Weekend Update {I'm a Half Marathon-er}

Hey y'all,

This past weekend was an exciting one! After months of training it was finally the weekend of the Bull City Race Fest Half Marathon. Friday was low key at work. I am in the middle of a large project so that kept me busy and it was Employee Appreciation Day for all UNC employees so it was filled with free food. Not a bad way to kick off the weekend. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing watching TLC's Brideday Friday.

Saturday after babysitting in the morning I set off for downtown Durham to pick up my race packet. After picking up the race bibs and exploring the expo I decided it was time to treat myself to a new pair of riding boots after my last pair bit the dust after four years.

 My baby sister, kDi, arrived that afternoon to run the race with me so we set out our clothes and then it was time to head to Village Pizza and Pasta in Pittsboro to carb load.

 We took our pasta back to my place and it was time to ice my shins while watching Beauty and the Beast. I mean, the best thing about racing might be the necessary carbs the night before. I mean, who doesn't love garlic knots and penne in a pink basil sauce. 

 At 5:20am the alarm went off as we got ready to head to downtown Durham before the race kicked off. Yep, it was an early start and we got there in plenty of time before the race start at 7:30am so we had to take selfies and pre-race pictures between checking our bags and stretching.

 All smiles before the race!

 A quick selfie in line to start the race!

The race was filled with hills and my baby sister trained on flat land so it went a little worse then expected. My ankle was having a lot of issues after the first few miles and both of our hips were not our friends by the end of the race. Towards the end of the race we walked a lot but we finished without any major injuries and I am actually not terribly sore today! YAY for completing 13.1 miles!

 After the race and being stretched out by Empower Fitness!

One of my small group leaders was even there to cheer us on (we had to grab a quick selfie)! Thank you Ginger! 

The rest of Sunday included showering, grabbing food, and then heading to my parent's house for naps and watching some Downton Abbey!

How was your weekend?

Summer Study....

Hey y'all,

This summer has been filled with a lot of spiritual growth. My church has just finished their series called "First Love" that was filled with discussion of relationships looking through Ephesians 5:21-32 and we began a series called "Something Better" focusing on the fact that God is the only true and real God. We have been focusing on 1 Kings 17 so far and I am loving the reassurance the series brings.

Along with growth in the church, I am beginning a new 8-week study through the blog Good Morning Girls using the book Anything: The Prayer that Unlocked My God and My Soul by Jennie Allen. GMG is similar to She Read's Truth, another online community for bible studies but it has more of a structure to it rather than just daily blog posts which I love.The book is described on GoodReads as:

Safe. Comfortable. Happy. 
Words we all love. Feelings we want. Even crave. We may love God, but being that he's invisible, words like "comfortable" seem to feel better faster. 
We are all chasing something. Our hearts were made to run hard and fast after things that move us. But as a generation we are all beginning to stir and wake up, identifying that these words don't satisfy for long, especially when compared to God. If God is real, and we are going to live with Him forever, shouldn't He be everything? 
Caught in this familiar haze of worldly happiness and empty pursuits, Jennie Allen and her husband Zac prayed a courageous prayer of abandonment that took them on an adventure God had written for them. 
"God, we will do anything. " "Anything"

I just started the study and I am a week behind the start date but upon opening the book and reading the audacious prayer of "anything" I felt at peace. My Sunday School kids were told to pray bold prayers a few weeks ago while we were going over Joshua's prayer to have the sun stand still (Joshua 10) and it prompted a reflection on the fact that we often pray for small miracles when we can truly pray to God for anything and will be willing to do anything for Him.

So here is the schedule of readings in the bible for week one as well as the verse for the week.

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Jessica at Proverbs Living wrote a wonderful post of tips on organizing your GMG studies and I am in love with her blog after just finding it this morning.

 Are you going to follow along with the GMG study this summer? 

WILW

Hey y'all,

This week I am loving.....

this weather. who doesn't love when the low on the 7 day forecast is 60 degrees.

GrandLittle #2's birthday is TODAY! I can't wait to celebrate kBm's 21st birthday soon. 

this book series by Krista McGee I will discuss more on Book Club Friday.

winning Clemson Girl's Marley Lilly Contest! I am really excited for some more monogram items to grace my collection.

these etsy finds:

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the sermon series my church just started called First Love. The sermon series focuses on relationships for those that are single and married. The first week was this past Sunday and I really encourage you to watch it!

This Light and Momentary Marriage: Ephesians 5:31-32

hanging out with my parent's cat all weekend. I love this little kitten, and the entire family spoils him.

What are you loving this week? Link up here.

Doubting

Hey y'all,
This weekend, I really began to examine my doubts in the case of my faith and my relationships. I have been working on reading Eric and Leslie Ludy's book, When God Writes Your Love Story. The book focuses on giving up the pen of your love story to God and waiting patiently for your spouse. I have always been a hopeless romantic and I am constantly in wait of the start of that relationship. I have always said that if it is meant to happen it will and this book continues that thought. God has made the perfect guy for me and I am now waiting but in the mean time need to focus on my relationship with God. I realize that this is not everyone's opinion and that is fine, but I highly reccomend this book to all Christian young people as a reminder that as Christians our hearts must fist seek God then a relationship.

Source: indulgy.com via Margo on Pinterest

My thoughts continued with J.D. Greear's sermon on Doubt in regards to the series Can't Believe. He focused on Doubting Thomas in John 20:24-28. You can listen to it/read the transcript here. For those who doubt the Gospel it was a great discussion of the miracles of Christ and the suspension of doubt and explanation inorder for revelation.

One of my favorite quotes/lessons from the sermon was the fact that "the willingness to believe in Christ comes before belief. (John 7:17)" and "If you have the humility to recognize there are going to be a lot of things about God that you are not going to understand and you're going to find offensive and you're just going to have to accept because he's God, and if you have the humility to submit to Him and do what He says even when you don't agree or find it diffficult, you will find belief."

Source: blugi.deviantart.com via Cherise on Pinterest

This lesson is one I really want to focus on this week on John 20:30-31. We might forget our belief in Christ as those that have not seen but believe and try to wipe away doubt in Him and in myself as a capable person created for Christ and to suspend doubt. We all get bogged down in the world and become negative about ourselves and our capabilities but focusing on God and the positive side of our strengths makes us confident and capable!

I hope you all had lovely weekends!

Peace and Blessings,
jDl