So this evening I had Hope Circle at Church. It is the LWML Circle that I attend. What I wanted to tell all of you who might be out there reading my blog (and I know some people do!) is that we are about ready to start a 2 year process of reading through the Bible.
We are doing it with the Today's Light Bibles, which is a great devotional Bible. It provides a preview of the reading, then you read scripture and at the end it has a summary/devotion of sorts to bring it all together and most importantly remind us of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Bible can be purchased in brown or in purple either at the links provided or even at your local Christian Bookstore. If you want to be part of our discussions online please follow this link and subscribe to the blog on the left side. As we want everyone to be "In the Word, Of the Word, Walking with our Lord" this is something that is open to everyone, male or female.
The actually Bible Study that meets is just for women though, as it is an LWML group. :-)
I just can't wait to celebrate the 4th of July with the first reading from this wonderful devotional Bible. I have done it before and I think highly of it. Please consider joining me! If you don't want to purchase the Bible, you can still subscribe to the blog and we'll make sure you know what the readings are.
30 June 2011
28 June 2011
LWML Convention: Top 10 Things Learned
So last Wednesday thru Sunday I was in Peoria, Illinois at the LWML Biennial Convention. I found myself going there because I was selected to be a Young Woman Representative (YWR) for my district. A friend from CUW was the other one selected for my district. I did not know what I was getting myself into...
Now for all you wonderful ladies that do not fit the stereotype, to many of us younger women LWML (Lutheran Women's Missionary League) is a mystery to us and mainly made up of white and gray haired ladies that run the kitchen at Church. Now some of us might know this isn't completely true (Ok, some of us had mothers involved in it and they still aren't white or gray haired), but I don't think many of really know what the LWML does or what it's purpose is.
Well, going to the convention was a learning experience. Somethings that I did discover is that it is not about a bunch of older women, wearing purple, asking for mites and running the kitchen at Church. Now I think deep down inside I knew that all of that isn't what the whole organization is about, but I never really knew what it was about either.
I would just like to give you a brief rundown on what I found out. If you are part of an LWML society and would like to get young women connected in your Church, let me know and I will try to share some of the wisdom that I gleaned from the weekend.
10. Not all the women have white and gray hair. :-)
9. Despite some lunch serving problems and technical difficulties Phyllis Wallace was still a great speaker and found the humor in a frustrating situation.
8. I still don't completely understand the problem with the word "intentional."
7. The first worship service I have ever attended where when written "women only" for a hymn stanza it didn't sound very different from when men and women were singing. However, when it said "men only" you suddenly knew where to find all the men in the crowd!
6. There are some younger LWML groups started and thriving out there.
5. The LWML national president that finished her term is a wonderful lady who has a focus on Women "in the word, of the word, walking with our Lord." And who would knock Bible Study?
4. National Conventions are busy and I came home feeling way more sleep deprived than I ever imagined at an "older women's" conference!
3. Katie Stam is not only completely gorgeous, but very Lutheran and an amazing speaker who made everyone cry at her speech.
2. I couldn't walk anywhere without running into someone I know or at least someone who has strong connections to someone I know.
1. LWML Mites are mighty strong in supporting missions!
They raised $1,825,000.00 to go towards missions and this page to see where they went to in the past.
Now for all you wonderful ladies that do not fit the stereotype, to many of us younger women LWML (Lutheran Women's Missionary League) is a mystery to us and mainly made up of white and gray haired ladies that run the kitchen at Church. Now some of us might know this isn't completely true (Ok, some of us had mothers involved in it and they still aren't white or gray haired), but I don't think many of really know what the LWML does or what it's purpose is.
Well, going to the convention was a learning experience. Somethings that I did discover is that it is not about a bunch of older women, wearing purple, asking for mites and running the kitchen at Church. Now I think deep down inside I knew that all of that isn't what the whole organization is about, but I never really knew what it was about either.
I would just like to give you a brief rundown on what I found out. If you are part of an LWML society and would like to get young women connected in your Church, let me know and I will try to share some of the wisdom that I gleaned from the weekend.
10. Not all the women have white and gray hair. :-)
9. Despite some lunch serving problems and technical difficulties Phyllis Wallace was still a great speaker and found the humor in a frustrating situation.
8. I still don't completely understand the problem with the word "intentional."
7. The first worship service I have ever attended where when written "women only" for a hymn stanza it didn't sound very different from when men and women were singing. However, when it said "men only" you suddenly knew where to find all the men in the crowd!
6. There are some younger LWML groups started and thriving out there.
5. The LWML national president that finished her term is a wonderful lady who has a focus on Women "in the word, of the word, walking with our Lord." And who would knock Bible Study?
4. National Conventions are busy and I came home feeling way more sleep deprived than I ever imagined at an "older women's" conference!
3. Katie Stam is not only completely gorgeous, but very Lutheran and an amazing speaker who made everyone cry at her speech.
2. I couldn't walk anywhere without running into someone I know or at least someone who has strong connections to someone I know.
1. LWML Mites are mighty strong in supporting missions!
They raised $1,825,000.00 to go towards missions and this page to see where they went to in the past.
13 June 2011
San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
A week ago yesterday I did something I never imagined myself ever doing...
...I participated in a full marathon!
This was something I had been training and fundraising for since the end of January. I did it with Team in Training (TNT), and with it raised about $2,900 to fight blood cancers. My reward was to go to San Diego and do the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon there.
Training was bumpy at best. Basically since the end of September you could write in the calendar that every 3-4 weeks I would have a cold and you were probably right. During my training, the cold would sent in really hard core during my big mileage build ups... So I missed a fair amount of training... At the recommitment time with Team in Training, I was feeling good about what I had been able to run and thought that if I just don't get sick much more (I mean eventually I am going to stop having colds right?) I should be golden on my marathon goal. Then came my April cold (which I went to the doctor for to get antibiotics to fight it) and then my May cold...
Well, I was still feeling ok about the running I had done. When I went out, the runs went pretty well! So I pushed forward to the 20 mile run day... That day was the day my knees started giving me trouble. During the colds I had in April and May I stopped doing all the weight training I had been doing before and my knees did not like that. I didn't intentionally stop, I just was sick and didn't have time between all the subbing, tutoring, choir concerts, meetings and everything else that I was involved in...
After that day (3 weeks before the main event) I gave my knees a rest and basically did not run. I tried to go out one day, but quickly realized that it was a bad idea, as my knees started bothering me right after I started running...
On the plane to San Diego I was nervous, thinking I shouldn't even try to run, just walk the whole thing, walking doesn't hurt my knees after all! Well, that was when I met Linda. She also was participating in the event and her daughter, Natalie, was going to meet us in San Diego for it as well. She was also a TNT participant. She suggested I try a few things at the expo and just give the running a try on the day of. So I did.
I got my knees taped, I rolled out my muscles with the Stick and prayed for the best. I got to do some walking around and site seeing in San Diego while we were out there too. Sunday morning quickly arrived and I put my gear on. Nervously I made my way out to where Natalie and Linda were lining up. Soon the race started and about 40 minutes later our corral left the gate.
Amazingly we were averaging about a 10 minute mile! This went on for about 5-6 miles! I was ecstatic, my knees did not hurt real bad and I was making amazing progress.
Then the knee pain set in. For a few miles (ending at mile 11) we were on this highway that had a grade, so one foot was generally higher than the other. My knees were shot, they did not like this marathon idea anymore and let me know it. I stopped at a med tent and got some tylenol. It helped some. I was left with walking out the rest.
I kept a pretty good pace. In fact I was running with Natalie, but when I started walking she kept running on. I walked so fast that I caught back up to her by mile 18 again. After which we both walked together for a while. Actually looking online, at mile 20 I had only been out 4 hours and 40 minutes (a 14 minute mile, despite knee pain). But the last 6.2 miles took me almost another 2 hours to finish (making my average pace end at just under 15 minutes a mile) with an ending time of 6 hours and 26 minutes.
The rest of the day I spent icing my knees and feet and hoping for the best. To my surprise I woke up the next day with virtually no knee pain, just the rest of my muscles were sore from the 26.2 miles.
It was a lot of fun, I don't know if I would do a whole marathon again, but I would definitely do a half again. Currently I am signed up to run the 8K at the Fifth Season Race here in town on the 4th of July. Ben will be running with me. They also have a 5K which is a run or a walk, so feel free to come join us for some 4th of July fun!
My other goal is to run the Park to Park half marathon in September. I am always good for company on any or all the races that I do! The important thing is it be active, so whether you are a runner or a walker, it is all GREAT exercise! If you have never done a race I strongly encourage you to do it!
...I participated in a full marathon!
This was something I had been training and fundraising for since the end of January. I did it with Team in Training (TNT), and with it raised about $2,900 to fight blood cancers. My reward was to go to San Diego and do the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon there.
Training was bumpy at best. Basically since the end of September you could write in the calendar that every 3-4 weeks I would have a cold and you were probably right. During my training, the cold would sent in really hard core during my big mileage build ups... So I missed a fair amount of training... At the recommitment time with Team in Training, I was feeling good about what I had been able to run and thought that if I just don't get sick much more (I mean eventually I am going to stop having colds right?) I should be golden on my marathon goal. Then came my April cold (which I went to the doctor for to get antibiotics to fight it) and then my May cold...
Well, I was still feeling ok about the running I had done. When I went out, the runs went pretty well! So I pushed forward to the 20 mile run day... That day was the day my knees started giving me trouble. During the colds I had in April and May I stopped doing all the weight training I had been doing before and my knees did not like that. I didn't intentionally stop, I just was sick and didn't have time between all the subbing, tutoring, choir concerts, meetings and everything else that I was involved in...
After that day (3 weeks before the main event) I gave my knees a rest and basically did not run. I tried to go out one day, but quickly realized that it was a bad idea, as my knees started bothering me right after I started running...
On the plane to San Diego I was nervous, thinking I shouldn't even try to run, just walk the whole thing, walking doesn't hurt my knees after all! Well, that was when I met Linda. She also was participating in the event and her daughter, Natalie, was going to meet us in San Diego for it as well. She was also a TNT participant. She suggested I try a few things at the expo and just give the running a try on the day of. So I did.
I got my knees taped, I rolled out my muscles with the Stick and prayed for the best. I got to do some walking around and site seeing in San Diego while we were out there too. Sunday morning quickly arrived and I put my gear on. Nervously I made my way out to where Natalie and Linda were lining up. Soon the race started and about 40 minutes later our corral left the gate.
Amazingly we were averaging about a 10 minute mile! This went on for about 5-6 miles! I was ecstatic, my knees did not hurt real bad and I was making amazing progress.
Then the knee pain set in. For a few miles (ending at mile 11) we were on this highway that had a grade, so one foot was generally higher than the other. My knees were shot, they did not like this marathon idea anymore and let me know it. I stopped at a med tent and got some tylenol. It helped some. I was left with walking out the rest.
I kept a pretty good pace. In fact I was running with Natalie, but when I started walking she kept running on. I walked so fast that I caught back up to her by mile 18 again. After which we both walked together for a while. Actually looking online, at mile 20 I had only been out 4 hours and 40 minutes (a 14 minute mile, despite knee pain). But the last 6.2 miles took me almost another 2 hours to finish (making my average pace end at just under 15 minutes a mile) with an ending time of 6 hours and 26 minutes.
The rest of the day I spent icing my knees and feet and hoping for the best. To my surprise I woke up the next day with virtually no knee pain, just the rest of my muscles were sore from the 26.2 miles.
It was a lot of fun, I don't know if I would do a whole marathon again, but I would definitely do a half again. Currently I am signed up to run the 8K at the Fifth Season Race here in town on the 4th of July. Ben will be running with me. They also have a 5K which is a run or a walk, so feel free to come join us for some 4th of July fun!
My other goal is to run the Park to Park half marathon in September. I am always good for company on any or all the races that I do! The important thing is it be active, so whether you are a runner or a walker, it is all GREAT exercise! If you have never done a race I strongly encourage you to do it!
01 June 2011
You know you like to play games, when for your anniversary you play 7 different games in one night. This is a photo log of who won what games. Note Ben that won most of them, I wanted to let him think he still has a chance. I can't beat him all the time! ;-)
 |
| Cribbage |
 |
| Carcassonne |
 |
| Ticket to Ride: USA Map |
 |
| Ticket to Ride: Scandinavian Map |
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| Rummikub |
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| Alhambra |
 |
| Milles Bornes |
 |
| My Wins! |
 |
| Ben's Wins! |
And we still love each other!
We had a very nice anniversary. I would celebrate that way again! It was fun!
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