The Goal in Sight....

Jett running ahead of me in a recent race for Unadopted here in Birmingham.

The goal has been set, and honestly, it has scared me. One hundred miles in a month. With a husband, kids, homeschooling, soccer, helping to run a ministry, piano/voice, co-op classes, teaching a small group, keeping up a home, etc, etc, etc, life is a little busy these days.

In 2012 the most miles I ran in a month was close to 75. I haven’t come close to that until last month when I hit 86. The 100 mile month has eluded me so far, but I will have to do it over and over again in order to train properly for the marathon in January.

And now, it’s within sight. I’m at 81.4 with a week left to go in August. And, I’m fearful. A fear that I will give up. A fear that I just won’t make it.

But, who is the author of that fear? Not the Lord! It’s the enemy who whispers shame and guilt and fear into my life. And I listen…constantly. It is disappointing to say the least. But, the voice of the One who called me to do this is so much greater. It may not be louder some days, but it is clearer, and it is faithful. And, I will trust in His plan.

Please pray that I will be dedicated to the journey He has for me. I give in to my fear of failure too often, and it is embarrassing. It is shameful.

Do you have something God has called you to do? Are you scared? Will you do it anyway?

Let us press on toward the prize that He has set before us. For me, it’s trusting in Him for every step, knowing that He alone will sustain me. Keep my eyes off myself and my feelings…look to Him alone for every single need.

Thank you all for your love, support and encouragement along this path!

Big Mistake and A New Record

Have you ever seen two things that just don't seem to go together? Like a vending machine that sells bait. A beauty shop where you can file your taxes. Burger King selling fish.

I always laugh when I say the opposite ends of a spectrum but things that aren't even in the same category? Those things make me laugh. I have a friend who orders a hamburger at a popular seafood restaurant. Another who gets her nails done at a gas station. I am entertained to say the least.

I guess it's not as funny when it happens to me. As soon as I realize that I hit a new record, I simultaneously encounter a new low. And, I'm not amused.

Last week, I ran six days for a total of 29.9 miles. It's the most I've run in a week EVER. Along with the previous week's mileage of 26.1, my total for the month is now at 56.0. I'm on the way to hitting 100 miles in August...and that's will be a new record! Increasing mileage every week has been hard but necessary for training. God is stretching me in ways I have never encountered, and my prayer life has been at full force. It's amazing how much God brings to mind in an hour long training session!

At the same time, I made several huge mistakes this past weekend....and I write them down to help me remember what NOT to do again and to help anyone else who might be heading down the wrong road:

1. Because of our schedule, we had to run 6 miles early on Saturday OUTSIDE. We've only run 4-6 miles total outside at this point. With the heat and humidity (and the people we are responsible for caring for once we get back home), it's just not a good plan right now. We were soaked, hungry and tired. Way to start the day.
2. We didn't plan our eating and hydration well. We left our home after running to participate in a local run with Unadopted here in Birmingham. Great race and great cause. Poor timing on our parts. We had to run another 3 with the brilliant idea of getting in an additional two after the race. Wonderful concept. Poor judgment. We didn't consume enough carbs or protein or liquid before arriving and were pooped out by mile two.
3. Again, the race was outside which means miles 7,8, and 9 were outside too. That's a big increase to run outside when we've been running inside primarily. Not to mention that we were exhausted at this point.
4. Running after the race was a huge No No with legs that already felt like jelly, a stomach begging to be fed protein and carbs (and there were plenty of those available...but I didn't want to see them again on the trail), and a head that was spinning from the heat and lack of hydration.

So, I got in 10 miles for the day (coming up one mile short of my goal of 11) but it felt like 20. I made some major mistakes (I'm still a rookie, you know), and I am still paying for them. Lessons learned.

I think I'll focus on the new record and just learn from the error of my ways. Maybe you can too!

Why?

Not long ago I sat across from a young twenty-something year old beauty who told me a little of her history with the Lord. She had packed up her belongings, said goodbye to her family and planted her life in Africa. She was serving the Lord when He began to convict her about her motives. She moved back home realizing that she had some growing to do. God showed her that her intentions were not pure or holy…instead, they were self-glorifying and self-gratifying and brought the honor and praise to her, not God.

I think we can all relate. Many times our motivation is not God-honoring. So, we must re-examine our foundation often, daily, hourly, every minute!

In light of that, I have found myself frustrated with not being able to run sometimes. And during my quiet times I have gone before the Lord to ask Him to reveal my motivation for running. He has refined me way more than I ever desired or thought I needed in that area….and it has been very good.

Why DO I run?

1. Because God directed us to run. We’ve tried to do many things, but God continually brings us back to running.
2. Running allows us a platform to share our journey for His great glory. We struggle DAILY (sometimes, it’s an every-15-minute-kinda-thing) with our health, and God is most honored when we submit and obey Him.
3. My physical and mental discipline when it comes to health/exercise STINKS. God has stretched me over and over again and taught me to remain focused on Him. Often, God has used physical principles to teach me spiritual truths. Running develops a discipline that I otherwise do not have.
4. Finally, running gives me great alone time with the Lord. God allows me time to meditate on the Word I’ve read that morning or pray specifically for friends/family or on most days, I wrestle through something He is teaching me.

This past week was my first 25+ mileage weeks in over a year. And, it was tough. Again and again, I wanted to quit and just give up. But, God sustained as He always does. When I keep my eyes on His purposes and plans and not on my own inadequacy/weakness, the run continues.

I am hoping for a first ever 100 mileage month….that will be by God’s grace ALONE. I know that I cannot do it. But, He is greater than my insecurities and fear of humiliation. He will accomplish this by His great power. And, my only part is tiny…submission and obedience. It’s the least I can do.

God's Plan A

“It’s just a little walk from here,” she said with a sparkle in her eyes. I already knew that her definition of “little” and mine were quite different. “Shortcut” is another one of her misnomers. I am quite aware of the hike we are about to embark upon.

I step out of the van with nothing but my Bible and a rain jacket. Members of our team are waiting and I can see that they are blissfully ignorant of what lies ahead. With Gladys carrying her youngest baby, Marleni walking with her daughter, Anayeli, and kids running circles around us, we started down a paved path.

Soon the path became gravel-like and took several turns. Like Hansel and Gretel, I wondered if I shouldn’t have thought of leaving a trail of crackers or bread. Directions are not my forte, you know. Talking is less and I hear the huffing of others. I sure am glad I’ve been running lately.

“Right there,” Gladys calls out as we walk past a make-shift fence and a tin door. We stop and run around, making our way through the entrance. Immediately, my eyes shift from side to side to see the ratty conditions of the place but then, I look up. Quickly scanning the landscape I see a house ahead and a steep path above that leading to a shack on the top of the cliff. Somehow, I have a feeling that the summit is where we are headed. Sadly, I was right.

It’s a tiny home (think 250 square feet) with a rigged grill in the front area. A pot of beans is on the coals, and the smoke is wafting out over the sheet covering the door. We are led to the back partitioned bedroom with one full size bed. Light is pouring in the plastic that acts as a wall. Flash cards of sounds hang as decoration on one wall, so someone is learning to read. A picture of Mary, Joseph and Jesus hangs on the cardboard behind the bed…”There’s the starting point,” is what I sensed in my spirit.

We engage in small talk and introductions. The woman is in tears already as she pours out her heart about two sick children (one has a heart condition from birth and the other has been in the hospital lately), a husband who drinks and beats her, no money to feed the kids, and a hope that does not exist in her world.

God has, of course, appointed, Marleni to be on this team, and the similarities in their lives are numerous. You see, God designed a time just a few months ago, when Marleni was pouring out her struggles to a few of us in her home. She has been a faithful Christ-follower for years and has invested in the mission church in Lantana since its inception. With every team she gives of herself and her family to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, her life is not without hardships, and she was crying out to God for His great comfort. Today, she stood in a home where another woman shared a similar story.

Opening God’s Word, I quickly went from one passage to another as the translator rattled off the words. God is holy. Man is sinful. Man is separated from God. He is just. We are dead in our sins. He is gracious. Jesus lived a perfect life, died for us, and rose again. And, all you need to do is STOP….um, what? STOP is clearly what God impresses upon my heart. STOP RIGHT THERE. That’s all you are to do.

I gotta admit that the moment was a little awkward. The problem has been laid out - we are sinful and God is holy. We cannot get to Him because we are a depraved and wicked people. The answer has been shared - Jesus Christ came and lived a life without sin, died a death in our place and was raised from the dead three days later. Silence. Silence. Silence. The translator stares at me with questioning eyes. I just stare back. And then, Marleni’s shirt is my peripheral vision….it hits me like a ton of bricks. She taps me on the back and says, “Ask her if she wants to accept Christ now.” I can’t. It’s not my role to play. The question is Marleni’s to ask. This is why she is on this team.

I have never heard her share the Gospel personally because she often prays while we are reading God’s Word. She steps up and looks at me like a baby wanting to be rescued. She is nervous and shaking and not sure what to say. My mouth is closed…just as it should be.

It was not by accident that Marleni was able to share how a personal relationship with God is possible and how Jesus made the way. She talked about believing in God, knowing what He has done for us, admitting and confessing sins, and accepting His free gift of salvation. Then, she said that the road would not be easy and told of her own struggles with a husband who left her earlier this year. She didn’t dwell there long. Instead, Marleni was able to share how God has brought her great joy and peace during this time. Only God did that. And it was good. And glorious.

Isn’t God’s plan amazing? I stand in awe of how He brought us all together to accomplish His purposes as only He can. Praise His name for His great will and the ways He brings it all to pass.

No Running...

No running for the next week for me…yikes! Just knowing that strikes fear deep within me. My mind immediately anticipates failure. And yet, that is not the case.

You see, I am in Guatemala leading a mission trip team. While sometimes we are able to run in the mornings, it is not a possibility in this particular colonia. So, I have to do strength training, stretching and other cardio (think “standing in place” or “how to use a 3 x 3 square for all of your exercises”) until I can return.

And, I am scared knowing that I will be unable to run for 7 days. I start to ponder how hard it will be to run when I come back, whether or not I will lose any of my endurance and how far behind I will be in training. Well, that’s pessimistic….and honest. The enemy gets a foothold in my thoughts and my mind races with things that do not honor the Lord. That is hard to admit but true. God always reminds me to look back at how far He has brought me. And I remember…again. He is faithful, and He will continue to be so. Praise His name!

Oh, how I wish I could tell you that training has gotten easier but it has not. I dread every single day. Well, that’s not true. I look forward to runs downtown before JT and I hit a local coffee shop for breakfast and then walk around the farmer’s market. Of course, it’s not the running I look forward to but the time with my hubby afterwards!

Although the runs are not any easier, they are progressing. I have just finished 86 miles for the month…that’s the most I’ve ever done in a month. And if I had the extra days of this month to run more, I would’ve hit 100 miles! That will be my goal for August - 100 miles!!! I’ve already built up to 25 miles per week from 15…that’s progress. And longer runs are at 8 miles already!

It’s a daily process of dying to self and surrendering to His plan for my life. I fight, I kick, I scream….and yet, when I obey, I experience great freedom in Him. Just like a child who doesn’t know what’s best, I find myself often questioning the “why” of running every day. At the same time, I am seeing His plan little by little. And I rejoice that He wakes me up each day and gives me another opportunity to honor Him.

So, I challenge you, my friends, to keep obeying. No matter how mundane, monotonous or menial it seems, your obedience is critical to your freedom in Christ. Battle on!

Marathon Cooking

After last week’s marathon cooking day, I had an onslaught of messages requesting more information. And I’m obliging…but let me share a bit of news….this took way more thought than I had the day after cooking. In fact, four days later, I’m typing this. So, marathon cooking can suck the brains right out of your head temporarily. But, you will have plenty of good food to eat while you wait for them to come back to you.

If I had been thinking of writing this while cooking, I probably would have taken some awesome photos. But, I didn’t think of anything except cooking, so you are left to see the end results only. And that is good enough for now…plus, it’s all I can do.

Here goes.

Once upon a time. Wait, wrong story.

First, priorities have to be set. Are you wanting the cheapest? Healthiest? Biggest? Do you like processed foods or whole foods? Do you want to take meals to others and share of your bounty? Decide what is important to you and what you would like first!

Our family wants quality food (very little processed, no added sugar) for the best price possible - the biggest bang for our buck. We’ve done plenty of processed, sugary foods before, and well, that just doesn’t line up with what works well for us. Plus, we love to take meals to other people when they are in need…and taking a meal that’s already cooked is a bonus!

Second and THE MOST IMPORTANT factor is finding a friend to share the duties, costs and meals with….this is critical. It must be a person with a similar sized family (or at least eats the same amount) and like priorities. We have that in our people, Andrew and Lora, who are both excellent in the kitchen. And, they have 7 young ones that range in age from ten to two.

Helpers are essential too. This time, our younger kids (from age 6 to 10) helped quite a bit. And we had 3 teenagers (our two girls and the ministry intern) who also assisted at all times. The more hands that can actually be helpful, the better!

So, all of those factors are critical to the marathon cooking day itself. But, a big portion of the day is made possible by the planning that takes place at least a week in advance. Here’s what we do:

1. Make a plan for what meals are to be cooked. We do this formally - like sitting in Lora and Andrew's living room with coffee in one hand and the Pioneer Woman cookbook in the other. We flip pages and if enough people say “Yum,” we try that. If you are just starting out, take 4-6 meals only and make 4-5 of each one. We prefer The Pioneer Woman’s recipes as they are tried and true and suit our families! For this particular day we made her whiskey-mustard meatballs, meatloaf (oh my word….I think I tried to bite my arm off when I smelled this one), stuffed potatoes, chicken pot pie, corn dog muffins, lasagna roll-ups, and beef stew. We also had cooked chicken, browned ground beef, grilled chicken, chicken stock, enchilada mix (with chicken) and chicken chili. Try a variety of recipes including a pasta, chicken dishes, beef entrees and soups. Check out Lora's site for our grocery list and recipes.

2. Multiply the recipes using an online site to determine how much of each item is needed. On Pioneer Woman’s website, simply click on Print Recipe. A new page will pop up and you can change the serving size to get all new quantities. Fair warning, you will be buying huge amounts of certain things (e.g. 64 cans of northern beans). It is possible to ask your favorite grocery store (aka Publix) to special order large quantities. We always end up with extra grocery items that we just split down the middle (this time we had a couple of items that seemed odd to have remaining. Only after eating the meatballs did we realize that we needed to make more of the whiskey-mustard sauce. Thus, the extra ingredients.)

3. Make a list of items needed. I made this list for us using Numbers and separated items by category. We had columns for each item’s name, quantity needed, any amount either of us had on hand, how much was still needed, who was going to buy it, and who was going to cut/dice/cook it.

4. Then, we shop. Warehouse stores are good for this as they tend to carry items in bulk. However, we also made trips to Publix and Whole Foods. We had chicken and beef already in the freezer that we had previously bought for cheap!

5. Some items that are time consuming are prepared ahead of time. THIS IS HUGE!!! It saves a ton of time on cooking day which ultimately, saves our sanity! We have learned that grilling items, cooking ground beef, dicing veggies, making soups and cooking pasta are time consuming and cut into our cooking day tremendously. So, we divide the list and take a few days ahead of time to do these in the comfort of our own homes and at our own pace. Lora and Andrew cooked all of the potatoes and a few chickens, made chicken stock and cooked all of the beef stew (the most labor-intensive of the meals). We grilled the chicken, cooked some chicken, browned the ground beef (a roaster works wonders here) and made the chicken chili.

6. Everyone needs to bring large mixing bowls, measuring cups, baking sheets, muffin tins, etc. Plus, we have found that we use 3 specific containers - freezer Ziploc bags, quart sized plastic containers with lids (ordered online) and aluminum 1/3 size steam table pans with lids.

7. We pre-make labels for each item…if there are any special instructions for cooking, they are listed on the label. Plus everything tends to look alike after a while, and it’s good to know what’s what in the freezer!

8. Since the marathon cooking day is held at my house (the layout of our kitchen is just more conducive to this), I do not have to pack up all my food or appliances or utensils. Instead, we clear our counters…completely. The dining room table is also wiped clean and plastic table cloths are used to catch most of the mess. The buffet in our dining room acts as the catch all for all bowls, pans and utensils for the day. A small table in our keeping room holds the cleaning supplies, packaging materials, recipes and food labels. Two more small folding tables sit directly under one of our countertops and hold all the canned goods, baking products and spices.

9. An order of the cooking planned is also a necessity! All items requiring the stovetop can’t be made at the same time, one assembly item at a time on the table, and meatballs and meatloaf can’t fit in the oven at the same time (even though we have double ovens, they were jammed packed with one recipe at a time). Stagger items so that something is cooking in the oven (meatballs) while another recipe is being assembled on the table (lasagna rollups) and even another item is cooking on the stove (chicken pot pie).

10. Cooking Day! Wear comfortable shoes and aprons. Have plenty of paper towels, dish towels and hot pads on hand. Also, make a plan for lunch, snacks and drinks during the day. Plenty of paper products helps to make this easier! It was rumored that we had Cream Puffs on our recent marathon day but alas, they left the kitchen to never reappear!

11. We make sure to have a babysitter or two on hand to watch the kids. This time, three little ones played upstairs and all of our “big” girls were able to help as well as most of the kids. They rolled meatballs, stuffed potatoes, filled lasagna noodles, dried dishes, and more….

12. As we cook we just put at least two people on each dish. We spread out and everyone takes what they need from the food and supply areas and cook away. Someone also mans the sink and keeps all of the dishes washed as we go. A runner takes finished items to the freezers downstairs or the iced down coolers.

13. We keep a list of how many of each item is for each family. A dry erase board in the kitchen helps with that! Then, we don’t have to remember numbers at the end of the day! This time each family ended with 4 chicken pot pies, 12 beef stew, 13 chicken chili, 12 ground beef, 4 cooked chicken, 10 grilled chicken, 10 stuffed potatoes, 11 lasagna rollups, 10 meatballs, 7 meatloaves, 4 chicken stock,
13 chicken enchilada mix, and 10 corn dog muffins. At the end of the day, it’s easy to count out each family’s meals and be on our way.

14. Clean up is an all hands on deck kinda deal. Everyone helps to restore order to the kitchen and be sure that everyone has all of their stuff. Normally, we are super exhausted at this point but this week we worked pretty fast and had some energy left since it was only 3:30 in the afternoon (we've gone until late at night before).

While this can seem overwhelming, it is not at all. It is much easier to start by finding a friend who is willing to help! Then, begin with some tried and true recipes. You can even make 3 meals at your house (make 6 of each meal) and have your friend make 3 meals at her house. You would both leave with 18 meals! That’s a great way to introduce yourself to the concept of marathon cooking.

At the end of the day we walked away with over one hundred meals each. That’s one hundred nights that we don’t have to think about our main entree. One hundred nights of avoiding eating out because supper is already determined and ready to go. Marathon cooking also allows us to take meals to other families quickly and easily! Just pull 2 quarts of chicken chili out of the freezer, grab some cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips and bake up some brownies. Done and ready to go!

Marathon cooking takes some planning (it gets much easier as you do it...MUCH easier) and preparation, but it is worth it. We spent about $650 per family which is awesome considering the quality and quantity of food we got. And it provides me with numerous opportunities to display hospitality to others and my own family. Not to mention saving my sanity which is priceless

*The photos above are courtesy of Jett Turner who has a tendency to take lots of photos of unimportant things. In this case, he was simply following my instructions because I didn't have the energy to go down the stairs....now, there's some honesty.

Hiding from God

At least once a month, I get a message or call from another woman who shares my struggle with food and exercise. And I sigh. A big, huffy, deep sigh. Because it is a reminder to me of where I have been and how much further I have to go. It encourages me to recall that my life is not my own. It was bought with a price, and I am not in charge. And aren’t we all glad for that? If I was in charge of me, I would be a wreck. Just looking at back at my poor eating decisions, bent toward laziness and lack of exercise is a good indicator of what a mess I’ve made of my life.

So, I sat across from one of these ladies recently and we commiserated about our unhealthy choices and desire for those things that are not good for us. We are both drawn to sugar and are often tempted by well-meaning friends who say, “A little won’t hurt you,” or “You deserve it.”

Amidst the confession, God was faithful to remind us of His goodness. He used His Word to reveal Himself to us in such a way as to bring conviction, repentance and renewal. Psalm 90:8 says, “You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” NOTHING we do is hidden from Him. What we eat, how much we eat….He sees it all. We can even fool other people, but not Him.

We both talked about times where we have hidden things. I can remember a time when the girls were younger (old enough to see what was in the trash) and I would hide candy wrappers in the bottom of the garbage can. I didn’t want them to know what I had done. I wanted my choices to be hidden from them. But, the results were obvious….weight gain, no energy, etc. So in essence, I wasn’t fooling anyone.

But we often think that if something is hidden, NO ONE knows about it. They can’t see it so how can they possibly know. Do we really think that God doesn’t know? Have we compartmentalized our lives in such a way that we think we can deceive the Lord? He only sees the good things we do or what we want Him to see?

For many of us, we want people at church or friends who are believers to see the “good” side of us. The part of us that is kind to our husbands and children, the healthy eating, the great exercise, patience, servant leadership….Why? So that others will think highly of us. But, that is WRONG. It is unbiblical. Hebrews 4:13 reminds us, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” He knows it all.

And thus, I leave us all with a challenge today. Confess your sins to the Lord. Lay it all bare before Him. Know that He already knows, and He loves you anyway. Do not keep anything from Him.