The Finish Line

Well after a long event planning season 2013 our events have come to a close! Our last event was one of my very favorites, our All Association Banquet which was held at the Blaisdel Mansion.
It was extra special this year, because my parents joined the association, so I got to sit next to them at the banquet which was super awesome.
For the first Saturday in a very long time we are just here. We have no get togethers to go to, no sports to go to (due to schedule changes), and are just going to chill for the day. I’m sipping some coffee & baileys and later will probably carve pumpkins. I’m also working on THIS project today which is a volunteer job for K’s school. Basically I have to rip out pages out of the workbooks and put them in manila file folders.
What plans do you have this weekend?

rE-Ignite – At it again

Ignite

I’ve been seriously lacking in the consistency strength that my “Strengths Finders 2.0” says is one of my top strengths in the blogging department. Tonight at House Groups [through my church] we filled out Personal Renovation Plans which has you put into writing your goals throughout the year. My goal is to stay in the word, and to reignite my blogging which I feel takes what i’ve read to a deeper level.  So here I am to rE-Ignite.

For the past few weeks my co-worker and I have been on this amazing journey through parts of the new testament. We decided that we need to get in the word regularly and keep each other accountable through Google Hangouts, and have been hosting our own bible study together, and prayer. I can tell you that these past few weeks have been absolutely MIND BLOWING. The kind of work that has been stirring up is only explainable with the words Holy Spirit in the same sentence.

We started out in Ephesians which each chapter was laden with the words we absolutely needed to hear on those particular days such as Eph 1:7-10,  “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven, and things on earth.” (emphasis mine).

Last Saturday night (October 5th) her and I were out hanging a sign for the marathon and we decided while literally on our knees hanging a sign on a bridge on a busy road in Minneapolis/St. Paul to pray over the marathon which was going to take place the next day. We prayed for God to place a blanket of protection over the marathon. Over the runners, the spectators, race officials and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.  We closed out the prayer asking God to use us in a very apparent way, and to make it known to others that we are working for the glory of His name.  Little did I know that the entire prayer was about to come true.

While biking in the “back of the pack” on the course the next morning,  I ran (figuratively) into this older gentleman adorned with an adorable white beard, winter hat with pom pom, and running in short sleeves, and shorts. He was convinced he was NOT going to make the cut off. (six hour course limit). When he first had told me this, we were at least a mile or two ahead of the sweep bus, so I knew he had it in him to finish in time. I checked on some volunteers in the course intersections, and checked on runners as well.  I kept coming back to this man however as if a magnet was drawing me near to him I had to make sure that he finished, and encourage him to do so. I rode with him and paced him on my bike over the last two miles of the marathon. I found out he had done them all but once, and that THIS was marking his very last race.

Well, he finished, and I couldn’t have been more excited. Tears of joy were falling down my face, and it was such an amazing time.  Afterwards I went up to him and congratulated him.

The next day he wrote to our marketing manager to tell us that an Angel [he named me]  helped him finish the race. That he knew he could not finish in the time and that his pace was around 14:30 minute miles, but that he would go out to the marathon just for the Glory of God. Everything that I had prayed for he had written in this e-mail. It was so obvious that it was God I wrote to him to tell him that I was a believer, and I prayed the night before – for this moment.

Be open to God. Be open to him wanting to reveal something to you. Be open to bold prayers of putting yourself out there. Let your evening prayer, or morning prayer be, “God, use me tomorrow/today in anyway that you see fit, and let it be known to others that I am working for the Glory of your name. Let me be your instrument of comfort and healing, and encouragement to this broken world, and let me be open to what you have in store for me.”.

My prayer is that THIS is everyone’s prayer this week!

Lately

Well as most of you know by now (if you’re on Facebook) we lost our sweet Eli on September 20th. I think the reason he was so sick was due to an obstruction. So we are grieving still. We are overwhelmed with their support. I will write a full post some day.

Last weekend was “marathon weekend” and despite the rain & drizzle it was a great weekend! Normally I ride a golf cart behind the last [official] runner, and sweep vehicle, and this year I was able to ride my bike. I usually biked up ahead at least a 1/4 mile to 1.5 miles ahead of the sweep, which was really enjoyable. I was able to talk with the volunteers more, encourage more runners, and just overall do my job easier. So I think this may be a tradition going forward.
Jason is all done traveling [for now at least] and has been making some MAJOR improvements in the backyard! He filled in the pond with a bunch of dirt and made a rustic retaining wall.
Little miss has conferences next week, and I’m excited to hear how she’s doing. She recently passed to the next level at gymnastics, and we’ve enrolled her at Foss Swim School because its much closer to home than Life Time. We really love LTF, but it makes for a stressful Monday.
Sunday’s at our house are all about relaxation, football [Jason] church & house group (which is like a bible study type thing in the evening. Just I go to this 🙂 )