thank you, april.

Cousin time with the west-coast kids.

Coolest Mt. Lemmon hikes with Dad & brother-in-law.

Bouncing and butterfly balloons with my sweet niece. 

Tried three new recipes for friends! 

Nonno's box is slowly getting some new additions.

Quiet post-long run dates & baseball.

Riverview meets REO.

Aunt Tina & Uncle Dave visit Lansing :)

Another HOSA State Conference with two of the best.

James 5:16

"Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed." James 5:16

I've been listening to NeedtoBreathe's latest album and these lyrics melted me.

Ever growing steadfast
And if need be the one that’s in the gap
Be the never turning back
Twice the heart any man could have

Be the wheels not the track
Be the wanderer that’s coming back
Leave the past right where it’s at
Be more heart and less attack

Heaps and heaps of prayers are rooted in this idea that as followers of Jesus we get to meet each person where they are at. Since living for Jesus means a constant transformation of the state of our own heart, we are humbled and our strength lies in being vulnerable & exposing our weaknesses.

Piles and piles of prayers are stored up asking the very same for my own heart.

What if we were a community that really did confess our sins? What if we chose not to hide, practiced vulnerability, and threw everything on the table? I've seen glimpse of the restoration that comes from confessing your sins to one another. I've seen the freedom that is revealed when you let go of the ugly and cling to the truth...

because Paul says that we would be healed! AND THAT IS TRUTH!

I pray today for the Lord to reveal in our hearts what needs to be confessed and I ask Him to give each of us an opportunity to share this with another believer who meets us in our sin with all heart and all prayer.

I pray that we BELIEVE that we will leave healed.

Ever growing steadfast - leave the past right where it's at - be more heart and less attack.

on May & Chicago.

trains to and from.

tall buildings.

lakeshore running.

walking. lots of walking.

people watching.

parks. 

big comfy hotel beds.

boutiques & baseball parks.

omelettes & coffee in the cafe.

pizza in booths.

my favorite city is calling my name.

this year has already brought so many great travels...

why not one more? 

:)

on processing thoughts.

Sometimes speaking something into existence gives it shelf life it didn't even need to have. 

[Bob Goff]

on selfies & results.

to my old fast(er) running self,

It's kind of fun to see you again.

Thanks,
Lauren

Praising God for continued opportunities to feel healthy and strong.
Physical activity & encouragement for others is the center of this heart. Although, those closest to me know that encouraging myself to get out there is not always the easiest task.

This fall the wind changed & I found some source of determination, - I got sick of staying still; I let go of what weighed me down and I started seeing that the sacrifice to take time to exercise was an opportunity to be my best.

Friends, I write from what I hope is a humble place.  I don't want to be one of "those crazy exercise people." I fear being addicted or making something a disorder or an idol. I've seen so many walk that line - and I know how easy it is to be there.

This month's deliberate task has been approaching every day as if I were modeling it for my future daughter. I learned this from two good friends who are currently raising four little ones who watch their every move. Kids watch, learn, and repeat. I want all to know that beauty is so much more then what reflects back at them.

I do want to make food and exercise choices that are rooted in goodness and truth. I fear making it an idol or something that can be considered a disorder. Discipline & self control have a time and a place. But it's not all the time, and it's not everywhere.

I don't desire to constantly be stealing looks in the mirror, or to spend crazy amounts of time getting ready. But I do. It's so easy to control what you wear or how you do your hair - but changing the heart is a different kind of pampering.

Instead, I've been asking for confidence and joy through the choices I make and in the way I pray for the Lord's work through me. I've been taking care of this body like the Lord does live in it and someday (Lord willing) so will another little human.  I've been asking to see my body for what it is and not what it's not. And there has been fruit.

Some things got stronger and bigger, some things got stronger and smaller, some times got faster, and some distances seemed shorter. That's answers. Praise God for answers.

I write this now - so later in life when I find myself in a stopped moment, a time where I don't feel my best... that I can read this and remember this:

1. Exercising & resting are not options & they are always opportunity.
2. Comparison kills, do what you do for you - not for anyone else.
3. If you have the disposable income, make a gym or a studio or a place of fitness and health your home.

Keep moving friends. 
I've learned the best movement (physical, spiritual, and emotional) comes from the best rest. 
So be rested too.


P.S. 9 year check-up done! The stickers still crack me up - so does the Beanie Baby I got this time for going to Peds :)

...I'd highlight that.

“If we want to live a wholehearted life, we have to become intentional about cultivating rest and play and we must work to let go of exhaustion as a status symbol and productivity as self-worth.”

[Brené Brown]

on mornings...

Two out of four months this year have started on the west coast.  That's amazing.

The first day of each month continues to be precious to my heart.

It's a new page on the calendar, 

with my incredible people to love & be loved by, 

many events to unfold, 

and the gift of time - so precious to open. 

Sidenote:

It's amazing the clarity that comes from jogging with dawn and mountains. Just saying. 

Happy April!

Why I Wake Early

by Mary Oliver

Hello, sun in my face.

Hello, you who make the morning

and spread it over the fields

and into the faces of the tulips

and the nodding morning glories,

and into the windows of, even, the

miserable and crotchety–

best preacher that ever was,

dear star, that just happens

to be where you are in the universe

to keep us from ever-darkness,

to ease us with warm touching,

to hold us in the great hands of light–

good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day

in happiness, in kindness.

“Why I Wake Early” is the title poem of Mary Oliver’s 2004 collection Why I Wake Early.