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Showing posts from January, 2016

Quiet Moments | Five-Minute Friday

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Our Five-Minute Friday  Word:  "Quiet" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ Quiet is beautiful and yet so hard to come by. The kids are in bed and I sit here in the quiet, feeling a bit unsure of what to do with myself. Sleep would be my best bet as the 10 o'clock hour nears. The Lord uses quiet to recharge the soul. In this wild and busy world, He is our one true Source of refreshment. He sneaks those precious quiet moments into my day when I least expect it. Snow crunching under my running shoes. Pulling the kids on the sled on a sunny winter day. Making memories unplugged from technology. Curling up on the couch on a January night. My soul is refreshed. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides

Book Review: "Whatever Is Lovely" Coloring Book

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We live in a busy and hectic world with a million messages and images whirling through our minds every second. How can we find peace amongst the noise? Social media and technology are great tools but they can add to the noise. In our technology-savvy culture, we are presented with a unique challenge: to escape the world's hamster wheel of busyness, quiet our minds and find peace we must be disciplined and intentional. We must take the time to listen to God's voice. "Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." PSALM 64:10 NLT Whatever is Lovely  is truly a resource to "color your way to peace", as the book's introduction says. While the book's author is clear that this is not to replace the time you spend reading God's Word, Whatever is Lovely  is a supplement that presents Scriptures and encouraging quotes for meditation, reflection, and a time of openness to whatever God w

Training Week 3: SLS3 Run Belt Review + GIVEAWAY

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Disclaimer: I received this run belt for giveaway and review purposes. All opinions are my 100% own. Another week of Fargo Marathon training is in the books and this week I had the privilege of testing the SLS3 Dual Pocket Run Belt ! Prior to this belt, I have stored my energy gels in my sports bra during long runs. Awkward, I know, but most of my shorts don't have pockets. My previous way of storage wasn't very comfortable, things get sweaty and, like I said, it was awkward at times. Then came the SLS3 Dual Pocket Run Belt ! I tested the belt on a few runs this week and I was blown away by this belt. When running outside, I carried my husband's huge "smartphone" and an energy gel in the run belt. I carry a phone with me "just in case" when running in the winter or in the dark. When I carry the phone in my coat pocket, it annoyingly bounces around with each stride but it in the belt it didn't budge! My Favorite Features of the SLS3

Strength for the Present | Five-Minute Friday

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Good morning! Our word for today's  Five-Minute Friday  is  "Present" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ Years ago, Gram still lived in her own house. Waving goodbye as I backed out of her driveway and into the alley, tears started to form. I didn't know what I would do when Gram left us. I didn't know a day of life without her. She was like another "Mom" to me and I truly thought I couldn't make it without her. I was sure that when she died I wouldn't be able to make it. Fast forward to the present.  Gram went to be with Jesus on Monday morning. We all knew the day was coming yet to finally hear that she passed hit me. Gram's house that I remember so well only exists in my mind and now she's gone, too. She is enjoying her time in a finally healthy body in heaven and I feel

Training Week 2: It's a Great Week

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Happy Monday! I am deciding that this is going to be a GREAT week though it was off to a shaky start. My Great Grandma passed away this morning at the age of 96. Talk about endurance! She was the toughest person I have ever met and I miss her greatly. Her and I were very close and, though it's hard to see her go, I am thankful she is no longer in pain and she can fully see and hear again. Now she's in heaven spending her days with Jesus. It doesn't get any better than that, folks! He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. REVELATION 21:4 She was a supporter of my running and had her own witty way of encouraging me: Gram: "How far did you go today?" Me: "20 miles, Grandma." Gram: "That's it?" And her advice for running the Boston Marathon: Gram:  "You run fast now. I will be behind you poking you with a pin!" I can ju

Life Well Spent | Five-Minute Friday

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Hey there,  Five-Minute Friday  fans! Our word for this Friday is  "Time" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ "You only live once."  That's the motto of my generation, a.k.a. the YOLO's or the Millenials. There is some truth to that statement. Our time is limited. It's something we spend but can't ever buy back. Once it's gone, it's gone. How we spend our time reveals what is truly important to us. It makes up our life. Am I spending it on what really counts? Since we only get one shot at this, is what I'm doing eternally valuable? Is my life well spent? When I head back to my hometown, I stop by the nursing home to visit my Great Grandma. She's 96 years old and as sharp as a whistle. I love seeing her but it is hard to see her at the home and so helpless. The days for h

Faro Roasting House K-Cup Coffee Review

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What is the best part of your morning routine? My morning routine varies — mainly because there are little ones in our house and I sometimes head out for an early run — but two things I can count on are reading my Bible and a cup of coffee . As a coffee-lover, I was so excited to have the opportunity to review Faro's Bold Colombian  and Italian Blend K-Cups . The Faro Roasting House is a small coffee company that offers single-origin and direct trade coffees. They have distinctive flavors of their own creation as well as industry classics. Their coffee is roasted in small batches to ensure freshness and best taste and aroma! Since I have to pick a favorite, my vote goes to the  Bold Colombian!  The dark roast's strong, sweet yet slightly bitter flavor won me over. The Italian Blend has a rich flavor and I thought it wasn't too bad, for a medium roast, that is. Sorry, Italian Blend, I am heavily biased towards dark roast coffee :) As of today (01/13/

Training Week 1: Six Reasons to Train Through the Winter

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I'm all cozied up in my warm bed, everyone is fast asleep and... [Insert random non-smartphone alarm here] The phone alarm goes off. 5:30 AM, already?! I turn the alarm off as fast as possible and sneak out of the bedroom. Quickly, I throw on a few layers of running clothes and jump out the door before the kids sense that mommy is trying to make a break for it. (I swear they have a special alarm that goes off) I do sometimes wonder "why". Why on earth am I leaving the warm house to exercise in the freezing cold? Logically, that makes zero sense. After a few minutes of running, I remember why I do this. On a clear morning run, the stars and the moon shine so bright. I love the quiet, the crunch of the snow and I even love those cold mornings - only when the temp is at least above zero and the wind is light! I do most of my writing in my head while running and this list was assembled on a particularly freezing cold run late Saturday morning. There are many

The Perks of Being First | Five-Minute Friday

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I hope your 2016 is off to a wonderful start! We are getting back into the normal routine after all of the Christmas and New Year festivities. The time with family and friends was wonderful but a little part of me is happy to return to a semi-normal routine again. That means we're also back to the regular  Five-Minute Friday  this week and our word is "First" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ There are definitely perks to being the first. That's what I was thinking as I split up a toddler vs. baby "wrestling match" for the millionth time today. I am a firstborn and, whew, I had no idea how good I had it growing up! Our second is such a tough guy. He spends his days navigating life with a whirling, twirling toddler tornado. There is nothing gentle about that older brother. Those firstborns sure

Book Review: Things I've Said to My Children

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Since becoming a parent almost 3 years ago, the most surprising things have come out of my mouth. I'm not talking inappropriate things, but just... well... surprising. A few recent examples include: "You need to at least wear underwear if you want to sit at the table." "Quit riding the baby!" "No, you can't eat a candle." "No, you can't sleep with your hockey skates. How about the stick instead?" "The lightsaber is NOT coming into the grocery store." There is never a dull moment in a house with little ones (especially the ones called "toddlers")! Nathan Ripperger 's book, "Things I've Said To My Children" , hit the nail on the head when it comes to random and hilarious parent-and-child conversations. He wrote and designed each page of this book from his own experience as a father of five boys who are all under the age of 10. One of my favorites from Ripperger's book is "No