Just what the doctor ordered...

13.1 miles on a beautiful day, on a beautiful quiet and quaint little course was just what the Dr. ordered for this little lady! I love to run. It is great medicine for my soul, and this run couldn't have come at a better time! The day was perfect. A bit on the chilly, breezy side, which is perfect running weather! The breeze gave a little resistance which added a little challenge to the course. The sun was shining and the air was crisp.

Today's run was different from the past ones in ways I can't explain. What I can say is that it was great! It was challenging and a nice escape from life for a brief moment in time. Not that life stinks or anything, but sometimes it brings its own challenges and it's just nice to not deal with reality for a moment or two. It's nice to just run and enjoy the scenery and simply focus on conquering the 13.1 mile journey ahead!

These 2 lovelies got up nice and early to cheer us on.

This is about mile 8. I smile when I see cameras;) And because I was having fun! 

Mr. Ronnie did great, setting a new PR for himself! 

Overall it was a great run! I thought surely something was off when my watch went off to show my first mile, saying 8:28 or 8:38 or something like that. I was shocked because I only run that quick when working speed with short distances. So I thought it must just be adrenaline at the start. Every time my watch beeped to mark another mile I checked my pace, expecting it to gradually get slower, but it stayed under 9:00 for all but 2 miles (my normal pace is between 9:30-10:00). I was excited that I would beat my personal best from my last race and meet my goal for this race, which was 2 hr. 10 min. 

At about mile 11 I heard two men talking behind me about the distance left and the time. One said that his goal was just to get in at under 2 hours. When I heard that I immediately began to think, if he is behind me and keeping my pace...wait a minute...I can get in at under 2 hours!!! Never did I think I could do that! I was so excited:) A little fire was lit under my feet and I took off. OK not really took off but I didn't slow down that is for sure! I made it in at about 1 hour and 56-57 min. (still waiting on official times to be posted). It was a mixture of pure excitement and a bit of "OH NO...now I have a big PR to work towards for next time!" Overall it has been a great journey leading up to this race, and I am thankful for the health and ability to run in God's beautiful creation! 

Call me old fashioned...

I have recently been attracted to things that used to be... a simpler life. I am not saying my life is too crazy and that I need to cut back on things. I have spent most of the weekend on the couch. I live a pretty simple life. I like it that way, with little adventures thrown in here and there.

I look back on old TV shows or the way I see generations ahead of me speak of their childhoods, and I miss that. I dream of that for my children. Today we are so glued to our technology. (Myself definitely included...On a scale of 1 being not too bad and 10 being you can't have a conversation with me without me checking my phone every 5 minutes, I would give myself about a 5.) I worry that I will lose the joy of hearing of someone's exciting news in person or through precious letter or phone call. I fear that my already introverted self, will struggle to make conversations about life. I hate the disconnect we see in our generation with one another, the lack of genuine communication and the obsession with superficial "friendships" through social networking. I hate when someone goes to tell you news and I say the dreaded phrase "Yeah I saw that on facebook".

So not as a social experiment or any deep conviction or any rebellion of social networking, I will be deleting my facebook account for an indefinite amount of time. I just want to live real life. I want to hear about your life from your very lips or through a personal text to check in with one another, I want to see your pictures personally whether through texts or in person. This is going to take some work on my part, being intentional with relationships so I do stay connected with my friends and family, but I think it will be a good thing.

I will likely continue blogging, so feel free to follow my blog. But blogs are usually more for me to journal life's journey and allow you a glimpse into my heart during that season.

I don't know that a blog post was necessary to explain my departure from facebook, but I just thought I would let you know that I would like to get to know you and be more than just "friends" if it makes you sad that you won't be able "stalk" me and find out what's new in my life through facebook;) So I will gladly give you my number if you would like to stay in touch and hang out.

And so it begins...again...

I have a love/hate relationship with this time of the year. The time of year where I have to get up early, where I am on a schedule that I have little say in, where I have to find the strength and energy and sanity to do my job when I am sapped dry of strength and energy and sanity from doing my job, and the constant running of my mind of ideas, checklists of work to be done, and children who need some extra help. The time of year where I have to leave behind the luxuries of lazy summer days to face the hustle and bustle of teaching!

Despite it all,  I LOVE my job! Those hated things above are rarely a game changer for me. Really it's just the transition from not being on a set schedule to being on a set schedule that gets me. Once I am in the routine I feel much better, especially when I know we have days off throughout the year to help restore that whole sanity part;). 

Even when my little kiddos decide to take their bright minds to another planet for a time during class and have not a clue what has been going on around them for the past 10 minutes. I love my job! Or when they are so delightfully telling me a story at lunch as they chew their food and I try to stomach my own food. I wouldn't trade it for a thing! 

I just finished up my first week of school for my fourth time. I can definitely say I had a great week and was reminded again that God's timing and placement in my life are always right on target! 

For teachers, January is not the New Year. August is. And I love this time of the year despite all of its craziness because I get a fresh start. It is the perfect time to change things that didn't go so well last year, to evaluate my personal teaching style and how I can improve it for the benefit of my students, and to learn from the mistakes and successes of the past.

For me personally this year, my challenge is to be less and allow Christ to be more in my life. Lately God has been constantly bringing to light times where I am being a bit selfish. Whether it is simply me taking the time to stop and have a conversation with someone when I know I have a mountain of papers to check or me reigning in my frustration when that child who took the first flight to a far off universe hasn't a clue what to do on the worksheet I just thoroughly explained, I see much room for improvement. My heart is to be more like Christ in handling the simplest of things. The things where most people would say that they completely understand why I was in a hurry or why I got a little frustrated that I had to repeat everything I just went over.  I hope to one day look different than the world in how I live my life, and this year my goal is to be aware of how I handle little things in my day to day that may not be life altering to the casual eye. Maybe as the Lord teaches me to handle these little  day to day moments a little better, He is preparing me to handle bigger things that life is sure to throw my way. Not just school either but life in general...family, friends, church,etc.  And maybe...just maybe someone will see how the Lord has taught me to handle life differently than the world and will want to know more about the beauty of life lived for Him. 

Missing...

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder..."

I have never agreed with this quote more than I have these past 6 weeks! I remember thinking 6 weeks is nothing and wondered why everyone was making it seem like I was going for this terribly long time. After all, I went away to college and spent a few summers off on missions. But I have never been so homesick as I was this summer. I mean, looking back the time has gone quickly. I can't believe it is almost over, and I know this week will fly by and creep by all at the same time.

Being away and missing the things and people of my day to day life has in a strange way been a very sweet thing. Difficult but sweet all the same. I appreciate things so much more! Love people so much more! And I am so thankful the Lord has given me these 6 weeks to see the beauty of my day to day life back home and the abundant blessings I have there!!

I have had a wonderful summer and I look forward to my last week here and seeing what the Lord still has in store for us! I can't wait to tell you all about my summer soon! God is too good to me!!

These new friends will be missed!! 

Women

This post is an attempt to give you a glimpse into my summer thus far. I will be honest. I have yet to fully process my summer, so it is just a quick overview of what I have been up to this summer and a bit of what God is teaching me. Words seem to fail me as I try to write about what I have done this summer.

I have taken on a bit of a role this summer that is new for me...women...
Children are my sweet place...I am usually pretty comfortable when you throw me into a room of children. This summer I was hoping for a change of pace and I got it. I am bringing groups of 11th and 12th grade girls to three different ministries in New Orleans that minister specifically to women.

My sites range from prayer walking around Bourbon street for a ministry that goes into the strip clubs to love on the women working there to sitting alongside women in rehab and being an ear to hear their stories and their struggles as they seek to get their lives right. To say this is a step out of my comfort zone might be an understatement, but I am thankful for the opportunity to get uncomfortable and allow God to stretch me.

It's weird that my heart doesn't really hurt for them in the way I thought it would. I mean it does, but as I sit and hear stories of how God is bringing them out of these lives, out of bondage, out of depression and out of a life void of hope and joy, all I can do is be excited for them. Excited that they have found hope and joy and forgiveness and restoration and satisfaction in Christ alone!

So many of the songs we sing in worship speak right to the lives of these women. If I could gather them all and fill our evening worship services with these broken women, I would because I would love for them to have these words of encouragement and hope sung over them! And then to hear their voices raise to the Father proclaiming life made new in Him...

"I am new"
I am not who I was
I am being remade I am new
Dead to the old man I'm coming alive
I am new

Forgiven beloved
Hidden in Christ
Made in the image of the Giver of Life
Righteous and holy
Reborn and remade
Accepted and worthy this is our new name


I believe if we could all just see our worth in Christ, we would so easily leave the things of this world behind and walk more confidently in His ways, in the things He desires for us. Not settling for anything less! My prayer  for all women (myself included), is that we see ourselves as Christ sees us...worthy and beautiful! 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Being available...

I have always loved mission trips and have always had a heart for the nations, but I never felt called to international missions long term. (I'm sure my mom and grandmother breath a sigh or relief at that statement;).  My heart has always been here at home, well wherever home has been at different seasons of my life. I love to be a part of my community. Which is why I love my church home now because it is a huge part of their heart as well!

Friday morning I went for a run...now Friday morning is garbage pick up around these parts so my nice morning fresh air was not fresh for long! Whew you would think I would remember from week to week:/ Anyways I was thankful for a small glimpse at a servant's heart that morning as I watched an older man walk to his neighbors homes and bring the trash cans up from the end of the driveways. Such a simple gesture. But such a sweet display of how to think of others.

I have recently read a story about a lady whose family asked the garbage truck men what their favorite cold drink was. During the hot months, the family left a cooler out at the end of the drive for the men to enjoy a refreshing drink. I can only imagine what that simple gesture meant to them as they surely feel overlooked and under appreciated.

These two simple gestures just serve to remind me and challenge me to see that there are always opportunities to display love and care to those around us if only we will be available and intentional. I pray I will have eyes that see the opportunities in front of me, the discernment to hear the voice of the Lord calling me to action, and the boldness to act! It's too easy to get comfortable at home, to only do ministry when it is organized through the church, and to be a bit selfish with our time and energy. Lord may I not fall into these traps and miss out on the opportunity to serve those You have placed in my life.

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:8-9 (emphasis my own)

His Word never fails...

Every morning I am faced with a challenge...beat the school traffic! Well really I don't mind sitting in traffic. I am usually not in a hurry to get somewhere. I purposefully allow a few extra minutes, so that I can take my time. (Unless I am ready to get home and rest or eat...then watch out;)). But since the new high school has opened and traffic has challenged me to walk out the door about 15 minutes earlier than before, I have come to enjoy some quiet moments in my classroom before the stampede of little sneakers hits the halls. I am disappointed if I miss this time because it has become a precious time that I depend on to start my day right. It's time reserved for my Love. The One who has and will always hold my heart. The One who knows just what I need to start my day.

Over the past few weeks I have been hit hard with the fact that I struggle to keep up with Scripture and Bible studies. You see I am a simple simple girl! I take things best in small, tiny doses. So lately I have been overwhelmed with the feeling that I will never really be able to grasp all of the Scriptures and truly understand them. Then there is remembering everything that I read...the list goes on. I usually can't read a big chunk of Scripture and truly wrap my head around it to where I can store the little treasure in the depths of my heart. And usually I need to read the same verse 10 times in an attempt to get it all (much of that is due to my overactive, wandering mind). Then I fall into the comparison trap of all the over beautiful women of God that I am so blessed to know, and I am left feeling like a I'm-never-going-to-get-this-how-in-the-world-do-they-do-it Christian gal. I am left feeling discouraged in my walk with the Lord. (Little side-note the comparison trap is one Satan loves to see us fall into. I need to work on praying that God will protect my heart from allowing those thoughts to creep in and take root.)

But then I was overcome with the beauty of the Scriptures! That they are God's words. His love letter to His beloved daughter. Straight to my heart! And that part of the beauty of God is the mystery of God. The fact that He is so grand and big and marvelous that no one will ever be able to wrap their minds around all that He is. I find hope and encouragement in knowing that this journey with the Lord is one that will always have me in a place of humility, awe, and growth. And though I may not ever read the whole Bible in a year and actually have any clue what I read, I am learning that my walk with my Lord may be more of a quiet stroll through Scriptures as He unveils His beauty and mystery to me in a way that He knows my heart can understand. In a way my heart needs. In gentleness. With purpose. In love. In beauty. Oh His beautiful, powerful, unchanging words!


For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any double edged sword penetrating as far as joints and marrow and soul and spirit and is a discerner of the thought and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12