The One I've Been Dreading...

I've been avoiding my blog so that I can avoid this post...because I don't really want to write about it. It's a bit of a sore subject. I'll summarize and then we can just move on without mentioning it again...sound good?

Let's Bullet it...

• Trained all summer for a 1/2 mary.
• 1/2 mary was last Saturday, Sept. 12th.
• Paid $40 to register.
• Friday before race begin really not feeling well.
• Barfing is next...hello dehydration.
• Realize I'm not going to be able to do the race.
• Weeping and gnashing of teeth.
• Drag myself to race to cheer on my running partner, Billie, who does great! So, so proud of her.
• Pity party for myself continues...apparently I don't know when to leave a party.
• Wrestle with God on the timing issue...begging Him for some wisdom.
• Pity party over.
• There will be other races.
• The end.

No need to send condolences. Trust me when I tell you I've spent enough time feeling sorry for myself. Way more than enough.

The barfing happened for a reason...His timing is perfect...even when I don't understand it.

There...enough of that. Let's move on to some fun updates that I know you'll find interesting ;)

• Tonight is our homecoming. Julie gets to be one of the honoraries on the homecoming court so Ben gets to walk her across the field. How cute is that? I will totally have pictures for you.
• Julie's date for homecoming is also the homecoming king and one of our star football players. It may be just me, but I'm finding that as a parent of a teenager now, it doesn't matter how nice and wonderful the person they want to date seems, I still tend to view them as the enemy. *smile*
• Happy Friday! WOO HOO!

Pin It

He's a Man Now...

Conversation at our table two days ago:

Me: Eli, don't you want more *something I can't even remember now*?

Eli: No, I don't like it anymore.

Me: Since when?

Eli: Since I became a man.

Me: When did you become a man?

Eli: Two days ago.

He never misses a beat. Love him.

Pin It

The Journey

I ran the 10 miles on Saturday. I've had high hopes of hitting double digits since last April when I started training for this dang thing. Double digits is sort of a big deal...to me anyways. I never dreamed I'd be able to run that far. I never wanted to run that far...until God set something into plan that I couldn't say no to.

The 10 miles wasn't as great as I'd pictured it to be, but I accomplished it...so we're gonna go with "good enough" on that one.

Next Saturday, the 12th, I will be starting the race at 7:30 AM. God help me. He started this. And all these months He's sustained me, even though along the way I sometimes lost sight of the purpose, He was always patient and faithful to gently remind me. Recently, a course of events has really caused me to question what He's doing amidst this running thing...I think I thought He changed His mind...He did not. He just wants to show me how limitless He really is.

And that my friends...is a little scary to me. It shouldn't be. I wish I could tell you that I have no doubts...that my faith is so huge I'm not concerned one bit about what He's asking me to do. But even though I know He's with me, and I know He's gonna sustain me, I also know the pain that's involved. Months of training has made that very obvious. It all comes down to this...

Even when it seems and feels impossible...do I trust Him?

I do. It doesn't take the scariness away, it just gives me the the strength to jump...or in my case line up with 400 some runners at the starting line.

That race next Saturday...it's for Him.

Thanks to all of you for joining me on the journey!

Pin It

It's Better Than Nothing...I Guess.

Apparently when I don't blog often I just feel like updating you with bullet points.

Here Goes:

• I am super excited for Labor Day Weekend because we have NOTHING planned. The past, I don't know, 100 weekends or so have been busyness. I heart having nothing planned.
• Saturday I am scheduled to run 10 miles, we'll see how it goes. My body is not cooperating lately with my running plans. If the 10 goes well then I'm gonna go ahead with the 1/2 mary on the 12th, if it doesn't, then I'll surrender in tears graciously and try to remind myself there will be other races.
• Julie taught me to knit on Saturday. I am ridiculously slow. I'm also a huge idiot because I wanted the scarf I'm making to be THICK...thick means more work, more time. Dumb. Maybe I'll just change my mind and decide to make a dishcloth.
• I am so excited for new episodes of The Office. I'm watching old ones to get myself all geared up.
• By the way, right now I am unable to knit and watch TV at the same time because I have to pay complete attention to the knitting to make sure I'm doing it right. It starts to make me dizzy after awhile. I might start taking Dramamine before I knit.
• I've lost that loving feeling about blogging right now. It will probably return eventually. Maybe.
• Is it Friday night yet? I'd like to get the weekend started...the weekend of NOTHING TO DO! YAY!
• Happy week to you!

Pin It

I'm THAT Mom...

Before Julie, our exchange student, arrived I was quite confident I'd be the cool mom. I mean, the math alone is in my favor. With my own children, I'm 23, 24 and 27 years older than them which likely destines me to uncoolness in their eyes...eventually. But with Julie, being that she's not really mine, I get to be 14 years older, making the generation gap just small enough to keep me cool, right?

Wrong. Turns out, the age difference doesn't matter, when you're a mom, you're a mom. And to add to it...when you're me, you're me. :)

It doesn't matter that she is technically not mine.

It doesn't matter that she is smart, and seventeen years old.

It doesn't matter that she is brave enough to leave her family and country to live with strangers...

I still...

• ask a million questions.
• ask around to find out the reputations of her new friends.
• feel the need to protect her from making any choices she might regret.
• feel the need to dislike and question the intentions of any and all teenage boys, except for the ones where I personally know their mothers, because for some reason that makes a difference.
• ask what happened during the day...with the who, what, when, where, why, and how following.
• tell her not to stay up too late.

One day, I even asked her to change clothes. Yeah...way, way uncool. The benefit to her not being my "real" daughter is that A - she wasn't purposely trying to push the limit and B - she didn't baulk or complain, but simply changed clothes. It may have been harder on me than her, because it sealed the deal: I'm officially THAT mom ;)

Pin It

Nailed It

Sometimes I come across another bloggers post and think to myself...Dang, they nailed it.

Go visit my friend, who is also named Sarah (seriously, there's millions of us) and you'll know what I mean.

Good stuff. Hard stuff. True Stuff.

Pin It

Life

Life in the Parsonage...

• Ben's car started on fire as he pulled up in front of our house last night. We had to use the fire extinguisher from the kitchen. I am not even kidding.
• School has been an adjustment for all of us this year. Mainly, the "going to bed very early so that all of us can function the next day"...it's tricky after late Summer nights and lazy Summer mornings. I miss you Summer.
• But I do love cool crisp mornings and evenings...especially for running. Bring it on.
• Julie is doing well. It is totally different to have a teenager in the house. I don't mean that in a bad way...it's just all of a sudden there are curfews and lots and lots of activities. It changes the dynamics of the family, yet all seem to be adjusting well. We joke that it seems like she's lived here longer than three weeks, because she's just part of the family now.
• Currently there are several men outside our office window building a garage. It's for the parsonage, which means we get to park in it. It's ginormous. I'm looking forward to NOT scraping the windshield this winter.
• Odie has a tumor. They give him 6 months to a year to live. We've decided not to treat it because of his age. Instead, Odie continues to live the life of luxury...napping all day. We also no longer worry about his weight problem...instead we give him bacon and hamburger...he may as well live it up.
• God is blowing me away with His timing lately. I'll share more later, in the mean time, I'm still trying to process all He's set into motion...it's a little dizzying.
• Have to go pick Jake up from his 2nd day of preschool. Happy Tuesday!

Pin It