Ginghamsburg New Path 5K Run 2008

As some of you may remember, on March 14, I posted a blog about Matt and I's decision to take on the challenge of running our first 5K! Just as a reminder to everyone, althought Matt played soccer aggressively in high school and also in college, and I played tennis during those same years, we are in NO WAY runners. I despised playing sports such as basketball where you were always running. Tennis was nice, short sprints. I DESPISE running!! Yeah, yeah, it always feels good after you've done it, but I've always lacked the desire and will power to make running a habit.

The weeks leading up to the big run, we didn't really "train" persay. We still ate out at restaurants, pigged out on chip and dip at home, and casually ran every 2-3 days. When I finally mapped out how far 3.1 miles actually was, I started to get a little fearful which in turn drove me to train consistently and not give up.

We ran the full two weeks before the race every other day. On the off days, we would hike the woods not far from our house, or ride our bikes. We started to be able to run farther and farther. About 5 days before the big run, I actually ran the full 3.1 miles without stopping. Success!!!

The Thursday before the race, we went out to the actual path around Ginghamsburg. Whew!!! That was rough. 2 major hills over 75, and one smaller hill in the middle. These weren't straight up hills like I would of liked, but graaaddduuuaaalll hills that seemed to never end.

Race day.......was a chilly one. I was the dummy that decided to wear shorts and my running jacket. It was about 45 degrees (which we were used to 70 degree weather). My little legs were bright red, and my upper body felt like it was going to explode from all the cold air filling my lungs, but I'm proud to say WE DID IT!

There were over 400 people that ran/walked the race with us. This was really such an amazing experience. New Path feeds the people in Miami and Montgomery country who have hit rough times in their life, suppling them with food, clothing, furniture and God's love. I was so excited to be a part of something that was good for my body, and also for those that need God's love the most.

For full race details with pictures you can go to the site below:

http://www.speedy-feet.com/

Matthew finished in place number 190 at 33 minutes and 58 seconds running an average of 10:57 a mile. He was 10 out of 14 in his age group.

I finished in place number 209 at 35 minutes and 31 seconds running an average of 11:27 a mile. I finished 16 out of 39 for my age group.

Even thought our numbers aren't the greatest or the best, I'm extremely proud of ourselves. We took on a task that we had never even attempted to try before, and ran with our whole hearts.

Grumblers, complainers, and faultfinders

This week has been full of some revelations in my own life. It started on Sunday. We decided to sleep in a little longer and then go to the 1130am service at our church, Ginghamsburg. We've been in a series called "A Faith that Works: See and Do". I've included a link below if anyone is interested in seeing the amazing message.

http://ginghamsburg.org/sermon/resources/2008_04_20_Video/207/

The band started off with a classic Michael Jackson song called "Man in the Mirror". I haven't heard this song in a very long time, but it's funny how you can remember the words, even after much time has passed. Our church is very "gospelly" if that is a word. We don't have hard rock like our old church. They put their own spin on the songs, and they usually use a full choir with a few lead singers. Amazing! There was so much power in the words they were saying. It was so enjoyable to watch them, but it had a double effect on my heart. I loved listening to them, but it made me question what I'm doing with my own life. It brought tears to my eyes because of the power of what they were saying. Some of the lyrics are below:

I'm gonna make a change, for once in my life
It's gonna feel real good, gonna make a difference
Gonna make it right...
As I, turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat
This wind is blowin' my mind
I see the kids in the street, with not enough to eat
Who am I, to be blind? Pretending not to see their needs
A summer's disregard, a broken bottle top
And a one man's soul
They follow each other on the wind ya' know
'Cause they got nowhere to go
That's why I want you to know

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change

Our pastor, Mike Slaughter asked a question at the end of the sermon. As we all bowed our heads, he prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill the place, and for the Spirit to speak to each one of us, telling us what we should do. And I don't think when you pray for that it's some hokey experience. The Holy Spirit NEVER refuses a request like that. As I prayed that in my own heart, I felt the Spirit was telling me to "get more involved".
I believe I need to get more involved in my marriage, in my family, my relationships with friends, with the suffering of the world, not turning a blind eye to those things that God cares about, just because I would rather be doing something. I think it also means taking care of my health and making healthy decisions concerning eating and excercising.

In my times with the Lord this week, I've spent every night out on our balcony looking at the amazing sunsets setting in the west. Feeling the gentle breeze on my skin, and watching how beautiful the Lord ends each of his days. A painter couldn't paint a more beautiful picture.
I've been realizing, since my study on the "Beloved Disciple" by Beth Moore has been over, I'm struggling with what to read. And as a result I feel that I've been a little farther from the Lord than I had previously been in the past 10 weeks.
As I've been sitting on the balcony, I feel that the Lord has brought to my attention some things, in conjuction with the sermon Sunday, that I need to change. So I guess this is a bit of a confession time for me on here. Hope you bloggers don't mind.

"These men are grumblers and faultfinders;they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage." Jude 16

"Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp." Numbers 11:1

How much time do I spend grumbling, faultfinding and complaining?!?!?! In the past I've been around those people that complain and grumble all the time and it drives me crazy. I've always viewed them as annoying, but I've never looked at myself and seen the log in my eye. What does my grumbling and so forth do to God? What does he think? How does it sound to his ears? From Numbers 22:1 it obviously makes him very angry.

I've begun to realize that I've always been a faultfinder. I believe in finding justice for everyone. And when I think of that, I predominately think of the children that our church supports in Darfur, Sudan, and also many countries in Africa. I want to find who is at fault in most situations. But I've also been realizing that I try to put blame on everyone else in my everyday life for all of my problems. "I think God's telling me to let it go...it doesn't really matter."

So hopefully, with the Holy Spirit's help, I'll continue to look at the "(wo)man in the mirror". I'll start to cast blame on myself, and see what I'm NOT doing and then what I SHOULD be doing to help others. I want the world to change so badly, for others to see Christ, but it won't help if I don't start with myself.

bird conversations

Since spring has arrived, I've been trying to take extra moments when I wake up, extra moments while I'm walking to my car, extra moments while I'm sitting on the balcony reading, to take notice of the little things. The little things that we take for granted when we're rushing from here to there. One sound I've been noticing alot, that I've always enjoyed, but always seem to tune out during the rush, is the conversations between birds. The chitter chatter and songs that they sing. What are they really saying?

When a dog barks, he's warning us of something, trying to get us to feed them, or they want outside. But what do birds say to each other?

I was thinking a couple of weeks ago that maybe they are saying to one another "Isn't God great! He's bringing the worms back to the ground! He's giving us shade and cover in the trees once again! I'm back to my original home, I can rest my wings!!"

....or....

maybe they are singing praises to God. What if they really are speaking to Jesus?! And what if Jesus is speaking back to them in a voice that our human ears can't understand. Even if we could understand, are we taking the moments to try to hear the faint sound of Jesus' voice whispering to us as well?

saving the planet, (IKEA) , one bag at a time

Last weekend Matthew, Britney, Tim, Camden and I all hopped into the car and drove the 45 miles from Vandalia to West Chester to visit the brand new IKEA store. We had all been to an IKEA before, so we knew what we were facing. Britney and Tim went to the one in New York while visiting Tim's sister, and Matt and I had been to the one in Detroit twice the past year before we moved.

I was pretty pumped to go. I love their innovative ideas in furniture, and of course love their prices. We arrived about 1pm after eating at Chipotle. Camden was put in the stroller and we hit the showroom....well not exactly.... Britney and I stopped at the cafeteria to chow down on some triple fudge cake, and frozen apple pie with Swedish coffee...yum. Camden had a good time making funny faces eatin his mac' n cheese. (the real reason we went to the cafeteria...but couldn't pass up the cake!!)

We went through the showroom, lost each other a couple of times while Camden took a short nap. Then hit the warehouse below. Matt and I purchased some good finds hopefully for our new place. I hit up the fabric and Matt waited patiently. We also found a wall panel hanging of birch trees. Can't wait to put that up!

While we were checking out I felt such a sense of pride. A huge retailer is finally getting a clue. At IKEA, if you don't bring in your own bag to place your purchased items in, be prepared to pay for that nasty plastic bag. IKEA charges 5 cents per plastic bag that you request. WAY TO GO!

From the 5 cents they have collected, their partner, American Forests, are planting over 300,000 trees. Hopefully people we get the hint that if you want groceries, do what they did in the past and bring your own bag, and breathe better along the way.

I've heard that some people say it's inconvienent to bring your own canvas bag. But since Matt and I have been putting this into practice (which sometimes we forget, and do take a plastic bag when it's absolutely necessary) it's actually quite simple, and we live on the 3rd floor of an apt!! So it really isn't that hard, especially if you live in a house where you just walk out your side door. : ) Just leave the canvas bags at your side door and take them out the next time you go to your car. It's really not that inconvienent.

I think it's great what IKEA is doing. I read their article online about their program. I sincerely believe that they are putting this into practice because they care about the environment and the footprint they leave. Other superstores, like um...Walmart, are catching on, but it seems that they are only doing it for profit. It seems like all of their motives are done for the green....$$$ that is.

For the full article check out: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/press_room/press_release/national/blue_bag_thank_you.html

American Forests:
www.americanforests.org.

nuking vs. teapot

vs.

Last weekend, Matthew and I went to visit my Uncle Eric and Aunt Denise at there home in Upper Arlington. We had one particular task that had to be completed before we could have some fun. Dreadful taxes! The past three years, we've been hounded by the IRS after filing, for various reasons, so we have our fingers crossed for this year. Hopefully it will be a success with no bumps down the road.

Some of the things we did was ride our bikes from their home, downtown to OSU's campus. It was such a nice and sunny day that Saturday. They borrowed two bikes from their neighbors and we hit the trail. ((((One thing I need to express though, is we haven't rode since last November. It's just too much effort and muscle strength to get those bikes down the three floors of our apt building!!)))) So we jumped on the bikes, filed into a straight line, and road like the wind down to campus. (Hopped a couple of curbs, had a couple other bikers ding their bells at us...which means get out of the way...and rode and rode.) In the end we made it down to campus, printed some papers and then enjoyed a delicious Chinese meal at one of the many little restaurants on campus. We then made the long trip back to their house. I've found the ride back always seems so much longer.

The following day, after church we decided to go on another ride....needless to say, it wasn't as easy this time to get on the bikes. Our tooshies were a little sore. But in the end, the two day total in mileage, was 27 miles! Woo-hoo! This summer looks promising!! Hopefully we'll break some of our past records of single trip miles. Currently it is 22 miles for one ride. I'll let you know when we beat that....

....One thing I want to point out is I learned something cool over the weekend. You see, my aunt Denise is a huge tea drinker!! We sat down about three times that weekend and enjoyed morning tea, afternoon tea, and evening tea. One question that occurred to me was, "Is it better "tea" to have the teapot heat your water, or does it work just as well in the microwave?" Is the tea higher quality, or brewed to a crisper, more delicious taste if it is done in a teapot, or is it just the same as in the microwave? Does instant gratification work with this?, or am I cheating myself of better tea by waiting for the teapot to whistle?

While researching this question
(yeah I know, I know, I admit too that I'm a pretty big dork for even caring which is better)
I found the answer.

The only advantage of heating the water in a teapot versus heating in the microwave, is that the water remains heated for a longer amount of time if it is heated in a teapot instead of a microwave.

...I think I'll stick with the instant gratification of nuking it in the microwave...

the lion, the witch and the wardrobe

I've been writing alot of blogs lately...haven't I? (you can tell there is a lot of downtime this week at work...)

I was looking through my journal that I keep, and I always write down quotes that I find that I think are either fascinating, or really interesting. As I was reading back through today, I found three that I really like from the book, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. I know, I know, it's a children's book, but I'm still excited about it. I read it for the first time just a couple of months ago.

******

Chapter 8 page 85.

"Wrong will be right,
when Aslan comes in sight.
At the sound of his roar,
Sorrows will be no more.
When he bares his teeth,
Winter meets its death.
And when he shakes his mane,
We shall have spring again."

******
Chapter 8 page 86

"Who said anything about safe? Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

******

Chapter 8 page 88

"But in general, take my advice, when you meet anything that's going to be human and isn't yet, or used to be human once and isn't now, or ought to be human and isn't, you keep your eyes on it and feel for your hatchet."

******

And this last one is from the book The Soul Hunter
(sequel to When The Day of Evil Comes)
by Melanie Wells

"Demons enjoy waste, I believe. They prey on the lost and broken while they’re standing on the brink, and then lures them over the edge to an ugly demise. To waste a soul, to trick a human being—the invaluable bearer of divine image—into despair and self-abnegation, this, for him, would be the consummate victory in his strange, twisted game."

It's Not About Me

I finished up a good read today.....well not really a "good" read, an excellent one. I've been reading It's Not About Me by Max Lucado. His writing really gives a new perspective about your place in the world, how much God adores you, and how we as believers should be carrying the torch of the gospel. My favorite chapter is the last. I've typed it out below....

"So you like Jewish authors?"
The fellow asking the question sat on the aisle seat. I had the window, which meant I had a view of the runway. The mechanical crew was repairing a bird dent on the wing. While they worked, I read. As I read my Bible, the rabbi interrupted.
"So you like Jewish authors?"
The twinkle in his eye betrayed his pleasure in the question. His chest-length mop of a beard couldn't hide his smile. I had spotted him earlier in the waiting area. The tassels from his shirttail and hair-clipped yarmulke led me to peg him as the pios, silent type.
Pious. Yes. But silent? He loved to talk. He loved to talk Torah. I was in for a lesson. Tucked away in the ceremonies and laws of Moses, he explained, are pictures of God. Who could offer a sacrifce and not weep for God's grace? Who could read about servants redeeming their kinsmen and not think about God redeeming us? And who could reaqd the third commandment without remembering to live for God's glory?
I signaled a time-out, opened to Exodus, and read the third command: "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain." (20:7) My puzzled experssion was enough to request an explaination.
"Don't think language; think lifestyle," he instructed. "The command calls us to elevate the name or reputation of God to the highest place. We exist to give honor to his name. May I illustrate?"
By now the damaged wing was fixed (the plane's; can't speak for the bird). And as we gained altitude, so did the rabbi. I took notes. He proceeded to create a story involving a Manhatten skyscraper. Everyone in the building works for the CEO, who offices the top floor. Most have not seen him, but they have seen his daughter. She works in the building for her father. She exploits her family position to her benefit.
One morning she approaches Bert, the guard. "I'm hungry, Bert. Go down the street and buy me a Danish."
The demand places Bert in a quandary. He's on duty. Leaving his post puts the building at risk. But his boss's daughter insists, "Come on now; hurry up."
What option does he have? As he leaves, he says nothing but thinks something like, If the daughter is so bossy, what does that say about her father?
She's only getting started. Munching on her muffin, she bumps into a paper-laden secretary. "Where are you going with all those papers?"
"To have them bound for an afternoon meeting."
"Forget the meeting. Come to my office and vacuum the carpet."
"But I was told..."
"And I am telling you something else."
The woman has no choice. After all, this is the boss's daughter speaking. Which causes the secretary to question the wisdom of the boss.
And on the daughter goes. Making demands. Calling shots. Interrupting schedules. Never invoking the name of her dad. Never leverging her comments with, "My dad said..."
No need to.
Isn't she the boss's child? Doesn't the child speak for the father? And so Bert abandons his post. An assistant fails to finish a task. And more than one employee questions the wisdom of the man upstairs. Does he really know what he is doing? they wonder.
The rabbi paused here. We both felt the plane nosing downward. His remaining time was short. But his point was clear. The girl dishonored the name of her father, not with the vulgar language, but with insensitive living. Keep this up and the whole building will be second-guessing the CEO.
But my traveling partner wasn't finished. He scratched his bearded chin and lifted both eyebrows as he propsed, "But what if the daughter acted differently?" and then proceeded to recast the story.
Rather than demand a muffin from Bert, she brings a muffin to Bert. "I thought of you this morning," she explains. " You arrive so early. Do you have time to eat? And she hands him the gift.
En route to the evelator she bumps into a woman with an armful of documents. "My, I'm sorry, Can I help?" the daughter offers. The assistant smiles, and the two carry the stacks down the hallway.
And so the daughter engages the people. She asks about their families, offers to bring them coffee. New workers are welcomed, and hard workers are applauded. She, through kindness and concern, raises the happiness level of the entire company.
She does so not even mentioning her father's name. Never does she declare, "My father says..." There is no need to. Is she not his child? Does she not speak on his behalf? Reflect his heart? When she speaks, they assume she speaks for him. And because they think highly of her, they think highly of her father.
They've not seen him.
They've not met him.
But they know his child, so they know his heart.
By now the flight was ending, and so was my Hebrew lesson. Thanks to the rabbi, the third command shouldered new meaning. Paul, another rabbi, would have appreciated the point. He wrote: " We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20). The ambassador has a singular aim-to represent his king. He promotes the king's agenda, protects the king's reputation, and presents the king's will. The ambassador elevates the name of the king.
May I close this book with a prayer that we do the same? May God rescue us from self-centered thinking. May we have no higher goal than to see someone think more highly of our Father, our King. After all, in's not about....well, you an finish the sentence.
"You know how the story ends?" the rabbi asked as we were taxiing to a stop. Apparently a punch line.
"No, I don't. How?"
"The daughter takes the elevator to the top floor to see her father. When she arrives, he is waiting in the doorway. He's aware of her good works and has seen her kind acts. People think more highly of him because of her. And he knows it. As she approaches, he greets her with six words."
The rabbi paused and smiled.
"What are they?" I urged, never expecting to hear an orthodox Jew quote Jesus.


"Well done, good and faithful servant."

........May God sustain you until you hear the same........

trying to find God's glory in the midst of pain

The past seven days, I've been thinking alot about what occurred on these exact same seven days just one year ago. Just a little while ago, about a year and a half, Matthew and I desired to go to Cairo, Egypt to teach in a missionary school. We traveled down to Florida for these seven days to go through the first week of training, and came back with an ache in our hearts that still to this day hasn't been redeemed. We don't know how God will flip the pain to reveal His glory.

We're searching for it. In every nook and cranny of our lives. We want to proclain God's glory through these hurts, but how do you do that, when it doesn't make sense, and you don't know the words to put behind the pain to reflect God in a way that honors Him?

When we look back since that time, we can't image being in Egypt right now. We agree that we weren't ready to go. We weren't prepared the way that missionaries need to be. We didn't know enough about our Savior and about our God to go into a predominately Muslim country. We weren't prepared to be comsidered infidels.

I feel like I know more about God than I did then...but I still don't feel prepared, and I don't know if that will ever be a desire in my heart again.

I remember after that time spent in Florida, coming back to Bowling Green and spring approaching. I love the spring time. I love how the sun feels different and the lense of winter escapes the sun. Spring represents so much to me. It's the green. It's new life. Winter is so harsh and depressing. Everything around you is dead. No confidence of hope. No confidence until that little spout of green appears in the muck and mire of the ground. Spring is on it's way. The redeeming power of Jesus is magnified through the nature of the earth.

That spring time, even though little sprouts of green were appearing, my heart was stuck in winter. I remember listing to my favorite band U2, trying to keep a collected and hopeful spirit. I remember driving along 75 N to work, listing to "Beautiful Day" , with my sunroof peeked open, yelling and screaming at the top of my lungs that song. Tears streamed down my face, but I wasn't going to say that it wasn't a beautiful day, because it was. It was God's day.


Some of the lyrics that touched my gray heart was:

It's a beautiful day
Sky falls, you feel like
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away

You're on the road
But you've got no destination
You're in the mud
In the maze of her imagination

You love this town
Even if that doesn't ring true
You've been all over
And it's been all over you
..............
What you don't have you don't need it now
What you don't know you can feel it somehow
What you don't have you don't need it now ....Don't need it now
Was a beautiful day

When I think back on that time, even through the pain, the anger and quite honestly the hate for God that I had because it didn't make sense. How could God do this? But it didn't have anything to do with that. God was molding me, using the pain in my heart to create in me a trust that I never had before. God didn't make sense. I didn't have anything to hold onto. That trip brought me to a place of need. Need of God. Need of the REAL God. Not someone that you go to just for things. Not someone that you just go to for healing of a family member. The REAL God who uses those things to ultimately glorify Him through the pain. A God that doesn't make sense, but a God this is REAL.

Another lyric from U2 that I would sing over and over is Walk On

And if the darkness is to keep us apart
And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off
And if your glass heart should crack
And for a second you turn back
Oh no, be strong

Walk on, walk on
What you got they can't steal it, no they can't even feel it
Walk on, walk on...Stay safe tonight

And I know it aches and your heart it breaks
And you can only take so much
Walk on, walk on

Leave it behind You got to leave it behind
All that you fashion All that you make
All that you build All that you break
All that you measure All that you feel
All this you can leave behind
All that you reason All that you sense
All that you speak All you dress-up
All that you scheme...

Just walk on....just walk on....Matt and I have been repeating that in our heads since the day we left, one year ago. Just walk on. God will meet you along the way, and turn your heartbreak into His Glory. Just keep walking.