Showing posts with label Perseverance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Perseverance. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

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

❤ ❤ ❤

Monday, April 21, 2025

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!!
❤ ❤ ❤

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

LCM Life List!

Hello and Happy Wednesday, friends!  Our Jury Trial for today is going, but they did not need a record for voir dire - praise the Lord! lol  So I'm finishing up this list I started yesterday, inspired by the Netflix movie and by reading a couple other blogs on this topic...

As I'm writing this on 4-16-2025, my "Life List" includes 62 new items and 38 that I've already completed - (to give me a sense of momentum and accomplishment, all things that would have genuinely been included)!!

In random order...

1.  Eat delicious pizza and pasta in Italy!

2.  Celebrate a milestone birthday with Mon Ami Gabi brunch in Vegas

3.  A fun professional photoshoot with close friends!

4.  See the Grand Canyon; Visit Muir Woods in California

5.  Own the world’s cutest Pom puppies (#bestgirlfranz)

6.  Help my niece and nephews with resumes, college visits, and college applications; Watch them graduate high school

7.  Zipline over Niagara Falls; See those waterfalls up close

8.  Complete my dissertation; Earn my PhD!

9.  Start my own podcast (or co-host it with a friend)

10.  Be present for the actual birth of my niece

11.  Walk/Run a Half-Marathon (x5)

12.  Walk the stage at CCU Graduation for my Master's (5-9-25)

13.  Finish a Full Marathon (Lord willing, 10 days from now!!)

14.  Try out a few and choose my favorite bakery in France =)

15.  Earn my RPR (225 wpm) and my OK and TX CSR

16.  Ride in a fancy limo (JSB, Kristin's bday)

17.  Accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior! ❤

18.  Ride in a helicopter (Niagara Falls, Canada)

19.  Start a Friday Night Dinner group to practice hosting skills and initiating deeper conversations with friends

20.  Lead/facilitate grief counseling groups

21.  Mentor/tutor a younger woman

22.  Learn to play Clair de Lune on the piano; re-learn Amazing Grace

23.  CHA Homecoming; Graduate Valedictorian (2002)

24.  See the Hollywood sign and shop Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills

25.  Lose 100 pounds (consecutively - one pound away as of this morning!)

26.  Professional headshots to celebrate college graduation

27.  See Celine Dion in concert!

28.  Eat pineapple and attend a luau in Hawaii

29.  Vacation in Hawaii as an adult!

30.  See Hamilton on Broadway! (preferably later this year with Leslie Odom, Jr.)

31.  Officially/legally adopt embryos through Nightlight

32.  Lord willing, become pregnant via embryo transfer

33.  One way or another, become a Mom!! ❤

34.  Tour the Hearst Castle

35.  Visit/tour the 9/11 Memorial Museum

36.  Walk the stage for my doctoral diploma

37.  Visit all four Disney World parks in one day!

38.  See the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower

39.  Visit the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.; be there for Cherry Blossom Festival season

40.  Speak/lead a session at an AACC conference

41.  Lead a Bible study group

42.  Author a Bible study for women; speak at a Christian women's conference

43.  Share my testimony and major life lessons with a group

44.  Share the gospel and lead someone to Christ

45.  Become an LPC-Candidate

46.  Become a Licensed Professional Counselor in Oklahoma

47.  Get licensed to practice virtually with Texas and Colorado clients

48.  Become an LPC-Supervisor

49.  Open a private counseling/coaching practice; Try walk-and-talk therapy

50.  Take a short course in cake decorating, photography/photo editing, self-defense, sign language, flower arranging, oil painting

51.  Train/learn to perform assessments (ADHD, autism, bipolar, etc.)

52.  Complete EMDR and EFT therapy trainings

53.  Record my own audiobook =)

54.  Be a guest on a podcast I love

55.  Teach courses at Colorado Christian University!

56.  Counsel and create a safety plan with a suicidal client

57.  Be brave/assertive/tactful, but reach out directly to any man I'm genuinely drawn to and excited about in real life or online dating - (ongoing goal, but so far, I have a 100% success rate here, maybe minus the tactful part in my early adulthood. lol) *success in being assertive and honest when I feel something deeply, not in my feelings ever being reciprocated - in case that wasn’t totally obvious 

58.  Recover from something I thought might kill me

59.  Write the obituaries for Grandad and Babah; Give the eulogy and prayer at Babah's funeral service

60.  Visit Yellowstone National Park

61.  See Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran in concert!

62.  Pray with people I love on hospital days (ongoing)

63.  Find a church home I love and get involved - accomplished in the past, but definitely a current and future goal

64.  Mentor/disciple someone wrestling with faith questions

65.  Take Triston, Jace, and Kyndal for individual trips with me (one down, two to go)

66.  Build a new construction home that I love

67.  Confess hidden sin/repent and keep a clear conscience before God (ongoing clear conscience goal)

68.  Visit Elafonisi Beach in Greece

69.  Buy school supplies, pack awesome school lunches with handwritten notes, and go on school field trips with my child

70.  Write and publish a memoir book I'm proud of

71.  See the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) in Alaska

72.  Ride the London Eye/ Millennium Wheel

73.  See Wicked and Lion King on Broadway

74.  Ride the High Roller in Vegas

75.  Decorate a fantastic nursery room (for my own child)

76.  Instruct/lead a meditative/therapeutic guided yoga class

77.  Find true love (mutual yes to the 4 questions) & get married! ❤

78.  Attend a Texas A&M football game at Kyle Field

79.  Train for and run a sub-30 5k; Do a Color Run 5k for fun pics!

80.  Give someone a $1000 tip

81.  Attend the Olympics (summer or winter)

82.  Take a live Peloton class with one of my favorite instructors

83.  Take an Alaska cruise; Take a European cruise

84.  Visit Goose Hill and have a real conversation with Donald Miller

85.  Go for a writing-retreat weekend with a good friend

86.  Attend a Captivating Retreat with John and Stasi Eldredge in Colorado

87.  Pay off my home and any $$ owed to CCU in my 40s; live debt free from 50 forward

88.  Get in the best shape of my life in my 40s

89.  Host a dinner for friends and/or family at least once a month through my 50s and 60s

90.  Go on a fun Disney cruise with my kids and/or families with kids I love

91.  See OneRepublic, Garth Brooks, Maroon 5, Elton John, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Backstreet Boys in concert

92.  Lead 77 people to Christ - going with a big number there, as it's genuinely the thing that matters more than anything else on this list, and I need to be far more proactive about it!! ❤

93.  Live in a neighborhood with a great walking trail around a pond/lake

94.  Maintain a healthy weight of 177 or below from age 45 and beyond (the plan is continued healthy weight loss progress and a possible pregnancy between now and then)

95.  Train and complete 7 pull-ups, for the childhood me who struggled with the flexed-arm hang =)

96.  Be a commencement speaker at a graduation ceremony

97.  Tour Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey) in England

98.  Take ballroom dance lessons with a man I love (ongoing, as I'd love to do this again with my future husband)

99.  Visit the Hills of Aberfeldy in Scotland

100.  Go to Heaven and start a brand new "Life List" after death! ❤

P.S.  Some of these are long-term, well-established goals.  Others are super random and may change as life moves forward.  I keep thinking of more things already, and I like that this will keep me in a goal-oriented, growth mindset!  I really may write a Heaven List eventually, as I have loads of ideas about things I'd like to see and do and people I'll wanna get to know when I arrive there! =)  Outside of #92 and #77, whatever remains incomplete here can likely be completed in Heaven, so that's a lovely and freeing thought!

P.P.S.  About #77, the four simple questions Alex's mom suggested to help her determine whether she's "found true love" from The Life List movie are:

  • Is he kind?
  • Can I tell him everything in my heart?
  • Does he help me become the best version of myself?
  • Can I picture him as the father of my children?
Love that!  Obviously, must love Jesus would also be in there for me.  So if or when there's a good and Godly single man who meets the above list AND he believes me to be kindhearted, present and deeply trustworthy, inspiring/supportive of the best version of himself, and great mom material, then it is all systems go!! lol  ...And if those things never quite align here for me, I will continue to live a full and happy single life, confident that God will be a trusted Father for my kids and will help me become the best version of myself! ❤

Monday, March 31, 2025

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.)

Monday, March 24, 2025

No Going Back

Happy Monday, friends and fam!  I hope your week is off to a good start.  I joined Jace and Kyndal for my first swim day of 2025 on Saturday... yay for Mom and Dad having a heated pool!!  I'm a little sore from the extra hills and speed training, so it felt really great to be in the water.  We had fun playing Marco Polo and Sharks and Minnows and watching J do backflips and cannonballs, then Mom and Dad and Rach and Tman joined us for a family dinner at Ted's - all fun!

The Wilsons and Mosses got together for dinner at the Moss manor that night, and getting this pic from Chet Lee made me happy!

Saturday morning was a 6-mile jog at the Station.  I didn't sleep well, so I was out there earlier than usual, and I was surprised and slightly concerned to see several Moore Police vehicles and policemen standing outside.  I hesitantly approached and asked one of them what was going on, and I learned that it was testing day for the Police Academy... so that was pretty fun!  They were running hard drills and various training exercises and had a drone filming it overhead, and it all made the run far more interesting/fun!  I cheered them on, partly in my head and partly whilst they were running circles around me... and of course, I still stopped to enjoy the flowering trees, as well! =)

Thus far (in all of life and particularly in the 75-Soft challenge), my adventures in dating have been a lot of effort with very little to show for it.  Over the years, I've sincerely tried friend setups, eHarmony, Match, Christian Mingle, Facebook dating, Bumble, Tawkify, and I'm currently trying Hinge.  At this age, I'm mostly finding panicked divorcees (or separated men pretending to be divorced) who are in a rush to find a replacement wife but aren't emotionally healed or ready to be dating again... or incredibly passive singles who are content to play video games in their spare time while messaging endlessly without taking action or asking anyone out and are "still figuring out their relationship type" in their mid-40s. #massiveeyeroll  There are a plethora of men who are too aggressive or too passive, but it only takes one normal, driven, mature man of God, so I'm holding onto hope for that!  And enlisting friends in this endeavor.  (So if you know me well and read this blog, consider this permission to play matchmaker if any good single men come to mind!)

I know precious little about it, but the Jaceman follows Paul Cuffaro on YouTube and was excited to get to talk to him on the phone this weekend, so I'm excited that he's excited!  He also had his friend TJ over to spend the night during Spring Break, and this = them checking out the new fish tank! =)

Me and my best couple franz! lol  (In my head, that's to the tune of Marshall's "Now that we're best couple friends" song on HIMYM)  I made a Tulsa trip on Sunday and joined the Wilsons and Shoemakers for Los Cabos lunch + the kids playing at the new Riverwalk playground + Marble Slab! =)  PS These sunglasses are incredibly reflective.  I meant to do a fun pic with the NYC skyline showing in them... maybe I'll find something like that in Colorado!

The kids all hopped into this canoe together... cuteness!

I got to sit by Miss Parker Elizabeth herself - one month before her 4th birthday and the much-anticipated Belle party!  It was good to chat with everyone and catch up on all that's new and changing in the Shoemakers lives!  *Happy 32nd Birthday to Mark Anthony today!!!

Then I went for a walk at the Addison Creek trail, my potential future neighborhood with a delightful tree-named street. =)

And on my way home, I stopped by Rachael's house... check out her cute front door hanger for Spring!  And her massive textbooks for the medical coding classes - yikes!!

I was there to bring her my graduation cap, as she's going to decorate it up for me!  Jaceman had to try it on first, of course! lol

In case you missed it, I'm going for my PhD at CCU starting this summer... Chettles talked about my decision to go back to school in 2022 being the first domino that started a line of things falling into place as I moved forward, and how this path would likely mirror that.  I think it's true - that God will open the right doors as I continue to step forward, and that the path will become clear one small step at a time.  Ever since I read Hero on a Mission and decided to set and pursue meaningful life goals, something inside me has gradually changed and transformed.  I'm realizing lately that there's no going back to a life of glorifying comfort and following the crowd and passively waiting on doors to open for me.  I'm taking action and my desire to lead and build and empower others is growing.  This path is decidedly harder and requires more courage and strength from me, but it's infinitely better in both the process and the outcomes!  In every area where I have made progress or gained momentum, I don't want to go back.  I want to hold on to what I've learned and keep growing and moving forward!  So cheers to living with purpose, passion, and perseverance - to believing my life can make a difference and "impact the world with grace and truth!!" #maximumeffort 

❤ ❤ ❤

Friday, March 21, 2025

3-2-1 Let's Go!

Happy Photo Friday, friends and fam!!!  I'm covering the office phones, but it's been nice and quiet on this last day of Spring Break.  After filing four this afternoon, I'm caught up on transcripts for this brief moment.  It's a lovely Spring weekend ahead, and I just officially accepted CCU's offer of admission and registered for the summer residency course (hence my 3-21 post title to commemorate that).

I joined the Whitakers for an early lunch at the Moore Chick-fil-A... always fun to see the boys and hear about what's new in their world!  They told me about the candy barrel store and other fun places they visited in Fort Worth, about Wesson losing a tooth, and Kristin and I caught up on life a bit!  Here's our happy group pic after lunch! ❤


I tried the Pineapple Dragonfruit lemonade... probably won't get it again, but I had to snap a pic with the delightful pink color!  On the right is the CFA wall art and Nash contemplating destroying his cup and lid... "I wanna break this cup so bad!" lolol #thingsiveneverthought #boysarefunny


The Bible App's verse for today... I'm grateful for a solid friend group that sharpens and strengthens me!! ❤

I feel hopeful and excited right now... with a sense of peace that God has everything under control, and He will continue to work things out for me.  I've looked into the class schedule for the next three years, and the internships don't begin until 2027.  I'm likely to move back to Tulsa at that point so that I'll be there for whatever internship opportunities I find.  In the meantime, I may do a combination of court reporting and counseling work with Oak Haven, where I can see clients virtually and book nights and weekend sessions as needed.  I'm grateful for the social media break for Lent - it's good timing and the reduced screen time has been good for my soul!

As a single woman, I sometimes feel like I'm winning the bronze medal in life no matter what I accomplish.  But I'm reframing that.  In the Olympics, certain sports are more popular than others - like figure skating vs. curling.  In life as a Christian woman in Oklahoma, the most popular path would certainly be marriage and family - many of my friends have gold medals there, and I applaud their success and love seeing it!  That particular event is off to a delayed start for me, but I'm doing my part, and I believe God has good things in store.  And in the meantime, I'm training in some areas and winning gold in other areas, and I'm going to celebrate all of that!


Okay, I could've gone much longer on that, but lucky for you, my groceries are being delivered, so I'm off to bring them inside! lol  Happy Friday, and hope you have a fantastic weekend ahead!!
#hashbrown influencer
#CobraKaineverdies #JohnnyLawrence
I freaking love him - so funny!
❤ ❤ ❤

Monday, March 17, 2025

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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Sunday, March 16, 2025

Steadfast Sunday

Happy Sunday, friends and fam!!  I jogged 21 freaking miles today, so I had to start off with that, but I'll cover it in more detail tomorrow. =)

Here's me and Kristin on our Wednesday walk (on my 15,000th day).  We had a good talk, and I hope they're having a fun family trip to Fort Worth this weekend!

Get excited - the cap and gown arrived this week!! ❤


'Twas another victorious volleyball weekend, with Kyndal Faith and her team actually winning gold in the entire tournament!!  This = them celebrating after Kyndal's final serve that got them to 25!

They beat 5 teams (some took 3 games, as it's always best 2 out of 3, but they won them all in the end, and I'm proud of them for fighting so hard!!)

K-Faith and her friends from the 17s Charge team... and a family pic with the medal winner!  (Side note: the 17s team was sitting behind our fam, and several of those girls are big fans of Grey's Anatomy, and I was tempted to jump into their intense discussion about it! lol)

We stopped by JoBug's to meet Miss Karsten Blaire and see Asher Kenneth for a bit!  JoBug's grandma name is "Sassy," and that makes me happy!

Dabbing to match their volleyball leprechaun shirts for St. Patrick's Day! lol

The Peak gym had an entire side for beach volleyball.  Did I roll up my jeans and hop in the sand for a while?  Yes, definitely!  Did the grains of sand stay with me longer than I'd hoped?  Also yes. lol But #noragrets.

Yay, Mini Miss K and the Charge 11s team... Silver medals last weekend, and gold this weekend!!

I listened to Margaret Beck's The Way of Integrity this weekend (finished it during today's long run).  She mentioned the Drama Triangle, so I looked it up to learn more... which led to learning about the Empowerment Dynamic, which is the better side of the Drama Triangle.  ❤

There is a great deal of unresolved tension in my life lately, and it's become harder to tolerate, and I was quite literally planning to write a post tomorrow about letting go of the motherhood dream and walking away from online dating for now... and then I watched this short video while randomly researching the above triangles this morning.  Her rubber band illustration is simple but profound... or perhaps it's just that the timing was perfectly aligned for me in this moment.  I am beyond tired of the "dynamic tension" and anxiety of unmet dreams and deferred hopes, BUT I don't want to be in victim mode and shrink/lower my own dreams in order to resolve it.  So my only other choice is to be prayerful and get brutally honest about what I really want most, and stay intentional about taking action to move my current reality closer to my dreams and vision for my future.  In whatever unmet goals you may be facing, I hope this encourages you today too!  (I set it to start at the part that helped me, but feel free to start from the beginning.)

Okay, that's all for today.  God is with us and for us, and He is at work behind the scenes, even and maybe especially when we feel very tempted to give up.  His power is real; His love is steadfast; I'm praying that my resolve will be stronger and more steadfast, as well.

Song of the Week = "Precious Love" by James Morrison, courtesy of Schitt's Creek
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