayer and Bible, then there is no time for the treadmill." This book enforces that rule as well! I would recommend this book so far. :)

2. We had our small group over last night. We take the summer off, so it is so amazing to see them. They are such answered prayer and I am so thankful, that for the last two years, they have been representing Christ and encouraging us!! We love them!

3. We are staying home this weekend! No weddings, no vacation, nothing. All I have to say is, "thank you Jesus."

Wordless Wednesday

Race Report...plus things to come!

Okay okay okay, here we go with the race report! I haven't been too excited about doing this race report but I also am so excited to have another half marathon under my belt. I am going to do this a little different..."the good, the bad and the ugly."

The Good:

1. Running in an all women's race is sooo much fun! Everyone was supporting, loving and complimenting each other! It was GREAT! Seeing the leaders come by, and it was all women...oh man, I mean woman, I mean man, whatever....IT WAS AWESOME! :)
2. Running a race with my best friend since third grade is always so fun. She had a smile on her face the whole way, especially when she passed me with a mile and a half to go! :)
3. AA, returned as official race photographer and supporter, so it was so nice to see him every couple miles.
4. My second, third and forth miles were right on pace which felt great.
5. Running into Mel and her sister, who was running her first half marathon was really fun!

The Bad:

1. My GU exploded all over my shirt in the last 2 miles. Ugh!
2. The finish had a last little up hill which was not so fun.
3. The course could have been so much better. It was through so many trails and industrial areas and so packed at times.
4. I couldn't get into the pace I wanted to in the last few miles which was really disappointing. I was on vacation for the last couple days so that could have had something to do with it. Who knows.
5. The expo was not so good. So small and not very many vendors. This could be huge, so I bet in future years they will expand it.

The Ugly:

1. The start was HORRIBLE! There was no wave start, there was no time starts and it started on a trail. I couldn't hit my stride and had a really bad start. I ran a little over a 10 minute mile on the first mile, because I couldn't get it going.
2. The hills on the course. WAY TO STEEP of downhill, in comparison to the gradual LONG up hill.
3. My disappointment at the end. I am a little sad I didn't break two hours, but really, who cares? All of yesterday I contemplated where to go from here. "Why should I keep running if I am not improving all that much." Can you tell I am a competive person? I was continually comparing myseld to others (more on this later and what Jesus is teaching me) and beating myself up. But that is so stupid!! Where am I going from here? I am going straight to the treadmill and the road to continue training for Disney! I need to get my booty out there with a smile on my face and get to movin'! No more of this whining, crying stuff. I am truckin' it now and will continue to run and be so thankful and joyful that I have the opportunity and ability to run. And that I can share my faith while running and through running. I need to focus on the GOOD STUFF!

Next up...I am running with this girl...in this place! OH MAN AM I EXCITED!

And it will be my 10th half marathon! We might just wear a tutu and crown! :)

Matthew Monday!

Here we go again! Matthew Monday....

Matthew 7:7-12

What:
-Ask and it will be given to you.
-Seek and you will find.
-Knock and the door will be answered
-For everyone:
-Who asks, receives
-Seeks will find
-Knocks, the door will be opened
-Who will give a stone instead of bread?
-Who will give a snake instead of fish?
-If you, who are evil, give good gifts to your children who do you think God is doing?
-So in everything you do, do things that you would like and how you would like to be treated.

So what:
-The real words in Greek for knock, seek and ask are implied to be CONSTANT
-Persistent prayer is being emphasized
-Jesus is urging boldness and constant prayer
-God assuring us He answers prayers (yes, no, not now)
-"Good gifts" = spiritual gifts
-The work of the spirit is one of the best and greatest gifts God has given us
-Don't bargain with God....ask what you need!

Now what:
-I need to be more direct in my prayers
-I need to be CONSTANTLY in prayer
-My prayers need to be bigger. God is a big God who does BIG things. I need to be a BIG prayer warrior.
-I need to continue to learn how much to Holy Spirit is a gift.

Jesus,
Thank you for coming to this earth and dying for my sins. Thank you for making it possible to have a relationship with God, in which I can ask, seek and knock, and I know He is listening. Lord Jesus I ask you continue to fill and transform my heart, for I now, that is one of the biggest prayers I can ask. I love you Jesus.

Neglected

Oh hello blog,

I am so sorry I have neglected you for the last week. You see I was on vacation the second part of the week and when you go on vacation, unfortunately you have to get ready to go on vacation...aka....more working, laundry, running, ect.

But I am back to love on you.

PS....I ran a half marathon today. I wanted it to be my "A" race, and to break two hours. But guess what? I didn't. I am sad, disappointed and not quite sure where to go from here on the running side of things.

But here is what I am happy and joyful about...that the Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to run, people to run with, the freedom to run, time for prayer with Him and a healthy body to be able to run 13.1 miles. For that, dear blog, I will be forever grateful to Jesus. So what if I didn't break two hours. I was moving forward one step at a time, just like I am with Jesus everyday.

Love,

Shelbs

Matthew Monday #3

Hi peeps! How are you? If you read this blog, I probably know you, aka pray for you. Please please please let me know how I can pray for you. Anything big and small matters to God, and matters to me, so I want to pray for YOU!

We are now in our third week of Matthew Monday. Can you believe it? I am still loving Matthew and all it is teaching me. This week was something that hit my heart pretty hard and has a great everyday implications. Also, this is just a little reminder that this is how God spoke to me in this scripture, and what is so awesome about God's Word is that it speaks to so many people is so many different ways. I am no Bible scholar, this is just what I felt like God has been teaching me. So here we go....

Matthew 5:21-26

What:
-People were told that you shouldn't murder and if you do you will be subject to murder
-Jesus telling something that even if you are angry at someone you will be judged
-Jesus saying if you have an offering and you remember that someone has something against you, you have to make the effort to go and make up
-You need to settle it quickly
-Jesus telling is that we will not get out of punishment until you have paid the last penny.

So what:
-If you are angry with someone you are pretty much murdering them
-If you bad mouth someone you can find yourself being judged
-Simple moral fact is that words DO kill
-Go make peace then come to God
-We need to make the first move in apologizing
-If you leave it to the other person it could never happen

Now what:
-I need to stop bad mouthing people, talking about people in anyway that is not uplifting
-I need to being hyper aware of my thoughts, giving those to God as I would actual spoken word

Lord,

Please have patience with me. This is something, that at times I have no idea I am even doing. Help me Lord be aware of what I am saying, how I am saying it and how I can be more like you in my thoughts and spoken word. Lord I want the people around me to see YOU and not my disgusting mouth.

Thank you Jesus, I love you. Amen

3 things Sunday

Ugh I know people! I missed two days if my 30 consecutive days of blogging but sometimes, no all the time, family, husband, QT with the Big Guy, ect. win out over blogging. Sorry, but it's true. So without further rambling here is 3 thing Sunday!

1. I am currently on my way back from Spokane where we got to witness friends trying the knot! It was a great (short) trip to see college friends and hey, we even got to sneak in some pool time before the wedding. AA told me "just close your eyes and pretend your in Hawaii...not Spokane." hahaha!

2. I snuck in a run yesterday at o dark hundred hours before we left at 7:30am. I am practicing running "like I stole something" for the last half a mile or so on the way home, just in case I am crunched for time during my next race and I want to get to that finish line. Who knows what my face looks like in those last couple minutes...all I know...it ain't pretty!

3. We are officially a week out from what is supposed to be my A race. More on the "supposed" to be later this week. But I am excited to race again and do it with family and friends!!

Thursday Latelies #2

YAY! Here we go again! There have been so many things that I have been thankful for this week.

Click here for this week's video!

PS...I am a dingaling and forgot to tell you what kind of goggles I talked about! Ah! They are the blue women's Views. Here is a link if you are interested.

Wordless Wednesday

Matthew Monday...I mean Tuesday...I mean Monday...

Oh gosh this week has been so insanely busy and it is only Tuesday! But I am still loving learning so much from God and what He teaches through Matthew. These lessons have been eye opening, jaw dropping and just plain good. It is amazing what you can learn when you rely on the word...ONLY! I am such a Bible study book, devotional, ect freak. And yes those things are good....great at times! But I was becoming too dependant on them. So this study is helping me rely solely on what God has said and breathed.

Here we go...Matthew Monday (Tuesday) #2

Matthew 5: 13-16

What:

-Jesus is telling someone they are the salt of the earth
-Talks about losing your saltiness
-Poses the question on how it can become salty yet again
-The salt is no longer good
-Thrown out to be trampled by man
-Telling someone they are the light of the world
-A city on the hill cannot be hidden
-No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl
-They put it on a stand so everyone can see
-It gives light to everyone in the house
-Jesus telling someone to let their light shine to those around him
-And the reason is:
-So they can see your good deed
-Praise be to God

So what:

-God telling is to be the seasoning that bring the flavor of God out.
-If you lose "your salt" how will people taste God in you?
-If you lose your salt can you still be useful in God's story?
-You are here to be a light, so people can see the invisible God visible.
-We want God to be seen!
-God is telling is if He is going to make us light bearers, he is putting us on a stand...SO EVERYONE CAN SEE!
-NOW SHINE!
-Hospitality
-Bold sharing of the gospel
-Generosity
-Oh the list could go on and on!!

Now what:

I need to be a light, a light that God wants to put on a stand. I want people to look at me and automatically see Jesus, or to know that something is different about me, then other people. I don't want it to be legalistic in anyway, but in a true sense of the meaning. That God would be so intertwined in my life, so filling my heart, soul and life that it literally pours out of me. I so want people to come to know Jesus, and it is my job to be the light bearer, to bring them the Good News.

God I want to be your light bearer. I am Yours God. Take me, transform me and use me. I love you Jesus!

Happy 4th of July!!

We are having so much fun this weekend, so Matthew Mondays this week will become Matthew Tuesday.

Happy 4th of July from AA and I!

A $5 Stabs card will be awarded for the first person to guess where we are in this picture taken today. If you were with us today you are disqualified from this competition. Sorry Linda. You also must be a follower of this blog to win. No entries past Thursday at noon. Winners will be announced Thursday evening!

A little glimps into Heaven

Someone once told me that the wheat fields of the Palouse are the curtains into Heaven. After this weekend I was yet again reminded, like I am everytime I go, that he is probably right.

Bucket list...well at least one of them.

I have been thinking a lot about my athletic bucket list lately. God has blessed me so much in the last couple of years with just about everything, but I have loved our sweet times together while slugging out 3, 7, 20, ect miles. This week my mind has wondered "what's on the horizon?" And then I saw someone where a quote that said "what would you do, if you knew you couldn't fail?" OH WOW! I could go on and on about the things I would do. Failure is one of my biggest insecurities. Failure to be a good servant, failure to be a good wife, friend and family member. Failure to run, lead, and oh the list could go on and on.

But that quote helped remind me, I have an audience of One. I am not performing for anyone, but serving Jesus. So if failure is out, what's "in?" Here is my athletic bucket list. I will list my "life bucket list" soon. I just need to do some more praying on that one. :)

1. Half Ironman 70.3
2. Susan G. Komen 60 miler with my sister
3. Sub 2 hour half marathon
4. Sub 4 hour full marathon
5. Run Big Sur
6. Join a masters swimming class
7. Do a sprint or Olympic tri with AA's cousins who all did it last year
8. Run a race (or more!) for World Vision

I think that is all for now. I am sure the list will grow. You might have noticed a full ironman isn't on the list. I will chat about that more in weeks to come and the FAMILY sacrifice that comes with all of this. What's on your bucket list? What should I add to mine??

3 Things Friday...oops forgot to post this!! :)

1. Hello weekend! Well first we need to get through today. And when I say we I mean I need to get through 4 hours worth of class with 60 5-6 year olds swinging medal sticks, also known as golf clubs. Pray for me.

2. It's a double run day today. Yesterday I couldn't tough it out through my seven miler, so this morning I was up with the chickens to finish off the last couple miles. Then tonight after work I will do tomorrow's run, because we leave at o'dark hundred for....

3. SUMMER WEDDING TOUR 2011 starts with a wedding in Colfax! It's another summer on the road for AA and myself, as we pack the little red beep beep car and take witness to our friends and family making a commitment to each other and more importantly God. We feel so blessed to be able "to go on tour" this summer. Last summer we had 5 tour date stops, this summer we only have 4 on the schedule....so far!

Have a happy 4th! Thank you Jesus for America and the freedoms we get to celebrate because we live here.

Thursday Latelies

It's my first Thursday Latelies! YAY! Click here to check it out!!

Let me know what you think and what you are thankful for!

Wordless Wednesday #2

Wordless Wednesday

Sweet blessings

I was talking to a sweet friend yesterday and I was telling her about the whirl wind experience that was Rock n Roll Seattle and she just stopped me dead in the middle of my sentence to say "isn't God just so sweet that He wants you so desperately for you to be happy, that He will give you these little things like running just to see you smile?"

I love that! God gives us little things everyday to see us smile and to see His goodness (which is a lot about what I will be talking about on Thursdays, I just couldn't wait!)

I love serving the sweet, among a lot more things, God.

Matthew Monday #1

Yay! I am so excited to be starting a new series on this blog. Matthew has been teaching me so much the last couple months and it has been good to not have a certain Bible study or book that I am reading or participating in, but simply relying on God's word to speak into my life.

This week I am going to focus on Matthew 5:1-12. I am going to basically retype everything that is in my journal, with some much needed editing. But what you see is basically how I go through my study. This passage has so much that we can all take from it, but while doing the study the first part of the verse "poor in spirit" is what struck me the hardest so that is what I am focusing on. I am not ignoring the rest, just sharing where my heart was on that day. Without anymore rambling here you go!:

Matthew 5:1-12

What?

Blessed are:
-The poor in spirit
-Those who mourn
-The meek
-Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
-The merciful
-Pure in heart
-The peacemakers
-Who are persecuted because of their rigtheousness

Because:
-Theirs is the kingdom of heaven
-They will be comforted
-They will inherit the earth
-They will be filled
-Shown mercy
-They will see God
-They will be called the children of God

-Be happy and joyful because your reward is heaven, not on this earth.

So what?

-You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
-You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
-You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less.
-You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat. AKA The Holy Spirit
-You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.
-You're blessed when you get your mind and heart are right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
-You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate.
-You're blessed when your commitment to God causes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

Now what?

If I am not completely poor in spirit and completely relying on Him, I am ultimately going to fail at everything. Seeds of doubt and insecurity will ruin my life. With God as my watering hole I will be filled with confidence and hope that I am the person He has created me to be.

This is so apparent in my role as a wife. Being a "good" wife, let alone an "exceptional" wife is something that has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I fail on a daily basis. The more and more I try the more and more I fail. It is a horrible cycle that has brought me to tears, sometimes daily. When I got married I had visions of being the perfect wife and I have not lived up to my own expectations. But through reading this awesome post and these verses, I have realized that even in 30 years I will still not live up to my own earthly expectations of being a good wife. It is only when I completely empty myself, become poor in spirit and allow God to fill me and take control of my marriage and life, will I be able to see the kind of wife God designed me to be for my Jamaican Sprinter. And that is what I want.

Race Recap

WOW! What a whirl wind! Usually when it comes to races there is a ton of anticipation. I usually don’t sleep very much the week of a race, I eat all weird and usually not a lot of it stays inside me (TMI I KNOW), but this race was different! Ha, 24 hours before the race I didn’t even know I was racing. LOVE IT!

My alarm clock went off early Saturday morning and just like other races I was up before it went off, staring at AA. We were up and out of the house by 5:55am. We joked and chatted on the way to the race and because AA is amazing he knew all the secret back roads so I was at the start with plenty of time. With one last kiss, a couple of “are you sure you don’t want me to walk you to the start line” and me replying with “man I need to find more running friends” I was off by myself. I got in the mile long line for the porta potty and waited and waited and waited. I forgot my watch at home so I was creeping on people’s Garmin’s trying to figure out what time it was. Finally I made the executive decision to step out of line and go find the bloggy girls who were meeting up. I knew this decision might haunt me, I had never run a race before without my PRS (TMI I KNOW!), but it ended up being just fine.

Found corral 6 and sure enough there were Mel, Amanda, Jess and Jill. We chatted took a few pictures and then it was go time. Wave 10 was off and I had a HUGE smile across my face. Within the first half a mile my sock had slipped and was now on the middle of my foot. Sweet. And I realized I shouldn’t have worn my long sleeve. For the first 3 miles I tried to figure out a good way to take it off without having to drop my handheld water bottle (which by the way I LOVE!). So finally at mile three before the mile and half climb I stopped on the side of the road and stripped it off, tied it around my waist and was off again!

Man those hills were tough! But finally we were on the way down to the lake. That big downhill felt GREAT and I was making up time! I love running along the lake, it makes me think of the Danskin Tri. I started to wonder if the soldiers with the American flags were going to be at the race or not. I started to think not, especially when we passed the GU station at mile 7.5. The soldiers were way before that last year. But sure enough we rounded a corner on the way to mile 8 and there they were. I started to realize I couldn’t breathe. I started to freak out, but then it dawned on me, I was trying to cry but the tears just weren’t coming. I got it together, said thank you to the ones who I caught eye contact with and before I knew it we were all climbing towards to I-90 bridge.

I again started to get emotional once the marathoner’s split from us halfers because last year a husband and wife made the climb together and then it was time for the wife to split with the marathoners and the husband to halfers. I was right behind him when he turned to her one last time and told her to kick some butt, that he would see her at the finish and that she was his hero. Oh man oh man I am crying writing that! I will remember that for the rest of my life.
We made it out of the tunnel and I was so glad I wasn’t running the full! I knew we only had 3 more miles to go! I made the decision that once we get off the viaduct and have less then .25 miles to go to I was going to run like I stole something. The last 3 miles went by fast, even though the last water stop was run by Starbucks employees and it took everything in me not to ask for a frap! :)

We came off the viaduct and I told my legs “you stole something….RUN RUN RUN!” I tried and then tried again. I could tell my stride had quicken but the cops would have for sure gotten me. :) It just wasn’t as fast as I was hoping. The finish line was so fun, like it always is and AA found me right away. I stopped and chatted with Jill who PR’d and broke 2 hours. WAY TO GO JILL!!! Got some water, my medal, took that dumb picture they make you take, got some food and AA and I were out of there. You know just a quick 13.1 miles, no need to stick around. :)

God was so good during this race. I was reminded that no matter how bad you are hurting emotionally, physically or spiritually that you can always pray for someone else. I started to pray for anyone that God put on my mind during the race and I think that is why it seemed to go by so fast. A lot of my prayers were cut short and a little jumbled because I couldn’t stay focused but I loved that it was a 2 hour and 9 minute convo with my main Man.

Another thing I learned was that I need to be more “loud” with the gospel during runs. So from now on I am going all Tim Tebow in races and putting a Bible verse on my legs that has spoken to me lately. I would have put Mathew 5:1-12 on there yesterday (more on that tomorrow!). I got this idea from two girls that did it yesterday. People were asking them what there verses were and they were basically proclaiming the gospel right there in the middle of the marathon! I LOVE IT! I ran behind them for a while and just started at their calves where the verse was written.

I am so thankful to Heidi and to God for letting me run this yesterday. It was just what the doctor ordered. I now have a better idea of what my training needs to look like for running and what I need to focus in on for what God is teaching me.

Thank you Jesus for yesterday. Lord I pray that as I continue to run that it can bring You glory. I pray You keep me healthy and I pray Lord that Your name will continued to be proclaimed at races. I love You Jesus!

Half marathon #8 DONE!

Finished!

Yup, this time yesterday I had no idea I was running Rock n Roll Seattle, but now I am sitting her with my hunka hunka burning love hubby letting my legs rest, after an awesome 13.1 miles.

God blessed me so much through this race, which I will get into detail in my race report coming soon. God is good. And yes, there were sometimes when I needed to look up to remember who was in charge.

Finish time of 2:09. I need to be faster at See Jane Run, but this was a great training run with 40,000 of my closest friends. :)

PS...there are always great signs through out the race course made by people....today's best....

"You aren't sweating, your fat cells are just crying"! LOVE IT!!!

3 Things Friday

WOW! Here we go. This is an AMAZING 3 thing Friday!

1. So I woke up this morning knowing I had an easy 2.5 mile run to shake out my legs before 14 miles tomorrow. I was a little sad I didn't sign up for Rock N Roll tomorrow, but the budget only always so many races and well I would just have to get over it! But then...a blog I followed knew someone that knew someone that was giving her bib away (she is hurt...boo!). So I emailed her right away begging for her bib. No answer 4 hours later, so I just figured it would be me and Beyonce on my 14 mile run tomorrow. I had to drive by Qwest, Century Link, whatever the heck it's name is, twice today! I was getting some serious runners envy as I saw every leaving with their packets of stuff and the finish line being put up. But I gave it to God, "God if you want me to run tomorrow, make it happen, if not, I'm cool with that." And what the heck do you know? I called my boss to chat with her about some work stuff and then I remembered to ask her if she was running tomorrow. She said no and that she was selling her bib! HOLD THE PHONE! "I WILL BUY YOUR BIB!" I screamed! She then told me no, no she would not let me buy it, but that she was giving it to me as a gift! HOLY GUACAMOLE!!!!!! After a 1001 "are you sure's" it was finalized. I go pick up her bib in an hour! AHHHH!!! I AM SO EXCITED! Half marathon #8 here I come. Slowly I will get to the finish line, but I don't care. I'm excited! Rock n Roll's are the best marathons around!

2. What can top #1? Oh yea I have something! KB reunion tonight! Gosh this day keeps getting better and better! Yup Pig, Rat and Megaruu and coming over for din din. LOVE LOVE LOVE!

3. I think I need to stop doing yoga on Thursdays with my office. I feel broken after every time. This 6'0'' girl is not meant to bend like that. NO NO NO!

Anywho, if you think of it, pray for me! I will have about 2 hours to pray for all of you tomorrow, and I will be! And when I start to get a little out of it, I will look up. Read about looking up here. It is such a good lesson and practice.

I love you guys!

Where I've been...

Hi everyone!


Click on this video to find out where I have been and where I am going!


Love you!

Oh no....

....uhmmmm.....as of this morning, I am officially running the Green River Half Marathon....TOMORROW.

Oh crap.

Pray I don't croak.

PS...on cooler news, I am apply for the NUUN blogger team for Hood to Coast. Big deal, bigger deal if I make the team.

What are some ways I can make my application stand out?

Wordless Wednesday

I celebrate two years of amazing marriage with this guy on Monday!

Stress...

This week is a bittersweet week for me. For the last couple days I have been having extreme pain in my hip flexers and lower back. On Saturday morning poor AA woke up at 6:00am to me grimacing in pain because I couldn't turn over because my lower back had seized up. Hmmm not good. But because he is amazing he shot straight out of bed, literally picked me up to turn me over and got me some pain meds. Isn't he a hunka hunka burning love? (PS...we celebrate two years of amazing marriage on Monday! WOW!)

He was off to finish a project we was doing for some friends, so I laid there for a while trying to figure out how to get up. Once I was vertical I felt great! Getting vertical took a while and trust me people it was not a pretty sight.

I put a heating pad on my back for about a hour while I watched the news and HGTV (my fav new channel) and then decided I needed to do something with my day. I figured that since I felt good while I was vertical I would stay that way for a while. I put on my running shoes (stop rolling your eyes!) and headed to the gym. I could at least try to walk. Once I got there, and peeled myself out of the car I felt good (again that vertical thing). I ran for an hour and felt really really good. However, the minute I sat down to stretch the fear of not knowing how to get up sank in. "Excuse me nice sweating lady, will you please pick up my 6'0'' tall frame and push and pull me into a vertical position?" Yea that was not going to fly. I used every once of arm strength I had (have you seen my guns? Yea what guns is right!) and got myself up. AA thought I was crazy to run, but when I run, is actually when I feel best these days.

Weird.

So for now I am scheduling a massage appointment and will chat with doctor when I see her on May 31 for an INR check. If it's not one thing it's the other right?

Here is the good news! Jesus has been working HARD on my heart these days. Normally I would feel super anxious about these things, but I don't feel that these days. There has been a lot of things to feel stressed about, but Jesus continues to remind me that worrying and fear is not of the Lord. Last Sunday our pastor urged us to give something to God that was holding us back to reflecting His glory. He wasn't talking about giving up ice cream or couch sitting (THANK GOODNESS!) but rather give up something that you feel, like anxiety, bitterness, ect.

And if he was reading my mind, he told us what a hard concept that can be to grasp. Just to give God something that is so a part of who you are. I wish I was a superhuman that I could do that, but I can't. And everyone who knows me, knows I am an anxious person. And as sinful and nasty that that is, it is really hard for me to grasp just giving that up, like it would be easy to do so. So he mentioned "leasing it to God" for a week, 10 days, whatever you could wrap your mind around, and to see the work God would do.

So this week I am leasing God my anxious heart, knowing with 100% confidence the great power the Lord has and how this will transform my heart and life for more then just a week. The week is just something, I can wrap my mind around.

Is there something you have been struggling with that doesn't allow Christ to shine through you? Is the Lord calling you to give something up or "lease it". I would love to hear it so I can pray for you! Will you pray for my heart when you think of it?

Thanks. Love you!

Thoughts

The sun is out. Has it ever looked so beautiful? With the sun shining, the Lord has been doing some teaching. Today, here are some things I am learning and one running quote that literally brought me to tears. Happy sunshine y'all!

1. "All worry is, is you trying to serve and seek God's kingdom AND having to take care of your own future. In your life, there is no AND with God. There is one or the other, NEVER both." Heard loud and clear, straight to the heart.

2. "Everyone of us has to define enough."

3. Money is not the sin, it is the LOVE of money that is the sin.

4. "Contentment is not something you are born with, it is trait that is learned, a continual process."

And for the running quote (said by a woman 1 mile from the finish of the Ironman World Championship in Kona):

"It feels like death but this is living!"

WOW!!! Powerfulllllllllll! All of this today has been powerful. The best slap in the face I have gotten in a while. :)

Gross

Yesterday it was disgusting out. RAIN RAIN RAIN EVERYWHERE!

And because of that:

I ran 10 miles on the treadmill.

I am now going to take a hammer to the thing because I hate it that much.

Happy Monday!

Oh Hipidiy Hip Hop

Well two things today. Okay three. Okay four. No just joking three. NOOOOO four. Oh gosh stop reading now, trust me, this might get a little pathetic before you know it.

1. HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!! THANK YOU JESUS FOR FRIDAY! WOW! What a week. I am so so so happy for Friday. And I think, I think I might actually see blue sky. What in the wild wild world of sports is goin' on here? Oh yea, it's May 13 and we should be seeing a lot more blue sky then we have been. However, when that happens and you do see blue sky it makes you smile that much more.

2. So there has been some damage done on my body. Remember when I wrote my body a letter while ago, begging it to stay with me? Yea, it hasn't. It hasn't completely gone south, but there are signs that this is going to be a fight. My hip flexers are rebelling against me. I have asked them nicely to stop bugging me and they just bugged me more. This morning while trying to put on my skirt for work I almost started crying because It hurt so bad to lift my left leg. And oh man, you should have seen me trying to put my boots on. I even started laughing at one point. The increase of mileage, hills, speed work, ect. have taken a toll and my body is trying to catch up. It is even more important to take rest days and keep strength training and stretching. Also, on my cross training days I am going to start swimming at the gym. I am going to be a little fishy. "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming." Name that movie. Anywho, back to my hip, I have done some research on the good ol' world wide web, you know the most truth telling place, NOT, and it says that it will go away, just not quickly. Awesome.

3. For the last couple months I have felt overcome by how much God is protecting AA and I from situations. He says no to things and yes to other things that might frustrate us at the time, but then give it a week, day or heck even an hour and it is so clear that God has His protective wing over us, guiding us the right way. It has been such a blessing to feel that and be a part of it.

4. I may or may not have a problem. For some reason I am having a really hard time running outside these days. Even when the weather is nice out I still don't want to. I like my treadmill, the perfect 69 degrees the gym is and that Oprah is on while I run. I need to break this habit FAST or I will be in trouble!!

And lastly...okay okay I know I said I would only have four but I am throwing on more in there.

5. I get to see these girls tonight, all at once, under one roof. You have NO idea how excited I am.

Oh I love it!

Whenever the world seems to be flipping upside down, or things just aren't going my way, the Lord ALWAYS reminds me of His grace. Whether it be through people, verses or events.

Yesterday, someone read this verse at church and it about put me on the floor.

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version, ©2011)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

This is one of my memory verses, so it wasn't like I haven't heard it before, but man oh man did it bring a smile to my face and tears in my eyes. I know the road that Jesus has designed for me, is one that is good. Plain and simple. Now notice I didn't say without trials and hard times, but I said good. Good in the most eternal sense.

One a running note: on Saturday I had 7 miles on the schedule with the middle 20 minutes at half marathon pace. For some DUMB reason I thought I should do it on the treadmill. DUMB DUMB DUMB! As I was running, the rain cleared and sun was shining into the gym windows for 55 of my 65 minute run. UGH! Oh well. Lesson learned....just run outside. :)

I'm still here!

Hello, hello, hello!!!! I haven't left you....nope not one bit. I am still here, I just haven't had anything profound to say lately. I have stuck to my training schedule pretty well and have tried to get some more outside runs in lately. You know me, I hate being cold, and well here in Seattle it is still FREEZINGGGGGGG! On my last run here were some of the things I thought about:

1. Sun sun sunnnnnn!!!!!

2. Thank you Jesus for today.

3. What color tutu will we wear in September?

4. Oh my hip hurts...oh ouh, oh oh....

5. Brrrr....wind is cold....run faster to be in the sun.

6. Wow AA and I have been married two years at the end of this month, two amazing years.

7. I need to call Rat.

8. I need to call Pig.

9. I need to call Yenster.

10. I need to call Megaruu

11. WOW, I suck at calling people.

12. I wish I had a pen.

13. Thank you Jesus

14. I wonder how Kate is doing? (as in sister...not princess. However my sister is a princess. :) )

15. Jesus help me up this hill....POWER POWER!!

Well I am off for now. Double run this weekend, an amazing date with Jesus tomorrow and then a fun mother's day on the schedule.

Love you all! I pray for you guys...I hope you know that.

Stand up straight, just like her.

The last few days I have been having fun training. Okay let me restate that...I have been having fun getting to know my new and HARD training plan. The whole running part...uhmmmm I am not sure I would call feeling like I am going to fall off the back of the treadmill at all times fun. :) I will keep you all updated on how everything is going. This week so far as been distance, hills and strides (sprints). Yes, fun indeed.

So tomorrow is the day the whole world has been waiting for. Will you be watching? Will you be watching Kate and William get hitched? For some reason I don't think that is what the queen calls it. Anyway, according to my trusting TV guide, coverage starts tomorrow at 1am. Will you be up watching it? Will you DVR it? Do you even care?

All the aunts talk about when Princess Di and Prince Charles got married. They remember where they were and who they watched it with. I remember, just like many of you, where I was and who I was with when Princess Di died. Will tomorrow's event be one of those events, an event that we remember for the rest of our lives?

Does the royal wedding even matter to most of us? Oh probably not. But the royal family does hold a special place in my heart. They help me remember special, important memories of when I was younger. You see, when I was younger I was horribly tall for my age. Okay, okay I am horribly tall now for my age, but back then no one was as tall as I was. I HATED it. I towered over my friends, boys and even teachers. I would cry night after night about what made me different then everyone else. And every time, EVERY TIME, my mom would look me dead in the eye and with a smile on her face say, "stand up straight and tall, just like Princess Di, you know she is your height, and look how beautiful she is when she stands up straight." So I would stand up a little straighter with a little more confidence because I knew a princess was a little bit, just like me.

So tomorrow, will I be watching? Yes. Coincidentally it would have also been my mom's 51st birthday. I think she probably has the best seat in the house. And yes, I will be standing a bit taller and straighter tomorrow.

Dear body,

To my dearest body,

Are you ready? Are you ready for 12 weeks for planned torture? Are you ready for 6am wake up calls to run, strength train and run some more? Well you better be. I know I have put you through A LOT these last couple years.

You never thought you would run more then 3 miles at a time. And then I told you we were running the Tacoma Half Marathon. You hated me on that day. I made you go up hill after hill after hill. But after we crossed the finish line, I think you finally understood why I wanted to do this in the first place.

What I don't think you were ready for was the 6 more half marathons, 1 full marathon, 3 triathlons and countless 5k and 10k's that followed. What I know you REALLY weren't ready for was the countless hours of training. But every race you showed up, some more awake and alive then others. Some days legs would scream at me, other days lungs just couldn't get enough air. But then there were days when we would both agree to pound it out and we worked in perfect harmony. Miles would fly by without really even noticing.

And then of course, how could I forget the pain we have both been through the last couple months? We have experienced some pretty scary moments in the hospital, outside of the hospital and everywhere in between. But again, you didn't give up on me. You healed yourself (with the help of medicine and some doctors of course) and are ready to run hard yet again. I think.

At least I hope you are. Please body, tell me your ready. Don't get scared, I promise I will feed you well and you know I don't have a problem with rest days. But please body stay with me until July 17. We are going to do big things that day, Lord willing. And then I promise I will go light on training for the Disney Half. That race will be fun. We get to run with Megaruu and her body. They are pretty awesome you know?

Body are you ready? Well ready or not....HERE WE GO!!!!

Love you lots,

Your mind.

What are you doing tomorrow?

If you aren't up to much we would love to invite you to church....

Take a look and if you are interested in the story that God is writing let me know and we can go together.

I love you guys...but more importantly God loves you so much, that He will rise tomorrow! OH MAN!! I AM SOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!

When will you need it?

I started looking at my running schedule the other day. The one that starts this weekend with 8 miles. Yes, you read that right...STARTS with 8 miles. Oh boy this is going to be a long 12 weeks. But I am determined to be sub two hours in July. I am revamping eating, I am trying to get down to a good racing weight, I am going to start running again in the morning instead of after work to get my legs ready to run fast in the morning. I am going to do tempo runs, speed workouts and specific hill training. I have never done this specific of a training cycle before, but I am excited. Everything is in my planner, I am reading more and more about nutrition and I am ready to go. I know that I will need all of this training on July 17. I know that I could run an okay race if I just went out an ran 3-4 times a week. But I know what that mediocrity feels like. And well I am just not going to feel mediocre this time around.

I sometimes I wish I knew when I needed Jesus, like how I know when I need to train extra hard. I know I need Jesus everyday, literally everyday. But there are some days when I cling to him with a death defying grip. And there are times that I wish I knew what was coming and when; when I will need Jesus more then I have ever thought. Someone once told me, "your life might be great now, but don't worry, one day it will all come crashing down and the one rock you will have to stand on is Christ. Are you ready?" WOW! Those are tough words to hear. God never promised for everything to be flowers and sunshine. There are going to be hard days, days when know one else is around, but God. This is also hard to hear.

On this week, the week that includes Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter, can you say you are ready? Ready for the days that are going to be amazing, where you can celebrate with Jesus but also the days that are going to be filled with tears and you can fall into the arms of Christ? Eternity is at stake, which can be scary to hear. But nothing is more scary then thinking about eternity away from God.

I know this is some serious stuff we are talking about the last couple of posts. There hasn't been a lot of talk about how my butt jiggles when I run (still does) or how my love handles are doing (GREAT thanks!) or how I was rocking out to Beyonce yesterday (you know I was!). But this week, should make everyone stop and think about the tough questions. Are you ready for hard times, because whether we like it or not they are coming. Do you know Jesus? I mean really KNOW Jesus? If you don't and you would like to, I would love to talk with you more about it. shelbgb04 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Love you guys!

Holy Week

Yesterday was the start of holy week. I have never thought much about Palm Sunday, but this year, it hit me like a ton of bricks. The following was something I read about Palm Sunday, it shook me to my core and help me feel, even more, the importance of this week. Enjoy!

"There is something wrong with our picture of Palm Sunday. The jubilant crowds, their cloaks laid across a roadway strewn in palm fronds, shouts for joy as Christ rides into Jerusalem. It's a bright moment, but perhaps it's too bright; it's colorful, but maybe too colorful. The smiles are too wide, the emotion too saccharine. This is not to say that the welcome is ingenuine, but that its intensity belies a collective ignorance as to what Christ's entry into Jerusalem truly means.

We shout for jot to welcome the coming of our King because we believe that His arrival will spell the end of our woes, and we each have a specific agenda for His reign. Every cloak and palm frond laid in the road-every shout of Hosanna!- stands as testimony to these personal desires. We want Christ to fix our world, our broken lives and broken families, to right all that we deem to be wrong. But, however intensely of the coming Kingdom. The kind that we want is vastly overshadowed by the King we truly need.

We welcome Christ at the gates of Jerusalem because we foolishly believe this is be the end of the journey, that having arrived, Christ will begin to set things right. However, the Palm Sunday road does not end at the gates of Jerusalem. Rather, it ends at a spot just outside of the city walls, at a place called Golgotha, and it will ultimately require that we lay down something far more dear than our cloaks."

I welcome all of your thoughts on this passage and the holy week! Do you consider yourself a part of God's story? What does the Holy week/Good Friday/Easter mean to you?

I love ya, but Jesus loves ya more!

PS....the official "break two hours at See Jane Run Half kick your butt and feel like you might die" training plan starts this weekend with 8 miles. Yea you read that right. Training STARTS with 8 miles. OH MY GOODNESS!

And the winner is.....

.....

MEGAN KNIGHT!*

Megan Knight said...
aaron in blogland! way to go! can't wait for your home and sleepovers with the knights & lantings!

Congrats Meg! I will be bringing you your gift very soon!

Thanks everyone for entering and showing my Jamacian Sprinter some love! There should be some new exciting posts on his blog very very soon!

*Winner was picked using random.org

OH SNAP!

Oh snap!!! My Jamaican Sprinter started a little blog! I LOVE IT!!! It is about our "home buying process". I am not sure why I put that in quotes, but it just feels so weird to continue to say that.

So here is the deal....IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME! Here is how you enter:

1. You need to be a follower of my blog, first.

2. Go over to his blog give him some love and leave a comment that you came from my blog.

Contest ends Saturday night! One winner will be picked and announced Saturday night/Sunday morning.

What do you win???

1. One of my favorite Comendium books. Check them out! They are fabulous!

2. And of course a STARBS card!!!

PS....still running three times a week just to make sure my legs don't forget how. Official "break 2 hours in the See Jane Run Half" training starts in a couple weeks! Oh it is going to be good....it is going to hurt....and I am going to LOVE IT!

Almost forgot....

...I went to the lung specialist yesterday. He said I am the quickest case of PE, that has recovered and run a half marathon, that he has ever seen. I have always been an overachiever. :)

Where have I been?

Who knows?! After getting back from Dallas we have been trying to get into the swing of things again. We sure do miss 85 degree days. Currently I am looking out at the rain and wind. Awesome. Come on spring!!! Get here already! On a positive note, everything is nice and green. :) I learned so much from the last half marathon and everything that preceded it. I feel so blessed to have learned the lessons and have a better appreciation for my body and health. I have a new, pretty intense half marathon training plan for the See Jane Run half marathon I am doing in July. It looks overwhelming and hard, but gosh darnit I want to break two hours!!! I have been trying some of the workouts (because I don't technically start training for a couple more weeks) and they have been going great! They are different, but feeling good. Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed by something? Have you looked at a challenge and thought....wow boy, this is going to be hard. AA and I are trying to make some pretty hard decisions these days and we are constantly praying for God's direction. But man oh man do the decisions and situations continue to build and the overwhelming, panicking, I'M DROWNING feeling keeps setting it. Of course not for AA, just for the over emotional me. I have been so overwhelmed lately that I don't event know what to pray. But then I remember a great sermon I heard about being overwhelmed and when you don't know what to pray, just pray "Jesus." He hears you, he knows exactly what you are thinking and needing. It is a recognition that you know He is in control and that He is the driver of your life. So with that reminder.... Jesus!

Race Recap...

I didn't sleep very well the night before the race. But alas at oh dark hundred hours the alarm went off and we were moving! We took the Dart to the start (Dallas' version of light rail). The funniest part was that they don't take credit cards and so Katie stuck a $20 bill in to buy all of our tickets and sure enough it spit out ALL coins for her change! HAHA! Rob carried more then $7 in change all 13.1 miles! So funny! Well we finally made it to the start area, made a MUST potty stop and then got in our corral. It was traditional Texas to the core! Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, Troy Aikman starting the race, the National Anthem and a prayer for the race. Let me stop and tell you about this prayer real quick. I didn't even realize they were praying until I heard "oh God." I started to listen more intently and I realized she was praying not only for all of us runners, but also for every affected by breast cancer (Susan G. Komen was the officially charity). I tried so hard not to cry as I look straight at the ground, but man this lady was praying from every corner of her heart. It was so sweet, because so rarely does anyone do an "out-loud" prayer before the race, but she was and she was letting God's name be proclaimed! I loved it! With a hug from Katie, a high five from AA and some funny comment by Rob dog it was our corrals turn to GO! We were off! We lost Katie and Rob pretty quick. They were on a mission to have a sub 2 hour half (which they did! GOOD JOB!).

In the first mile we ran right by where JFK was shot. People were pointing to the ground and when we looked we realized that there were two X's where he was shot twice. It was very eerie, but also so cool to be running literally right over such a historic moment. As the race plugged along I knew very soon that my legs were not firing as they should be. I felt sluggish and heavy. We climbed a couple minor hills and AA slowed at the top to wait for me. He was doing amazing and I t old him to go if he wanted/could. He said NO with some authority so I knew he was staying with me the whole time (more on this in a sec). At mile 4 I broke out 2 watermelon GU chomps. YUM YUM! It also gave me something else to think about. About that time, a woman started to pass me and she gave me the thumbs up, smiled and said something about love. I was rocking out to Beyonce or Lady Gaga (I know surprise surprise) so I didn't exactly hear what she said. I smiled back and realized that she was talking about what was on the back of my shirt. I had a bib that said "In memory of my mom." It was so sweet that she would acknowledge that. After I realized what she was saying I started ot tear up. Just as fast as I started to cry I quickly told myself "okay silly goose you better get it together....we got 9 more miles to fly through...toughen up butter cup." Which I did. At mile 5 AA hears a pop in the back of his calf. Uh oh! He told me to keep going and he would would catch up. Which of course he did. He said it hurt but that he would be able to make it (turned out to be a minor calf strain). Before the race Rob dog and Katie kept saying that they couldn't wait to get to Swiss street because it was slightly downhill for about a mile and half. However, I heard "Spring St." Oh I am an idiot! So with every turn we would make I would look at the street sign and pray it would be Spring St. No freaking Spring St. ANYWHERE! I finally asked AA "Where in the H-E-Double hockey sticks is Spring St!!!!!!!!!!???????????" He told me it was SWISS ST! And that we were on it! Oh gosh, I am an idiot! HA! I had a pretty good laugh with Katie after the race about that one. Finally at about mile 8ish we saw Rob's mom, dad and brother. We all went crazy! It was so nice to have them come out and route us on! The funniest part of all of that is that they missed Rob and Katie (their own kids for goodness sakes!) because they were running to fast! No worries...you can watch us slow pokes! :) Right before we saw them I was having extreme hip pain. I walked for about 10 seconds and then started to run again and felt good. It hurt a little bit here and there but nothing like it was. My legs were finally starting to fire, a little too late, because AA was starting to feel it. And to put it simply there was no way I was leaving him (more on that in a sec). Finally after a GU stop and 2 miles through a not so nice part of Dallas we made it to the Texas State Fair. It was so cool! It is where the Cotton Bowl is played and where OU and Texas play their big game every year. AA and I watch every year and so it was cool to finally see it in person. We were rounding corner after corner and I knew the finish was coming soon. We passed the mile 13 sign and I knew we were close. I could smell the finish. AA was struggling and I told him a little sternly "get up here!" We were going to finish strong even if we died trying. I kept telling him how many minutes until we finished, "2 minutes, 1 minute." And then finally we turned the corner and there it was, the finishers shoot. I started to cry for so many reason. I took AA's hand and we ran the last little part hand in hand, AA being the strong stoic one and me be the blubbering fool. There is a surprise. We crossed the finish line with huge smiles, holding hands, arms held high. I knew we had made our goal of 2:15. In fact we were at 2:14:08. Not my fastest, not my slowest. I smiled at AA, trying not to burst into tears. I silently thanked Jesus for His power, grace and love. I thanked Him for allowing me to run this but more importantly that I got to run this race with my husband. I get chocked up thinking about that moment. As I type I am getting tearing eyed. AA and I have been through the ringer the last couple months and we didn't even know if I would be able to run this race. To be able to go through 2 hours, 14 minutes and 8 seconds of pain together, but to be able to cross the finish line with my best friend, partner and love of my life was one of the most symbolic moments in my life. I will NEVER forget that moment for as long as I live. AA has been by my side and he never had any intention of leaving me during this race and when we got further into the race I realzied that I was not leaving him either. It was such a tangible moment of our vows and I could cry about it for a long time, to remember how good God was in giving us each other.

God was so good to us during the last two months, as He has been our whole life. But during this time, He showed us what it meant to rely on Him, to be a good spouse, to trust Him and to love Him unconditionally. Never have I been more thankful to have a personal relationship with Him. He was my ultimate rock and my saving grace when the earth around me was sinking. All along the race coute there was signs with Isiah 40:31. That is the verse I have as the title of my blog and what really has made a profound impact on my life. It was like Jesus was reminding me every time I saw one of those signs how amazing He is. This half marathon, although not my fastest, not my most pain free, was by far my favorite. The rest of the weekend recap coming next!

Saturday recap....

We woke up to sun shining through our window. Thank you Jesus for the sun. We put on some running clothes and we all decided to walk/run to Starbs. We ran a total of .3 miles. Just enough of you ask me. It was so warm. Oh how I want some heat here in Seattle. After walking back and enjoying our cup'o'jo we got dressed and headed to brunch. Let me tell you something...this brunch was just what I needed. We got to sit outside, without a jacket on and enjoy truly yummy food. I had chicken migas. Thank you Jesus for migas, oh thank you Jesus for them! Then we headed to the expo. Oh the expo. I LOVE EXPOS!!! LOVE THEM! First, being able to go and get your race bib makes it really real. I picked up a hat and got to meet two contestants from the Biggest Loser, Jackie and Dan, one of my favorite shows! They are coming to Seattle next, so I might have to go cheer them on! They were sooo sweet and look great! AA picked up some body glide and Katie pick up some new shorts. After about an 1.5 hours we had made our way through the whole thing, won some prizes and were happy.

Katie and Rob then took us on a driving tour of Dallas. We saw where JFK was shot (more on that in Sunday's recap), drove on Straight Lane (I have never, I mean NEVER seen bigger homes), got to see some High 5 Highway thingymbobber. Something about the biggest highway overpass or something. Clearly this was for AA, not me. Then, one of the highlights of the trip, they took us to the SMU campus. Not only is it absolutely gorgeous, Rob's grandpa was the head basketball coach there for a number of years. He is quite famous in the state of Texas we learned. We went to see the practice facility that was named after him and we even snuck onto the actual court. That was so great! It really touched my heart that Rob would share this with us. His grandpa is still going to games and Rob has never called his grandpa, grandpa. Rather, they have always called him Coach. I LOVE IT! We tried to play Top Golf, but there was a three hour wait. No thanks.

Headed to dinner to CARB load...one of my favorite things about running. The Italian restaurant they took us to was so good. Oh yummmy yummu yummy! And of course, we went to ice cream after that. :) Headed home, watched some basketball and visited with Rob's brother Doug. Headed to bed early. After all, the next day was going to start early and we needed all the rest we could. Race day, coming next....