Happy May! Already 5 months into the new year - how time flies! It's so refreshing to see the earth coming back to life after winter. The scents and colors of this spring season make me so very excited for the coming summer!
Since my last post, I ran in the Mid-Michigan Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K. It was a fabulous experience - awesome and inspiring in so many ways. My girlfriend, Nicole, and my husband, both ran with me. We had a great time and all did a great job time-wise. I was proud to finish better than my last race at 28:01. I'm going to continue to work on improving that over this summer by doing other various 5K's around the area.
It's so cool how running has opened up doors for me that I didn't see possible. I thank God for the ability to run and the opportunity to grow in the process. Since my last post, I have hit the weight loss mark of 18 lbs. I feel great and definitely have experienced a boost in my self-esteem and confidence. From the beginning though, it's always been about being healthy and living the fullest life possible. I hope that my challenges and successes will help to serve others who have faced what I've faced and will encourage and inspire them to live their best lives too! It's a journey worth taking!
To close on the subject of running, I will add that May is National Runners' Month. I've been struggling to find a race to run this month because of my obligations to our business venture up north on the weekends, but I will be training this month for a race on January 12th up in Ludington, MI - the Ludington Lakestride - very exciting to be running in one of my most cherished places! And I'd like to share this quote that I got via email through Runner's World...I absolutely love it because it totally defines what running has become for me...
"Running is a retreat, a place to commune with God and yourself, a place for psychological and spiritual renewal." -George Sheehan, M.D.
Now onto the real reason for my post...my 9th scripture to focus on over the next 15 days...
I'm wrapping up my Esther study this week with my women's small group at church. This time of year is always bittersweet - while it'll be nice to have my Wednesdays opened back up during the week, I'm going to miss immersing myself in such detailed study of God's Word and the fellowship I've experienced with these precious ladies. Thankfully, more studies await me in the future, but I'm hoping that the teachings from this study last long into the coming months until I start back up again (most likely in the fall).
I mention my bible study, because I read the verse I've chosen while doing the final week of homework. The verse I decided to focus on is one that reflects my heart, as it most closely resonates with the testimony I hope to have every day of my life. It is...
Psalm 16:5-6
"LORD, you have assigned my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance."
The verse, as well as Beth Moore's commentary of the verse, really hit me in the deepest part of my heart. Every day presents new challenges and victories (some big, some small), as well as good things and bad things. It is all too easy for me to get caught up stressing about the small things and feeling like life is going to fall apart if I can't do this or that, or this does or doesn't work out. I'm the type of person who has a list of things to do for every day of the week, and I'll be darned if those things don't happen in that exact order...you see where I'm going with this. So much of my effort in one day is wrapped up in trying to control every last detail, fretting to make sure that every little thing works out as I have it planned.
BUT, God calls me to a different way of operation. He values my gifts of administration and planning - it has it's place in my life - but ultimately, He is in control! My life is going to work out, despite all the ups and downs, simply because He is the author, creator, and leader of my life. In Him, I am secure and I have no need to worry about every little thing. He has my inheritance ready for me - I just have to trust that He is there no matter what! Seems easy enough, right?
My prayer is to reflect on this verse over the coming 15 days and thoughtfully consider how I can surrender every bit of my life over to Him every day. I pray that my testimony at the end of each day will read something like this..."Whether it was a good or bad day, everything was as it was supposed to be because my life is all worked out in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Him, I am exactly where I need to be at this very moment. Amen."
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