Keeping the Celebration Going

The race pictures just came out and I thought you would get a kick out of these...

I also wanted to send them to you today to extend your birthday celebration.... 

May these be a reminder to you to make everyday a CELEBRATION! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

These last couple of months of praying for you and then running this race (in a sparkly dress and crown no less!) made you all the more special to me as a sweet rose in my life.

(The quote above is from The Little Prince). 

I'll leave you with a few birthday wishes for your 13th birthday......

that you will love the girl God has made you to be and celebrate that....

that you will know that your fairy godmother loves you so....

and that you will always know that God loves you and that He is with you.... 

HAPPY THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY, HANNAH! 

A Prayer for Ash Wednesday (and for your Birthday Eve!)

Below is a prayer I ran across tonight on Ash Wednesday....

Fast from judging others;

Feast on Christ dwelling in them.

Fast from fear of sickness;

Feast on the healing power of God.

Fast from words that tear down;

Feast on speech that builds up.

Fast from discontent;

Feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger;

Feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism;

Feast on hope.

Fast from negatives;

Feast on encouragement.

Fast from bitterness;

Feast on forgiveness.

Fast from selfishness; 

Feast on compassion.

Fast from suspicion;

Feast on truth.

Fast from gossip;

Feast on purposeful silence.

Fast from problems that overwhelm;

Feast on prayer that sustains.

Fast from anxiety;

Feast on faith.

When I received the ashes at church, these words were spoken over me: 

"From dust you have come and to dust you will return. 

Beloved daughter of God- 

you have been made new." 

Beloved Hannah- on the night before your birthday, may you turn your worries into prayers and fast from the things that are weighing you down to allow God's amazing grace to shine on your tomorrow on your birthday! 

Never Alone

May this blanket be a reminder that God loves you and that God is with you 

and that you are so very very loved from those near and far.... 

Never alone

Every day

there is

so much

strength

and

grace

and

beauty

to be

had

in the

knowledge

that you

are

always

being

prayed for;

that you

are never

outside

the embrace

of

Divine Love

and

Compassion;

held there

by those

often

hidden souls

who dedicate

their lives

to

meditation

and prayer...

Trust me;

you are

never

alone...

-Richard Hendrick 

Daughter of the King

I wore a crown in the race and crown earrings as part of the costume and also as a symbol to remind you that you are a daughter of the King.  The phrase "daughter of the King" came to mean so much to me when I was a sophomore in college.  I was on a retreat that fall and the speaker (whom I had never met before the retreat) was sitting outside the conference center. I was walking by myself up to the meeting room, and he simply stopped me with his words as I was passing by: "Did you know that you are a daughter of the King?" I did not really know what to say and recall saying a tentative "Yes." He then said, "You need to walk like that."  He did not know me at all so it was not an admonition. But it was an invitation to live in light of the identity I had in Christ and to live in light of such glory...  

My favorite quotes about being a daughter of the King below: 

On May 28, 1972, the Duke of Windsor, the uncrowned King Edward VIII, died in Paris.  The same evening, a television program rehearsed the main events of his life.  Extracts of earlier films were shown, in which he answered questions about his upbringing, brief reign and abdication.  Recalling his boyhood as Prince of Wales, he said, “My father (King George V) was a strict disciplinarian. Sometimes when I had done something wrong, he would admonish me by saying, “My dear boy, you must always remember who you are.”  It is my conviction that our Heavenly Father says the same to us everyday: “My dear child, you must always remember who you are.”

THERE was once a little princess who—

"But Mr. Author, why do you always write about princesses?" 

"Because every little girl is a princess." 

"You will make them vain if you tell them that." 

"Not if they understand what I mean." 

"Then what do you mean?" 

"What do you mean by a princess?" 

"The daughter of a king." 

"Very well, then every little girl is a princess, and there would be no need to say anything about it, except that she is always in danger of forgetting her rank, and behaving as if she had grown out of the mud. I have seen little princesses behave like children of thieves and lying beggars, and that is why they need to be told they are princesses. -George MacDonald 

Always Wear your Invisible Crown

I loved that you sent me this text this afternoon, 

and I was delighted to change my outfit before going to small group.... 

birthday surprise 

special birthday prayer blanket 

 

photo bomber 

My prayer tonight for you is that you will feel God's love all around you as you wrap up in this blanket and treasure the words sent from so many people who love and cherish you! 

Joy in the Journey

Today was the Fort Ebey Kettles Half Marathon! Jason and I spent the night in Anacortes at Jason’s parents’ house last night and then drove over to Fort Ebey State Park this morning for the start. On the drive over, there was some light rain and we were prepared for a wet and muddy run, but we were pleasantly surprised to have a partly cloudy day with some gorgeous sun breaks.

Jason and I ran the race together and had a lot of fun together. I will say that I was the only one on the course with a costume and definitely the only one who ran the half marathon with a crown on the whole way!  A few people asked me what the occasion was, and I was delighted to share that I was running in honor of your 13^th birthday.  At the end of the race, one woman took a picture of us coming across the finish line and said that in her book I won the “sparkle award.”  Another runner told me that I should win the “fairy award”, and a spectator told me I was definitely the best dressed.

I know you don’t want to grow up, and my silly antics in running in a sparkly dress and crown today are proof that in some parts of life you don’t really have to!

As we ran through a very hilly course, the phrase that kept going through my mind in thinking about you and this next chapter of life for you was “joy in the journey.”  During the race, there were ups and downs, points where we needed to speed up and slow down, times that felt easy and times that felt uncomfortable….but all through the course, I was so grateful for a beautiful day to run and a healthy body to enjoy the miles.  We found so much joy along the way, and that is my prayer for you, Hannah, that you would find joy in the journey God has prepared for you. 

'Twas the Night Before Race Day

Hannah, there have been over 60 little entries on this blog.... 

Know that it has been a sweet thing to tie you up in my shoelaces with some prayer in the last two months of training and running-- bringing you along the way and holding you up to the Light.

dress and Clif Bar set out for the race tomorrow---

 I can guarantee that no one else will be as sparkly tomorrow on the course. 

I just googled "night before race day" and found this very funny poem.  

‘Twas the night before race day, when all through the town

No sleep would be had by the runners around;

Their race clothes were laid by the door with care,

In hopes that a PR soon would be there.

The rest of the world – they were snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

But for runners like me, sleep would not come,

We tossed and we turned until up came the sun,

Only then did our bodies succumb to a nap,

But then – BOOM! Our alarms went off like a slap.

We frantically pulled our clocks to our faces,

To make sure we hadn’t slept through our races.

Next: Check the weather. Sunny or Snow?

Running through heat or twenty below?

Even though we’d stalked the forecast forever,

We needed that last minute check on the weather.

Time to get dressed, get stressed over layers,

Yes, it’s cold now, but what about later?

Sure we can shed some clothes as we go,

But where goes the damn race bib? We know it must show.

Once our wardrobe is finally complete,

It’s time for the Glide and to deal with our feet!

Glide is easy: everywhere it goes

More difficult is dealing with feet and with toes.

Long or short socks? Compression or not?

Too risky to try the new ones we’ve bought?

And no matter how much we adjust our right sock,

There’s a bump in it that feels like it’s hiding a rock.

Next come the sneakers, a whole different stress

One wrong lace and BINGO! Your feet are a mess.

First they’re too loose. Then they’re too tight.

On race day they never ever ever feel right.

Next up: some food, though it’s barely daylight

And who wants to eat when it’s still kind of night?

So we choke down bagels, maybe oatmeal instead,

And toss back some coffee to wake up our heads.

Breakfast is over, so now we must pack

Some fuel to eat for a mid-race snack.

Chompers or gel? Sport beans or Gu?

Too many choices, so we just grab a few.

We’re dressed! We’re packed! We finished our meal!

Time to head out – it's sure getting real!

But of course we cannot just head out the door,

Without visiting the loo, at least one time more.

Off to the race site, time to check in,

Stare at the elites – those guys might win!

Then straight to the porta potties – get in a line,

We know that is where we will spend most of our time.

After spending quality time at the John

We realize the moment has come to move on

And make our way over to the starting line;

Adjust our Garmin and pacebands one final time.

Do a few stretches, hand to your heart,

As the national anthem signals the start.

Excitement builds, you’re ready to burst,

Whether it’s your fiftieth race or your first.

The countdown begins and off goes the gun,

It’s finally here – the race has begun!.

So we look up and wish on the new morning star,

“HAPPY RACE DAY TO ALL, AND TO ALL A PR!!

You'll definitely be with me in spirit tomorrow. :)