On Finishing Strong

"Come let us rejoice in who He is...
Our lives are in His hands,
and He keeps our feet from stumbling."
~Psalm 66:9

As I head into this final week before my race, I can’t help but reflect on how this marathon journey mirrors the bigger road I've been on for over a decade...

I first considered running a full marathon back in 2009.  I signed up for the OKC race in 2011, but I didn’t train well and eventually backed out.  Got into the Nike Women’s Marathon in 2012, then talked myself right out of those crazy San Francisco hills!  Now, 13 years and five Half-Marathons later, I have finally done the work to train and prepare, and I have a strong desire and determination to finish this race!

Much like the marathon, living out my calling in counseling has been a long and winding road.  I started pursuing this dream back in 2012 with night classes at SNU, only to be rejected by multiple grad schools afterwards.  Around the same time, I was grieving the loss of a fractured friendship.  So I settled back into court reporting, a great career where I felt secure and tucked away—but I could never quite shake the sense of God’s call on my life.

In 2022, I took the leap and started graduate school.  Now, 13 years after stepping into my first counseling class, I'm preparing to step out of my cocoon of career safety and familiarity — to actually live out the calling God planted in my heart so long ago!  I think people tend to assume joy and excitement are my main emotions here... 

But it’s scary.  It’s vulnerable.  It’s slow.
A marathon, not a sprint.

I am moving from something comfortable where I am at the top of my field into something new where I’m at the bottom of the ladder -- still experimenting, exploring, "paying my dues," wrestling through my own insecurities to figure out where I fit and how God has uniquely gifted me.  I’ve learned a lot over the past three years, but there’s still so much I don’t know.  And the best way to learn is through hands-on practice, critique and constructive feedback, actively embracing change and choosing a growth mindset, repeatedly showing up and being seen!  That level of scrutiny feels very disorienting after 20 years in a cozy background observer role.

I have to remind myself often: I am not alone.  God is with me.  God is for me.

This candidacy job search has stretched me more than I expected. Since December, I’ve submitted over 15 applications and completed at least eight job interviews—with places like CREOKS Broken Arrow, CRS-Tulsa, FCS-Tulsa, Charlie Health (virtual), Red Rock OKC, and Moore Counseling Center.  (That doesn't include the work of applying and interviewing for the PhD program - it's been a lot).  Fear/the enemy keeps whispering: You don’t belong here.  You’re not enough.  This is all too hard.  You’ll never find your place.  I have seriously considered pursuing a Federal CR job for the stability and great salary.  But deep down, I know God didn’t bring me this far to quit now - I believe there are real lives I am called to impact, and I cannot give in to greed or cowardice or the craving for comfort.

I do recognize that I’m a prime target for spiritual warfare in this in-between season.  Thankfully, God keeps dropping little pearls of wisdom and encouragement just when I need them—through friends and family, podcasts and books, etc.  I recently heard John Eldredge talk about how we are needed here on earth — how each of us is called to uniquely reflect God’s love and light to those around us, how the character of Christ is being formed within us, and how we are "in training for reigning" as we move toward our future in Heaven.  I love that!

You know I love a good illustration, and I’ve been thinking about that final scene in The Patriot.  The soldiers are retreating in fear, divided and overwhelmed.  Then Mel Gibson runs through all the chaos, waving their flag and shouting, “No retreat—HOLD—hold the line!”  A repeated line from that movie is “stay the course.”  Even now, it encourages me to remember what I’m fighting for, why it matters, and not to give up when the path feels far harder, longer, and more costly than I'd expected.

As real change draws near, I have felt more overwhelmed and inadequate than excited.  But these are all normal emotions at this stage, and I want to build a life marked by courage and bold faith!  I want to try new things and find my best lane in counseling.  I want to finish what I’ve started, which means stepping fully into this new identity and leaving comfort and hiding behind.  I am determined and called to make a Kingdom impact with my life and my work.  And I'm confident that God will lead, guide, and provide for me as I keep moving forward!

Okay, speaking of long journeys and forward momentum, my adoption story is at another pivotal point.  This is my third year of working with Snowflakes.  After two surgeries that made me healthier for a potential pregnancy — and two difficult setbacks with the previous matches — Shay completed my final home study update over Easter weekend.  This week, I am restarting the matching process, working with OU Reproductive instead of Dallas IVF this time.  I feel hopeful and cautiously optimistic, ready and willing to make major shifts and sacrifices if God chooses to fulfill this desire!

(For the record, if this third attempt doesn’t work, I will let go of this specific path to motherhood.  Not releasing the desire entirely, but believing this particular doorway is closed.)  Still, I am planning, preparing, and praying that the third time’s a charm — for my embryo adoption journey and for finishing the marathon this weekend!

In my hopes for adoption, my career calling, my health journey, and this long-standing marathon dream, I have encountered surprise plot twists, detours, rejections, loss, fear, and long seasons of waiting.  However, my soul is anchored in Kingdom hope, and I am decidedly stronger than I used to be.  I like being someone who dreams big and lives with purpose, but I don’t want to be the girl who never finishes anything.  (And I don’t believe God wants that identity for me either.)  So I am resisting the enemy’s lies and breaking those old agreements.

We can do hard things, and it's worth the effort!  Whenever it happens, physically crossing the Finish Line will feel so symbolic and hopeful for me.  I’m praying and believing for 2025 to be a year of courage and victorious follow-through.  A year of finishing strong.  I am grateful to know I am not facing these challenges alone.  And I’m trusting our faithful God, who finishes every good thing He starts!!

"Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the particular race God has set before us... Let God train you, for He is doing what any loving father does for His children... So take a new grip with your tired hands, stand firm on your shaky legs, and mark out a straight, smooth path for your feet so that those who follow you, though weak and lame, will not fall and hurt themselves but become strong." ~Hebrews 12:1-13

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Marathon Monday #19!

Happy Monday, friends and fam!!  I hope you had a lovely Easter weekend, and I hope this week is off to a good start so far.  However temporary, I am currently caught up at work, so brace yourself for a barrage of blog posts today! =)

We've made it to the final week of marathon training season... for recovery reasons, the past week has mostly been filled with short bike rides and a few strength exercises and stretches for me.  My foot is feeling much better, though, so I'm entirely grateful for that progress!  And I'm planning to go to a chiropractor and try the KT tape before the race, as suggested by Chet Lee.  Also planning to do an extra-short walk and dinner with Kristin on Wednesday.  All in all, I would appreciate your prayers for endurance and stamina on race day - and for good weather!!

In pretty characteristic fashion, I didn't bother to look at all the fine-print details until the week before, so I learned yesterday that this race will begin at 6:30am... and that there are two spots I must reach by a certain time (Mile 7.5 by 8:45am, and Mile 20 by 12:00pm).  Verrrry good to know... not impossible, but not easy either.  It will require me to push myself and pay closer attention to my time as I go.  The idea of being shuttled to the Finish after reaching Mile 20 is painful, so barring a foot injury flare-up, I will not allow that to happen!

I also looked at the course map for the first time... I'm not going to overthink the distance, but I love that they've listed the times when they will reopen the streets for each mile marker - helpful to know!  And there are so many water stops, bathrooms, and medical aid stations, which makes me feel more confident!

Something I'm grateful for is the Mile by Mile thing on the FB page where they post a daily video covering one full mile of the course track.  So far, there are big hills I'm glad to be aware of at Mile 2 and Mile 9, and several notable landmarks (Botanical Gardens, OU Reproductive Medicine, the State Capitol, Gorilla Hill, Classen Curve shopping center, Nichols Hills neighborhood, Lake Hefner, etc.) that we'll pass along the way...

I sincerely hope my next Marathon Monday will be a victory post after Finishing Strong!

Despite this "slight singultus" with the minor injury, I'm feeling proud and well-prepared.  After years of talking myself out of trying, I have finally pushed through my own inner drama and fear and trained hard.  I'm almost there now, which feels surreal and a little scary, but also exciting!  As it goes with most things in life, I cannot control everything, but I am determined to give it my absolute best effort!!

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Marathon Monday #18 (+ Memes)

Hello, and happy Marathon Monday!

This is my friend, Kristen, with her parents.  She had her final chemotherapy treatment at MD Anderson last week - praising God for the progress she has made, and praying for her continued health journey!! ❤

On this "holy week" leading up to Easter, that is sooo worth celebrating!  I also wanted to start this post off by reminding myself of truth and of the major themes in life - that our God is at work bringing life and hope and healing - that His power and goodness are what sustain us, and He is with us and for us, working all things together for our good and His glory! ❤

Okay.  Less than two weeks to go till race day...

And all is not exactly well.  My game plan was to conquer 20 miles on Sunday... look at me all fresh and ready to go the distance.  That plan was thwarted by a random (and hopefully minor) injury to the top of my left foot. 

The pain started Saturday on our way back to the car at the outlet mall...

Walking by some lovely, well-placed outdoor couches and chairs...
Me:  There's no rush - we can sit down here for a minute if you need to. 
Mom:  Oh, I'm okay.
Me:  Yeah... welllll, I need to sit down! lol

I wore some cute Sketchers sandals I hadn't worn in a while... they fit me well last year, but I had to hold my foot in just a slightly strange way to keep them on right this year.  Anyway, the top of my left foot was suddenly in pain Saturday night... and I said out loud, "The last thing I need is a foot injury right now!"  

After a mini-break, our car wasn't far, then I drove home and changed into flip flops and figured all was well.  Sunday afternoon, I did my dynamic warm-ups and got everything prepared (body glide, sunscreen, energy chews, fresh shoes/socks, etc.) to do my final long training run at Central Park Sunday afternoon.  And 5.5 miles into it, that same foot pain started up.  I slowed down a bit, changed my socks and shoes, and tried to mentally push through it.  "Pain does not exist in this dojo.  Fear does not exist in this dojo." lol  

Shocking, I know, but that delightful mantra didn't solve anything. lol  I made it two more miles at the slowest. jogging. pace. ever with two more sitting breaks thrown in, and by then it was off-and-on shooting pains from the top of my foot through my left shin, and I knew finishing was out of the question... so I hobbled back to my car and called it quits for the day.  (Not sure how to describe it - to wiggle my toes or flex or point my left foot is painful, and there's intermittent pain on the top center of my left foot with regular walking.  LAME.)  I called Chettles and Mom feeling very frustrated, concerned, sad, and irritated... it helped to breathe and talk through that a bit.  On almost any other day, I would feel pretty proud of 7.5 miles, but I really wanted to finish 20 one more time, and more than that, I want to be strong enough to finish the Full in 13 days (without causing myself any lasting damage).

Anyway, I came home and took some Advil, hobble-walked the big trash can down to the curb, blogged for a bit, then took it suuuper easy, elevating/massaging and icing/heating my foot while watching Brittany Runs a Marathon (something I thought of during those last 2 miles at The Station, an inspiring movie where the lead character gets injured fairly last minute after a long span of intense training, then ends up having to do a different race than the original one she had signed up for).  Cried my way through the ending of that again - it's so well done!  I'm sincerely hoping the injury and postponing things is not my story here, but I need to be extra careful over the next two weeks.  I will say the movie was a reminder to me that I am determined to complete a marathon no matter what - I'd highly prefer two weeks from now to November!  Please join me in praying that this is a very short-lived injury and that all will be well by race day so I can finish strong and healthy - that is still the goal and plan!!  Obviously, time will tell (and either way, God will be good and kind, and I will be proud of the effort I've put into all this).  Resting easy for now, and I may try a shorter walk on Wednesday or Thursday.

Okay - thanks for listening and for praying with/for me.
To lighten the mood a bit, here are some Monday Memes - enjoy! =)

Women's magazines and/or my own brain...

Hope you have a fantastic Easter week ahead, friends and fam, and that God continues to bring new life and hope and healing wherever we (individually and collectively) need it!!

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ONEderland!

Good morning and happy Friday, friends and fam!

There have been loads of important non-scale victories and things to celebrate along the marathon-training journey!  However, after a few months of feeling stuck behind an invisible barrier, finally reaching ONEderland this morning for the first time in 15 years is a scale-victory worth celebrating!! ❤

I made the above collage for the Blossom Support group where everyone posts their numbers.  And at this point, I figured why not share it here too - with appreciation for all of the above versions of myself.  This milestone took longer than I anticipated and required some difficult choices, and I am very grateful to Blossom for helping me get here!  It really does feel like an internal sigh of relief to be back in the ones - I was 25 the last time I was here.

Numbers Game:  In case you're unfamiliar with weight-loss-group lingo, my highest weight ever was 296 in January 2023 (just after my four failed IUIs and finding out Mom's cancer had returned).  My starting weight when I chose surgery last year was 277, and my current weight is 198.  My goal for myself is to reach 177 or below (which was my best weight in 2009, and the 100-pound mark from my surgery decision).  And Dr. Apel's goal for me was 155 - TBD on whether that ever becomes my desired goal, but I doubt it.  I understand that the scale isn't everything and the changing numbers don't define me or change my value, and BMI is not always an accurate indicator of genuine health and wellness.  At present, I am grateful to be in a pretty good place mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  And I want to continue with body kindness and taking good care of myself, focusing on being healthy and strong over being "thin."

ONEderland at 41 on 4-11! ❤
Random number stuff like this brings me joy. lol

Text I sent Kristin yesterday - I knew I was close and thought it might happen then, but no such luck. lol

I had great initial weight loss, then I hit an intense plateau around 205 where this has felt just out of my reach for a while.  I'm grateful that I've avoided extremes, and I'm grateful things are finally shifting again.  The physical progress is exciting, but more importantly, the sense of mental breakthrough that comes with crossing this painfully-stubborn milestone!  I'm ready to stay on this side of 200 and keep moving forward in pursuing a strong and healthy mind, body, soul, and spirit. ❤

Fifteen days to the Finish Line!

I'm confident God is with us and for us,
working in us and through us!!

Okay, that's all I've got for today.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead!

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Marathon Monday #17!

Kristin and I went for a lovely 6-mile stroll last night, chatting and catching up on all of life while trying to keep warm in the stupidly-cold April weather!  I'm thankful that the predicted snow was overhyped, but I'd like it to feel like Spring again ASAP.

I've adjusted the training plan to be a better fit for what I need right now.  This coming weekend will be my final intense 20-mile training jog, then it's one lighter week of tapering down over Easter weekend, and then the Full Marathon - only 19 DAYS from today!!  Get excited! ❤

Sad-ish news: my 256-week Peloton streak lapsed last week... (260 would have been 5 solid years, so that's kinda irritating, especially when I've been working out harder this year than most).  I've just gradually come to prefer watching TV at night while I do strength exercises or stretches or yoga or cycling, and I often listen to Apple Music or Audible or chat with friends during my outdoor jogs.   I cancelled the auto-renew on my Peloton subscription, and I've decided the Marathon day will be my last hoorah and final send-off for my five-year Peloton journey!  I so appreciate the many ways Peloton has improved and changed my life and given me a more empowered perspective, and I'm super excited for the 7-hours of classes I have programmed in as my official playlist for my first Full Marathon race... (all ones I've done at least 3x and know I love and enjoy)!  I planned them in an order that feels right to keep me going strong, and I think having the great music + the coaches encouragement + the race-day adrenaline + crowd support will be an awesome combo to carry me to the Finish Line!!  That and my Run-Interval timing prompts and my black cherry energy chews, and maybe a donut along the way! lol ❤

And no matter what, when I reach the 26th mile marker, I'm playing OneRepublic's Marching On for the actual Finish Line crossing! =)

Make it a great week!!

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Marathon Monday #16

Four weeks to the Finish Line!!  I jogged 16 miles Saturday morning, and I felt good and strong while I was out there!  Due to a bit of hip pain that may have caused me excessive concern, I toned it down and took Thursday and Friday as complete rest days, then Sunday was also rest and recovery, stretching and sitting with the heating pad.  I was sore post-run, but nothing out of the ordinary, and I feel better and ready for some light hills and strength training today.  My feet are getting tougher in a good way, and my mental resilience is growing stronger now too!  I want to use wisdom and avoid pushing myself too hard, but by the end of Friday night, I felt tired of my own excuses and determined and ready to get out there on Saturday morning, and that was good for me to press through my own fear and inner drama... I'm in the home stretch, and it's exciting!!

I'm super grateful for Central Park at The Station in Moore - it's been the perfect training ground for me in so many ways... a lovely lake/pond with ducks and geese and turtles, a 1.27-mile clean and open trail where loads of people come to train or to walk their cute dogs, the ability to stop by my car regularly for water or energy chews as needed, and easy access to a clean bathroom and filtered water at The Station - YAY!!  This = a turtle fam getting some sun this weekend.  They're much braver when they have crowd support.  One turtle by itself would've popped right back into the water when I stopped for a pic, as I know from lots of experience. lol

Once again, I stopped for a bathroom break and changed my socks at mile 9... I think that helps my mind to feel like it's a fresh start and it helps prevent terrible blisters (or so I tell myself), so I'm planning to pack a bag with extra running socks, body glide, etc. for Mom to have ready on Marathon day so I can stop and change into fresh dry socks once or twice. lol

I was out there for around 4 hours - I remembered sunscreen this time, but should have reapplied midway through.  This round, I spent the entire jog listening to an Apple Music playlist of 2000s hits, which was a fun dose of variety and familiar memories!  I had one slow interval set where I walked an extra 3 minutes because my heart felt like it was racing, but outside of that, I was very steady in my walk/jog intervals, so I'm confident that's the winning formula for race day!!

Yay for the redbud (should be purple-bud) trees!  Boo for the wasp duo that I dramatically changed course to avoid! lol

Four weeks from now, I'll have reached this long-anticipated goal, and I'll be recovering and feeling proud and grateful for this journey.  And shifting my focus to new meaningful goals for the road ahead of me.  I still feel confused and disenchanted sometimes, but the lack of purpose I felt for most of my 20s and 30s has vanished.  There is so much I want to do and accomplish, and I'm more concerned that there isn't enough time for all of it (but whatevs, we have eternal life ahead of us - what a gift!!)  Anyway, happy last day of March, friends and fam!!  I'm confident that you're finishing strong in this first quarter of 2025!  (*Friendly reminder that tomorrow is April Fool's Day.)

Marathon Wednesday (Week #15)

*Writing this two days late... I forgot on Monday!

Saturday was a lighter "long run" of 6 miles, which was delightful and allowed me to get some rest and have a fun Tulsa trip on Sunday.  Training is going well, and tomorrow will be 30 days to the Marathon!  At this point, I am already thinking about what my routine will look like when it's over... how to hold on to the best parts of what I've gained through training while letting go of the long runs that take over my weekends!  I'm looking forward to the race and feeling pretty confident and ready for it, while also feeling ready to move into a new season with more balanced and sustainable exercise and eating routines!

Shifting gears -- I got sad and sobering news last night (3/25/25) about a former CHA coach and current headmaster at another Christian school who was arrested for possession of child pornography.  I've been working this week on building a website for my future counseling practice, and that news made me pause and think about the value of personal integrity and excellence... about how God looks at the heart while people focus on the outward appearance, about substance vs. style, growth mindset vs. fixed, Godly wisdom vs. worldly wisdom, and true/earned intelligence vs. artificial intelligence.  We cannot fake our way to greatness, and we have to be careful about how we define and pursue success.

Character matters, especially in Christian leadership.  We would do well to remember that the name of Christ is tied to us, and some people will judge Him based on our behavior.  I'm in the small beginnings phase, but I'm stepping into the Christian leadership arena, and I need to seek and follow God with fierce loyalty, paying attention and cutting out pride and other sins that entangle my heart, and pressing forward with a confidence that is grounded in Christ!

That concludes my deep thoughts for today...

And here's a very random meme that made me laugh!

Hope you're having a great week!
Less than five weeks to the Finish Line... just keep running!!

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Marathon Monday #14!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, and Happy Marathon Monday!! ❤

Spring is springing, and I'm so enjoying it (minus the intense sunburn on my neck from my 5.5 hours outside yesterday -- I'll remember sunscreen next time)!!  Of all the leaves and blooms and fruit on all the various trees, the Bradford Pear trees always capture my attention.  Something about the extravagance of so many perfect little temporary blooms - both the quantity and the quality of God's work there speaks to me about His creativity and generosity and love of detail, and the idea that there is beauty and value in things that have a short life span.  (Pink flowers would make it extra special... someday, I wanna visit the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC... I thought about all of that during my walk yesterday.) ❤

Anyway, on the Board of Empowerment & Inspiration for today is Linda, Chettles, and Rachael LaJo.  Linda is my friend from yesteryear in Lindsay's Lifegroup... she's been living in Colorado for several years now and she lives a really active, vibrant life including lots of hiking and 5k/10k/trail races!  Chet Lee recently signed up for the Disney Marathon this coming January... 26.2 in 2026!  He has a plan in place to train hard for that after completing the Tulsa Tough bike race this summer - go Chet!!  We're gonna plan our family Disney/Universal trip for that same week, so I'm super excited to cheer him on at the Finish Line!  And Rach is feeling verrry ready for a job transition... she's been working hard and has already taken a full book of handwritten notes in her medical coding classes - I'm guessing she'll finish the online classes and be certified by the end of April! (PS the nutcracker pic still makes me laugh!)

Y'all know I love the number 7, and yesterday was a series of 7s for me.  I did 6:1 intervals (jog six minutes, walk one) for 20 miles then one cool-down mile.  I did 3 sets of 7 miles on my RunInterval app (highly recommend).  I took a bathroom break at mile 7, then I fully changed clothes + socks and shoes at mile 14 - I think it helped my feet stay less blistered, so yay for that!!  I listened to podcasts, music, and the last 2 hours of my audiobook.  I focused on "strong and healthy" as my mantra - listing as many things as I could think of (strong and healthy mind, strong and healthy body, strong and healthy soul, strong and healthy spirit, strong and healthy decisions, strong and healthy connections, strong and healthy sphere of influence, etc. Then I went through a body scan with that mantra too.)  All of the above helped keep me going and keep my brain focused on good things!

My pink Brooks Hyperion shoes are likely what will carry me across the finish line next month.  Although I'm pondering changing shoes halfway through like I did yesterday.   It's a distinct possibility.  Also, the turtle family (above) congregating on the fake alligator head at The Station always brings me joy!

I'm in the final stretch, so I revamped my original training plan a bit!  I felt pretty great yesterday, and I'm planning to stick with the Galloway 6:1 intervals for the actual marathon, but continue to build speed and strength and endurance in the meantime!  (The Thursday runs are being exchanged for my Wednesday walking miles with Kristin, and I'm being super flexible on the dates all around, so long as I get all the workouts in at some point.)

Start line & finish line pics - (I changed into fresh clothes at mile 14).  Completing 21 consecutive miles is huge for me, and these endurance runs are reeeally boosting my confidence and resilience in an emotionally draining season!  Also boosting my sense of joy and hope is the arrival of Spring and the physical reality of seasons changing from dark and dreary and cold and dormant to brighter and more colorful and warm and full of life.  I just feel like I am craving spring and new growth in all aspects of my life, and it's hopeful to see the first hints of it popping up!! ❤

Another before and after pic.. my bag of extra clothes and shoes and body glide for my feet + bottled waters, Cliff Bloks black cherry energy chews, and a banana for during the run (yum - it all worked well)... then a protein shake with spinach, banana, and berries when I got home - yay!!

40 days to the race, and 7 more Marathon Monday posts to go!!

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Marathon Monday #13

Happy Marathon Monday!  I'm keeping this one short because I honestly forgot about it until now, and I'm trying to go to bed earlier this week.  

I did six miles after work today, and it was good.  I missed my long run this past weekend, but I'm supposed to do 20 miles this coming weekend, so I'm going to focus on that and maybe break up the miles I missed into several short runs.  Whatever.  Overall, I'm doing pretty well with training and feeling back on track mentally.  I'm doing my best to get out of my head about feeling like what I'm doing is not enough or feeling pressured to be faster.  

Training for long races is such a mental game - you have to win it there first - and that applies to so many things in life.  Regular time outside walking and jogging is challenging me to control what I focus on.  I can focus on feeling awash in rejection/confusion or focus on God being a God of abundance and trust that He has good things in store for me.  Temporary truth vs. eternal truth - it's a daily, moment-by-moment choice of mindset, and what we focus on will grow! #BOLD

So I'm reminding myself right here tonight that God's grace is enough for today's needs, and He is worthy of my absolute trust.  And tomorrow, His grace will be enough for tomorrow's needs.  And He will be worthy of our absolute trust.  Right now, I need to be intentional about pursuing peace, and I need to rest and sleep, so that's the plan. =)  Be kind to yourself, and lean into the grace of God for whatever you need today!  His mercy is new every morning, and He knows what is best for us individually, and He patiently guides us along that path. ❤

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Marathon Monday #12

Happy Monday, dear blog readers!  This sunset view toward the end of my 7 miles on Saturday made me happy. ❤

People who inspire me this week = Eddie Kaufholz, my pandemic bestie who podcasted his journey of training for his first Half Marathon in 2020 (something I've listened to a minimum of 5x)... Leanne Hainsby, the delightfully cheery and sincere London Peloton coach and breast cancer survivor... and Kyndal Faith, my one and only niece whose passion and perseverance are growing this year!!

To be vaguely honest, it's been a rough week.  In a fitting addition to the consistent political turmoil and signs of distress all over my FB feed, my internal soundtrack lately has featured sugar cravings, old insecurities, career pressure, dating confusion, and feeling a general unease and lack of acceptance.

Funnn as that has been, I'm ready to turn the page and move forward.  I'm leaning hard into God's grace for today, resting in Him and quieting the internal and external distractions (starting with deactivating FB and Instagram 3 days early for the season of Lent 2025).

I am accepted and loved by God, and I am doing my best to love and accept myself just as I am today, letting go of what lies behind and pressing forward in power, love, and a sound mind.

God has better things ahead for all of us, friends and fam!!

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