Tag: Long Runs

Random Thursday

On By runnergirl02In ThankfulnessLeave a comment

Well I’m kind of sad today so I thought I’d take a few minutes to be thankful for some things.

I was able to stop by my nephew’s football game after school today. I enjoy watching him and his friends play. It reminds me of when I would go see his Dad at his little league games and later high school basketball games. It was always fun to cheer for my brother and now I get to cheer for his son!

I was able to go to Adoration twice this week. I’ve been going since my friend Becky passed away. The day I found out she passed I was so sad, so I looked for a church that was having adoration and I found OLPH had adoration in their chapel that day. I went and prayed a Divine Mercy Chaplet for her. My Dad used to say it at night with my Mom. They would sing it actually on the Catholic channel and my Mom liked listening to my Dad sing, that’s how I learned about it. It’s comforting to me. I find that sitting in the presence of Jesus is comforting to me. Sometimes, you need a real tangible something to remember Jesus is real, especially when things aren’t going how you would like them to go and I think that’s at least part of the reason Jesus gave us the gift of the Eucharist.

Oh Penelope the Pumpkin was harvested last week! So, this tiny little plant shows up in our garden/flower bed area one day and I figured I’d let it grow. It grew and grew and grew, so big but no fruit, then one day my daughter sent me a photo of a tiny little green thing. Well, that tiny little green thing turned into a giant orange pumpkin. It was fun to watch her grow and turn orange. All the things that had to happen for this pumpkin to grow and turn orange and get so big, amazing to me.

Our daughter has been doing great in what she is saying is her last season of Cross Country. We enjoy going to her meets and watching her and her teammates run. Running challenges you to be your best self. I think it’s a great sport. I’ll probably be sad next fall, well actually this summer. I’m so used to summertime cross country practice and fall cross country races. I hope our daughter will look back on her experiences starting with Coach Tom all those years ago with happiness and gratitude. Father John would say, “It’s all gift.” So I’ll try to remember to focus on the happy memories. Who knows, she might be wrong, we may yet have Cross Country in our life for a little while.

Oh and our friend and piano teacher Miss Sandy is recovering from her surgery. She is doing well, so that was good news today!

Big trees! Kings Canyon National Park is where you will find the giant sequoias so amazing and beautiful. We are surrounded by so much beauty. I thank God for it all.

I’ve seen some beautiful sunsets. We’re getting up too early to see sunrises on our runs but the sunsets complete with Cotton Candy skies…what a treat!

I feel a little better so I’ll stop there for today. Looking forward to watching our daughter run fast tomorrow at her meet. “Forward, Always Forward, God will provide.”

So for today…for big pumpkins, big trees, big sunsets, games, adoration, friends and running…I Give thanks!

We were able to finally do a 5 mile long run on the last Saturday of summer after trying to get there all summer long, so that was good…on to 6;-) KOR!

Football Fun!
Penelope the Pumpkin
Sunset on our walk…
Some big trees…

Give a hug or a compliment!

On By runnergirl02In Biblical Reflections, running, Uncategorized2 Comments

Today December 1st was the first day of an Advent challenge I convinced my husband, Jason, to do with me. The challenge was to give a hug or a compliment to someone. I’m a hug type person so this was actually pretty easy for me but for Jason not intuitive. So it was surprising, that when leaving my moms after picking up our daughter that he said to her, “Let me give you a hug and say Thank You for always helping with Laina. I really appreciate it.” My mom was surprised as well, her eyes got happy and she said, “Thank You.”

This reminded me that it really doesn’t take a whole lot to make most people happy. A little acknowledgement for a job well done or a kind word to encourage or support someone doesn’t cost any money but how many of us do it as much as we should? From the daily headlines I would venture to say it doesn’t happen often. The news is so negative, always looking for someone to make fun of or someone to denigrate or looking for things that are wrong in general. I’m not sure why I even bother to read it, except sometimes there is something cool like the latest Mars probe landing or something informative, like George H.W.’s passing.

Jesus was always encouraging. He told the truth, which was hard to hear at times but His words always ended with encouragement and hope. That’s all most people want.

We had a great run this morning. Saw some beautiful morning light and my run felt good. I felt and feel stronger than I have in a long time. Still eating healthy and focusing on the positive changes that brings me, instead of the chocolate chip cookie I know will make me feel tired later.

Deena Kastor says changing your mindset is key to making improvements, a lot of other people say the same thing too, Saint Paul said we would be transformed by the renewing of our mind. It all starts with kind, good and holy words to ourselves and others.

So today, on the first Day of December, for Advent Challenges, Morning Light and every day a new chance to do better and be better…I Give Thanks!

KOR

Here’s some pictures from our run this AM:

The first is my favorite morning light picture that I took just as the sun rose. The second is an orchard we can’t usually see during summer because the trees are too thick. The leaves had almost all fallen and it was like peeking into a different place as we ran by..

Hot Cheetos!

On By runnergirl02In Biblical Reflections, running, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Last Friday my daughter had a half day at school.  Her God-Father was chosen as the Grand Marshall of our local high school Homecoming Parade and invited her to ride in the Grand Marshall car with him.  She excitedly accepted.  After the parade I took her to her usual swim lesson and after the swim lesson we went to the Homecoming game to watch her God-Father get his plaque and do the coin toss.  Her God-Parents called her down to the field to be with them.  We got to sit in the special Grand Marshall seating and her God-Parents let her have her little friend sit with her in this section.  Her dad took her to the snack bar where she got a polish dog and a bag of Hot Cheetos.

At some point during the game I went to pick up the stuffed bear she brought with her and the Hot Cheetos slipped down behind the bleachers which are on a cement slant, alas the Hot Cheetos were gone.  My daughter was NOT happy.  The loss of the Hot Cheetos took over and that’s all she talked about until it was time to leave the game.  We attempted to replace the Hot Cheetos but the snack bar had run out.  This made her even more upset.  So from the time we left the stadium to the time we got home all I heard about were the lost Hot Cheetos.

You can imagine I was irritated because she had had a wonderful day, a parade, swimming, homecoming game with special seats, and still it wasn’t enough.  She still wanted the Hot Cheetos. I had a chat with her and reminded her about all the fun she had that day and I told her, “You get enough. Go to bed.”  She was still lamenting the Hot Cheetos.

Later on during our long run the next day, my husband and I were discussing what we should do about the apparent lack of appreciation our daughter was showing.  As we talked different topics came up.  Our conversations while running often ramble and range from when is the next fuel break to what is coming up in the following week, this one rambled along to talking about how we were led to our daughter through the gift of adoption.  The blessings we have in our lives.  All the gifts we have been given.  Our poor stewardship of those gifts.  At one point we were talking about something we wanted, I can’t remember what it was, a trip we wanted to take or some item maybe and all of a sudden my husband yelled, “Hot Cheetos!”

Holy Moly! Hot Cheetos!  I looked at him and I thought…we get enough but we still want more.  Hot Cheetos!  I began to wonder if we were modeling that behavior to our daughter.  I haven’t decided.  I don’t think so but I do know we could definitely be better stewards with the gifts God has given us.  Dave Ramsey says being content is necessary to being good stewards of our material gifts.  Deena Kastor in her book, Let Your Mind Run, talks about how she shaped her training and her life around thankfulness.  Our pastor says we should practice being thankful to God for his gifts of creation, family and friends everyday.

So every time I catch myself being greedy and wanting more I have a phrase that pops in my head now.  Hot Cheetos!  I immediately try to return to a place of gratitude and contentment with what my present situation is.  It doesn’t always work but its a start.  You’d think someone who has a blog about being thankful would actually be thankful.  Right?

For Hot Cheetos, Gods Gifts of Creation, talks during long runs with my husband that lead to realizations that I’m not really as grateful as I should be…I Give Thanks!

KOR!