"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
~ 2 Timothy 2:4
My four months of training has finally come to an end. I am happy to report I survived running a marathon. The experience was incredible. I've been thinking for a week straight now what I want to write to all of my followers and I still cannot come up with anything. It's hard to even describe the feelings I had and still have. I actually really enjoyed the race, well most of it anyway. I ran alongside my good friend Nicole and we had good conversation in between praying for all of our friends and families at each mile. I really enjoyed having someone (all of you) to focus on besides myself at each mile.
We ran a pretty consistent pace thanks to Nicole's coaching. At mile 19, I was still feeling pretty strong so I picked up the pace which allowed me to finish just under my time goal. The last few miles getting there were tough to say the least. I finally started feeling like the race was never going to end around mile 23. However, right at that time, my mom caught up to me in the car and out popped two little girls (my little girls). They were so excited to see me running they raced across the road and ran beside me for a minute. That totally made my day and got me through that mile! Then came mile 24. By some miracle, I was still passing people. I passed a guy who read the back of my shirt (I had written "Philippians 4:13" across my back), he yelled "AMEN". Again, totally what I needed at that moment. It reminded me why I was there doing what I was doing. Throughout mile 25, I prayed and prayed and prayed....for the person that sponsored mile 25...and for it to just end already! At mile 26, Matt (my husband), met me to run me into the finish line. I was grateful for his presence. He tried so hard to be encouraging and get me fired up to finish strong but at that moment I felt so tired, weak and pained. It was by far the longest mile of my life. As I neared the finish line and Matt left my side, I looked to my left to see so many friends! Some of my closest friends AND some of my Incline teenagers were cheering me on!! I was soooo happy to see them! My first goal was to finish the race alive. My second goal was to finish in under 4 hours. My third goal was to finish in under 3 hours 50 minutes. I'm happy to report that I finished with a time of 3hrs 48min 55sec!
The feeling of finishing..with a good time..with all my friends and family there..at Presque Isle...was amazing!! The only word I could come up with all week was "surreal". I really felt like a miracle had happened...like it was too good to be true...like it was all a dream. I just could not believe I had actually run 26 miles. Well, that was what my mind felt. My legs and hips had no problem doubting what had just happened :) When I finished running, I could not even walk right. I didn't know what to expect having never done this before. I certainly did not expect to be walking like I had just ridden a horse for 4 hours. Everything from my waist down was in extreme pain and I was walking bowlegged with a bit of penguin waddle mixed in, haha. Fortunately, after some walking, showering, and ibuprofen, I felt pretty decent.
It was an absolutely beautiful day. I had preplanned a big picnic at the beach with all of our friends and families. I'm confident in saying a good time was had by all. I felt so blessed to have such support surrounding this event. It was a day I'll remember forever!
Throughout the last week, I just wasn't sure how to accept that this mission had ended and what to do next. I am really anxious to get back to running but know that my body needs a little more time to recover. It's been a busy week which left me with little time to focus and reflect. This Sunday morning's church service came to be the perfect ending to my story. At the end of service, a solid 15 minutes were left solely for praying for others....for miracles in healing...for salvation...for whatever someone may need. I took that time and prayed for all of my marathon sponsors...for their personal prayer requests and for their individual relationships with God. My training and running 26 miles is done (at least for now) but please know that I will continue to pray for all of you!
If I had to pick one thing that I took away from this experience over the last 6 months it would be that GOD IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS AND WILL DO WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO. I have learned that I am my own worst enemy. I had no faith and no confidence that I could do this... until I gave it up to God. God was there throughout all of the ups and downs..giving me exactly what I needed at exactly the right times...which was sooo perfectly portrayed through the last 4 miles of the race. (Which is why I explained all of that above.) My faith has been multiplied exponentially.
My prayer now is that others can be encouraged from this experience. That they listen when God speaks and take action despite their own doubts. God can do amazing things in and through us when we submit to His will and that is something you will NEVER regret!
The story was titled "Feeling Tired?" Well, "yes", I was feeling tired..thanks for asking. (In fact, I have been sooo tired since the race..it's like my body just shut down..all it wants to do is rest.)
The Bible verse for that day read, "He gives strength to those who are tired. He gives power to those who are weak." Isaiah 40:29
That verse was applicable to me during the race right up through now. Again, God knows exactly what I need when I need it!!..........and He knows the same for you!! Keep your eyes and ears open. He loves you and has a plan for your life and don't you EVER doubt that!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Feelings
I have been training for 4 months now and here I am less than 5 days away from running a marathon. Remember, I'm not a runner...or at least I wasn't for the last 32 of 33 years of my life. It still sounds weird to hear that word spoken in reference to me. I didn't even routinely exercise most of my life, haha.
I sit writing this with such mixed emotion. Sometimes I feel prepared and sometimes I think surely I could have done more training. Sometimes I feel nervous. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed. Sometimes I forget about the race and dream about the big family picnic afterwards (that being Erie and Pittsburgh family..because all of our friends are like family to us). What can I say, I love family, friends, and food! Several times a day I think about whether I should wear shorts or capris if it's 50 degrees at the start of the race...yes, I obsess over the weather which is out of my control anyway. I feel excitement about spending 4 hours with God praying for all my supporters. I feel blessed to have such a supportive family, friends, and church. I feel fortunate for being chosen to do this. I wonder how nervous I'll be at the starting line and how many times I will have to pee before it starts :) Will I sleep the night before? Will I even be good company at the picnic that I'm so excited about or will I want to plant myself in a chair and sleep. I wonder how many people I have encouraged in some way, shape or form throughout this process.
I feel very excited about finally seeing this goal through to the end...that being the finish line. In fact, I frequently think about what I will feel at that moment. Will I be proud? Will I be happy? Will I cry? Will I hurt so bad I won't want to be near anyone? Will I ever be able to walk normal after such a run? Will I be tired or will I get one last rush of "I did it" adrenaline before crashing? Will I be hungry or ready to puke? Hey, I'm not ruling anything out! The one thing I know for sure is I'll be thanking God for getting me across that finish line!
Most of all, I expect to feel blessed to know a God of such infinite wonder and to see the results of submission and faithfulness to His will!
Acts 20:24
"I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."
I sit writing this with such mixed emotion. Sometimes I feel prepared and sometimes I think surely I could have done more training. Sometimes I feel nervous. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed. Sometimes I forget about the race and dream about the big family picnic afterwards (that being Erie and Pittsburgh family..because all of our friends are like family to us). What can I say, I love family, friends, and food! Several times a day I think about whether I should wear shorts or capris if it's 50 degrees at the start of the race...yes, I obsess over the weather which is out of my control anyway. I feel excitement about spending 4 hours with God praying for all my supporters. I feel blessed to have such a supportive family, friends, and church. I feel fortunate for being chosen to do this. I wonder how nervous I'll be at the starting line and how many times I will have to pee before it starts :) Will I sleep the night before? Will I even be good company at the picnic that I'm so excited about or will I want to plant myself in a chair and sleep. I wonder how many people I have encouraged in some way, shape or form throughout this process.
I feel very excited about finally seeing this goal through to the end...that being the finish line. In fact, I frequently think about what I will feel at that moment. Will I be proud? Will I be happy? Will I cry? Will I hurt so bad I won't want to be near anyone? Will I ever be able to walk normal after such a run? Will I be tired or will I get one last rush of "I did it" adrenaline before crashing? Will I be hungry or ready to puke? Hey, I'm not ruling anything out! The one thing I know for sure is I'll be thanking God for getting me across that finish line!
Most of all, I expect to feel blessed to know a God of such infinite wonder and to see the results of submission and faithfulness to His will!
Acts 20:24
"I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
What most of you don't know
I have been running for only a year now. I was at the gym last summer and out of the blue decided to hop on the treadmill and see what happened. Much to my surprise, I could run! I had not run more that a couple feet in 11 years (really even before that). Why?
In October 1999, I was in a car accident. Someone did not yield to a light and smashed into me. My car was totaled and so were my knees. I'll never ever forget that night. The pain I felt in my legs was indescribable. In the ER I learned that both of my knee caps were broken. Braces were applied to both legs and I was hospitalized for 5 days. During those 5 days, I questioned if I would ever walk again. Everyone told me I would but if you felt what I felt, you would have had little confidence too. On day 5, my well medicated body stood at the bedside with a therapist (and crutches) on each side supporting my weight. I took a few very painful and slow steps to the door. I did it! So I knew I COULD do it. My next concern was if I would ever walk normal.
I was forced to move out of my house in Erie where I was living for college and back home with my parents (40 min away). I was unable to care completely for myself...or even get from one room to another without help. I had to drop a couple of classes, make special arrangements for another and finish a couple of others by actually sitting in lecture. Really. Where would the world be without moms?! My mom drove me to my classes a couple times a week and pushed me around in a wheelchair with both legs sticking straight out...(remember the braces?) (Side story- because my legs were sticking straight out, the chair was front heavy. She almost dumped me out over a street curb during one class change! Now, I am laughing just thinking about it but it was not so funny then.) She sat outside my classes and waited. She, along with my dad and grandparents, also drove me to physical therapy three times a week when I was not in class and to multiple orthopaedic doctor appointments.
Finally the bones healed and the day came when the leg braces were removed! My legs looked like toothpicks! I am not exaggerating. I had lost sooo much muscle mass during that 8 weeks. Physical therapy continued into the spring semester but by that time I was able to move back to Erie and live with roommates again. I saw a different physical therapist there and really felt like I was progressing with her.
As the years went on, my leg strength slowly began to rebuild. I could at least walk normal but still dealt with pain for quite some time. I was on osteoarthritis medication throughout the rest of college and had to be very careful with my leg positioning. I could not squat down without pain and forget kneeling...that was just not an option.
Finally, over the last 4 years or so I felt pretty normal. I could squat and kneel with only minimal discomfort. Because of all this though, I am very protective of my knees. I used to rollerblade and even snowboard a couple times a year. I have not done either since. I am terrified of twisting or landing on my knees.
Now you see why the thought of running was never even a flicker of a thought in my mind and why I was so shocked when I actually did it for the first time. I felt like I had won the battle. I knew at that moment that my knees were working the way they were intended. Yes, it felt very weird and unnatural but good at the same time. I started slowly increasing my time on the treadmill until Nicole Silvis talked me into my first race. At that time, running a 10K (6mi) seemed so unrealistic but with her encouragement and my strong will to beat that old injury..I did it!
Now I'm training for a marathon. So many people ask me why I am so doubtful that I can actually finish this marathon...now you know. I still doubt that I can complete a 26.2 mile race on my own. I know that I KNOW that it is ONLY through God that I am able to do this. I truly believe that if I was doing it for any other reason than to please Him that it would not be possible. I am literally "Running On Faith."
Again I say, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13.
My knees have had a few aches and pains along the way during training but overall have been the least of my problems...until last Saturday. Out of the blue, one of them started aching to the point where I had to cut my distance down during training runs. I took today off from running to rest and refocus. Praying for a pain free 8 miles tomorrow!
In October 1999, I was in a car accident. Someone did not yield to a light and smashed into me. My car was totaled and so were my knees. I'll never ever forget that night. The pain I felt in my legs was indescribable. In the ER I learned that both of my knee caps were broken. Braces were applied to both legs and I was hospitalized for 5 days. During those 5 days, I questioned if I would ever walk again. Everyone told me I would but if you felt what I felt, you would have had little confidence too. On day 5, my well medicated body stood at the bedside with a therapist (and crutches) on each side supporting my weight. I took a few very painful and slow steps to the door. I did it! So I knew I COULD do it. My next concern was if I would ever walk normal.
I was forced to move out of my house in Erie where I was living for college and back home with my parents (40 min away). I was unable to care completely for myself...or even get from one room to another without help. I had to drop a couple of classes, make special arrangements for another and finish a couple of others by actually sitting in lecture. Really. Where would the world be without moms?! My mom drove me to my classes a couple times a week and pushed me around in a wheelchair with both legs sticking straight out...(remember the braces?) (Side story- because my legs were sticking straight out, the chair was front heavy. She almost dumped me out over a street curb during one class change! Now, I am laughing just thinking about it but it was not so funny then.) She sat outside my classes and waited. She, along with my dad and grandparents, also drove me to physical therapy three times a week when I was not in class and to multiple orthopaedic doctor appointments.
Finally the bones healed and the day came when the leg braces were removed! My legs looked like toothpicks! I am not exaggerating. I had lost sooo much muscle mass during that 8 weeks. Physical therapy continued into the spring semester but by that time I was able to move back to Erie and live with roommates again. I saw a different physical therapist there and really felt like I was progressing with her.
As the years went on, my leg strength slowly began to rebuild. I could at least walk normal but still dealt with pain for quite some time. I was on osteoarthritis medication throughout the rest of college and had to be very careful with my leg positioning. I could not squat down without pain and forget kneeling...that was just not an option.
Finally, over the last 4 years or so I felt pretty normal. I could squat and kneel with only minimal discomfort. Because of all this though, I am very protective of my knees. I used to rollerblade and even snowboard a couple times a year. I have not done either since. I am terrified of twisting or landing on my knees.
Now you see why the thought of running was never even a flicker of a thought in my mind and why I was so shocked when I actually did it for the first time. I felt like I had won the battle. I knew at that moment that my knees were working the way they were intended. Yes, it felt very weird and unnatural but good at the same time. I started slowly increasing my time on the treadmill until Nicole Silvis talked me into my first race. At that time, running a 10K (6mi) seemed so unrealistic but with her encouragement and my strong will to beat that old injury..I did it!
Now I'm training for a marathon. So many people ask me why I am so doubtful that I can actually finish this marathon...now you know. I still doubt that I can complete a 26.2 mile race on my own. I know that I KNOW that it is ONLY through God that I am able to do this. I truly believe that if I was doing it for any other reason than to please Him that it would not be possible. I am literally "Running On Faith."
Again I say, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13.
My knees have had a few aches and pains along the way during training but overall have been the least of my problems...until last Saturday. Out of the blue, one of them started aching to the point where I had to cut my distance down during training runs. I took today off from running to rest and refocus. Praying for a pain free 8 miles tomorrow!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
My Toe...an update
Not running for a week was much harder than I expected but I knew it was the smart choice. Tuesday night I was sure my toe was broken. After much prayer and rest, the pain subsided very quickly starting Thursday afternoon....after I had already gotten the xray of course. Friday I got confirmation from the doctor that it was just badly bruised and I could increase my activity as tolerated. I went out Saturday for a medium long run and it felt great..as if nothing had ever happened!! God had been SO good throughout this process. There is no doubt in my mind that HE is the only reason this mission has been so successful thus far!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Be Careful What You Ask For
I started my run yesterday at 6:45am. It was 73 degrees and the dewpoint was 69...that meant very humid! I didn't think so early in the morning the humidity would make a quick 2 hour run miserable but a few miles in, I was soaked in sweat and breathing was less than desirable. I was praying for this person and that person but really not feeling the excitement that I normally get when running a long distance (which, by the way, goas was 14 miles that day) because it was so humid. I decided to ask God to help me out. I mean, why not, he's clearly come through for me in the past...why wouldn't he come through for me now?! I said, "God, I'm out here doing this for you..only because you told me to..could I please have just a few tiny sprinkles to cool me off and cut the humidity for a minute?" Wellllllll, you've read previous posts about how God REALLY does answer prayer? Again, I called and He answered!! Not exactly how I had imagined it though. I kid you not, within 1 minute of that prayer, it rained! However....instead of just a nice little 5 min sprinkle, it POURED on me for the next 5 miles!!! I almost quit early sooo many times but I kept thinking how important these runs are towards the final goal so I continued to run, finally deciding to quit only 4 miles early. Well, God had a different plan. At 4 miles early, it quit raining and I was nowhere near my car...so on I went. I ended up finishing all 14 miles in the most water-logged state of my life.
Lesson #1- Be careful what you ask God for...He does answer prayer...but in the way He sees fit :)
Lesson #2- When doing something for God, He WILL see you through to the end. Whether it be something huge like traveling abroad or adopting a child or something small like running 14 miles in the rain, HE REIGNS YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER and He will make it happen!
*And, that was just pure coincidence that that phrase is what came to me while writing about rain =)
Lesson #1- Be careful what you ask God for...He does answer prayer...but in the way He sees fit :)
Lesson #2- When doing something for God, He WILL see you through to the end. Whether it be something huge like traveling abroad or adopting a child or something small like running 14 miles in the rain, HE REIGNS YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER and He will make it happen!
*And, that was just pure coincidence that that phrase is what came to me while writing about rain =)
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Teaming Up For Missions
Back when I first was deciding to or not to do this, I spent some time talking with a good friend, Nicole. She has been running for years and has also run a couple marathons so I was turning to her looking for any advice and to get a feel for if she thought I had what it would take to complete 26 miles. I'll never forget the night she called me (late June)..she was sooo excited to hear about how God was wanting to use me and running! She said, "I'll run it with you!" Knowing she had a leg that was giving her trouble and was coming into a busy summer, I was shocked. I never expected that level of support but wow, was I excited! She was willing to give up a lot of time in her summer to train for this race and be there to support me not only during training but in the race as well. We are teaming up and trampling the ground for missions this summer and I couldn't be enjoying it more! God has shown me a lot through the ups and downs of training but most of all, I've learned to have more faith and leave the details to Him.
Matthew 19:26
Jesus said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
With all of that said....my toe is in question and Nicole has had off and on trouble with her leg. Please keep both of us in your prayers that our master physician would keep us both in pristine physical health and able to complete the race to which God has called us. Thank You!
Matthew 19:26
Jesus said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
With all of that said....my toe is in question and Nicole has had off and on trouble with her leg. Please keep both of us in your prayers that our master physician would keep us both in pristine physical health and able to complete the race to which God has called us. Thank You!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
We Have A Problem
Training has been going very very well. Really, almost to well for someone who has only been running for a year. Last weekend I hit the distance goal needed in order to be fully confident I can complete this race. I ran 22 miles and shockingly, felt as if I had not run at all the next day. God has been sooo on my side throughout all of this. Then Monday night came...Meredith, completely by accident, stepped on my toe. At the time it did not register any pain and we both went about business. Later that night it was a little sore. The next day I worked all day. It was a little sore but did not limit me in any way for 12 hours on my feet. At that time, the only thing that caused trouble was bending it. I actually could not bend it at all. That night I was awoken from my sleep with INTENSE toe pain. I couldn't step on the foot at all. I tried to hobble my way to the bathroom to get pain meds but the intensity of the pain caused me to be lightheaded and have to sit down. Finally, I managed to get some Ibuprofen and make my way back to bed though little sleep followed. I was sure it was broken. Laying in bed, I accessed internet on my phone (can you even believe we live in a world where that is possible) and read that I would be looking at at least 4 weeks off from running if it was broken. I started praying. The race is only 6 weeks away and even though I am ready now, that would really set me back. The next day, which is today, I spoke with my doctor and had xrays taken. I am now just waiting for the results. I have a lot of faith and believe that it cannot possibly be broken but I also know that the devil is real and would love nothing more than to sabotage this mission. It is killing me to not be running right now but I also know that it is very important to let this heal. I know that God is bigger than any obstacles I may run into so while I'm waiting for answers, I will just continue to lean on Him and pray for no broken bones and a very quick recovery.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
My. Answered. Prayers.
This post is to give God the praise and glory he deserves. If you follow this blog, you know that I do a lot of praying while running. I wanted to take a minute and share with you some of my answered prayers!
~ A family member has been told treatment worked and the cancer is gone.
~ A friend got finite clarity on a job situation.
~ A child has been eating with increased appetite and less problems (not mine).
~ Two husbands of friends got jobs.
~ Two beautiful Christ centered marriages happened.
~ A co worker's house sold.
~ I have remained healthy and injury free during training.
~ My Incline youth traveled safely to and from Mexico and saw God work wonders and change lives.
~ One of my best friends let another group of Incline youth to Michigan safely and experience God's awesomeness.
~ One of my Incline girls traveled safely and in good health to and from Haiti doing God's work...and now has been accepted into a program to do missions in Africa this fall.
God never ceases to amaze me!
Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
Psalm 12:6 "I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer."
Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
~ A family member has been told treatment worked and the cancer is gone.
~ A friend got finite clarity on a job situation.
~ A child has been eating with increased appetite and less problems (not mine).
~ Two husbands of friends got jobs.
~ Two beautiful Christ centered marriages happened.
~ A co worker's house sold.
~ I have remained healthy and injury free during training.
~ My Incline youth traveled safely to and from Mexico and saw God work wonders and change lives.
~ One of my best friends let another group of Incline youth to Michigan safely and experience God's awesomeness.
~ One of my Incline girls traveled safely and in good health to and from Haiti doing God's work...and now has been accepted into a program to do missions in Africa this fall.
God never ceases to amaze me!
Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
Psalm 12:6 "I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer."
Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Opportunity Knocks on the Allegheny Passage
Up to this point, I have done most of my running at Boyce Park. This past Saturday, I was scheduled for a long run and really wanted some different scenery. Let's face it, there are only so many roads and trails at Boyce so I end up repeating the same loops many times to log my necessary distance. Matt's birthday was last weekend and I also wanted to do something he would enjoy. So, our family took a trip to Little Boston and boarded the Allegheny Passage trail. We didn't know exactly what to expect but it turned out to be GREAT! I ran (20miles) of new scenery on a flat ground dirt/stone path while Matt biked, pulling the girls in a trailer. There was even a fantastic playground for the kids to entertain them before and after their bike ride. Afterwards, we sat on a little grass ledge overlooking the river and had a picnic together. It was a great family day...and the town of Little Boston was having their annual town yard sales so we even left with a few new treasures! We will be going back in two weeks when I run long again...can't wait!
I was in the minority there...most everyone was biking the trail. Somehow I came into conversation with an older man biking. He asked how far I was running (I was wearing a camelbak water supply which meant I was in for some distance). When I told him, he thought I was crazy. OPPORTUNITY? I think so! He biked my pace for the next 15 min while I got to share my entire story. I'll never know what he thought or if hearing it impacted him in any way but I like to think it did. After all, God works in mysterious ways and I am confident that He has bigger things to come out of this than just running and raising money but also touching souls and inspiring people to take action towards bettering their own physical and spiritual well-being.
"...that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ..." Colossians 4:3 ~That is exactly what He did on July 16, 2011!
I was in the minority there...most everyone was biking the trail. Somehow I came into conversation with an older man biking. He asked how far I was running (I was wearing a camelbak water supply which meant I was in for some distance). When I told him, he thought I was crazy. OPPORTUNITY? I think so! He biked my pace for the next 15 min while I got to share my entire story. I'll never know what he thought or if hearing it impacted him in any way but I like to think it did. After all, God works in mysterious ways and I am confident that He has bigger things to come out of this than just running and raising money but also touching souls and inspiring people to take action towards bettering their own physical and spiritual well-being.
"...that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ..." Colossians 4:3 ~That is exactly what He did on July 16, 2011!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Completion Takes Commitment
I want to send a sincere THANK YOU to all of you that have chosen to support this mission thus far. I have received sponsorship from a good number of people and have raised a decent amount of money for Speed the Light to purchase a vehicle for Bettina Weaver. I do, however, still have many miles that are open and waiting for someone to lay claim to them :) I KNOW I am supposed to be doing this but when my body is aching and I have no time for life, frustrations set in.
Pastor Nick Poole came to preach at Incline this past Wednesday. "Completion takes Commitment" was his message (that wasn't the actual title but that's what I got out of it). He caught my attention when he used running as an analogy. He said, "you cannot run a marathon without being totally committed. If you aren't, you will not succeed." I knew going into this I was looking at a big commitment and this just reminded me. I am committed! No matter how how frustrated I may get, I will complete this because I have made the commitment to not only God but also all of the people that have sponsored me.
Pastor Nick had so many good points Wednesday night. If you want to be complete in life do not look for happiness in things and people. You will never find it. Only through Christ will you find complete fullness of life. Pursuing that life with Christ takes commitment..just like any human relationship. For it to be successful, you must be fully committed on all levels.
The Bible says, "For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 Pastor Nick said, "all of your life pursuits will be empty if not completed with Christ." Basically, this is all saying that it is only through life with Christ that we will find true happiness and feelings of completion in life and see God's great plans for our life unfold. God wants good things for all of us..joy and hope are among those things. Well, I don't know about you but that is something I do not want to miss out on!!!! Therefore, I will continue to train for this race, despite any frustration that may rise and complete the task that has been set before me.
Philippians 3:13B-14 "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has call me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
"Forgetting what is behind"- my pained body and frustrations
"Straining toward what is ahead"- 2 more months of training
"I press on toward the goal for which God has called me"- running a marathon to benefit Bettina Weaver
"Heavenward in Christ Jesus"- through Him this WILL be completed and in the process I will be drawn in deeper relationship with my savior and will hopefully draw others to Him as well!
Pastor Nick Poole came to preach at Incline this past Wednesday. "Completion takes Commitment" was his message (that wasn't the actual title but that's what I got out of it). He caught my attention when he used running as an analogy. He said, "you cannot run a marathon without being totally committed. If you aren't, you will not succeed." I knew going into this I was looking at a big commitment and this just reminded me. I am committed! No matter how how frustrated I may get, I will complete this because I have made the commitment to not only God but also all of the people that have sponsored me.
Pastor Nick had so many good points Wednesday night. If you want to be complete in life do not look for happiness in things and people. You will never find it. Only through Christ will you find complete fullness of life. Pursuing that life with Christ takes commitment..just like any human relationship. For it to be successful, you must be fully committed on all levels.
The Bible says, "For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 Pastor Nick said, "all of your life pursuits will be empty if not completed with Christ." Basically, this is all saying that it is only through life with Christ that we will find true happiness and feelings of completion in life and see God's great plans for our life unfold. God wants good things for all of us..joy and hope are among those things. Well, I don't know about you but that is something I do not want to miss out on!!!! Therefore, I will continue to train for this race, despite any frustration that may rise and complete the task that has been set before me.
Philippians 3:13B-14 "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has call me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
"Forgetting what is behind"- my pained body and frustrations
"Straining toward what is ahead"- 2 more months of training
"I press on toward the goal for which God has called me"- running a marathon to benefit Bettina Weaver
"Heavenward in Christ Jesus"- through Him this WILL be completed and in the process I will be drawn in deeper relationship with my savior and will hopefully draw others to Him as well!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Noxious Stimuli
Skunks...and more skunks...
Last Friday when I was out trying to enjoy some fresh air in the park I came across nothing but that oh so familiar and unpleasant smell of the skunk. I tried to be tough and pretend like I could not smell them but their stench was overwhelming and I found myself focusing on that instead of what my real purpose was that morning. They were everywhere...dead and alive...seen and unseen. First was the roadkill skunk...who's odor will be ground into the road for the next couple of weeks, and of course the heat and humidity just make his unpleasantness linger longer. I don't know why in the world the park people have not removed his carcass, causing me to suffer every time I'm there. Then there was the unseen but so very potent, nose-hair-singeing skunk. His eye watering smell spread a great distance. Hoping the smell would have vanished on my next pass through that area, I was sadly disappointed it had not as I was forced to endure it yet again. Torture. Then there was the alive-right-there-in-front-of-me-skunk! He did not smell. He was just happily poking around some weeds. I tried to find beauty in this little guy as he was not causing my sense of smell great distress but I just could not...given this was my third encounter that morning. In this case, I just felt lucky that I saw him on the side of trail BEFORE I became his stink target! Let me tell you, I turned around faster than you can blink and doubled my pace to escape..thinking what a close call that was!
Once I settled myself and came back into focus I began to think about how a skunk is such noxious (toxic, corrupting, harmful, deadly) stimuli to our nose. I takes all focus away, causing you to think only about how bad the smell is and how quickly you can get away. Just as a skunk is noxious to us, our sins are even more noxious to our soul and to God. Lucky for us skunk smell is only temporary and we really don't have to do much to escape it except wait it out. Unfortunately, we are not so lucky with sin. Sin is stuck inside of us, eating away at our heart and soul, slowly destroying our lives and our relationships with those around us and even worse, destroying our relationship with Jesus. Sin will not just go away with time. I cannot assume, "that was a long time ago and I'm sure God has forgiven me, I'm different now." No-sir..It is not that easy! We must confess to Jesus that wrong-doing, that sin, no matter how deeply and for how long we have filed it away. Jesus wants to have a beautiful, open, pleasantly fragrant relationship with us. So..face the sin in your life head-on, confess to your Lord and Savior, and be forgiven. You will feel an amazing weight lifted off your shoulders. You will no longer be causing noxious spiritual odor to cloud your heart and relationship your with Jesus.
1 John 3:4-5 (NIV)
"Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins."
Romans 6:20-23 (NLT)
"When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
Last Friday when I was out trying to enjoy some fresh air in the park I came across nothing but that oh so familiar and unpleasant smell of the skunk. I tried to be tough and pretend like I could not smell them but their stench was overwhelming and I found myself focusing on that instead of what my real purpose was that morning. They were everywhere...dead and alive...seen and unseen. First was the roadkill skunk...who's odor will be ground into the road for the next couple of weeks, and of course the heat and humidity just make his unpleasantness linger longer. I don't know why in the world the park people have not removed his carcass, causing me to suffer every time I'm there. Then there was the unseen but so very potent, nose-hair-singeing skunk. His eye watering smell spread a great distance. Hoping the smell would have vanished on my next pass through that area, I was sadly disappointed it had not as I was forced to endure it yet again. Torture. Then there was the alive-right-there-in-front-of-me-skunk! He did not smell. He was just happily poking around some weeds. I tried to find beauty in this little guy as he was not causing my sense of smell great distress but I just could not...given this was my third encounter that morning. In this case, I just felt lucky that I saw him on the side of trail BEFORE I became his stink target! Let me tell you, I turned around faster than you can blink and doubled my pace to escape..thinking what a close call that was!
Once I settled myself and came back into focus I began to think about how a skunk is such noxious (toxic, corrupting, harmful, deadly) stimuli to our nose. I takes all focus away, causing you to think only about how bad the smell is and how quickly you can get away. Just as a skunk is noxious to us, our sins are even more noxious to our soul and to God. Lucky for us skunk smell is only temporary and we really don't have to do much to escape it except wait it out. Unfortunately, we are not so lucky with sin. Sin is stuck inside of us, eating away at our heart and soul, slowly destroying our lives and our relationships with those around us and even worse, destroying our relationship with Jesus. Sin will not just go away with time. I cannot assume, "that was a long time ago and I'm sure God has forgiven me, I'm different now." No-sir..It is not that easy! We must confess to Jesus that wrong-doing, that sin, no matter how deeply and for how long we have filed it away. Jesus wants to have a beautiful, open, pleasantly fragrant relationship with us. So..face the sin in your life head-on, confess to your Lord and Savior, and be forgiven. You will feel an amazing weight lifted off your shoulders. You will no longer be causing noxious spiritual odor to cloud your heart and relationship your with Jesus.
1 John 3:4-5 (NIV)
"Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins."
Romans 6:20-23 (NLT)
"When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
First sponsor..first mile!!
Yesterday was exciting! I received my first sponsor donation in the mail. I love how God used the first response to remind me He is in charge of this. It came from someone that I really did not expect to participate financially. I knew this person would be a fantastic prayer warrior for me during this process but I also know times are tough and they do not have any extra income. Not only was it the first response but they requested to sponsor the first mile! Yesterday's run was only 8 miles but for some reason it was mentally hard to complete. I now have a refreshed motivation and am really excited to get out there and complete the deed the Lord has placed in front of me. I know there will still be tough days but knowing my friends and family are behind me, supporting me means a lot and makes me want to work harder to not only complete the race but finish strong!
James 2:17
"...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
James 2:24
"You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone."
So THANK YOU to everyone that chooses to financially support this mission. For many giving financially is taking a step of faith in their own finances. Taking that step of faith is an action/deed that will not go unnoticed by our heavenly father.
James 2:17
"...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
James 2:24
"You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone."
So THANK YOU to everyone that chooses to financially support this mission. For many giving financially is taking a step of faith in their own finances. Taking that step of faith is an action/deed that will not go unnoticed by our heavenly father.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Sponsor Letter Is Done!!
I am so happy to share with all of you that I have finished my sponsor letter and started handing it out! I'm not really much of a writer...but it seems I've been doing a lot of it since the start of this. I have attached a copy of it for all of you to read. If you are reading this and do not receive a letter but would like to donate, please contact me and do so! I'm very excited to see where God is going to take this...after all, it was HIS idea!!
Dear family and friends,
Greetings! This letter is to inform you of and ask for your support in a challenge I have committed to.
I belong to Monroeville Assembly of God church and am a youth leader there for Incline Student Ministries, the church’s youth group. Our church, specifically Incline, supports an organization called “Speed the Light”(STL). STL supports missionaries around the world by providing them vehicles and sound equipment, enabling them to more effectively spread the good news of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our youth were challenged to raise $35,000 this year to purchase a vehicle for Bettina Weaver, a missionary in Myanmar, Africa. As a leader, I felt compelled to be an example and work“outside of the box” to contribute towards this seemingly insane monetary goal. Four months after we were initially presented with this goal, God spoke to me. He told me to run a marathon to benefit Bettina Weaver through Speed the Light. I was pretty sure, on many levels, that this was not possible. I spent the next 5 weeks in denial, actively ignoring all the signs of confirmation from God that I really was supposed to do this (and I was flooded with signs). You see, I really did not want to run a marathon. There was just nothing attractive to me about the thought of running over 26 miles. I learned over those 5 weeks that what was lacking was faith. I did not have enough faith to:
1) believe this was really something that came from God…because God doesn’t just talk to me like that.
2) believe this was actually something I could physically do…and live through.
3) believe that I could put in enough training hours and not lose too much time with Matt and my girls.
4) believe that I could find enough (very inexpensive) childcare all summer while I trained.
It all came down to one Sunday morning sermon. The congregation was handed an outline, on it was the word “marathon”, with a star beside it. I knew that was meant for me. It was the big flashing “this IS God talking sign” that I needed. Still deficient in faith, I would not commit…until the following day when I opened up a Runner’s World magazine to see the headline “Running on Faith.” At that point, I finally submitted to God’s will and registered for a marathon. Though I still struggle in confidence about the running part, I do get more and more excited every time my feet hit the pavement in training. I will be running the 26.2 miles on Sunday, September 18th at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pa!
There is a lot more to this story and if you would like to read it, I have started a blog to share with you this entire endeavor, from beginning to end. Please visit: http://runningonfaith-stl.blogspot.com
I am asking for you to prayerfully consider partnering with me in this challenge to benefit Bettina Weaver and her ability to spread God’s word to lost souls. My goal is to raise a minimum of $2600. That seems like a lot of money but it’s really only $100 per mile. I am not necessarily asking for that much from each of you. I am asking for you to give what you can, be it more or less. I want to show my Incline students that God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary things when done for Him.
I also ask for your prayer as I train for the big day and for Bettina Weaver and her mission in Myanmar. I would like to have every mile I run sponsored by someone, that’s 26 people. I want you to choose the specific mile you want to sponsor. I will have a list of all my sponsors and their mile with me on race day. In return, I commit to give you my prayers during that mile of the race. Prayer and running have come together as one for me and I can’t think of any better way to spend 26 miles on the road than to lift all of you up!
Thank You for your support!! Lisa Benton
“Running on Faith”
Marathon Sponsorship for Bettina Weaver through Speed the Light*Please make checks payable to: Monroeville Assembly of God
*Write in the memo: Speed the Light
Please indicate your first and second choice for which mile you prefer to sponsor, if you have a preference. I cannot guarantee you’ll get your preference, unless you return this quickly. J If I am, by some chance, fortunate enough to have more than 26 sponsors, I’ll double up sponsors on that mile. I’m really looking forward to taking you all to the Lord that day, so please send me your prayer requests! I run at least 30 miles/wk in training now so I’m even happy to lift up your requests now..send them my way..I have lots of time out there on the road!
Please feel free to contact me regarding any of this at any time! This is a family commitment in the Benton home and I want you to be completely comfortable with any commitments you make in support as well. Even if your prayer requests change over the course of the next couple months, please let me know!
Lisa Benton: lmding@msn.com
Friday, June 10, 2011
Power of Prayer
I don't even know how to start this post except to say...I serve an amazing God who has delivered me amazing friends and PRAYER WORKS! I belong to a group of young women at church and we call ourselves "MITS". I started attending MITS (moms in touch...at least I think that’s what it stands for...though I have no idea what the "S" means) five years ago. It has been through this church group that I have developed the closest friendships I could imagine. We joke because we are all VERY different in personality, only having in common that we are moms who all LOVE good food and God. We meet twice a month for breakfast, fellowship and devotion and this was a MITS day. We spent a lot of time talking about prayer today. Some of our group has laid some big prayer requests before God in the last several weeks and months. God has answered some prayers while others are still waiting to hear God speak to them. But, let me tell you.. there's just nothing better than receiving praise reports of answered prayers!!
Why am I writing about this you may wonder? Running and prayer have come to be something that go together like peanut butter and jelly for me (which, by the way, is one of my favorites). I spend a lot of time on the road and I'm out there because God has called me to run a marathon to benefit someone else. Running for Him is just that much better when I’m running with Him! Last weekend I was at Boyce Park running what was going to be a record distance and half way through my knees both started to hurt...and not just a little. I felt that I was going to have to cut my run down by about 6 miles. At the time, I was praying for some of my Incline students that were facing various issues and it hit me…”I’m spending a lot of time praying for everyone else, perhaps I should try praying for myself.” So, I did. I prayed for the Lord to take away the pain so that I could just get in a few more miles. Within the next mile, I was running pain free and completed that day’s training goal (16 miles)!! Was I amazed? Yes! You bet I was! I don’t know why but I am still in great awe every time I see prayers answered and miracles happen right before my eyes. God is so good and so faithful and so obviously real. He wants to hear our prayers and He wants to bless us by answering them…all He asks is that we are faithful to Him in loving and serving.
As I begin to collect sponsorship and donations for Bettina Weaver (through Speed the Light), I also begin to open up my email and phone to take prayer requests from all of you. I will be praying for all of my sponsors on marathon day but I don’t want it to be just a one day deal. I am spending hours out there every week and I want to take all of your prayer requests to the God that I KNOW still lives and works miracles today!
I do not want to post my phone number here since this is public but please email me at any time your needs! lmding@msn.com
Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Psalm 17:6 "I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer."
Why am I writing about this you may wonder? Running and prayer have come to be something that go together like peanut butter and jelly for me (which, by the way, is one of my favorites). I spend a lot of time on the road and I'm out there because God has called me to run a marathon to benefit someone else. Running for Him is just that much better when I’m running with Him! Last weekend I was at Boyce Park running what was going to be a record distance and half way through my knees both started to hurt...and not just a little. I felt that I was going to have to cut my run down by about 6 miles. At the time, I was praying for some of my Incline students that were facing various issues and it hit me…”I’m spending a lot of time praying for everyone else, perhaps I should try praying for myself.” So, I did. I prayed for the Lord to take away the pain so that I could just get in a few more miles. Within the next mile, I was running pain free and completed that day’s training goal (16 miles)!! Was I amazed? Yes! You bet I was! I don’t know why but I am still in great awe every time I see prayers answered and miracles happen right before my eyes. God is so good and so faithful and so obviously real. He wants to hear our prayers and He wants to bless us by answering them…all He asks is that we are faithful to Him in loving and serving.
As I begin to collect sponsorship and donations for Bettina Weaver (through Speed the Light), I also begin to open up my email and phone to take prayer requests from all of you. I will be praying for all of my sponsors on marathon day but I don’t want it to be just a one day deal. I am spending hours out there every week and I want to take all of your prayer requests to the God that I KNOW still lives and works miracles today!
I do not want to post my phone number here since this is public but please email me at any time your needs! lmding@msn.com
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
One Tough Run
I went for a 7 mile run this morning at 9am. Never did I think the HEAT and HUMIDITY would be so bad at that time of day. I really did not think I'd be able to complete my goal. In my mind, all I did was whine and complain and think about quitting early. It was soooo hard! Seriously, running twice that distance was easier just because it wasn't so hot. Then, I thought, "well...I am running this for God...I'm out here miserable and sweating my brains out for Him...maybe praying for strength will help me finish". So I did..and I did!
It is so easy to forget to lean on God for even the simplest things. He is ALWAYS there for us..in ALL of our weaknesses. One of my Incline youth kids wrote a verse on Facebook this morning and it stuck with me..thank you Danny :-)
Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Here's a little story for your amusement ;-)
I thought running in the sun was near impossible so I decided to run down the road instead since it was all shade. I was attacked!!! The bugs were sooo bad that I had to abort that route asap and go back to the sun! I must have looked hilarious running, ducking, weaving, speeding up, slowing down, and flailing my arms around to get the bugs and bees away from me. All I could think was, either I smell like roadkill and they want to feast on me or they know something I don't and I'm about to BE roadkill, passed out from the heat and they want first dibs on my carcass. I'll be investing in some very strong bug spray very soon!
It is so easy to forget to lean on God for even the simplest things. He is ALWAYS there for us..in ALL of our weaknesses. One of my Incline youth kids wrote a verse on Facebook this morning and it stuck with me..thank you Danny :-)
Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Here's a little story for your amusement ;-)
I thought running in the sun was near impossible so I decided to run down the road instead since it was all shade. I was attacked!!! The bugs were sooo bad that I had to abort that route asap and go back to the sun! I must have looked hilarious running, ducking, weaving, speeding up, slowing down, and flailing my arms around to get the bugs and bees away from me. All I could think was, either I smell like roadkill and they want to feast on me or they know something I don't and I'm about to BE roadkill, passed out from the heat and they want first dibs on my carcass. I'll be investing in some very strong bug spray very soon!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Boyce Park
I do most of my running in Boyce Park because it's almost in my backyard. I wanted to share with you some pictures of my favorite Boyce scenery. Well, this is my favorite scenery minus all the trails I run when the weather is more dry. At the rate this spring is going, it's going to be a very long time before I see the woods!
I am fortunate to have such a great place to do all this training and thank God every day for the fantastic supportive family I have to come home to after each run!
Join me as I take you on a short tour of "my training turf".
 |
| The entrance to the park. |
 |
| River that runs through the park. I see it when I run along Pierson Run Road. |
 |
| Deer. The fact that I actually got a picture of them inspired me to take pictues and make this post. |
 |
| This big hill is along side the big hill that I dread running up. I thought it was so pretty with the fog and sky that morning. |
 |
| This is the Boyce ski area. I watched many skiers take to these hills throughout my winter running. |
 |
| An access road for the park maintanance and police vehicles. Pretty scenery. |
 |
| Beginning of the trail named "Silver Beaver". I'll always wonder how it got it's name. Love this trail...it's half paved and half gravel so I can run it during wet weather. |
 |
| At the top of another hill. |
 |
| Pretty tree on a hill. I like to imagine myself sitting at that picnic table with nothing to do :) haha, that day will neverrrr come |
 |
| The log cabin on Pierson Run Road. |
 |
| Of course the best scenery of all is at home. My family!! This is what I came home to after that particular picture taking run. Left to right: Cocoa, Meredith, Matt, Caroline |
I am fortunate to have such a great place to do all this training and thank God every day for the fantastic supportive family I have to come home to after each run!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
New Life
In Pennsylvania, each season is so distinct. Hot sun and lots of fun in the summer, beautiful gold and crimson leaves in the fall, cold snow and ice during the winter, and finally comes the fresh color and fragrance of spring. I started running last summer so I've officially now run through all of nature's seasonal elements. Today, I am going to focus on spring.
As I was approaching the top of a hill during an early morning run last week, I noticed the beauty of the new life that sprouts up each spring in a way I never had before. There were tiny blades of grass and weeds pushing their way up through the weight of the old heavy wet leaves left behind from last year. Overlooking a large field and forest, the hilltop was breathtaking, as varying shades of bright green began to grow. Even the WEEDS displayed beauty to me that day.
God spoke to me that morning through all the tiny bright green buds and blades about newness of life. Nature rests each year as it lies dormant through the bitter cold winter and each spring it gets the opportunity to start over with a new life. My thought was, how fortunate are we that we do not have to go through the same annual cycle?!?!
(As always, God's timing is perfect! He inspired this blog post as Easter was approaching.)
Chist died once for us so that we may walk in newness of life with Him forever. Meaning, because of his great sacrifice on the cross, we only have to die to our sins once in order to live in his glory forever.
Really! How ridiculously amazing is it that He died for US...washing away ALL of our sins (no matter how big or small in our eyes) with His blood shed on the cross so that we can start over!!! Seriously, I cannot even conceptualize that kind of love!
Romans 5:8 "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
We are a world of sinners, and yet despite that, He still gave His life for us anyway!
Does that make us lucky? No, that makes us blessed!
Now, think of yourself as a weed...if winter never came. When you accept Jesus Christ into your life, the seed is planted in your heart. God's word and love is like your sun and water. When you spend time in it, you start to grow and your growth is directly proportional to how much time and effort you put into soaking up these vital elements necessary to support this new life.
If you are a weed in my garden, you are likely to get pulled out and cut back from time to time, and if I get really mad at your growth, I'll use chemicals. That would be the world/devil trying to tear you down and rip this new life away from you. Anyone that's pulled weeds knows how hard it is to get the root out. In my gardens, the roots always remain and two weeks later, I'm pulling the same weed. When you root yourself in Jesus, you are rooting yourself forever, like my weeds. No matter how often the enemy tries to destroy you, Jesus will always be there to build you back up and/or forgive you.
By the end of summer, my weeds always win. Eventually, I get tired of trying...they have won victory over me. You can be that victorious weed, growing taller and stronger, rooting yourself deeper and deeper in your relationship with Christ until nothing can tear you down.
There's a song that I want to share with you. It is a very special song for me. My husband and I were privileged to be used by God one fall to help bring a teenager to Christ. When we entered worship after, this song was being sang by a room full of teenagers. To me, it signifies the moment Christ won victory over a special young life! There is no greater feeling as a youth leader!
The lyrics (and I'll try to attach the actual song- please listen!!)
Hallelujah, You have won the victory
Hallelujah, You have won it all for me
Death could not hold you down
You are the risen king
Seated in majesty
You are the risen king
Hallelujah, You have won the victory
Hallelujah, You have won it all for me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkAREE-h2Dc&feature=related
It is my prayer that this Easter we can all take a step back from our busy lives and remember what an exponentially amazing sacrifice was made on our behalf so that we can live forgiven of our sins...dwelling in his love and mercy forever.
Ephesians 3:17b-19
"...I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
As I was approaching the top of a hill during an early morning run last week, I noticed the beauty of the new life that sprouts up each spring in a way I never had before. There were tiny blades of grass and weeds pushing their way up through the weight of the old heavy wet leaves left behind from last year. Overlooking a large field and forest, the hilltop was breathtaking, as varying shades of bright green began to grow. Even the WEEDS displayed beauty to me that day.
God spoke to me that morning through all the tiny bright green buds and blades about newness of life. Nature rests each year as it lies dormant through the bitter cold winter and each spring it gets the opportunity to start over with a new life. My thought was, how fortunate are we that we do not have to go through the same annual cycle?!?!
(As always, God's timing is perfect! He inspired this blog post as Easter was approaching.)
Chist died once for us so that we may walk in newness of life with Him forever. Meaning, because of his great sacrifice on the cross, we only have to die to our sins once in order to live in his glory forever.
Really! How ridiculously amazing is it that He died for US...washing away ALL of our sins (no matter how big or small in our eyes) with His blood shed on the cross so that we can start over!!! Seriously, I cannot even conceptualize that kind of love!
Romans 5:8 "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
We are a world of sinners, and yet despite that, He still gave His life for us anyway!
Does that make us lucky? No, that makes us blessed!
Now, think of yourself as a weed...if winter never came. When you accept Jesus Christ into your life, the seed is planted in your heart. God's word and love is like your sun and water. When you spend time in it, you start to grow and your growth is directly proportional to how much time and effort you put into soaking up these vital elements necessary to support this new life.
If you are a weed in my garden, you are likely to get pulled out and cut back from time to time, and if I get really mad at your growth, I'll use chemicals. That would be the world/devil trying to tear you down and rip this new life away from you. Anyone that's pulled weeds knows how hard it is to get the root out. In my gardens, the roots always remain and two weeks later, I'm pulling the same weed. When you root yourself in Jesus, you are rooting yourself forever, like my weeds. No matter how often the enemy tries to destroy you, Jesus will always be there to build you back up and/or forgive you.
By the end of summer, my weeds always win. Eventually, I get tired of trying...they have won victory over me. You can be that victorious weed, growing taller and stronger, rooting yourself deeper and deeper in your relationship with Christ until nothing can tear you down.
There's a song that I want to share with you. It is a very special song for me. My husband and I were privileged to be used by God one fall to help bring a teenager to Christ. When we entered worship after, this song was being sang by a room full of teenagers. To me, it signifies the moment Christ won victory over a special young life! There is no greater feeling as a youth leader!
The lyrics (and I'll try to attach the actual song- please listen!!)
Hallelujah, You have won the victory
Hallelujah, You have won it all for me
Death could not hold you down
You are the risen king
Seated in majesty
You are the risen king
Hallelujah, You have won the victory
Hallelujah, You have won it all for me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkAREE-h2Dc&feature=related
It is my prayer that this Easter we can all take a step back from our busy lives and remember what an exponentially amazing sacrifice was made on our behalf so that we can live forgiven of our sins...dwelling in his love and mercy forever.
Ephesians 3:17b-19
"...I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Turbulence
Who remembers the weather last Saturday? Let me refresh your memory....wind, rain, and more wind. All week I had been planning a long practice run of 15 miles to take place Saturday morning. This was going to be my first time at that distance and I was excited. However, as the week progressed and the predicted forecast grew more and more dismal, my anticipation grew increasingly weak.
I woke up at 5:45am Saturday to rain and wind...but at least it was 47 degrees outside! Hey, I like to look on the bright side of things :) I was reluctant to go out but Matt said, "just go, it'll be good practice and you'll be glad you did." My reply, "well, I guess even if I only get 6 miles in, that's better than nothing." He confidently said, "you'll do it all." I'm pretty sure I quietly thought, "yeah, whatever."
Driving to the park, I had my wipers on low (there was too much rain for even the intermittent setting)...ugh! To my surprise, on a day when 100% chance of rain was called for, it stopped raining when I stepped out of the car...so off I ran. I managed to log all 15 miles and remained dry. (I am certain that was a God given blessing because 15 minutes after I got home it poured!) The WIND, however, was another whole story! I have run in windy conditions before but not like this! The whole time I was out there, all I kept thinking was..."push through the turbulent times." Of course, this was with dual interpretation- physical and spiritual.
Physically, I was straining my body to push through crazy gusts of wind. They were not constant but when they came, they came in full force! I refused to back down. I kept thinking, "I'm running in this ugliness for a reason. God told me to do this. He sacrificed His son through a brutal and deadly beating and crucifixion so that I can know and have the love of Jesus living in me FOREVER. The least I can do is train through a couple hours of insane wind towards a goal that was God given to begin with."
Just as the wind was in my face, trying to tear me down physically, satan is always in our face trying to tear us down in whatever way he can. What is important is how we respond to the troubling times. Do you complain and run away or do you face it head on, knowing Jesus is on your side armed and ready to help you persevere? The Bible says that even as believers we will encounter trouble. Again, what is important is what you do when these tough times consume us. Scripture clearly shows God's promise to be there for us if we just seek and trust Him.
John 16:33 Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have
overcome the world."
James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Proverbs 11:8 The righteous person is rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead. (Sounds like a good deal to me...who can refuse that.)
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
I could not have completed that run if I had not trusted in the Lord that He would help me finish. I hope that next time you encounter turbulence in your life, these verses will remind you that He who gave you life now and forever will ALWAYS be there for you!! His love never fails and never ends!
I woke up at 5:45am Saturday to rain and wind...but at least it was 47 degrees outside! Hey, I like to look on the bright side of things :) I was reluctant to go out but Matt said, "just go, it'll be good practice and you'll be glad you did." My reply, "well, I guess even if I only get 6 miles in, that's better than nothing." He confidently said, "you'll do it all." I'm pretty sure I quietly thought, "yeah, whatever."
Driving to the park, I had my wipers on low (there was too much rain for even the intermittent setting)...ugh! To my surprise, on a day when 100% chance of rain was called for, it stopped raining when I stepped out of the car...so off I ran. I managed to log all 15 miles and remained dry. (I am certain that was a God given blessing because 15 minutes after I got home it poured!) The WIND, however, was another whole story! I have run in windy conditions before but not like this! The whole time I was out there, all I kept thinking was..."push through the turbulent times." Of course, this was with dual interpretation- physical and spiritual.
Physically, I was straining my body to push through crazy gusts of wind. They were not constant but when they came, they came in full force! I refused to back down. I kept thinking, "I'm running in this ugliness for a reason. God told me to do this. He sacrificed His son through a brutal and deadly beating and crucifixion so that I can know and have the love of Jesus living in me FOREVER. The least I can do is train through a couple hours of insane wind towards a goal that was God given to begin with."
Just as the wind was in my face, trying to tear me down physically, satan is always in our face trying to tear us down in whatever way he can. What is important is how we respond to the troubling times. Do you complain and run away or do you face it head on, knowing Jesus is on your side armed and ready to help you persevere? The Bible says that even as believers we will encounter trouble. Again, what is important is what you do when these tough times consume us. Scripture clearly shows God's promise to be there for us if we just seek and trust Him.
John 16:33 Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have
overcome the world."
James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Proverbs 11:8 The righteous person is rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead. (Sounds like a good deal to me...who can refuse that.)
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
I could not have completed that run if I had not trusted in the Lord that He would help me finish. I hope that next time you encounter turbulence in your life, these verses will remind you that He who gave you life now and forever will ALWAYS be there for you!! His love never fails and never ends!
Friday, April 8, 2011
A Challenge From Above
This is how it began.....
Last year Incline student ministries (the youth group of Monroeville Assembly of God church) held its annual box-a-thon, an event for the teenagers to raise money for Speed the Light (STL). Speed the Light is an organization that supports missionaries around the world by helping to purchase vehicles, electrical, audio/visual equipment, etc to help them more effectively spread the good news of our savior Jesus Christ to others who would not otherwise have to opportunity hear the good news. Our youth pastor (Pastor Anthony) challenged our teenagers to think outside the box and use their interests and talents to raise an absurd amount of money in the year 2011. He challenged them to raise $35,000 to buy a vehicle for Bettina Weaver, a missionary to Myanmar (Burma). My brief research leads me to believe she's also a nurse (as am I).
At the time, I thought his goal was ridiculous. Although, as much as I wanted to just dismiss it, something inside me felt compelled to be an example to our teenagers and do something outside of my comfort zone to help reach this goal...to show the kids that even as a youth leader (which is my role in Incline) I care and will do my part. Of course, that was late October 2010 and after several months, I had done nothing.
February 26, 2011, very early in the morning, I was praying before my first big race (running 10 miles) and I felt like God interrupted that prayer and told me to run a full marathon for STL. I told my husband (Matt) about it that morning but still couldn't say for sure it was really God talking or just my pre-race excitement that morning...I mean, let's face it...God just doesn't typically talk to me like that.
I ran that race (beating my goal by 3.5 minutes) and went about life. I was really doubting that God actually talked to ME. I expected the idea to die down and that would be the end of it. I really had no desire to run 26.2 miles! Seriously, I had just done 10 and that was hard enough!
As the next several weeks unfolded, the opposite of my expectations ensued. Instead of my thoughts about the idea fizzling away, they continued to build! I was constantly thinking about it and getting more excited. I was not getting excited about actually running such an absurd distance but about WHY I wanted to do it.
I continued to fight internally about this, just thinking..."God doesn't talk to me like this..it couldn't possibly have been from him..I'm crazy to think I can actually run a marathon..but yet I keep getting small signs that this is all God..." I literally spent the next 4 weeks looking for reasons not to do this and finding nothing but reasons to do it!
Why is it that I consider myself a christian, a believer in and lover of Jesus, but when he talks to me, I don't believe it's really Him? Or that when He tells me to do something, I ignore it because "God doen't talk to me like that?" During that month Pastor Anthony had been teaching our Incline students about Elijah and how he had miraculous faith. It was pretty clear that I thought I had faith but when it was challenged, I saw that my faith was really pretty poor. I didn't have enough faith in God to:
1) believe this was really something from God
2) believe this was something I could actually physically do (and live through even though my good friend Nicole tried to convince me otherwise)
3) believe that I could put in enough training hours and not take to much time away from my family (I have two little girls)
4) believe I could find enough (very inexpensive) childcare for my girls all summer while I trained
One Friday night at my Incline lil' group (small groups for the teenagers), we (mostly the kids) were talking about their faith and sharing stories about God being there to help them and giving them answers when they seeked...how their faith has helped them in the hardest of times. It was eye opening to see that my teenagers (well, some of them) had more faith than me- one of their youth leaders. I felt compelled to share my whole situation but didn't want to because I still wasn't sure I would actually follow through. Well, my good friend, Merissa, made me! Merissa was our lil' group leader/teacher....and a very good/insightful teacher, by the way! (You can access her blog by clicking on the link above.)
Reluctantly, I shared my story up to this point.
Two days later we were driving to church and I said to Matt, "just watch, there will be some little thing someone does or says this morning that will be God throwing this in my face again." Well, it was more than some little thing! The sermon outline was handed out and on the paper our pastor (Lance Lecocq) had the word "marathon" written with a star next to it. My thought, "Thanks God, it doesn't get more clear than that but, I still do not want to run 26 miles..." That morning after church, I read my note sheet from the sermon. It said...
> you are not alone
> there is victory in endurance
> when the going gets tough, the tough get growing
> perserverence creates hope
> you only lose if you quit
> don't focus on what is happening to you, but on what God is doing in you
At this point, I was 100% sure that God wanted this and I just have to have faith that He will work out the details. So, did I turn on the computer and sign up for a race? NO.
I am very blessed by the husband God chose for me. I cannot tell you how many times Matt said to me, "you have my full support to do this." That really meant a lot to me but it still didn't convince me to commit.
Two days later, I took a Runner's World magazine to work thinking, "maybe this will be the one day all year that I have a few extra minutes to read a magazine." Well, I actually had 30 min at the end of my shift so I opened the magazine. The first headline I saw read "Running on Faith" and it was referencing Christians and church congregations running together.
"OK, I GET IT...I WILL DO IT...GOD, THIS IS CLEARLY YOU...I GIVE IN!!"
The next morning I officially registered for a marathon on September 18th at Presque Isle (a place where I spent a large amount of time growing up, especially during college). I never felt such a weight lifted of my shoulders as I did when I finally obeyed my God and signed up.
Both Matt and Merissa told me, "you will likely regret it forever if you do not do this but you will never regret being obedient." I know that is completely true.
God didn't stop there. He knows me better than any other and knew that one more sign of affirmation might be a good idea. That night at our Incline service, the very first thing I heard Pastor Anthony say (after I stopped talking and turned on my ears) was, "...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" from Hebrews 12:1. WOW!! God is so amazing! Now I know that I know I am doing what God has commanded...and I'm excited about it!
More details will come later on exactly how I plan to raise money to support Bettina Weaver and STL, however with just a few suggestions from my good friend, Nicole, I've got a good platform of ideas to build from. Nicole was the first person to introduce me to running (she's a hardcore runner) and is an inspiration to me and I am very blessed to have her along side me during this whole experience!
I plan to use this blog to serve multiple purposes:
1) to record my strengths, weaknesses, feelings, challenges and triumphs...both physically and spiritually as I train and work towards this God-sized goal.
2) to keep you updated on the fundraising aspect of this and the specific missionary we are supporting
3) to reach others that may be lost, not knowing Jesus as their Savior, or just struggling in their own faith
Hopefully all of you reading this will see that an ordinary person can do extraordinary things through the power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Scripture:
~ "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Phillipians 4:13
~ "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1~ "..let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1b
Our Incline motto:
~ "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13b-14
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)