He Is Always With Us

It's awesome how God can be with each and every one of us 24/7. He truly is amazing. It's nice to know that even when we are weak, He is with us. He will give us the strength to endure and finish the race that is set before us! As a runner I find it easy to relate to those who feel as though they are struggling through races. My sister Katie told me about how God gave her the strength to finish a cross country race and I thought I would share it with you!

"It was my last meet of the season. The night before I remember praying to God to give me the strength to race well the next day. During the middle of the race I felt weak. I was tired. Like REALLY tired. I said another prayer. It was crazy! Seconds later I felt Him with me! He woke me up! All of a sudden I felt my eyes open. I finished the race strong and I got my best time of the season!" 

With God we can do anything! He will always be there on our side supporting us. There aren't cheerleaders for cross-country or track, but with God and of course our fantastic friends and family, we have everything we need! One of my favorite verses comes from Isaiah. During races when I feel weak and tired, I remind myself of this verse. Suddenly I feel rejuvenated and as though I can take on the world! It makes running so much easier knowing that He is with me. 

"He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

~Isaiah 40:29-31

Live as Jesus Would

If you're Christian, you have probably heard the saying "Live as Jesus Would". I find myself saying this quite often. With the technology advances it's hard to live exactly how Jesus did when he came to earth. We can still try to achieve this goal. The question is, how would Jesus live? But guess what! There's an answer! God wants us to live a life as Jesus would! He has a plan for each and everyone of us. While we follow his plan we should act as Jesus would. The Bible describes how we can become better Christians. The Ten Commandments are what one generally thinks of first. They are major laws that everyone should abide by. The second thing I thought of are The Fruit of the Spirit. 

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

These seem so easy to achieve! However in reality, we all struggle with at least one of these fruits. The Bible explains so many other ways to live like Jesus. To live as a Christian would. Everyone should take time out of their day to sit down read a passage (at least) and pray to God to help us to be more like him. Without the Lord helping us through we wouldn't be where we are today!

This evening I went to a Bible Study with my friends. Our focus is currently on Romans. Today we read Romans 2. In this passage, Paul describes to us laws regarding Judgement. It's important to remember that by judging others, one is also in the wrong. when doing good works, our society turns to others for praise. However we shouldn't turn to others! Rather we should turn to God and thank Him for allowing us to do great things! After all he created us to be His hands on earth! Each and everyday we can work towards living as Jesus would! 

Activity Time!
The goal is to take each day to become more like Jesus. When you wake up each morning, read a passage regarding Gods desires for us to be more like Jesus. After reading choose an objective to work at. For example if I were to read Galatians 5, I may take the day to work at being patient. Throughout the day, if you see yourself struggling to be patient, remind yourself to act as Jesus would! 

I hope you take the time to "Live as Jesus Would". Not everyone can be perfect, though we can all strive for greatness! 

The Art of Running

Run- to go quickly by moving the legs more rapidly than at a walk and in such a manner that for an instant in each step all or both feet are off the ground.

What is it that makes running so magnificent? Running is an amazing sport. How many sports are there that people of all ages can participate in? The feeling you get when you step outdoors to go for a run is stunning. That moment your feet hit the pavement, the wind blowing threw your hair (some days more so than others), watching the sun rise as you coast up the hill. Running will take you everywhere! All you need is a pair of tennis shoes and your set! One does not have to be a competitive racer to be a runner. Some run for leisure and enjoyment, while others run for the competition. Some like to run on their own for time alone, others enjoy running with friends. Everybody has the ability to run. One must take the first step however. I know that I would not be the runner I am now without Jesus by my side. I always feel better knowing, even if I am running by myself, I'm never really alone. He is with me everywhere I go! 

Being on the Cross Country and Track team, I have come to realize this truly isn't an individual sport. We have to work as a team. Push each other everyday to get stronger and faster. There are some days we get tired and stop trying. At these moments, we must understand that no matter how hard the situation may be, He is with us. The Lord will give us the strength to endure, to push past the breaking point, and succeed. He will always be on our team! Running is a gift from Him. We are blessed to be born with two legs. We were born to run! It's amazing what we are capable. Running is a beautiful sport and I wish everyone would take it up! 

When running for the first time, it's important to know you won't be an Olympic athlete the second you take your first step. One must continue to work towards your goals. With time you will get better every day! It will take time to get to where you want to be. God will be patient with you. When your tired and you want to quit remember that He is always with you! Running truly is magnificent! 

"For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

In The Beginning...

Hi There! Today marks my first day as a "blogger". As for today I decided I would start with letting you know a little about me! I'm an all American girl who going into her senior year of High School. I love running, music, baking, family, and above everything, Jesus! I run cross country and track at my high school. A distance runner at heart with the need for speed! I love playing the piano, violin, and flute. I'm currently learning how to play the guitar. I know only two chords so far, but it's a start! The best part about baking is licking the bowl. Yes, I am that girl who pulls out her spoon to get every last drop of the cookie dough before my Mom takes it away to clean it. As for my family, I live in a family of four. There's Mom, Dad, (Me), my sister Katie, our dog Molly, and two fish (Blu and Fish-we weren't all that creative in their names). Mom is a librarian at the elementary school and Dad is a physican at the hospital. Katie is a country girl with a passion for horses. I am the daughter of a Great King, Jesus. He is my Savior! The Lord created this beautiful world just for us! Isn't that amazing! We have so much to be thankful for. He has given us this blessing we call life! Nobody is greater than Him!

So you maybe wondering why I created this blog. The answer to that, to spread the word about Jesus Christ through running and other adventures I may come across. Today in church our pastor gave a sermon on the Parable of the Sower from Matthew 13. From this passage I realized that we must take the word of God to heart. We can't just read the Bible and say "Yay! One thing checked off my Bucket List!" To truly understand the Bible we must take the knowledge and apply it to the world around us. We only get one chance to live on this earth. We must make the most of our lives. God has a plan for everyone. We are His hands on earth. Our mission is to spread the Word of God to others! 

With this blog I hope to bring a little bit of sunshine to your day! Remember that simply being positive is the key to happiness! I hope your having a fantastic day! 

"But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:23