Running

My son ran cross country in the fall and improved from a beginner in June to breaking into the top 10 at his high school. Now he's joined the track and field team to continue long distance running. Wednesday was the parent meeting informing us of the meets, the volunteer opportunities, and the money required to pay for transportation, etc. (I'm now a sports team parent!)

I Corinthians 9:24-25 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

He's trying to letter in a high school sport in hopes that it will help when he applies for admission to the Air Force Academy. I'm amazed at his drive to reach his goal because he also has an exceptionally difficult class schedule with all honors or advanced placement classes. He's defined a path and is running in a way to obtain it.

My prayer is that he keeps his eyes on the imperishable crown.

Watchful Security

My baby girl turned 11 this week and we've celebrated for days. Dinners, sweets and presents have surrounded her all week. Is she spoiled? Probably. Yes. She is the only girl and the youngest of my parents' 4 grandkids.

It's been a fast 11 years and I'm writing this as I'm sitting outside a store where she is attending a birthday party for a friend. She's reached that age when she no longer wants me to stay with her at all times, but she wants to know where I am at all times, just in case. In case of what, I don't know. It's just one of those things that makes her feel more secure.

And God does the same thing for us.

Job 24:23 He gives them security, and they rely on it; yet His eyes are on their ways. 

Strange Weather and Good Kids

When a Sunday morning dawns at 18 degrees and five days later the high is 73 degrees, I've usually changed time zones. However, this week it happened at home. That's one of the cool things about living in the Southeast: if you don't like the weather just hang around, it'll be different in a few days. I don't really think winter is over, but the splash of spring this weekend was fabulous.

This is also the weekend that for the past 11 years the kids have been carted to the Picture People for a yearly photo together. Against their will, I force them to go and smile for the camera. This year I found out our usual location had shut down. The kids thought they were off the hook until I decided to do the photos myself, outside, in the spring-like weather. After feeding them at Macaroni Grill, I brought them home to pose out by the lush, green cypress trees. It was fun for me and they actually cooperated. I don't think they are as opposed to the photos as they lead me to believe.

Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

Although I'll need to find a way to print the photos, I believe this may be our new tradition.

Snowfall

When you live in he South, snow is not an every year occurance. When the forecasters say there is a chance of snow, it usually doesn't materialize. However, when they say 2-4 inches, you tend to perk up and hold out some hope that the white stuff will fall. You prepare to be inside for a few days because power might go out with pines falling on the lines or roads might be impassable because there's no need to invest in snow/ice removal equipment when we get less than an inch of snow on average each year.

On Friday we prepared. We had some pretty snow whitening the ground around 10 p.m.

Job 37:5-6a God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. For He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth';

The next morning we eagerly looked out the window to discover...no more, that was it. No more snow had fallen. No snowmen or snow cream were in our future. The tiny bit of snow was frozen and our disappointment was evident.

Now we look on the bright side. We were released early from school and work, we finished the laundry early, we picked up more groceries to cook at home and we stayed warm when the temps dropped to the teens. For all of that I am grateful that God said to the snow, 'Fall on the earth.'

Ice packs and Ibuprofen

I missed writing my blog last week, not because of Christmas, but because of pain. The week before Christmas brought some tight deadlines at work and a tight back muscle. It got worse as the week progressed. By Thursday I was calling my doctor, but with the holidays no one could see me. I used heat compresses, cold compresses, ibuprofen, Icy Hot patches and anything that might bring relief. Unfortunately the pain became my companion.

My doctor referred me to Physical Therapy, but without X-rays I was wary of what needed to be done. It was time to seek other help. On Wednesday I visited a chiropractor who took X-rays and showed me what had most likely been there for many years, but had been aggravated by stress. My spine is curved between my shoulder blades and my neck looks similar to a whiplash injury. 

The solution is to get it all straight again, which is going to take some time. The first adjustments relieved the worst of the pain, now I'm looking forward to Tuesday for visit #2. 

Psalm 38:21-22 Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

I'm starting 2017 with a hopeful outlook that I can be completely relieved of the pain, improve my posture, improve my strength and discover exactly what God wants me to do this year.