My JourKNEE Back

Has anyone ever told you that God loves you? Well, He really does! What emotions does that bring up inside of you? What questions do you start to ponder when you hear that there is a Creator who made you and loves you? Do you even believe such a Creator exists? One who was, who is, and forever more will be. I was reminded this week how quickly life as we know it can change. How one report from the doctor can turn your entire world upside down. How one unwise decision can change the trajectory of your life path for years to come. How one time of taking the easy way out can actually, over time, make your life harder. How, in an instant, it can end unexpectedly. Someone that is technically not family but has become like family for the past 23 years has been told they only have months to live. My heart was immediately heavy and convicted. Have I ever talked to this person about Jesus? My thoughts led to others that I come in contact with on a regular basis. Sure, they may know that I go to...

I think a fault of mine is that I am sometimes too honest. Not every negative thought about myself needs to be spoken. Sometimes, the reason I do it, is that it feels like it helps to prep those around me in case things don't go well. For instance, now that I said "yes" to joining the 4-person relay team (see last week's post), the training has begun. A group chat has been initiated between the four of us. It was suggested we do a run together sometime in the fall. My response was "anxious thoughts creep in when you mention a group run (because of my slowness) BUT I think it would be awesome to meet you all and connect more before the race so I'm in!". Did I need to add the part about me being anxious when I really do love the idea? I think it will be helpful to get to know the others in the group, two of whom I've never met, before race day. Subconsciously, by adding that I'm already feeling anxious, if the run doesn't go well when we do me...

I had my response typed out, ready to hit "send," but instead I sat there with a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. I really want to say "yes," but I'm also scared so maybe I should say "no?" Back and forth, yes and no battled in my head.  Finally, I said to myself, "Take the first step, make a decision, and you will feel better either way." I locked in my "yes" response and sent it. I have been asked for the past two years whether I would like to participate in a 4-person relay run to raise money to dig wells so villages in countries such as Uganda, Guatemala and South Asia could have clean water closer to home. I declined both years but now I was being asked again, for the third year in a row. Like I stated previously, I really wanted to say yes but I was scared.  The leg of my race would be five miles. I wasn't afraid that I could complete the distance. My hesitancy came from a place of a real fear of being the last pe...

My daughter and I picked up fast food and took it to the park tonight. As we sat there, it began to rain. We sat in silence and listened to the sound of the rain hitting the roof, the paved asphalt path and dripping into the puddles. It was beautiful and relaxing. I began to think about how nice it is to simply sit in silence. Silence can speak volumes.  Sometimes you're silent for the simple fact that you have nothing to say. I almost skipped this week's blog because I didn't have any ideas jumping out at me. It was a busier week, and I didn't take time to sit in silence with my own thoughts. There wasn't anything particular noteworthy that stood out.  Sometimes you're silent because you're afraid to say something you can't take back. I've been asked for the past two years to participate in a relay race. Even though I said I would give an answer this week, I have yet to respond because I am afraid to commit. I get anxious thinking about it, but then...

M ost Christians would have heard the phrase, "You're too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good." I know what that quote is implying at face value. I do think we can become too inwardly focused trying to improve ourselves to be more Christ-like that we end up being of little help to those around us. However, I venture to ask the question, "If our focus isn't on heaven, can we be of any good here on earth?" I think a lot of Christians have lost the proper reverence we should feel toward God, the Creator and Savior of this universe. I believe it trickles down from our church leaders who have tried to incorporate fun programs into the church to become a "church for the unchurched." Where messages of love are preached and the harder topics of sinfulness go unwilling to be addressed.  While God IS love and He " so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3...

My family enjoyed a lovely week away. We started north, spending the night in Springfield, Massachusetts then continued north to spend three days in Bar Harbor, Maine. As the week came to an end, we began to make our way south, toward home, stopping for two nights in Newport, Rhode Island. I had intentions of running at least twice throughout the course of the week and told "J" and "K" to check in with me for accountability. Even after all the thinking ahead, I returned home having done a lot of walking, but did not get a single run in.  This is why, after twelve years of running, I have a hard time thinking of myself as a runner. Committed runners would have gotten their runs in no matter what. They would have looked forward to running somewhere new. They, at least, would have made time to use the hotel treadmill. I didn't feel safe in certain neighborhoods, and I was not familiar with the roads and if there were shoulders or sidewalks to safely run on. Being i...