20151031: A Beautiful Day In a Different Neighborhood

It's Halloween, and I'm camping out with several families at a friend's house.  I brought my running clothes and shoes with me thinking maybe I could convince my brother-in-law to go out with me.  He didn't bring his.  I didn't get much sleep last night.  I could have made excuses, but when I told my husband I was thinking about going out for a run my friend Matt said there's a nice lake to run around here; it will be about 6 miles.  I thought to myself, that's great but I really don't usually run more than three miles at a time these days.  I have some physical limitations.  Then I asked how to get to the lake.  So I talked myself into a run, alone, in an unfamiliar neighborhood, going the distance...a distance double my intention.

As soon as I got to the park, I was so glad I ventured out.  I stopped to take pictures probably about every quarter mile.  The world really is a beautiful place when we stop and take time to enjoy and appreciate the beauty around us.  I'm an introvert, but I smiled and said good morning to everyone I passed by.  I planned to run around the entire lake, but looking at my map it looked like I was going further away from it.  I asked someone who was walking if I had missed a trail where I should have turned, and the guy asked me if I was trying to run around the entire lake.  When I replied yes, he directed me down through a neighborhood to where I could pick the path back up.  I stopped to take more pictures and I ran into him again at the park entrance right outside the neighborhood.  He said, "I see you found it; but the bridge is closed."  I said "Yeah, I heard."  Some other guys told me the same thing as I passed them by.  So, I turned around after taking more pictures and saw him heading the opposite direction of me.  When I made it out of the neighborhood and was heading back to the park trail where I came from I ran into him again so I called out to him, "It looks like you're my new friend for the day."  As I ran past him, he laughed and said "But this is it, we're just going to have to break up now. It's over."  I shrugged my shoulders and said "Okay, thanks again!  Have a great day!"  After taking more pics he caught up to me again and I said, "I thought you were leaving me."  He chuckled and said, "I just can't get enough!" 

That run just really made my day.  For me it's euphoria - a real runner's high.  Being outdoors, breathing fresh air, interacting with folks with a smile and a hello and a wish for a beautiful and pleasant day...it's just what this girl needed, the start of a beautiful day in the neighborhood!  Just get out there.  Explore and appreciate the beautiful world around you and the people experiencing it with you.  I'm sure it will make your day too!

20111105: Moving Forward

Miles: 5.01
Time: 42:35

Today’s run was more of a challenge than others lately.  Running against the wind, I push through, all the while feeling the push back.  Determined, I press on and think “Joy, two days in a row!”  I’m not ready for this, the change of seasons, the winds and the cold.  I crave the outdoors.  It’s a need to breathe.  To step outside the walls that would confine us.  To run toward something.  It’s a physical act of an inner cry – a sheer determination to move forward and not be consumed by circumstances or surroundings. 

I thank God for the wind against me, the wind that challenges me and makes me stronger.  How often does the challenge tempt us to give in and give up?  I could have easily turned around running with the wind instead of against it.  Yet the opposite direction didn’t offer the beauty of the path that I was on, so I kept moving forward – my eye on the prize of God’s gift to me – the trees that refresh me in a city of highways, buildings and busyness.  I forget the struggle and embrace the gift - the brightness of the clouds adorning the bright blue sky and the life around me, the life I have, the life He’s given me – the one He died for.  I think of the struggles and how we can be consumed by our circumstances.  We can be so quick to want to just give up on our dreams – on what we know God has promised us.  “It’s too hard.”  Jesus bore the cross for us.  Did He cry out, “This is too hard.  I can’t do this.  I give up.  It’s not worth fighting for.”?  No, He died for us.  We are over-comers through the power of His shed blood.

I found myself driving on auto-pilot on the way to work the other day, as I often do, and realized that I was getting stuck in traffic.  Looking ahead I saw the left side of the highway divide was backing up, but the right was moving along.  I changed lanes in time to avoid the delay.  I was thankful I didn’t stay focused on the traffic around me, but I looked ahead to where I wanted to be and avoided getting stuck.  Seems to me this would get through to me.  We aren’t stuck.  Our current circumstances don’t have some magic power over us to keep us down unless we allow them.  When we look ahead and keep our eye on the prize, and look to the One who gives us our strength, we have a hope that moves us forward.  Be determined.  Keep pressing on.  Don’t think about where you are as much as where you are going.  Pray God quiets your mind so you can hear His whisper to your heart – the one that sings a love song over you, the one that gives you hope and peace.  God bless.

[The Need for Self-Discipline] Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ~1 Corinthians 9:24(NIV)

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 3:14 (NIV)

20111013: I will walk with You – here, there, anywhere!

Miles: 5

Time: 45:38

Lord, I believe You are calling me out of the desert, but if I am stuck forever right where I am Your presence is enough.  You’re more than enough.  If nothing in my life changes and my hopes and dreams aren’t realized, but I grow closer to You in my daily walk, I will be satisfied.  There’s nothing in this world that compares to You or to Your love.  Forgive the discontentment in my heart, the anxiousness of my mind, the restlessness of my spirit.  There’s contentment in You, peace in You, rest in Your presence.  Living in a land flowing with milk and honey apart from You isn’t living.  I want nothing more than to walk with You and to live Your will whether I’m rich or poor, single or married, fulfilled in my career or just doing my job.  My financial situation, my relationship status, my career aspirations do not define me.  You created me with a perfect plan for my life, and I will walk by Your design.  I give You glory and honor and praise for the life You have given me – right where I am – and for where You’re taking me whether I thought it’s where I’d be at this point in my life or not.  Praise Your Holy name.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. ~Numbers 14:8 (NIV 1984)

But godliness with contentment is great gain. ~1 Timothy 6:6 (NIV 1984)

20110911: My steps are ordered. The journey to life is a walk of faith.

Miles: 6
Time: 57:13

I was recently told by someone who has great faith in God and for others they have trouble believing for themselves. I wondered how that could be but am reminded I struggle with that too. I believe with 100 percent confidence that when others are struggling and wondering where God is in their circumstances that God will show up and be glorified in them. I don’t know how to encourage them during their time of waiting, but I know without a doubt that He will honor and bless their God-given hopes and dreams. When it comes to my hopes and dreams, my faith is less; I’m faithless. I don’t deserve the blessing of God in my life. I’m unworthy. I know Christ died for my sins. I’m forgiven. God died to save my soul. I can accept that He died to save me, but I need to get it through my thick skull that His death did much more than that. His death says that I’m worth it. You Pamela Jean Dillahunty are worth His love and His blessing in your life according to his good, pleasing and perfect will. He died for YOU.

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. ~Psalm 37:4