our first 5K

A lot of people have been asking me how the 5k went, so I thought I would share with you all by writing a blog. Josh and I ran our first 5K on Saturday March 27th in Sparks. When Josh decided he wanted to start loosing weight he started the Couch to 5k running program. It's a 9 week schedule that starts you out by doing running and walking intervals. It's great for people who are not runners and can stick with the program. He did really well with it was and was able to graduate in the 9 weeks. I started the program (for the second time) a little later. When I ran my first 5k without the jogger stroller I finished it in 40:45. I was excited that my time only got better from there. The more you run the more chances there are for injuries that will cause some set backs. Josh and I were very fortunate and didn't suffer anything to big. He had some muscle problems and I had some bloody ankles. But we kept going. It was great to do this together because it made us actually go out and run. We (not always nicely) pushed each other to go for a run even if we didn't feel like it.
So after weeks of training it was time for the race. We went down the night before and registered. We got a bag with our numbers, a t-shirt and some coupons.
The next morning was race day. I got up around 6:30 because we wanted to leave our room by 7. Thankfully Joshua slept great that night so he was pleasant in the morning. I was a little nervous about the race, but the nerves didn't really set in till I saw how many people were actually there to race.
We it got closer to race time we unpacked the stroller and walked up to where everyone was gathering. One of my big fears was that I was going to finish last but once I got there I actually wanted to stay toward the back. Josh started a little further up then I did. We had already decided not to run the race together. He is much faster then me and I didn't want to slow him down. It was a little crowded at the very beginning not only from all the people in the race but just other people taking there morning run/walk/ bike ride. There was this one couple that was walking right in the middle of the path and the absolute worst part. To make it a full 5k we had to run to cone and then turn around, and then do a full lap around the marina. Well people had gotten to the cone and were on there way back when some of us had not yet gotten there so both sides of the path had people on it and this couple was walking right in the middle. So I yelled "stroller" because they were going to move or going to get run over. I didn't care. I was in a race and that means I have right of way. I don't know if thats "running etiquette" but I didn't care.
Like I said Josh was further ahead then me so you will have to ask him to share his take on the race. It was nice because I would pass some people and some people would pass me. There was this one lady who would sprint for a little and then walk. This was fine until I caught up with her and I would pass her walking and then she would sprint and cut me off. It was like this for the tail end of mile 2. I finally had enough and I knew I was getting close to the end so I kicked it into high gear and got as far away form that lady as I could. Right before I hit mile three I saw josh. He had finished the race at 32 minutes and come back to finish it with me. I really like this. We had come to far together that it was nice to finish the race side by side. Once I saw where I needed to finished I sprinted as fast as I could. The faster I go the sooner I could be done!!! 37:35. To some this might be a really slow time, but to me it's just right. I wasn't fighting the wind like normally do when I run at home, but there were a lot more hills then I was used to which made running while pushing the stroller difficult. But I did it. I ran and entire 5k race with my son and without stopping. As I pasted one woman she told me she thought I was amazing running while pushing a stroller. That made me feel nice. Would I have gotten a better time if I didn't have to push... yes but I like it when I am running and I look down at Joshua and he has a huge smile on his face. It makes it worth it.

Josh is now getting ready to run a 10K at the end of June. His end goal is the run a full marathon. I would be training with him, but the doctor says I need to stick with the three miles while I am pregnant. I want to run for as long as I can and then walk once running is not an option. I still wouldn't say that I have a love for running but I definitely have a want to love running.
For those of you who want to lose weight or who would like to start running I highly recommend Couch to 5k. http://www.coolrunning.com/index.shtml Even if you think you can't run you can!!!! Sometimes I felt like my run was more like a glorified walk. So what... just get out there and do something. There is always a reason to do it.

Barbwire

Some nights, if I can time it just right, Joshua and I will go on little adventures. I load him up in the car and grab my camera and we’ll chase the sunset. There are the most breath taking sunsets out here. The other night we went on a little adventure and we took a new road. Well, not so much a road but a dirt path. Once the path ended I got out and started taking more pictures of the sunset. It was so amazing and I was basking in that awe of God’s beautiful creation. It was like it was just us. There was no noise. No cars, no plains, nothing; just me and God. It’s hard for me to understand how people can see something like that and still think that there is no God.
As I was standing there I noticed what was in front of me; barbwire. This is something I look at everyday because it’s the “fence” that surrounds my house. But as I looked closer I was intrigued by its design.
Its long strips of metal intertwined with one another and every foot or so there are knots that have spikes on the end of them. This is not something that people would consider as beautiful and I didn’t either until I saw God in the metal. I started thinking about how our lives are like barbwire. Our paths twist and turn and sometimes bad things happen and we get caught up in a spike or we get all tangled. But in the midst of these times we have to remember that we always have the cross.
This has become a little bit more real to me in the past few days. When things happen like losing a loved one, finding cancer, losing a job sometimes we can’t see any further then our nose. But we have to. We have to remember that no matter how tangled we get, no matter how hurt we are, there is always the cross. Take comfort in that.

Moses and Me

Today I felt a little bit like Moses. Not the parting the sea Moses or the spending time with God on a mountain. No, today I was the cowarding Moses trying to convince God He had the wrong person. In Exodus 3 and 4 Moses give reasons why he thinks he is the wrong one. 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." That was me today. “Not me God, I have never done anything with women’s ministries. I’m the youngest one in the group. Why would anyone listen to me?” “God, I know our church needs help with Sunday school for kids and adults, but can I commit to the time? Do I even know enough about you to teach others?” “God what if I plan something and no one shows up? What if people don’t like my ideas?”
For a while now I have felt God leading me in a new direction when it comes to ministry. Don’t get me wrong, I love Jr. and Sr. high. Girl’s bible study is amazing and I am super excited about our monthly N.B.A’s but I know I can’t be a part of this forever. Having kids makes it a little difficult. Sure when they are first born they just sleep on you and you can sit through a lesson without being a distraction. But now Joshua is at an age where he just wants to move around and be noisy. Unfortunately there is not always someone around to take him so I can participate. Sometimes I feel like I am only there in body but not in mind because I am so distracted. This had been hard for me to accept because I love working with the youth and I have felt lead to minister to them. But like I said I have been feeling like God is leading me in a new direction and I have been trying to tell God that he has chosen then wrong person. Then I read my sisters blog (http://ncypjoshisconfused.blogspot.com/) and it hit me right between the eyes. Am I afraid to do these ministries because I fear how I will do or how others will view me? Yes I was scared of that. But now I am reminded it’s not about me and it’s never been about me. God has given us gifts to better serve HIM. He desires us to join together to glorify HIM. How could be so selfish and self-centered? How could I turn serving God into a self-righteous act. Yes there will be nay sayers, there will be people who don’t like the ideas or how the activity is being executed. NEW FLASH it’s not about that. All I need to concern myself with is making sure that whatever is being done is being done to glorify God. The ministries will be used to further the kingdom and not for self assurance reasons. This may seem like a very “duh” blog but it’s something I need to focus on. I don’t think that time before have been for selfish reasons but I think this is the first time I will be doing something away from Josh’s main ministry. I am very excited to see how God uses me and the women in our church. I just need to make sure when I feel like the nay sayers and getting to loud that I remember to listen to my heavenly Father instead because in the end He is the only one that matters.

What a difference a year makes.

On March 7th 2009, my family and two of our youth group kids help pack up all of mine and Josh's belongings and packed them into a rented truck. I have become no stranger to moving. I moved from my parents house into mine and Josh's first apartment when we first got married. One year later we moved to another apartment (so we could have a washer and drying). One year after that we moved in with our parents because we knew that God was leading us somewhere, we just didn't know where yet and we didn't want to do another year lease. The nice thing about those moving situations was if you forgot something then you could just drive back and pick it up. And I had packed everything so by the time we got to our new place I still had a photographic memory about what was in each box which made unpacking easy.
Not this time. I had packed up our apartment in November and only unloaded our bed and some clothes at my parents house. So these boxes with our belonging became a stranger to me. When we had to pack up the truck I was amazed at how much we had accumulated over the past two years. Thank the Lord everything fit. Looking back I wish I had remembered to grab my wedding dress and my doll house. I'll get them one of these times.
The night of March 7th was a bitter sweet night. I had so many people I loved all together. I few more of our youth came down so say goodbye and all of my brothers, sisters, in-laws, nieces and nephews were all cramped under one roof eating the most yummy Pizza ever. After a long day of packing, we said our goodbyes to my family and prepared ourselves to wake up way to early so we could get a jump start on the day.
Around 4 AM we hugged my parents goodbye and set off on a brand new journey. I cried because I was sad that I was not going to be around my family anymore but I knew that God was in control and this is what God wanted for us so I was OK with leaving. With Josh driving, Hugo sleeping on the floor between the two seats and me, 6 months pregnant trying to keep him awake. God was good to us and we made is all the way across the country with only two mishaps.

Since we arrived here I have never had a moment of doubt or regret. God provided us a family to live with for the first few weeks we were in Winnemucca (thank you Granath family). Then we were able to movie into our house with only a few pieces of broken Pyrex. And the blessing have not stopped.
Yes, there are have been times when I have missed my family so much that it hurt to breathe, and there are things about living in the west that I am still getting used to but this is our home now. God has provided me with one amazing friend out here that I can tell anything and I know she will understand because she has up and moved away from her family. I am so thankful for my friends back east who, despite the distance, are still great friends who care about whats going on in my life.
In terms of our family, I have never been happier. I love Josh more and more everyday. He is my best friend and the strong pillar in this family. Joshua is almost 9 months old. He talks all day long and is getting really good at walking around the coffee table. He is such a joy to have and I can't imagine my life without him. Hugo is Hugo. He still sleep on the couch for the large portion of the day. He has started to enjoy going on three mile walks with Josh.
I look forward to seeing what God has in store for us this next year. Although there is a lot of unknown right now, I trust that the Lord will provide for our needs and guide us in HIS WILL!!!

A Taste of Heaven

Do you know what heaven tastes like? I do!

I wish I could take credit for this piece of heaven but it was a gift given to me by my very talented mother-in-law. When Josh and I first got married he would always talk about how much he loved his mom’s spaghetti and meatballs. He would tell me that when he was a kid he could remember his mom coming home during the day to stir the sauce and to add a few spices here and there. I never felt the need to make the meatballs because 1. I can’t cook and 2. There is no way I could live up to his mom’s so why try. Finally after a year of marriage, I called my mother-in-law and got the recipe. One of the more difficult things about this sauce and meatballs is that you don’t add a teaspoon of this and a tablespoon of that. She would make it by how it looked and what it tasted like. NOT A GOOD THING FOR ME!
Now, two years later, and a million attempts I’ve done it. I have been able to make a little piece of heaven.
One of the best things about this food is that it is always shared with friends. I don’t think I have even made this for just me and Josh. We have made it for my entire family, for a meal while down the shore, and for friends. Our friends back in NJ, Jeff and Kelly must have eaten this meal a few dozen times. It’s an amazing feeling having friends get together over a great meal and have a great time. Now we get to share this meal with our NV friends Andy and Kendra.

There have been times when I have not eaten anything all day in preparation for this meal. When the table is set with sauce, pasta, and texas toast you are ready. Ready to taste something beautiful. I truly believe that this sauce has some kid of super powers because there is no way that my human hands can make something this good. I take no credit for this yumminess (not a word but I don't care).
But eventually all good things must come to an end. After eating way to much there is nothing more to do then moan and lay on the couch.
I hope that all of you have something in your life that tastes this good.

Burdens

The other day I was reading a blog and she was talking about how she felt overwhelmed and she ended her blog by saying that God doesn't give us more then we can handle. I have heard this saying a million times and I have probably said it that many times as well. It wasn't until last night that I really got to thinking about it. Where does it say that in the bible?? I can't remember ever reading it or hearing a sermon on it or even hearing a Pastor say it. So where did it come from? (if you can think of a passage of where it is found please let me know). The only passage I could think of was Matthew 11:28. Jesus is talking and he says "come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." Then it struck me, it's not that God doesn't give us more then WE can handle, he doesn't give us more then what HE can handle. OK that makes more sense.
We can all probably all think of a time in our lives when we felt like the world was coming down on our shoulders because we had so much going on. I know I have. And there have been plenty of times when I tried to unload the weight all by myself (without much success I might add).
Right now I feel as if I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. There is so much going on and so much to think about that I have felt so overwhelmed and helpless. The other night I had a complete meltdown and was sitting in my bed balling my eyes out because I couldn't stop thinking about everything going on and everything I was failing at and I just didn't know what else to do. I was so sick of thinking about it and worrying about it. I felt as if I have prayed about it so much that my prayers weren't even making sense anymore. So finally, with mascara filled tears rolling down my cheeks and a gallon of snot coming out of my nose (pretty picture right?)I just shouted out to God "What is your will because I don't know what else to do. What is your will?" And with that I had complete clarity in my head. There was nothing in there. No thoughts of worry or failure. No insecurities or pain just peace and quiet. I didn't even feel the need to cry anymore. I still don't know what I am suppose to do or what is going to happen, I just knew God was saying "I am handling it. This isn't for you to handle. I've got this."
I'm also not a believer in the saying "let go and let God". I believe that to an extent. I know that everything is in God's hands but if your child is sick your not just going to sit on the couch and hope that they get better. You go to the doctor and pray that something can be done. He wants us to trust in Him, and he wants us to follow his guidance when it is given.
I count myself very blessed that God does not tell us that we are on our own. He wants to take our burdens... big or small. I hope this made at least a little bit of sense to someone out there. If not it was good for me to get my thoughts out there.

This ones for Jess

My oldest sister Jess thought it would be a good idea to take a break from Facebook. Since she is not on there our communication has been cut down a lot. So I thought it would be nice to post some picture on here so she could see. So jess... This ones for you. Hope you like....