Has it really been two months since I posted last? How terrible. Life has been busy. A typical week consists of putting in 50-65 hours and then my off days are spent with friends. There are some days I spend very little time at home. It's draining and some days it feels like way too much, but it will all be over in just over six weeks! Where has the time gone?! Thirteen weeks from today, I will have just flown into Kenya. It's literally mind-blowing! There are still times I get freaked out when I think about it, but I'm so super excited about it that it completely outweighs the nervousness. :) I don't think it will really hit me till I get on the plane to leave MO. It just feels so much like an impossible dream. That I can't possibly be leaving, and that surely God couldn't use me in Kenya. But He has a plan. And that plan has me going to Kenya for eight months to serve the children there. Why me? Why not someone more qualified? Honestly, I have no idea, except that I'm extremely happy and humbled that He would use me. I can't imagine how much this trip will change me and how much I will grow in my relationship and walk with the Lord.
Prayer cards should be in by Friday (or so I was told), and so hopefully by next week I can get them sent out! :D Then in the next week or two I can buy my flights. I still can't believe it. :)
There's not really much to say besides that life has been extremely crazy the last few weeks and has literally made me feel insane at times. It's all good though. I mean, surely I can't get anymore crazier than I am. ;) Our crew saved a life today, which makes for a good start to the shift. Patient had coded with an unknown down time, and we got her back by the time we arrived at the hospital. Definitely more rewarding then getting threatened while at work or having a gun shot victim at three in the morning....which is what happened last week while I was working. Last week was just a bad week. Way too busy and I'm pretty sure I was extremely sleep deprived. BUT, I managed to sleep in for the past several days! Well, today I still got up at seven, but it was way better than five. :)
Lets see....... Oh! Hospital Hill is this weekend! Kinda nervous since my 7 mile run this morning was awful. Best part though will be spending time with my sisters in a huge hotel. I don't know, but I might jump on the beds..... it's been scientifically proven that it's the best way to tell whether a bed will break or not. HAHA. ;) Ok, maybe not. It's still fun though. ;) Even though, if I remember correctly, these beds are not fun to jump on at all. Seriously lame, but oh well. :)
And honestly, I can't think of anything more to say. I'll try and post after this weekend, but no promises.....since we all know how I am. ;)
Monday, May 27, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
"Lord, I would place my hand in thine, nor ever murmur nor repine; content, whatever lot I see, since 'tis my God that leadeth me"
Yesterday, I had a phone interview with Empower A Child. After getting off the phone I got the acceptance letter with an orientation packet. Honestly, the "phone interview" wasn't really a typical interview. I knew almost as soon as I started talking to the lady that I was accepted. When I got off the phone, I was extremely excited. Literally, I was jumping up and down with a huge grin on my face and squealing! Yep, never thought I would say that, but I was ecstatic. :D Then it hit me. This is a HUGE deal! This is not just a simple little trip. This will involve tons of time, support raising, preparing, quitting work and moving back home, getting ready for eight months in Africa..... What am I thinking?! Am I really crazy enough to leave everything I am familiar with and love, to live in a foreign country for almost a year? Yes. It will be the hardest thing I have ever done. It will require tons of praying and finding my strength in the Lord. It will force me to step outside my comfort zone and be molded to whatever God has for me. Satan will try and pull me down with doubts and fears, but by God's grace, He will get me through it all. I am nervous, I am scared half to death, but I am confident this is where God is leading me.
God did not place in my heart for seven years a desire to serve in Africa, for me to only go and serve two months. I believe He is calling me to do more, to really get out of my shell and have Him shine forth through me. I went to Kenya last summer wanting to know if God had me in missions long-term, but a part of me was hoping that would never happen. I was scared of leaving behind the comforts I have here. When the two months were up, I did not want to leave Kenya. In that short amount of time, I had gotten used to a whole new way of living and I loved it. Kenya stole more than a piece of my heart. Ever since getting back, I have not gone one day without thinking of my summer there. It seems like no matter what I do, something is always triggering a memory of my summer. There is so much that I miss! Two months seems like a short amount of time, but there are so many memories that you can make in that time. As sad as the memories make me sometimes, I am so happy for them all and would not trade them for anything!
So, Lord willing, in August or September, I will be returning to Kenya....this time for eight months. I will be serving with Empower A Child whose mission is to "bring confidence and self-sustainability to orphaned and vulnerable children of Africa by teaching modern skills, giving the opportunity of education, and enlightening through the Word of God." Each week will consist of going on 4 to 8 outreaches and ministering to over 200 children. These outreaches will involve going to a baby orphanage, boys institution, rehabilitation school (home for adolescent boys who have been rejected by family, accused of a crime, etc), children's home, and evangelizing in Kibera (largest slum in Africa). The projects we do in each of these places depend on the age group we will be working with. To give you an idea though, we will be playing games, sharing Bible stories, performing skits, making crafts, leading panel discussions, disciplining, and sharing/counseling in small groups.
I know it will be extremely challenging at times, but I also know it will be very rewarding and God would not have me there aside for His will.
One of the most important things I could ever ask from any of you, is to remember me in your prayers. Especially that God would prepare me mentally and physically for this ministry.
God did not place in my heart for seven years a desire to serve in Africa, for me to only go and serve two months. I believe He is calling me to do more, to really get out of my shell and have Him shine forth through me. I went to Kenya last summer wanting to know if God had me in missions long-term, but a part of me was hoping that would never happen. I was scared of leaving behind the comforts I have here. When the two months were up, I did not want to leave Kenya. In that short amount of time, I had gotten used to a whole new way of living and I loved it. Kenya stole more than a piece of my heart. Ever since getting back, I have not gone one day without thinking of my summer there. It seems like no matter what I do, something is always triggering a memory of my summer. There is so much that I miss! Two months seems like a short amount of time, but there are so many memories that you can make in that time. As sad as the memories make me sometimes, I am so happy for them all and would not trade them for anything!
So, Lord willing, in August or September, I will be returning to Kenya....this time for eight months. I will be serving with Empower A Child whose mission is to "bring confidence and self-sustainability to orphaned and vulnerable children of Africa by teaching modern skills, giving the opportunity of education, and enlightening through the Word of God." Each week will consist of going on 4 to 8 outreaches and ministering to over 200 children. These outreaches will involve going to a baby orphanage, boys institution, rehabilitation school (home for adolescent boys who have been rejected by family, accused of a crime, etc), children's home, and evangelizing in Kibera (largest slum in Africa). The projects we do in each of these places depend on the age group we will be working with. To give you an idea though, we will be playing games, sharing Bible stories, performing skits, making crafts, leading panel discussions, disciplining, and sharing/counseling in small groups.
I know it will be extremely challenging at times, but I also know it will be very rewarding and God would not have me there aside for His will.
One of the most important things I could ever ask from any of you, is to remember me in your prayers. Especially that God would prepare me mentally and physically for this ministry.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Changes :)
Isn't it funny how God sometimes takes all the plans you had (and thought was His plans for you as well) and then kinda throws them away and seems to say, "No, I want this for you instead." And you're like, really? I thought it was all planned out and this was the way it was going to be? With God, you really need to learn to be flexible because you never know when and where His plans will take you. With that being said..... my plans for this entire year seem to have taken a different direction. And one that I'm okay with. :) I won't go into any details (mostly because there's not much), but I will not be going to Kenya in June as originally planned. And I won't be going through the paramedic program that was starting this July. Here I thought everything was planned out perfectly and was exactly what God wanted, and then He's showed me that He has something even better waiting for me. :)
So, where have I been for the last month?! Well, nowhere really. I've been working like a crazy lunatic like always. ;) I did start a new job (in addition to the ambulance) and I'm enjoying it quite a bit! It's been exactly 4 weeks since I started working at Dunn Bros Coffee. So yes, I can make almost any coffee you could want. ;) It's right next to where I live, which is extremely handy. I'm sure once it warms up some I'll be walking to work instead of driving. :) Anyway, I didn't really need a second job, but it's something totally different (definitely stress free!), and I enjoy making people's coffee....and making their day! Cause we all know how grumpy some people can get when they don't get their coffee on time. ;) hehe. So, whenever I'm not working on the ambulance, I'm usually at the coffee shop. Which means, I work pretty much every day of the week. Thankfully, I do have my evenings off and I still find time to run. :)
Amazing thing happened a few weeks ago. I had my first real baby delivery at work. :) It's a pretty rare thing to happen. My partner has seen 4 in his career, but one guy said the last time he delivered a baby was in 2005. Crazy, right? Usually we get them to the hospital on time. This baby was already coming when we got on scene. Anyway, long story short, many things went wrong on that call, but thankfully both patients were doing good at the hospital. :) That was the highlight of my month I think. And not much has happened since then. :)
Anyway, I need to get ready for work. I work ambulance tonight and then have an hour off tomorrow (that is, if I get off on time) before time to be at the coffee shop. And then I'll get off at 2:30 and have the rest of the day free.......for running and a nap. ;) Hope everyone has a lovely night! :)
So, where have I been for the last month?! Well, nowhere really. I've been working like a crazy lunatic like always. ;) I did start a new job (in addition to the ambulance) and I'm enjoying it quite a bit! It's been exactly 4 weeks since I started working at Dunn Bros Coffee. So yes, I can make almost any coffee you could want. ;) It's right next to where I live, which is extremely handy. I'm sure once it warms up some I'll be walking to work instead of driving. :) Anyway, I didn't really need a second job, but it's something totally different (definitely stress free!), and I enjoy making people's coffee....and making their day! Cause we all know how grumpy some people can get when they don't get their coffee on time. ;) hehe. So, whenever I'm not working on the ambulance, I'm usually at the coffee shop. Which means, I work pretty much every day of the week. Thankfully, I do have my evenings off and I still find time to run. :)
Amazing thing happened a few weeks ago. I had my first real baby delivery at work. :) It's a pretty rare thing to happen. My partner has seen 4 in his career, but one guy said the last time he delivered a baby was in 2005. Crazy, right? Usually we get them to the hospital on time. This baby was already coming when we got on scene. Anyway, long story short, many things went wrong on that call, but thankfully both patients were doing good at the hospital. :) That was the highlight of my month I think. And not much has happened since then. :)
Anyway, I need to get ready for work. I work ambulance tonight and then have an hour off tomorrow (that is, if I get off on time) before time to be at the coffee shop. And then I'll get off at 2:30 and have the rest of the day free.......for running and a nap. ;) Hope everyone has a lovely night! :)
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
"Take my whole life and make it Thine"
"Lord, I give up my own plans and purposes, all my own desires, hopes and ambitions, and I accept Thy will for my life. I give up myself, my life, my all, utterly to Thee, to be Thine forever. I hand over to Thy keeping all of my friendships; all the people whom I love are to take second place in my heart. Fill me now and seal me with Thy Spirit. Work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost for to me to live is Christ. Amen."
Betty Scott penned these words while studying in college. She later served as a missionary in China, was married to John Stam, and when she was twenty-eight was beheaded (along with John) by Communist soldiers. I guarantee when she wrote that prayer, she did not expect to be martyred. Yet her prayer was that God's whole will would be done in her life at any cost. She was willing to give up everything to follow Christ.
Are we able to pray that same prayer? Do we really want whatever God has for us even if it means dying for Him? Are we willing to put God first and everyone else second? Would we really give it all up to follow Him wherever He leads?
It's easy to read through the questions and say, "Oh yes, I would definitely do anything He called me to." But do we really stop to think what those questions mean and if put to the test, would we really stand strong? Or would we rebel and try to manipulate God's will to fit ours.
Ever since this past summer, these questions have been hanging over me and I've had trouble answering them. When I was young, I told everyone I wanted to be a missionary. Even before God saved me, I wanted to show God's love for others. Seems weird, right? But God was placing in my heart, even at that young age, a love to serve and help others. That never changed as I got older. When I was fifteen, God placed a huge burden on my heart for those in Africa. I wanted to go right away and serve, but He made me wait seven years before opening a door to Kenya. No matter what I did in those seven years, my goal was to one day serve in Africa. The reason I got into EMS was because I knew I could use those skills in Africa. The desire to serve there never faded or died, and because of that, I knew it was only a matter of time before I went.
I know I have said before how meaningful my summer was and how it taught me so much. I thought for sure when I returned though that I would have a clear direction as to where God was calling me; remain in the States or serve more long-term in Africa. There was nothing like that. I came back not knowing what to really do, but trying to trust God for whatever His will was. It was a difficult semester as I prayed desperately for God to give me an answer, and yet not (seemingly at the time) to get one. Little did I know that God was answering my prayers those last few months, by making me see who I really was.
I'm not sure when it really hit me, but it's come on gradually how much I put others before God. Most of you know how extremely close I am to my family. I love them so much and absolutely love spending time with them. I love each and every one for how unique and wonderful God has made them. My siblings are some of my best friends. My parents are Godly examples I can look up to and hope to be more like someday. I will admit the hardest part about my summer was being away from them and not knowing what was happening in their lives. Now, this isn't a bad thing and I'm so thankful that God has given me such a wonderful family to love, but I also realize it has made me not wanting God's will to take me from them. What scared me the most was knowing that God could very well call me to missions and I didn't want to think of giving up my family. Am I selfish or what? I was wanting my family to be first and God to be second. I wanted God's will to be done in my life, but I wasn't willing to give up everything for it. Without even realizing it, I was giving God a "list" of things He could not include in His will for me.
In a way, I was feeling like I would be giving up so much if I were to serve in Africa. I would have to give up my job, my friends and family, my life of ease and comfort, etc. I made it seem like I was giving up EVERYTHING! Surely God wouldn't call me to do that. But in the end, what would I be really losing? Nothing. I would still have my family and friends. Maybe life wouldn't be easy, but that would mean I was leaning more on Christ for strength and not looking to myself for it. Maybe I would have difficult times, but I know God would be there every step of the way. If He chooses missions for me, why shouldn't I be excited, happy, (and humbled!) that He would choose to use a poor, selfish sinner to show His love for others?
I still don't know what God will call me to or where the next weeks, months, and years will lead me, but I do know that I will constantly strive to put Christ before everything and everyone else. My prayer is that He will always be first in my life no matter what, and that I would have the strength to follow Him wherever His will leads me.
When my life comes to an end, I want to have given everything I am in service to God. I want ALL glory to be given to Him. I want my life to reflect Christ and who He is and what He means to me.
"For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." (James 4:14).
No matter how short or long my life may be, I want to make every second count by bringing the most glory to His name.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Well, for having so much free time, I've certainly been neglecting my blog. It's really been strange to be off work with absolutely nothing to do. Before, I was either studying, working, or sleeping. So, to be totally free with nothing that absolutely needs to be done, is kind of amazing. I really like all the sleep I've been getting. ;) Working only two nights a week hasn't been too bad either. They have been bad nights, but at least I have so many free days to catch up on sleep. Sunday morning after working all night, I came home and slept from eight to two in the afternoon! Apparently, I was a lot more tired than I had even thought. Tonight's my last day to sleep in my own bed for awhile. Starting tomorrow afternoon, I work 40 hours straight. I'll get off Friday morning, come back to the apartment to shower before heading down to Rolla. Then I'll come back Sunday night and get a good nights sleep (I hope!), work for 48 hours straight and then head home again. :) This will be my first Christmas away from home....hopefully, it won't be too bad. I just keep telling myself how much nicer it'll be for those with kids, to be home with them for Christmas. :)
I'm so looking forward to spending this weekend and the next with my family! I love all the good times we have :) Coffee dates are the best! And I love how extremely loud we all get when we're together. =) I love my family so much and can't imagine life without them. There's nothing better than when your family is your best friends. I'm so thankful that God put me in such a loving, happy family. :)
I'm so looking forward to spending this weekend and the next with my family! I love all the good times we have :) Coffee dates are the best! And I love how extremely loud we all get when we're together. =) I love my family so much and can't imagine life without them. There's nothing better than when your family is your best friends. I'm so thankful that God put me in such a loving, happy family. :)
Saturday, December 8, 2012
And she's back!!!!!!
I'm finally back! Today was my last final and I am so happy to be done with this semester. I only had seven credits, but boy was it crazy at times! There were many times I felt like I was going crazy, but it's over and I can finally relax! Oh, and by relaxing, I'm working all weekend. No party time for me until next week. :)
Work is as lovely as ever. Lately, there hasn't been as many overtime shifts, so I've been working normal 40 hour weeks. Which has really helped with my sanity. ;) We have been incredibly busy almost every shift though and that made getting homework done nearly impossible. Yesterday and last night there were some bad wrecks and a pedestrian vs. car that didn't end so well. We were dispatched around midnight this morning for a injury accident. Reading the notes it said that two patients were ejected from the vehicle. At that moment, I was thinking, "Yeah, right. Surely they weren't going fast enough on that road to be ejected." Anything is possible, and the pickup with our patient (and two others) rolled several times. The only one not seriously injured in the accident? The guy who was intoxicated. Even though the scene reeked of alcohol, we never smelled it on our patient. For having been ejected, she did not have very many noticeable injuries besides a few abrasions. We knew she had a brain bleed and we found out a couple hours later that her back was broken completely in half. I found out when I got to work this afternoon, that she had died. The other guy that was ejected is still in critical condition and was not expected to live very much longer either. Sad to think of the phone call those parents were getting early this morning. Be in prayer for these families and the pain they must be going through.
And now that I've probably made you all thoroughly depressed, I'll tell you about a very happy drunk. :) When we got in the back of the truck, my partner told him that if he were good, I would ride with him, if he were bad, he would have to ride with him. The happy drunk's comment was, "I'll be good, cause she's hot! I love her. She's the best Columbia has to offer!" Lol, after a little bit of this going on, my partner told him to behave because I was mean. Of course, the patient already knew this and stated, "Oh, I know! I saw it in her eyes." Amazing, you can see the meanness in my eyes. I've tried so hard to conceal it and now everyone can see it in my eyes! Oh boy, what will I do now. ;-) Yeah, I pretty much laughed on that entire call.
Well, I have completed my first ever 8 hour adventure race and I'm now totally addicted! Like I thought I wouldn't be. ;-) When I finished, my response was, "That was the most awful, fun thing ever!" And it truly was awful and fun. I had not biked nearly enough and was not ready for the millions of hills (I'm pretty sure they were little mountains) that we had to go up. I walked up most of the "hills"
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Wouldn't you hate me if I had just posted that up without finishing? ;) It took me several hours to write that small little post, since I was writing reports and going on calls. My plan was to go ahead and finish it off once I got home from work, but then I was so tired that I went straight to bed. So now, I'm trying to finish it up. :) This morning we were busy with calls and then I desperately needed a nap this afternoon, so I got one and now that it's 1530, I'm ready to finish this up! ;)
So....where were we.....hills. Ok, so yep, I walked up most of the humongous "hills" that were very steep and seemed to go on forever. Seriously. I'm not even really joking. The guys biking up were barely going any faster than we were walking. And they were burning way more energy by trying to bike. BUT, best part ever? Coming down. =D Now that really gets your adrenaline going! On the paved roads, we got going really fast and it felt soo awesome! Besides being a little chilly. ;) The ending of our race, we were biking more on the trails, going up a ton more hills, and then coming down! If you've never done mountain biking, then you should. The last mile or two of the race was all downhill and that was extremely freaky. My bike chain came off once, but it was a quick fix and we were flying down the hill once again. Just imagine trying to ride really fast downhill, with tree roots sticking up, rocks at odd angles, people in your way, hairpin turns....and you get the general picture. ;) There were so many times that I thought for sure I was going to hit one of those roots, my bike was going to stop and I was going to go flying.....and probably break my neck in the process. Thankfully, that never happened and we all made it safely to the finish without injuries. I think it was the adrenaline from it all that made me love it so much. ;)
This is right after we crossed the finish line. We finished in 6 hours and 33 minutes, which wasn't too bad for being my first time. It was the perfect weather for a race, 40's in the morning and 60's by afternoon. It was cloudy all day which helped a ton with us not getting too hot.
So, a breakdown of the race.... We got to the park around 6 and proceeded to hang out by the start line, pretty much freezing to death. ;) Kenny, (2nd from right) kept saying, "Man, this really sucks. Why are we doing this?" We were all excited, nervous, and cold. The night before we had figured out the route we were taking to get all the checkpoints and so in the morning we had to figure out where we were and where the first checkpoint would be. We were allowed to get the checkpoints in whatever order we wanted to, but we had to make sure to get the right checkpoint marked on our passport. The checkpoints aren't marked as to whether they are 1,2,3etc, you just have to know which is which. Thankfully, these guys were awesome with direction and we never once got lost. So, for 3+ miles (not sure exactly on the mileage) we ran/trekked through the woods. Once we got all 9 checkpoints, we ran back to the start, picked up our bikes (well, not literally. We rode them;-) and we biked for 14.5 miles and picked up 11 other checkpoints. We then got off our bikes and trekked/ran 2 more miles to find 3 other checkpoints. Then we got back on our bikes and went 3.5 miles to where the canoes were at. There we had to put our bikes in the canoe with us and paddle 6 miles, stopping for 2 checkpoints along the way. Once we finished that leg, we had a gear check (you lose checkpoints for anything you're missing from you bag) and then it was back on the bikes for 5.5 miles and 7 or 8 checkpoints. It was a hard, fun race and I'm so planning on doing another before long. I'm being convinced to do a 12 hour race....we'll see about that. ;) I felt like I had to be holding the guys up the entire race, but they never said it and just told me that I was an "animal" (lol) and that I could race with them anytime. I guess I didn't do too terrible then ;)
There was Papa John's pizza after the finish which was really awesome. =) I wasn't very hungry, but I think the guy's were starving. Then we left soon after that and I made the little over two hour drive home. That is one of the hardest things about racing a few hours from where you live. Sitting for over two hours after that much of a workout on your legs, is quite the killer. That evening was extremely painful. My legs felt hot and they ached so bad when I tried walking that I felt like crying. (lol, and you're thinking I'm crazy to want to do another one;-), but by Sunday, I was doing a ton better and only had a few sore muscles. :) And by Wednesday, I was ready to sign up for another race. There's something really awesome about being so tired and worn out after just doing a big accomplishment. It feels so good even if it hurts like crazy! If you've never had this experience, then you're seriously missing out on a lot. :) So, now you all need to go sign up for a race! ;-)
Alright. I think that's all I'm going to write today. :) I'm gonna hope we don't get a call so I can call my mom. Aren't mom's just the best thing ever? I love mine. <3 br="br">
Work is as lovely as ever. Lately, there hasn't been as many overtime shifts, so I've been working normal 40 hour weeks. Which has really helped with my sanity. ;) We have been incredibly busy almost every shift though and that made getting homework done nearly impossible. Yesterday and last night there were some bad wrecks and a pedestrian vs. car that didn't end so well. We were dispatched around midnight this morning for a injury accident. Reading the notes it said that two patients were ejected from the vehicle. At that moment, I was thinking, "Yeah, right. Surely they weren't going fast enough on that road to be ejected." Anything is possible, and the pickup with our patient (and two others) rolled several times. The only one not seriously injured in the accident? The guy who was intoxicated. Even though the scene reeked of alcohol, we never smelled it on our patient. For having been ejected, she did not have very many noticeable injuries besides a few abrasions. We knew she had a brain bleed and we found out a couple hours later that her back was broken completely in half. I found out when I got to work this afternoon, that she had died. The other guy that was ejected is still in critical condition and was not expected to live very much longer either. Sad to think of the phone call those parents were getting early this morning. Be in prayer for these families and the pain they must be going through.
And now that I've probably made you all thoroughly depressed, I'll tell you about a very happy drunk. :) When we got in the back of the truck, my partner told him that if he were good, I would ride with him, if he were bad, he would have to ride with him. The happy drunk's comment was, "I'll be good, cause she's hot! I love her. She's the best Columbia has to offer!" Lol, after a little bit of this going on, my partner told him to behave because I was mean. Of course, the patient already knew this and stated, "Oh, I know! I saw it in her eyes." Amazing, you can see the meanness in my eyes. I've tried so hard to conceal it and now everyone can see it in my eyes! Oh boy, what will I do now. ;-) Yeah, I pretty much laughed on that entire call.
Well, I have completed my first ever 8 hour adventure race and I'm now totally addicted! Like I thought I wouldn't be. ;-) When I finished, my response was, "That was the most awful, fun thing ever!" And it truly was awful and fun. I had not biked nearly enough and was not ready for the millions of hills (I'm pretty sure they were little mountains) that we had to go up. I walked up most of the "hills"
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Wouldn't you hate me if I had just posted that up without finishing? ;) It took me several hours to write that small little post, since I was writing reports and going on calls. My plan was to go ahead and finish it off once I got home from work, but then I was so tired that I went straight to bed. So now, I'm trying to finish it up. :) This morning we were busy with calls and then I desperately needed a nap this afternoon, so I got one and now that it's 1530, I'm ready to finish this up! ;)
So....where were we.....hills. Ok, so yep, I walked up most of the humongous "hills" that were very steep and seemed to go on forever. Seriously. I'm not even really joking. The guys biking up were barely going any faster than we were walking. And they were burning way more energy by trying to bike. BUT, best part ever? Coming down. =D Now that really gets your adrenaline going! On the paved roads, we got going really fast and it felt soo awesome! Besides being a little chilly. ;) The ending of our race, we were biking more on the trails, going up a ton more hills, and then coming down! If you've never done mountain biking, then you should. The last mile or two of the race was all downhill and that was extremely freaky. My bike chain came off once, but it was a quick fix and we were flying down the hill once again. Just imagine trying to ride really fast downhill, with tree roots sticking up, rocks at odd angles, people in your way, hairpin turns....and you get the general picture. ;) There were so many times that I thought for sure I was going to hit one of those roots, my bike was going to stop and I was going to go flying.....and probably break my neck in the process. Thankfully, that never happened and we all made it safely to the finish without injuries. I think it was the adrenaline from it all that made me love it so much. ;)
So, a breakdown of the race.... We got to the park around 6 and proceeded to hang out by the start line, pretty much freezing to death. ;) Kenny, (2nd from right) kept saying, "Man, this really sucks. Why are we doing this?" We were all excited, nervous, and cold. The night before we had figured out the route we were taking to get all the checkpoints and so in the morning we had to figure out where we were and where the first checkpoint would be. We were allowed to get the checkpoints in whatever order we wanted to, but we had to make sure to get the right checkpoint marked on our passport. The checkpoints aren't marked as to whether they are 1,2,3etc, you just have to know which is which. Thankfully, these guys were awesome with direction and we never once got lost. So, for 3+ miles (not sure exactly on the mileage) we ran/trekked through the woods. Once we got all 9 checkpoints, we ran back to the start, picked up our bikes (well, not literally. We rode them;-) and we biked for 14.5 miles and picked up 11 other checkpoints. We then got off our bikes and trekked/ran 2 more miles to find 3 other checkpoints. Then we got back on our bikes and went 3.5 miles to where the canoes were at. There we had to put our bikes in the canoe with us and paddle 6 miles, stopping for 2 checkpoints along the way. Once we finished that leg, we had a gear check (you lose checkpoints for anything you're missing from you bag) and then it was back on the bikes for 5.5 miles and 7 or 8 checkpoints. It was a hard, fun race and I'm so planning on doing another before long. I'm being convinced to do a 12 hour race....we'll see about that. ;) I felt like I had to be holding the guys up the entire race, but they never said it and just told me that I was an "animal" (lol) and that I could race with them anytime. I guess I didn't do too terrible then ;)
There was Papa John's pizza after the finish which was really awesome. =) I wasn't very hungry, but I think the guy's were starving. Then we left soon after that and I made the little over two hour drive home. That is one of the hardest things about racing a few hours from where you live. Sitting for over two hours after that much of a workout on your legs, is quite the killer. That evening was extremely painful. My legs felt hot and they ached so bad when I tried walking that I felt like crying. (lol, and you're thinking I'm crazy to want to do another one;-), but by Sunday, I was doing a ton better and only had a few sore muscles. :) And by Wednesday, I was ready to sign up for another race. There's something really awesome about being so tired and worn out after just doing a big accomplishment. It feels so good even if it hurts like crazy! If you've never had this experience, then you're seriously missing out on a lot. :) So, now you all need to go sign up for a race! ;-)
Alright. I think that's all I'm going to write today. :) I'm gonna hope we don't get a call so I can call my mom. Aren't mom's just the best thing ever? I love mine. <3 br="br">
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The light at the end of the storm
Every time, God brought me through safely and I realized, that this picture is like the storms of life that we go through. They aren't easy, they can be stressful, you may panic that it's too much, but God ALWAYS brings you through. What I love so much about this picture is that it can have so much meaning. You have the storm, but then you also have the light at the end.
In life, we go through many storms. Some harder than others, but every one of them teaches us something and in the end, we know that God was always there and He was the one gently guiding us through the entire time.
As I was driving through the bad part, I couldn't help but think how much I hate driving in storms. They really aren't the funnest thing and there was one point where I wished I never had to drive through a bad storm again. The storms we go through in life, are God's way of teaching us something. We may not know at the time why He is doing it or what is the purpose, but we do know that we can count on Him to guide us. He never gives us anything that is too difficult to accomplish. By His strength, we can get through every storm no matter how hard it may be. We shouldn't hate something just because it's hard. Instead, we should realize where our strength lies and depend on that to get us through.
The light at the end of the storm is like God's promise of being there for us. When I drove through and made it into the light, it shone through so brightly that I was almost blinded by it. (Literally, driving west when the sun is setting is pretty difficult because of the sun being right in your eyes). As the sunshine poured through my windshield, I felt safe, happy, and couldn't help but feel God's love for me as He had brought me safely through yet another storm. Even though that was a weather storm, it's the same for the storms we go through in life. God's love wraps around us and we feel safe and secure.
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