First Timer...

... A lot of my friends are beginning to ask me how I'm feeling about the upcoming marathon. I thought I'd just compile all my thoughts right here.



I've trained for four months and feel like my body is ready. The tapering part of the miles in these past two weeks has been a strange thing for me to process. You'd think there would be a progressive build up... but, instead, we back way off in the last two weeks. I went out for a short and easy 3 miles yesterday and 1 mile into I felt a new pain in my knee. I have noticed it today as well and this is causing some frustration and anxiety within me.

Now, without this concern for my knee, I was already feeling a bit of nervousness and anxiety simply because it's my first marathon and therefore holds unknowns. Now, with this, I wonder if I'll even be able to do it at all. I am praying that God will completely take any aches and pains away so that I can complete what I've worked so hard for. The weather looks really good and in my favor for that day. I was a bit concerned about running the last 13 miles with strong southerly winds pushing into my face (like previous years for the OKC Memorial Marathon.) Well, it is currently forecasted to be 15 mph out of the NW!!!! This is great news. I will be running into the wind FIRST.... something I really do prefer. Sunday is a high of 70 degrees and partly cloudy!!! With a 6:30 am start, I'm thinkin' it's gonna be a good day :)

I've thought over and over again what it would feel like to talk about and train for an event that I don't get to finish. It would sadden me to have to give that as my report, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. I am praying, "Not my will, but yours, Lord." I have always seen such a spiritual parallel with this training. I want God to receive glory through anything I do.

For my fellow Oklahomans: you can watch it live on channel 4. Anyone can follow with the Memorial Marathon App on your iPhone (it's free!) Or, lastly, you can track here with my bib numberr: 3782

So, tomorrow I get to pick up my registration packet and then.... kick back and wait for Sunday morning to arrive!

And the winds die down....

The Marathon is almost here. It is a week from Sunday. Today is Friday. I really am on the countdown to this big event that I've put so much time and energy into. I feel like this past week of my life has just been a whirlwind. Let's see:
I started a job (from home.)
I put my house on the market.
(which inevitably means doing a bunch of stuff around the house the days preceding.)
I had a day of looking at houses.
I'm tapering on my miles which almost feels like abandoning this four month monster!

And all of this life transition stuff has left little to no time for this little blog of mine. My mind spins with life application and important truths. My heart's gage is all over the place and is in constant need of evaluation or assessment. Which is why I am so thankful that I have the Holy Spirit with me always! He is like oxygen. He is always there and I am in constant NEED of Him.

This morning's gentle, still and quiet entrance of the day is such a perfect picture of His faithfulness. He is always there. HE's always been faithful. I just read: "earth's best cannot bear comparison with heaven's least." This has me still in my tracks.

The Oklahoma wind sure does blow... and blow.... and blow... and blow. This morning, it is perfectly still outside. I hear the birds of spring singing their song. It's like a freeze frame capturing heaven's least. I am somehow equating all of my life's current busyness of marathon, job, house with both the Oklahoma wind and earth's best. So, on this still quiet morning with a perspective of Heaven's least and the peace and calm that is offered in Heaven's eyes, I am refreshed. In this stillness, I start my day.

Happy Sweet 16 to a Friend!

I took my dog on a walk the other day. He has not properly been trained on a leash. He doesn't know the "heel" command. He is so excited to be out and about that you see him taking off to every pull of his desires. As I walked him in the neighborhood, I kept him on a short leash. That's when I started thinking about this analogy where people say that they've "got someone on a short leash". Once we were out of the neighborhood and on the sidewalks, I let the leash extend as far as it could go. It literally put a huge grin on my face to watch him take off to give in to the impulses to mark his territory and sniff all the things to be sniffed. As we walked for a few miles, it all clicked for me.

(Birthday Girl), You have been on a leash under your parents training. They have given a tug if they see your tendencies are taking you somewhere unacceptable or even dangerous. They pull the leash in tighter to teach or give a command. At the age of sixteen, you begin a life of bigger independence and with that comes bigger responsibility. The responsibility that is most important to me is that you begin to recognize, rely upon and obey the spiritual leash that God has given to you. By His Holy Spirit, we as His children will get a tug or we will feel some slack in the rope. Begin to notice it... because when you are released from the leash of your parents and you are like a wild dog excited about his environment, there are dangerous things around that you may not recognize without that tug!

Lastly, that tug is ALWAYS out of love. I don't pull in the slack on my dog's leash because it appears he was having too much fun. I pull it in so that he doesn't get entangled or bulldozed or poisoned. God loves you and wants what is best for you. As you grow in independence and responsibility, may you live wearing your Spiritual Leash! Happy Sweet 16!!!!

Much love to you,
Rachel

Double Jock Parenting

"Tag, I got 'em, you go."

This is truly what our life has looked like a lot lately. Since I've been training for this marathon, I simply HAVE to get my runs in. If for some reason I don't get them in when the girls are at school, then Nick and I discuss how my run will fit into the day around his bike ride. Particularly our weekends have this feel to it.

Before I started running (11 months ago), Nick and I had biking. Since we both did this together, we ended up just paying sitters so we could go together. That got expensive and there was a little resistance on my part when he would mention going with the guys.

Just this morning he told me that he was talking to a friend about how much more he gets to ride since I've become a runner. This is good all around!
I just finished reading an article in Runner's World Magazine about two jocks that have a great system. I swear I could have written it and that is what has triggered me to process this very post. It's beautifully balanced within this home.

I have been running more and posting less :( I love to blog and this outlet has suffered at the hand (or foot) of my running! My marathon is in one month, so hopefully my schedule will adjust back to some sort of normal posting rhythm. Until then, I'm off to hit the pavement (while the girls are in school!)

Spring Break 2010

Well, seeing that a Blizzard is hitting us here in OK at the moment, I thought I'd post our bright sun-shiny pictures from Dallas a couple of days ago. I had a blessed time with my mom and my three girls visiting friends for just a few days.

Be my HELP!

I think this has been the LONGEST unannounced time taken off from blogging and it was totally unintended! How has this much time passed by? Wow!
Well, I've been running, listening to podcasts galore, and struggling in motherhood.

Struggling in motherhood is something I've come to grips with. Really, I shouldn't even call it a struggle in motherhood itself. It's struggling with ME as I do the job I'm in. I'm too easily annoyed with typical kid's stuff. I'm too easily angered at watching their sinful choices. I"m too easily disappointed at their choices. So this leaves me too easily exhausted with nothing left for all the other stuff in life.

Like:
Trying to get our house on the market.
Trying to buy a car.
Trying to meal plan and prepare no matter what kind of responses I get from the kids.
Trying to clean the house, stay on top of laundry and paying bills.

Father,
As I get annoyed, angry, disappointed and exhausted will you be my HELP? Help me to rise above my circumstances! This is all I have the energy to ask for. Amen

Book Titles

Sometimes all I REALLY need is a great title of a book. One that tells me what to do so that I don't have to read the whole book. This is the book that caught my eye:

The title is: "Loving Our Kids On Purpose"

For those three of you that have read my blog, you know that I've written about a recent experience I had with an Extreme Heart Makeover. One where I knew that God was calling me to be intentional with my kids and a relationship with them. Well, let's just say some time has past and I know once again in my heart of hearts that it's time to put my intentional hat on again and (to use the books' catchy title..,) Love my girls on purpose. I picked up a copy that my friend had and held it in my hands thinking to myself that this very book had all the answers to my problems at home. As I stood in front of the "parenting" section at my local Christian bookstore to buy a copy, I realized that I can walk away already charged and encouraged to do a great job just from the many titles I had just taken in. If I were to read a title that said: "Become a Diligent Mother," I personally wouldn't buy the copy and take the time to read it. I simply walk away and pray that God teaches me how to become a more diligent mother. Keep in mind that laziness is my weakness.

This is all to say that I walked away from that entire section of help on parenting knowing what it was specifically that God wanted me to do in this current stage as a mother. Love them on purpose. Four days later an opportunity for me to intentionally or purposefully be with them came up. I had joy in my heart and knew that growth in relationships with them was taking place. I'm so thankful that the Holy Spirit can exponentially teach more than books can. [For those of you that learn much from books and their application, I applaud you. For me, reading needs to be fun and an escape! Thanks for understanding our differences! Oh, and I'm sure the book that I mentioned is wonderful and I would hope that I haven't caused anyone to NOT read it by what I have said. I'm just just a cliff-notes kind of a girl!]