Lessons from My 5K

This weekend, I ran my first 5k.  With Preacherman accompanying me the entire time, I ran (the whole time!) and finished right at my goal time!  It was tough, but it was good.

Now, in my former life, I was a runner.  Let me correct that- I was a SPRINTER.  I say that because there is a difference between being a sprinter and being a distance runner.  Preacherman, in his younger days, was a cross country champion.  He started “training” for the 5k about 3-4 weeks before the race.  I started training about 6-8 weeks before the race.  I knew that while I had running experience, it wasn’t going to be enough to get me across the finish line so I was determined to prepare accordingly.

Despite my desire to prepare accordingly, I wasn’t able to complete my running plan due to some changes in our schedule.  As a result, I came into the race on Saturday having not run (at all) since the previous Monday. I ran the first half of the race pretty easily- and felt great.  After that, I began to struggle, probably feeling my lowest between 2 and 2.5 miles.  Through it all, Preacherman was super encouraging, and never left me behind.  Though there were points where I was able to push myself, I really struggled.

As we approached the end of the race, I felt myself being able to provide a burst of energy to finish (and meet my goal time).  I finished, almost  in a full-out sprint, and was overjoyed.  One of my bucket list items was complete and I had pushed myself beyond what I believed I could do.  This experience was great physically, but also mentally.  Here’s some things that I learned from my 5K:

1. It’s not enough to train for the race.  You have to train for the course.
2. You need to have people on your team who’ve been where you been to encourage you for where you’re going.
3. While it’s great to finish strong, you should train in such a way that you can be strong for the duration of the race, not just the end. 

 

Lesson 1: It’s not enough to train for the race.  You have to train for the course.

I did ALL of my training for the 5k in the gym, on the treadmill.  For about 6-8 weeks, about 3 times  a week, I hit the gym and followed my training plan.  While I did increase the speed as I was training, never once did I increase the incline.  When it came time to run the race, my body was shocked at the number of hills we were climbing.  Had I prepared for the course, instead of just preparing for the race, I would have been better equipped and could have possibly finished faster than I did.

Lesson 2: You need to have people on your team who’ve been where you’ve been to encourage you for where you’re going.

As I mentioned, Preacherman is a former cross country runner.  He ran the race with ease and confidence.  His support was integral to my finishing the race and meeting my goal.  Since he has run many 5Ks over the course of his life, he was able to effectively encourage me for the race.  If we had run separately, I probably would have finished 10 minutes slower than I did.  With his encouragement, I was able to run the race marked out for me with perseverance.

Lesson 3: While it’s great to finish strong, you should train in such a way that you can be strong for the duration of the race, not just the end. 

On the way home after the 5k, Preacherman told me how proud he was of me for my strong finish.  But then he said, “You know, if you were able to finish strong, you probably could have done more the entire time.”  I was initially shocked, but I realized that he was right.  With better, more consistent training, I would have been able to not only have more endurance, but more speed.  While I am proud of my strong finish, my goal for the next 5k (and there will be more) is to run a stronger race for the duration of the race.  I need to work on my timing and my pacing.

I’ve been mulling over these lessons for the past few days, striving to apply them not just to my running, but to my life.  In the race of life, I want to be prepared for the race and (as much as possible) the course.  I want to build a team of mentors who can encourage me as I strive to get to the next level.  I want to run a strong race with endurance to the end.  And at the end, I want to get the prize.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!

Fathering in the Way of God

Left: My dad praying with me before my wedding. Right: Preacherman consoling our little one.

One of the (many) things that I love about Preacherman is that he is an EXCELLENT father.  He truly finds joy and happiness in interacting and engaging with our daughter.  While he (admittedly) spoils her, he is also a wonderful leader for her and our family.  His demonstration of love is consistent and firm.  He strives to teach her in the ways of the Lord.  When you see them together, it is clear that they are two peas in a pod.

For the last few weeks, our bedtime stories have been from a children’s pajama bible.  Samiyah gets to choose four stories (because she’s 4 years old), and we’ll read them together.  Her choices over the past few weeks have been: God Made the World, Adam and Eve, Noah, and Naomi and Ruth.  We’ve read them so much that she has nearly memorized them.  After we read them, we try to include a one sentence synopsis or takeaway that she’ll be able to remember.

Last night, after reading about Adam and Eve, she began to ask questions (deep, theological, 4 year old questions).  As we talked about the serpent and how God felt after Adam and Eve disobeyed, she came to the conclusion that God wasn’t real because she couldn’t see Him in the pictures of her pajama bible.  (Insert parenting panic here).

After overcoming my parenting panic, I said, “Well, you don’t see Daddy all the time.  Does that mean that he is not real?”  She responded, “Yes, Daddy is real!”  I then explained, “Well, just because we aren’t able to see God, that doesn’t mean that He isn’t real.  He’s always there for us in the same way that Daddy is always there for you.  Daddy is your earthly father, and God is your heavenly father.”  At that moment, she took off running to the other room to give Preacherman one of many good night hugs and kisses.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  Crisis averted.  Praise the Lord, I hadn’t ruined my little one’s faith!

Because Preacherman is such a great father, it was easy for her to make the connection between him being there and being real, and God being real.  When fathers are great (and this doesn’t mean without fault or flawless) and truly desire to lead their families in the way of the Lord, it becomes so much easier for their children to trust God.  It’s so easy for me to trust that God is on time, because my dad is never late.  I can believe in God’s consistency because I see that in my dad and in my husband.  I am able to accept that God is faithful and keeps His promises because I have good earthly examples in my husband and my dad.

My husband and my dad have shown me that while good parenting is about the day to day activities, it’s also about love and discipleship and leaving a legacy of faith behind that can support and encourage the generations to come.  For that, I am truly grateful.

Be encouraged!  Peace and blessings!

 

Empowered by the Wait

Waiting is not my specialty.  I can do it, but it’s not something that I’m great at.  I’m easily annoyed by stoplights that are longer than I think they should be.  I get frustrated when people take FOREVER in the check out line (are you REALLY writing a check?!?), and making me wait in the drive-through line is just sinister.  I just don’t like to wait.

Part of this is from our culture of immediacy, where we can get anything and everything that we need on our smartphones in about .5 seconds.  We can reheat dinner in 2 minutes thanks to a microwave.  I can “rent” a movie by just clicking an option with the remote, and within seconds it’s there.  It’s difficult to be good at something, (and even more difficult to like it) if I never have to do it.

A few weeks ago, my pastor was preaching about how the anointing changes us, but that also how part of how we are changed is through having to wait.  Learning to endure.  Developing patience and in some cases, long suffering.  There’s a perseverance that comes only from having to wait something out, or see a process through until the end.

I thought about this some more this morning, after having a conversation with Preacherman.  Usually our four-year old is okay with the time it takes for her Daddy to come get her from bed in the morning and she doesn’t call out for him to get her.  But this morning, our conversation was a little longer, and she called out to him.  I encouraged him to wait just a little longer, and not to move immediately, because we’re working on developing her patience.  He asked if I wanted him to wait until she called out again with more urgency (her “urgency” call outs are HILARIOUS, and we’re not abusing the child, we can totally distinguish between fake urgency and real urgency #justsaying).  I thought that would be a good idea (and a funny start to the morning).

As Preacherman got up, I began to think about how God makes us wait.  If you follow me on Twitter, you probably saw this stream of consciousness.  But here’s what I’ve learned about having to wait:

1. When you call out to God and He doesn’t respond, it doesn’t mean that He’s not there or that He’s not listening.  Sometimes God waits to respond to us because he needs for something to develop IN us that can only happen through us having to wait.
2. We have to remember to “let perseverance finish its’ perfect work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.“
3. When we don’t immediately receive what we’ve been asking for, we appreciate it more.
4. You learn how strong you are and how much willpower you have when you have to wait for something that has been promised.
5. You gain the ability to see things from a totally different perspective when you don’t immediately receive what you’ve been believing for.

Even though we don’t LIKE to wait, there are advantages to it.  Oftentimes, we don’t pay attention to the advantages of waiting and instead become bitter by the process.  But if we allow it to happen, we can become empowered by the wait.  There are some things that I’ve been believing God for since I got saved nearly 10 years ago that have not yet come to pass.  But I’m still waiting and believing.  And I’m empowered because I’ve seen how God has worked in the lives of others, and how He has answered other prayers that I’ve had.  He is faithful and He ALWAYS keeps His promises.

“God is not human, that he should lie,not a human being, that he should change his mind.  Does he speak and then not act?  Does he promise and not fulfill?” – Numbers 23:19

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!

Understanding the Fight

I’ve heard that throughout our life we are entering a battle, in the midst of a battle, or coming out of a battle; and I’ve found that to be true.  I’ve come to accept that while there are good times, I know that I must prepare for the not-so-good times because they are also on the way.  I say that not to sound like a “Debbie-Downer” but just as a realization of the fact that it’s just how life is.  We are going from one fight to the next, from mountain to mountain, glory to glory.

The joy in being a Christian is knowing that no matter what the fight is, I will win in the end.  And because of that fact, I have to approach and understand the fight from that perspective.  If I know that the fight is going to be 12 rounds, and that at the end, I’m going to be declared the winner, I cannot be so caught up in a loss that occurs in the 3rd round.  My focus has to be on the victory that is to come.  If I spend time focused on anything other than that, I can mess around and lose the entire fight because I was so distracted by this 3rd round loss.

We have to make sure we maintain the proper perspective.  There’s a difference in losing a battle IN the war as opposed to losing a battle FOR the war.  Don’t get so caught up in short term disappointments that you’re unable to move beyond them towards your long term success.  Take time to understand the fight and to understand YOUR fight.  While we are all engaged in fight, we’re not engaged in the same fight.  Thus, we can’t expect that the same methods and strategies will work.  When you maintain the proper perspective and understand your fight, you’ll be better equipped as a fighter, and closer to your victory.

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!

Worship Wednesday

I love my church, and I feel blessed to go to have access to a church where I get good, biblical teaching.  I also LOVE our praise and worship.  While church is not just about the music, praise and worship is an important part of the service, and it sets the table for the word that we receive every Sunday and Wednesday.  Having been at churches where the music was less than desirable, and having to learn how to appreciate the words of a song over the sounds that I hear, I’m SO grateful to be at church where the music is both anointed AND good.

What really resonates with me is that the music is fresh, and it gets in my spirit in such a way that later in the week, I find myself singing or humming or replaying the songs I heard during service.  It’s amazing, and truly helps me to get through days that may be challenging.  I wanted to include the three songs that our praise and worship team have sung that have personally blessed me over the past few weeks:

Hopefully these will bless you as they have blessed me!

Be encouraged! Peace and Blessings!

Be Aware

This past weekend, I was in Walmart picking up a few groceries.  I was exhausted after traveling to Carowinds with Preacherman’s school, attending a marriage seminar at my church, and going to a friend’s bridal shower.  I couldn’t wait to get home and just go to bed.

As I headed to check out, I detoured (not at all unusual for me in Walmart or Target) back to the produce section to look at celery.  I have been wanting celery to pack in my lunches as a healthy snack, but have been unable to find small prepackaged bags of celery.  I was hopeful that Walmart would have what I was looking for (if you can’t find it in Walmart, it may not exist), and sure enough, they had the exact item.

I checked the expiration date (which read 04/27/2013), and was all set to add it to my cart.  In my mind, I thought, “Man, those celery are gonna be fresh for a long time.”  I was just about to drop it in my cart, when I realized that the expiration date was actually a week prior.  My fatigue and my lack of awareness almost had me make a choice that could have been detrimental (slightly to my wallet, but moreso to my health).

I think we are all like that sometimes.  We can get so caught up in the doing of life, and get so into a routine (and so rundown from that routine) that we lose our sense of awareness.  When we lack awareness, we can make decisions that seem to be good on the surface, but could have detrimental effects.  Not only that, a lack of awareness can cause us to fail to recognize the goodness and blessings that surround us each day.

Let me encourage you to be aware- of the choices you make each day and their impact, of the blessings that surround you, and of your life and daily routine.  Be aware of ways that you can serve and assist others.  Be aware of your areas for growth, and seek tangible ways to improve.  Life is too short to be numbed from your busyness and your technology.  Imagine how much better our world/country/state/city/town/home would be if we each took the time to unplug and be aware.

My challenge to you: don’t let another day go by where you’re lacking awareness.  Find the good in each day, in each person, in each situation.  Search for the good, and be grateful for it.

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!

Book Review: Freefall to Fly- A Breathtaking Journey Toward a Life of Meaning

As a person who struggles to deal with change, I was excited to get my hands on a copy of Rebekah Lyons’ book “Freefall to Fly- A Breathtaking Journey Toward a Life of Meaning”.  In this book, Lyons’ details how she encountered and overcame challenges associated with major changes in her life (such as a family move from Atlanta, Georgia to New York City due to her husband’s job).

While I could identify with some of the challenges Lyons faced as a result of major life changes, there were times that I really struggled to get into the book just because the story itself didn’t seem to flow that well.  However, I did appreciate the transparency that she displayed in telling her story.  While I would question the handling of her mental illness, I do feel that she addressed issues that women frequently face in regards to finding (and rediscovering) their purpose after getting married and having children.

Through many telling life experiences, Lyons encourages women to continue to seek God for their purpose, and then pursue that.  I believe that it is important for women to continue to go after the desires God places in their heart, after marriage and children, and while Lyons’ struggles with that, her book shows that it is possible for women to overcome.

I’m not sure how much I would recommend this book; however, if I did, it would be to women who have struggled with finding and pursuing their purpose because of how life can sometimes get in the way.  Despite struggling at times to get into the book, it was a fairly easy read, and it may be something that I revisit later in life.

Author’s Note: I received this book for free from Handlebar Publishing in exchange for a review.  All opinions are my own. 

Make Marriage Look Good

It’s hard to believe, but in a few days (like 8), Preacherman and I will have been married for six months.  This first half-year of our marriage has flown by, and it’s been an incredible experience learning and growing together.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit two places that I haven’t been in a while- my old high school and my former job.  Both were filled with people who haven’t seen me since Preacherman and I got married.  While it was great to catch up with people and see people who I haven’t seen in a bit, I heard variations of the following comments frequently:

“You look so happy!  Marriage really agrees with you!”

“It’s so good to see you!  You look great!  Marriage is treating you well!”

Now, I just smiled and said thank you, because I do agree that marriage agrees with me and is treating me well.  And while I am no marriage expert, I am happily married.  But I was so surprised that so many people were surprised that I look (and am) happily married.

Seriously.  What is this about?  Was I supposed to get married and just fall off?  Was I supposed to get married and become unhappy?  I’m so confused.

Not only am I confused, but I’m also sad that people have associated marriage with unhappiness (both in terms of looks and emotions).  Marriage isn’t supposed to be that way, and I don’t think that anyone enters marriage expecting to be unhappy.  No one agrees to be with someone for the rest of their life with the expectation that it will be horrible.

For those of you who are married, engaged, seriously dating, or plan to be married at SOME point- please do me a favor: MAKE MARRIAGE LOOK GOOD. Be happy.  Enjoy your spouse.  LIKE (and love) your spouse.  Be their FRIEND.  Speak well of them to others.  Do the work that it requires.  Remember and remind them why you love them.  Let us each do our part in promoting marriage as wonderful, fulfilling, engaging, lifelong relationship; instead of something that leads people down the path of despair.

Be encouraged!  Peace and blessings!

Book Review: Real Love- How to Avoid Romantic Chaos and Find the Path to Lasting Love

“Real love. I’m searching for a real love. Someone to set my heart free…” – Mary J. Blige

Whether we admit it or not, we are all desiring a real love. We smile and feel joy in our hearts at the stories of couples of have been married for 50, 60, and even 70 years; and we often wonder if it’s possible for us to have that same kind of love and marriage. The truth is that it is ABSOLUTELY possible, but you have to go about it in the right way.

That’s where this book comes in. In “Real Love: How to Avoid Romantic Chaos and Find the Path to Lasting Love”, Andy Thompson provides wisdom to those who are seeking to find a lasting love relationship. The book provides simple explanations for how to know if you’re ready to be in a relationship (and reasons why you may not be ready), as well as other valuable tidbits such as “The Three S’s” that men need from their wives and “The Three S’s” that women need from their husbands–and an additional “S” that both husbands and wives need to demonstrate in their marriage.

While the book provides lots of practical wisdom for those who are married, there is also a wealth of knowledge available for those who are in dating relationships. Thompson explains items that should be considered when making “the list” of qualities that one desires in a spouse, the limits and boundaries couples should abide by while they are in the dating phase, and the things that one really needs to know about a person (“The Seven P’s”).

I would recommend this book to people who are hoping to be married so that they can approach their dating relationships with a sense of wisdom instead of being lead by their emotions and how they may feel about a person at the time.  I would also recommend this book to people who are married, as it provides tangible knowledge that can be useful in helping their marriage be the best that it can be.

Being in a successful, long-lasting relationship is not magic.  It requires work from each person involved, but it’s also helpful to begin the relationship with a solid understanding of what lasting relationships require.  While this book doesn’t provide all the answers, it does give you an excellent foundation on which to begin the search for a REAL lasting love.

Choosing to Be Healed

I’ve been fortunate to not have to deal with allergies.  When the spring comes and people are struggling to breathe, and are suffering through itchy eyes, I’m usually just annoyed by the way pollen desires to make itself known on my car.  However, over the past few years, I started to have sinus problems; having my first sinus infection in 2009, and some other ones since then.

On Monday, I woke up feeling kinda blah, and I attributed it to the change in weather.  I forced myself to go to the gym, and while there, I could feel my sinuses starting to bother me.  I pressed through my workout, and while I was on my way home, I was praying to the Lord to allow me to feel better, and asking Him to show me things that I could do so that my sinuses wouldn’t bother me anymore.  And then I heard this:

“Do you want to feel better or do you want to be healed?”

After thinking about it, and processing what I heard, I realized that what I really wanted was to be healed.  I want to be free from the issue altogether, and never have to worry about having to deal with it again.

I came to this conclusion after some thought, but I also began to think of how often I have chosen just to “feel better” instead of “be healed”.  It’s so easy to choose options that treat the symptoms but don’t cure the ailment.  While a treatment is good (and praise the Lord for treatments), what I want is to be healed.

Our society has become so medicated, and so into wanting a “quick fix” that we will often choose feeling better over being healed.  The truth is that being healed requires work.  And often times, we’d rather take the pill for the next 5 years instead of putting in the work over the next 5 months to be healed.  I’m determined to NOT live my life that way.  While the “quick fix” can temporarily make me feel better, I pray for the strength to always choose to be healed; despite the work that it may require.

I encourage you to choose to be healed over just feeling better.  Be willing to do the work that is required and press for your healing, instead of settling for a quick fix.  You’re worth it.

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!