But.....but.....but..... (and other excuses not to run)

I'm a blur because I am running so fast!

It's winter, and I can come up with a million excuses of why I can't run.
1.  It's too cold.
2.  It's too windy.
3.  The dogs keep chasing me.
4.  It's too dark.
5.  Nobody cares if I run.

But, let's face it.  There is a treadmill just waiting for me, and it's warm, light and safe in our house.

SO, I HAVE NO EXCUSE.

The good news is, I have probably run more frequently in the past few weeks than before.  I've also begun to track my eating, and I have found that it really makes you think what you put in your mouth if you know you have to log it in!  www.sparkpeople.com is the site I am using, and so far, it has been practical and easy to use.

Do you ever just want to quit running the race of life?  Well, maybe you haven't wanted to "check out," so to speak, (if you have, I'll share a story for you in a later blog) but maybe you just wanted to take some time off from your race.  What are your excuses?

1.  The world is cold to my witness.
2.  The wind of the Adversary is too strong.
3.  No one is helping me serve the Lord.
4.  The world is wallowing in darkness.
5.  Nobody cares if I go to church, or if I read my Bible, or if I do right, or if I love others, or if I ........ (you fill in the blank).

Are those excuses what you want to tell God when you get to heaven? Probably not. 

Don't quit.  Keep on.  Be determined.  Hang in there.  You can do it.  BE STRONG IN THE LORD!

Lay Aside Every Weight......oh-oh!

"And let us lay aside every weight..." Wow, that hit me with a ton of bricks.  Especially after THANKSGIVING!

We all think of body weight when we read that portion of Hebrews 12:1, don't we?

Roger, Glenda, Asher, Scott, Jess, Seth, and Ava

We had 1/4 of our crew with us (Scott, Jess and Kids) for Thanksgiving, so technically there wasn't as much food as there would have been if the whole gang had been here. But that doesn't mean I didn't eat more than I should have.  I kept hearing the phrase "...put a knife to your throat..." Proverbs 23:2 over and over...... 

Another verse came to mind:  "Pride goeth before destruction..."  Proverbs 16:18 I had been to the doctor recently and found that I had lost about 11 pounds since I had seen her in April.  I was proud of that loss!  Hence, the fall after Thanksgiving.

But think with me about the rest of that verse in Hebrews 12:1.  "...and sin which doth so easily beset us..."

What are you lugging about as you run your race of life?  Body weight, bitterness, frustration, jealousy......you fill in the blank______________.

It will just slow you down and discourage you.  I found that out on the treadmill this morning.  Sure, I ran well, but not my best and I certainly felt weighted down. 

Just think how much better we all can do as lean athletes for the Lord!

Run With Patience

That phrase from Hebrews 12 had me puzzled for some time until I began running.  I've told you before that I am not very fast.  I don't ever expect to win a race, let alone my age/gender division (unless, of course, there is only one person in the age/gender division --like the Arthur Cheese Festival Rat Race.  I did, in fact, win my age/gender division in the 10k.  So there!)

It now makes sense to "run with patience."  A runner really has to pace himself.  If you start out too fast, you might not have enough kick at the end to finish strong.  If you start out too slow, you will miss your goal by seconds or minutes.  You have to be patient!

Such is our spiritual walk.  Often we look at Christians around us and think, "Wow, they have grown so much in the Lord." Or, "They sure must be super-Christians.  Listen to them talk about the Word."  Or, "I wish I knew as much as they did."  Or, "I wish I had as much faith as they have." 

Or, on the flip side, "Why don't they just grow up in the Lord?"  "Don't they know that the Holy Spirit wouldn't approve of that?"  "Why aren't they faithful like the Bible commands?"

Everyone grows in grace at their own pace.  Granted, there are times when we need someone to give us a swift kick so we will pick up our pace, but let's realize that we are all at different mileposts in life.  Let's focus on our own race and not on everyone else running before or behind us!

We met at the finish line

On November 5, 2011, my son Chad and I ran a 1/2 marathon.  It was my first--his second.  We were so incredibly excited as we waited in the dark that early Saturday morning for the gun to go off and the race to start. 

Runners in large races stand with other people that run about the same pace.  It theoretically helps the race to get going smoothly, so when it got close to the start, Chad said, "Mom, I'm going to go stand up a little closer to my group (which is race speak for 'I'm a little faster than you, so I'm going to move up to the front!'). 

I gave him a hug and said, "I'll see you at the finish line."

Two hours and twenty seven minutes later I found Chad there waiting for me.  What a happy reunion that was!  I was so thankful that I ran those 13.1 miles.  I didn't give up; I pressed forward to the mark. I persevered!

We made it to the finish line!

I couldn't help but think of the spiritual parallel.  We born again Christians are all running a race in this life.  We will all make it to the finish line in Heaven, and unless we are raptured, we won't all get there at the same time.

Until my race ends, I have a great cloud of witnesses waiting for me at the finish line.  They are cheering me on and encouraging me to "run with patience" my race.

Who is waiting for you at the finish line?  Won't that be a wonderful reunion day?





The Beginning

I have been impressed with my nephew's journaling on his amazing weightloss. Tim Weldy has inspiried me to start putting some of my thoughts down on "paper."

Stay tuned for the rest of the story!