She Runs By Faith

Distinctly You  by Cheryl Martin isn't your typical self-help book that tells you to look "inside yourself" to discover who you really are. She points us to the true source of our identity — God . Martin begins by explaining that God has meticulously planned our design from our looks and intelligence to our personality and heritage. Everything! He made us with something specific in mind that is perfectly matched with our specific blend of abilities and characteristics. While the world picks on those who go against the "norm", God created us to stand out, to be unique, the best we can be... to be distinct. " When you are distinct, you allow God's Word to be your standard for living , not popular opinion or popular culture; not what your neighbors or co-workers are doing, or what your favorite television show espouses, but God. It is impossible to experience distinction as God intended by going your own way or following the crowd. " Distinc...

Only FOUR weeks left 'til race day! Two more weeks of "peak" and then on to the taper. Join me for a Weekly Wrap with Holly and Tricia. Here's some of the current events in our household... Baby W arrived at "11 month old" status! Maybe I should call him "Toddler W" now. Turns out he's not just teething but in fact had another ear infection. He's almost done with the antibiotics now and those stinky top teeth still haven't popped through yet! Prayers for his ears are greatly appreciated as he may be needing tubes if the ear infections continue this frequently. Life to the Full  hit the third blogiversary (blog + anniversary) milestone on Saturday! When I started this blog back in 2013 as a motherhood + running writing outlet, I had no idea I would still be writing three years later. I have made many blogging/writing faux pax and I'm sure I will make many more as I continue to write. That's how growth happens! Move out ...

My childrens' eyes lit up when the mailman brought the MEGA Brand box to the door. They really like the mailman on fun mail days, especially when mommy is reviewing toys! As an Academics' Choice Advocate, I was sent two construction toy sets by MEGA Brands Inc. to review. We received the 1-2-3 Learning Train set: And the Block Scooping Wagon set: Needless to say, the two toy sets didn't stay separated for very long. Soon after opening, all of the Mega Bloks were mixed together. That is actually one of my favorite features of Mega Bloks — different toy sets can be added together, further expanding the building fun! Over the past two weeks, our boys — ages 3 and almost 1 — have spent so much time pulling around the wagon, driving the train and building towers (and also destroying towers). Overall, I would give these toy sets a very positive review. Here are a few reasons why my kids and I enjoyed the 1-2-3 Learning Train and Block Scooping Wagon: E...

It's MARATHON MONDAY!!!  High five to all the runners in Boston today! Today I am sharing Fargo Marathon Training Week 15 and a GIVEAWAY with Holly, Tricia, and the  Weekly Wrap  crew. But first, a quick trip down Boston memory lane... It's already been FOUR YEARS since I ran Boston. Boston was the most miserably hot marathon I have ever ran but the trip with my mom was amazing. Severely chafed and exhausted from the heat (and running for 3+ hours, I suppose), I wandered for a few blocks after crossing the finish to find my mom in the crowd. That felt like another marathon in itself! The race, spectators, sight-seeing, clam chowder and Boston Cream Pie all made for such an amazing experience for my mom and I. Those are wonderful memories I will never forget! This week's training hit 45 miles total and that is considered "high mileage" for me. To prevent injury or illness, running a high mileage week means the need for proper rest and recovery is higher...

Our Five Minute Friday  Word:  "Easy" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ Why can't life be easy? This week has been extra challenging and I'm not even sure why. Cranky children, inability to please everyone, mountainous laundry, and little things that just build up 'til I'm ready to throw my hands in the air and call it a day by 10:00 a.m. Coffee, anyone?  Coffee is easy and sometimes I think an extra cup of coffee will help. At least I can caffeinate my frustrations! Being a stay-at-home mom sounded easy before I actually jumped into the trenches of full-time motherhood. I had this vision in my mind that my house would be clean and the days would be relaxed. My presumptions were off by a few miles, but I will say the joy of raising up these boys is worth any of the struggles that arise. It...

Today I'm joining up with  the Weekly Wrap hosted by Holly and Tricia where we join up with other active women to connect and support each other in our activity goals. I started joining up with them two weeks ago and I love their camaraderie! The past week was a tired one! The littlest has been doing some major teething and he's wearing this momma out. Those top two teeth have been so stubborn for my baby! We attended my Great Grandma's burial on Saturday and my teething baby boy was dedicated to the Lord on Sunday. This weekend celebrated the beginning of two new lives — my Great Grandma's new life in Heaven and this new journey of walking with our baby boy along the path of life. You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. PSALM 16:11 As for marathon training, the lessons I'm learning in Greg McMillan's book, "You (Only Faster)" , have taken on a whole new...

Spring is officially here and it's time for some major power cleaning! There are so many different laundry and cleaning products to choose from yet effective and non-toxic solutions are harder to come by. As an ambassador for Moms Meet, I was given the opportunity to try Grab Green's eco-friendly and innovative products . That's the key. Grab Green's products prove to be both non-toxic and safe than leading brands  without losing their cleaning effectiveness. They were also the first to launch a pod-based laundry detergent, solvent-free power degreaser, non-toxic garbage disposal freshener, and a naturally derived cookware/bakeware cleaner. Pretty cool, huh? Let's start with the laundry because there is always plenty of that to do! 3 in 1 Laundry Detergent Pods The 3 in 1 Laundry Detergent Pods  were one of my favorite Grab Green products to review (along with the Dishwasher pods). No more measuring detergent! For my medium to large loads of laundry...

I've been thinking about butterflies this past week. Not like the pretty flying ones (it's too cold for those right now) but the ones that fly around your stomach. The butterflies that make palms sweat, stomachs flip and cause all kinds of antsy-ness. The butterflies sneak up on me before big workouts, on the night before the race and even before I play piano in church. I'm pretty sure I get more nervous to play piano in front of people than I do to run a marathon! Performance anxiety  is the technical name for those "butterflies" that have been chasing me since I sat down for my first piano recital. While I love to compete, present ideas, meet new people, and play music, the performance anxiety that tags along with these experiences can suck out all the fun. Turns out I'm not alone! "Millions of people suffer from performance anxiety, commonly called "stage fright." In fact, most people would rather get the flu than perform. Athletes,...