Sometimes a Mystery

… but very real. How are you coming with reading your Psalm a day? I’m on Psalm 55 today. We are a little over a third of the way through the Psalms, by the way.

I don’t get all of Scripture. God packed it tight in one book! And the Psalms are sometimes difficult to understand. Like, is David talking about a real enemy, or an enemy of God? Does he really want God to bring down his enemies? How can David pray such a thing- shouldn’t David pray that all his enemies would really turn to the Lord?

I don’t know.

But David was a real man. He really did start out as a humble, smelly shepherd boy; the youngest, the smallest of the family. He really did grow up fighting lions and giants. He really did sing songs and play a harp to soothe a king that would eventually turn on him. He really did have a best friend. He really did have an affair and kill a man. His son really did die. He really was real.

And throughout the majority of his life, he really did know and love God. Yes, God inspired the words that poured from David’s pen but David wasn’t just the translator- He lived a life in communion with God. (Yes, he did totally mess up, too. Read Psalm 51.) These are just as much David’s heart as God’s heart.

I find them very real. Sometimes a mystery, but very real.

Ask God to help you to understand clearly when you read them. You won’t get it all. That’s not the point. The point is to commune, to quiet yourself before the Lord. Perhaps that part of the mystery of the Psalms. You can’t just plow through and check it off. They are meant to lead you to intimacy with Christ.

Just encouragement for the day. 

 

Letting Her Light Shine

Since last Sunday, Audrey has been in Rosebud, SD with over 50 other kids from youth group. Each year our kids go out to love on the little ones with a kids club and to connect with the older ones with other activities.


I haven't heard much from her other than "Hi, Mom. I'm alive." I actually didn't expect to hear from her too much, so I'm totally okay with it.


I am actually bursting at the seams wanting to know how God had shown Himself to her this week. This is a week trip that I didn't think possible with her a year ago, but she has allowed God to soften her and listened to His voice. She's working out her faith and I couldn't want more than that.


I read these verses just a few days before she left and sent them off with her, hoping they would encourage her this week.

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. 

Isaiah 58: 6-9

Catch the group's pics on Twitter @180RosebudTrip if you'd like.

Thanks Aunt Denise for the Twitter picture help. 

 

 

 

Running for Adoption

Adoption swirls all around me these days. God is stirring in the hearts of families to care for the fatherless by way of adoption. It is amazing to watch this kind of freedom work go on.

On July 7 there will be a run/walk to raise funds for adopting families. It’s called the the Kael Man 5K. You will want to head over to kaelman.org to find out about the run and to read this family’s story. It’s a powerful story of how God can use sorrow for joy.

Then sign up to join us or donate if you can’t!

What Happens When…

It’s been raining and you decide to run the trails at the motorcycle park.

Your husband decides he needs to ride an hour straight on the same trails.

You finally figure out how to get your 6 year old to stay on his motorcycle for more than 2 laps.

Oh, there will be more on this boy’s dirt bike escapades, for sure! We just gotta go get him a chest protector and switch bikes on him. This little TTR (dirt bike brand) is not made for jumpin’. And find time to make it back to the park- he didn’t want to leave and he’s asked every day since then to go back.  

I Won!

I was debating about sharing this right away, but since my daughter already has it up on her FB status and it really is cool thing, I’ll just share it with you right now… ‘cause I’m so excited!!!!

I won a blog makeover!!!

I know, I know. For all you non-bloggers you are probably thinking “Oh for goodness gracious! What in the world?!” and other such things.

For you bloggers and blog readers, well I hope you’re a little excited for me.

When I decided to start blogging, I was more smitten with the idea of just sharing things from my life. Then I started poking around a bit and noticed that some blogs looked different than others. You can do all sorts of things like backgrounds, font stuff, favicons (that’s the little Facebook, Twitter symbols), buttons, etc. And I sort of got itchin’ to make my blog look different. But messin’ around with blog stuff requires time and tinkerin’ and I can barely change my header and html is not my second language. So I decided I’ll just make do with what I had.

But I could still enter giveaways and contests…

So I did over at Rebecca Cooper’s Simple As That blog. AND I WON!!! It was hosted by her and the makeover is going to be done by Kate at 17th Avenue Design Studio!!

Yippee!!!

That’s really long winded so far, but here’s how I found out…

Bill and I went on a short run. The kids were home minding themselves and I guess my phone rang just a minute before we walked in the door. Ben told me my phone had rung but that Audrey wouldn’t let him answer it. Audrey said it was Angie that had called. I’m a little sweaty, out of breath and needing some water and sustenance but I pick up my phone anyway. I decide not to call Angie back until I’m all in my right when I see a text come through from her- “OMG! OMG! U won a blog makeover from Rebecca Cooper!!!! Did u know???”

No, I did not know!!!!!!! (I have been busy with summer and haven’t gotten to much blog reading lately. And thanks Angie or I would have never known!)

So here I am juggling a glass of water, reading the text, screaming to the fam, opening my computer, calling Angie back!!!

I get on with Angie about the same time my computer screen pulls up to Simple As That, she’s talking to me, I’m in a little disbelief, I scroll down the page (Queensland, Aussie looks fab, btw) when all of the sudden I see my name on the screen! “Oh my gosh! I won!” I’m yelling and dancing and talking a mile a minute to Angie and my family all at the same time. It’s like when Wilbur won at the county fair (Charlotte’s Web) the way we were behaving!!!

Audrey is snapping pictures of my computer screen and updating everyone’s FB status, Luke’s happy dancing around and kissing people and jumping into my arms, Ben comments on how boring it is, Bill says its great and gives me hugs and kisses. All very normal around here.  

So now I’m waiting to hear from Rebecca and Kate to get started, or whatever happens next. I don’t know ‘cause this has never happened to me before!!!

I know Kate from 17th Avenue Design Studio is having a 20% custom design blog sale until June 22. So if you’re interested, pop over there and say hi!!

Wildlife on the Run

So the other day I was on my 10 mile run. I was barely into mile two, still the warm-up phase for me when I rounded a corner and there crossing the road was a baby possum. It was moving it's little possum butt at a leisurely pace and I was hoping it would get far enough across before I intersected it's path, therefore being close enough to sprint away if it noticed me and decided to purse, chase, attack- whatever possums do. I didn't know. Maybe it was the sloshing of my water bottle, maybe the sluggish breathing of one not quite warmed up with a nice warm sun radiating off the pavement, but it noticed me. And stopped. And turned toward me. I would like to say that it cocked it's head in a cute little way which would have signified to me that it was safe to pass but it didn't. So I stopped. Like I said, I don't know what possums do when threatened but I wasn't going to purposefully find out. I took some good swigs from my water bottle and waited the little creature out. It only took a minute for it to be bored with me, turn around and return from whence it came. I commenced my running and thus ended my first ever stand-off with a possum.

The break was nice and I hit a bike trail that took me behind a housing development and rounded up onto a gravel road, one side being the several acre lots and the other a cow field. Just before I reached the end of the bike trail, I met a mini wiener dog (pardon for the dog breed ) named Shorty. Of course I didn't know Shorty's name until the owner realized someone else was on the trail and called out to it. I commented that it was a nice day and she concurred. Then she informed me that there was a cow loose up ahead. Oookay. I've lived in small town Iowa my whole life. I lived the first 10 years of my life on a farm with livestock. I married a man who grew up on a farm. His parents still live there and I even run through Dad's cow pastures, past cows and the whole nine yards. Cows are not new to me, nor are they alarming to me like this woman indicated. Still, I had never encountered a cow on my runs around my town and it brought to mind my grandpa.

I cannot remember exactly what grade I was in, either 5th or 6th grade, and I was running some sort of meet. I think I might have been running a 200m. Anyway, I looked back over my shoulder and my grandpa, who happened to be there, saw me do that. Well, did I hear it!!! Never, ever look back! And also, run like a bull was chasing you! I've never forgotten his words.

Which brings me back to my situation... Exactly where was this cow loose? What did Shorty's owner mean by loose? Was it a bull or a cow? The unrestricted cow was not quite a quarter of a mile ahead and fairly occupied with the greener on the other side of the fence, across a gravel road, up a steep ditch and into the green, green field behind the housing development. She took notice of me (yay, a cow with no calves!), gave me a quick once over and went back to filling her seven stomachs. The lady warned me that if the cow charged I should get behind a tree. Heh- there are no trees growing next to gravel roads lining pasture fields. I was stuck with a measly signpost. I estimated that I could outrun the brown beast before it clambered out of the ditch in it's pursuit. Besides, I had just chewed my own cud of a handful of Sports Beans so I was fueled if I needed to high-tail it out. I kept my pace easy, not doing anything to spook the poor dear who would soon be harassed back into her proper confines. I passed her with ease, though I did look back (sorry, Grandpa) just to make sure the only ones getting fired up would be the neighbors (If you build a housing development in the middle of a pasture, they will come?).

I don't have any pictures to share with you as I don't carry a camera or phone on my runs (not yet anyway). My possum and cow story pales compared to some of the more "wild"life spotted by the rest of you. It's just a story to tell. Maybe it will keep your next run humorous!

Psst... I still don't know what to do about possums.

Hey Girl

This is for my girlfriend, Amanda. In the last two weekends she has run the Dam to Dam race in Des Moines and the Chicago Half. She’s had stellar races, even though the Chicago was H-OT! I am so proud of her.

We started being friends because had blogging and music in common. Now we also have running. We call each other to obsess chat about anything from our mile splits, our workout hydration, gels, gu’s, chomps, wearing a heart rate monitor jammed up under our sports bras, hills, weather, shoes, knees, and more. Mostly we encourage each other. Just a few weeks ago her knee was giving her the fits and she ended walking the rest of one work-out. I think I helped her out in her distress. If anything, I listened. About that same time I had just signed up for a 12 week training plan, got really busy with other stuff, came down with a weird cold and was pretty sure I would be sucking wind for the next 12 weeks. She helped me chin up and just get out and run again.

So, Amanda, this is for you! I’m so proud you accomplished your goal! 

Follow the link http://heyrunnergirl.tumblr.com/

If you don’t get those you’re probably not a runner. That’s ok.

If you do get them but haven’t run as far as Amanda, that’s ok, too. Seriously.

Plaaay Balll!!

Can't Get Enough

See these two little ones? They're mine. They were five and one. 

We're playing around with a new toy at our house and Bill needed me to find a picture to scan so I grabbed this one. 

It's one of my favorites. I can't get enough of them!

************

Here's a conversation that took place between Luke and I tonight that I want to remember forever.

Luke: Are we endangered?

Me: No.

L: Are bears mammals?

M: Yes.

L: Do bears eat meat?

M: Sometimes.

L: So if we meet a bear we are in danger.

Ohhh- IN danger.

This was all while he was making a sword out of a paper towel tube and some cardboard. He slays me!!!