Want-2-B Runner

2012-01-31T09:10:00.002-05:00

I will update this one day soon, I promise ;) I just feel like everyone else's life is so much more interesting so I just read those blogs!

2011-11-09T08:41:00.019-05:00

I always see WIAW on other blogs I follow but until now have not actually participated!

I started the day with a smoothie. I can't even remember the last time I had something different for breakfast... what can I say I am addicted to them! Quick, easy and tasty!

1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, a frozen banana, a handful of frozen mixed fruit (pineapple, strawberry, peach and mango), 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder and a couple ice cubes! Delish!

Lunch was Creamy Southwestern Pumpkin Soup and an orange. I am going to a Soup Swap this weekend so I had to test this recipe out before I make 6 quarts of it! I think it's a winner!

Here is the recipe for anyone interested:

http://www.myrecipes.com/rec ipe/creamy-southwestern-pumpkin-soup-1000000048843

My snack was a Clif bar and chia seeds in preparation for my trail run. The Clif bar was not as good as I thought it would be, oh well!

Dinner was another salad monster. Mixed greens, pico de gallo, avocado,white kidney beans, pecans, chicken and balsamic vinegar.

I drank 4 tablespoons of this today (2 before breakfast and 2 before dinner).

Apparently there are some pretty incredible health benefits, my favorite being a flatter tummy!So I said what the heck Ill try it. I honestly like the taste of it so I have nothing to lose!

My workout for the day was the trail run I mentioned. Me, my husband, and some friends are going a 5 mile trail race this Saturday and wanted to check out the course! I think we ended off course a good bit but it was a good run, about 3.5 miles.

Well there you have it =]

Friday, Friday, FRIDAY!

2011-11-04T09:31:00.006-04:00

Hmmm so what's new in my life? Not much! That's why I haven't updated in forever! I just don't know how interesting running, trying to eat healthy, work and school are to you guys...

Oh well it's interesting to me so here goes...

This past weekend I did a race called Run 4 Their Lives which is sponsored by a ministry called Freedom 4/24. This is a cause my husband and I really have a heart for. Extreme poverty forces many girls and women to sacrifice their bodies and dignity in order to provide for themselves and their families. The race is $24 to enter. This pays for a girls "fee" freeing the woman or girl for 24 hours and taking her off the streets into a safe haven. At the safe house, the exploited woman or girl will be shown a permanent route out of the sex industry through the provision of education, food, appropriate employment, and physical, emotional, and spiritual health care. Check out the website for more details : http://www.freedom424.org/

So the race was a 5k and I got 28:24 which is a 9:11/mile pace. I wish it was a little better but I am happy with that considering I am fairly new to running. Below is me finishing the race. It's my first intense running picture.. pretty excited!

I ran for a little girl in Guatemala named Eva.

I have recently started eating clean which means sticking to all natural foods... nothing processed. My husband and I are doing it together. We are not going to be ridiculously strict about it but we are going to try to stick to it about 85-90% of the time. The biggest reason I have started doing this is because I really think it will help with running. I want to get more serious about running and up my mileage a bit. I have a 5mile race coming up on the 12th. I am excited for this because I have only done 5k's so far so this is getting me out of my comfort zone!

Since I started eating clean I have had a lot of fun making different salads. Fruit and nuts in salad is pretty much amazing! So are kidney beans! I can always use new idea though so if anyone has any recipes let me know ;)

Mixed greens avocado, pecans, carrots, white kidney beans, onions and balsamic vinegar as the dressing. Mmmm!
So these are some things I am excited about:

Finally being a senior in college... it only took me like 5 years to get here lol! I will be done with my undergraduate in Education in about a year! Wooo!

A new Bible study that started last night called The Truth Project with some pretty amazing girls. I know that God is really going to challenge me through this study and I am stoked about it!

The Holidays!!!!

There are other things too but this post is long enough so I will end it here =]

HAPPY FRIDAY!

2011-08-02T13:39:00.007-04:00

One day I will post about my weekend on a Monday... I promise! This past weekend was pretty awesome. Friday night the hubbie and I just had a chill night at home. Saturday I did exactly what I had planned. I met my good friend Erica at 7am and we did a 4.7 mile run and then we did a 3 mile hike on some trails. I was pretty excited because our average pace was 9:34 for the run.... I am usually closer to a 10 minute mile. I thoroughly enjoyed it =] After that I went home showered and went over to Erica's place and we watched the first two twilight movies and ate Indian food. It was great and between the exercise and the heavy food I fell asleep early and slept hard that night! On Sunday I pretty much read all day and cuddled with the doggy I was watching. My dog Sammie is not cuddly at ALL so it was nice to have a dog who wanted to be close to me! I think I will be begging Chris for a lap dog now! I almost finished my book One Day. It's pretty good but I have a feeling the movie will be better which I hardly EVER think. The book is just kind of... drawn out. Still good though. So yeah not a very eventful weekend but I have no complaints =] The past couple days I have had some really good runs, I feel like I am actually getting faster which makes me feel good!!

In other news, I am going home/on vacation on Friday for 10 days! Chris and I wanted to get away and have some time to ourselves before the craziness of law school begins! So not only will we get that time together but I will be able to see my family as well. I am super excited and Friday cannot come fast enough!

Well so long for now! Here's a couple pictures for you 3 people that read my blog...okay I exaggerated.. you 2 people!

My hubbie surprised me with this book that I wanted and I LOVE it!! It had some amazing tips that I really think are going to be very beneficial!

Am I the only one who "squeals like a monkey" (my hubbies words) when their favorite magazine shows up in the mail?!

Just one of the gorgeous views on the hike!

2011-07-29T10:46:00.011-04:00

Fridays make me so happy!! Almost as much as Saturdays which is my absolute favorite day of the week! I have plans with a good friend of mine to do a long run first thing in the morning and then watch all the Twilight movies again in anticipation of the new one coming out in November! Somewhere in between watching those and eating fists full of Swedish Fish, we are going to eat Indian Food! Doesn't that sound like an awesome Saturday!? I think so.

Random but can anyone see the little Swedish Fish in the browsing window next to my website name? I can only see it in Firefox...

Well this morning I had planned to do an easy 2-3 mile campus run with my husband but we slept in so I will be doing a couple miles on the treadmill after work. Nothing too crazy since I have the long run in the morning. So speaking of my running, I feel like I am starting to get into a rut. I am averaging about 20 miles a week and my endurance is pretty good but my speed is not. I usually do between a 9:30 and 10:00 mile. I know I should be getting faster. Obviously I need to start doing more speed work, I get so consumed with how many miles I am doing but I need to make speed a priority as well! Any advice?

As I do almost every morning, I had a chia shake for breakfast. It consisted of 1 cup of milk, half a frozen banana, 5 fresh strawberries, half a scoop of vanilla protein powder, 1.5 tablespoons of chia seeds and a couple ice cubes. It was quite delicious and filling! =]

Well that's it for now but I will leave you with a hilarious picture of my pup. We are dog sitting a little chihuahua and I think Sammie got a little confused about the cage situation....

Poor little girl was stuck until we helped her out.

Well enjoy your Friday!

Strawberry Pies & Journals

2011-07-27T13:14:00.009-04:00

Wow, I cant believe it is already Wednesday and I am just now posting about my weekend! Well the first half of it was awesome!! Friday night was spent with some awesome friends eating dinner and seeing Harry Potter! Saturday night was spent with other awesome friends eating dinner and watching Unknown.. can you tell that eating and watching movies are two of our favorite things to do? :) Oh and my hubbie and I also went for a long run Saturday morning! 7 miles woop woop! Those two awesome days were followed up with two days of being sick. Some kind of stomach bug or something but I feel much better now! I obviously wasn't able to run while I was sick so I ran yesterday and this morning. 5 miles yesterday and 3 miles today, both done on the treadmill. I used to prefer the treadmill over running outside but after doing long runs on a regular basis I am now hooked! Its nice but it also stinks because I get so bored on the treadmill now!

Well I have to make this short but I will leave you with a few pictures from the weekend!

Mmmm Passion Tea Lemonade makes super hot days a little more bearable!

Journals Chris and I decorated that our church is sending to a school that is being built in India! Can you guess which one is mine!?

Picture taken in the Walmart parking lot to put in the journals. Isn't he handsome!? I call this my proud dog smile... one of those things that only makes sense to me...

Strawberry pies (my mother in laws recipe) that I made for a church event that got cancelled. That's okay though, I got to share them with friends =]

Finally an excuse to take pictures of my food!

2011-07-19T10:13:00.010-04:00

So I have always liked to take random pictures of my food...up until now it was a little weird but on Healthy Living Blogs it is completely acceptable! I didn't take a picture of the smoothie I had yesterday for breakfast but it was a mixture of almond milk, PB2, chia seeds, vanilla, ovaltine, frozen banana and oatmeal.... and very delicious I must say! I mix all the ingredients except the banana and keep it in the fridge overnight and in the morning I throw it in the blender with the banana. It makes a very thick delicious smoothie that I actually like to eat in a bowl with a spoon. That was consumed after an early morning run before work with my hubbie on the university campus that we live near and also work at. So for lunch I had a salad that I was looking forward to all day. Have you had Panera's Strawberry Poppy Seed and Chicken Salad? Mmm it is so good but its about 9 bucks so I decided to make my own. I was quite happy with how it turned out!

Dinner was quite delicious as well. I am lucky enough to married to a man who loves to cook and is very good at it. We have been craving Cuban food (he is part Cuban) so he decided to make his own and the result was AMAZING!! The picture doesn't do it justice but trustttttt me it was delish!

So that's it for the food pictures from yesterday, everything else I ate was not nearly as interesting! So on another note I am reading two running books right now and I am loving both!!

Apparently every runner should read these so since I "want 2 b" a runner I figured I should probably read them. I am a total book worm so if anyone reading this (Mom? Chris? lol!) has any recommendations on running books, let me know! I already read Kara Goucher's book btw.
So yesterday I had kind of a reality check. I realized that despite all the running I have been doing I am not getting the results that I want. I try to weight train a couple days a week but I am definitely not as diligent as a I should be. My biggest problem area is my lower body (booty and thighs specifically!) so I am going to start incorporating more lunges and squats. So this morning I woke up early and did the P90X legs workout. I am going to try to do this at least once a week. It's tough so I know it's good! I think doing more runs with hills will also help with my "problem areas"! I also plan to do at least 3 miles on the treadmill after work!

Welp that's all for now!! Have an awesome day!!!

New direction

2011-07-18T10:44:00.009-04:00

This is going to be my attempt at a Healthy Living Blog. I am constantly talking about running on Facebook so why not just talk about it on my blog instead!? This is more so for me as a way to keep track of my progress but if you are reading this... Hello and thank you for stopping by! =]

So I have dabbled with the idea of becoming a runner for a long time now but never stuck to it more than a couple months. That changed in January after receiving a gym membership for Christmas from my awesome hubbie (I asked for it in case you are wondering lol!). I made the decision that I was going to become a runner once and for all! I was sick of just talking and dreaming about it. So I downloaded the Couch 2 5k app on my phone and gradually worked my way up to being able to run 3 miles without walking. I haven’t stopped running since then. I am now at 583 miles for the year (thank you RunKeeper). My goal is to do 1,000 miles for 2011. I also have a goal of running a 10 miler in September. I have only done two 5k's so this is a lofty goal for me. Another big reason I decided to start running is because I am so uncoordinated and un-athletic (not sure that’s a word but go with it) so I figured anyone could run right!? Well I have definitely become addicted and am in love with it! I’m pretty stoked to have a place to be open and honest about that love! Hopefully I enjoy it as much as I enjoy reading other people’s Healthy Living Blogs. My absolute favorite ones are http://www.hungryrunnergirl.com/, http://fitnessista.com/, and http://www.pbfingers.com/. Those three women have really inspired me to actually do this!! My other favs can be found under Blogs I Read.

Well that's it for now! I will leave you with a gorgeous picture of my hubbie and I =P. Have a great Monday!!

In the middle of a long (for me) run on Saturday morning we came across a beautiful waterfall! As you can tell I am not the best photographer (and this was after several tries!) but trust me it was pretty! Excuse the lobster face and the sweat, it comes with the territory!

Still here!

2011-02-23T16:23:00.002-05:00

One day I am going to be a great blogger...not today though! For now, I will just creep on other's blogs ;)

Broken

2010-03-17T09:07:00.005-04:00

And I am here still waiting
Though I still have my doubts
I am damaged at best
Like you've already figured out

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning

So I'm holding on
I'm barely holding on to you

I still see your reflection
Inside of my eyes
That are looking for purpose
They're still looking for life

I'm hanging on another day
Just to see what you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on to the words you say
You said that I will
I will be okay

Broken lights on the freeway
Left me here alone
I may have lost my way now
I haven't forgotten my way home

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning

These are part of the lyrics to the song Broken by Lifehouse. They never had so much meaning until today when I really listened to the song. Sometimes I feel like the past is going to overwhelm me. I feel like I can't survive it. I feel like it's hopeless and that I don't deserve to be doing "okay". At times I literally feel like I am drowning in the shame/pain of it all. But times like today I am reminded that God is in control. He is always in control. God does not want me to punish myself He just wants me to grow and learn from the past. It's so hard.

I should update this huh?

2010-03-15T14:05:00.003-04:00

It has been a very long time since I have updated this thing! A lot has changed. For many reasons, Chris and I moved to Lynchburg Virginia! The biggest reason being to finish school at Liberty University! We both got jobs at the school and one of the benefits is free school! Not too shabby huh? Chris has already started and will graduate May of next year. I will be starting soon and still have a couple years to go. My plan is to finish my Undergrad in Education and I will be doing a double Minor in Christian Counseling and Psychology. After I do get my bachelors degree I plan on getting my Master of Education. I put my dream of being an Elementary school teacher on hold for years but now I am so ready to continue pursuing it! I can't even explain how excited I am! I feel so blessed to have this opportunity!! I know I have a ways to go but its actually attainable now and that's enough for me!!

So we have been here in Lynchburg for almost 3 months and I am absolutely loving it! We have met some fantastic people and have attended some fabulous churches. So fabulous we cant decide on just one! Anyway, I will continue to post my adventures of being a Lynchburger. =]

Puzzles

2009-05-05T14:33:00.007-04:00

Deuteronomy 29:29 says "The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions."

This is such a great reminder! God sees the bigger picture of our lives, we don't. A good friend of mine uses the example of a puzzle. We get puzzle pieces through out life and sometimes we can't make sense of them but that's because only God sees the ultimate picture.

So don't worry so much about the bigger picture. Just handle one puzzle piece at a time. Obey Him and be patient - God will show you His beautiful puzzle top in HIS TIMING =]

Its been too long

2009-05-04T12:59:00.004-04:00

I was driving to church yesterday and I heard this song. The lyrics touched me so much that I just had to share them somewhere then I remembered I had a blog in which I have severely neglected. So here we go =] If you get a chance find it and listen to it or at least just read the bold lyrics. One can never be reminded too much how great God love for us is.

Always be my baby
Sara Evans

There I was ten years old
Waiting in my room for him to come home
I just knew he'd be so mad
Though I begged my mother not to, she told my dad
There was no denying I‘d let him down
But instead of being angry
He put his arms around me and said

In the sunlight or the rain
Brightest nights or darkest days I'll always feel the same way
Whatever road you may be on know you're never too far gone
My love is there wherever you may be
Just remember that you'll always be my baby

There I was, twenty one
Oh, I was so ashamed
Of what I’d done
On a country road
Parked one night
What started out so innocent, crossed the line
There was no denying, I’d let God down
But instead of being angry
He let His love surround me
And I heard

In the sunlight or the rain
Brightest nights or darkest days
I'll always feel the same way
Whatever road you may be on
Know you’re never too far gone
My love is there, wherever you may be
Just remember that you'll always be my baby

Yeah yeah yeah

There he is, my little man
I’m sure he'll get in trouble every now and then
And I pray to God that when he does
I’ll be just as understanding, as my father was
'Cause the last thing that I wanna do
Is let him down
So instead of being angry I’m gonna
throw my arms around him and I’ll say

In the sunlight or the rain
Brightest nights or darkest days
I'll always feel the same way
Whatever road you may be on
Know your never to far gone
My love is there, wherever you may be
Just remember that you'll always be my baby

Be my baby

Good Friends, Good Food, Good FUN

2008-06-07T13:14:00.004-04:00

On the last post I talked about how much I love my Fridays off - well yesterday I actually had to work because I was sick on Monday. It ended up being a great day though - my awesome boss let me off early and I went home and started helping get dinner ready for our guests coming over. We had two couples from church over. I am not allowed to cook so I was put in charge of making the Watermelon drinks - thank goodness I had Rachel helping me!! A simple recipe ended up being quite an adventure! They ended up being very tasty though - even Amanda liked them who doesn't even like Watermelon!! After dinner we played LOSER - and I am happy to say that I was not the LOSER this time, Bill was! Haha =] Then the boys dragged the girls to see "You Don't Mess With The Zohan." We figured we always make them see tons of chick flicks so we should at least go see one of their movies. Well I am ashamed to admit this but I enjoyed it! It was hilarious!! I didn't get to bed until almost 1 and then had to be up at 6:15 this morning - it was well worth it though!!! I am so excited for these new friendships developing and growing!! =]

Tomorrow is Sunday! Wahoo!!

2008-06-03T15:07:00.004-04:00

I thank God for such an amazing husband. He was a gift from God that I didn't even ask for. If it wasn't for him I don't even know where I would be today. He came into my life at a time where I was so beyond lost and he introduced me to Jesus. I am not the same person I was before and I have God and Chris to thank for that. Over the past year there have been deaths of people that I used to hang out with in settings that I used to be in all the time - it's really scary to think about. It just makes me so grateful. I never would have imagined that I would be married to someone who cares so deeply about me... that treats me the way Jesus would. Who even when I make stupid decisions - tries to understand the root of the problem rather than just getting mad at me. If the love Chris has for me it just a little taste of the love Christ has for me than all I can say is WOW. I just pray that I am as good a wife to him as he is a husband to me.

I love you Pooks!!!

2008-05-31T11:10:00.020-04:00

Can I just say that I love Fridays and I am very sad when they over. See Fridays are now officially me and Chris' day. We both have off work so we get the whole day together to do whatever we please!!! Well yesterday was a pretty lazy one which was just what I wanted and needed. One thing I love about my days off is that I don't have to rush to the gym and back - I can take my time getting there and I can work out as long as I want! So I took advantage of that and did 25 minutes of weights and 60 minutes of cardio!! Go me!! After that I went tanning and then came home and made my new favorite breakfast - cottage cheese oatmeal pancakes (don't knock it 'til you try it!) I have been having a blast finding and making new healthy recipes!! So after that I just laid around and watched tv for a couple hours then I went to visit my mom for a little bit. Chris was very busy preparing for the message on Sunday - so I tried to give him a little time to himself. Then at 7 we went and hung out with an awesome couple from church - Amanda and Ben. We ate chicken and shrimp on the grill! Chris had to take over cooking because Ben had to run out for a bit and Chris was in heaven because he loves to cook - especially grilling!! After a very yummy dessert (Strawberry Shortcake) we went and saw What Happens In Vegas - which was hilarious!!

It was a good day! =]

Im so slack

2008-05-29T10:46:00.014-04:00

Yes yes I know I am not succeeding at being a regular blogger but I want to assure you that my form of blogging is usually done through Spark People.....

http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage.asp?id=CHRISTIANGIRL13

Anyway, things are going really well right now. For awhile there I was going through a period of being discontent. Do you ever get to the point where you are like "there has got to be more than this"? You just don't feel like you are where you are supposed to be? Well that is exactly how I have been feeling...and that really is not a good feeling at all. Well after much prayer and talking to my best friends (my husband and my parents) I am starting to realize that I am exactly where I am supposed to be at least for right now. I have given the discontentment to God and asked Him to please make it clear where He wants me and what He wants me to do. And you know what? I trust Him to do just that! I know He has big plans for me and when I start doubting myself that means I am doubting Him... so no more of that!!!

So along with that I have been focusing a lot on taking care of my temple. I have started trying to "eat clean" and I have really stepped up the exercise! Through this I have learned that I am capable of doing so much more than I thought I was!! When I really put my mind to it I can accomplish A LOT! I ran for an hour this morning - 6miles!! I got sick of talking about doing things - now I am doing them!!!! You can't get anywhere without action, commitment, and determination!!

Lastly, I am really trying to invest time in the relationships in my life. It's vital to find who is important to you and then really nurture those relationships. It's especially hard when you are super busy with work but it also really helps you find who your real friends are - the ones who still stick around even when you cant see them as much as you would like! Sadly, theres not too many relationships worth nurturing right now but the ones that are there are amazing! Of course my husband and family! And then there is my best friend Erin who has been by my side through thick and thin for almost 8 years now... you know its a real friend when you can still maintain a friendship living in 2 different states! And then there are a few new friendships that I am super excited about!

I can't help but feel like big things are about to start happening!!! =]

Ed Young came to Barefoot and....

2008-04-29T15:25:00.020-04:00

...brought it to a Whole Notha Level!!!

Its been awhile!!

2008-04-18T12:23:00.009-04:00

Well as usual I have been super busy! I did however get a chance to go to Chicago last week for the Shift conference at Willow Creek! It was awesome! It was just what I needed! I learned so much and it just really rejuvenated me. The best thing I got from it was that I have started writing again. It is something that I have been passionate about since I was little but I have kind of put it on the back burner for a long time. I had the privilege of meeting Shauna Niequist the author of one of my favorite books called Cold Tangerines. She is the one who inspired me to start writing again and she gave me a bunch of recommendations on books to read to help become a better writer. I am very excited! Who knows I might write that book I always said I would!!

The Key to Life!

2008-03-24T16:40:00.005-04:00

Deuteronomy 30:19-20a

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life.

Good Friday

2008-03-21T12:26:00.006-04:00

Today I am filled with thoughts of everything Jesus went through for me. I can't even fathom the excruciating pain and torture He willingly went through. It makes me feel so grateful but it also makes me feel overwhelmingly sad. It was so horrible!! I don't even like to imagine Jesus being treated like that, it makes me feel sick to my stomach. I don't even feel worthy of having someone do that for me. His love for us amazes me because when it comes down to it that is the only reason He went through what He did because He loves us and wants us to spend eternity in Heaven instead of Hell. All I can say is WOW that is true love.

Almost Easter!!

2008-03-18T10:53:00.008-04:00

I am getting very excited for Easter! It's funny because this will only be my second Easter that I celebrate with a real understanding of what the day signifies. I went 20 years of my life thinking all Easter was about was candy and eggs!!! I am just thankful that it wasn't longer! I am forever grateful that my amazing husband came into my life and introduced me to my Savior. My life has never been the same. Clay always says you may be the only Jesus they ever see and for me at that time in my life Chris was the only Jesus I saw. I can't even imagine where I would be today if it weren't for him. I truly am blessed to have a husband who seeks God first in everything he does. When I mess up and do something stupid Chris chooses to see me the way God sees me and I can't tell you what a difference that makes in our marriage.

Anyway, what I am looking forward to most this Easter is spending the day with both my families! Chris' parents are coming down and cooking at our place and my family is coming over. Just thinking about it makes me all happy inside! Both our families together celebrating Jesus! I love the fact that our families get along so well! I only wish his parents lived closer so we could get together all the time! Maybe one day... =]

I will have all the people I care about most in the world at my home on Sunday, I don't think I could ask for anything better!!!

Luke 2:19

2008-03-12T14:22:00.004-04:00

This was my verse for the day in my devotional and I really loved it because I could totally relate to Mary.

"They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them."

When my world seems crazy and out of control I just reflect on all the good things that my God has done. Just like Mary I keep everything I have learned in my heart so that He is always with me and as long as He is with me everything is good - even if it doesn't feel like it at the time!

Anyway

2008-03-10T13:48:00.007-04:00

At work they play country music all day and I have heard this song several times but today I really heard the lyrics for the first time and they really ministered to me. It's funny how you can hear something over and over but you don't really hear it until you need it, you can't tell me that's not God!! Well, I hope they have the same effect on at least one more person!!!

You can spend your whole life building
Something from nothing
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway

You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway

God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
Yea I do it anyway

This world's gone crazy
It's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway

You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
In a moment they can choose to walk away
Love them anyway

God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
Yea I do it anyway

You can pour your soul out singing
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway
Yea, sing it anyway

I sing
I dream
I love anyway.

2008-03-07T15:42:00.008-05:00

I recently started Beth Moore's 90 day devotional - Jesus. I am really enjoying it so far. I haven't done a devotional in awhile and I was really hungry for something good. And what could be better than a devotional focused purely on Jesus' life. Anyway, I am only on the fourth day and it's been talking about Mary receiving the news that she would be giving birth to Jesus. I read this today and it has just really stuck with me.

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”

It amazes me that right after finding out that she was going to be giving birth to our Savior she was able to praise God like that. I know I would would need at least a couple weeks to get over the initial shock and let alone all the questions. The biggest one being why me?? I just would not feel worthy and I know I would have some serious doubts. I am sure I would want more proof! I would be so stressed out and anxious that I wouldn't even be able to focus on the excitement of the news!! But not Mary, her faith is much bigger than that and she is just excited to be chosen! I wish I could react to every situation in life like Mary reacted to that....

I want a faith like Mary!!

I am still alive

2008-02-29T18:50:00.005-05:00

So I just wanted to let all my bloggy friends know that I am still alive I just have been sooo busy with my new job that I have not had time to post. Hopefully my Hubbie and I will be getting a laptop soon so you will be able to hear more from me :)

But yeah work is great, I love it. It's long hours but I enjoy the atmosphere and the people. Between the long hours I have been reading a lot, I am currently reading John Maxwell's "Thinking for a Change." It talks about the importance of positive thinking and how different your life can be if you just change your thinking. I am only on the first chapter but so far so good. I will talk more on it when I get a little further into it. I have also been keeping up with the reading through the Bible in a year. Yay!

Soooo being so busy has really taught me that I have to use my time wisely. I have to be selfish with what little free time I do have. I of course have to have my time with God but I also need to decide which people to use that precious time with. I hope that doesn't sound mean but I feel like it is important to be smart with your time. So I make sure that I get plenty of time with Chris, my family and those friends in my life that I really want to continue growing relationships with. And thats when it gets tough, you have to figure out who really deserves that time, who is putting in that same effort? It's hard but I am learning as I go. I really feel like I am growing and figuring who really cares about me the same way I care about them. Does that make sense??

2008-02-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

I have the best husband in the world. Period.

The Gold Calf

2008-01-29T09:30:00.000-05:00

Exodus 32 talks about when Moses was taking a long time on the mountain the people started freaking out and asked Aaron to make them some Gods to lead them. Moses wasn't even gone that long and they were already in desperate need of some kind of direction so they just gave in to the false idols. I can not help but think of the teenagers when I read this. When we take them to camp or any kind of Christian event they get all fired up for God and they are ready to change their lives. But as soon as they get back to school where they don't feel God like they did at the event they give in to the Gold Calf. They go back to following the ways of the world because that is what is right in from of them. It's easy to focus on God when you are at a God-centered event, it's not so easy otherwise. Everyone (including adults too) wants to be directed by something and if it's not God it's going to be something else. That is why it is so important for us to get the kids so fired up for God that they can carry that over into their everyday lives. And I just have to mention that I think our Youth Pastor is doing a great job with that ;0) But the first step is for us as adults to stay fired up for God so that we carry it into our everyday lives and display it for the younger generation.

Excited for the future

2008-01-28T11:12:00.000-05:00

I was getting to a point in my life where I was content but not completely fulfilled. I think it had a lot to do with my job which I love but it just doesn't keep me very busy. Well it's funny how God works because as soon as I started feeling this way a new job opportunity fell in my lap. It was something I wasn't looking for at all, I was just asked if I might be interested. So I applied and I got it. I will start in two weeks and I am very excited! I think it will be a job that will challenge me and all I can say is bring it on! I can't wait to see what the future holds! :)

Genesis 29:16

2008-01-17T09:40:00.000-05:00

"Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!”

As I was reading the Bible this verse just really popped out to me because it is just such a huge reminder that God is always with us. It's something that I know but I don't really stop and think about enough. No matter what we are going through in life, the smallest things to the biggest things God is right there with us and he is not going anywhere. The reality of that blows my mind! So cool! =]

2008 Already!

2008-01-04T12:03:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how fast this year has gone! I can't believe I have been married for almost a year now =] It really has been amazing! I have the greatest husband in the world, I adore him. I am so thankful for all the blessings God has given me this year and I can't wait to see what He has in store for this upcoming year.

My main New Years Resolution is to read the entire Bible this year. I'm following the list the church gave us. I am doing it along with a student in youth. After we read our chapters for the day we email each other and give a summary of what we read and what stood out to us. I think this is an awesome way to keep each other accountable and a good way for us to understand what we read. I am so excited about it!! I think it is also going to make me and the student closer than we already are. And of course it will help me grow even closer to God!

Some of my other resolutions are to keep maintaining a healthy lifestyle, being the best wife I can be, and just really growing the relationships that I have.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Well....

2007-12-27T10:38:00.000-05:00

Christmas is over and it's back to work. I hope everyones Christmas was as blessed as mine! Chris and I got a chance to hang out with both of our families and it was amazing. My favorite part about Christmas is just relaxing and enjoying the people you love most. It meant a lot to Chris to be able to spend Christmas Day with his family because we don't get to see them as often as we would like. I really do cherish his family like my own, they really make me feel so welcome and comfortable. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that his Uncle Elwood reads this blog!! So I would just like to say hey Uncle Elwood!! I enjoyed seeing you on Christmas and I can't wait until this weekend to see yall again! And thanks again for the bag, I love it!!

So with Cooper being born so close to Christmas it really got me thinking about the birth of Jesus. I mean every Christmas I think about Him but something really came alive to me this year. I just can't even fathom being Mary, giving birth to Jesus and then having to give Him up. I can't imagine God being able to give his one and only Son to die for my sins! I don't even like seeing Cooper cry, I just can't even imagine the sacrifice..... it just makes me truly thankful for our awesome God.

2007-12-21T10:52:00.000-05:00

Since I can only really think about Cooper and Christmas right now, I'm just going to post more pictures of my new little nephew!!!

You can call me

2007-12-19T14:43:00.000-05:00

AUNT HEATHER!!! 8 pounds 7 ounces! 21 inches long. The name will most likely be Cooper Michael Myers!!

When life gets hard

2007-12-14T10:19:00.000-05:00

"God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time. But the right place often seems like the wrong place, and the right time often seems like the wrong time."

This is from the book I am reading "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson. Sometimes we get in these situations where we are like how did I get here and how in the world is this going to help me in anyway. We just don't understand how any good can come from it. But God does not make mistakes. I believe He doesn't waste anything. Every single thing that happens to us will be used in one way or another in the future. The hardest and most painful things I have gone through have made me who I am today and I am a better person for it. In some situations it was so hard and I didn't know how I would ever get through, life felt like it was over. If I would have only known that one day it would be used for good maybe I would have endured it better, maybe not though. When we go through rough times it seems all we can focus on is the bad. I don't think God wants us to feel sorry for ourselves though, I think He wants us to rejoice because we are in the process of being grown by GOD!!!! So right now I vow that the next time I am going through a really hard time I am going to come and read this blog =] I don't think we can hear this enough because we tend to forget when our emotions get the best of us.

Books

2007-12-11T13:11:00.000-05:00

I just finished Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell and it was really good. I like his style of writing! Now I need another good book to read, any recommendation's?? I have always loved to read but lately Ive been loving it even more!!!

Philippians 3:16

2007-12-06T10:52:00.000-05:00

"Only let us live up to what we have already attained."

We need to see people where they could be, not where they are. I have heard Clay say this multiple times but it really just hit me. When we become Christians we have Christ in us and we are a new creation. When God looks at us he sees Him. He doesn't classify us by our mistakes and failures. He knows who we really are. Who we really are is the person we become when we let Jesus in our heart. We will make mistakes along the way and the "old us" will try to get back in but that is just part of the process. That is what teaches us to be more like Christ. We can't let our mistakes make us who we are we just need to to move past them and strive towards living the way God sees us.

We have already attained our new lives now we just need to live up to them!!!!

++1 John 2:15-17++

2007-12-04T10:57:00.001-05:00

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever."

That is a verse that I read every day. I constantly remind myself of this. It is so easy to get sucked into the pressures of the world, to have the "you only live once" mentality. To do what feels good now. The world tells us so many lies. That we have to look a specific way, drink to have fun, have lots of money, not value marriage, etc. So many people give into these pressures because they care way too much about what people think of them and/or they are only looking to make themselves feel good. They are all lies though, they go against what the Bible says, they go against the Word of the only person we should be trying to impress. I will not give into these pressures because like the verse says the world is fading fast. The only person I want to impress is God. He was not selfish when He gave His only Son to die for my sins. He was not selfish when He gave me my life, so I will not be selfish by trying to just live for me and what makes me "feel good." I'm going to be spending a whole lot more time with Him than with this world. And I love Him a whole lot more. Lastly, unlike the world, He wants what's best for me now and forever.

Random Thoughts

2007-11-30T09:32:00.000-05:00

*I'm going to miss my husband while he is in West Virginia but I'm very excited for some girl time with two of my close friends Rachel and Kimmie!!

*I'm excited for the party at Clay and Kim's house. I'm a little nervous to go without Chris though, I tend to be a little awkward (lol)

*I am looking forward to the Christmas parade tomorrow on Main Street. My mom and I plan on passing out the wish cards and bumper stickers while we are there, anyone want to help??

*Sunday is going to be exciting!! I can't wait for Clay to kick off the new series. www.mywish4christmas.com

*I am so proud of my husband for sticking to his new healthy program. I love seeing him so motivated and I pray that he can avoid temptation while he is on his trip.

*I am proud of myself too for actually exercising on a regular basis and sticking to healthy eating :)

*I got to hold Christy's baby on Wednesday!! He is about the cutest baby I have ever seen! He is so perfect! I couldn't stop staring at him. I can't wait to have a baby!

*IT'S FRIDAY!!!!

*A coworker sent this video to me and it touched me so much I wanted to share it. It's a little boy calling into a Christian radio station.

Grand Secret of Life

2007-11-27T12:42:00.000-05:00

I am currently reading "The Be-With Factor" by Bo Bosher and Judson Poling from Willow Creek Community Church. The Be-With Factor is mentoring students by letting them be-with you. Jesus chose 12 to be-with him through every day life, not just to teach them how to be a Christ-follower but to show them how. We should choose a few students that we really pour time into. Not a community group but allowing a select few to join us in our everyday activities. The goal is to have them "follow us as we follow Jesus" (1 Cor. 11.1) This is how we can really change some lives. Anyway, I wanted to share an excerpt from the book.

"At first this image looks counter-intuitive. The mother puts on her own mask; only after hers is in place does she help her child. How selfish! You would think the child ought to be the priority-his needs ought to come first. Wouldn't that be the compassionate-even Christ-like-thing to do?
Turns out it isn't. Without oxygen, the adult is likely to risk both her own and her child's well being. So if you were in the emergency, the correct order of events is to get oxygen for yourself first, then help others. SELF-CARE SUPPORTS OTHER-CARE. That is the Grand Secret of Life."

I think everyone should see that!! It's so important that we take care of ourself, not for selfish reasons but to effectively help others.

Read the book. It's amazing.

Proverbs 16:3

2007-11-26T12:09:00.000-05:00

Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.

I want to be a healthy person. I want to be someone who takes cares of their body because it is a gift from God. I want to honor God with every part of my life and that includes my body. I abused my body in order to "look good" for too long. Now I am no longer focusing on how I look but how healthy I am. It's so hard sometimes but now I have my husband doing the same thing and that means the world to me. It took me a long time to develop the unhealthy lifestyle that I lived so I realize it will take a long time to develop a new healthy lifestyle. I don't want to be on a "diet" I want to make a life change and that will be a long process. In knowing that, I will not get discouraged I will persevere with the strength that God gives me.

Happy Birthday

2007-11-21T09:28:00.000-05:00

Happy 24th Birthday to my amazing husband!!! I love you with all of my heart. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be married to you! You make my life beautiful :)

L-O-V-E

2007-11-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

So many people think love is about them and how they feel. I often hear, and have even said, "Ive never felt like this before" or "Nobody else makes me feel this way". I have learned though that love is not that feeling you get in your tummy, thats lust mixed with hormones. Love is much deeper and harder than that. Love is choosing to be there for that person through everything and loving them the whole way through. God says love never fails, that means that no matter how hard things get, your love will not waver. In my opinion that shows that you really only have one true love. I'm not talking about friends and family right now, just spouses. Everyone talks about their "first love" which in most cases is not the person they married. I can honestly say that my husband Chris is my first love. Yes, I told other people I loved them because I "felt" like I did. But those guys are out of my life now and I certainly don't love them now so therefore I never loved them because love never fails. People fall in and out of love all the time, my prayer is that they find out what God really intended love and marriage to be. It's so beautiful, it can be hard but it's one of those things that the harder you work on it the more beautiful it is.

First blog

2007-11-19T12:02:00.001-05:00

Ooo my first blog! I'm not really sure who will read this except for my husband :) Well it's Monday morning and I'm back at work after being in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for a week. Nothing better then getting welcomed back by a big pile of work to catch up on! It's good to be busy though! Anyway, Cabo was amazing. Lead222 provided the trip for us. They are a network of student pastors and they absolutely amaze me. I met some incredible people that I hope to get to know better in the future! It was so nice to be around other women married to men in ministry, especially ones who have been at it much longer than me that can give me advice. Being in Mexico gave Chris and I a chance to refocus on God and each other. I can't even explain how awesome it was. I think the biggest thing I took from the trip was that I need to focus on NOW.... appreciating the beauty in the small things. It's easy to not even notice the amazing events going on around you because you are so wrapped up in planning for the future. I'm taking the advice of a wonderful woman I met last week and I'm going to keep a journal of every moment that really stands out to me. One of the first ones I wrote down was yesterday when I got to church the people who welcomed me back so warmly :) I was only gone a week but I was told how much I was missed and people genuinely wanting to know how the trip was! How beautiful is it to have friends like that. I could have missed how awesome that moment was if I had been focused on something else. Well I have to get back to the pile... God bless!