smashing the idol of the scale

I wish I could take credit for this blog post but it's as if this woman is speaking straight from my heart. I'm not quite at the place where I can throw my scale away but I hope to get there. "God told me to share something that I don't want to. He never ceases to do things that surprise my feeble little human mind. I eat really well at home, but if I'm at a party or a dinner out with my husband, my rule is to eat and enjoy. And I do. After a few parties and events, ahem, :) I gained a couple lbs. I expected it. But you know what? Every morning I weighed myself, and it made me upset. Really, though, who really cares about 2 or 3 lbs.? I did. And I let it get to me. My morning weight often affected my emotions for the rest of the day. But one morning was different. I stepped on the scale as usual, scoffed at the number that wouldn't budge no matter what I did, and as I was getting ready for the day, God whispered this to me: Cast down your idol. Throw away your scale. A number on a plastic box doesn't deserve your emotions, your attention, your heart. It hit me like a ton of bricks. In the name of self-discipline, I've spent years entrapped by a number on a plastic box. I have spent years bowing down to my scale with my emotions. I let a number that tells me the effect gravitational force has on my body affect my soul. Does that sound ridiculous to you too? My heart started beating like crazy as I imagined a world free of even knowing what I weighed. Before I could shove the idea away, the Spirit helped me and I told my husband, "I think I'm going to throw away my scale." I told him how much I let it affect me {as if he didn't know...}. He told me he thought it was a good idea. When I came home from the gym later that week, the scale was gone. For the last month {and the first time in years}, I don't know what I weigh. It was only one little idol, but it had a big part of my life. Throwing out the scale was like cutting off my hand. I know it had become an idol in my heart. I know Satan had a stronghold in my life because of it. I sometimes still want to go get one and forget I ever took it out. That's how ingrained weighing myself was in my life. But God was gracious to me and let me see what it was doing to me. I don't like sharing about it, honestly. It's too personal, too close to home. I like to keep my heart to myself, especially when it gets uncomfortable. It was an idol I closely protected. But God is so much bigger than me. He knows what I can pretend is a good habit can be an addiction in my heart. What the world sees as self-discipline can be dangerous to my soul. Matthew 5:29-30 29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. I can be healthy, I can lose weight or gain weight, and I don't need a number to tell me that's happening. I just want to encourage you, if you're struggling with this weight thing, don't let it become a stronghold in your life. It's not the weight that's important. It's the state of our hearts. Satan offers us the apple just like he did with Eve- it looks good to the eyes on the outside, but God knows what's behind it. If there is something like a scale in your life- something that seems good on the outside, but controls or affects the way you feel in a way that is not pleasing to God, cut it off. If Pinterest makes you lust after a life you don't and can't have, cut it off. If Facebook brings jealousy to your heart, cut it off. If Twitter makes you long to be part of a clique that you're not, cut it off. If you're a blogger and your stats control the way you feel every day, cut them off. Block that page from your browser if you have to. If you see someone who is prettier, or thinner, or better dressed than you, and you feel envy, stop looking. Take those thoughts into captivity. It is better that we lose social media and gain a few pounds than lose our souls. Who is our god? Does the one true God have all of our heart? What are we keeping back from Him? For me, it was my physical body. I wanted to control what I looked like. And He's still working on me. All.the.time. Walking with God is both the hardest and the easiest thing I've ever done. Getting rid of a scale was really hard for me. It would have been impossible two years ago. But God is so good, that He made it so easy. I wanted to do it. Because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. The chains of sin are broken. We don't have to stay in them. We can be free in Christ. We can share our weaknesses, because He is God, and we are so desperate- so broken and in need of a Savior. What are your strongholds? What are your idols? Give God all of you, and I know He will take them out. He will smash them under His feet. We praise you God, for redeeming our hearts, and rescuing us from the chains of sin. Thank you Lord, that we can boast in our weaknesses because in them you are strong. We can trust in you! I would love to pray for you if you have something in your life that you know God wants you to cut off. He can do it sweet friends. He WILL do it if we ask!!! email me at mandy@ biblical homemaking .com. If you have something you're struggling with, chances are someone else is going through the same thing. If you are struggling, or God has done something in you, please feel free to share in the comments- praise Jesus, we have a community of sisters in Christ here that can rejoice and pray for each other! Living in Christ is a beautiful thing!

fill my tank, why don't ya?!

my love tank (language) that is. Mine being physical touch and a close 2nd: words of affirmation) D.R.'s is acts of service with a close 2nd: quality time. We went to a marriage conference a few weeks back put on by the chaplain at D.R.'s work. I was half thrilled and half "eh, really?" about going. D.R. was actually pumped about going; I think because it was initiated by his workplace and he was basically told he had to go (time off work!) It was in Panama City Beach, FL at a resort- not too shabby. Fully paid for and D.R. got paid time off. Ok Jesus, we're going. The main topics were on love and respect. I need to feel loved. He needs to feel respected. I know this is Biblical. I know this is true. Ever since we got back, I have noticed how much more D.R. loves on me when I do a few things, 1. look at him in the eye when he's talking to me. (not simultaneously do dishes, or check Instagram) 2. let him finish his point when we are in an argument/discussion and not interrupt. This has been really hard for me. I just want to refute things he says along the way that just aren't true but no matter how justified I feel in "speaking up", he still feels disrespected when he can't finish his thought. (and my sweet man can take a while finishing a thought. many analogies are needed) 3. have the house & myself cleaned up when he gets home from work. a lot of days I, ashamedly, stay in my work out clothes.... all day... because... I love them, and then I shower after dinner. I'm not the most pleasant thing to hug when he walks in the door; hair throw up in a still-wet-with-morning-sweat bun, 0 makeup, salty/sticky body. No good. I want my husband to actually DESIRE me when he gets home. Soooooo, I guess I should shower ahead of time. Don't hear me wrong, he loves me sweaty too :) but I would rather feel pretty for him even if it just means smelling fresh. 4. I need to stop disrespecting him with my eyes. Even if I'm not saying, "I don't respect you right now." I can sure communicate it with my looks of distain. How ugly! It's hard for me to put love and respect on equal playing fields. Everyone needs to be loved. Even men! Doesn't love mean anything to them. Yes, it does. But it takes it's most important form in how we show them respect. Ah, if I could just remember that each day. Respect to my husband is not a mushy card left on his truck. It's sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with him for a 3 and half hour football game while he explains every gosh darn play. I have a thankful husband. It's one of the things I love about D.R. Every night, he thanks me for dinner. He notices when his army undershirts have been folded and put away and he thanks me. He even thanks me for the measly amount of $ I make per week to contribute to our marriage. He is a thankful man and doesn't take the blessings we have for granted. D.R. is loyal. If he tells you he will do something, he will get it done. In college, he promised he'd be at my first dance show production (which I co-choreographed). It fell during a GA game that he, of course, wanted to watch but he came. AND, we weren't even talking. He had told me he had feelings for me and I didn't (at the time) reciprocate- so we parted ways as friends. It was hard. He came, that night, to see me dance- broken, rejected heart and all. I felt the size of a pea when I saw him. Loyal. D.R. is compassionate and generous. He sees needs around him and pours himself out. He often stays late at work, not because he's researching medications or refilling the medicine cabinets but because he is talking with a distressed soldier who is going through a divorce or having PTSD. He cares about people- body and soul. I really admire the work he does on Ft. Benning for our soldiers. It has definitely increased my respect for him. With all this said, D.R. still leaves me feeling dry and empty so many times. I feel so unloved and unnoticed sometimes and he just stares back at me like, "what's wrong? didn't I do good?" I am from mars. He is from venus. Or the other way around... We do not speak each other's love languages and we DO NOT fill each other's love tanks on a consistent basis. But when we do, life is good, I mean really good! When I am acting respectful, I EXPECT to be loved in return. This doesn't always happen. And vice versa. When D.R. is acting loving, I don't jump into respect mode necessarily. I'm reminded of 1 Peter 2:21-23 when it talks about how Christ exemplified doing your part even if others are not doing there's. Marriage is a 100:100(giving w/o expecting in return) ratio not 50:50 (you do your part, and I'll do mine) "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly". If I could just keep my tongue on a leash when I feel wronged, I could save us from a night of hurt. But I usually don't. I'm prone to give some nasty retort and stir up his unlovingness and further disrespect him. The whole point being, and if you're married you know this, we need to respect our husbands whether or not we feel loved by them. Hard stuff my friends. Follow the great Lover of our souls, Jesus! He was reviled and unloved more than we'll ever know, and He did not revile back. What did he do? He kept entrusting Himself to his Father, the just judge. Also important, we need to recognize when our husbands are trying to love us in their own way and be appreciative.

Love is a choice. We love BECAUSE He first loved us. This is what spurs me on to love my sometimes un-lovable, un-respectable spouse. I have been unconditionally loved by my Savior. For this I am very thankful.

lovies

These are my lovies [things i love] lately: The cool breeze that hits my face as I walk out the door in the morning. Glorious! Dri-fit capri pants. I could live in those things. I have gotten fearless- I wear them to Publix, the post office, Target... even walked around the mall in them. ha! Pumpkin flavored things. Coffee, candy, cookies, muffins, creamer, mmmmm! I need to run to Publix and buy pumpkin pie spice to sprinkle on my cereal in the morning.. ooooo, are they still open? 31 Days of Grace Devotional book by MTW (Mission to the World). It's gotten me back on track meeting with my Savior in the morning. It's short but deep and so refreshing. There's nothing like morning God time. It sets me on the right path for the day. Instagram. Why oh why did I start? I'm 100% addicted. :) Running with Kaci Lesley & Madison Montgomery. I was getting burned out with running but since running with those 2 ladies, I have a renewed love for the simplistic sport. Kaci is full of life at 6:30 a.m., always filling my ear with fun stories and really... waking me up! She is a consistent woman. I have loved learning about her life as the wife of a music minister, as the director of Teen Advisors, and mother to one adopted precious little boy. And Madison, sweet, gentle, determined Madison. She's the strongest 18 year old I know. Both women inspire me in running and in life. Like training for a marathon (which they are both doing), life is about just keeping going with the little things- being faithful to the end. Even when it hurts, you know you must keep pushing through to receive the blessing. I hope I can train for a full marathon one of these years. The women in my church. I know you don't know these women but God does- and they are precious. Allison Ross, Susie Trammell, Kathy McGilberry, Bridget Adams, Bridget Bohannon, Brooke Douglas, Jolynn Morris, Betty Schuster, Marnie Reynolds, Alicia Newton, Liz Thorne, Dot Emerich, Margaret Sue Mosley, Alicia Mason, Cam Addison, Lea Moore, Juli Pope, Jackie Fleenor, Anna Rodeheaver, Diane McGowan, Dorothy Bryant, Sarah Zevak, Pilar Cobb, Kacky McLendon, Bess Kendrick-Holmes, I could go on. I have been missing out on getting to know these women. No more. I am determined to invest more time in women's lives- to get to know them and to BE KNOWN by them. That's hard for me. Trusting people with my crap. But we are made to live in fellowship- to bear one another's burdens and rejoice in joys together! Zumba music. I love it! I listen to it in my car constantly, 1) because I need to practice the dances in my head but 2) I just love the beats.... haven't a clue what they are saying as it is in espanol (ha!) but da-gone if my hips and shoulders are uncontrollable when that music is on! Fun stuff, my friends! I really can't wait to start teaching it! Cinnamon. I can't eat my cereal in the morning without it sprinkled on top. I loveeeeee cinnamon. Spicy, sweet, warm goodness! I can't wait to bake with it when it gets chilly outside. Mint mouth wash. I think you're only supposed to use it twice a day but I do it at least 3x. I have to keep myself from swallowing it. That's weird. Champ face. Just his cute face. I could look at it all day long. Watching football with D.R. I know, that's weird too. But it means a lot to him and I love seeing him so passionate about something. It's fun to celebrate victories with him. :) Well, that's about it. Happy Thursday! Get outside, Fall is creeping in!!

today's mercies are for today's troubles

I can definitely get anxious about the future. Lately, I've struggled with anxiety a good deal. Anxiety about being alone for 6+ months when D.R. deploys, anxiety about beginning a new career in personal training- will I get any clients? will I be helpful to them?, anxiety about starting up small group again- can I bear my soul to those people all over again this year? anxiety about thinking of being a parent one day- will I ruin my children, be cruel to my children, will I shut down when things get hard? Stop Danelle. Today has enough trouble of it's own. I forget that God has told me He will never give me more than His grace will sustain me with. God was so sweet to me this afternoon. I opened "A Godward Life" by John Piper (one of my favorite devotional books) to one titled, "Today's Mercies for Today's Troubles"..... Ok, Father I'm being still and listening... "Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (author's translation of Matthew 6:34) Part of saving faith is the assurance that you will have faith tomorrow. Trusting Christ today includes trusting him to give you tomorrow's trust when tomorrow comes. Often we feel today like our reservoir of strength is not going to last for another day. The fact is, it won't. I know I feel this way mid-run. Especially on a long run, say a 12 miler. After 6 or 7 miles I think, "how am I going to run 12 miles again in two days?" But our reservoir is only full for today. Tomorrow it will be filled again- for that day. There's an old Swedish hymn, "As your days, so shall your strength be." is based on Deuteronomy 33:25 and it gives us this assurance that God will give the proportionate mercies each day. "Day by day and with each passing moment, strength I find to meet my trials here; Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment, I've no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure Gives unto each day what he deems best; Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure, mingling toil with peace and rest." I tend to despair when I think that I may have to bear tomorrow's load on today's resources. God wants me and you to know that we won't. Today's mercies are for today's troubles. Tomorrow's mercies are for tomorrow's troubles. The manna in the wilderness was given one day at a time. There was no storing up. That is the way we must depend on God's mercy. You do not receive today the strength to bear tomorrow's burdens. You are given mercies today for today's troubles. Tomorrow the mercies will be new!! "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:9) "Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will act!" (1 Thessalonians 5:24 author's translation)

How do you make decisions?

Decisions. Life is full of them. It's only 9:30a.m. and already I have made over 10 decisions this morning. What running shorts I should wear, what strength do I want my coffee, what color headband should I choose, to floss or not to floss?, get gas before my run or after, Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks coffee?, call mom now or later, dinner with a friend tonight?..... Our choices matter but they don't define us. Our choices have consequences but if we are believers, we know that God "works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose". We can rest in that truth. But decisions are hard sometimes. With my husband's impending deployment this fall, I've had to decide whether to go down to Boynton Beach near my parents or stay in Columbus. Either choice seems positive. After making a t-chart (suggested by my type-A hubby) and laying out pros/cons, it seemed I wasn't any closer to making a decision. We also met with our pastor to get his advice. Which was, to make a decision, stick with it and if after a few months you decide it was the wrong choice, change locations. I think D.R. & I have approached decision-making in a "pray until you feel a peace about one way or the other" then move forward. Which has been a decent way to approach things. But after talking about this process with a few close friends, I got some great Biblical advice. Feeling "peace" isn't always a great indicator of what's right. Waiting on a feeling is dangerous and never an elusive way to go. While I do believe that God gives us peace about trusting in Him, I think waiting on the peace isn't a pre-requisite to proceeding forward. One friend shared that when he and his wife were praying about whether to go to seminary or medical school, he didn't ever "feel a peace" about either path. Rather, an older mentor told him, "look for a parade of providence". Meaning, God will open and close doors along the way and this is a great way to know where He's leading you. This was such helpful advice. After my friend made the decision to proceed towards medical school, he still didn't "feel" peace (shoot, he starts tomorrow and he's scared as crap!) but he took a step in that direction and is trusting that God has opened this door and will guide him from there. That's what faith is! I think I needed a reminder of what it means to step out and have faith. To relinquish control and say, "God, I'm walking down this path trusting that You have ordained it. Turn me around if I'm going the wrong way." So this is my new approach to making big life decisions. And awesomely enough, the Lord has opened a door here in Columbus, GA work-wise. I have the opportunity to work for/with a Christian fitness professional who is opening her own studio/gym in a few months! I will be part of her brand new staff! At first teaching Zumba, and eventually personal training. I feel so blessed to be able to work with a fellow believer (a few actually) and be involved in the fitness industry; something I've been passionate about for so long. So I feel this is an open door that God has put in front of me... so I'm walking through, trusting that He will guide me. "Faith: being SURE of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we cannot see. Without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Hebrews 11:1,6

Faith is a funny thing. It's hard to sit still and ask yourself, "do I have faith?" because you don't realize you have faith until you exercise it. As A.W. Tozer says in "The Pursuit of God", "Faith is the least self-regarding of all the virtues. It is by its very nature scarcely conscious of its own existence. Like the eye which sees everything in front of it and never sees itself, faith is occupied with the Object upon which it rests and pays no attention to itself at all. While we are looking at God we do not see ourselves- blessed riddance. The person who has struggled to purify him/herself and has had nothing but repeated failures will experience real relief when she stops tinkering with her soul and looks away to the perfect One. While she looks to Christ, the very thing she has so long been trying to do, will be getting done within her. It will be God working in her to will and to do." What are you struggling to have faith about in your life?

It's been a while blog world :)

Sometimes you just need a break. It's been quite a while since I posted but I'm back. It seems I haven't sat down at a computer for more than 10 minutes in the last month and a half and I'm so thankful that God has filled my time during this season of unemployment. However, I am NOT unemployed anymore! As of two weeks ago I have a part time job nannying and cleaning a house for a family in a sister PCA church. I love their kids. There are 6 of them: Tyler (13), Jack (9), Tamanna (7), Sally (4), Nehal (4), & Baby Nancy (19+mo.). It's a full house and never dull! Jenni, the mom, and I have become such good friends. She is the sweetest thing ever! She gets to leave the house 8 hr/ a week and do whatever she wants to- alone! (while I watch the kiddos) It's a sweet deal for both of us. It never feels like work because someone is always making me laugh. Just on Monday, Nehal came out of his room wearing his-size ACU's- hat and all- and saluted me with a big smile! Tooooo cute! I'm so thankful to have some work to do. While it's very minimal it does give me such encouragement throughout my week! Thank you God for giving me JOY in working! In other news, I attended the SCW Fitness Mania conference in Atlanta this past weekend and became Zumba certified! I can now hold and teach my very own Zumba classes in Columbus. I hope to find a location very soon! The conference was so amazing, so inspiring! To be around 300+ fitness-minded people, wearing nike shorts, tank tops and sneakers all weekend long was awesome! Every where I looked, people dressed just like me!! I loved 85% of the classes/lectures I took. I loved ALL the lectures! One was about Fuel + Fitness- how to eat correctly for the type of exercise you are performing. Very good information. One piece of advice that sticks out in my mind, "Fat does not make you fat!" I needed to hear that. I am something of a fat-phobe, label checker. I had outlawed regular peanut butter and too many dry nuts but it was working against me. I was putting pounds back on. I was so confused what I was doing wrong. The nutritionist lady from Birmingham, Al who lead the discussion reminded me that we need a certain amount of good fat in every meal. Nuts on our oatmeal. A spread of avocado or hummus on our lunch sandwich and a scoop of peanut butter in our shakes. Fat helps you feel satisfied and keeps you feeling full. That's my new goal b/c I can be a major snacker. It seems I have a snack attack every day at 2pm and then again at 8pm-10pm. And all I want is sugary treats! No good. I will be eating a little more fat in my diet. I have re-enrolled in the Personal Training Certification for the fall. It begins in October and is a 6-week course after which I will be certified! I can't wait. This is what I'm really excited about. I can't wait to learn the exercise physiology of the body and how to work the muscle groups correctly- and help others do the same! I hope I will do well at it. For the first time, I feel EXCITED to jump into a career. After 2+ months of applying for administrative jobs with no open doors, it feels like the right time to pursue my passion of fitness and I couldn't be more thrilled. I'm excited to see where God will take me with this new endeavor. I pray that, as with anything, it will be something I hold with open hands-- willing to give it up if God wants me to. A friend recently told me that when you're wondering which way to go, to look for "a parade of providence". I feel God has providentially opened doors so far to the fitness world and I will keep pushing forward until/unless he says "turn around, go this way." In other news, :) I went on a "missions trip" with our youth group two weeks ago. I use quote marks because we stayed right here in Columbus and partnered with a church in the urban part of town to do neighborhood cleanup and lead a kids club in the evening. (a VBS-type program) It was incredible. I instinctively lock my doors when I get off the exit which leads to this part of town, but now, I have friends in that neighborhood and feel loved by the people there. God did a huge work in my heart that week and reminded me that I am a broken person coming to love on other broken people. A great reminder of my own depravity and hopelessness without Christ. The church in the urban community is led by a white man who is married with two sweet little boys. God has already done some incredible things through that church and the community is so much better for it. It was great to come alongside the kingdom work already being done and serve with brothers and sisters in Christ. This church serves chicken and rice to the homeless each Saturday from 11-1; something that our youth intend to continue doing. Relationships were formed. Some of our youth girls are committed to babysit for some of the families in the community. It was great for our students to serve the poor in their own city and realize that there are tons of hurting, lost people right on the other side of town. Many times during the week, I had forgotten that we were still in Columbus. It seemed that we were out of town somewhere ministering to a "foreign community". Our theme was RENEW: Columbus and our theme verse was Lamentations 5:21 "Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old." God is at work and it was a powerful week of being reminded of His continued work all around us. My heart was so softened and encouraged. I pray I will be involved with the chicken and rice ministry in the months to come. Some things that I have going on that bless my heart: - I meet once a week with a few different young women and study different books. One day a week, Cary Kendrick-Holmes, a youth from my church, and I meet and read a chapter of "The Pursuit of God" by A.W. Tozer. Great, deep theological book and always challenging to understand. On another day, Madison Montgomery, a graduate of Calvary, and I meet and read a chapter of Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges. Convicting, challenging and a great look inside our hearts that deceive us daily. I enjoy my time with these girls so much. They challenge me. The books challenge me and I get to know and love them a little more each time. -I am running with a few different people these days. Running in numbers is safer. (yes, I know honey :)) and it's another opportunity to build friendships. I run with Katie Newton, an 8th grader at our church who plays soccer & runs track/CC, who I'm pretty sure is really from Kenya cause she has some fire in her legs and runs with joy no matter what the distance. It's cra-cra!!! I run on occasion with Madison- always a joy. We keep a slower, conversational pace and it's always an enjoyable run. I run on occasion with Jackie Fleenor- a beginner runner who is really motivated to become a better runner. We always end up walking a talking more than running but it's always so much fun! I'm hoping to start running with Kaci- a distance runner who is training for a marathon. I'd like to do one long run a week with her. She is a dedicated, young mom who run eeeeeeeearly in the morning. Hoping I can get my butt out of bed and join her on a weekly basis! I may need to put my alarm on the other side of the room on those mornings... So my running continues and I'm more joyful and motivated than ever. The next race I'm doing is on August 25 at 11:59p.m. The race will continue on August 26 till about...hopefully on 12:24 or 12:25. Madison and I want to race our fastest and test our body's ability with speed. We'll see how it goes! Something challenging to think about: this was said to us by the owner of Mercy Med- a local, new clinic here in town that is located in the urban community and provides care to mainly the poor and healthcare-less. He encouraged us to be men and women who live life radically- who do not strive for the American dream of 2.5 kids, a 2 story-house with white-picket fence and a spot on the PTA but those who love doing ministry and serving- who have crazy joy because of blessing others and obeying the call of following Christ. He shared a letter written by a young man to his future father-in-law who was called to life in the mission field of India. It goes like this, "I have now to ask whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world? Whether you can consent to her departure to a heathen land, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life? Whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death? Can you consent to all this, for the sake of Him who left His heavenly home and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with a crown of righteousness brightened by the acclamations of praise which shall resound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?" I hope that I could be bold enough to pray for my future daughter to find a man who loves the Lord like that and hold her out with open hands to God- for Him to have His way in her life. But for now- I'm a coward and pray that my future children find and marry Christian men who will live close to me. :) Oh how selfish we are. Oh that I would value Christ's kingdom work more than my own desires!! And finally, D.R. and I are plowing through the summer. Our schedules both very full. The night time is sweet. We eat, we relax, (we currently watch the Olympics together and it's total bonding- we both love it). We go to bed early b/c our mornings come early. We are heading to the beach in two weeks for one last vacation. It's for D.R. to attend a Continuing Education Conference as a P.A. I will be attending the study of shells and ocean tides conference. :) I'll be a beach bum for a week. Yep, pretty excited about it! That's all for now. I hope the Lord gives you joy in whatever your day calls you to do. May you do it with gladness in your heart and thankfulness to the One who gave you the mercies of a new, bright day!!

I'm a RUNNER

I never thought I would be able to say those words but there are so many reasons why running is my sport. I was never the co-ordinated one when it came to ball sports. I never got picked first, second or third during PE, and I was intimidated at youth group when we played volleyball or kickball b/c I feared embarrassment (insecure? absolutely) It wasn't until college that I started running. I attended Samford in Birmingham and everyone seemed to run before class or after class, so.... I figured I'd run. Right across the street from Samford is a beautiful trail (Jemison) which runs through one of the most gorgeous parts of Alabama, Mountain Brook. There's even a spot where you run (or walk if you're cautious) over the stepping stones in a low creek. It's one of my favorite spots to run. I love visiting B'ham during our Nat'l Guard drill weekends and lacing up for a run. (Thank you Betty for the always-generous use of your Focus :)) Running is so many things to me. And almost every run is a little different from the last. Most days it's a time to have some "me" time and think through what's going on in my life. Other days it's simply just telling myself to "keep going" and pushing through the nagging pain. But even in those times, I still enjoy the run.... because I know I'm accomplishing something. I'm strengthening my cardiovascular system, my muscles, my lungs and my mood. Running only promises a reward equal to what you put in. You earn every mile and there is nothing like the feeling of getting over that beast of a hill or doing that extra lap. I've run through every emotion: when I'm joyful, when I'm angry, when I'm sad, when I'm lonely, when I'm jealous, when I'm annoyed. And running is something you make time for even when your schedule is full. I used to plan my day and see if I could fit running in- now I schedule my quiet time, my husband time and my run first off- all other things are secondary. If you love something, you make time for it. Period. I don't run every day- I have to mentally give myself 1 or 2 days off but every day that I run is a good day. I love the habitualness of gearing up and going for a run. Here's my preparation. :I eat a small meal: a small bowl of cereal & almond milk or a granola bar and half a banana :I pick out my running shorts or capri's first- I don't know why. I think b/c it's my favorite part of my running ensemble. : I pick out my color sports bra (even if it's not going to show, it has to match) : I pick out a tank top or t-shirt depending on the weather temp. : I pick out my ankle socks & shoes (if it's a 3-4 miler I go with my Nike Free's. if it's longer than that, I go with my Nike Downshifter's) : I put my hair up in a high to mid-high pony with a skinny black elastic headband to hold the whispies back. : I put on plenty of deodorant and chap stick : I turn my phone off to reset my +MapMyRun app b/c it's usually in crazyville from the days prior and will not pick up the GPS. : I turn my phone back on and choose my Pandora station of preference - Right now it's Rihanna Pandora or Trip Lee Pandora. : I do a little Shakira/Beyonce dance to pump me up and get me excited. : I drive to a running trail OR run straight from my apt door. I went to a class at our local running store last night. It was called 'Good Form Running'. I have recently had some hip pain and wondered what I was doing wrong. This class taught what kind of posture we should have, how to strike with our midfoot instead of our heel or forefoot, what our cadence should be (how many steps/min), and how to lean into the run from our ankles w/o bending at the waist. If you're a runner, you probably don't do all of these things perfectly. For me, I needed to learn to increase my cadence. I run at a cadence of about 150. I also needed to learn to run more "natural"; leading with my midfoot instead of my heel which is a huge injury preventer. No matter where I am in life, running is something I can do for free. It requires no equipment other than proper shoes. It's as competitive as you want it to be (or not be). You set the pace. You set the mileage. You pick the scenery. It's a very "you-centered" sport. Which makes it oh so fun!