Half Help...

Right before the finish line! Gross!

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So, I did it. I ran a half marathon. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done both mentally and physically. The great thing about pushing ourselves to do something just beyond what we are naturally inclined to do is that we must seek to find strength from another source and when that source is the Lord, you have never felt so alive and close to God.

It is good to put ourselves in situations that create a need for God. So often we believe we can do things in our own strength and often times we do. When we accomplish goals by our own merit we may get  a good result but we miss out on so much the Lord wants to show us and do through us on the journey. God longs to be a part of every part of our life. Every step.

 If you can imagine for a moment the love you have for your children (or that you will have) and how you would want to help them accomplish ANY good thing they attempt to do. That is a great love we are capable of and we are only human and we are limited in what we can do, even for our children. We have a heavenly Father who is unlimited and he has called us children. Nothing is impossible with God! This goes far beyond running, people! In the words of C.S. Lewis, we are far too easily pleased. Get your hands out of the mud and start living a life that is FULL. The best life you could ever want to live is available to you. Don't miss it. I don't want to miss it. It is found in Jesus. Do not be deceived. It is found in Jesus. Is he your treasure?

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!  1 John 3:1

A Most Awkward Christmas Run...

So things started getting a little unusual when I went into Kroger to get some groceries (obviously) and heard Christmas music playing way to loud. Then as I walked behind the Starbucks stand I see that there is a guy playing the piano to the awfully loud Christmas music. It made me want to smile and I tried to hold it in…which, in turn, made me laugh out loud. Anyway, on to the real story.

So, after I get the kids to bed I decided to go on a run, because, strangely enough, it was 60 degrees. Now it was about 9:15 at night and I have a nice 1.2 mile loop that I run (hopefully more than once) so that I don’t venture to far from the house since it is late at night.  I do bring my cell phone and my ferocious dog with me just in case, but don’t worry I have taken self-defense and I have watched karate kid more than once. I have been considering running it the opposite way that I normally do because I imagine it will be like in MarioKart64 when you beat all of the levels you get a new cup that is the mirror image of all of the others…it’s mind blowing.  I didn’t see a single soul on the run. I did however see plenty of Christmas lights which was a nice, but also strange change of scenery. Which leads me to make a list of the most scary Christmas decorations to see on a jog at night by yourself…

1.  Two red candy canes at the porch entrance…the rest of the house was completely unlit…more like an entrance to hell than a “Merry Christmas” and one was a little crooked…which was weird.
2. Small Mr and Mrs. Clause swinging in a red swing. Only thing in the yard.
3. An inflatable frosty that has fallen over sideways…he is still smiling…it’s just weird.
4. There was a huge train inflatable… you may have seen one of these before…it has the cookie monster on it. Well, seems harmless until out the caboose pops a jack in the box that is an awkward looking kid!! I about pooped my pants.
5. No Christmas lights or lights period…it’s just dark and scary.

This leads me to a short discussion on Christmas inflatable’s. They can’t be cheap…right? Someone had five…FIVE in their yard. That had to have taken all of their savings. PLUS how much does it cost per hour to run those suckers?? It sounded like a plane was taking off in their front yard. Just curious.

After thinking about Christmas lights I saw a possum run across the street and I kid you not people when I tell you that that is the first time I have seen one alive. It made me laugh and then feel kind of nauseous and then I felt like it was following me.

Now to the strangest part of all… I was about 19 minutes and 38 seconds into the run when at the top of the hill lights start flashing that lit the entire sky. It was a bluish green light. I don’t know what the source was, but then all of the power went out on the street…houses and everything. I thought it was the end. I was prepared for the end of the world. I turned around and started running home. Called Jon and he said that the power was still on at our house and then the power came back on the street I was on. So false alarm on the end of the world thing. Merry Christmas, right?