Resolution Run 2009

Gina (middle) finishing strong. Stoney and Julie, both of our team, came back to help her finish strong. We are so blessed!



Trish (in pink) at the end of the race. Jeannie came back to get me to help me finish strong!



Our entire running group from New Song!



The start of the race. Our dearest friend Jeannie who convinced us to do this has been with us all the way. We wore consecutive numbers; 350, 351, 352. My first official race # ever!!!

The Resolution Run of 2009- What a way to begin the new Year!

Well Gina and I started off our New Year of 2009 by running in our first official 5K race. I've always had a lifelong dream to compete in a race and Gina has never had a dream to do so. We both were encouraged by a great friend of ours to begin praying about joining a running team she was on made up of people from our church. I laughed at the thought but told her I'd think about it. Course, I was like no way I won't think about it, not happening. I've started this before only to not succeed and I didn't want to go back there again. However, this time I knew the Holy Spirit was telling me that I had to do this. For me it was a much needed picture of gaining endurance for my spiritual life. I knew that I needed to be pushed beyond what I thought my own abilities were in order to see Christ possibilities in me. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us and I know that full well. We ran our race yesterday and it was the most exhilarating and challenging thing I've ever done in my life. I'd say there were about 800 people or so in the race. However, a lesson we have learned through this is to not watch what other people are running. Our race won't look like theirs, we run a unique race of our own and have to be faithful in ours. We started off yesterday with great emotion that we had arrived at our goal. We have been training for nearly 8 weeks now on our own and with our group. We run weekly with our group increasing the distance .5 every week. A 5K is 3.2 miles. Gina and I ran such an amazing race yesterday and ended up shaving a full 15 minutes off of our previous best time for that distance. We could not of been more thrilled. We had a wonderful cheering section at the finish line giving us amazing cheer to finish strong and well. So much of gaining endurance for a distance in a race takes consistency and persistence. There were several people around us sprinting for like 10 steps then walking, then sprinting then walking, and they were beating us. We found ourselves at first a bit annoyed about it, however, we knew God had not called us to build up with energy and then slow down and continue to repeat that. God had called us to a very steady and consistent race and that is what we ran. We finished looking at our time in amazement at all that God had equipped us with to allow us to finish well. It was an amazing start to a New Year. I hope that whoever reads this will see the glory and strength that is ours only through Christ Jesus. I certainly don't plan on this being our last race. Now that I've tasted it, I want more for sure. I encourage each of you to lace up your running shoes this new year, whether you feel driven to run physically, or know that we all are in a race spiritually. God is our provider and equips us according to his great riches. If I can do it, you can do it! Let this be your year that your dream turns into a goal and reality.

Oh and by the way, Gina beat me by a second, a literal second! What a great race and racing partner!

Thank you to a wonderful running group, One Voice Runners, who have helped us train each week and not give up. I certainly wanted to several times. Thank you Jeannie for encouraging us to do this and never leaving us behind each week but to finish strong. Thank you Martha and Carina for your texts every week and your joy of encouragement. Thank you Mom for always being so excited for us each week when we called home. Thank you Johnathon for watching Aubrey each week while I trained. Thank you to Johnathon, John and Carrie, Karen, Grace and Aubrey, and Martha for being out there to cheer us on yesterday in the cold! Thank you Gina, you've been such a source of discipline and drive to run this race with. It has been such a blessing to run with you!