Living the Message

The message at church on Sunday has been resonating through my head for the past few days... and I wanted to share that with you. Feel free to read it, reflect and share what it means to you. It included both our scripture and a poem that our pastor shared with us. I'm going to wait to share my reflections on this until the end of the week because I want others to reflect and post...

“Justified by Faith”
Romans 5:1-5
1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this
grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of
God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that
suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and
character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's
love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been
given to us.


“Colors”
John Homer Winslow
Your living is determined not so much
by what life brings to you,
as by the attitude you bring to life;
not so much by what happens to you,
as by the way your mind looks at what happens.
Circumstances and situations do color life,
but you have been given the mind and faith
to choose what the color shall be.

Kicking Into Gear

Wow... this is such an exciting time to be me. I'm almost envious of myself! Do you ever simply feel good just to be alive and passionate about the things in your life?

Today, I'm feeling quite content (if you couldn't tell)...
1. I had a great 8 mile run on Saturday by myself. I increased my speed and actually enjoyed the mental break of running with others. Usually I enjoy running with others because it keeps me motivated, but for some reason it just felt good to have that time to myself. It was an indoor run, but I did a lot of hills on the machine, so that was an awesome workout.

2. Fundraising for TNT is starting to go into full gear. I'm so blessed to have the support of Heidi and all the staff at Robin's Nest Salon in Milton. They are the best! Mark your calendars for Sunday, April 5 from 12-4 p.m. to get a haircut before Easter! The entire staff there will be working for free that day and charging $20 for all haircuts... with all the money going towards my fundraising efforts. Right now I'm getting food and door prizes donated and getting the marketing materials ready, so if you can help in anyway, just let me know!

3. I spent a nice afternoon with my mom on Saturday. Hadn't done that in awhile and it was fun. We'll do it again this Sunday!

4. Feel blessed to have a church that I have become part of in Madison. First United Methodist in downtown. Inspiring messages, amazing music, and a welcoming church for everyone. And, the youth group sold me an awesome big box of fruit I picked up on Sunday! ; )

5. I have the best friends and family in the world. Although they are truly spread out across the world, I know that they are always a phone call or email away. You know who you are, and I try to make sure you all know how important you are to me. Too often people go through life not knowing how they positively impact others, so I encourage everyone to reach out and tell others!

And that is all I have for now.... must go out and enjoy life!

Running in Circles

Do you ever feel like you are running in circles? I get that feeling sometimes when...
1. I'm literally running in circles around the track at the gym (of course)!
2. I'm attempting to multi-task too many things at the same time.
3. I'm trying to learn all the processes and structures at work. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, I'm simply use to everything be loose and open, and at work they often have procedures for procedures!

So to keep that feeling of running in circles going, I'll be going to Iowa this weekend to visit my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. We'll drive one way there via I-80 and make a circle and come back on Hwy. 20 upon our return. Ha! Should be a great trip since my niece is a doll, and miss my sis and bro-in-law like crazy. Added bonus will be lunch with my best friend and her family at the famed Hickory Park in Ames!

Another object of circular nature... beer cups. I saw so many of them on Saturday night as I worked a beer stand at the Motley Crue concert. Just over 3 hours of beer pouring from an unknown quantity of kegs, resulted in just about $5,600 in beer sales, and with my cut of the sales and my tips (I harassed every single beer buyer), I raised $750 for Team in Training!

And for my final circle comment, I've used www.mapmyrun.com for creating some nice circular routes so that I get a change of scenery during my entire run route. I would highly recommend it. My routes have led me by a few new parks I've discovered in Madison, and look forward to warming temps (although it sounds like I'll be at the gym the next few days). The daily runs are feeling great (3-5 miles), and I'm trying to come up with a fun topic to think about during my run. Instead of a running log, I think I should keep a running journal of all my random thoughts during training!

Weekend Update

Nothing too earth shattering here this weekend. My Friday evening included the Madison Symphony at the Overture Center... pretty cool! Saturday was BEAUTIFUL so got my long run in and then got my new computer... YEAH!!! So, I've been busy playing on it, downloading music, etc. instead of blogging... sorry! Also made quite a few cards for a card exchange I do with my friends in Tennessee, thanks to Tracy's organization!

Today was another great too for February. I officially became a member of the church I've been attending - First United Methodist in downtown Madison. Awesome people, moving and relatable messages, and the music is inspiring (we had cool African music today). I'm so glad to have learned about the church and looking forward to growing my faith there.

Guess where I'll be on Valentine's Day? Morning = long run with Team in Training, afternoon/evening = working a concession stand at the Motley Crue concert to raise funds for TNT! I'm going to turn on the charm... especially since we get to keep all the tips!

As I mentioned, I'm updating my iPod and would love to hear any recommendations on what you think I should be jamming out to as I train. Please post for everyone to read about!

Random thought.... I typically am not a fan of Monday's, but I do look forward to watching The Bachelor. Plus, Thursday is jeans day at work and Friday is my flex day, so I'm off. Good week ahead!

Random Thoughts for Today

1. When you tell people you are training for a marathon, they look at you a bit differently. Not sure if this is a good look or bad look, but either way, I'm going to tell everyone I know. If you haven't noticed yet, I'm in need of fundraising help... so please donate! (see link on right)

2. Learned I'm going to be an aunt again... actually already knew that, but today I found out that I'll have a nephew. So now I can shop for baby boys and baby girls. Yeah!

3. Sometimes I get weird ideas when the weather is good. Example: Sunday was nice. I needed to go to Best Buy (want to get a new laptop - if you have any recommendations, send them my way). Seemed logical when weather is good and Best Buy is not far to walk. So that is just what I did. I think it was about a 4 mile roundtrip, so a nice little walk. I think I was born to live in a big town where you can walk anywhere, because that is what I usually want to do.

4. I like to try to impress people with my baking skills as they relate to substituting healthy ingredients. Today I wowed my officemates with brownies made with nothing but a low-fat brownie box mix and 1 can of pumpkin. Voila!

5. Sporks, dessert and laundry are 3 of the best things in my life right now. This has very little meaning to anyone reading this, but I wanted to let people know. 'Nough said and I'm not saying any more about that.

Also want to send well wishes to Erin, Nate and Finley who are enjoying some well-deserved family time before Nate heads back to Iraq. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers!

Marking a Day in History

This will be my last post before the weekend, so I wanted to make it simple, yet symbolic of the road I've traveled and the exciting paths that are ahead of me... Some of my favorite women-empowering quotes!

"To tell a woman everything she may not do is to tell her what she can do."
~Spanish Proverb

"No one should have to dance backward all of their lives."
~Jill Ruckelshaus

"You don't have to be anti-man to be pro-woman."
~Jane Galvin Lewis

As if I wasn't already motivated and excited for the marathon, Saturday did it for me! We shared stories about why we're involved, etc. during our introductions. One woman who is coaching from the Milwaukee area shared how her and her husband decided to get fit for a cause together and ran the Dublin marathon with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training Program... and then 8 months later he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He has made a full recovery, but I will keep this story in my head and heart as I train... we must always pay it forward...

For the funnier side of things, I can't figure out what this guy at the gym was thinking. I literally roll out of bed, dress and brush my teeth and go to they gym each morning. I look like complete CRAP, and usually am wiping eye goobers out as I walk into the gym. I did my normal workout and was stretching and getting ready to leave (about 6:30 a.m.) and this guy came up and asked me out for a drink or dinner. No small talk, nothing.... just point blank asked me out. Needless to say, I turned him down. Could have been a nice guy, but I'm fairly sure he was crazy knowing what I look like each morning!

Busy week... fun new haircut and color on Tuesday night along with a shoe and clothes fitting clinic for TNT participants. Friday is the BIG day for all those who are curious... and for those who don't know what I'm talking about, you'll either have to ask me personally or figure it out because I'm not posting about it.... but I am quite happy!

Look Alikes?

I had to post about this because 3 people in one week have told me that I resemble these 2 people. One of the women is Susan Siman, a news anchor on Channel 3-CBS in Madison. The other is Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel. So I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Training has been going amazingly well, and I am way ahead of schedule for the June 27 marathon. I'm hoping this is a good sign considering I've been doing it all indoors. Slight chance I may be able to get out on Thursday for a run because the weather is suppose to be sweet - 35 degrees in January in Wisconsin - can't beat that! Last night I took a body sculpting class that I've taken before, but we had a new instructor. She kicked my butt! I really did like her though so I tried to convince her to be my personal trainer once a week, but she has 2 small kids, so it may take more convincing still.... My other fun on Tuesday night was reconnecting with a long-time friend who I haven't seen in years. She is an AMAZING woman and we picked up right where we left off, so I'm looking forward to spending time with her in Madison. Please say an extra prayer for her and her family too, as her husband is headed off to Iraq for the 2nd time, and they have a 5 month old.

Tonight is our rally for Team in Training for the summer events! I can't wait to meet the others who will be joining me for the Seattle marathon!

So my good ol' friend Erin has given me a challenge (see her blog at http://erinandnateupdate.blogspot.com/). I'm suppose to post my 5th picture from my photo files... Well, I'm glad to see it is a funny one to share with everyone. In October I was in Ames for work and as I pulled up to the hotel, this is what I saw! I know I travel a lot, but this was still quite surprising! It was fun to laugh about, and when I checked in I inquired at the desk. They simply pick a Hilton Honors Program guest to feature when they are staying more than one night, and it was me! It was the few days before my birthday, so I assumed it was because of that, but it was really just a random draw. Either way, I felt honored! Go Hilton hotel chain! Glad I can continue to support Paris Hilton and her family!

It is my duty to pass on this challenge... so I'm passing it on to 2 friends who blog - Collin and Lorie, and 3 other friends who may complete this on Facebook - Keli, Tracie, and Julie!

Today's Strategies for Warmth

So, I tried a few fun things from my list to stay warm today. Didn't want to scare off my neighbors since I'm still the new kid on the block, so I ventured to the gym. I felt even better about myself than usual for hitting the gym so early, since my car said -15 and there were only about 5 people at the entire Princeton Club. The rest of the day was fairly typical, but my heart and soul were warmed with the arrival of my best friend, Melea, from Iowa. We ventured to Hilldale Mall for a bit o' shopping, dinner at the Great Dane and a movie. Nothing like buying 2 pairs of Dansko sandals on the clearance rack to put a girl in the mood for the summer.

On another note, anyone been to the Sundance Theatre? It was a fabulous way to stay warm - they even have a gourmet coffee, wine and cocktail bar! We saw Slumdog Millionaire... I'd highly recommend it and despite the dramatic storyline, it had a warm ending.

Keeping Warm

So, my two cents on how to keep warm this week (or all winter)....

1. Do something physical. You don't even have to leave the house - you can run up and down the stairs, stick in a workout video or do jumping jacks in the living room. Just make sure to close your blinds so your neighbors don't make fun of you.

2. Clean. Sure, may not be the most fun, but it will keep you warm and when you are trapped in the house you can admire the absence of dust bunnies.

3. Body heat. Find others. Enough said.

4. Coffee or any other hot drink. Thanks to my friend, Tracy, I have one of those stellar Keurig coffee makers. I'm officially putting my stamp of endorsement on them!

5. Wear layers. They also help if you don't do #1, because they'll cover any extra winter pounds.

6. Grow out your hair. Well, not really recommending this unless you are in to the whole "French" thing, but it is an option if needed.

7. Do nice things for others. They make you feel all warm and good inside.

Other ideas?

My First Post

Ladies and Gentlemen... I'm proud to announce that I have finally set up my blog. In this day and age, it is so difficult to keep up with everyone. During the past year, I have had so many changes in my life, so I thought this would be a perfect way to document my journey in life.

Thank you for joining me on my journey. You'll learn more about me and my adventures in running, volunteering, creating and gardening.

As always, I would love to hear back from you, so please comment and share as you wish!