2013 proved itself to be one of chaos. Controlled chaos…but chaos. Running saved me. Running took me to places I hadn’t planned on going. Running proved to be therapeutic and necessary for so many reasons. Running allowed me to lay everything down and truly run the race He set before me.
Many mailboxes were passed…in my 1750 miles. They were run in 8 states: Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Mississippi, Georgia and Massachusetts. Most of my runs were training runs for my three marathons: the Boston Marathon(April), the Tupelo Marathon(September) or the 7 Bridges Marathon(October). So thankful to the Lord for the ability to run and move!
This year I did more solo running than last. God and I conversed while I pounded the pavement in His wonderland. It was a year of truly finding myself in Christ as I put one step in front of the other. Most of my races had deep meaning! Running also allowed me to get closer to my friends and faithful running angels! So grateful for them! And I can not go without thanking my family and dear husband for being with me on every run whether in spirit or body. Very blessed!
I did a lot of picture-taking along the way. I learned to take time and smell the roses…to seek the joy in the run.
Here is a pictorial review of my 1750 blessed miles that got me through 2013…
Hot Chocolate 15k in Atlanta
Scenic City 5k
Run with Trish 5k for Team Hoyt
15k in Indianapolis with my sister
Boston 2013
Meeting Ryan Hall
Team Hoyt 2013
Boston Marathon Finisher – April 15, 2013 – Qualified for 2014
Chickamauga Chase 8k
Destin, Florida with my sister
Springfield, Missouri – During 21 day hospital stay
July 4th – 4 on the 4th – Fayetteville, Arkansas
Bentonville, AR
Bentonville, Arkansas – When Mike came to visit! Yay!
The Pinky Run – Welcome Home – Chattanooga
Tupelo Marathon – September
7 Bridges Marathon – Chattanooga
Bethel Bible 4 miler
Turkey Trot 8k
Funky Monkey 5k
Families on the Run 5k
2014 will bring many more blessed miles…I have around 750 left on my journey to Boston 2014.
Fifty-two days ago I left Arkansas and returned to Tennessee after being at home for seventy-one days caring for mom. This week I am on Fall Break so Mike and I returned to visit for several days. It was the perfect time for us to come home and see what faith can do.
As the chorus of Kutless’ What Faith Can Do reads….
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains Hope that doesn’t ever end Even when the sky is falling I’ve seen miracles just happen Silent prayers get answered Broken hearts become brand new That’s what faith can do…
Dreams moved mountains…Hope never ended. Miracles have happened…Silent prayers have been answered. Broken hearts have been made brand new…that is was faith has done!
The phrase I have used and heard used most often this weekend in reference to mom is, “She’s a walking miracle.” And, she is! She is doing phenomenal. She is playing golf. She is doing all she did before with the exception of driving. Soon, mom, very soon. 🙂
When we decided to come, I told mom there were two things I wanted to do this weekend during our visit. One was to go to church with her and daddy. This was something we were unable to do this summer. She was not ready. Mike and I got the privilege of attending this special place with both mom and dad. We were surrounded by the many that prayed for mom and petitioned for mountains to be moved. Those prayers were answered. We were surrounded by those who loved on both mom and dad during the time of difficulty.
On this Sunday, Pastor Eric was finishing a series called Walking in the Word. He referenced Mark 12.30-31 and 1 Corinthians 13 – the love chapter. He discussed how if we want to love God we have to love with all our heart, soul, mind and strength as it is stated in scripture.
Mark 12.30-31
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
1 Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues,they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Mom and dad are giving us an example of this kind of ‘no matter what’ love daily. What an amazing example they both have been during these trying times. God has provided and is still providing in their lives and ours.
The second thing I wanted to do with mom was take her to walk with her walking group, the Walkie Talkies. The group walks up to five miles at a time and mom was an active member before the incident in June. She has been eager to get back with this loving group. Mom has been walking one to one and a half miles with this great group of ladies over the past couple of weeks. They too surrounded mom with love and prayer throughout this summer. It was a desire of mine to be with mom as she joined them once again for a daily walk. Today we did that…and mom walked 2.2 miles…woo hoo! Once again, she is a walking miracle. What faith can do…
On the way to walk with the Walkie Talkies, God provided us with a phenomenal GOOD MORNING portrait.
God’s “Good Morning!”
..again from the lyrics of What Faith Can Do…
Don’t you give up now The sun will soon be shining You gotta face the clouds To find the silver lining
Mom has shown us she did not give up! The sun is shining and she faced the clouds and found the silver lining. It is hard to pray God’s will be done during times of difficulty. We have learned as a family that the silver lining is much sweeter when we are on God’s page and not our own. We have seen God’s hand every step of the way.
We have heard stories of how mom’s determination and faith have helped someone else. We have heard that God welcomed one more life into His family thanks to mom’s story. This is what life is all about…living the journey so others might come to know HIM just because you lived. Mom is living! She is living a miracle…a Walking Miracle!
God has blessed our family. We know the circumstances could be very different today, but they are not! We are so very thankful! We also know we have a great responsibility in sharing about our journey and WHAT FAITH CAN DO…
What Faith Can Do…Kutless
Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes
And make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you’re stronger
Stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason
For someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
Overcome the odds
You don’t have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
That’s what faith can do
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise
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