She Runs By Faith

That is today's goal. Actually, thankfulness is this week's goal, this year's goal, and this life's goal. As I've been praying and feeling very discouraged this week, messages have been popping up all over about being joyful now, being thankful for what God has blessed me with, and being persistent in prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. THESSALONIANS 5:16-18 So often I pray for God's will to be done, though I find myself wondering what His will is. By no coincidence, my morning's devotional said it plain and simple: "To be in the center of God's will is to be a woman who is joyful, prayerful, and thankful" (Made to Crave Devotional, Ch. 21). It's not my job to know God's will - His ways is too great for me to understand. It is my job to be in the center of His will, ready and willing to be used by Him for His glory! ...

I am thrilled to partner with For Two Fitness for an amazing anniversary giveaway. As my husband and I are praying for Baby #2, I look forward to wearing one of those cute "Running for Two" shirts one day. Finally, a workout shirt that will fit over my belly! For Two Fitness is running a phenomenal giveaway for their anniversary. Read the details below. It's our anniversary month! We are so thankful to YOU -- our community, customers, and friends. In order to express our thanks, we are hosting a huge giveaway this week in partnership with some amazing brands and fit mom ambassadors. There will be three winners of the giveaway prize packages. A grand prize winner and two other lucky ladies. Here are some details about the amazing products that have been generously donated for you to win and enjoy! Giveaway items: Sarah Haley Fit DVDs Expecting More and Sweat Unlimited -- prenatal and postpartum workout DVDs for fit mamas and mamas-to-be. Kind Bars -- ...

The Fargo Half Marathon is less than a month away! Training is going well and I'm really enjoying training for a half. Compared to training for full marathons in the past, half training has been more speed-focused, weekend long runs are less stressful (20-milers can be a bit daunting to me!), and training is more baby-friendly! Since my training runs are generally a bit faster, time-wise, they fit perfectly into naptime or E can join me in the jogging stroller. 12.27 miles down for this weekend's long run and I even brought "fuel" of some sort with me. Do Snoopy fruit snacks count as fuel? I'm out of GU gels, so they needed to work for the time being! Having a "Mom Body" With it being over a year now since E was born and since my body began the journey to find some form of normalcy again, I have been thinking about how pregnancy changes your body not just for 9 months (or 8 months in E's case), but forever . I'm coming to terms with t...

Recently God put something on my heart that I rarely talk about yet it's something that is always there. While reading through Mark 5, the story of the sick woman took on a new meaning to me. I was thinking, "Why did the woman wait twelve years to ask God to heal her?!" (Though she deserves a break because she didn't have the guidance of the Holy Spirit.) After I read her story over a few times, I realized I'm no different than her! Sixteen years ago, I was in a horse-related accident that led to a severe concussion, two skull fractures, and a ruptured ear drum. It was a miracle that I had no brain damage though it did leave me with a constant ringing and damaged hearing in my right ear (a.k.a. Tinnitus). The ringing isn't debilitating, yet it can be very distracting and frustrating at times. While running today I was thinking about what true silence would sound like without constant ringing. God put it on my heart that I should pray for healing. All t...

These days E and I been spending some time on my parent's farm. There is something about being in the country that is so simple and peaceful. Today Colossians 3:15 is my focus verse. It is so easy to be distracted in this world and swept away in a tornado of busy-ness! Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. COLOSSIANS 3:15 I just can't picture Jesus constantly in a hurry and stressed to the brink with His to-do list. Though He was a very important Person and He had many things to do in His short time on earth, He had such a peace from God and such sincerity and compassion for others. I don't want to be so wrapped up in the busy-ness of my own little world that I completely miss all that God is doing each day! My goal is to be thankful, give my day to the Lord, and have joy (even though I am secretly counting down the days until Leo comes home again!). The simple things in everyday life can be...

Have you heard of the Spartan Race? I hadn't until last week! I'm just a simple long-distance runner but, I have to admit, it does appeal to the farm kid side of me. Growing up on a farm is like living on an "impromptu obstacle course". What kid doesn't love to run around in the pasture, clean barn, and climb anything and everything? And then there are the less enjoyable obstacles... running into the electric fence, excessive dirt (aka manure!), and hauling square alfalfa bales that are a bit too green. Now that I'm off the farm, I push myself through running (well... and through parenting). In whatever physical activity you do, there is a thrill in pushing yourself beyond your limits. The Spartan Race is a hard-core obstacle course designed to do just that. They even have barbed wire! What a treat. Make the wire electric and I'm sure any farm kid would feel at home! Dirt, fun, sweat, and no couch. What's not to love! Spartan ...

I've got a sick little boy at home today and, though I am thankful for his extra napping, I really don't like seeing him sick! Despite not feeling well, he still manages to smile for a picture... I love this kid. During nap-time #1, I did today's 30-minute tempo run and finally crossed the 100-mile mark for #FFMarchMiles ! I guess I can quit training for the race in May now... Kidding :) Setting Finish Time Goals While running, I was thinking about my time goal(s) for this race and the different approaches of goal-setting. Setting multiple goals works really well for me. The A-Goal for me is a finish time where everything in training and the race would have to go perfectly; no sickness near the peak of training, no injuries, nice weather on race day, pace well during the race, and, who knows, maybe even a full night's sleep before the race! The B-Goal is a finish time that is very realistic to hit but it gives me a little margin to work with depending o...