Going the distance??

It's no secret to anybody that knows me (or follows this blog) that I like to run. I know I have some of my best time with God during my runs as my IPOD plays Christian music and I find myself praying.

Sometimes, though, those prayers are more like, "God, please help me not to die. Please help me finish!" (I prayed that prayer quite a bit during my 25K run a few weeks ago!)

That prayer of desperation has reminded me lately of the verses in the last part of Isaiah 40:

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

As a youth (I'm still in my 20s, so I'm claiming myself as a youth!), I often find myself tired and weary. Not just when running long distances, but also with parenting my children, loving my husband, and serving my God. The Lord gives me the amount of strength I need for each moment. I will admit that, during my race, I DID grow weary...but I know that God Himself gave me the strength to finish.

On a different aspect of running...I am debating whether or not I want to train for a marathon in the fall. *Technically*, to train for a marathon, you "only" need to be able to run 20 miles (the first 20 miles are physical; the last 6.2 miles are mental). My 25K was 15.5 miles, so it's only another 4.5 miles of training. If I opt to not do a marathon, my goal is to run a half marathon in under 2 hours (I did it un 2:04:47 last time).

Who knows what will happen. Either way, I know I never run alone :-)

Okay, so I'm a slacker

Well....apparently blogging isn't my forte. I have lots of other things I'm consistent with, but apparently blogging isn't one of them!

For the few people in this world who read this blog, here's a small recap of what's been happening over the past few weeks...

Graduation!!! Woohoo! Being completely done with nursing school is an incredible feeling! When I graduated with my psychology degree 7 years ago, I knew I had to start a graduate program. With a nursing degree, I actually have marketable job skills. You know, the kind people PAY you to have! I'll be 29 this year and have never had a "real" job (although, I've been home taking care of my babies...I know that qualifies for the "real" job category!)

We went to Disney World with the family and my brother-in-law and his wife (Logan and Staci). We had a WONDERFUL time! I got to know my children so much better. Mandy, who used to be cautious and careful, was carefree and up to try everything. She had a smile on her face the whole time and would get off a ride (even the one she was too short for, but after stuffing her shoes with socks, she magically grew!) and exclaim, "I want to do it again!" Nothing scared her, nothing made her hesitate, and her smile was so wide and genuine that my heart would melt.

Kayla, on the other hand, had a wonderful time....playing in the dirt, looking at the birds, and watching the people. She liked some of the rides, but she was very concerned about whether or not it would be scary. As a side note, my favorite Kayla story is when she walked into the bathroom with her Aunt Staci and asked, "What ride is this?" Precious! I spent part of my trip staying back with Kayla while the others went on a ride. Did I want to go on the ride rather than stay behind? Of course! But you know what? I had such wonderful conversations with Kayla about so many things that I have created a lifetime of memories. There isn't a single ride at Disney that's better than those memories. Of course, going and getting ice cream and she and I trying to eat it before everyone came back was a lot of fun, too!

While in Disney, I got an unexpected call from the hospital about a position I interviewed for in January. It is in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). I had to do a phone interview with HR while on vacation, and a few days later, I was offered the job! What an incredible blessing to land my DREAM JOB so unexpectedly. In the economic times we have, it is truly remarkable that I would get this opportunity. I know that God has something in store for me to learn through this job and I am excited to start that learning!

We got back from vacation and I ran the Riverbank Run. There are various lengths in this race, including a 5K, a 19K, and a 25K. I chose the 25K (15.5 miles). It was torture. I did terrible, time-wise. BUT, I finished, I wasn't last, and I ran the whole time. While I was running, I made a decision to NEVER DO IT AGAIN! The next day, I was already planning my training for the rest of the summer, with thoughts to maybe try a marathon in the fall. I wonder if racing is like labor--eventually amnesia kicks in? (As a side note, despite the fact I have two kids, I've never had a contraction, so the whole labor analogy is purely hypothetical!)

So, what am I up to now? I'm savoring the time with my family. My house loves me, too, as it is getting some much-needed attention. I'm enjoying simply being, instead of doing.

And, maybe (just maybe!), I'll start blogging some more!