My Magnolia!!!

My heart is so full. I feel rich. I was listening to a podcast on my run last night. This pastor asked this question:

Do you enjoy God?

He went on to explain that he is not asking if I love Him, serve Him, know Him. Do I enjoy Him? He likened it to a spouse. Do I enjoy my husband? I mean, you can serve him and love him and know him and trust him, but do you enjoy him?

I realized that I am in a VERY rich place in my life because I thoroughly, honestly ENJOY both God and my husband!! Is it really easy for me to answer that way because I'm not currently under fire or in a time of really tough testing? Maybe. But, I would so hope and desire to still Enjoy God in the midst of any circumstance.

Quick story about my new house. This place has me amazed. Just so amazed that God has provided this much space for us in such a beautiful neighborhood. This neighborhood is full of trees AND HILLS. Yes, this is Oklahoma and I didn't think there could be any of those here, but after running them, I can tell you that there are Hills in OK :) The heat reminds me that I'm still here, though.

Anyway, back to that quick story. I feel so personally and intimately loved by the mere fact that I have a big magnolia tree greeting me outside my study window. I LOVE Magnolias. I've always thought their silky, bulky leaves were just so unique! The flowers they bloom are big and bold. But, see, before I EVER even knew that I like Magnolia Trees, this one was planted in this place and I believe it is because God knew that there would come a day where I decided to like them and then desire one in my yard.

We have owned five homes now and over the course of that time, I often wanted to plant one. Yet, 12 years ago, someone else chose that tree to be planted in this spot where here and now I get to enjoy it!!! God knew. *big grin*

I'm here!

Well, in less than a week, I am settled in our new home! The pictures are hung. No cardboard boxes to be seen. This is how I roll! With the help of my mom and a friend, the work is done.

I am SO very humbled that God put us in this house and in this neighborhood. I feel so BLESSED.

I just wanted you all to know that I'm finally here (back) and ready to get into a new summer rhythm!!!

Happy Weekend!

Identity Crisis

So, with this move, I knew I'd be getting a new email address as we are switching ISP. It got me thinking of a new email address. Personally, I think my gmail address (also the address for this blog) is way too long and way too complex!) So, I was wanting something like joy@whatever.net Because Joy is my favorite word. It is what I seek most. Then, I go.... really, is that what I seek most? What about surrender? I love the word SURRENDER. I love what it means.... but then I'm stuck with surrender@blahblahblah.net sounds pretty strange. So, here I am wondering why I care so much about my identity at all. Rider Meyer Girl was good because I love horseback riding, riding bikes, riding a mountain on a snowboard... but now, I run. So, really .. switch it? I wonder if it can't be mores simplistic. simplify@email.com or that my identity is so much in HIM that it is eternal@email.com
Just things running through my head. Is it pride? I so desire to live my life as a vessel or a channel for others to see Him. This doesn't mean that everything I'm about has to have a "Bible" word with it, but I want to reflect His goodness in my life in all avenues.
When I turned 35 a few weeks ago, I chopped off all my hair, sold my minivan, ran a marathon. Now with all these labels swimming in my head, I have just been concentrating on my identity.

Bottom line.

I am His. He is with ME. He will never leave me. I LONG to please Him. I LONG to be with Him. I LONG to bring GLORY to HIM. So, with all of this said, If I have a new blog with a new address or a new email or a new look, just know that I am actually evaluating my heart and my choices to best accomplish these LONGINGs of mine!!!!

Change of Address

Not the best time in the world for my husband to be gone. He's on a plane to CO for the week! Uuugh. My mom is there too! Uuugh! We move in 13 days. I have much to do and little motivation. I usually just do survival mode type stuff when life hands me this. But, when life hands me this right when I'm supposed to contact all the companies for change of service and change of address and I have zero motivation to do it.... it leaves me feeling like I need to SHOUT cry out to you, my friends, for prayer. This is it. Thanks in advance!

My Real Home

Every time we've bought and sold a home, I have felt this way about the process:

It is not a done deal until it's a done deal. Our house has to pass an inspection. Our buyers have to come through. Future home has to pass inspection. Funding has to arrive in the right time. All of the details that make you feel like it's just not a done deal. Maybe being a realtor's daughter makes me feel this way because of seeing so many deals fall through! Yet, it's never happened to me.

Each time I sit in the place where two offers hold us through until the closing, I struggle to get on the phone and start all of the new services on an address that isn't really ours yet. I struggle to do all of the change of address work on a property that isn't in our name. Getting the boxes and starting to pack? I have to do it, but the "what if's" keep me from starting.



This has me thinking of the real home where the property is in our name. Heaven. My name is written in the Lambs book of life. And, I don't have to pack. I don't have to worry about other people doing their part, because He has done it ALL! Oh, how I long for Heaven and to be in our real home. He went.... to prepare a place for me. In His Father's house are many mansions. This is something I can get excited about without reserve!!!

But, until that time.... with a little reserve, I'll start the process of getting some boxes and packing up my home because we have a move on the horizon.

Our Home

Marathon completed. check.
new job. check.
house sold. check.
offer on house. check.

Response from the offer..... that is where we are. As we sit in this place, I am not anxious. I am not concerned or worried. I know that God has it all worked out. We are praying in.every.step. I love the trusting God part of life that is fleshed out in this moment.

This is such a temporary place. I long for our real home. Until we get there, I will walk though these various stages of life. I do have much excitement about the neighborhood we've found a couple of homes in. It will be fun and interesting to go through this process this month. That's right, friends. May 24th. That's the big day.

Would you pray with me about where God has us land? The neighbors we will get to know? The unknowns of new bills. My children's hearts as they adjust to change. While I thrive on change, I know of one in particular that does not. Thank you for praying with us.

26.2

Wow!!! Four hours and forty-three minutes of running!!! That's a LONG time. It was so amazing!!!! What a feeling of accomplishment! I have two favorite parts. One is crossing the finish line and completing what I trained for! The other is that I got to run 24 of those miles with my best friend! I even wonder today if I would have made it if it weren't for her. I struggled from mile 14 to 19 and she was there. She encouraged me in my mind to think of things above. It was at that point that I turned my ipod to the book of Psalms (from the bible on cd by Word of Promise!) Of course, when that didn't help... pretty much all the music suggestions friends from Facebook gave me helped a bit!!

We took it nice an slow from mile 20 to 24. It was at that point that my dear friend's calf was giving her the most grief, so I went on. I think I was so excited about the finish that I began to sprint..... at mile 24! I sprinted pretty much until 25.98 where I put my ipod away so I could soak in the feeling of the finish! I LOVED that my family was there cheering me on!

OH, and a third favorite part was that our husbands rode their bikes along the course to check in on us and cheer us on along the way! This was fun! I never knew when I'd see them and when I did see them I lit up. I'd get my smile on and ham it up for the camera. Nick took LOTS of great shots. I'm just putting a few on here, but I think there were like 80 in my FB album!

Last thing I desire to say about finishing my first marathon is that I want God to receive ALL the glory! I trained, yes.... but I trained WITH Him. I talked to Him a LOT about this race and my body and training and difficulty and made many life applications along the way. I grew in this experience in many ways and am SO glad that I DID IT!!!!!!!