Monday, August 27, 2012

Knowing and Doing

Don't ever ask me what my favorite movie is because it's a question I just really can't answer. There are so many good movies, different genres, different things I like about different movies it is just impossible for me to name ONE favorite movie.

 
That being said, the Matrix movies are definitely SOME of my favorite movies. This quote from Morpheus is one of my favorite quotes.


This past Sunday at church our Pastor's wife made an announcement about our women's group Bible study that will be starting in a couple of weeks. We are going to be doing a Beth Moore study on the book of James. The book of James is ONE of my favorite books in the Bible. The basic theme of the book is that once God's grace has gotten a hold of your heart and you have accepted His gift of salvation by faith, your faith should be evident in your day to day living. This is not to be confused with a "works salvation" where people believe that if you DO enough good things you will be saved, rather that my faith and love for the Lord motivates me to do good things.

After church I was talking with some high school kids. I had on my race T-shirt from the 5K I did on Saturday and we were talking about that, which brought up my issues with plantar fasciitis that I have been having. I was telling them how one of my awesome friends had told me about a really good yoga stretch to do and that it really helps WHEN I do it. It's a really easy stretch, I know how to do it, but I have had a problem with having the discipline to do it.  I told them how just knowing how to do it didn't do any good, I needed to do it in order for it to help the issues with my feet. I then told them how that's a lot like our Christian faith, we can know all the right things to do, know all the answers, but if we aren't putting it into practice then what good is it really doing? One of the kids said, "Teachable moment." I really didn't plan it, it just happened through conversation. It was pretty cool, and I was thankful God brought it to mind and that I was able to share it with them. Even though it was a teachable moment for them, it was just as much a teachable moment for me.

  • How many times do I know the right thing to do but don't do it?
  • How often am I so busy thinking about myself that I don't see another person in need?
  • How many times do I have an opportunity to show God's love to someone and choose a bad attitude instead?
This afternoon I got home from the gym and started to get busy doing other things, and I remembered this conversation. So, I took 15 minutes and did the stretching and exercises that I know are important for my physical health. This is a good thing, and I know that if I want to keep running I will have to make sure to take care of my physical body. But, the real challenge in front of me is in the day to day.

  •  When I'm at work will I choose to show God's love by my actions and attitude?
  • When I see a neighbor in need will I choose to try to help meet their need?
  • When I am in the grocery store and in a hurry, will I choose to show patience and kindness to the other customers and the workers?
It is true, "There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path." Or, as James puts it, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

Seeking to not just know the path, but to walk the path,

Sherri

Sunday, August 26, 2012

EIGHT WEEKS

By this time eight weeks from now I will have crossed the finish line of my 3rd half marathon. They may have to take me away on a stretcher after I cross the finish line, but only AFTER I cross the finish line! This is what my training schedule looks like for the next 8 weeks:


Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
8/27/2012 2 4 4 Rest Rest 4 XT
9/3/2012 2 4 4 Rest Rest 6 XT
9/10/2012 2 4.5 4.5 Rest Rest 7 XT
9/17/2012 3 4.5 4.5 Rest Rest 8 XT
9/24/2012 3 5 5 Rest Rest 9 XT
10/1/2012 3 3 XT Rest 10.9 3.1 XT
10/8/2012 3 5 5 Rest Rest 7 XT
10/15/2012 3 2.9 2 Rest Rest Rest 13.1

I have to admit, I am a little scared (OK, a LOT scared) to think of running 13.1 miles 8 weeks from now. As one of my great friends reminded me this morning, one step at a time. I need to remember to just take one step at a time. The truth is, my training hasn't gone the way I wanted. This is the third race this year that I have had to change my distance on. I was going to do Dam to Dam 20K and ended up doing the 5K, I was going to do the Prairie Fest 10K and ended up doing the 5K, I was going to do the Des Moines full marathon, and am now doing the 1/2 marathon. It frustrates me that I haven't met the goals I set out, but life happens and the important thing is that I haven't given up. I love this quote I saw the other day:


I have to remember that no matter what happens I need to just have the courage to continue. Giving up is not an option. There may be runs that don't go as well as I would like, there may be races that I am not able to do the distance I would like to do, there may be times I even don't finish a race. Ryan Hall has been a huge example to me of someone with the right attitude. He is an Olympic marathon runner who trained and worked hard to make the Olympic team and go to London this year. He ended up with his very first DNF (did not finish) of his career.

He wrote about that experience here: http://innovationforendurance.msn.com/articles/detail/running/253330745

I love when he says, "I find that the best way for me to deal with disappointment is to re-establish perspective and hope.  The perspective I need now is looking at the Olympics in the light of my entire career and how that experience can help me break through in the future.  I always learn more in my failures than in my successes. While I never hope for my biggest failures to come in the Olympic Games I will use it to my advantage in the long run."  While I am not an Olympic marathoner, I need to look at the big picture as well. Everything I'm doing is focused on becoming healthy spiritually, emotionally, and physically. The things I have either done or which have happened to contribute to lack of health in these areas did not happen overnight and becoming healthy will not happen overnight - it is a process and I will hold on to the courage to continue with God's grace!

Pressing on,

Sherri