Kingdom Cares International, Part 1

It's been a long while since I last wrote about Kingdom Cares International but that doesn't mean nothing has been going on. In fact, with the gifts and monies that have been contributed over the last years, much has been happening and God has shown himself to the people of Asikuma, Ghana and beyond.

Jake and Janel, along with two other couples including one of Audrey's small group leaders recently traveled to Africa. Janel is starting to recap their trip on her blog Team-Sullivan.

If you are like me, you need a bigger perspective today. As with me, I need to pull out from my tiny corner of the world where I am caught up in the everything of life and see God working out His details all around the world. Head over to Team-Sullivan for more. 

Favorites

Here are some favorite things in my life lately. Foods I've tried, things I've listened to and recommend, books I've read, or just plain I really like these. Hope you enjoy this new (and hopefully here to stay) series.

Candied Jalapeños -In my Instagram feed this past summer someone posted a recipe for pimento cheese spread and topped it with candied jalapeños. It took me a while to save up enough jalapeños from my garden to make a half batch but I did. Oh my! I'm equal parts happy I made them and sad that I only made half a batch. We only have one jar (1/2 pint) left! This next year I will definitely put in more jalapeños plants. Put them on a cracker with a slice of cheese or the aforementioned pimento cheese spread. Pile 'em on a burger. I'm drooling just thinking about them.

More Run Hoodie- Ha! The moment popped up in my Instagram feed, I gasped out loud and told Bill I wanted it for Christmas. I put it on my Pinterest board, got him signed up for Pinterest, and maybe even sent him the link for it directly. You know that fine line between here's what I'd like to see under the tree, hint*hint*hint, and here's what I know will be under the tree? I think I crossed it. Especially when I picked up the mail and I grabbed package with a big return address label emblazoned with Run Pretty Far on it. Not sad at all.   

Crock Pot Maple Dijon Pork Chops -Who cares how I found these? These are delicious. And very easy. You can brown the chops and soften the onion on the stove first (I do) but you don't have to. (That's a major pet peeve of mine- here cook all of this food on the stove first and then throw it in the slow cooker. People, the point of a slow cooker is to do the work for you.) Make some sweet potatoes, green beans, or another veggie to pile on your plate and watch it all disappear. It does every time at my house.

Cornerstone Church's teaching series online -We've been asked if we miss church with our bike racing and the answer is yes, we miss church. When we first started racing, there was a Saturday night service but currently there is not. However, we can still hear the messages online or through the app on your phone, which is how I listen to them. There are over 30 message series online alone. Maybe you'd like to read through a book of the Bible but would like some guidance along the way. Or you need to fill your ears and mind and heart with more Truth, try these, please. 

Green Smoothies -A long time ago, I posted that I would try a kale and avocado smoothie. Then I reported back that it didn't go so well. Since then, I added spinach to quite a few smoothies but always laced it with berries. Then I came across these three and collected the ingredients to try them. Here's my take on them.

1. Green Protein Power- tangerines, spinach, pineapple, cashews, chia seeds, flaxseed oil. I didn't juice the tangerines separately, just threw them in whole. The rest went as directed. I couldn't place the taste as one particular thing but the smoothie was good. There was a little texture to it due to the cashews but it wasn't crunchy or disturbing. I will make it again.

2. Ultimate Green Smoothie- avocado, banana, parsley. To an average smoothie drinker, this list is weird. But the taste is great! It's creamy and bright flavored. I've made it twice just to make sure I liked it.

3. Sour Apple- Grape Crush- spinach, Granny Smith apple, green grapes, flaxseed oil. Maybe if I had a high-powered blender the texture could be improved since there is a lot going on but I don't. The taste is off-putting at first then grows on you, kind of like a sour candy. It's not bad but it's not for me. However, you might like it.

So there ya go. I'll try to keep the list a good mix (not all food). Let me know what you think of this new series and what you're curious about. Also, what are some of your favorites?

  

  

Sycamore 8, 2014

At the beginning of December (2014) I ran another trail race, the Sycamore 8. It is a race put on by The Capital Striders. I forgot that I had mentioned on Facebook that I was running it and at Christmas everyone asked me about it. I filled them in and wanted to let you know about it as well. 

I spent November recovering from the GOATZ 50k. I may have mentioned this previously but after the race was over I didn't feel like running for a while. I didn't even want to run. When I finally went out for the first few times the runs were short and easy and actually quite hard. I was still fatigued. Eventually I was able to go out for a 4 or 5 mile without  needing a nap. I ran by feel. I ran where I wanted to and how I wanted to and I ran the hills just to see if I could. There wasn't any pressure or any goal. Just go run. 

Finally I decided I would sign up for the Sycamore 8 race. I have run on the first half many times and knew it wasn't technical or difficult. I joined the Turkey's for a Tuesday night run on the second half of the trail to see how that laid out. Again, not difficult. I kept my runs during the week easy and with no plan.

The morning of the race I texted my friend Amanda who was doing a Jingle Jog or Turkey Trot or some other 5k race and challenged her to run it naked- as in no watch and said I would do the same. I also challenged her to run all of December naked. I knew I needed to stay away from the data my watch could give me for this race. I needed to go out and run this for fun and as free as possible. I formulated to run this race strong.

Since the race is a point to point race, I parked at the finish line and climbed aboard a bus to be transported to the start line. I got a spot in the cozy bus and chatted with a woman who does triathlons. We were dropped off at the start and most of us made straightaway to the bathroom line. The men were directed to go take care of nature in nature and leave the toilets for us ladies unless they had other business to take care of. I made it through with just enough time to do some dynamic warm-ups before the start. I found a friend to hang as we started out. We chatted together for about the first mile but then I realized I was able to pull ahead without much effort and left her. 

The trail is mostly single track but not tight therefore passing isn't too much of a problem. You just have to be patient and courteous as you make your pass or get over as someone passes you. Because I wanted to make sure I passed cleanly and also wasn't getting ahead of myself, I sometimes stayed behind a runner and only one time felt like it was too long. He mentioned that he wondered when I would pass and I felt bad because he might have felt pressured or annoyed. Anyway, all the rest of the time I handled it well. I did have one runner I leapfrogged with about four times. The first time, he passed me from well behind the pack. I joked with him saying that since he passed us and we let him, we would all like a part of his winnings. Not too far later, he had pulled off to drink from his water bottle and I passed him. Then he passed me again. No word from me because at this point I'm wondering if he's never practiced running and drinking at the same time even though he has a hydration belt on. Then I notice him further down the trail making his way back to the trail for obviously having pulled off because nature called. (Now writing this out I'm wondering if he was dealing with more Mother Nature than his body could handle but I didn't think that during the race.) We are maybe three miles in so far. It's a lot of passing and him getting out of my sight and then seeing him stopped later on in such a short amount of time. I saw him one more time during the race and I almost hollered out at him "Don't make me pass you again!". I didn't but gosh, dude- pacing. Like I said most of the race was not weird, clean passing. 

Alright, I don't have any pictures for you on here. However, there are pictures from the race that you can look through to find me on this site. 

The first is the hill. It's a short, steep little climb taking you from the trail which sits at river level up onto the bridge that crosses the river and under the interstate. The only to get up it is to take a running start otherwise you're left to grabbing it with your hands. (Like in my nightmares where I'm running but can't use my legs so I resort to crawling as fast as I can.) I had pulled up really close to the next person and then realized that that wasn't a good idea because the main line was already congested. I picked a different line and went for it. Fast foot turnover and keep the momentum going and I pulled ahead of her at the top except for the slip where my feet weren't quite under me. (Follow the series of shots here)

In the second set of pics along the river I was again behind a runner. I had just passed someone else and came up on him. As I got closer I heard music and thought it funny that the music was loud enough that I could clearly hear it but why couldn't I hear it sooner since he hadn't been that far ahead of me for a while. Aha! Because it was a speaker the photographer had set up! It was then that I realized then photographer would never get a picture of me if I stayed behind this guy so I had to pull around and pass him. (#337)

The race was coming to a close and while I was definitely feeling the effects of running almost 8 miles at a much faster pace than I had run in a while, I pushed myself to keep it strong all the way to the end. I picked off a few more runners before spotting where the trail met up with the parking lot. There was one runner left in front of me that I thought I could catch. I came up fast behind him. The race director, Brad, was standing right near them and hollered to him that I got him. I took a few steps and raised my hands in victory only to realize he wasn't going to let me just have it. I dropped my arms and sprinted all out to the end. The timer declared me the winner! (#5387)

I didn't place in my age group or anything but it was a personal best for pace in a short distance. I'm really satisfied with my effort. Running without a heart rate monitor or a watch to show me distance, pace or time was such a good thing. I had to rely on running by feel and trust myself. It is a good thing for everyone to do. (Amanda did indeed run her 5k naked and guess what? PR'd by almost 2 minutes!!)  

The Sycamore 8 is a great trail race, especially if you are new to trail running but this would also be a good one to put on the speed if you want to. The race director, Brad Dains, did an excellent job promoting it, communicating, and covering all the details. Even if you think you can't run trails, you can run this one. 

Sole Hope, 2014

I recently discovered that I've gone through four pairs of running shoes in the past year. It came as a shock to me, really. I guess it is like tires on a dirt bike (they go through a lot) or or charging cords/earbuds on a teenager (she goes through a lot). All that being said, I am grateful my feet are healthy to run and that I have shoes to protect them when I run.

In November my friend Kate hosted another Sole Hope shoe cutting party. You may recall that she did this last year and how enthusiastic I was about the organization and their mission. I've spent the last year following them through social media (all links below) and continue to be impressed with them.

A few weeks later Kate took her Sole Hope party on the road to our church. 

Here are a few high school boys and a mom tracing and cutting. Girls- be on the lookout for guys like these. 

See? The woman in the striped shirt found an awesome guy! And little Bre is not going to let her age stop her from helping.

I don't know these people from our church but they make my heart burst with happiness!

Because so very little is needed to put on a shoe cutting party and the actual job is so easy, it is the perfect thing to do while chatting and sharing life. In other words, this provides both face to face and side by side interactions. 

These girls went from table to table picking up the cut out pieces, tossing scraps, and in general being great helpers and obviously super cute. (So sorry for the blurriness.)

I ended up working at the table where we took all the individual pieces and pinned them together into completed sets of a pair of shoes. 

I followed up with Kate recently and she told me that between the Saturday morning gathering, the Wednesday night gathering and a few other random times, she will be sending over 120 pairs to be sewn! 240 shoes!! WOW!!!

Here are all the links

Sole Hope Organization -Here you can find all the information about the organization, their mission, how to contribute and more.

Sole Hope Store -Just in case you want to do some shopping and own or give some Sole Hope items, it's all here. Buy a shirt (me + the baseball tee = gonna happen), sandals, water bottles or even baby shoes.

If you are on the social media outlets, follow them to see what life looks like day to day, to be encouraged and spurred on and to use it as a reminder to pray for them. (I feel like they do not use their photos to exploit the people they are serving which is awesome!)

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram - They are on here under Sole Hope.

I know I speak for Kate as well, I'm so thankful for all the hearts and hands and worn out jeans and empty milk jugs!!

2014 Christmas Recap

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! 

I don't think it's too late to wish you good tidings. I'm squeezing it in under the "I haven't put away my Christmas decor yet" deadline, although the tree is already out because you know, fire hazard and all.

Here's how we celebrated in 2014.

I commissioned Audrey to do the chalk art. Didn't she do a lovely job? Take note: washi paper tape is not strong enough to hold a strand of seven vintage ornaments. The three big bells did not survive the fall. 

We spent the day before Christmas playing games and decorating cookies and generally having a good time. All that was missing was opening gifts. My Sour Cream Cookies are a must at Christmas. It pretty much goes like this: no sour cream cookies, no Christmas. The same is true for Valentine's Day so grab the recipe now.

For the past two years my side of the family has celebrated at Adventureland Inn. We all get rooms (gifted to us by my mom), bring in our supper and hang out for an evening. This picture wasn't even posed! They were all climbing on each other's back so I told them to look at me and it only took two shots to get it. I know! It's a Cousin Christmas Miracle!!

 We headed to Texas to celebrate with Bill's family. We spent the days talking, putting together puzzles, playing games, playing non-stop air hockey and foosball (Ben, all day long), going on walks (and runs), worshipping, visiting the Gainesville Zoo, and stopping at a motorcycle store. They were thrilled to see a pile of people come through the door but unfortunately, we left them sorely disappointed as we didn't purchase a thing. 

The day we visited the zoo was the only day I pulled out my big camera and as it turns out was the day my niece came down with a fever so she and my sister-in-law are missing. However, I mentioned that Tayla might like a Capybara and now I need to see if Amazon sells them. 

Part of the zoo has an elevated walkway to watch the animals from above. It was fun to see zebras, camels, kangaroos and more all in a large space.

This reminds me that I should direct you to Denise's blog The Animal Bridge. She and Roy traveled to the Dominican Republic and Haiti for week and a half. I think you might enjoy reading their stories but beware, However, I must warn you, Denise is a vet. Vets are very used to looking at animal wounds and such and marvel at them. They also take pictures of them and naturally think the rest of the world is enamored by such things. It's not really that bad but I feel it my duty to warn you there are some slightly grody pictures. 

We are thankful for our families and God bringing us together for another year of celebrating Him. 

Lucy loves everyone. And this beanbag. 

Lucy and Her People

This is just how our last night worked out. Lucy really didn't seem to mind. 

I didn't crop or edit these pictures in any way just keeping it simple today.

Recovered

Hey, yo! Still alive here! 

I tend to do this, don't I? I write a major summary of a race and then I disappear for-ev-er. Yeah, so here's the deal. Post-race write up, I spend a lot of energy recovering and getting brain space back. I'm kind of trashed physically and mentally. And my family still needs me- as in the show still goes on.

It's been a month since my race. I still have all the warm fuzzy feelings about the race. I finally looked at my results yesterday and know that even though I didn't finish where I wanted to I still completed it and I'm not disappointed. When I race a 50k again, I anticipate I will do better simply from the fact that it I've already done one. Its such an exciting feeling. 

Recovering for me this time involved a lot of crying again but this time I knew it was recovery. Surprisingly, it took me almost two weeks to eat and drink somewhat normally. Even though I completed every step of 31 plus miles, I felt like I didn't drain myself to the point where it would so alter my eating but it did. I didn't run for a week. I didn't even feel like running. Finally a week later as I was laying in bed, I realized I needed to run the next day. I did but only went about a mile and a half and took it very easy. Now a month later, I'm running regularly again and I've had a few other changes I've noticed to indicate that I'm even more recovered than I thought.

You may have noticed there is no Living History Farms race report. That's because we- Bill and I- didn't run it this year. I'm running an 8 mile trail race on Saturday and am looking forward to that. Don't hold your breath for a race recap, though.

And that's all I've got for now.