Is 2014 running you ragged already?

Every January, my calendar gets insanely clogged up.  Social dates with friends to make up for the hustle and bustle of the holidays, dentists & doctors I cancelled on in December and appointments with the gym (because every self-help article says make it an appointment…whatever.)  

In addition, I'm in the full-sprint season of launching a new church in Austin, and as some of you might know, January is the time of new routines for most every human being.  The result is that church is FULL of new people to meet, greet and connect in our church.

By February, however, most of my personal calendar is wiped clean because I realize my life is unsustainable at that pace.  The first week of February left me gasping for air and sleeping 9 hours a night…. wondering if I had taken up some primal form of hibernation or if I had just gone plum crazy thinking I could run at this pace.

But wait….January was all about new beginnings….new goals…. reaching for the stars…. now I'm so tired I can't even reach my shoelaces!

Friends, have you been there?  I'm just going to be honest here and tell you that I have…. and I was.. 

I think this post might be for both of us.

"Because NOT giving up is a conscious decision." 

(Care to tweet?)

And we can do this.

If 2014 is already consuming you, overwhelming you or letting you down, can I just encourage you to press on?  Don't be paralyzed by your discouragement, fear or insecurities.  This is not the time to second guess yourself… you haven't been in the game long enough!


This feeling reminds me of my kids basketball games.  I may have already needed to let go of a few calendar obligations, but getting my kids to their sports games remains a priority.  I can't make every game, but I sure do love to watch them play.  Here's something I've noticed about kiddos…

When the game remains close (within 2-6 points,) the kids go after each possession with vigor, determination…. a "full-court" press, if you will.  But when the gap gets bigger than 8+ points, even my oldest son, who is in 5th grade, will lose steam in his effort.  You can watch the team become erratic, panicked OR watch them deflate… slow down….. give up.

We can really become taller versions of kids sometimes, can't we?  Have you ever found yourself making erratic decisions… panicking…..lobbing a ball from half-court in a wild effort to gain ground?  Or maybe you take the other direction and slump to the bench with a towel over your head.

Friends, this is not a time to loosen your laces.  Instead…. even if you don't feel like it… it's time to suit up and get back on the court!

Why?

Because fear blocks your destiny.  Quitting before you reach that which you were going after will never get you where you wanted to be.  Besides, your coach hasn't given up on you.  He hasn't sent you to the locker room.  He's PATIENTLY, LOVINGLY waiting for you to get back on the court.

That's right.  Your being coached by the one who never gives up.  You see, Jesus has watched you every day of your life.  He is the one who planted the desires and passions in your heart.  (And you thought you were so cool you dreamed them up yourself…sorry to burst the bubble.)  

The truth is, Jesus is your biggest cheerleader because when YOU complete your dreams, it points the way for others to follow Him.  So of course he's going to give you the best game plan to get there!  Now in case you are being stubborn, I'm not just dreaming this up.. check this out:

1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NLT)

"God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful."

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)
"…God, who began a good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day Jesus Christ returns."

I'm no SAT score master, but it looks like your coach isn't giving up on you.  He will help you make it happen (through your faith) AND since Jesus hasn't returned, you still got time on the clock to finish this game!

So what's left?

A change of attitude.  A fresh declaration of your faith.  Trust.

I'm asking you to do it one more time.  And then, when you've lost perspective….do it one more time again…. and again… until your dreams and goals come to pass.  

So many of us give up when the finale is right around the corner.

You've got it in you; otherwise, God wouldn't have put it on your heart in the first place. So what do you say we run this race together… in faith…. knowing that our coach knows exactly what's on our plate… he knows our opponent and the obstacles we face…but he also sees the end…. and he says, "It's good… more than you could think or imagine!"

Friends…what about you?  Is your year a close game or do you find the point spread getting too far already?  Did this help?  Take a moment to talk back to me in cyberspace and let me know you are here!

If you like… or you think a friend would like…I'm not selfish… "share!"

5 Controversial New Year Resolutions for parents

(Writer's update… this article had every intention of being finished and published by January 5th.  Well, there went that date… in a blur….  
But I believe so passionately about this topic I wanted to share it with you, regardless of when it made it  onto your screen because I think it has power to change our perspective… and a future generation.  I hope you enjoy…..)

A lot of people love New Year resolutions.  They get all fired up… make a list… write it on their mirror to remind themselves… post it on Facebook and every other media outlet and then bust into the gym (usually this is the first resolution) with brand new workout gear on only to injure a body part and call it a day.

(Image courtesy of Bodybuilding.com)

You could really substitute the gym for dieting, saving money, being nicer, etc.  Some people say they don't make resolutions because they set goals.  Same thing… now we are just arguing semantics.

But this year something really stirred in me over the holidays and I must confess that I was moved by either righteous anger, righteous disgust or righteous anxiety; none of which are states of mind I want to be in.  So, without further ado, I crossed a line in the sand (yet again) and resolved to make a list of changes I was going to implement in 2014.  (You see how I avoided the words "resolution" or "goal?" What can I say, I'm one stubborn woman.)

I feel a disclaimer is needed for the remainder of my words.  If you continue reading this, please know you may find yourself offended, rolling your eyes or even indignant.  Sorry… I suppose you can conclude that I'm either not writing to you, I'm totally foolish OR I've hit a nerve and you aren't quite ready to deal with it.  The truth is that I'm writing this to the people I hope will feel utterly liberated to join me on this quest… casting aside some of the absurdities that we've taken on in this fast-paced culture…throwing them into the landfill of unhealthy patterns and freeing ourselves up to do what is truly important.

Ready?  

1. I will limit my child's screen time.  I will be the first to take away a device as a tool for "consequences" (aka: punishment, restriction, correction)  I will request that all media devices never leave my living room, are never viewed in private or are taken to sleepovers.   I will disable  internet… Google works just fine on our home computer in our kitchen.  I will not allow applications on my child's phone just because everyone else has them.  I will audit my child's phone at any given time.  Just as pro athletes are drug tested at random, so shall my child's device.  I WILL NOT PLAY SECOND FIDDLE TO A DEVICE THAT MUST BE TURNED ON.

Heels on Hardwoods

Hi Y'all!
(Just practicing.)

But don't count on me getting a cowboy hat.  After all, I may be headed to Texas, but I'm moving into Austin and from what I have gathered so far is that much like Seattle, very few are actually from Austin. So, wear a 10-gallon hat if you want, but as for me and my house...

no way.

Hey.  How is everybody doing on their "new year resolutions?"  "Goals?"
Are you tracking well...seeing results?  A few slips of the program but you are back on track?

Anyone fall off completely?

Did you get back up?

If you didn't, can I just remind you that the only way you can fail is if you don't finish?  The only way you lose a game is if you don't play?

I have more... I could keep going you know..... (I play this venue alllllll daaaayyyyy)

It seems like there is a lot going on in the beginning of 2013... a lot of people really searching for a change in their lives, circumstances, values, etc.  I don't know if the elections caused people to take stock in their lives, the economy, or perhaps many people just realizing that we can't rely on people or organizations to make us happy, fulfill our needs and be our end-all source.  I know that for people who follow Jesus... he's REALLY up to a lot of stuff in people's hearts and lives.  The updates, stories, blogs, posts I have been reading in 2013 are so encouraging.... God's really got some amazing plans for so many of us... well, for ALL of us actually!!!!

Hey, okay, so I have been typing and having a FB conversation with someone at the same time.  (yep... multi-tasking means I didn't give either my full attention and actually slowed down my productivity.  I have to write that because my husband reads my posts and he's constantly encouraging me to increase my capacity by stopping my multi-tasking.)

I'm pretty convinced that God has something to say here and so I'm going to just change directions and swing for some other fences... now stop browsing FB & Twitter so you can pick up what I'm laying down....


Okay, so here is what I think God is wanting to talk about today.  Not that I called him, per-se.... but I started typing on my Iphone so fast and furious to my friend (with typos in FULL FORCE... WHO HAS THAT SMALL OF FINGERTIPS...GOOD GRIEF!) but my mind was so far ahead of my fat little fingers that I needed post the ideas here and hope they bless you this morning.  (And, because quite frankly if this was my last day on earth I'd feel much better that I obeyed what God wanted me to do.)  Like I tell my children, "we don't ask 'Why?' when I ask you to do something... we just obey... there are blessings when we obey...And when you learn to obey mom, you are learning how to obey God."  Now, you have to read that with a sing-songey voice and realize that I probably lost you right about the same time as I lost my children because my answers are too long.

Moving right along....

Did you know that amongst all of the gun controversy right now, each one of us actually already pack the most powerful weapon on earth?

Yep... no registration needed but this weapon is carried by the young and old alike, the rich, the poor, the nimble and the feeble....

It is our words.

Don't underestimate them.  God saved them for humans only.  They can build up the mightiest of nations and yet tear down the very essence of a soul.  What we speak can spur the ideas of mankind and yet wound a person so deep that they cannot go on another day.

Power.

The question for today is: "How are you using your words?"

If we take a few commonly accepted thoughts and put them together.. we see a chain reaction:


“As a man thinketh in his heart, so shall he be” 

“Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts
and actions can never produce good results … We understand this law in
the natural world, and work with it; but few understand it in the mental
and moral world—although its operation there is just as simple and undeviating—
and they, therefore, do not cooperate with it.” 

― James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

James Allen's book title was taken from the book of Proverbs in the bible (23:7) that reads "As a man thinks in his heart.. so is he."  If we continue to look at the power of our thoughts... and we know that our words are just produced from what we are thinking... then we can begin to see the absolute power in the words we speak out loud.

Now, a disclaimer here are the words that don't come from what we are thinking.  Those words, I will lump together in the bucket called "B.S."  Because if we are saying words we really don't mean... then that is just a waste of air, time and space...right?  And we all know these words... just take, for example, the words your kids must use when they are apologizing to a sibling.  It is QUITE APPARENT when they have absolutely no heart intention behind their words.  So lets just cast the "B.S." words aside and deal with the ones that are coming from our heart.

The Bible tells us this, about words:

“Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts
and actions can never produce good results … We understand this law in
the natural world, and work with it; but few understand it in the mental
and moral world—although its operation there is just as simple and undeviating—
and they, therefore, do not cooperate with it.” (Luke 6:45)

Oh wait.  Didn't we just read that?  James Allen understood it when he wrote an entire book on how the power of our thoughts and words directs our path.

After all... our words have power.  Let's just recall how the word started:

God said, "Let there be light... and there was light." (Genesis Chapter 1)

Notice how the Bible doesn't read, "God thought it would be cool if there was light so it just happened.)  No.  He had to speak it.

So what do YOU want for yourself in 2013?  What were your goals, dreams and desires?
Are you speaking those out loud?  Are you sharing those with your inner circle of friends... the ones that God put in your life to build you up, encourage you and keep you accountable?

By the way, friends, if you can't name 4 people that fit in that category, time to find some new friends!

You know, the friend I "chatted" with online via FB this morning was really hoping for an adventure for her family this year... which I assume to be some sort of location or job change.  Yet she didn't want to share it with me because she was nervous that talking about it would make it "not happen."

You know, "jinx it."

What?  WHAT?

That's not how we are to live, dear friends!  We believe in a God that BREATHED the universe into existence.  We believe in a GOD that said "light" and there was light.  We believe in a God that gave us words to use and those words, when spoken, can cause Mountains to Move!

Disbelief?

Martin Luther King: "I have a dream...."
President Lincoln: "Four score and 7 years ago..."
Susan B. Anthony: "... women, as well as men...."
Jesus: "Forgive them....."

Now hey, I am preaching to myself dear friends... you poor souls just got sucked into the ride!  Even this week, as I prepared for the pre-launch of my first published book... I keep dumbing down the end product.  "It's not really a big deal... just a little book... it's only an E-book... it's not a binded-hard-cover."

What?  WHAT?

No wait.  That book idea was given to me while I was listening to a worship song 2 years ago.  I did nothing with it until I ran into someone who started a new job and asked if I knew of any authors with original kids material.  I said I had a story if they wanted to look at it and 2 weeks later, they replied that they wanted to pay for the full production of an animated version!

Two lessons here:
1.  Speak words.  Had I kept quiet during that conversation... the book would still be on a notepad.
2.  It was God's idea he just happened to use me as the vessel... so don't shortchange God and the idea he planted in your heart.

Oh it's easy to dumb stuff down.  Be afraid to "jinx" it.  But let's call that for what it is.  FEAR.

And God did not give you a spirit of fear...  (I put it in Amplified version so you would catch this):

2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

If nothing else, today... be painfully aware of what comes out of your mouth today.  Does is speak "life?"  Does is speak "encouragement?"  Even more pointed, ask yourself this... "Does that pay homage to Jesus or the Enemy?"  Because trust you me, the enemy wants nothing more than you to doubt your dreams and your ability to reach them.

Your dreams are God-designed... so when we speak them we are likely to follow them.  When we follow them... we are likely to reach them.  When we reach them, we are changing the world.

Hockey legend Wayne Gretsky said, "You will miss 100% of the shots you never take."

So take that shot.  Aim at the goal and then CONFESS IT WITH YOUR MOUTH.

Be blessed today.

Floating in Pea Soup

I can just hear it now:

9 year old: "Teeeee hheeeeeee heeeee"
6 year old: "Mom, you can't say that.  That is potty talk."
3 year old: "Mom, you just said Pee!" (Giggling)

No.  Not floating in pee... although I admit, I've seen plenty of pee where it wasn't supposed to be, but I'm talking about the vegetable pea for just a few minutes.

Why on earth would I blog about this?

Wind your memory back just a week or so ago when the Seattle area was snuggly wrapped up in the thickest layer of fog I can remember.  (For my loyal readers in other locales, just work with me on this.)  This was the kind of fog that wasn't all "majestic as the morning sun filtered through, illuminating the fog as if it were clouds from heaven."  No.  This was the " so thick you wondered if an asteroid hit the earth and the sun was gone forever, I-empathize-with-Triceratops-thick."  It was the "all of the light sensors are still on and the street lights couldn't tell if it was day or night" thick.

Bone chilling damp and cold.

Now, as I'm typing this, I realize that "chilling damp cold" has nothing to do with being in a hot pot of soup....but you know that saying when the fog is "as thick as pea soup?"  Okay, THAT was the connection I was going for.

After day six of solid fog, I finally decided that the fog must be the Ark of the Covenant of God... you know, in the old testament when Moses was leading his peeps through the wilderness out of Egypt... the presence of God hovered above his people to show the way... a cloud during the day and a fire by night.

(I realize so many of you are like, "No, Erin, I don't know" but isn't that GREAT that you got some bible in you today without even having to get off your chair?)

You're Welcome.

No, seriously, it hit me that the fog was such an illustration of my heart.  What do I mean by that?

Well, sometimes we have a period of our lives where things are crystal clear.  Clear as a whistle.  You get my point, right?  I mean, we know where we are at in life, where we are headed and what our target is.  We are driven, we are pushing hard, we are prioritizing, on task, and kickin' some tail.

Then there are times we feel quite the opposite... like we are in the spin cycle of life...getting tossed around and we don't know what side is up.  Man, I hate those times!

But in between the two spectrums, there is that foggy haze that we can sometimes find ourselves in.  No, it's not because we have a head cold, but it's as if we knew where we were headed, and we know where we want to end up but it's those next few steps that we can no longer see the ground.

I don't know about you, but when I have to walk in a space where I cannot see a bloody thing, I am hesitant to take steps.  (Ever had to stumble down the stairs in the pitch dark?)

It is in these times that we have a couple of choices:

1.  We can start running blindly, grasping for whatever we can hold onto...good... or bad.
2.  We can be patient and wait for the fog to lift.  Because eventually, it does.

"I am with you always, even until the end of days."  Matthew 28:20
"I will never leave you, nor forsake you."  Deuteronomy 31:8
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

You see, sometimes things aren't clear, because the road ahead of you needs to be repaired.  You can't walk there yet because God has to work some other things out...sometimes in you...sometimes in others.  And when we wait patiently for that fog to lift... the outcome is ALWAYS BETTER than when we try and force the issue.... race blindly through the fog, running into this or that.  You'll exhaust yourself and likely come out black and blue, quite frankly.

Now don't mistake what I'm laying down here... being in the fog can also be a time that God is asking us to "walk by faith."  I am certainly not encouraging you, if you find yourself in a patchy fog of life, to simply give up and go take a nap until it lifts.  No.

Instead, I'm asking you to be at peace during times of fog.  Know that your Lord will never leave you or forsake you.  Know that he's constantly working in your life.  Stay in the direction you were set to go.... and by faith.... continue your journey even though you don't know where your next step will take you.  That, my friends, is the "foggy" walk of faith.... the "being a pea" in the soup of life.

December was a very, very, very "pea soup" kind of month in my life....and the fog has lifted....and the path is clear.......


and...

You'll have to tune in tomorrow to hear what path was revealed...... but it's a BIGGIE!!!!

3 resources we need to thrive

I think coming back from a tropical vacation may very well be one of the hardest things to do.  Especially, in late winter.  Especially when it was a vacation without kids.  (Quite honestly, I don't understand people who call traveling with kids a vacation.  No, it is not.  It might be an "adventure"...it might be a "trip" but a vacation, it is not.)  My husband and I spent 6 glorious, sun-filled (mostly) days exploring the big island of Hawaii.  We swam with sea turtles, zip-lined, explored lava flows and watched amazing sunsets.  Oh, and we laid around like beach bums... a little bit.  The biggest epiphany in our six days is that we really suck at relaxing.  I mean...we REALLY need to work at it.

So if you are like me, returning from a vacation flows about as smoothly as a rocket re-entering the atmosphere.  It's awkward, it's shaky...it's with brute force and it's not pretty.  You return to your daily routines as if vacation was on some other time continuum  that sucked you into its vortex and then spit you back out like a whale who accidentally mistaken you for krill.  Back to laundry, meal preparation, homework to be monitored, music practice, carpools, finding lost homework, baseball caps and athletic supporters; reminders to brush teeth, floss teeth, wash hands, wipe bums and for Goodness's sake, get your finger out of your nose!

Quite honestly, I didn't realize how much I did to ensure that this house runs on all four wheels until I returned.  And while I wouldn't trade the season I am in, in just 3 days back from vacation I am wiped out.  I mean, hit the pillow and hear me snore, wiped out.

How does that happen?  I don't care if you are a high-flying executive carrying $100 bills in your wallet or if you are a coupon-clippin', play-date organizing mom.. returning back from a vacation throws us into the deep end of the pool.  I scratched my head at all the people who visited Hawaii and simply never returned...happy to wander the streets of Kona and conduct...shall we say.... "agricultural crops that could be used for medicinal purposes" transactions?  I don't get the selling weed part...but I certainly can see the allure of living at 25 miles and hour instead of the 74 (so we don't get a speeding ticket) that we seem to pace ourselves at.  Daily life, my friends...is a life-long race...yet we run it at a sprint.

You don't have to be Usain Bolt to know you can't sprint a long distance race... you have to slow down...and rely on your resources.  Long distance runners need a few things to help the finish a race:
-Water
-Supplements
-A crowd of supporters cheering them on

Long distance runners know that they cannot persevere and come out victorious if they work "solo mio."  (Taken from the movie Cars.... Lightning McQueen worked by himself without a pit crew and it cost him the race...he blew out tires.... C'mon... you know you've all seen it!)

So often, we are like Lightning McQueen...aren't we?  "No, I can do this...I'm fine."  "No, really, I got this."  "Oh, thank you for offering but we're fine."  Look at us...we're basically knocking over the water station tables, passing up the supplement gels when the going gets tough and plugging our ears at the cheering crowds!  How isolating.  How depressing.   How easy to get sucked into a "woe is me, I must run this course alone."

No we don't.  That's junk talking.  Pride.  Pity.  Doesn't really matter how we label it in our 5 minutes together... you can go back and do a heart check later to determine why you refuse the help.  For now, I'll give you three tools for running your race of life:

-water
-supplements
-A crowd of supporters cheering you on

Since I am someone who likes to cross stuff off my list, allow me to help you unpack these items for a better understanding:

1.  WATER: The living water is the word of God.  It's the Bible...and let me rock your world with this: it's full of inspiration, truth, knowledge and any other nugget of a word you need to get motivated enough to open it up.  Try not to start in the chapters titled "Numbers" or "Leviticus"....that's like venturing off breaded pork chops and trying a bowl full of KimChee.  Instead.... read Hebrews, Corinthians, Romans.... and give yourself a boost of encouragement!

2.  SUPPLEMENTS: Is answered prayer....it supplies us with what we need.  Yet we have not because we ask not.  My friends, God wants to bless you over and over and over again.... he is in love with you!  When our child asks for a hug, do we deny them?  Of course not; we pick them up in our arms and hold them, never wanting to let go....and that is exactly how it is with our Heavenly Father.  You don't need to have some "religious dictionary" and say all these big puffy words that make you sound like you went to church your whole life.  Just talk to the Man.... what are you feeling?  What could you really use right now?  Start with that... He loves to give good things to those who love him.  (My translation of Matthew 7:11)

3.  SUPPORTERS: You already have a crowd of supporters and fans!


“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).


Your support team is the millions of people who already have a relationship with Jesus....they are like one big extended family (God help the family reunion....some seriously bad t-shirts headed our way, right?)  In all seriousness, people who share the commonality of Jesus are a huge network that is cheering you along.  They have your back.  And so does Jesus.  Don't be afraid to refuse help...its sometimes God's way of answering your prayers.  Email a friend...text a friend.... grab coffee or gather your kids at a park with another compadre....but don't do life by yourself!!!


So even as I sat this morning and grumbled at my children for not appreciating my short-order cook efforts, separated the older two for squabbling and picked Playdoh out of the carpet... I was reminded of the fact that I tend to try and race by myself....solo mio.  No wonder I am burnt out after 72 hours of being back from vacation.  The only way to avoid it is to run our race of endurance with water, supplements and supporters (not the athletic kind.)


Oh friends, I hope you have enjoyed my "on paper processing" as I go through everyday life situations.  May this post be like a new pair of running shoes to help you run your race with success! 

What was I thinking?

I don't know about you, but I am fairly certain that we are not all created to run.  Run to get the front door?  Sure.  Run across a street to collect a child from being hit by a "going way too fast, driven by a teenager" car?  Sure.  But I'm  talking about long distance running.  You know.... like marathons.

I bring this up because up until this point, the farthest I have ever run is 7.2 miles.  I know this because I ran a 12k last spring and when my husband (a marathoner) asked me how I felt afterwards, I replied "I would rather give birth any day of the week than run that far ever again."  They (runners.... and yes, I am lumping you ALL TOGETHER) say that there is supposed to be some runner's "high" that kicks in; when it does, THEY say you could run for miles and miles.  Whatever.  Apparently the "high" comes after 7.21 miles because I have yet to experience it.  However, much like labor, the more time that passes, the more distant the grueling memory becomes and you forget how much work it is.  So what did I do?  Signed up for another race.  Not just another 12k... no...I'm getting close to the big 4-0 so I need to prove something.  And since a car seat, booster seat, 2 backpacks, a tub of toys and Costco load of groceries won't fit in a bright yellow convertible, I signed up for a 1/2 marathon instead.

Friggin nuts.  What was I thinking?  To hold myself accountable (or to show off, I'm still not quite sure which,) I roped two of my dear friends into it as well.  So now we're stuck... all of us training to run farther than we ever have before in our whole lives.  At this point, I'd still vote to squat on the sidelines and give birth instead.  I'm just not a runner.  I was explaining it to my husband last night as I gimped up the stairs, my joints already lubed with Ibuprofin; I just don't think my body was designed to run.  I pondered that maybe my ancestors were city/village folk... you know...over time we adapted to just walking and running short distances?  Unfortunately I recalled that on both sides of the family, I come from a long line of farmers which blew my theory.  My husband, on the other side, might actually be related to African tribesman who used to run from village to village delivering news.  Now, while half of his family hails from England I very much doubt that is the case, but you get the comparison?  He whittles out 10 miles in about the same effort as my one mile...same amount of sweat...same heart rate...but only one of us is smiling.

And so, you can find me at least 3 mornings a week plodding along the treadmill.  I had surgery about 3 weeks ago and it was doctor's orders "no running" for two weeks.  Delight!  Ahhh...that is, until I realized the race was in just 12 weeks.  So this week I  eeked out 2 miles.... then I eeked out 2.5 miles...and then I got so mad at my lackluster performances that yesterday I told myself I wasn't getting off the treadmill until the time was up.  60 minutes and 5.5 miles later... I looked like a wild and crazed drunk with a perspiration problem!  The text to my husband and reading partners read: "Well, 5.5 miles done.  My sinuses feel like I sniffed jetliner fluid and no one will use the treadmills next to me, but I did it."

Does this entry have a point? Yes, here it is.  I think when people train or set out to do anything that requires more than they are capable of, it takes a lot of motivation.  I find it fascinating what tools we whip out of our belt to help keep us on track of our goals.  For some, they need very little motivation.  Some are rigid "rule followers" and can stay disciplined (oh, how I envy you self-motivated ones!)  Some people need others to hold them accountable.  Because let's face it, when the going gets tough...where do you turn or lean to press on?

So for me, I have a funny visual: I picture Jesus straight ahead of me.  You know the one... his long robes flowing, his arms outstretched with the sun rays illuminating the sky behind him?  I don't think he's blonde like the one so many people grew up with in Sunday school, but he's definitely got the blue-eyed thing going for him in my image.  So I put him against the farthest wall of wherever I am running and I stare at him.  Nut job, or not, it helps give me a momentary boost and I abandon the feelings of "I think I'm going to barf a lung or fall off the back of this treadmill) by pretend to run straight into the arms of Jesus.

This used to work for me.  Really well.  Here's the problem...the ephihany...the revelation that just blew the whole idea up:

"If I place Jesus in front of me, with his arms outstretched.... but I'm not done running my race then I never reach him."


Do you see the problem?  If he's on the wall and I'm on the treadmill... he's a fixed image and since I'm just a hamster on a rotating wheel...I never advance to him.  If I am on a track or a path... he's like a mirage in the dessert that I never get to.  How unsatisfying.  How un-motivating.  How untruthful.


"And surely I am with you, always, even to the end of days." - Matthew 28:20


You see, when we put our faith in Jesus...he promises to be with us always...to never leave us or forsake us.  So to try and visualize running into his arms (without reaching him) is an empty promise...set up to fail ...especially about the goodness of God.  Why would we run towards something we could never get?  Sadly, I think a lot of us chase things and never reach them.  Or, chase the right things but stare at the wrong target.

In my case, I'm so thankful I had the mind-blowing revelation when I did.  At least now I know that although I had the right "target," I had put him in the wrong place.  I mean, the only way that would have worked is if Jesus could come back in person and stand at the finish line for me to literally run into as I finished.  Oh, and he would need to be omnipresent and so entirely huge (think Jack and the Giant Beanstalk huge) so I could see him from 13.2 miles away when I began my half marathon.

So how did I solve this?  I took Jesus off the wall and put him on the treadmill next to me.  Might as well, doesn't appear that ANYONE wants to jog next to me after about mile 4 (does anyone remember Phoebe's running episode on the TV show "Friends?"  Close my friends, close.)

Yep, I put Jesus, sandals and all, right on the treadmill next to me.  I figure if I gotta train for this race, he's going to do it with me.  Every step of the way.  My Jesus is wearing Teva's, just in case you were wondering because I think leather flip-flops would be very unsafe.  It doesn't even bother me that he does it effortlessly.  Or that he's probably been running for 2012 years and his robe isn't sweaty.   Even better...he doesn't need to chat away while I'm trying to not cough up a lung... I selfishly need every ounce of oxygen I can get.  Great running partner.  In all seriousness, however,  I don't have to run to the prize and be let down...I already have the prize....and he's right beside me.... always.  

Where is a place in your life that you need to take down the prize and place it beside you?

Hold your horses

Yep... my pen is itching.  Maybe it was the sheer number of visits to my last post, maybe it was just the exhilerating feeling I got while I was writing yesterday... maybe, just maybe, this writing thing is starting to come together.  My kids were at the table yesterday doing their homework w/ a friend and on the kitchen computer screen was my Blog's home page.  My 3rd grader and his friend were getting a kick out of reading the last entry (Love is not an option) and kept asking, "Wow, how did you write all of this?  How did you THINK of all of this?"  I could have said, "Welcome to my head... its a mixer party up in there!" but instead I just blurted out, "God."

What a profound knee-jerk response it was... I didn't even really think it through... it just came out.  So today, even with a ton of things to get done; floors to be swept and vacuumed, the kitchen sink resembles an earthquake aftermath and I"m pretty sure eveyone's wearing their last pair of clean underwear... I just wanted to write.  Will I finally write a chapter in my outlined future best seller?  Not today.  Do I have earth shattering news?  Nope.  But I know one thing... I am SUPPOSED to write today.... its part of His plan.

For those of you as fleshly narcisstic as I tend to be, you might be wondering what this has to do with you?  Actually, this topic is for everyone... because we all need to learn to hold our horses.  I love the bumper sticker (which is saying something, I usually despise bumper stickers... I find them a passive agressive way to communicate what you should just be saying out loud!)  Anyhooooo, the sticker that says "We plan, God laughs."  I suppose its a spin from Psalms 16:9 which states that "We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps."  (NLT.)

We can plan with the best of intentions but we truly have no idea what our future holds.  Only God does.  So while we are designed to make choices, have free will, plan for the future... one thing is for certain, we don't have any control over it.  And I think that is why its so important that we learn to hold our horses...for we have no idea (truly) as to what our plans will produce in His timing.  (For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11, NLT)

I think in this day and age we get very frustrated when things don't happen the way we want them to... especially with regards to timing.  I mean, how spoiled have we become?  100 years ago a woman my age was on the verge of being dead.  Had she still been alive (ahem,) she would have spent all day either warming bathtub water, creaming butter or grinding wheat.  C'mon, now I get irritated when my chicken breasts take 11 minutes to go from frozen (oh yeah, in my temperature controlled Garage freezer, no less) to defrosted so I can throw them in my double oven to have dinner ready 35 minutes later.  We are a society and generation of NO patience.  Yet we have no knowledge of future events, nor are we privy to what lays ahead and how it affects timing as it relates to our "today."  All we know is that we have planted desires in our heart and in HIS timing, they will come together... which, might I add, will produce the greatest outcome for us as well!!!  Did you ever notice how when you finally accomplish something you have had your heart set at...its always at the right time?  On the flip, pay attention to how it feels when you are trying to push for something and its really not "coming together" or if it does, it didn't bring you any satisfaction, or it felt like a struggle?  Aha.... God's timing.

He alone can see what is coming.  It doesn't really work when we want to do this whole God thing, but only in an advisory capacity.  Um...he's good.  I don't think he's posting any Craig's List ads for counsel in the "gigs" section...so you are going to have to trust me that if you can just "hold your horses" and do your part TODAY... he will exhalt you in due time.

So hold on to your dreams and lifelong goal list... they are important...its what God has created you to be (or some version of it, we'll get to that in another post!)  The heart of the matter is that we walk by faith, not by sight.  Listen to what you are to do today, because His ways are bigger than ours and quite frankly, the guy just knows more than we do.  I know today's Blog entry won't cause me to wake up tomorrow with a publishing contract or an amazing speaking opportunity (although I do use my scrambled eggs spatula as a microphone sometimes) but it will have been just one thread woven together in the tapestry of my life as God intended it to be.  Besides, laundry and dirty floors will still exist after I have pased in this life... just like your inbox, and your Facebook page.