Plug

It's one of those Sunday's when we had to stay home from church because of sickness.  I wanted to give a plug for our Children's Ministry resources our church offers online.  You can find it here.  You can go view songs they are singing in KidzJam, see the previous weeks Sunday school lesson, and even has follow-up questions to use during the week.  Since we stayed home we had our own little "church" service using these resources.  Isabel kept correcting me that I was doing things in the wrong order.  i.e. first we play mom, then we have our story, then we go to kidzjam, then, etc.  Nor do I do the correct actions for the songs.  I'll have to work on those.:)  I was thankful for the resources and maybe they are something you can use sometime too.

holding on

Can't bring myself to correct my girls that chapstick isn't "chopstick." 

It clicked

All it took was an afternoon in a parking lot.  She just gets on and goes now without help.  Proud of her!

Toofers

There's those toofers that caused us a few sleepless nights...pretty cute though.

Lessons learned

Isabel wearing my running shoes

Wow, I can't believe my 13.1 mile race (half-marathon) is almost here!  I REALLY can't believe that I'm actually doing this!!!  I can't believe how far I have come!  And trust me, it has not been on my own doing!  I have had SO many friends and family encourage me along the way!  I am SO incredibly grateful for that!!!  I have learned so many things about running I never knew.  Here are a few lessons I learned, in case you are as crazy as me and decide to run one one day.

1. You can do it!  I couldn't run half a mile when I started training, but because of a good training plan, and encouragement from others.  My "short" runs are now 4 miles!    

2.  Yes, there are training plans.  You can find all different ones online.  Mine is for a "beginner" runner. 

3. You have to have good shoes!  So thankful for my friend Jen (an expert in running shoes) who took time to go with me and find a pair that was just right for my type of feet.  I now know I have wide feet.:)  There are also special ways you can tie your shoes.  Like if it slips off your heal you can tie it a certain way so it doesn't.  I always wondered what those extra shoe lace holes were for.  

4.  You have to have special socks, well non-cotton socks.  If you have cotton socks you will get blisters.

5.  You might lose a toe nail!  I have not thus far and quite frankly I was scared to pieces when I learned this, but yes, it's all a part of the ride.

6.  They make this stuff called Gu (or Blocks, or Jelly Beans) that you can take on long runs (like over 6 miles) that give you extra energy.  I had no idea this stuff even existed, but boy am I thankful for it.

7.  It's better to mix your Gatorade with water, like half n half.  Too much gatorade can make your system not quite right.

8.  When you start you want to get towards the front of the race, even if you aren't as fast as some of the runners up front.  Otherwise your first mile might be like 25 min. until the crowd breaks up.

9.  Always go to the bathroom before leaving to run!

10.  An ipod is a great investment!  It can track your runs and you can listen to great music (or sermons) as I do.

11.  Training takes time.  If you don't have a lot of time and you want to run, train for a shorter race.

12. Carb up, especially before a long run.

13. Run for a cause.  Whenever I feel like quitting I remember in a small way I'm helping the people of Haiti.

I'm sure there are MANY more lessons I have learned, and am going to learn in the next few weeks!

One of my best moments happened this past weekend as I finished my long run for the week (11 miles), which by the way is a really long time to run!  When I got back to my car I found this note on my dash!  I had been thinking while I was running how awesome it would be if my husband and kids drove by to cheer me on.  Well, come to find out, they tried to do that but couldn't find me.  I had told him my route (which I always do), except for one part that I added, which was where I was when they were looking for me.  It meant a lot just to know they were going to though!  Then when I did get back to my car I found the note below on the dash of my car!  I burst into tears!  It was so encouraging and meant a lot!!!  Yea, I love them!!!  Thank you to all my friends who have been so encouraging to me!

Real Worship

Our pastor just started new sermon series entitled Real Worship.  His first sermon in the series was great!  I think it summed up what I've been learning over the past several months on my own, and so it was meaningful to me.  I wanted to post a few thoughts and quotes from the sermon notes about it here not only for myself, but also to be able to share it with others. 

"God-focused worship connects us to the glory of God - which is our ultimate purpose for living."

One of my favorite statements he made was, "It's not a zip code problem."  I can't tell you how many times I've had that mentality.  If only we moved or lived in a different place, I wouldn't be facing these problems.  However, our problems are not circumstantial problems, and they aren't going to change if we move to another city.  Our real problem is a worship problem, remembering that we were created for God's glory, in whatever circumstance we are in.  We were made for something bigger.  Everything is about God and not US.  We need to be content with where God has us. 

"Living for yourself and grasping for what you think just might satisfy you in this life is one of the most miserable ways you could ever live.  Because of sin, we tend to DWARF God, and MAGNIFY our problems, and other people."

God is so much bigger!

The real world is about the glory of God, something beyond this world.  "Every time you leave a worship service or a small group meeting or finish your own time of prayer and Bible reading - you need to understand that you just tapped into the REAL world - and are now heading back into the world of deceptions and lies."   

God focused worship helps us lay aside those sins that are so dear to us.  If we want to be like Jesus we need to continue to delight in him. 

To listen or watch the sermon on Real Worship go here.  It will be worth it!

down time

It's always nice to have some down time, especially as a family.  This past weekend we did just that and had a little getaway for an evening to one of our favorite getaway destinations.  There is really way too much stuff a family of 5 has to pack for just one night away, never the less, it was worth it all.  We relaxed, ate yummy food, enjoyed fellowship with some good friends, shopped, and swam (a lot).

More Easter

He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!

What a lovely church service we had!  So very proud of my husband, and all the work he put in to make everything work as it needed to.  I love his heart and the fact that his one prayer was that his role in everything would not be a distraction to the message of Christ & the gospel, and I think he accomplished just that, along with many volunteers who he was so thankful for! 

We enjoyed fellowship after church with my parents & our dear friends!  A delicious dinner, fun Easter egg hunt, and time at the park. 

So grateful for where God has us, probably something I don't say enough! 

 

 

 

 

 

Kindergarten...really???

I remember when we first moved to KY.  I don't think I was working yet.  We were living in our first apartment and I looked out our bedroom window to see dads and moms putting their kindergartners on the bus for the first day of school.  It was fun watching them snap photos and shed tears.  All the little kids had on their backpacks that were obviously too big for them.  I probably made some smart remark like, "Aw, isn't that sweet."  Why I remember that moment, I don't know, but it has stuck in my mind.  Never at that time, did I think/comprehend having my own little one getting ready to head off to kindergarten.  Where has the time gone?  We are so incredibly excited for Isabel!  She is smart, funny, likes an adventure, and we're so excited to see how kindergarten plays a role in her life.  Tonight is registration.  We'll get to see the school, where her class will be, etc, and probably (ok, I know) I'll be one of those moms shedding a few tears come fall.     

Happy Easter 2012