MY BIG EIGHT!

 

It's that time of the year when a lot of us take a personal inventory and decide on some changes that we can make to become a better person. I have had PLENTY of time to examine myself due to the appendectomy I had December 18. Several people told me that God would use this down time to speak to me and He has! I love it when the Holy Spirit corrects us because He always does it with such love and concern! I never feel condemned by Him - I always feel encouraged! I have to put forth the effort to change, though. I have to put in the work! So here's the things that God has been showing me in eight areas of my life. This is a road map for success in my life. I will only be able to do this with God's strength. I just ordered a road ID with my "slogan" on it GOD IS MY STRENGTH. Philippians 4:13 (TLB) ¹³ for I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power. Did you notice that the part about "I can do everything GOD ASKS ME TO DO" - not just everything I want to do?

2014 Resolutions - AKA MY BIG EIGHT!
1. Talk and LISTEN to God every day! Seek His will!  Be where He wants me to be - do what He wants me to do. Be in the center of His will! Praise and worship Him every day! Proverbs 3:6  (TLB) In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.
2. Read and study His word every day. Joshua 1:8 (HCSB)This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite^[a] it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.
3. Tell others about Him! Reach out and share the gospel! John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
4. Stop worrying!!! Trust HIM! I am giving myself permission NOT to worry! Philippians 4:6 (TLB) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.
5. Stop letting other people affect my happiness. Look to HIM to be HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY! Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
6. Spend more time with my family. Joshua 24:15 (KJV) ...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Ephesians 5:24 (TLB) ²⁴ So you wives must willingly obey your husbands in everything, just as the Church obeys Christ.
7. Spend less time at work. Luke 12:27 (KJV) Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
8. Take care of the temple - eating right, exercising, going to the doctor when I need to and being good to myself.
I Corinthians 6:19-20 (TLB)¹⁹ Haven’t you yet learned that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and that he lives within you? Your own body does not belong to you. ²⁰ For God has bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give glory back to God because he owns it.

There they are! My BIG EIGHT! There are lots of logistics to work out with each resolution. I've already worked out some and I am still working on others, with God's leading. I have set some goals, too - but for me, goals are different from resolutions. Resolutions are overall outcomes and setting goals will help me get there. In all I do and in making decisions I will see how it will affect my visions that God has given me for 2014. I am going to be FOCUSED on these things that God has dealt with me on. These are the things I'll be blogging about this year. Please hold me accountable!! Of course I will fall short but I will continue to press toward the prize. Philippians 3:14 (NIV) ¹⁴ I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us.   Hebrews 12:1-12 (GNT) So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. ² Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.
 It's all about HIM!!!
Happy New Year, everyone!


 

2013 Races

I wrote about several of my races this year but when I saw Jennifer's wonderful post about her resolution to run in a race every month, it made me want to "see" my races for the year. I did not try to do one each month but I did quite a few. A couple were not traditional races but they were important accomplishments to me, so I included them. My race rack that Jennifer gave me for Mother's Day is getting full!

January was the first race of the year was Jackson Road Elementary Resolution Run 5K. Denise and Melissa did this race with me. I walked this race and my time was 55:01.

I did two races in April. The Color Run 5K was at Atlanta Motor Speedway and this was my first BIG run. It was untimed and was actually organized chaos but a lot of FUN! Jennifer, Denise and Melissa ran this race with me. One of my kindergarten students Brody Meeks and his family ran this 5K, too!  I walked most of the race but jogged some of it, too. My time was 52:00.

I did the Crosspointe Academy Cavalier Country Run in April, too. Denise, Jennifer and Carter ran this race also. This was a very special race because Jennifer, Carter and I all won medals! I jogged a little but walked the majority of the race and my time was 55:05.

  

I did Relay for Life in May which is not actually a race but I walked all night long...in the rain! I walked further and longer than ever before even though I didn't keep up with the miles. This was the MOST important walk for me of the year. I lost both of my parents to cancer as well as many family members and friends and one very special student. One of my students, Brody's mother Melody Meeks survived cancer so it was especially meaningful to walk with them! I raised a lot of money to fund the race for a cure for cancer. Our campsite won the prize for best campsite! Every single child in our school wrote a message on a paper link and all of these links were connected and used to decorate our tent. Many of our students and their families walked with us that night.

I didn't do any races during the summer. I did however begin the Couch to 5K Running program in September and RAN my first 5K. It was the Scrub Run 5K in Griffin. I ran this race with Jennifer, Tammie and Stacy. Jennifer won first place, of course and I won 3rd place in my age group. This was one of my favorite races! My time was 48:58.

 



I ran two races in October. The Jubilee Jaunt in Concord. Denise, Jennifer and Carter ran this one. It was in the rain! Carter and Jennifer won medals. I would have but it was a very small race and the age group was combined to be men and women 40 year and up! Crazy! My time was 49:50.

 My other October race was Denise's school Rehobeth Road Jack-O-Lantern Jog. This was a GREAT race because three of my grandkids ran this one as well as Jennifer and Denise. I was so very proud of  TJ, Maggie and Jada! They trained for this race and ran well! Jennifer medaled and so did I - first place in my age group! The medal is beautiful! My time was 49:50.

 

 

The Family Marathon at my school Cowan Road Elementary was a different kind of race that I ran in November. Our school is a healthy school and we all try to eat right and exercise - staff, students and families. This marathon is run over the course of several weeks and the last 1.2 mile is run together at school. We did this last year and it's very special to me because it stands for living a healthy lifestyle.

November 28 was my 60th birthday and Jennifer, Denise and I ran the Thanksgiving 5K in Atlanta. This was the biggest race I've ever ran! We celebrated mine and Denise's birthday in royal style. We stayed at the Marriott Marquis hotel and ate at The Cheesecake Factory all as Jennifer's treat! This was my most memorable race! The girls ran every step of it at my pace. It was very cold - 22 degrees! My time was 49:04.

 

 

 

The last race of the year was the Silly Santa 5K in McDonough. Jennifer and I did this one together in the pouring rain!! It was a lot of fun! Jennifer got a huge trophy for Fastest Female! I am so proud of her! We ran on a team called Pike's Pride with several friends from Pike County, the Greg family, Elaine Mangham and Bonnie Dials. I ended the year with  a Personal Record time of 44:46.

 

 

 

My next race in The Hot Chocolate in January 2014. I am looking forward to spending the night in Atlanta and running this race with Jennifer, Denise and several running friends. I know we will have a blast! I want to run more races in 2014! I am making the resolution to run one every month, just like Jennifer did in 2013. I have set several running goals for 2014. I want to RUN a 10K - I walked one last year. I also want to run the Rock and Roll in Savannah in November. I hope that Denise will do the half-marathon relay with me. If not, I may try to run the half-marathon. Jennifer will be running the marathon! I have to restart my running because I had an appendectomy December 18 which turned into an infection of my incision. I will most likely have to start over with walking but I hope to progress quickly to running! 





60th Birthday Celebration!!!

I had the BEST birthday I have ever had! I told the girls that I wanted this milestone birthday to be special and it was unforgettable! My birthday fell on Thanksgiving Day this year. Denise' birthday is November 22 so we had a huge double celebration!! We celebrated by running the Thanksgiving 5K in Atlanta.
We arrived in Atlanta the night before the race and checked in the Mariott Marquis. The view from our room was incredible!!! Jennifer treated us to the room!! We picked up our race packets and went to the race expo, which was in our motel. This was my first expo and I really had a good time there. I got a MusicBelt that hold my iPhone and a race decal for my car that says: THIS IS MY RACE PACE.



Our beautiful view of ATLANTA from our room in the Marriot Marques.

 We then came back to our rooms and dressed for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. I have never been there and it was delicious! Jennifer treated us to our dinner, too!! We had a great time! It was getting very cold, though. So thankful for valet parking!

 

 

The morning of the race was so very cold-22 degrees!!! We dressed in layer after layer and stayed in the warm car until the last possible moment. We had fun people watching! Jennifer and Denise made a sign that said it was my 60th birthday and carried it the entire race!!! It was so much fun running in Atlanta! My time was 49:04. The girls ran every step of the way with me at my pace!

 When the race was over, we went back to the motel, changed into our bathing suits and hit the hot tub!! We were so cold and this quickly warmed us up! What a great end to a fabulous birthday!!!

I did not reach my goal of losing 100 pounds by my 60th birthday but I don't feel like a failure. This is a journey and I will get there!