FINALLY - out of hiding! 5 Steps that helped me overcome my INTIMIDATION towards fitness

Have you ever been intimidated, afraid, and/or insecure?  I can remember almost 4 years ago feeling all of these!  I was not in the healthiest state and I wanted a change. I ran into a young lady whom I met through work and she looked fantastic.  I garnered enough nerve to ask what she had done.  She mentioned she had a trainer and gave me her name. 

I looked her up; I emailed her and asked what she had available.  She was all booked but said I could come to her group classes or to her small groups that met at 5:30 AM.  I’m sorry, WHEN????? 

I waited….time passed and I wasn’t getting any healthier.  I kept an eye on her FB sight and found she had boot camps.  Maybe I could get to a class at 6 AM BUT could I do the class?  Would I be embarrassed when I was sucking wind!  Would everyone be super fit like her and look at me like a crazy person?  Would I know anyone…oh gawd, would I know anyone?  If I know them, then won’t I be embarrassed?  If I don’t know anyone, who will I talk to and will I be accepted?

Finally, I got up enough nerve to sign-up for a class.  I drove to the location and sat there in my car.  I was going to throw up before I ever started working out!  I walked in the door, introduced myself to the trainer and looked around.  Yep there were some really fit people there….and some people that looked normal! (what does that mean!?)  The trainer was SO nice.  Then the other students introduced themselves to me.  That class was tough!  As I drove home, I didn’t know if I could push the brake but I felt awesome! 

I immediately signed up for another class!

The more I went the more confident I became.  Also, those other students were so welcoming.  They were so encouraging.  They were so badass! 

Fast forward a few years, I now have the opportunity to actually teach a couple classes. I have the opportunity to encourage even more and welcome each new face that walks through the door.  I am different.  My body does look different.  I can confidently say that I am fit.  I don’t know why I feel as though I need to apologize for that at times.  It wasn’t easy but it has been so worth it. 

There were FIVE things I realized when I wanted to start.  Maybe these things will encourage those who seem a little intimidated to start their fitness journey:

1.      I had to want a healthy lifestyle MORE than listening to the fears that echoed in my head.

2.      I had to sign-up!  I am cheap!  I knew once I signed up, I would go!

3.      I might have waited until the last minute BUT I had to walk in the door.  This goes with number 2 a little.  It is one thing to sign-up, wake-up and drive to the facility…I had to actually go in the door! I can still feel the vomit in my throat!

4.      I had to give it my all (albeit, quietly in the corner!).  That is all that is required.  Give it what you have!  This wasn’t about anyone else.  It was about me!

5.      I was amazed!  Amazed that I could do more than I thought possible.  Amazed that these “super fit” people were so nice and encouraging.  Amazed at how quickly I couldn’t wait to get back and cause such pain to my body! 

I realize that Facebook posts, twitter, Instagram and all other social media avenues can make people interested in fitness seem crazy (I think insane is the word used mostly).  I hate to think that anything I would post would make anyone feel intimidated to walk in the door and find what works for them in a fitness healthier lifestyle journey.  This would never be my intention!  It is meant to do quite the opposite.  I am so thankful for the journey.  I am thankful for the encouragement I receive.  I am thankful for the friendships that have been and continue to be created.  I am thankful for the confidence this journey has built in my life.  I am grateful that I have the opportunity to share so much more than a few exercises with people when they walk in the door.  A light…I want to be a light, an encourager, a person that stands beside people and cheers them on as they reach goals!  Come join us!  Take the first 4 steps and see if you also experience the 5^th!

It's a slow fade...

It’s a slow fade….

As I look back over 2013, it has been a year of transformations!  Both in the physical and spiritual!  I have learned what works for me to accomplish what I want in my fitness and well-being.  I have begun to see growth in my spiritual life that I have missed over the past couple of years.  I have seen God answer prayers for new friendships and changes in friendships.  I became content in where God has me while still aiming to be more for Him. It is a year of positive changes.  BUT...I must be careful.  Because fading is possible....

Today is Monday…Assessment day for me at the gym.  After an awesome weekend in Savannah for a wedding (more to come on that in another post), I was not too excited.  If I am honest, I knew this day would come. 

You see about two months ago, I began to slip in my eating habits a lot more.  Sugar became a regular fixture in meals.  Snacks began to come and they weren’t always healthy.  Starbucks black coffee would be substituted with my favorite Chai.  When my daughter wanted frozen yogurt, I didn’t think she could eat it alone.  Plain vanilla became one with toppings of fruit to one with butterfinger. 

It was a slow fade.  It didn’t show up on the scale at first.  It didn’t show up in my measurements at first.  But I did feel it in my workouts.  I knew it because my energy was off.  I knew it because my normal was not so normal anymore! 

Then as the scale started to show a bit of a difference, I found myself making excuses.  I was PMSing, I hadn’t had a chance to go…well to the bathroom.  I was at a swim meet; It is football season. I had been on vacation, I had been to a wedding.

But then comes THE wake-up call.  That is today.  I am not upset.  It is the realization that eventually the slow fade of bad habits shows in every aspect of your life.  It will show in your daily choices and feelings and then on the scale and in the measurements.  That is when you get to make a choice.  Do I shape up or do I ship out? 

I needed that in my face!  I needed to remember how to get back on board.  This was not a shock.  This was not a sudden eye-opener, I knew changes needed to be made and I had made commitments to step it up….and then slipped!  But there comes a point when your mind, soul and body are ready to take the plunge and dive back in and get serious.  I believe I began to have this talk with myself yesterday returning from the wedding as a song played. 

The song was called “Slow Fade” by Casting Crowns.  It hit home in so many ways!  I’ve outlined it in my physical life but the song describes the spiritual.  I had 5 hours to really examine both. 

As I look at the song, God has used it to show me the slow fades in my life.  This morning it was used again as I heard a commercial at 7:30 AM on a normal TV station that used a curse word.  I see it in our political arena, I see it in our churches, I see it in relationships…everywhere I turn.  If you are like me, there are aspects of your life that you pause and wonder, "How did I get here? When did this happen? Who am I? Where did Allison (insert your name) go?" 

It is slow, it is gradual…it is devious.  Scripture says that Satan seeks us out to deceive and devour.  He knows he must be sneaky.  He must be slow.  He must be cautious so as to not allow our conscience to be too alarmed.  Then step by slow step, he introduces things that will draw us away from where we need to be. 

It doesn't show up at first.  But slowly, we know...we know it is showing up.  That fade is affecting our lives.  We can feel the connection with the Lord isn't what it once was.  The connection with family and friends are altered.  There is a barrier that can no longer have excuses as to why. Do we shape up or ship out in our relationship with Christ?

The question becomes, do I have a “scale and measurements” for my spiritual life that will be my wake up call.  Scriptures says that we will know we are saved by our fruits.  Our measurements are our fruits. But do I even know what a healthy fruit looks like. 

This week, I look forward to making right decisions in my eating again.  I desire to crave the foods that make positive impacts in my life.  I look forward to seeing those impacts over the next weeks.  Reminding myself that instant gratification is seen in the fact that I am doing what I should.  However, it might take a bit to show on the scale. 

Spiritually, I want to match that dedication.  As I eat as I should, I look forward to focusing on where I am in my walk.  Where I have come and where I want to go.   I look forward to digging in deeper in my walk with Christ and the Word so that I might be healthy in my examination of my walk and the fruits I bear. 

I will reinstitute the statement my mom taught me years ago.  Do what is right because it is right until it feels right! 

Are there places that you have faded?  Want to join me in the fight to fade no more!

Here is the video and  song lyrics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QASREBVDsLk

"Slow Fade"

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

When the Chains fall off....Let the season begin!

This past weekend I completed the first half-marathon of the season.  The trio of running amigos went to Nashville to run in the Women’s Running Series. 

 

I must admit, I was a little nervous.  Although I have been slowly coming out of the running struggles that had plagued my running and mind for the past few months, my last long run went well but the post run was disastrous!   My stomach cramped up, I felt weak, I was nauseous… I just couldn’t figure out what was going on.  I believe now;  I was dehydrated. 

All week the excitement grew!!  This race was the kick-off to five half-marathons before the end of the year!  I knew I had run all summer, I knew I had trained on hills, I knew I could do the distance BUT…could I really?  My goal was simple…FINISH!  I didn’t even want to look up my PR, I didn’t want the pressure or allow that to enter my mind!

Our crew was pulling out of Tally on Thursday as soon as we completed our day at work.  As we left, you could begin to feel a change in the air.  It made me more energetic as I realized the fall was coming, humidity was leaving, and that could only have a positive effect on my running!

We stopped in Birmingham on Thursday night and made a trip to Wal-mart.  I mean can you really travel and not stop at a Wal-mart!!??  With ESSENTIALS purchased we crashed for the night and decided we would sleep in and make the final three hour journey to Nashville the next morning.  We were up and on the road by 8!  Seriously, who considers traveling by 8 as sleeping in!!  I have been working out and running at 5:30 AM too long now!!  This needs to be addressed! J

Each mile that draws you closer to Nashville also increases the intense smell of BBQ! This trip we stayed at the host hotel, The Renaissance.  It was perfectly situated for our weekend and the view we had was spectacular!  The expo was pretty good and we grabbed a couple more “essentials” before headed out to check out the sites and crashing early for the race!

The alarm went off early!  I love traveling with the trio of running amigos!  We have our routine…it includes not talking much in the morning!!!  We met up with a group of MRTT ladies from several states!  They were so nice and it was encouraging to have other faces to look for during the race!! 

As the buzzer went off, the nerves begin to fall away as each foot hit the pavement.  Soon, I was in the groove and checking out the sites of Nashville.  I was so grateful for the training that I did in Tally!  We trained by running hills, doing TRX and Tabata Bootcamp.  Each of those strengthened my legs to conquer the very hilly Nashville route! 

 

As I ran, it was a great time to reflect and chat with God!  I felt good.  I realized that just like my walk with Christ, as I began to get rid of the chains that held me back, my walk with Christ felt better, I could see things clearer, I was stronger.  The chains were just a reminder of what happens when my focus is not properly on Him. 

In my running, as I ran and each step felt great, I realized that running in cooler temperatures and no humidity made all the difference.  I had to train with “chains” but as those were removed, I could see the strength that was gained during the trying times!  It was freeing, it was exciting, it made the run seem so much lighter!!

As I crossed the finished line and realized that I had achieved more than just finishing that I had set a PR, it was a smile that could not easily be erased!  Oh and did I mention the medal was HUGE and a BOOT!!! 

My favorite post run activity was the “Freshen Up” Tent!  It had deodorant, body spray, baby wipes, chapstick (individual ones), and other items to make you not feel so sweaty and smelly!!!  This was proof that this series is dedicated to women!  This tent should be mandatory at ALL races!  I mean really, men smell too…a little apple spray could go a long way!!

The weekend ended with a fun busy day looking at sites and seeing Reba McIntyre’s “FANCY” red dress and being hit on by drunk people on the strip!  Hey, hit Nashville if you need to feel fancy and hot! J  The drive home was fully caffeinated thanks to Starbucks! (sidenote: I know that Starbucks and I are going to have to break-up again soon….they are slowly taking me back in their grasp and it is not good…but that was not discussed during this trip home!!)  A tin rooster, Les Mis soundtrack, and plenty of laughs brought us home and searching for what our next trip will be!

If you have not ever heard of the Women’s Running Series, check it out!  It is fantastic!  We are headed to St. Pete in November to stay at the Vinoy and grab another HUGE medal!!  Come join us!  Each step will make you realize that there is nothing better than being healthy, being active and being bold!! 

Live loud, Live loving Him!

Gulp, gulp, guuuullllpppp!!!

Part II – Gulping Away!

A couple/three weeks ago our Bible lesson was on Jesus and the Woman at the well.  Can I secretly tell you that the story always annoyed me a bit? I thought it was cruel that this lady who is already the brunt of many jokes, ostracized and just trying to get some water would be teased with water that would make her thirst no more.  I felt that Jesus toyed with her emotions and that he took a truly broken woman and somehow abused the situation. 

God has constantly been working on me through that story.   He showed me that I am so consumed and obsessed with my current, physical, earthly needs…WANTS and He has to constantly get my attention. 

This woman would not have taken to a religious talk from a Jewish person.  She was already perplexed as to why he was at the well and especially why he was talking to her!  The first thing Jesus did was ask her for something.  The first thing Jesus did was show her that she provided value to Him.  Through being needed and having value, He was able to defuse a tense situation and enter into a bigger one. 

Jesus cares about me.  He cares about my needs….but they are not his primary focus!  His primary focus is only one thing.  Where. Will. I. spend. Eternity?  If that need is met, if that need is answered, then everything else will fall into place!  Seek first the Kingdom, THEN all these things will be added unto you …

If we look at people through Jesus’ eyes, we would see the need to strike at the eternal first and then focus on the consequential.  Sometimes God allows us to handle the consequential to get to the eternal. I find myself only meeting people’s consequential needs because I fail to be absorbed and properly hydrated in Jesus to see their needs (or them) through His eyes. 

I am like a wounded abandoned dog who has found food.  I have not been nourished in the Word enough.  I am starving and I hover over what I have carefully. Watching those that come near me asking for something or having a need then I lash out at them.  I guard my little bit of hydration and do not want to give up my little drops of God. 

Yet, God has a well full and over flowing.  He offers me WAY more than just drops or crumbs.  I just have to be willing to be there and take it!  (Seek and ye shall find!) When I seek and when I find, he restores my soul and gives me abundantly and I overflow!  Then I can give easily and without thought to those that surround me.  The joy of the Lord strengthens me and allows me to shine His light to those around me!

It is when I choose to drink in abundance and be filled to over-flowing that it will be seen by those around me.  They will come and God will be able to use me to meet their needs and expose or encourage them to drink from the well.  I will be an over-flowing mess of God’s hydrating goodness! 

I choose that!

In my running, I am a sweaty beast!  (can I get an amen?)  I love these ladies who can workout and they look like beauty queens after their run.  It amazes me!  I look as though I have come out of the shower and I am just GROSS!  I like to give credit to the fact that I am fully hydrated as a good person should be!  Yeah, that is just simply not always the case!  I do try to get in a boat load of water each day.  However, there are times that the sight of water just repulses me!  I just want to crawl under my desk to hide from the big bottle that is still full at 3 PM!  I just want sweet tea or root beer or….well anything but plain, bland, boring water!  Can anyone relate? 

Does it affect my general disposition for the day?  No!  I don’t see that it does.  BUT as I begin to have a craving in my gut and try to find everything to satisfy it, I know it is my body crying out for that water! 

Then the next day as I begin my run and I struggle, I remember the liter of water that I didn’t drink.  My mouth is dry, my pace begins to falter, my stamina is affected.  That boring, plain water is desired and flashing boldly in my mind!  Why didn’t I drink the stinking water!?  I even try to justify as I take small drinks of water along the way during my long runs!  I can hear my body laughing,  “I am crying out for water long before you started this run and you think a few drops is going to help NOW!?”  What? Your body does scream out to you?  Am I the only one?   

As I replenish my body after those runs, that water is no longer plain and boring.  It is the best tasting liquid that has ever entered my mouth!  I can almost feel it traveling throughout my exhausted wilted body and giving it life. 

If only I could recall those feelings and experiences, I would never hesitate to drink the needed water in a day. 

Today, I choose to drink my water!  Today, I choose to be hydrated so that my runs will recoup the benefits of their over flowing work in my body!  Today, I choose to gulp!

Join me!  Hydrate your body, mind and soul!  See what overflowing can look like in your life!  Be a hot sweaty mess in your run and for the Lord! 

Just one little photo!!  Check out this awesome MRTT morning running group!!  These ladies are so inspiring, so encouraging, so Ah- MAZING!  God is soo good!!!

What fuel do you put in a sports car? Does it matter?

I enjoy running.  I don’t know when that actually happened!  I can remember my first steps on the pavement and the agony that I felt as I put each foot painstakingly in front of the other.  I never thought I would actually RUN a full mile. I can remember the encouragement I got from my husband and his hand on my back telling me not to give up.  I can remember my first 5k, I think I walked over half of it.  It was the since of accomplishment as I crossed the finish line at Maclay gardens that first got me hooked.  I remember the first time I ran an entire 5k.  I felt as though I had just climbed Mt. Everest and the smile on my face lasted all day!  I can remember each and every personal best I received and the elation that happened when I cross that finish line.  It is exhilarating, it is addicting, it is a high that is not duplicated. 

BUT what happens when you begin to struggle and you begin to have difficulty reaching the goals you once regularly accomplished and maintained?  What happens when that spark that kept you moving forward seems to be dimming each day? What happens when the “funk” sets in?

I am a happy, go-lucky person 99.8% of the time!  I have been blessed beyond measure.  My life hasn’t been perfect or rosey but I haven’t found anyone that has experienced that so it is best to smile and make the best of every situation!  I run for exercise but I also run to clear my head and for the enjoyment I receive from it.  However, I have recently been really struggling.  On a recent run, God took the time to allow me to have a visual of my physical running with my spiritual running. It hasn’t caused me to bounce out of my funk but each time it allows me to evaluate both my physical and spiritual lives together and see how to navigate the path to victory!

There are simple things that came to mind as I struggle with my runs. 

·         Am I fueling my body with the proper foods?

·         Am I hydrating myself enough? What am I drinking?

·         Am I pushing myself too hard and not running my race?

·         Am I becoming discouraged because I am focused on the hills or distance ahead of me?

·         Am I training?

·         Am I focusing on my struggles thus further impacting my run?

Each run, I go through the questions as I struggle.  Each run I ask God to also be a light to my path so that I might better serve Him.  So I have been just taking notes in my journal as to the things He points out.  They are raw, they are painful.  I will choose not to disclose all of them but I thought maybe there are others that are struggling with their runs either physically or spiritually that might gain some insight from my ramblings.

Fueling the Body

Physically, I know that I can perform and do my best when I maintain a diet that resembles a strict paleo regime known as Whole 30. 

I knew I had been off the strict program for a bit.  It is not a hard program but with vacation and travels, I had allowed foods that negatively impact my body to sneak back into my life.  I had broken up with Starbucks in January but we are slowly reconnecting and having quite the budding relationship!

I LOVE dessert.  I don’t care what kind.  I don’t need a special occasion.  If I survived a day at work or my child smiled, that is reason enough to indulge in some sweet sugary goodness!  I had beaten that little devil of a thing called sugar in January but I slowly let an occasional sweet turn into an almost daily adventure! I caused my food dreams to burst into reality!

Breakfast is a must…but it is the meal that I can so easily give up.  I am never hungry in the morning.  As I would get hungry, I had not properly prepared foods that would fuel my body (please see starbucks relationship above) and thus I begin the day in a deficit.  This is especially a problem considering that I workout in the morning.  I had allowed a Larabar (oh my yumminess) to become my breakfast and justified it as enough.

I do well when I prep my food and have a plan.  However, I HATE grocery shopping and I am not a domestic goddess in the kitchen! As the funk set in, my desire to shop and prep went out the window.  This is a spiral effect that is deadly!  When I got home from my sweet lil girl’s activities, I just wanted food right now.  The smart choices I can usually make at eating establishments quickly give way to “it won’t hurt if I do this one time” foods….every night. (Please reference my love of desserts!)

With a day outlined as above, my body could power through for a bit but eventually it does not have the fuel to make the engine run properly!  I cannot put regular unleaded in this super powered machine! J  When I allow garbage to fuel my body, I cannot be surprised when garbage is the product that is seen in my performance.

Spiritually, it is easy to see the comparison. 

In my spiritual life, I perform best when I am on a strict diet of spending daily time in the Word, praying and surrounding myself with those who seek first His kingdom.

I teach a Sunday morning Bible Study.  Yes, you can feel sorry for them!  It should also not surprise you that this study began in Starbucks!  Ha! Slowly I have begun to allow my preparation time for my Sunday morning class to become my only quiet time with Christ.  Even that time had been negatively impacted by all the “stuff” I needed to do.  Thus, I was starving for the proper fuel and instead giving myself quick jolts of good stuff…but not the best stuff.  It was rushed.  It was not genuine.  It was a fast-food, drive-by fueling….

I LOVE music.  Each of us has different convictions in our life.  God has for a long time convicted me of the music in my life.  I am an audible learner.  I can memorize music and lyrics easily.  Therefore, when I listen to music that is not Christ-centered it impacts me.  I sing it all day long.  Honestly, I don’t even really pay attention to the lyrics.  That is until I hear them come out of my sweet lil girl’s mouth!  I am appalled and ask where she learned such songs…only to find myself humming right along with her!  I justify that I need a good beat to run.  Then, I just want to hear it on the radio one time.  Then, I just want to buy the MP3 to have for my running mix.  Then, I catch myself saying that there just isn’t any Christian music I like right now.    It is a slippery slope that simply pulls me away from my close walk with Christ. 

As I look over the last few months, I see that through small, seemingly minute, changes in my spiritual walk I have seen my communication with Christ dampened.  I am not running my race with the clarity and power that I once had.  I have been putting “fast food” or “artificial sweetners” in place of the real deal.  It will work for a short time but eventually the impact will be seen in my walk. 

In each of these scenarios, it is a personal decision as to if I want to change my fueling method.  If I don’t, I can just run each day and continually  justify my current behavior and try to have a mind game of how my fueling decisions cannot be the cause of the negative impact on my race.  It is a tool that has been effectively used by me for years!

I choose NOT to do that!  I am stubborn.  I choose to stand by the commitment to my body and my commitment to Christ and stop listening the lies and justifications.  It will be hard.  It will take dedication.  It will take saying NO.  I am happy that I have not gained back all that I have lost and that I am not in same valley spiritually that I have been in.  That is not good enough. If I do not strive to properly fuel myself, I will find myself there in no time.  I praise God that He used my running to gain my attention and allow me to see how to grow in my physical and spiritual race! 

This is so elementary….but so much easier to say (type) then live.  I praise God that he has surrounded me with a husband and a group of ladies that encourage me and help hold me accountable!  I never chat much about my struggles but it never fails that they will say something that is just what I needed!  God is an awesome God!  The funk remains BUT I will continue to push forward and I know that the victory ahead will be even sweeter because God isn’t finished with me yet!

I look forward to sharing more of my journey next time!!!  What am I drinking….gulp!!!!

APC

He WON the Race!!!!

At the beginning of the year, I wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew.  My Best Runnin’ Buddy and I were going to begin a 12-week Bible Study that would overlap with my busiest time at work.  I couldn’t understand why I felt completely at peace about it.  The Bible Study went well.  The participation was great and there was a group that really bonded and it has been fun to continue running and seeing people from the Run for God Study remaining active!  This past week, I realized that God does everything for a purpose.  That He allows for us to be a simple part of His plan. 

This last week, a young man that I have known since almost his birth went to be with the Lord.  He was special to me, he was one of my youth, he was always full of smiles, he was 25.  Nathan was diagnosed with Fredrix Atexia when he was around 7.  He had been confined to a wheelchair for the last several years.  His speech had begun to be affected.  However, his smile and laugh were never touched.  They only got brighter every single day!  He sang out to the Lord every Sunday in church.  There was no one else he loved to hear preach the gospel more than his daddy. 

When we started the Run For God Bible Study, there was Nate and his Dad! They would join us in the freezing cold for our group runs!  He would bundle up and smile the whole way!  I loved everything about that…okay except his UGLY Georgia Bulldog sweatshirt!!! 

The entire study focused on running your race and finishing your race.  I never realized that every step we took in this group bonding would be preparing us to celebrate the fact that Nate would finish his earthly race! 

On July 2, Nate no longer needed a wheelchair or assistance with anything on earth.  He ran his race.  He busted heaven wide open with a new body and one that could run on streets of gold!  He didn’t need a couch to 5k plan to run either!  He sprinted faster than any Olympic sprinter could!  There is one thing that I do not think changed a bit; I know that smile and that laugh will echo in heaven every day!  I could see him, as I ran later that morning, laughing telling me to pick up my pace!!  I am sure there would be some Gator / Bulldog joke in there too! 

You see, God let me be a participant in a Bible Study that joined us in growing our Christian walk and expanding physical exercise/running.  What I realized on Friday was that I was able to give memories to a father and son.  The greatest joy in a time of suffering is to hear a father say he would never give up that last run they did together. 

It made me pause to think.  Do I let a busy lifestyle or clutter in my life take away opportunities that God has for me!  Do I miss the opportunity to make memories with family and friends because I take for granted there will be another day? 

I was honored to sit in a celebration service and see hundreds of people pack a sanctuary to testify to a life that was lived to its fullest, it exemplified Christ; it had struggles but kept its eyes on the prize!  Nate, you were an example to me!  Every run I take from this day forward will have an extra smile thinking of how many miles you have run on beautiful streets of gold!!  Keep it up Dawg, I’ll need a coach when I get there!

Live this day to the fullest, run with passion and never miss an opportunity to make a memory!

Focusing on the SOUL while exercising the SOLES...

I have so many awesome people that I have the ability to call friends.   As I walk through my journey on this earth, I have been blessed with an array of people.  They cannot begin to understand what they mean to me in such different ways.  I always wonder how I can ever return the blessings repay them.  I want to do BIG things for them. I want them to realize how special and meaningful they are to me.  However, often God reminds me that the most I can do is encourage, love and pray for them.  Many times when our most difficult times come, there isn’t a materialistic thing that people need. 

It is the most difficult thing.  Why is it that I believe the power of friendship and prayer is not enough? 

The last couple of weeks I have watched as I have two friends who are struggling as their moms walk the awful journey of cancer.  They mean so much to me and their moms do too!  I don’t know what to say, I don’t know what to pray!  I want a Lazarus healing…God is a healer….

I have spoken and listened with friends as their strong marriage has been attacked like never before by Satan.  As Satan begins to win small battles of making them feel they are failures.  God is love.  God has already won the battle….

Friends who are trying to find the courage to step outside of their comfort zone and dive into the passion that God has given them!  They are trying to be practical and ensure they can provide for the needs around them.  Are they called to practical or jump in faith and how do you know which one is the best?!  God provides all our needs….

I am encouraged as I see another friend drop everything to be by the side of a friend who is struggling.  Being reminded that just sitting there can mean so much!  God is always there….

As I ran this week, for some reason, two very important people came to mind that left this earth FAR too soon.  God allowed me to see the beauty of this world and think of them.  It was a flood of emotion.  It made me feel grateful and at the same time very sad.  I never had the opportunity on earth to tell them one last time that I loved them and that they changed my life by being my friend.  God has a plan….

My heart hurts for a momma who is worried about her child.  A child that physically is a teenager but mentally is far from that.  How do you conquer the cruelty of a world that doesn’t understand?  God is merciful….

Praising God that a friend was able to find and have a procedure to remove cancer from their body and make an important event to celebrate their child.  God is an awesome God!

I am heartbroken for people in a town in Oklahoma.  I don’t even know them but I cannot imagine how you begin to recover when you have lost everything.  God is there….

I watch as a strong mama continues to smile and have the JOY that passes all understanding as her child fights against a cruel disease!  God is our strength…

I am watching my sweet mom as she celebrates the beautiful life of a long-time friend, who unless there is a miracle, will soon lose a battle with Cancer.  I am sad because it is the person in which I watched my mom be truly herself and laugh like never before.   God is our daddy….He has a lap to crawl in…the JOY of the Lord is our strength

I am reminded of a friend who lost her baby boy before he was able to take his first breath outside the womb.  The pregnancy that she thought would bring her a new fresh start isn’t exactly how she planned that to look.  God has a plan for her…for me…it is to bring about good!

I watch as parents drop off their children to do mission work for the summer.  What an awesome opportunity and how exciting to see how God is going to use them.  How do you drop your child off for 10-weeks!  God will use us if we are willing to go!

Then I begin to look at my own walk, my own struggles, and my own joys.  God says I can do ALL things THROUGH Him…

There are times that during a weekend that works your soles like no other; God uses that time to work your soul like never before.  The pain of running might not bring you to your knees but the need to lift up your friends and those that have burdens beyond what they believe that can bear will take you to the most powerful place….your knees, head bowed and crying out to the Lord.

This is where I found myself last night.  It is where I find myself this morning.  It is where I pray I find myself every morning.  The best friend I can be to those that love me is one who will diligently be on my knees for them.  It is where we can go to celebrate, to cry, to seek wisdom and guidance by the Almighty. 

This is my biggest journey and challenge for 2013.  This I have not been nearly as diligent about as running the physical race.  I WILL be that friend.  I WILL be a prayer warrior.  I WILL be strong in my spiritual journey.  I WILL because it is WHAT’S BEAUTIFUL.