Multiple families

Throughout our lives we have different groups of people we associate and hang out with. I myself have many different groups that I call my families. My own biological family, church, friends, school, music, and these lovely people (many are not shown in the pictures below... because there are too many to fit in one pic).
This past weekend I had the amazing opportunity to spend 3 days with some of the coolest people ever. We prayed, laughed, cried, screamed, snored, danced, and ate together. We sang, shivered, talked, ran, and worked together.
It was a weekend of memories and spiritual growth and I come away from this experience with a greater love for Jesus in my heart and a love for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. And so this particular family of mine (name of group will remain anonymous) continues to grow and I am so excited about all the amazing people I get to know better and how they will better shape me to be more like Christ.

Team Clay - Christ Loving Awesome Youngsters whose goal it is to be molded by Jesus. This cool group of people was my "small group" family this past weekend. We shared serious times of heart to heart conversation, hilarious laughter, intense competition, and ernest prayer to the Lord.

Although busy with school, spending a weekend looking at this scenery does a heart good!

Gathering in my "large" group was awesome too. We had wonderful times of sharing, worship, prayer, learning, and laughter. When 80 people get together to learn more about Jesus, cool things happen!

Team Clay and other teams in an intense round of "flour in the sock". I have never played a game like this, and I will never forget the memories of this time.

And of course Team Clay stood strong, winning the final round with their general (yours truly) carrying the banner proudly to the victory!

Wonderful meals... a time to hang out with new people and then leave with them being friends!

One of my favorite friends named Kristy! We had yummy hamburgers for lunch that day. Also, it is really cold outside.

Each table was covered in paper and loaded with crayons, markers, and paint. Hence we relied on our childhood to inspire us once again and the creative juices began to flow once more.

Team time - A cool time, a blessed time, a fun time, a memorable time, a bonding, a totally God-honoring and God-present time!

Friends as years pass

We have known each other for years... so many years now that I have lost track, but I am pretty sure I would need my fingers and now my toes to count. We don't see each other often, unless of course we are in the same choir. But those occurrences have slimmed to almost never and I know it will be a few years before that could change.

This past week Jana and I got together for coffee and you would have never guessed that it has been over a year since we have spent time over coffee getting to know each other. There is no awkward moments... no silences... no wondering what to say next. We are kindred spirits, and have always been. I smile now to think of all the times we have spent together over the years, mostly in musical settings (which make the memories all the more special). We have talked and giggled, sighed and panicked over choir. We have spent time together drinking coffee and laughing. We have spent birthdays together. We sing soprano together, that alone should explain our camaraderie. :)

I love this girl! She is such an encouragement to me, with her bright smile and sweet words. When we get together I feel like no time has passed and we are still little girls with high voices and no clue of what was to come in life. And yet, here we are, two grown women with real adult lives and decisions to make. How did that happen?!

How time flies!

I know that no matter what happens over the course of our lives and wherever we end up as time passes, Jana will be there for me. A friend who never fails and a friend who can pick up right where you left off as though no time had passed since you last saw each other. Its so cool to have a friend like this. Praise the Lord for blessing me with Jana!

A repeat of 26.2

I still have trouble figuring out why I pay to cause myself pain and discomfort. Sure I get a shirt out of it, but I think I must be rather slow at learning about pain. On Sunday I ran my second marathon. It definitely didn't hurt as bad as the last one and for that I am grateful. When I started writing this post I was flushed from electrolyte depletion and looking at my blister-covered foot. Oddly enough though, I would still emphatically state that life is good. Especially the life that consists of eating food and sitting down. That is stinkin' awesome! You never quite appreciate a comfy seat until you haven't sat down for 6 hours.

I also believe that every person should complete at least one long-distance run in order to fully understand Hebrews 12:1-2 which says.... "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Or even Philippians 3:12-14 which states: "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

These verses come alive in a vivid way and make you fall more in love with Jesus because of the strength that He gives.





When you live through 26.2 miles of emotional whirlwinds, physical pain, mental exhaustion, and spiritual battles, you do a lot of thinking... so here, once again is a brief overview of the miles I ran, the thoughts I thought, and the pain I felt.


Mile 1 - The countdown and we start!! A rush of adrenaline pours through my body only to be replaced by a sense of impending dread. Running along the water I gaze out over the bay and there in the distance I spot the area where the finish line was located. That finish line seems about a million miles away. Runners pass me and I pass runners. We are all trying to find our rhythm. I find mine quickly!


Mile 2 - Listening to Relient K and life is good ("but eternal life is better!") Suddenly I look ahead of me a ways and there to my astonishment is the 2 mile mark. I can't believe how quickly it has come! If all races go this quick I could do 50 milers for sure. (Here is mistake #1 - running is not as easy as mile 2 seems).


Mile 3 - Going up a hill. I don't like hills. They are way too much work. The faint sound of my breathing filters through my earbuds. I push them in further and turn my music up.

Mile 4 - Again! This mile marker is coming up so fast. I am pretty happy that time doesn't seem to creep by but rather its flying by. Things are looking good. For the 20th time I pass two guys in their 50's... a couple minutes later they pass me. Finally I mention that we will be doing this the rest of the race. The back and forth continues and I learn that they have run 38 marathons, in 38 states! That is 995.6 miles...

Mile 5 - Don't remember this one at all. I am zoning out around now.


Mile 6 - Oh bummer. I am starting to think that there was a huge of list of things I would much rather do than running at this time. I am bored now. Ready to be done, but sadly I had 20.2 miles left. Hmmm... maybe that is more like depressing. :)

Mile 7 - Oh boy... we have been going along this same road forever. Life is still good. I am right on schedule. Perfectly on schedule! I round bend after bend hopeful for some change in scenery. The rain turns from mist to drops.

Mile 8 - Uh oh... we now start on a long stretch where we have to turn around at the end and come back. And so with a deep sigh, I commence that stretch of boring pavement. But it wasn't boring... runner after runner passes me. Going the opposite direction! They had already gone a couple miles further than me. Grr!! I wanted to just join them! But I couldn't! So I kept going. I pass Mr. D! He is doing awesome! There is Daddy!! He looks happy! I love my daddy and I am pretty proud of him.

Mile 9 - Just keep running, running, running. Thats it. Thats my goal. Just keep on a goin'! It will be over before I know it! I get some Hammer Gel... 2 to be exact. I eat one and hang on to the other for dear life. Maybe if I hold it some of the energy will flow into me. :)

Mile 10 - HAHA!! I made it! Well to 10 miles... still got another 16.2 left to go. Oh bothers. How and why does it take so long to go this short of a distance?!?!? No matter. Now I am passing people that are a couple of miles *behind* me! Life is good.


Mile 11 - Ouch! Blisters... really bad blisters. I have visions of blisters as big as my feet. Each foot seems to be on fire. I am not stopping or slowing up because of few blisters though. Absolutely not. I have a marathon to run. A marathon to finish. I pass a water station and rehydrate.

Mile 12 - Finally we are getting into some real civilization. Railroad tracks! Oh ya! Now I am feeling we have to be close... close to the finish line. But you say "Hannah you idiot... you have 14.2 miles left". Yup, that I do. But its not 26.2 anymore, so how can you not smile? I pass a little boy with a chocolate covered donut. I am jealous. VERY jealous and I tell him so. He does not seem to find humor in it, nor does he want to share his amazing donut with me. *sigh*

Mile 13.1 - Half way... I feel rock solid. Bah, this running thing is a piece of cake. Yes this thought did actually enter my stupid little head. Lets just say that it didn't last for long. I am starting to slow my pace. I am running about 25 seconds slower than my previous miles.

Mile 14 - Happy dance. I am closer to the finish than I am to the beginning of the race. Oh ya! Coming up to some houses now. Its lovely. My head hurts. I drink some electrolytes out of my pack.

Mile 15 - I see my sister!! Finally!! A human being that I know and love. She runs with me for 10 yards... well she walks and I run. Strangely we have the same pace. lol

Mile 16 - Mommy!! She is there! I see her first as a tiny spec in the distance and I speed up as I confirm that it is her. She gives me a hug. Tells me to keep my cadence up. I tell her that cadences are the ends of phrases in music. I am still a music nerd.

Mile 17 - I feel some lactic acid... no I feel lots of lactic acid. I hurt. I walk... this is the 3rd time I have walked. Just for a couple minutes. I have more energy gel. This time is espresso flavored. Ooh ya! I run again.

Mile 18 - Running still... now I am going steady and passing walkers and other runners from the half marathon. They look so fresh and happy. I see some people I know. Onward I run, through downtown and by the railroad tracks... passed the marina, passed broken down buildings, and passed restaurants that contain piles of beautiful food (of that I am sure!).

Mile 19 - I blow a kiss and give an air hug to the mile marker, causing onlookers and fellow runners to chuckle. I don't care what they think, I love that marker. It means I am almost on the home stretch. Here comes a hill. I run the whole thing... I run it hard.

Mile 20 - I am now in the 20s!! Woohoo! I walk now. I have been running for 3 miles without a walk break. The rain comes down hard. Sweat and rain pour into my eyes, and I can't see anymore. I shut my eyes and stumble on. Water pours down my arms and splashes on the ground. Here comes the board walk hill. Oh bothers.

Mile 21 - Pain. Depression. Misery... almost. Somebody tells me to cross the street to where I am supposed to run. I don't understand, it takes me a while to get it. My ability to process things is slightly slower than normal.

Mile 22 - There is my daddy!! He looks like he is hurting. I start running again. No more stumbling. Just flat out running. I am going fast now.

Mile 23 - I must catch up with dad. I down another energy gel. The pain is now more numbing than anything.

Mile 24 - 2.2 miles left! Hallelujah! My muscles are crying, my body is tired, my brain fried. But I plug on, sometimes it feels like I am barely moving. I pass a group of girls volunteering for the race and they yell and scream encouragement. I run faster for 2 minutes, and then settle back to my real speed.

Mile 25 - I am running... up a hill. No runners behind me and no runners in front of me; I had passed a whole bunch, but a whole bunch more had passed me. I am by myself with the Lord. A volunteer runs with me a little ways giving encouragement. I grin... it gets bigger and bigger until it is a huge smile. I am almost done.

Mile 26 - I am grinning, laughing, almost crying. I round the bend. There.. there to my joy is the sign. "FINISH" I run faster. A block before it I sprint. The pain is intense now. My lungs scream for air, my body hates me now, my mom and sis are screaming. I don't hear them. I am going so fast. I watch the seconds on the clock tick, I must go faster. Finally, I cross the line screaming in relief, exhaustion, and joy. For this is my second marathon that I have completed. A much better time too!!


Thank you Jesus for your grace and strength to complete this race. Thank you Daddy for running this marathon too, I am so very proud of you. It was hard, but very fun training with you! We are going to have to do another marathon together for sure, after we forget about the pain.
Mr. D you are awesome! You are totally a long distance runner!

Oh and my time... 5:49:33
:)

RIP - Rest in Peace

Tattered, dirty, and worn… these words describe my last pair of running shoes. They have now entered their second day of retirement after over a year of very hard labor. I am sad to put these shoes on the shelf as they have been with me for literally hundreds of miles and countless hours. But they have served their purpose! I will forever look at them with love and they hold a special place in the running part of my heart. They are not done forever with their jobs though… retired things rarely are. Once in a while they will be drawn upon to serve during games of ultimate Frisbee, soccer, volleyball, or mud games. The hard work they put in will be rewarded with occasional play times!!!
So my friends, I ask you to join me as I bid a bittersweet farewell to these faithful shoes and say hello to a new pair of shoes that will hopefully serve me as equally well.