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My words for 2019 are FAITH and FITNESS.  This is where I need to grow and where I need to spend some time improving.  I also need the accountability that comes from writing a blog series about it so I will be updating monthly on my journey in hopes to help you and me!  Feel free to comment each month on the blog about how you are doing in your own FAITH and FITNESS journey.

This month I started a FREE online Bible Study over Lisa TerKeurst’s book It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way  (All the information can be found on the  Proverbs 31 Ministry website.)  

I started it the week of January 21st so I have only done the first two weeks of the six-week study.  The thing that stood out to me the most this first couple of weeks was when Lysa said: “If the enemy can isolate us, he can influence us.”  This statement has been so true in my own life.  As a newly empty nester, I now spend a lot of time alone.  I tend to hole up on the weekend and binge watch Netflix on the couch with my puppy.  Sometimes this really affects my mood.  I start to feel sluggish and depressed and I realized after reading this chapter in the book that I am isolating myself and the enemy is using that against me, making me feel lonely and depressed.  I am the only person who can change that so it is up to me to get up and get moving.  It is up to me to get involved in something.  I don’t have to wait for my friends to contact me, I can be the one to contact them.  I don’t like to bother them on the weekends because they all still have families at home but I know each and every one of them would make time for me if I need them to. I asked one of my friends to go with me to a Bible Study that starts next month and of course, she said yes.  All I had to do was ask!

Don’t let the enemy isolate you!  His goal is to make you feel like this is as good as it gets for you.  He wants you to feel hopeless and alone.  He wants to keep you down.  Surround yourself with Godly people and Godly influences! Stay in the Word!  He knows that the Word of God is all you need to defeat him.  Stay “Armed for Battle”! (I did an Ephesians Challenge to help me stay “Armed for Battle”) Stay Prayed Up my friends!  Communication with God is key!  

Facing the fact that my life is not what I had planned or dreamed has been one of the hardest things for me lately.  I don’t just grieve the people I have lost, but I grieve the life I would’ve had with them in it.  I have to constantly remind myself to walk confidently in the certainty of God’s love.  He is a good God and He has a plan for me.  I have to look at my disappointments through the love of God and not through my own struggles and emotions.  

Then step by step, prayer by prayer, race by race, I start to live life again.

Friends, if you have to crawl right now, then crawl.  Eventually, you will walk again, and even run.  Just as long as you keep moving forward in the Lord!

I am still battling Morton’s Neuroma in both my feet so I was only able to get in 45.5 miles this month.  I am currently getting injections of alcohol and lidocaine in my feet twice a week but I still ran two races for the month of January.  In fact, I ran a 10K here in Dallas where I live and I ran a Half Marathon in Austin, TX.  I didn’t train as well for this half marathon because of my feet but I was still able to finish 5 minutes faster than I did my last half in November so I was really pleased.

I sign up for races to help keep me accountable in my running.  On days that I don’t feel like running, I know that I need to in order to be able to finish the race ahead.  It’s important to have something or someone to help keep you accountable if you are struggling to keep going.  This has been me lately so I keep signing up for races.  I belong to a Social Running Club so I plan to do more runs with them to help with accountability and to have some company while I run!

Running races also puts me around new people.  I have started making new friends through running.  I’ve been chosen to be an ambassador for AMPT Running which is a race production company in the Dallas/Fort Worth area that designs, markets, manages, and produces 4+ running events a year in support of local charities and special causes.  I feel so blessed to have been chosen to be a part of such a great organization.  This not only gives me races to run in for free but it gives me another group of like-minded people to fellowship with so that I am not isolated and alone! (Remember the enemy will isolate us to influence us!)  As an ambassador, my duties will start next month in February so I am excited to see what this new journey has in store!

Here are some pictures from my half marathon in Austin!  I need to be better about taking pictures to share with ya’ll so I’ll work on that in the coming months!

I always take a picture of a “Flat Sandy” the night before a race.

As soon as I crossed the finish line, they handed me my medal.  This is always such a good feeling to know that I finished all 13.1 miles.  I had to stop at mile 8 to rub my toes because they were on fire.  The rest of the race the balls of my feet were just burning but I remembered why I was running and just kept going.  As I ran I listened to my worship music, sometimes singing along as much as I could while running, and sometimes just saying little prayers here and there.  I spend a lot of time reflecting, worshipping, and talking with God when I’m running.  

   Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1

Next month, I’ll be studying the Word more and hopefully running more!  I’ll keep you posted!  Until then, comment below and let me know how you are doing in your FAITH and FITNESS journey!  I’d love to hear how you are moving forward in the Lord, not only in your spiritual fitness but your physical fitness as well!