What I learned from my first 5K

On Sept. 4, 2010 I set a goal to run a 5K. I started walking and jogging in my neighborhood a few days a week. I found a 5K towards the end of October that I planned to sign up for. However, Ryan had read that there was going to be one held in Abita Springs to support mental illness awareness. Jackpot!!! There is no cause closer to my heart. So, I signed up for it and it was Sat. Sept. 25th. What a great day and a wonderful experience. My friend, Amber, decided to join me at the last minute and I was SO happy she did. Having a running partner was a God-send. I ran the race in 37:55. More importantly, I ran the entire time which was one of my goals.

The race taught me:
1) I can set a goal and accomplish it.
2) All things are possible with God's strength and love (okay, I already knew that)!
3) I am much stronger and capable of doing things than I think I am.
4) I can run!
5) People of all shapes and sizes can walk or run a race.
6) Running with a friend is more fun than running alone.
7) I want to keep running!

My next goal will be to run another 5K and then a 10K before the year is over. I then would like to train for a half-marathon for Spring/Summer 2011!!!!

I am Blessed!

I posted this on my facebook earlier this week but it really made me think of a child's innocence. I asked my four year old daughter, Cami, why she was just SO sweet. She instantly replied, "because God made me...Cami!" I thought this was the most delightful and touching answer she could have given. We are all sweet and special because we are God's children. God made us in His image. Once we stop striving for "perfection" according to the world's standards, we can see the true beauty that lies inside us. I am so glad that my children know Jesus and are being raised in a wonderful church family! I think the best gift we can give our children is the gift of knowing God!

My Chains are Gone!

Last nights bible study really struck a chord with me and I feel strongly to share what I learned! I am in a women's bible study. This is a 12 week class studying the book of Daniel with Beth Moore. Last night we covered chapter 3. Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego stand up for their God and will not bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar and his image of gold. In doing so their hands are bound and they are escorted to their fiery death. Even the men that escorted them to the fire were burned to death because the fire was that hot. Nebuchadnezzar watched in amazement as the men were dropped into the fire only to see FOUR figures rising from it and walking out. (Daniel 3: 25) Do you know who it is said the fourth was - The son of God!! They came out of the fire unharmed and did not even smell of smoke! The implications of this to our own lives and our own "fires" are simply amazing.
Our God can free us from the bonds of fire. To me, this hit me in the very pit of my stomach. This released me - released any bonds I had tied to my family's history of suicide. Just because I have "come through" these fires does NOT mean I am bound to them! Do you see what I mean? It is the same for suicide as it is for substance abuse, divorce, cycles of abuse, etc. Just because we have lived through something like this does not mean we are bound to it! Tears roll down my face as this sets in for me! How many nights and days did I go through life with no hope, feeling the weight and burdens of this world on my shoulders - thinking one day it was all going to be too much for me to bear. NO! I am not alone. We are not alone. God is here with us!
And this is why I am a positive and happy spirit! As the songs says, "My chains are gone, I've been set free"! Amazing love, Amazing Grace!!

Do you have an Attitude of Gratitude?

I do! And it will change your life! Having an grateful heart is being thankful for the things you do have instead of being bitter for the things you do not. It is focusing on what is good and positive in your life. Too many times, our minds become cluttered with negativity. We want more money, we try to keep up with the Jones' and all it leaves us is feeling empty inside.

A very easy way to get rid of a negative attitude is to be grateful. Every day start with keeping a journal of Gratitude. List 5 things each day you are thankful for. Is it hard to come up with 5? Soon, you could come up with a list of 100!! I promise. The more you start to focus and think on all things positive, the quieter the negative voice will become. You will become more optimistic instead of pessimistic. You will see the good in the bad. You will see that even through a time of heartache, God can be glorified.

Today I am thankful for:

my life
my spouse
my children
my cozy home
God's grace

Positive Morning wakeup

Every morning before I step foot out of bed and begin the crazy morning routine of getting kids ready for school, making lunches, feeding dogs, etc, I have my quiet time with God. I thank God for this day. I thank God for all the blessings in my life. I usually have my sweet 4 year old snuggled next to me because she wonders in in the middle of the night. I reach over and feel her little heart beating and thank God for my children. I thank God for my wonderful husband, our provider. I pray that God will use me today - to help others or to be a blessing to someone else. I pray that I fullfil His will for my life that day. I recognize that each day is a gift. One of my favorite sayings is, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift from God"!!

The Good, The Bad, and The Positive

I was inspired to start this blog because of all the wonderful compliments I get thanking me for my positive attitude and uplifting spirit. I was not always this way. I am greatful to God for the strength and thankful spirit he has blessed me with.
To sum it up, I am a wife, mother, and fighter! I am a suicide survivor. By this I mean that I have broken what some have referred to as a "generational curse". My maternal grandmother and mother both committed suicide. At the age of 13, I found my mother with 3 self-inflicted gun shots wounds to her heart and stomach on my way to school. This day changed my life.
The Lord has always been there for me. He has carried me through many dark days. I once thought that my destiny, my fate, was to die this way. I was scared and I prayed. In the last 12 years I have graduated college, earned my Master's Degree in Social Work, married my high school sweetheart, and given birth to two beautiful children. I am blessed beyond words. I have been married 11 years to my best friend. We fall more and more in love with each other everyday! My children are remarkable. They bless me daily.
I don't look at life through rose-colored glasses. I do see it for what it is. However, because of Jesus' love for me and my journey into knowing Him more and more, I see the beauty through the pain. I have a passion for life. I see the positive in the negative. I live for today. I enjoy each and every moment. I believe that positive thinking will bring more positive people into my life and rid me of the negative chatter that lived inside me for many years. God has given every single one of us a purpose. This is mine.