TRI-umph!

My 3rd Cohutta Springs Triathlon has come and gone and without fail it was a super fun race. I met and surpassed my race goals so needless to say I was very satisfied with how I did.

Overall time= 1:35:34
Swim=14:14
T1=1:20
Bike=54:30(19.8 avg mph)
T2=.47
Run= 24:44 (6:11 pace)

Last Year
Overall time: 1:45:04
Swim=18:08
T1=1:49
Bike=57:18(18.8 avg mph)
T2=.50
Run= 27:02(6:46 pace)

Improvement was my goal. Meeting goals is good! It was nice to see all the work and training pay off! I owe much of my success to my friends who were willing to go out and run, bike, and swim with me! I am not always the most motivated person so having someone to make me work hard and seek out hills to bike up instead of flat roads was very helpful and also more bearable :-)! I feel blessed to have the ability to swim, bike, and run. To God be the glory!

Collecting Trophies

I have a confession to make. What I am about to write may come as a surprise to some. Sometimes (a lot of times) I find myself getting frustrated when it seems as sometimes all some people associate me with is the fact that I am a good runner. Should it annoy me that some people don't seek to know me as whom I am as a person instead of what I do? At the same time some (and I) may wonder why I would be frustrated with being known for something that is good and positive. A lot of times with this mindset, I feel like I am fleeing from the gifts and abilities that God has blessed me with. I simply love to run and I sometimes I like to race and compete but when I do it seems like it gives people another reason to glorify me and not the one who should really be given the credit. If I am using the gifts God has blessed me with then it shouldn't feel like a burden to be classified as "the girl who runs." Right?

While talking with a good friend earlier about my "frustrations" she helped me to look at my situation from a whole new perspective. My biggest goals and ambitions in life is to go out in the mission field and serve God through my actions and the abilities that he gives me whether that be teaching, preaching, or just lending a helping hand. Yet I know that there is work to be done here right here, right now while I wait for God to lead me where he wants. So while I am waiting, why not turn the situations of when people are admiring me for what I can do and reverse it for a chance to glorify God?

Instead of collecting trophies and peoples admiration and just letting them sit on a shelf to collect dust, could it be so, that I have a perfect opportunity to collect trophies in the form of souls for Christ simply by using the talents and abilities he has blessed me with? Instead of running from the gifts God has given me, I need to start doing a better job of giving God the complete glory for my success and ability because without God's leading I could just be a lump of bones and skin. He didn't have to give me the ability to run but he did so I owe it to him to cash in on the frequent opportunities I have via encounters with people and take the time to glorify God and tell people just how great and amazing he is. Because he is and I am so thankful!

PS(I am thankful and appriciative for all the kinds words and I won't stop being your friend if you decide you want to compliment me on the talents God has given me :-)

Perspective of a 1st Grader

Lunch was different today. Normally I will eat with the 3rd and 4th graders after my 3rd morning class but today I had 3rd period off so I decided to dine with a class of 1st graders. I don't always say alot so I won't be a distraction to the students eating but today I wish I would of said more.

Within the particular group I was eating with, one little boy was offending the girl sitting next to him because of taking the name of God in vain by saying "Oh my god." The girl then proceeded to ask me if it was alright that the little boy was saying that particular phrase. I paused to think of how I could simply state what I believed without going outside "the lines" of what I'm allowed and not allowed to say while in a public school setting. It was really hard let me tell you. All I have wanted to do here for weeks, especially to students that I know have rough family lives, is to tell just how amazing Jesus is and how much he loves each and every one of them. How they are his children and how he died on the cross so they may have eternal life! I told the little girl that because of what I believe that I do not say things like that and that I prefer to lift up the name of Jesus in a positive light. She then carried on with her conversation with the boy, informing him that he should believe in God because he is the one who created us and loves us. I was blown away by her tact and confidence in sharing what she believed and that she wasn't afraid to share her faith with the little boy. Even though she was not a Seventh Day Adventist, I sensed a seed that was growing inside her walk with the Lord that hopefully will flourish and grow stronger throughout her life. I was given a good example today of what it means to share Jesus with others and how simple it should be to stand firm in what I believe in.

Being a Quarter Centurion

Another birthday has come and gone and this one was one of the best yet! It was full of amazing food, good fellowship with amazing dear friends, nature and sunshine, and roasted corn and apples over a bonfire which capped off a great day!! Extra bonus points because it was Sabbath, my dear friend Julie was here, and there was banjo music at church!

Being 25 kinda feels the same as being 24 except now I am a "real" adult because I can finally rent a car. I should learn how to drive manual so I can rent a super cool sports car for a day just to rent a super cool sports car for a day...anyone want to teach the teacher? Even though I have no more really exciting milestone birthdays ahead of me I am excited to see what God has in store for me for the rest of my life! Thanks all for your friendship and for making my day awesome!

Did you know? FACTS ABOUT "25"

25 is the usual minimum age for car rental in most countries.

“Under 25″ provides a common cut-off point for designating youth.

25 is the name of the national card game of Ireland

The minimum age of candidates for election to the United States House of Representatives is 25

25 years of marriage designates a silver wedding anniversary.

The atomic number of manganese is 25.

25 is a square number, being 5² = 25

Christmas is on the 25th of December

William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States

It is the smallest square that is also a sum of two squares: 25 = 3² + 4². Hence it often appears in demonstrations of the Pythagorean theorem.

25 is the number of days approximately that takes the sun to do a complete rotation on itself.

Coming Soon: Ode to Dirt!

A little seedling of a blog draft sprouted in my head today. I believe I need more time on the trails to formulate it to a full blooming plant! What could be better then writing about rocks, dirt, and trees? Stay posted!

This Little Light Of Mine

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" Psalms 119:105



This morning during my pre dawn trail run the lyrics to one of my favorite childhood songs stuck out in my head as my feet clogged along with all the early morning coordination that could be mustered. I thought it would a good safe idea to run with my trusty headlamp in order to prevent tripping over large rocks, roots, and holes that lay in the dark woods of white oak mountain. I started up University Drive with my light turned off seeing as how the street lights sufficiently illuminated my path. When I entered the trail head the cover of trees stole away any source of natural or artificial lighting therefore making it very dark. I clicked my light on to the brightest setting, expecting to have a steady strong beam of light to guide my path. For some reason however, I only saw a faint trickle as I clicked repeatedly to get the desired brightness from my Black Diamond torch. After more tinkering, my final verdict was that the batteries simply needed to be changed in order for my feet to be guided down the path with steady assurance.

I continued onward ever so precariously. Although the sun soon came up over the horizon and my way then was lit by the early morning sunbeams, it made me slow down and think how my lack of a steady light could be applied to my everyday Christian walk. Although I had the physical light I needed and I desired to use it to light my path, I had not taken the proper care to make sure that the source fueling my light was ready and charged.

It was a good reminder to see if even for this day if my own inner light, the light that is powered by my relationship with God had sufficient enough power to shine brightly outwards to all the souls I would encounter for the day, not to mention tomorrow, next week, and next year!

I believe the Lord equips all those who seek him with a light, a source to shine outwards the amazing glory of his grace and power. "The followers of Christ are to be the light of the world; but God does not bid them make an effort to shine. He does not approve of any self-satisfied endeavor to display superior goodness. He desires that their souls shall be imbued with the principles of heaven; then, as they come in contact with the world, they will reveal the light that is in them. Their steadfast fidelity in every act of life will be a means of illumination." The Ministry of Healing-P. 3

It is my desire to continuously give everything up to God and his purpose for my life and not rely on my own well meaning but vain ambition to shine. By letting go I will be able to more effectively let my shine till Jesus comes, have the wisdom to not hid it under worldly bushes, and to never ever let Satan blow out my light!

Marley and Me

Student teaching is the coolest! It is a wee bit stressful and overwhelming at times but after completing my 5th week I want to say I am starting to get the hang of it all. The first few weeks were interesting to say the least because of all the "scheduling dilemmas." I have gotten to know more then just the trouble maker students pretty well which has been a real delight. I try my hardest not to pick favorites but one little 1st grader has come very close to stealing my heart!

Her first name is Marley and her last name begins with a B (sorry privacy laws.)She is a cute-as-a-button German ESOL student. At the beginning of the year i gave my students a crafty way to correctly pronounce my name; I told them to think of Bob MARLEY and then add on the first letter of the alphabet--A--Marley+A=Marlier. When I was calling her name for attendance I was excited; A fellow Marley! Upon further expectation of her name tag I said "Hey it's Marley-B and Marlier, COOL!!" So now I make it a point to make that special connection with her in the cafeteria, the classroom, and where ever else I see her and she does the same except she just calls me Marlier, haha. After all Marley and Me, we are one of a kind!