Because I Can!

IMG_5302

The cold, dry air was burning my wet, dripping nose. The birds were starting to sing their morning songs. That weird lighting on the streets from the combination of the suns glow starting to shine and the street lights glow. I went for a 4 mile run this morning at 5:30am. I was determined to get out there and get back into running early mornings! I woke up and though, “I’m going to be skinny!”

Well, by the time I got about three-quarters of a mile my nose was running like Niagara Falls, my lungs were burning worse than my calves were, and I felt like my heart was in my throat. I was no longer determined and I just ran back home. My 4 mile run that used to be an easy warm up in the early morning was actually a mile and a half run in hell for me today. When I got home, I looked right at the shiny, red face in the mirror and thought to myself, what a disappointment! I beat myself up over it and then told my best friend about how down I felt.

She reminded me of why I’m even a runner to begin with! I run because I can. In high school I hated running! I hated running with a passion. You couldn’t even pay me to run without a soccer ball or softball around. To run track or cross country was such a miserable idea to me! Then, from age 18 to 20 I found myself having trouble with running. This trouble was no longer mental, it was physical this time around. If I tried to run, I’d get so light headed and weak and then pass out. I couldn’t even sing out loud in my car driving to school anymore without the fear of exhausting myself.

After a few times of passing out while hiking with my dog, Jolie, I decided to finally tell someone and get help. After many, many different doctors offices and seeing different specialist, I finally had the right medical tests done. Sitting in a cardiologists office, I was finally diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White. It was the answer to my many prayers and questions. I scheduled myself for surgery to fix the problem immediately.

16 Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship – a different kind of “sacrifice” – that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.
Hebrews 13:16 MSG

So today was just a rough morning. I’m about to go for a two mile jog (good or bad, doesn’t matter) and then sing my little lungs out on my way to work tonight!! Tomorrow morning I’ll give it another shot! Hope things go better!

Advertisement

#empowerothersbeauty

Just like everyone else and their moms, I have a Facebook, too. Well, the other day I was scrolling through my news feed to see what looks like a new version of a dumb chain letter kind of thing. It was called “The Sexy Challenge” and it consisted of 5 ridiculous selfies of a person and a message saying that those are the 5 pictures that make them feel sexy. Then they tagged a handful of people, challenging them to do the same. I looked at it and immediately thought, Great! I hope I don’t get tagged in this stupid thing!

Fast forward a couple days and bam! Facebook notification says I’ve been tagged in my sisters post. I look and it says “…I challenge you to take the beautiful and strong challenge.” At first I rolled my eyes, but then my boredom got the best of me and I opened it. Looked at her 5 pictures and saw 5 beautiful photos of her and her progress in weight loss. She’s not covered in make up nor was she acting provocative. There wasn’t even a filter on the slide. Then, I saw her hashtag “#EmpowerOthersBeauty” and I got it! These pictures made her feel both beautiful and strong, while inspiring me and those 17 other people who “liked” the post. !

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:24-25

I went ahead and made my post of 5 pictures and tagged a handful of people that were either in those picture with me, and/or those who can easily inspire others! It was wonderful! A few of the people I tagged completed their challenge and it was absolutely heart touching to see their collage and read their comments. So many people are inspired by others. It was beautiful, and it wasn’t photoshop at all!

IMG_4870.JPG

IMG_4872.JPG