Wednesday, October 12, 2011

While In Training

Running #1Training for a half-marathon ended up being a greater commitment than I had first anticipated. Over an 8 week period of time, many factors including health, food intake, cross training, and not to mention the actual hours spent running, all had to be taken into consideration.



However, it all paid off this last weekend in the Mother Road Half Marathon, in Joplin, MO. On race day, I woke up like it was any other morning, drank my cups of coffee, donned by pink running shoes, and as the gun sounded pursued the leisure run of 13.1 miles.



Over the1 hour and 49 minutes, there was something crazy that happened. God showed up. (May we never stop being in awe of God’s presence!)Picture 029



During those miles on the Route 66, there was no outside distractions, no one to text or call, just me and God.



I began to recognize how much I’ve learned about what it means to follow Christ, to be a follower with endurance, and an acknowledgment of the discipline that comes with this pursuit.



Thoughts from Race Training:





  • A Clear Vision is Essential



    • 13.1 miles---- the Finish Line


    • A vision in following Christ is to see generations and generations of followers from the world be raised up from my life----Finish Line when following Christ


  • Delayed Gratification



    • Running always feels really good when you stop or reaching the top of a hill to only look back and say, “I just did that” is always worth it.


    • In trusting Christ, waiting for God’s perfect timing is always worth it


  • Wasting Time is Easy




    • Rap Music may seem more motivating or thinking about anything that will remove my thoughts from the pain of running at hand can be so easy to slip into.


    • Yet, there is #toomuchatstake to not be disciplined with our time when living for a mission that will outlast our lives.


  • Sin must be Avoided at all Cost.




    • It’s easy to make exceptions. If i didn’t have time during the day, I was tempted to run at night or shorten my long runs or run fewer stair laps. Yet anything that would take me away from the course at hand only would negatively affect training in the long haul.


    • There may seem like much more enticing things than following Christ when it gets hard, but it’s always worth it.


  • Do the Hard Things



    • Mornings when it’s cold, dark, or I just didn’t feel like running weren’t an excuse.


    • We have to be willing to do the hard things for Christ even when emotionally or physically we don’t feel like it. Following Christ isn’t just an emotional connection, it’s a commitment for life.


  • It’s a Lifestyle




    • This is a personal thing…lol. But I think you can tell people who are runners. There is a difference about the way they move, carry themselves, and care for their health.


    • As a Christian, people should be able to tell. If there isn’t a difference between our lives and a non-believers life---there’s a problem.


Picture 038

For this girl, once was enough….at least for now. No more half-marathons anytime soon, but I’ll be eternally grateful for the spark it has spurred in my heart to Chase the Cross even more!

______________________________________________________



























Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ~Hebrews 12:1



Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Being a Girl

Life Chats. Earrings. Sparkles. Shopping Trips. Glitter. Rings. Tears.  Best Friends. Teasing Combs. Nail Polish. Perfume. Girly Movies. Disney Princesses. Pink. Flowers. Bracelets. Giggles. Necklaces. Dresses. Chocolate. High Heels. Laughter. Jewels. Chick-Flicks. Perfume. Slumber Parties. ‘Pretty, Pretty Princess’ Game. Shrieking. Hugs. Purses. Hair Salons. Pearls. Pictures. Bows. Pedicures. Ribbon.

Being a girl most certainly has it’s perks!

 John-Banq1

There is something so much fun about getting all ‘dolled’ up with your friends! However, we have to be honest-- even the most sparkly gems, the biggest jewelry, nor the most fashionable purse can help us to discover the best that life has to offer.

100_1402

This past weekend some friends and i headed to ‘Girl’s Getaway.’ In between the chocolate fountain, shopping, and movie theater we learned about the different realities that we may face as girls. On this blog before i know that i’ve admitted to the ease that it takes to create our own realities. And most of the times those realities don’t align with truth. And without truth only discontentment can be the result.

______________________

Check out these past blogs:

“Contentment Our Choice”  & “True Contentment”

______________________

How many of us know people who are really, really good at playing the ‘If Only’ game?  Here are some of the recent ones from lunch today….

  • If only….i had made an ‘A’ on my last test.
  • If only…i had a boyfriend.
  • If only…I had those shoes or that dress.
  • If only…I was born into a different family.
  • If only…I had more money.

When in reality we’re saying,

‘If only….I wasn’t the person God designed me to be.’

Whoa!

truth time.

---God designed us with perfection. He designed every single detail of our lives.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.   ~Psalm 139.13

---God designed us to long for something beyond our temporary desires. He designed us to want to know Him personally.

…He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ~Ecclesiastes 3:11

---God designed us to have the best life found in Him, not in the ‘if onlys’ we think we need.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ~John 10:10Girl's Getaway

I can not even begin to express how much I’m enjoying my senior year, living in the dorms, and, most of all, the time I get to spend with girls. But as I get to spend more and more time with girls it’s heartbreaking to see the amount of discontentment we can dwell in. It’s like the same commercials rolling through---the same wants and desires, the same wants and desires, the same wants and desires.

Yet when they finally get it. When they finally understand where true contentment and fulfillment can come from---it’s always worth it!

…the free gift from God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.    ~Romans 6:23

 

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

#ComevisitHaymaker3

dorm roomDorms: short for dormitory, is a residence hall consisting of sleeping  quarters primarily providing sleep and residential quarters.   

On paper dorms, are great for college freshmen, it makes sure you have food everyday, a roof over your head, you have an RA who makes sure you’re staying out of trouble most of the time, and there are even study rooms to keep your grades up.

And as a 22 year-old Senior living in the dorms, I’ve got to share….                                DORMS are the GREATEST PLACE to LIVE!!!

Seriously, with 63 people on Haymaker 3 there is ALWAYS:

  • someone to study with
  • someone to rock to music with
  • someone to go to breakfast with
  • someone to justify getting ice cream with
  • someone to brush your teeth with
  • someone to laugh when life seems overwhelming
  • and always someone to have deep, life chats with.

Perhaps our floor is different, but already we’re like a family! hall

But our floor should be different…because there are followers of Christ living on the floor.

Seriously think about it…if there are believers living amongst non-believers there should be something different about their lives. Their daily interactions with non-believers should be evident, their work ethics should be different, the transparency of their lives should be refreshing.

Recently reading in a book by Shane Claiborne ‘The credibility of their gospel would rest on the integrity of their lives.’ i was reminded of the gravity that our witness day-in-and-day-out has on those around us.

If you are reading this and are a believer, you may be the only Christian that some people may ever meet.

Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.                      ~2 Corinthians 2:15

haymaker hall Living in the dorms this year is definitely a ton of fun-even in this first 10 days! It’s forcing me to trust in God in a greater way than i ever could have imagined because  these girls have got to know they are loved.

This year will definitely be an adventure of #comevisitHaymaker3!

When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ~Matthew 9:36

 

Monday, August 1, 2011

#Kaleo2011: Week 10

This is it! As i type this, we’re on the road in the midst of Mississippi headed back to Kansas. To be honest, we’re exhausted---but we wouldn’t have changed a thing. We went all in this summer, leaving it all back in ‘Bama. This summer we had life changes week after week, and our final days in the South were no different.

Monday 

Day 62: A snapshot of our home for the summer—Staybridge Suites. They treated us like family!

_______________________________________________________

TUESDAY 

Day 63: Our final bible study over 2 Corinthians and Pursuit of Holiness. We can all honestly say that the Word has transformed our lives this summer.

_______________________________________________________

Day 64

Day 64: Our first day of Back-to-Campus week. Three days with the purpose of creating plans, goals, and prayers of what this semester can look like, as we apply what we’ve learned this summer!

_______________________________________________________

Day 65

Day 65:  Our hearts for international students literally exploded this summer. 4 of the Chinese girls in this picture heard about Christ for the first time this summer and decided to become followers of Him. Diana, Vicki, Judy, and Sabrina will forever be special sisters  in Christ.

_______________________________________________________

DSCN2552

Day 66: The Kaleo banquet was held Friday night. A formal event full of reminiscing and a time to share highlights of the summer. When you have a group of 150 people who are finishing up the summer of their lives’ the room is glowing with joy!

_______________________________________________________

Day 67

Day 67: Our final night was time for just the 4 of us. How blessed we’ve been by our friendship.

_______________________________________________________

Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become Children of God.   ~John 1:12

Sunday, July 24, 2011

#Kaleo2011: Week 9

Several times a day at work, people ask what a Kansas girl is doing down here in the South. My response, “I’m living with some of my favorite people in the entire world,  in a beautiful place, and  learning how to love and follow our Great God!” Here’s a few photos of week 9 of this wonderful life!

Day 55

Day 55: THANK YOU to all of the people, especially family who have supported us this summer. It’s truly been the summer of our lives! At Monday night training we focused on attitudes of gratitude.

Day 56

Day 56:  Donning our work ‘uniforms-Tiffany at Old Time Pottery, Alyson at Chick-Fil-A, Sara at McDonald’s, and me at Banana Republic---we were off to our last full week of work.

day 57a

Day 57: ‘Family’ pictures at the beach were part of my celebration. Each of us have hosted a celebration—celebrating anything in our own special way this summer.

Day 58

Day 58: A quick snapshot with a few of the family pictures we have around the room. We’re super excited to see our families in a week!

Day 59

Day 59: These gentlemen treated us to a dolphin cruise and dinner on Friday night. It was truly picturesque on the water, and we had fabulous company!

Day 60

Day 60: After our last day of beach evangelism, we decided to mark off a few bucket lists items during our time in Alabama. A trip to Souvenir City to get tourist t-shirts…check!

DSCN2006

Day 61: With this Sunday being our last at our local church, we enjoyed time with one of the pastor’s family and the youth group.

________________________________________________________

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. ~1 John 3:16

Sunday, July 17, 2011

#Kaleo2011: Week 8

Miracles literally happen EVERYWHERE, especially this week in Gulf, Shores, AL! From international friends on their front porch, people in aisles at Wal-Mart, to coworkers at the cash register--- this week gave many opportunities to share the Gospel. Every time someone places their trust in Christ it’s this incredible reminder of the gift we’ve been given!

Day 48

Day 48: TVT we continued to learn about how to lead Bible study, last week was the science, this week the art!

Day 49

Day 49: In Bible study on Tuesday night, we were learning about the eternal hope we have while we remain in the earthly tents of this life. We deemed it only appropriate to have study in a tent!

Day 50

Day 50: All of the girls in our room are readers. We have quite the library and here are a few of the current reads!

Day 51 

Day 51: After being able to share my testimony at TNT this week, we heard a talk on Christ-like Character. Our friend, Diana, accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior that night. She is here working for the summer from China.

Day 52

Day 52: Kalympics—aka Olympics Kaleo style---was FABULOUS! The Orange Falcons, Red Boomshakalakas, Green Chinchillas, and the Blue Stars came ready to win. From eating contests, tug of war, obstacle courses, and sand art we showed team spirit all night!

Day 53

Day 53: ‘Remember the Titans’ Movie Night with some of the team leaders. Such great ladies!

Day 54

Day 54: Thrifting is our new favorite hobby! These were some of our finds at local thrift shops!

__________________________________________________

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.   ~2 Corinthians 5:1

Sunday, July 10, 2011

#Kaleo2011: Week 7

This weekend we returned from the Missions Conference. Truly 24 hours where we got to discover our true purpose, to Glorify God. This summer we spend 9 weeks being equipped, in order to spend the rest of our lives glorifying God by bringing others into a personal relationship with Him, that they can reproduce into another person’s life. Our life’s most supreme task is to Glorify God…it’s that simple.   

Day 41

 Day 41: Celebrated the 4th of July on the beach in Gulf Shores, complete with sand volleyball and fireworks!

Day 42

 Day 42: This week in our book study over “The Pursuit of Holiness” we learned about the connection between spiritual and physical disciplines. Under Tiffany's lead we did a workout!

Day 43

 Day 43: Chick-Fil-A felt like the most ‘Southern’ choice for dinner after a day of work. Tiffany at Old Time Pottery, me at Banana Republic, Sara at McDonald’s, and Alyson at Chick-Fil-A.

 Day 44

Day 44:  At T.N.T. we were announced as the ‘Queens of Clean’ for our room!

Day 45

 Day 45: Nearly forgot to take a picture-of-a-day, yet our wonderful friends from TU bailed us out by capturing our exhaustion.

Day 46

Day 46: Gathering with the other projects, 500 college students were together for the Missions Conference in Destin. We learned the biblical basis for missions and of God’s worthiness of being praised by people from every tongue, tribe, and nation.

Day 47

Day 47:  Sunday Morning Tradition: Breakfast at the Staybridge Suites and Group Quiet Time before heading off to Church.

_____________________________________________

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  ~Revelation7:9

Sunday, July 3, 2011

#Kaleo2011: Week 6

We’ve finally found our routine living down here in Alabama. This routine has provided a foundation this week for us to really be challenged, especially in stepping outside of our comfort zones at work. Some great friendships have been built with our coworkers allowing us to share with them our testimonies and the Gospel. Seeing the training we get really be put to action makes us even more excited to get back to campus!

 Day 34, A

Day 34:  Birthday cake on the beach was all in celebration of Emily’s 21st birthday!

___________________________________________________

Day 35

Day 35: Each Tuesday after bible study over 2 Corinthians we get to pray for an unreached people group. This week we got to pray for the Chinese, even getting to experience what an underground church may be like. Having a close friend, Su Li, from China made this particular night special.

___________________________________________________

Day 36

Day 36: After work, time catching-up with friends on the beach laying in awe of the stars and ocean was the perfect evening!

___________________________________________________

Day 37

Day 37: T.N.T. this week was focused on understanding the why behind sharing our faith. Though we get a lot of hands-on experience here at Kaleo sharing the Gospel with people at work and on the beach, we must keep our eyes on God and the lost to make it a lifestyle.

___________________________________________________

Day 38

Day 38: A dynamite D-Group date picking blueberries at a local farm, then making blueberry pancakes, blueberry pie, and blueberry ice cream! Definitely a highlight of the week!

___________________________________________________

Day 39

Day 39: After a day of beach evangelism, we had some D-group bonding including hair dye and scissors. It’s always entertaining around the #317!

___________________________________________________

Day 40

Day 40: Orange Beach United Methodist, which they call OBUM, is the church we get to attend. We’ve gotten involved with their youth group. After services we were able to grab some quiet time over coffee.

___________________________________________________

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place.      ~Psalm 8:3

Sunday, June 26, 2011

#Kaleo2011: Week 5

The motto of our D-Group this summer is ‘#ALLin.’ We apply going all in with how we approach each night of training, our individual pursuit of God, and even the crazy adventures, we so many times find ourselves in.

With our summer in Gulf Shores, AL half way over it seems like we’re still moving with full force desiring to leave no question unasked nor opportunity missed to learn as much as we can!

Day 27

Day 27: Our talk Monday night was all about pursuing holiness in our media intake. Reality is we’re continuously surrounded by music, television, movies, and books that can be hindering to our individual pursuits of holiness. Practically, it’s been so encouraging to see how we’re each raising our standards of intake!

_________________________________________

Day 28

Day 28: Julie, a past roommate and K-State graduate, was able to join us for dinner on Tuesday night. She’ll be launching in July for a cultural exchange in India for the next 3 years! Here life and advice was encouraging!

_________________________________________

Day 29

Day 29: After a day of work, time with Kara, who’s on staff with StuMo, was WONDERFUL! A picnic at the park and soaking in her thoughts on life was the perfect way to spend an evening!

_________________________________________

Day 30

Day 30: T.N.T. we learned all about Fellowship and the importance of ‘Locking Shields’ with people for life. It was amazing to prayer that the four of us would still be locking shields where ever our missions take us!

_________________________________________

Day 31

Day 31: Our signature move!

_________________________________________

Day 32

Day 32: Like Aladdin, we learned about the ‘Whole New World’ of relationships through the Word of God. Friday and Saturday we learned about the gift of singleness, dating, and marriage. It was amazing to simply learn about the intricate, perfect—sometimes confusing---ways that God masterfully created man and woman.

_________________________________________

 

Day 33

Day 33: Our Sunday evenings include nursing sunburns, doing laundry, bible study, and life chats. #perfect

_________________________________________

Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.      ~Matthew 22:37-39