Ramblings

So I have heard other people write/talk about this little thing called pinterest and how it is apparently the best thing since sliced bread, oh and addictive. I really don't take other people's words for things but I am also one that doesn't like to necessarily follow the crowd (at least at first) BUT I am an extremely nosey person (not the most attractive quality I know) so yesterday after reading for the umpteenth time about pinterest and its awesomeness/addicting abilities I decided I had to see what it was. And everyone was right (go figure). I can't get enough of it! I found these photo (among many) from there that I had to share. 

                                                        Love it because it's so true.

Speaking of running. I am leaving the 17th for Mississippi till the 26th and than leave the 27th for Africa and wont be back till January 7th. Because of this very long break I will not be participating in any races until February so my blog with manly be about nonsense until I return from Africa. Just a warning.

If you have been following my blog than you should know by know I have a disorder. That disorder is called O.C.D. also known as Obsessive Christmas Disorder. For the last several years I have created my own 25 Days of Christmas List. I previously posted said list in October and in my last post I last left off sharing the Nov 24th and 25th activity and movie. So...

Nov 26th:
Activity- Christmas Tree Shopping!
A few years ago I insisted that we get a real tree and my parents were kind enough to oblige, and have every year since. For the last two or so years I have desperately wanted to cut down a real tree. It's generally my mom and I that go (despite the fact that I want it to be a family activity) so cutting one down was never really possible but this year I made sure my Dad and brother would be going with and...

...we finally cut down our own tree! LOVED IT! (I did anyway.) I always tell my my Mom how awesome my future family will be and how her grand kids wont be coming to her house but will be coming to Aunt Elise's house for Christmas. Why? Because I will lovingly force them to do family related activities and participate in traditions, which I will start. Pretty much my family has been holding me back as far as celebrating things goes so I will be going all out one day and I can't wait. (That's right, this isn't "all out".)
 Movie-

 Nov 27th:
Activity- Light outside!

 My Dad's awesome!
Movie-

Nov 28th:
Activity- Decorate my room! (Took me several hours, but all worth it in the end)

 Movie-

Nov 29th:
Activity- Decorate the tree!

 Movie-

Today's activity was decorating the house and the movie was Christmas in Connecticut. (Pictures to come.)

But before I go I just have to share this little cutie.

Nat one of the girls I am lucky enough to work with. Love her to death. And who wouldn't? I mean look at that face. Enough said.


Happy Christmas Celebrating Everyone! 

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

November 24th

Happy Thanksgiving! Though my favorite holiday is Christmas I do enjoy Thanksgiving. Family, friends, food and napping. How could anyone not like thanksgiving. This year I celebrated Thanksgiving with my Mom, Dad and Kyle (my sister celebrated with her husband and his family). I also was able to stop by Christina's house and visit with her and her family (who I like to acknowledge as my second family).
I woke up on Thanksgiving at 7:25 to head out to the Turkey Trot (5k) with my family. More than 3,100 people participated this year and among those included an old friend, Steph and her boyfriend Moises. Steph and I ran Track together during high school and she was easily one of my best friends. She is one of the many reasons I loved Fredrick High. So as you can imagine I loved being able to see her, run with her and talk. It felt like the good old days. The run itself, well Steph and I talked the entire time so it was just that a run, not a race, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

                                                                  Step and Moises

                                                           (So close to a good picture)

After the run and getting ready for the day I headed over to Christina's house. This Thanksgiving at the Nielson home was a particularly special one. Not only was their home filled with tons of family, they welcomed a new family member (not a baby). Alexis has been dating Bradley, well honestly I don't really know but it's feels like its been awhile so lets just go with that. I have been lucky enough to get to know Alexis a little bit over that time period and I have to say she is a beautiful, funny, smart and overall an incredibly warm and welcoming person. I have loved having someone that isn't technically apart of the Nielson family but is welcomed as one, and though I will miss having that other person, I am so happy that she will soon be an official Nielson. In my unimportant opinion she and Bradley are a perfect match for one another and I wish them a long, happy and loving marriage.
After the excitement at the Nielson's I went back to my house and planned for Black Friday. Than we all enjoyed in a delicious meal made by my Mom. After dinner I had to take a nap if I was going to survive Black Friday AND work. I was able to take a 3 hour nap and awake feeling refreshed. First thing I did: My Christmas Activity of course! On today's 25 Days of Christmas (and more!) List- Activity: Decorate Ornaments Movie: Jake Frost.

After which myself, Christina, Erin and Rebekah (Erin's sister-in-law) went to Walmart at 9pm for an early Black Friday. It was insane.

November 25th
BLACK FRIDAY! This year we hit Walmart, Target, and the Outlets. We started early 9pm the previous day and ended on Friday at around 730am. I did not finish all my Christmas shopping this year but I got close.

                                                      Target (picture credit to Erin's iPhone)

                          Today's Christmas Movie (The activity was Black Friday shopping)

                                   It's a major award! (One of my favorite purchase of the day.)

Side Note: Every Thanksgiving we all say what we are Thankful for, and so I am going to now. I am so blessed and as a result have so many things to be Thankful for so I will only give a few.
1. I am thankful for an all powerful, loving, forgiving, and just God. I am thankful that I am able to have a relationship with God. I am thankful that my family and friend know God and as a result we can grow and learn together. I am thankful that God has blessed me with so many things to be thankful for. I would have nothing of meaning without Him.
2. I am so thankful for my family. We all have our moments but I don't know what I would do without them. I know my family will love, support and challenge me as I continue to grow and will always be there to pick me up when I fall. I couldn't I ask for anything more.
I am also so thankful for my second family the Nielson's. Since Christina and I met they have opened their arms to me and welcomed me in. I am blessed enough to have my family, but to also have a second one, well it just doesn't get better than that . Their love and friendship over the past 9 years has meant more to me than words can describe.
3. Christina. Not many people have a friendship like we do and we both know that our friendship is only possible because of God. I love her and our friendship.
4. My job. God has blessed me with amazing families to work with who follow Him.

Again, I have so many things to be Thankful for but these are the 4 that first came to mind and each have made me into the person I am today.
Side Note DONE

More update to come as I continue to complete my 25 Days of Christmas!
Happy Holidays Everyone!

Inspiring

AND

http://vimeo.com/dangerowens/homeatlast

I found both of these videos through facebook friends and couldn't resist sharing as well. Both stories and beautiful, touching and inspiring. God is so good!

Mud Dog and A Love Letter

On Saturday I participated in the Mud Dog Run. Now this event is currently in a tie (maybe 2^nd but barely) for being the best with my Triathlon. If I had to use one word to describe the race I would choose the 5-cent word “awesome”. This race was awesome for many reasons.

1.     I was able to participate in the race with my best friend and this time we stuck together the entire time.

2.     I wasn’t race but just having a good time

3.     The obstacles

4.     The mud

5.     The other people that participated

6.     Getting interviewed at the end of the race

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=212231339223116396642.0004a8e86bfedefe6aece&msa=0&ll=39.474922,-77.404674&spn=0.001126,0.002363
http://muddogrun.com/race-day.html

Those two links sum up exactly what the Mud Dog Run is and what obstacle’s there were. It wasn’t super challenging but Christina and I had a great time and that’s what counts! We are definitely participating again next year! 

LOVE LETTER

I have been thinking a lot lately about God’s love and relationships. WARNING: My thoughts may be a bit scattered in this portion due to the fact that I am sick but like I said this something that has been on my heart so I decided to post anyway.

The Bible is a love letter written from God to us. This letter has everything we could ever possible need and want. Now I don’t know about you but if I received a love letter I would probably rip the envelope as quickly as possible and read that letter with excitement.  Why is it that we don’t open and read the Bible with this same excitement?

Someone made the comment recently that they can’t wait till they are older and at the point in a relationship where their significant other becomes their best friend. Where they know and continually share everything about one another. I am currently single and actually content BUT with that being said I am still your average girl and hope to one day meet a man, fall in love, get married and spend the rest of my life with that person. I believe most of us have that wired in us, a desire to connect with someone on some many different levels, to feel loved, wanted and desired.
When thinking of God in those terms is that not exactly what he wants from us, isn’t that what He is offering us? He wants to be our best friend. He already knows everything about us but he wants us to come to Him and share. We have the ability and resources to know everything about him yet we aren’t always willing to seek after Him. He loves wants and desires us and seeks the same from us, but once again we aren’t always so willing to reciprocate those feelings.

When thinking of an ideal relationship who are the people that first pop into your mind (They do not have to be real people)? Personally, Noah and Allie from the movie The Notebook are the people that first enter my mind. http://youtu.be/f9LRnEaMYBo

When watching this movie I can’t help but think “I want someone to do that for me.” (Or something along those lines.) It is so easy to watch movies, read books or even listen to music and automatically be filled with these wants, desires and expectations that for the most part are unrealistic. God is the only one who offers a realistic and perfect relationship and he describes that through His love letter. God created the perfect relationship. Jesus Christ and the Church. God created marriage as an example of Christ’s love for the church. Every relationship that you enter into should be one centered around Christ, one that pleases and brings honor and glory to God.  

Someone once told me to make a list of characteristics that I would want a guy to have. I never really made an “official list” but I have obviously thought about it. My “ideal guy the list” would look something like this: He is man of God, he is able to lead me spiritually, he loves me, protects me and provides for me. Obviously there are a few more things on my “list” but I found those characteristics to be the most important. (As women we also need to be seeking a noble character. I would suggest reading Proverbs 31:10-31)
When you describe some of Gods characteristics doesn’t he do just that. He leads me, loves me, protects me and provides for me? So why is it that we continually seek after this relationship with someone else when we have already been offered a perfect relationship. God will fill that hole in our hearts, He will never let us down, He will never leave us and He will always love us despite our faults. He went as far as sending His one and only son to die so that He could enter into this relationship with us.
I am the first to admit I have not always seeked after Christ as enthusiastically as I have a guy I’ve been interested in. This is not something I am proud of but luckily over the years and with a bit more maturity I have come to the realization that in order to ever have a successfully relationship with someone/anyone else I must first and foremost have my life revolve around Christ. I love the quote, “A woman’s heart should be so lost in God that a man must seek Him in order to find her.” This is what we as Christian women should strive for.
1 Corinthians 3:4 -7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

This is the perfect kind of love that God offers us. He created us, He wrote a love letter to us, He made the ultimate sacrifice for us. He has done everything to enter into a perfect relationship with us. Seek after Him and that relationship whole-heartedly and everything else will fall into place according to His perfect plan, in His perfect time.

 Jeremiah 29:11 ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Psalm 37:4 ⁴ Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.