Marathon Monday #13

Happy Marathon Monday!  I'm keeping this one short because I honestly forgot about it until now, and I'm trying to go to bed earlier this week.  

I did six miles after work today, and it was good.  I missed my long run this past weekend, but I'm supposed to do 20 miles this coming weekend, so I'm going to focus on that and maybe break up the miles I missed into several short runs.  Whatever.  Overall, I'm doing pretty well with training and feeling back on track mentally.  I'm doing my best to get out of my head about feeling like what I'm doing is not enough or feeling pressured to be faster.  

Training for long races is such a mental game - you have to win it there first - and that applies to so many things in life.  Regular time outside walking and jogging is challenging me to control what I focus on.  I can focus on feeling awash in rejection/confusion or focus on God being a God of abundance and trust that He has good things in store for me.  Temporary truth vs. eternal truth - it's a daily, moment-by-moment choice of mindset, and what we focus on will grow! #BOLD

So I'm reminding myself right here tonight that God's grace is enough for today's needs, and He is worthy of my absolute trust.  And tomorrow, His grace will be enough for tomorrow's needs.  And He will be worthy of our absolute trust.  Right now, I need to be intentional about pursuing peace, and I need to rest and sleep, so that's the plan. =)  Be kind to yourself, and lean into the grace of God for whatever you need today!  His mercy is new every morning, and He knows what is best for us individually, and He patiently guides us along that path. ❤

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Volleyball Victory!

It was another Tulsa tournament for Kyndal Faith and the 11s Charge team this weekend.  The Wilsons joined Mom and I for a fun dinner at Mission BBQ on Saturday night!  Parker E is cracking me up with the facial expressions and fun posses lately!! ❤

The Mini Miss K was on fire - she played with a lot of grit and heart, and it's been fun to see their whole team improving!

Dad stayed home with Jaceman, so it was another girls' weekend, which is always fun!!  Rach and Kyndal drove up on Friday night, and Mom and I came in on Saturday morning.  (We stayed at the team hotel, which was the Southern Hills Marriott where I've had several court reporting seminars.)

Of course, we had to stop at Amber Marie, which was decked out in fun Easter decor!  We grabbed a couple cute gifts for Karsten Blaire, who we will finally meet next Saturday!

Rach made these awesome signs for the team and the coaches... they handed them out on Saturday when the team had dinner at Mother Road Market!

As I expected, Mom was a fan of Mission BBQ (we split the brisket and cheesy potatoes and cornbread), and the rest of us enjoyed it again!  Parker was excited about some cornbread and ketchup, and Tate drew an impressive replica of their Mission BBQ logo.  It's always good to catch up with the Wilson fam!!

Sunday, they played at 1 and 3... later than we expected, but it was nice being able to sleep in on time change Sunday!  The girls won both of their games that day, so they got the medal for the silver division... YAY!! 

Pics with the volleyball star + Mom showing the girls some great videos she took of them playing!

So much more fun when they all leave the gym in high spirits!

We got back around 6:15 last night.  I had dinner with Mom and Dad then headed home to do laundry and watch a few episodes of Cobra Kai... I've decided Johnny Lawrence is kinda like Michael Scott... a lawsuit waiting to happen, but entertaining and occasionally endearing enough that you find him likable. =)  The pic below = Mom's lovely new table centerpiece!

We had a good talk on the drives down and back, and it was a fun weekend all around, so yay for that!!  Now I have to catch up on running today, so wish me luck!

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Photo Friday!

We turned the tables at our latest family dinner... Mom and Dad's kitchen table top flips to become a poker table, in "America's brightest orange," naturally! =)

Mom made taco salad for our dinner, and I made Pioneer Woman apple dumplings for dessert!

After dinner, I went to Rachael's to see Jaceman's new fish tank, a riveting live show... I love that he's so into it! lol   He rode with me on the way there to talk about Cobra Kai (one of his fav shows ever, and I've finally made it to season 6!)

He takes good care of the tank and watches the fish with great interest!

Kristin and I walked four miles and then split a pizza at Hideaway on Wednesday - she got a new car on Monday, so we celebrated that delightful news!!  This pic makes me very happy! lol

I had a job interview with Family & Children's Services on Wednesday morning in Tulsa, then two Zoom interviews for the PhD program today... a 2-hour group interview in the morning, then a 30-minute individual interview from 2:15-2:45.  Whatever happens moving forward, I can sincerely say that I gave it my best effort.  I was able to stay calm and centered and speak with more composure and eloquence than I typically feel during interviews, and I'm grateful for God's grace in that!

My short list of potential topics that might hold my interest through a 3-year research and writing project!

Lent is here, and Easter is coming.  I feel that in more ways than one.  I am gradually processing ambiguous losses, potential moves, big future questions, positive identity shifts, etc.  It's best that I keep some of the processing offline.  But I will say two verses that are speaking to me in this season are Judges 6:14 where God tells Gideon, "Go in the strength you have...  Am I not sending you?"  And Psalm 46:10 -- "Be still and know that I am God."

Centering my heart in that truth today!

Happy Friday, and have a great weekend ahead!! ❤

Marathon Monday #12

Happy Monday, dear blog readers!  This sunset view toward the end of my 7 miles on Saturday made me happy. ❤

People who inspire me this week = Eddie Kaufholz, my pandemic bestie who podcasted his journey of training for his first Half Marathon in 2020 (something I've listened to a minimum of 5x)... Leanne Hainsby, the delightfully cheery and sincere London Peloton coach and breast cancer survivor... and Kyndal Faith, my one and only niece whose passion and perseverance are growing this year!!

To be vaguely honest, it's been a rough week.  In a fitting addition to the consistent political turmoil and signs of distress all over my FB feed, my internal soundtrack lately has featured sugar cravings, old insecurities, career pressure, dating confusion, and feeling a general unease and lack of acceptance.

Funnn as that has been, I'm ready to turn the page and move forward.  I'm leaning hard into God's grace for today, resting in Him and quieting the internal and external distractions (starting with deactivating FB and Instagram 3 days early for the season of Lent 2025).

I am accepted and loved by God, and I am doing my best to love and accept myself just as I am today, letting go of what lies behind and pressing forward in power, love, and a sound mind.

God has better things ahead for all of us, friends and fam!!

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Double Brunch Weekend

Well, it was a lovely weekend featuring a Friday night walk with Kristin, two delicious brunches, a 7-mile jog at The Station, and a 5-mile walk in Tulsa!  

Brunch #1 was at The Main Street Diner in Norman with Marla on Saturday... her last day at the courthouse was Friday, and we caught up on all she learned in her training week at CREOKS and all I've learned through various job searches, interviews, and networking conversations.  (To sum it up, Tulsa pays counseling candidates significantly more than OKC, and Tulsa supervisors charge significantly less, and neither of us fully understand why.) Anyway, I'm grateful for the Cleveland County connection with her, and I wish her all the best as she moves forward with her new school counselor and play therapist career!!

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Brunch #2 was a belated 'birthday brunch' with the Wilsons and Fultons at Red Rock in Tulsa today... topics included online dating, job searching, challenging interviews, vaccinations, weight loss methods, body image issues, politics, family dramas, past traumas, panic attacks, parenting stressors, church mistrust, and more!  Cue the cheerful birthday music, please. lol  ...But I always appreciate deep conversations with trusted friends, and our brunch food was excellent, as per usual!!

My quiche + fruit = yum!

Group pic of our table!

Walking + listening to HP book 4... JK is truly brilliant, and I will never get over it!

Gifts Rach made for K-Faith and her Club Team!! ❤

Current screensaver at work. =)

This meme reminder came at a good time for me.  God does nothing without purpose... I so wanted this finding-my-first-counseling-job part of my story to be smooth and easy, but it's okay that it looks different than I planned.  Like so many things in life, I need to avoid personalizing it and/or believing that it means something negative about me and/or my value as a counselor.  God is at work in ways I cannot yet see.  I am not alone, ever.  The best is yet to come.  And everything happening in this waiting season matters.

God is with me and for me, empowering me with the passion and perseverance to keep moving forward with hope and purpose.

That's all for today.

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Photo Friday!

Happy Friday, friends and fam!!

Here's me on a FishTime call with the Jaceman! lol  He got his new tank 180-gallon tank last weekend, and he literally had his recliner set up in front of it as if it were a TV screen... super cute and funny to me!  He's a little obsessed, but I kinda love this hyperfocus aspect of ADHD!

I think this is always true - the ripple effect of our lives and decisions is bigger than we can comprehend right now.

Adore them - so happy they're doing monthly recap episodes now! =) #AnnieandEddie #AEkeeptalking

Miss K and her volleyball team!

Megan Elizabeth had me over to her new house for a healthy, home-cooked dinner last night... fun to see her and catch up on life!!

The Easter stuff is out, and the Peeps are still cute to me! =)

1) Identify limiting beliefs

2) Uproot them and plant seeds of truth

3) Lean into my newer, truer identity

4) Behave like the person I hope to become

5) Lean on God for daily grace/strength

Today concludes my favorite month.
I'm grateful this has been a pretty good February!  

I interview for the doctoral program a week from today - eek!  The season of Lent, Saint Patrick's Day, Easter Sunday, my first full marathon, and CCU graduation lie ahead!!  I have health goals, dating goals, and finding-a-job goals for March... taking life one step at a time, and trusting that God will continue the good things He has started in me and for me and through me!

Names of God art at Megan's house...

I love you and believe in you, and I believe God will be faithful to complete the good things He has begun in you and for you and through you! ❤

Marathon Monday #11

"Self pity is poison, but movement is medicine!" 

~Robin Arzon, Peloton ❤

"You are better equipped to deal with stress when you are moving.  When you feel tense or frustrated or worried, it is difficult to think your way into feeling better.  The more you think about the situation, the larger it becomes in your mind.  Trying to think your way out of it often leads to a spiral of overthinking and rumination.  The first step is not to think something different, but to DO something different.  It doesn’t matter what.  Stretch on the floor, go for a walk, work on a project.  Get out of your mind and move your body."

~James Clear

YES to that advice!!

Kate, Kirsten, and Becs are three women who inspire me today!!  Kate is a real-life friend who is fighting MS this year and has been busy fully reshaping her diet and lifestyle to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible - her attitude is faith-filled, determined, and inspiring!  Kirsten Ferguson is a feisty Peloton NYC coach who shines the light of Christ in her classes, and she ran her first Full Marathon last year!  Becs Gentry is a London Peloton Coach and a frequent marathon runner - love her spirit and love her 60-minute NYC Marathon simulation class (complete with music and her sharing race memories from all 5 boroughs).  I love it!

Happy Marathon Monday - starting week 11, officially in the second half of this training season!  I'm going to start throwing in 3 people who inspire me on Mondays - fun!  Here's to the power of movement and physical exercise to help us move forward in all of life with more mental clarity and emotional stability!! ❤

"I want to face the day as the version of myself who takes over by the time I'm done with my workout: braver, more optimistic, and ready to face whatever challenges await me!  Movement brings out the best in us by making us happy... the happiness that comes from having a sense of purpose and belonging, the happiness of feeling connected to something bigger than yourself, the happiness that is best described as hope...  If you're looking for a guideline, it's this: MOVE! Any kind, any amount, in any way that makes you happy.  Move whatever parts of your body still move, with gratitude.  Move by yourself and in community.  Move in your home.  Move outdoors.  Move to music or in silence.  Set goals that are personally meaningful.  Take baby steps, then conquer a big stretch.  Seek out new experiences and explore new identities.  Pay attention to how activities make you feel and how they change you.  Listen to your body; give yourself permission to do what feels good.  Revel in metaphor and meaning.  Look for places, people, and communities that inspire you and make you feel welcomed.  Keep following the thread of joy as long as you can!" ❤
~Kelly McGonigal, The Joy of Movement