Pressing On

I love that I have a running partner in Annie. I've always wanted a dog to go running with and I'm   she sure loves it too. In fact, each morning she watches my every move. Scratch that, she walks under my feet anticipating my next move. She is very smart in many ways. She knows the  difference in my running shoes and my regular work out shoes. If I put on workout shoes she knows we are hitting the workout room and it won't involve more than her licking my face,  chewing my arm or lying on the mat while I try to do sit ups.  But when those colorful Brooks come out of the closet, she starts her dancing and spinning and basically freaking out. If you've seen the Dr. Doolittle movie when the dog is jumping up and down asking a million times for him to throw the ball, you get a visual of what this looks like. She loves to go running.  The problem is, she wants to lead. All the time. And she has her own pace that she likes to run. Fast. Right out of the gate. I p...

I do a bit of online shopping. For many of the same reasons most of you probably do. It's convenient, I can't always find my favorite brand of things in a new state and often times things are just cheaper online.  The perfume I wear is expensive no matter where I look. So, I looked online. I read some reviews on one site and all of them basically said the same thing. " doesn't smell like the real deal" " better off going to a department store and splurging." Sadly, you can't trust all reviews. But these were the majority. So I moved on to a more popular website that promised authentic brands for less. The reviews confirmed so I went for it. It arrived within a few days. Another reason I love online shopping #youvegotmail.  I know my perfume smell so when it came in the mail I was surprised and extremely disappointed that it smelled nothing like the real deal. It smelled more like rubbing alcohol. Of course, I went with the big bottle to get ...

It's easy to do the familiar because it feels safe and comfortable. I typically go to the same stores, restaurants and coffee shops that I like. I have my favorite parking places, buy the same brand of things and order the same tall americano nine times out of ten. It's safe.  I have become very familiar now with our neighborhood and the route that I run, three to four times a week. I really don't even need to take my watch with me anymore. I know what street I need to turn down if I want to add another mile to my run. I know what street I need to cross because there's a barking dog that I fear may clear the fence one day. I know what sidewalk has a pitch in it and I will need to watch my step so I don't trip and fall on my face. I love that familiarity about those runs. But, it can feel routine and sort of like a going-through-the-motions kind of thing. Today, I had an early appointment that would put me in an area that isn't too far from our house. I'v...

I bought this cute little box garden in Massachusetts over a year ago. The lady who made it called it a fairy garden. She took an old miniature drawer  lined it with plastic, filled it with soil, a few miniature garden tools, a picket fence, wheel barrel and some small plants. I loved it and  brought it home. I placed it in the morning sunlight as instructed and watered it when the soil was dry.  And yet, those little plants still didn't grow. In fact, they withered away and died. I chalked if off to  my history with living plants. I do not have a green thumb at all. I finally got around to pulling up the dead plants and intended to replant something else, I'm not one to give up. To my surprise  the soil was hard and full of rocks. So it was more likely the quality of the soil rather than the color of my thumb that stunted its growth. Those roots of the planted greens never stood a chance in that unhealthy, rocky soil.  There is a house f...

I sat with a woman a while ago who though tears, asked me to pray for the salvation of her kids. Her heart is broken over the path they are choosing to walk. My heart broke for her.  Then she asked me something that caused my heart to hurt more. "Do you think God is punishing me for my past?" I was quick to reach across the table to touch her arm, look her in the eye and with confidence say, "NO! God loves your children even more than you do and He wants them to turn to Him more than we can ever imagine, He would never withhold His salvation from them."  I remember  when I first came to know Jesus and my eyes were opened to all of my past sin. It was heart wrenching. The way I lived and the things I had done that I had no idea were sin in God's eyes. The remorse and shame I felt was painful and yet I was overwhelmed with God's complete forgiveness. So much so that I wanted to repent, to turn from that past and turn to Him. To seek His will in my life.  When ...

Annie is constantly giving me new material to write about. I keep hearing promise of how she will grow up and the puppy phase will pass. I like the puppy phase in most ways but it's the out of control stupidity that makes me crazy. She can be so sweet and loving in one moment and then the next, it's like someone takes over and she turns into something else. All that training I've been doing with her goes out the window. Literally in this last case.  But when I think about it, it's her natural tendency to be wild and out of control. I mean she's a dog. A hunting dog no less. So why am I surprised when a squirrel, bird or cat walk by the window she goes nuts?  I love having her around. She is a great companion and as a running partner, she gets me out the door most days when I don't want to. She typically follows me around the house watching my every move to see what we will do next. Is a game of frisbee in her near future or some snacking from the kitchen involve...