Thought for the day

Robert McKee said, "A Character is revealed by the decisions they make under pressure."

What does your character say about you?

Many the miles

Quads killing. IT band tightening. Feet on fire. People yelling, "You're almost there!" ...at mile 20. Fair enough, 6.2 miles is not as far as the past 20. BUT they are the longest 6.2 of your life. The marathon really begins at mile 20. That's when it truly becomes mind over matter. Everything hurts at that point, but the will to move forward and push through the pain is greater than the pain itself.

I've been asked, "what do you think about when you're running for that long?" Well, everything and nothing at all. During a marathon I like to dedicate each mile to someone special in my life and think about them and pray for them. It puts purpose behind my miles and gives me something to look forward to every mile.

The only hiccup I had during the Chicago Marathon happened at mile 22. I had been ahead of the 4:30 pacers until that point. I grabbed a banana took two steps and two bites and the pace group passed me by. Determined to not let this happen my internal thought was, "Heck NO!" I threw the banana to the side and ran. I caught up with them and was feeling as good as I could at that point. Then at mile 23 my hips locked up and I had half the stride I had before. I watched as the pace group continued on. My heart wanted to go so bad, but my body just wouldn't go. I knew that I would still be close to them so I didn't let that dishearten me. From mile 23 until the end I kept repeating in my head and my heart, "The joy if the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength." I knew that nothing was impossible and I would finish this. That I would set a new personal record for myself. That the joy of the Lord was my strength.

At mile 25 I let out everything I had left in me and I ran. I ran as fast as I could. I ran with determination. I ran with purpose. It felt great. Okay, it hurt, but through the pain God gave me joy and strength. I finished with no regrets. It was incredible. After crossing the line my thoughts were. Praise the Lord! I did it. Where's the water? Where are my friends? When's the next marathon because I think I can go faster?

It's bizarre that with your body so exhausted your thoughts go to when can I do this to myself again? A marathon is probably some kind of modern day torture in other countries, and I choose to put myself through it. It's the sickest addiction ever. I LOVE IT!

It's a spiritual journey. Learning endurance, perseverance, and joy through pain. Thousands of people gathered to encourage the runners. Thousands of runners beating their bodies and silently driving others forward. Friendships are formed when you have hours together to run. I love the first timers. I remember how special that was for me in January and I'm so proud of them for doing it!

This was a really special marathon because I ran with Sammy Wanjiru, 2008 Bejing Olympic Gold Medalist in the marathon. He set a new course record by one second. I have now officially ran a race with an olympian! How cool is that?! At the end of the race I feel kind of like a champion as I make the medal holders place mine around my neck. I love it ;) I could write about running and what the journey, both physically and spiritually, mean to me forever. But, I'll spare you and just say one more thing. I encourage you all to do something that scares you and seems impossible. There's joy in the journey and ultimate reward and satisfaction at the finish line.

I all to often hear people talk about how they would love to do a marathon, but they never could. YES YOU CAN! Take it one mile at a time. One of the ladies who ran with us said one year ago that she could never do this. It was hard for her to run around the block. And, now she's a marathoner. The only one telling those people no is the person in the mirror. Don't worry about everyone else's pace. Run YOUR race and enjoy the journey.

Running is the classical road to self-consciousness, self-awareness and self-reliance. Independence is the outstanding characteristic of a runner. He learns the harsh reality of his physical and spiritual limitations when he runs. He learns that personal commitment, sacrifice and determination are his only means to betterment. Runners get promoted only through self-conquest.

Noel Coward, English playwright, composer, and actor

A different breed

My friends and I are different. I think we always knew this, but around Halloween it really becomes obvious. Mean Girls says it best, "Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it."

When you look for costumes online there is no denying that they are trying to be slutty. For example, Snow White is Naughty White Snow. This is where my friends are different. Sadly, the majority of American girls are dressed as sluts disguised as cops, firefighters, nurses, nuns, or disney princesses. My friends and I dress as Richard Simons, a box of Quaker Oats, a person from the Blue Man Group, Jared from Subway, the Golden Girls, Rafiki from The Lion King...

In conversations about what people are going to be for Halloween we tend to forget that most people don't think like us. We like the challenge of being creative. It would be funny if we went as a slutty cop one year because no one would expect it...at least if they knew us.

My challenge to people is to be creative this year! Be covered! And be safe!

God is soooo good!

This summer I have felt a huge urgency for prayer. God has placed a deep desire in my heart to be in constant and deep communication with Him at all times. The other night when I was running I almost fell to my knees on the side of the trails in Sioux Falls in adoration of God. He is so good! My eyes became filled with tears admiring the beauty He has placed all around. After my run I raised my legs against a tree outside of my apartment and was in awe of the detail God put into that one tree. He reminded me that He puts even more detail and care into His creation of us. I love what David wrote in Psalm 139.

Psalm 139: 1-18

O Lord, you have searched me

and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue

you know it completely, O Lord.

You hem me in - behind and before;

you have laid your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me

and the light become night around me,"

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day,

for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thought, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand.

When I awake,

I am still with you.

I pray you know how much God loves you!

Last night at Life Group we were sharing some of what we see God doing within our body at The Crossing. There were four of us who have felt this urgency and deepened desire for prayer. I am amazed at how God has been speaking to us individually to unify us for His Kingdom.

On Tuesday night God was tugging at my heart to fast. I have no idea what I'm supposed to be fasting for. God has been commanding this from another friend at Life Group too. He has no idea what God specifically wants either. I ignored this yesterday because I wanted clarification and purpose behind it, but God reassured me to seek Him through this fast. In fact, that may be the purpose behind God's command to fast. Seek ME! Learn to live more in the Kingdom and less in the world. Store your treasure in ME not here on earth. You say I'm number one, but I want to see it in your life. As the country song goes, "A little less talk and a lot more action Em."

God is on the move and I want to join Him! I don't want his blessing to pass by. I need to live up to the expectation that Christ has of me and quit being okay, being okay. Praise God for disciplining me, for having grace and mercy on me, for restoring me, for instilling His desires in me over my selfish desires, for courage and strength, and for loving me through it all. Praise God!

During these seasons of change I see how obedient the trees are to let go of the life they knew this summer. They die to themselves. We see the colors of the leaves changing and see the beauty of the transformation. So, I ask why are we clenching onto the life we once knew? If only it was easier for us to be obedient like trees. To accept the change and transformation and find the beauty within it, rather than hesitate because we don't want to let go. We like the junk. It's comfortable. I find that the longer we hold onto the junk the harder it is to let it go and separate it from our lives. Why do we have such a tight grip on the trash in our lives? Lord, help us to let go and desperately seek after YOU and YOUR KINGDOM.

I want to be like Paul, who kept Christ as such a treasure that everything else lost in comparison.

20 Questions

This is not the typical 20 questions your mom would ask after you get home from school. I think they're great conversation starters and a great way to get to know people. Use them for your next road trip!

1. If you were God for a day, what would you do?
2. If you could be the parent of one famous person, who would you want it to be and why?
3. What was the last thing you regret buying?
4. If you had a chance to bring one person back from the dead, who would it be and why?
5. What three things you regret not learning to do?
6. If you had a crystal ball that could tell you the truth about any one thing you wished to know about yourself, life, the future, or anything else, what would you want to know?
7. What's worse... having expectations that are too high, or having no expectations at all?
8. How do you know when you're in love?
9. What is the most important invention or innovation that has happened during your life-time?
10. How would you spend your ideal day?
11. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?
12. What three adjectives might other people use to describe your personality?
13. Who would you choose to be shipwrecked on a desert island with?
14. What is your idea of a perfect romantic evening?
15. If you were to be remembered for one thing, what would you like it to be?
16. If you were guaranteed honest responses to any three questions, whom would you question, and what would you ask them?
17. If you saw someone shoplifting, what would you do?
18. Is there anything you would willingly give your life for?
19. If you could re-live a day of your life again, which would it be and why?
20. If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?

I have been blessed

by God's love

with an amazing family

with amazing friends

with the ability to run

with eyes to see God's beauty around me

with laughter

with a job

with an education

with opportunities to travel

with the kiss of the sun and the refreshing feeling of a cool breeze

with the Lord's joy as my strength

with freedom

with restoration

with coffee, ice cream and chocolate

with an active imagination

with people who challenge and encourage me

with clean water

with food to eat

with shelter...every day

with a car

with shoes on my feet

in more ways than I will every fully know

How has God blessed you?

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy”

Psalm 126:3

You won't relent

You won't relent
Until You have it all
My heart is Yours

I'll set You as a seal upon my heart
As a seal upon my arm
For there is love that is as strong as death
Jealousy demanding as the grave
And many waters cannot quench this love

Come be the fire inside of me
Come be the flame upon my heart
Come be the fire inside of me
Until You and I are one