Fearless…

Let’s talk! What are some common fears that you face? How do you conquer fear in your life? How can we live fearlessly?

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.” ~2 Timothy 1:7

Tuneband, TNT, & Ezra… (yes, Ezra)

The tuneband is a success! I used it on today’s run and it worked great. It fits around my arm just right (it’s adjustable) and it holds my iPhone perfectly still while I run. It doesn’t weigh much, so I don’t feel like it throws off my balance or anything like that. Also, it’s worth mentioning that the company I bought it from (Grantwood Technology on Amazon) has great initial customer service. Just the packaging and “thank-you-for-buying-our-product” letter was really professional! They also threw in a screen protector, which was great because my old one was in need of replacing!

“Gee golly, it’s a tuneband!”

I have decided to join TNT and train for the Mandeville Half-Marathon. I am going to print out my registration forms right after I finish typing this! I’m really excited about having an organized training plan and a coach who can help this beginner runner! A few of my friends are running this race, so it will be a good one to start with. We might also do the Savannah Rock ‘n Roll half in November! I do have to raise $1000 for the Mandeville Half, so more information about that will be coming soon.

Now for Ezra…yes Old Testament Ezra – find him between 2 Chronicles and Nehemiah. (Also, find him IN Nehemiah!)
In my teaching class, we are learning about Ezra and why he was such a great teacher. It’s really something I have never studied before and it’s very interesting. The last part of Ezra 7:9 tells us that “the gracious hand of his God was on him.” Then, in verse 10, it goes on to tell us why: “For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” The reading for my class says that “observance” of the Law was an active, not passive, word, meaning that Ezra was diligent in keeping the Law. Also, he must have lived the law in order to be chosen to teach it to God’s people!


How often do we as Christians try to teach something that we are not living out ourselves?

Running Stuff! (Literally)

Okay, so I’m officially on this “running bandwagon” and I don’t foresee getting off any time soon! Yesterday an experienced runner friend (thanks, HM!) went to the store to help me get real running shoes, fit for my specific feet and gait. It was fun to have my feet analyzed, and a little embarrassing ‘cause I had to run on a treadmill while people watched. Oh well. I got shoes!

Here they are!

They felt GREAT on today’s run…and they’re totally cute, too!

Today’s run felt great! Hopefully that means I’m getting better. Right? I went back to Week 3 of Couch to 5k and I think I’ll stay there for a few days before trying Week 4 again.

I also ordered a band for my iPhone so I wouldn’t have to carry it like I have been doing. The UPS lady delivered it as I was finishing my run this afternoon.

I’m looking forward to seeing how well this works on tomorrow’s run!

Caveat: I went to lunch on Monday with a sweet friend (that’s you, HP!) and we ate Japanese! YUM YUM!

  

Gyoza and a volcano roll for me!

On another note, I started a new class this week called The Ministry of Teaching. I’m excited about using what I learn from this class in a teaching position of some sort in the near future! (sorry so vague, I don’t know what God’s plans are!)

So, I leave you with a verse that is the basis of this class:

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.” ~2 Timothy 4:2-3

New Running Plan?

Blegh. So today I decided to skip ahead on the Couch to 5K program, because I felt like if I followed it exactly that it would take forever to get to a 5K and I don't have forever. SO, I skipped to Week 4, and did it for my run today. Blegh.

I felt great until the second run. See, this day calls for the following sequence:
5 minute warmup
3 minute run
90 sec walk
5 minute run
2.5 min walk
3 minute run
90 sec walk
5 minute run
5 minute cooldown

I made it through about three minutes of the second run and my shins started burning. So I walked that segment and the 2.5 min walk. I tried to run again and only made it a minute or so. I walked the rest!

I'm going to get new shoes! Like, tomorrow, maybe!

Any other advice on burning shins and how to prevent them???

One week of C2 5k down…

…just 8 weeks to go! HAHA. Actually, if I start training with TNT, I probably will stop C25k and just train however they tell me to! But for now…

This is after my run yesterday. I felt really good most of the run. Of course, I walked a lot of it! Having my iPhone with some tunes playing helps get me through!

And here’s my reward! YUM…chicken salad sandwich from Lenny’s. AND, I had another one today for lunch after Hampton and I went to the gym.

Hope everyone is having a great Saturday! Tomorrow is a day of rest…looking forward to it!

Blessings…

I heard a great song today on the radio and I just had to share it! It’s called “Blessings” by Laura Story

Here's a YouTube video (user-made).

Here’s my favorite part of the song - the chorus plus the end of the song:


Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise




Get this album from Amazon here!

Testing Intense Debate!

Testing out the new commenting system…I’m determined to get this to work!

Favorites…

Hi! Blogger is actually down while I’m writing this, but thanks to a suggestion from a fellow blogger (find her blogging tips here), I’m using Windows Live Writer. And I’ll post this when Blogger is back up – hopefully sometime tonight! [It was down all night! Finally get to post this, next day.]

I thought I would share some of my favorite things with all of my readers. First, one of my favorite casual places to eat is…



Yum Yum! I usually get a #14, which is a Turkey Sub on a wheat Kaiser roll and it comes with a drink and cookie/chips. I’ve been trying to cut out the “extras” lately, so I’ve switched to a #4, which is just the turkey sandwich on a wheat sub. Sometimes, I’ll switch it up and get chicken salad. I’m fairly predictable.

Another favorite place to eat here is…



YUM! I actually didn’t even eat sushi or any Japanese food until just a couple of years ago. I tried a crunchy roll from here and I was hooked! The sushi is great and hibachi is fun, too!



(Both of these pictures are from the Wasabi restaurant website.)
So, I’m just starting to take pictures as a blogger and I often feel like a tourist. Any other bloggers get this feeling?

What is your favorite place to eat?

More running and SSMT!

So, now that I’ve committed to being a “runner”, many people have asked if my husband will be joining me. Unfortunately, he is not in the same position of having all of this free time, like I do, to train and run and run some more. SO, to answer many of your questions, no, Hampton will not be running long distances with me.

Now, he might run a 5k or even a 10k with me…but when it comes to getting in more miles than that, he simply does not have the time.

 

I haven’t updated my Siesta Scripture Memory Team verses in quite some time, so here’s an update!

May 1 - "Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love." ~2 Peter 1:5-7 (NASB)

April 15 - "I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope." ~Psalm 130:5 (NASB)

Now I will say that I have not been doing so well with the memorization! I know I need to be more diligent in looking at the verses every day and reading them aloud to get them in my head. Now that we are close to the mid-point, I am worried that I won’t be able to finish and go to Houston in January! Come on, Siestas, we need to get it in gear!

 

What’s your favorite memorized verse?

Running…

Sorry for being away for so long from the blog…I have no good excuse, so we’ll just get on with today’s topic.

After much thought and prayer, I’ve decided to begin running. For-real running. Like I’m-training-for-a-half-marathon running! Yep. Sounds crazy, huh? But I’m ready to get back into shape, and I’ve always looked up to those who can run. So, I have started training for a 5K first, and that will take a couple of months. I am looking at a couple of different half-marathons in the Fall and I’ll post on the blog when I decide which one I’m doing!

Here’s a picture of my running shoes!

I’m not quite ready to put a picture of myself yet, but that will come later – let’s say, after I can run a mile without stopping.

Yes, that’s right…I can’t even run a mile yet. But I’m working on it, and I will be able to soon. After all, Isaiah says we will run and not grow weary, right?!

Last weekend, Hampton was home – YAY! And he’ll be back in town for the rest of the summer soon.

I’m so glad he was here for Mother’s Day. Here we are…

I was mostly okay on Mother’s Day, but our church (as many others do) had Baby Dedication on the same day. This made it a little more difficult, but my God is good all the time and He gave me His strength. And of course, all of the babies were precious!

Hampton took me to brunch at a yummy place in downtown Ocean Springs called Bayview Gourmet. SO YUMMY. We were pleasantly surprised that they served breakfast until 1:00p.m. on Sundays! We had a nice relaxing afternoon together, including a nap and dinner at Wasabi. Double Yum!

What did you do for Mother’s Day?