Meskawki Health Clinic Turkey Trot

Well, I have now run a turkey trot in three states: Arizona, my home; Washington, my in-laws, previous home; and now Iowa where my in-laws currently live. I wasn't planning to run a Turkey Trot, but well, I'm a runner and I did a Google search just to see if there was one, and there was! I asked my husband if he would do it, too, and being the runner that he now is, he agreed!

Weather: Iowa is well, cold. The day before the race, it was in the 30's, with gusty winds up to 49 miles per hour (or something like that. I did not run or walk outside. Rather, my kind mother-in-law bought me a guest pass to the Meskawki Recreation Center, where I ran a mile and walked 2.25. (It was a cross-training day on my plan, and having done some Nourish Move Love strength workouts before I left, I figured this was good enough.)

Thursday morning, the low was 21, and the high was 33. The winds were supposed to die down, and I prayed they would. I got up at 5 am thinking I would go run two miles before we left at 7:00 am, but with sunrise not until 7:13 am, and country roads, that did not really work out. So I did my physical therapy exercises and tootled around until 6:30 am when I woke up my husband. I drank coffee with RNWY and scarfed down a banana and decided I had time to run, and went for it. With a tank top, running shirt, thick fleece, headband and two pairs of gloves, I felt mostly warm, well, except for my hands. They were cold already. I wondered how that would go.

The Race: This was a somewhat unofficial turkey trot, starting from the rec center, going down to a stop sign, and running back. Entrance was two cans of food per person, and they gave out hooded sweatshirts and track pants while supplies lasted. Talk about swag! There was also a raffle, with tickets given for every can of food brought.

My husband and I chilled and ate our fruit leathers and walked towards the doors around 7:45 AM. (I also used the bathroom twice and took a few sips of water from the water fountain.) Around 8 AM, we walked out front and they gave us a brief course preview and then told us to go. One man (whom the rec center director had identified as "faster") took off from behind and quickly went to the front. A man and a woman (who had driven an hour to this race because they like it so much) were out in front of me. I figured I could not catch them, but then.

Mile 1: My plan was to run half-marathon pace, which once again was 7:40/mile. I wasn't sure how that would go with the cold and everything, but I figured I would try. I looked down at one point and was in 7:30/mile range. Sweet, I thought. Well, that did not last long. While I felt like I was cruising, I steadily watched my pace falling. I did pass the man and the lady in front of me. I heard them talking about her sticking with him, but then I watched him surge ahead of me. "Did you drop her?" I asked.

"Yeah." He said. "She wanted to run alone." Or something like that.

Mile 1 was 7:46/mile--not quite where I wanted it, but good enough.

Mile 2: I heard footsteps behind me for most of the last mile. Remembering the first place female trophy I had seen when we signed in, I told myself to keep going. At the same time, my legs were cold, and I could not go much faster. Eventually the footsteps came around me. It was a young boy, and he was racing! We turned around at the stop sign and then started back up the hill. I had noticed we had run down a hill and was not sure how that would be going back up. The answer was slower. I hit 7:54/mile here.

Mile 3: I was once again able to get sentences out, but I felt like I did not/could not go much faster. (Thankfully I did not feel like I had hit the wall, rather that I was cruising and could not feel my legs through the cold to go much faster.) While I could not remember exactly where we would turn, I knew that we would come out on the flat eventually, and we did. I was at 8:11/mile here.

Mile 3.1-3.33 I watched the guy in front of me turn. (The first guy was long gone!). Not sensing anyone else around me and not thinking I could pass anyone, I just held on. I tried to sprint to the end, and I guess I did, clocking a 7:31/mile for the last bit.

Results: I came in third overall (behind the first two men) and first for the women. I thought that would mean a trophy, but I was not sure. I hung out for a while and congratulated the men in front of me, and the kid who came in not much behind me. (That kid has a future!) I stood outside for a while, went inside to grab a water bottle, and then came in to cheer my husband to the finish line. The second two ladies came in and the press and rec center director took pictures. 

I went inside and got more water. Then they gave me a trophy, and told me to get a pie. Sweet! This is the first time I have won a pie. (I chose blueberry since I heard from my mother-in-law that someone else was bringing an apple pie.) We grabbed a few snacks and headed out.

After the race: I ate another fruit strip and drank a second 10 ounce water bottle in the car on the way back to the house. I needed to run five more miles to hit my total for the day. It took me a bit to get out of the house, but I got on the fitness trail and was enjoying my run. It was nice in the sun; cold when the wind blew.

Around 3.7 miles, I somehow slipped or tripped. I went down hard, but wearing two pairs of paints, two pairs of gloves, and a thick jacket, I thought I was okay. I picked myself up and kept running, When I got home, I noticed I had ripped the hand of one glove, and bled through my two layers of pants on one knee. I showered and found a lot of bruises, but overall was okay. That was a praise. Having read in my devotional that morning about God's goodness, I tried to name the good things from the day and not let my fall sour things. Thank the Lord, he helped me.

Concluding Thoughts: I guess we will call this day a cruise and a bruise. While I did not hit my prescribed 7:40 pace, I did get to run. I got a new sweatsuit, a trophy, and a pie. While my bruises hurt, they will heal. So for a Thanksgiving Day run and gun, I think I got a pretty good deal!

Anatomy of a 5K PR (and a Thankful Thanksgiving Week Race)

No turkey trot for me this year. Instead, it was a Sunday 5K to support foster and adoptive families, a cause near and dear to my heart. Here's what my morning looked like:

5:05 AM Wake up.
5:15 AM Get up and get out of bed.
5:20 AM Mosey to the kitchen and put away dishes.
5:30-5:50 AM Ice my sore foot.
5:50-6:20 AM Complete miscellaneous tasks and read my Bible.
6:20-6:25 AM Plank for two minutes (part of Darebee's multiplank challenge).
6:25-6:40 AM Practice yoga to calm my nerves and stretch out my foot. (This "10 Minute Yoga for Feet" from Yoga with Joelle was a good fit.) 
6:40-6:50 AM Complete more miscellaneous tasks. (I don't remember what I did.)
6:50-7:00 AM Go up and down the stairs five times.
7:00-7:15 AM Eat a banana and sip on water with Mortal. Gather belongings.
7:15-7:40 AM Travel to the race.
7:40-8:00 AM Run two warm up miles at 9:37/mile
8:00-8:20 AM Take a bathroom break. Walk to the start line. Take team photos.
8:20 AM Consume 1 caffeinated vanilla GU. Sip more water with Mortal.
8:23-8:28 AM Make a run for the bathroom, literally.
8:30-8:54 AM Run the 5K

[Unstated components of my training: A half-marathon in February, an 8:01/mile 4.2 mile run in April, and trying to keep a base of 30 miles through the ridiculously hot summer, plus 17 weeks of training for another race in December]

The weather was gorgeous, in the high 40's to low 50's, with sunshine! The course was a little bit hard to start, with some steep ups and downs around the lake. Then it was flat up and down the canal path. The turn-arounds were well marked this time, which really helped. (I did get a little freaked out when I lost sight of the men in front of me, though.) All in all, I would rate this race setup as A plus!

Some fast kids led for the first half mile or so. I looked down at my watch and consistently saw right under 8:00/mile, which is where I wanted to be, so I just tried to run my own race. I was breathing pretty hard, but the pace felt like I could sustain it, so that is what I attempted to do. I did not want to go too hard, either, as I have had some foot pain (extensor tendonitis?) and have my A race in a few more weeks from now. It was fun to hear the people at the aid stations say, "First women" as I passed. That is the first (and probably last) time I will hear that.

I found a small, small hill right past three miles. Getting up that felt hard. I tried to book it for the finish, and I think I did alright. My finish time was 24:10. If I had known I could get that close to 24:00, I might have tried to increase pace, but after all the foot pain I have had in the past week, I did not know if I could even run. My hope was to PR at faster than my Pat's Run pace, which would be 8:00/mile. The race clocked me at 7:46/mile, which is so exciting! All in all, I am so thrilled!

I am so thankful for my husband's constant support through this running journey, the coworkers who joined me to run, the people who cheered me on, a God who graciously let my body do this work, the Sole Sports staff who helped me find and buy my new Asics Magic Speed racers, and so much more. God is gracious. God is good. May this race support those doing the work of parenting kids from hard places, because man, they are the ones running not a sprint, but a marathon.

Simple is Good.

We didn't invite anyone over for dinner. Well actually, we invited ourselves to my parents' house. They intended to invite some friends, but several of us felt under the weather, so we opted not to do so, in case our ailments were contagious. We had already decided to go simple, though.

This trip came on the heels of a quick trip out east, and what really mattered to us was being together. Instead of spending a long day prepping food, we went for a walk on the plains.

Instead of figuring out fancy place settings, we used paper placemats.

Instead of an extensive menu, we went with only our favorites: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green beans. (I did make the family cranberry relish recipe because it's tradition.)

Instead of a second dinner, we ate pie.

And then we went home and got back to life.

Super simple is not always best, but for this year, it was, and for that we are thankful!

Thanksgiving Conversation Starters

Last year, we hosted my parents and some new friends for Thanksgiving. Both knew about the other, but neither knew one another. I knew that my husband and I would be busy preparing food in the kitchen, and starting conversation could be awkward, so I devised a little conversation starter activity [based on ideas from a post on the Kath Eats (2020) blog and questions from The Pinning Mama (2017)]. I designed the conversation starter prompts in Canva and cut them up and put them in an old candle holder. Not too pretty, but practical, and we had a good time getting to know one another this way. In case this activity would be helpful to others in their festivities, I am sharing printable files below.

Happy Thanksgiving!

References: 

Kimber. (2017, December 15). Thanksgiving dinner conversation starters. The Pinning Mama. https://www.thepinningmama.com/thanksgiving-dinner-conversation-starters/

Younger, K. (2020, November 11). Get organized: Your Thanksgiving meal plan. Kath Eats. https://www.katheats.com/get-organized-your-thanksgiving-meal-plan

2022 Mesa Turkey Trot

I have run, but not trained since my last 10K. I did not plan to do hard workouts or any races until after the new year. When we decided to stay home for Thanksgiving and our city advertised the oldest turkey trot in Arizona, well, I had to sign up! I haven't raced a 5K in years, so I decided to just go and give it what I got. It turned out better than I expected.

Race day conditions: 50's and windy

Course: Flat, around a park, and a little short 

Goals: 

A: 8:30/minute

B: 27:00 (8:41/minute)

C: 30 minutes or under

Before the race:

I only did three speed workouts before this event: (0.25 mile slow, 0.25 mile fast) x 2 for a mile November 15; sprint intervals November 19; and regular intervals November 21. Other than that, I have been running very low mileage and doing Nourish, Move, Love strength workouts. I told myself I would be slow, but then also told myself that mindset matters as much as anything else, and I wanted to give it my best shot!

I spent most of the day before the race cooking. This was not the best idea, but what I needed to do to prep for hosting the next day. This race started at 8:30 am, which is later than I usually run. I debated trying to eat a full breakfast, but decided that I should heed advice to "not do anything different on race day" and stick with my banana and 8 oz of water. I did this about an hour and a half before the run. It was cold and windy after we picked up my packet, but I tried to stay warm. I did a five minute jog about half an hour before start time, and the wind was intimidating! I just went with it and made my last minute bathroom stop before moving to the start line. Since the start line was open, I was able to wear my hoodie until the last minute. That helped a lot! (Thanks to my husband for being the gear holder!)

(Photo courtesy of Start Line Racing)

Mile 1:

We started slow. It was a walk just to get over the start line, and then people were slow. The first jag was a down and back, and I jogged outside the cones to try to get around people. That meant facing the people coming back. Not the best idea! My phone read fast (under 8 minutes a mile) and then slow (8:30 plus). I was breathing pretty hard, so just kept at it. I remembered Run for PR's (2022) advice to not go out too fast, and I tried to stick with it. It was a bit of a struggle to get to half way through the race. I forgot about my splits. I was breathing hard, saw my pace at 8:36/mile or so and wanted to go faster. I told myself to wait until mile two.

(Photo courtesy of Start Line Racing)

Mile 2:

I told myself to keep working. This was a short race, and I could do it! I started trying to pick people off while waiting for 2.6, at which point I told myself to give it all I had. My chest was burning some here.

I saw what I thought was the finish line as I came around a corner. I started to gun it, thinking I could make it. Then I heard the volunteers saying, "Turn left." I remembered that the finish was different than the start. As I turned the corner, I also say that I needed to make a turn to make it back to the finish. I honestly was not sure I could make it. I started feeling nauseous. I told myself to keep going.

Mile 3 and finish: 

The course came up a bit short, at 3:03. I debated trying to run the 3.1, but there wasn't really room. I also felt pretty awful. I wondered if I would do the "real runner" thing and throw up, but I didn't. I looked down and saw 8:16 a mile as my Runkeeper pace. I felt pretty happy with that and planned to find my husband and go home.

(Photo courtesy of Start Line Racing)

After the Race:

This was a pretty big race, and I did not expect to place. I saw the podium set up, though, and I have never gotten to stand on a podium, so I checked my results. (Props to Start Line racing for the ability to check results online instantaneously!) It looked like I got second place in my age group! I was psyched and asked my husband to stay for the awards ceremony, despite the fact that it would delay our breakfast and Thanksgiving prep. I stretched some and we waited. After I got my medal, we departed.

My arms hurt some after the race, specifically my biceps. I guess I was using them hard to propel myself forward? My chest also felt tight for a while. I really crashed after eating breakfast, but you know what? It was worth it!

Concluding Thoughts:

I have learned a lot about running over the past year or so. Polarized training works! Strength helps. It really is possible (and now necessary, for me) to eat before I run and still perform. I think I am really a lower mileage runner. Overall, I am just so thankful, an appropriate sentiment for a turkey trot with a tagline, "Today I run with gratitude for..."

References:

Run 4 PRs Coaching [@Run4PRs]. (2022, November 23). Anyone racing a turkey trot tomorrow? Share our tips with your family & friends! [Instagram photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/run4prs/?hl=en

A Longer Table

My husband and I have a moderately small condo. Two years ago, we hosted my parents for Thanksgiving. Two guests are a comfortable amount. This year, it was our turn to host again, and we wanted to invite more people. Our table is small, and we only have four chairs, but we decided to see who would come and make it work. We did not want space to limit our hospitality.

Out of all we invited, only four (two being my parents) people came. When we added the built-in leaf, our table was big enough; we just lacked chairs. No problem. My husband and I stood. It was  small sacrifice that allowed us to enjoy our dinner, and our company. 

Some unknown person said  “When you have more than you need, build a longer table, not a higher fence." We don't need to build a fence. Our complex has taken care of what we need. We added a leaf to our table, and that ended up being all we need on the table. This holiday was a good lesson in faith and trusting God though. If God says invite, He will provide-longer table, bigger table, or whatever it is. He is sufficient!

The Perspective Loss Provides

I am watching a lot of friends, family, and acquaintances lose loved ones. A lot of people are now living without their spouses. I see the pain they process on a frequent basis. Observing this loss gives me perspective.

If I am honest, I get frustrated with my husband way, way too often. I have very high (probably unrealistic and potentially unreasonable) expectations for myself, and by proxy, sometimes place those on him, which doesn't go well. While my husband is not perfect, he shows me a lot of grace. I, for so many of my own reasons, struggle to do the same. I am not proud of this, and I am also not ashamed to admit it. This is reality.

Loss is also a reality. While I have no reason to anticipate losing my husband any time soon, I also have no guarantees of how long God will allow us both to live. That should inform my treatment of him. That should influence my appreciation of my husband. It should affect how hard I work at my marriage.

Fear is not a good motivator. Reality, however, is. The reality is that each day is a gift. The reality is that I may not get tomorrow with my husband, or anyone else. That reality reminds me to count my blessings, to give thanks to God and to others, to live right now. Reality gives me perspective, for this present moment, and hopefully for as many future days as the Lord chooses to give me.

Real Life Marriage: Traditions

'Tis the season to be jolly? Or is it? Thanksgiving through Christmas is a great time of year, but it can also be difficult. There are lots of demands on time. Families can clash. Stress and strife can reign, but they don't have to. We can choose how we go through the holidays. Traditions help us do that.

My husband and I hold very similar values, but come from different backgrounds. The longer that we are married, the more we navigate our own traditions. So far, we have not come up on any real conflicts, but we recognize that the holidays can hold conflict, and we try to avoid it. How? By combining traditions where we can, compromising where we can't; and by making new collective traditions that are special just to us.

Let me give some examples:

Combining: Both of our families open one present on Christmas Eve, so this tradition is a no-brainer. When we host Christmas, we go with our joint tradition. 

Compromise: My husband's family decorates for Christmas after Thanksgiving dinner. This is a little stressful for me, especially when I have just cooked a meal. Since my husband does most of the decorating, though, I let him have at it. (Truthfully, he does a better job than I do.) As far as family goes, we are still figuring that out, but we agree that we should alternate between families, where feasible. Since I like staying home for the holidays, my husband proposed that we give ourselves the off-year holidays.

Collective: My best friend gifted us an ornament made from our wedding program for our first Christmas. Last Christmas, we decided to make a tradition of buying an ornament to represent each year. Last year, we purchased one with masks and sanitizer due to the COVID pandemic. This year, we purchased one that had to do with our weekly traditions (more on that later, maybe). Each Christmas, we take photos to use for a card, and we work together to send out the cards. Around Christmas, we also choose a new marriage devotional practice for the year and purchase a new book, if needed. These are our traditions. 

Traditions aren't be all end all. Being black-and-white about them does not help holiday stress. Having them gives us something to look forward to in the season, though. The traditions help us shape our own identity. We do them while they work, and when they don't, we have grace, or we start new traditions. That is the beauty of real life!

Blessings: Not Just For Me

The older I get, the more blessed I realize I am. While I was not raised in a wealthy family, and do not consider myself wealthy now, I am rich in many other ways. I had and have many resources that others do not. As a believer in Christ, I have an obligation to share.

First of all, I am privileged to be known as a child of God. As Paul writes in Titus, "he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy" (Titus 3:5). I do not deserve salvation. I can in no way earn it, yet God in His grace, provided Jesus' sacrifice for my sins. Resources indeed, resources meant to be shared!

I grew up in a two-parent family with a mom and dad committed to my siblings and I, and to each other. There have been times, many times, when I felt a little envious of ways that my parents poured into others. I wanted them to be mine, all mine. Then I realized what a blessing I had in them! It is only right that I should share the wonderful people and gifts that my parents are with others.

I was single for a very long time. I gave up imagining getting married and could never have imagined marrying a man as wonderful as my husband. Sometimes I do not want to share him with others. I want all his attention and affection. I need to share him, though, realizing that he is not mine, but God's. Given that he is my husband, I have his love forever, so I can afford to share him with others. It is safe for me to do so.

I have a home. Though small, we are blessed to live in it, and this too, I should share with others. It does not matter as much how clean or pretty or decorated it is, but that I use it for God's purposes: to love and serve my husband, and to love and serve others as the Spirit directs.

I have a job. I got the chance to go to college and graduate school. I have food in the pantry. I have relative health. I have my five senses. I could go on and on. While there are many things I do not have, I have more. 

I am blessed, and the blessings I have are not just for me. As I heard on a recent podcast, "our blessings aren't just meant for us. They are meant to be shared" (Frederick & Frederick, 2021). As the Psalmist writes, when we have a God who fills our cups, they should overflow to others (Psalm 23:5; Trapp, n.d., as cited in Guzik, 2011). This is a high calling, a holy calling.

I am not perfect. I am selfish. I hoard my blessings, for fear that they expire or extinguish. That is not God's way. God's way is to give to overflowing, for He has enough not just for me, but for the world He made and loves.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

References:

Frederick, R., & Frederick, S. (Hosts). (2021, November 16). Bringing others in (The home, 3 of 4) (No. 244). [Audio podcast episode]. In Fierce Marriage. https://fiercemarriage.com/bringings-others-in-the-home-3-of-4

Guzik. D. (2011). Study guide on Psalm 23. Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Psa/Psa-23.cfm

Having Generosity For My Husband

The scriptures resound with the concept of generosity. The poor widow put all the money she had into the temple treasury (Mark 12; Luke 21). The woman with the alabaster jar poured out all of its expensive contents on Jesus' head (Mark 14). Jesus gave His life for me! And yet I do not lean towards generosity. I lean towards stinginess, self-righteousness, and self-justification, especially in my marriage. The Spirit continually convicts me of this.

God gave me a wonderful gift in my husband. My husband is not perfect, but seeks to follow God, serve others, and serve me. I do not always keep this at the forefront of my mind, though. I do not always want to give, especially when I am tired. I find that roots of bitterness start to grow as I dwell on things I would like to happen that are not. I crave affections and attention and then push away when it does not happen like I want. These are not generous responses.

The widow gave all she had, and then had to rely on God. This was a generous response! As a wife, God has called me to give to my husband. Yes, I may grow tired and weary, but if I am following God, and living according to His will, will He not fill me with all good things? (2 Pet 1:3). His word says He will.

If I rely on God, can I not have generous, gracious responses to my husband? If I believe that my husband is following God (and I do), that should inform my interpretations of His behaviors. Yes, some things annoy me, but I am pretty sure my husband is not trying to annoy me. A generous response would be a generous interpretation of his motives, which in actually, is probably the most accurate interpretation.

I made a promise when I got married, to love my husband unconditionally, until death does us part. Sometimes that love hurts. It hurts my pride. It means I have to give, rather than get. The Psalmist says that a righteous man "keeps an oath even when it hurts," though (Ps 15:4). This is my calling.

Sometimes my husband wants my time. Sometimes he wants a listening ear. Sometimes I see that I could put off my own plans to better serve him. To do so is generous.

I have a long ways to grow in generosity. This is one of the many areas for growth God is revealing to me through my marriage. God has been so generous and gracious to me with the gospel and though I can never attain to God's perfection, I can keep reaching. May God's generosity overflow through me to my husband, and through our marriage to the world beyond. To God be the glory!

I Lost Some Fitness and Gained Some Health.

If you have been reading this blog for awhile, you know I took several breaks from running last year, choosing to focus on other activities like strength and hiking. My body was stressed. I felt super tired. I kept reading about people saying that running could overtax an already stressed body, so I quit. I restarted with commitment to base building last November. I remembered how much I enjoy running and renewed my commitment to try to stay healthy enough to do it. I had some race goals, but knew I had to hold those lightly given the continued prevalence of COVID-19.

Enter January when I found a 5K race I thought my husband might like to do. I proposed the idea, and was delighted when he accepted the challenge to train for it. I put on my coach's hat, referenced a few different Couch to 5K plans and drafted a calendar for him. I thought that he would train himself, but as it were, we started training together. Initially, I would go for a run and then come back and run his shorter training distance with him as a cool down. As his distances increased, though I started running with him first, and then running a bit longer by myself at the end. That greatly decreased my pace per mile, but allowed me to support him as he built up his fitness. 

To my surprise, the more my husband and I ran together, the more I enjoyed it and the less I cared about my pace. The more I enjoyed the process of running with my husband, the more I prioritized it. If I was tired on the off days of running with him, I walked rather than ran. If I thought that a different fitness activity might affect running, I didn't do it. I hiked less, watched my weight lifting, and overall let go quite a bit of fitness.

Overall, from January to now, my 5K pace has decreased over a minute a minute. When I look at just the facts, I get a little bit frustrated. But then I think about what I have gained. I have enjoyed extra time with my husband. I have felt less obsessed with running and more appreciative of it. I have tuned into my body and its needs a bit more. I have started to value running more for its secondary social, emotional, and mental benefits than its primary physical benefits. On the whole, I feel in a more balanced place.

Registered Dietitian, recipe developer, and blogger Gena Hamshaw wrote earlier this year about the importance of perspective when it comes to our physical bodies. She shared,

It’s humbling to find ourselves in a different state of ability than the one we used to have. It’s natural to look backwards. But we’re human beings, not machines. We’re changing all the time, often mysteriously and in a way that defies expectations. The best we can do is to meet ourselves where we are and thank our bodies for continuing to give us a home.

A lot has happened since my "peak" level of fitness: a move, a new job, COVID, race cancellations, restrictions that led to a more sedentary life, personal and social tragedies, etc. I can mourn the level of fitness I once had or give thanks for the ability to engage. I can look with envy at my past stats, or think gratefully about the blessing it is to still be living at all after so many have lost their lives. I can resent running with my husband because it slows me down, or enjoy every extra minute of the time that he dedicates to running with me. I have choices about my perspective, and it is pretty apparent which choices benefit me most.

There is fitness, and then there is health. Fitness is primarily physical. Health is so much more. It is a unique interplay of relational, mental, emotional, social, spiritual and so many other factors. While I may have lost some physical fitness over the past year, I have gained so much more. I am grateful, and thankful to God, my body, and my husband for getting me here.

What is My Life?

I faced fear a lot in 2020. First it was fear of dying from COVID. Then it was fear of spreading COVID to others. Then it was fear of quarantine of its consequences. I had fears of the judgments of others. I had FEAR. And it was becoming an idol. 

My family and I have not experienced COVID yet that we know of. We did face multiple exposures and one quarantine, however. One exposure came right before Thanksgiving for my husband. He wasn't concerned, but did act responsibly, immediately ceasing contact with the public and getting tested right away. He got a negative test result, but we weren't sure if that would hold. I agonized over what to do about plans to see family (e.g. my parents) for Thanksgiving. We had already decided to go small, but should we cancel all together. My parents insisted on coming to see us. My husband said we couldn't tell them what to do. I wasn't so sure, but as I walked that morning before they arrived, the verses below came to mind:

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14, New International Version).

"Everything that does not come from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23b).

I had to ask myself what my life meant to me. I felt convicted that I needed to ask the Holy Spirit to show me if I was acting out of faith, or out of fear. I had to confess that it was the latter, and that I was focusing on the value of my life, wanting to escape unpleasant emotions rather than seeking God as God and honoring others above myself.

My husband has been following COVID mask requirements and praise the Lord, did not get COVID from his exposure. We were careful, but my parents still came for Thanksgiving and we enjoyed some sweet time together. We would have liked to see other family members and/or have a larger gathering, but we gave thanks for what God allowed and protected.

After Thanksgiving, my 90 year-old granddad declared that he wanted to see family and come visit for Christmas. This seemed risky given his age and the need to travel by plane. He acknowledged the risk, but declared it worth it. He dutifully wore his mask and followed all precautions, while we continued to mostly self-isolate apart from engaging in work and other essential activities. In the end, we were able to join together for a very special time of celebrating the coming of Christ to earth.

As of the date of publishing this article, my family and I are still healthy. We do not take this for granted or believe it is because we are more special. We are trying to seek God's wisdom and follow guidelines, while simultaneously living faith. Because what are our lives worth without faith?

I write this post not to suggest breaking COVID restrictions. I write not to criticize those who are more or less careful than my family and I have been. I write to suggest that we add to the current conversation about disease transmission the matter of perspective and the worth of life. My parents recognized the risk of seeing us at Thanksgiving, but valued family life above their fear of the virus. (From the news articles, it seems other families felt similarly.) My granddad acknowledged the risks of traveling to see us, but believed that this was the right decision and walked out on faith. Granddad considered the value of his life and the lives of others and acted accordingly. Am I doing similarly>

What is my life? My life is a creation of God's to be used by God's. That means I need to live in line with God's values. That means both submitting to governing authorities (Rom 13)and walking by faith (2 Cor 5:7). This is difficult to do in the midst of a pandemic, but it is what I am called to do. May God be glorified as we seek to continue to walk in the light of His life.

Pre- and Post-Feast

Thanksgiving definitely feels different this year. We're living through a global pandemic. Many states have limited how, why, and where people can gather. Loved ones can't travel. Different foods are and aren't on the table, or in stores. It's sad, and yet there is still so much to celebrate. I've been looking forward to a small celebration with loved ones this year. Whether or not it will happen remains to be seen, but for now, I'm still preparing.

Pre-Feast:

Thawing our turkey: These calculators made, well, calculations, so much easier!

Relish: Seen in the photo above, I made this recipe on Sunday so that the flavors had a few days to meld.

BINGO: I made this card based on inspiration from my dear friend and A Cup of Jo.

I like lists, and this is just another way to keep one, to celebrate what we have and count our blessings, which are still many. I plan to use the card as a place setting. Silly and simple, it fits what I feel I could use more of this year.

For the feast itself, here's our proposed menu (which, as previously stated, remains up in the air at this time):

Post-Feast:

I'm already eyeing leftover recipes, especially these creative spins on what can become boring leftovers:

Thanksgiving leftovers eggs benedict (The Endless Meal)

Thanksgiving leftover enchiladas (Tasty)

Thanksgiving leftovers lasagna (My Recipes)

Thanksgiving leftovers quesadilla (The Cookie Rookie) 

Turkey gumbo (LA Times)

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. However you may celebrate, pre-, post-, or not-at-all, I hope you give thanks and celebrate your blessings, because there always are some.

Who's Being Unfair?

I woke up the other day feeling so tired and worn out. Life felt so unfair, like it was always throwing at me more than I could handle. Like I had too many responsibilities and too much to do. But then I felt the Still, Small Voice speak: “If you’re saying life’s unfair, who’s being unfair? God?”
I was immediately convicted. Oswald Chambers writes in My Utmost for His Highest, “To discuss or deliberate over spiritual matters when God calls is inappropriate and disrespectful to Him” (December 22). I have so, so many of the things I’ve always wanted, and I need to be thankful, so thankful. But I wasn't. And in telling myself life was unfair, I was debating God and his denying His goodness. I don’t want to do that. “Belief is not the result of an intellectual act, but the result of an act of my will whereby I deliberately commit myself,” Chambers later writes. So if I believe that God is good, I need to make a commitment to acknowledging and stop believing the lies. If anything is unfair, it was the sacrifice of Christ’s life for mine. What I deserve is death and damnation. Yet God was merciful and offered Jesus to pay my for sin. That is reason in and of itself to be eternally grateful!

So in the strength of the Spirit, I’ll go in believing. I’ll go on trusting. I’ll start, by God’s grace, giving thanks and being grateful more. I believe. May I, by the Holy Spirit’s power, will my thoughts and actions to align.

Iconic Seattle

We visited family in Washington over the holidays, and one day my husband took me to Seattle, to see the city, but also so I could take pictures at the iconic sites. Here's where we visited:

The Gum Wall

Yucky, but cool. The name says it all....

Pikes's Place Market

An iconic farmer's market with fresh apples, fresh and dried flowers, local fish, and all sorts of specialty shops. 

Pier 57/The Seattle Ferris Wheel

Puget sounds is beautiful, even on a cloudy day. Enough said.

The Original Starbuck's

No, we didn't go inside, but we got a picture outside. The restaurant was mobbed!

The Space Needle

At a cost of over $30 a person and my fear of heights, we didn't actually go up in it, but it was still a sight to behold. Plus, we walked through part of the Museum of Pop Culture on the way there.

If you've been to Seattle, where did you go? Are there any places we missed? Please comment below.

Lessons Learned from a Power Outage

It had been an exciting day, and I had my evening all planned out. I was going to research a few things on the internet, take a hot shower, eat a nice leisurely snack while reading the newspaper, and go to bed early or on time (a novelty these days). And then the power went out.

I was ticked. Power is a first world luxury, but I wanted it, needed it. I felt angry about having to walk around the house use my cell phone as a flash light. (I was blessed the phone was charged.) I felt disgruntled that I couldn't use internet. I wanted light for my shower. I felt I deserved my routine after the busyness of the day. I felt I needed that nightly set of habits to be safe. In my anger and frustration, I even prayed for the power to come back on. It didn't.

I obsessively checked the power outage map on my cell phone. It said power restoration at 12:24 am, but would update every five minutes. I checked every five minutes, or less. No changes. I debated not taking a shower, but decided against it. I needed a shower, even if it wasn't how I wanted it. The Spirit convicted me that I was looking to earthly things for comfort when God was my comfort. Things therefore, weren't going to change.

So I took my shower, got my snack, and started trying to read the newspaper by hurricane lamp. I put my phone away. I didn't finish my internet research. Finally, I got to a place where I was almost content. And then right before I went to bed, the power came back on. That was a blessing, as I rely on a box fan for white noise, and I needed power for that. But to be honest, I was a bit miffed. I lost "my evening" for the power outage, and now I really needed to go to bed. So I tried to cultivate a spirit of thanksgiving and gratitude and go to sleep.

I think I'm seeking the Lord, walking in His ways, and relying on Him, and then little things show me I'm not. Oh, how I need the grace of God, every hour, every minute, every breath. He's my Power Source.

Gathering Around the Table

Yesterday was my first Thanksgiving dinner at home in 11 years (if I calculated right). Yes, I've been back in  Arizona two years, but the first year, we went to a friend's house for dinner. Last year, I went to Wisconsin and ate with my brother. This year, I was home.

We talked a lot as a family about what we wanted to do for the holiday. When I lived on my own, my tradition was to serve at Salvation Army on Thanksgiving, and eat dinner the day afterward. But that was my tradition, not my family's. Making plans was a joint effort, not just mine. This year, after we discussed several different ideas, we decided we wanted to host friends who might not otherwise have places to go. So we invited over nine people, and ended up with seven guests. (Yes, I know that might not seem like a lot of people to us, but for a family of three, two of us who were introverts, it was a lot.) We ended up with a total of 10 around our table.

We really wanted to share not only our food, but our blessings as a family at this dinner. We wanted to share our home and our culture and own love. To that extent, I made these thanksgiving jars for our guests:

We'd started a gratitude practice in our home earlier this year, and I thought it would be neat to share it with others. It was. As each person shared their thanks, my heart swelled with gratitude to the God who has blessed us with all this.

Thanksgiving was also about sharing life and life stories. I knew the stories of several friends around the table, but not all. It was interesting to to listen to individual ones tell more of their tales and to hear the thread of God's grace woven throughout. I also had a chance to share about the healing work God has been doing in my life over the past few years.

Some of our guests had to leave early. Most didn't stay long. Only a few could stay to help clean up, but that wasn't really an issue. Thanksgiving was good, and I hope people went away feeling deeply satisfied.

In the end, our Thanksgiving was about more than food (and I think it always should be. It was about filling hearts more than bellies. It was about gathering to share an experience. It was about taking our eyes off ourselves and placing them on the Creator. I was about giving thanks. I don't know if we'll host a dinner this big every year, but for this year, it was special. 

Thanks to all who came, and most of all, to the Creator of it all!