New Trails

I took this picture from here.

Today I found a new nature preserve! It is very close to a house I visit each week, so I am already plotting time to go to the house early and spend some time exploring the paths around the lakes at this forest preserve.

Curtains in the breeze

I took this photo from this great blog.

Healing

Today I am amazed by the body’s ability to heal and regenerate. For instance, last weekend I ran a marathon, and I could hardly walk on Saturday and Sunday. Monday I was feeling a little better, by Tuesday I wasn’t limping anymore. Today, Friday, I have already gone on a slow jog and basically feel better than I did even before the marathon. Isn’t it amazing how quickly my body can heal itself?

Another thing that has struck me about our bodies lately is the phenomenon of pregnancy. I am in my late 20s, so almost everyone I know has kids, is pregnant, or wants to have kids. I have seen a few of my friends in the final stages of pregnancy in the past few days, and I must admit, it still strikes me as odd that we can just grow a baby inside of us. We have a very creative Creator! I mean, if I had been creating the world, things would have been pretty boring. Not God, though, he keeps things interesting from the creation of the universe to the tiniest atoms, and we ourselves are by no means an exception! Maybe I will explore this more later, but the links above are some previous thoughts on this…

Composting

I have been pestering my parents about composting and recycling ever since I moved back home. I may not be here for long, but I really want to be responsible in the way that we dispose of our waste wherever I go. Plus, if I can get my parents into good composting habits, maybe they will keep it up once I leave.

We live near a landfill and from a nearby road you can see the hundreds of trucks that go up and down the hill carrying our trash each day. I have heard that even though some waste might be biodegradable, it will not biodegrade in a landfill because there is not enough air circulating. Many things can be composted, which not only breaks them down quickly and naturally, but also provides good soil to use in our garden. This part alone makes it worth it for me, because we have clay for soil, and few things grow in clay.

So yesterday my mother and I went on an excursion and purchased a composter! We had been debating about making one or buying one, and in the end we bought one. Today I spent some time putting it together and clearing out the perfect spot for it on the back of our property. I cleared the path to get to it, made sure it is on a level spot and that it gets enough sunshine to keep the temperature up (they tell me that part is important). I loaded up the bottom layer with twigs, dry leaves, and some yard waste that I hope will be a good starter. That’s what the directions said to do, so I am hoping it works.

We shall see how well it works, but for now it was a wonderful day spent outside in the summery heat getting my hands dirty!

I'm Sorry

Today I was struck by the maturity of a second grader. She seems to be a lot like I was as a child in personality, but I think she is more mature and less stubborn than I was!

I was having a good day again helping out in second grade, and then at the very end of the class something happened which didn’t involve me. As I was about to leave, the child who had been involved in the incident came over to the teacher and asked to speak with her. She said that she was sorry about the incident, and that next time she would make a better choice.

Oh, how I wish I spoke and heard these words more often. As adults we tend to get all high and mighty, thinking that we are right all the time, we had a right to act the way we did, or even if we admit to ourselves that what we did may have been wrong, we find it very hard to admit it to others. We have to save face. We have to stick to our guns.

But wouldn’t the world be a better place if we were able to admit our mistakes more readily and decide that next time we will make a better choice in our actions?

I learn from these kids every time I am with them.

Getting my hands dirty

Picture taken from here.

Since my marathon I have been enjoying the newly warm weather, going on walks, digging up weeds in my yard... just enjoying being outside. This morning I spent a lot of time trying to catch up on email, which is one of my least favorite tasks because it can be so overwhelming even though I am responding to people I like. To reward myself, or maybe just to have an excuse to get away from my computer, this afternoon I convinced my mother that we needed to plant her garden. We did a little planning, went to buy some seed packets and some plants and we got to work. I have been trying to extend her garden for awhile, and this year she is letting me, so that means I get to get my hands dirty a lot more and nurture life into these additional plants and then many of them are vegetables, fruits, and herbs, so later we will get to enjoy the yumminess of our investment!

Today's beauties: dirty hands and planting new plants!

Teachers going out of their way

Picture taken from here.

This semester I took an online class with online tests. I had a problem my computer or the technology with one of 15 quizzes, one of three exams, and my final exam. I was quite the problem student. My professor was patient with me, and he even gave me a chance to finish my final exam when my computer froze and the time on my timed, one-chance-only test ran out. He did a lot of work to allow me to finish the test at our testing center at school, ensuring that I couldn't go back to the questions that I had already done. This trust that I wasn't cheating (I WASN'T) allowed me to get a much higher grade in the class than I would have, and it caused my teacher to kind of have to rewrite the test just for one student. I am so thankful for teachers who have gone out of their way to help me with problems or just with the learning process.

Now I get to enjoy 24 hours of freedom before my summer semester begins!

Mothers

Well, this one was pretty much handed to me by our society's emphasis on moms for Mother's Day, but I must say that I have really appreciated my mom lately. She has been involved in a lot of the preparation for my marathon, and she was my biggest fan during the marathon. She has been teaching me many valuable lessons my whole life.

I am thankful for her example of discipleship, as she studies God's word every day and leads other women in studies and heads up a committee at her church that makes sure not one person gets sick, hospitalized, or has any large need without getting a card, a visit, flowers, meals, etc.

My mom always said that in life, you do the best that you can at the time. Sure, there are things you might regret or look back on and wish that you had done differently, but you must live in such a way as to always know that you did the best that you could at the time.

I love you mom!

Marathons

Picture borrowed from the NY Daily News here.

Today I had the privilege of running my first marathon. It has been a long journey, and it is not something I will write much about in this blog, but it was a really beautiful thing to see so many people valuing life and health and sharing in the passion that I have for running. Many people that I talked to were running their first marathon like me, or their second marathon. I thought it was interesting that so many were on their second, and I saw that it doesn't get any easier once you have done it once. I almost think it gets harder because you know what to expect. I will have to wait a few months to find that out though.

There was a point in the race where the path wound around almost in the shape of a teardrop. I could see the masses of runners behind me and in front of me, and it was really amazing to be a part of that.

This marathon was one of the beautiful experiences I have had that really moved me, choked me up a bit, and caused me to worship God for this unique expression of beauty. If you have never experienced a marathon, I encourage you to go as a spectator or a volunteer. Be loud, and find a place to root people on where support may be lacking. The runners will certainly appreciate your support, and you will get to see what I am talking about.

Lake Michigan blues

Picture taken from here.

Today I got to go to Lake Michigan to pick up my race packet for tomorrow's marathon. Kenosha, Wisconsin is my favorite local getaway because it is just a short drive away from my house but it is a whole different, beautiful world. Today the lake was a beautiful aqua blue, and I got to just take in the beauty for awhile. Although my race will be along the lake for quite a bit of time, I tend to not see or appreciate much of my surroundings during a race, so I wanted to really enjoy it today. And I did. And it was beautiful.

Sometimes You Just Gotta Color

Still in my anti-computer mindset, I put aside my normal computer-based studying techniques and brought out the old markers. Sometimes it just feels good to color...even if you're studying.

Enjoying the View

This is one of my old favorite views. I don't live near there anymore, but I used to love watching the sunset behind these hills each evening. Today I have been thinking about this place and the people I love who still live there. I am so thankful to have been able to live in this incredible beauty amidst such beautiful people.

I've been everywhere man

Lately I've been feeling like I am always packing, unpacking, driving, flying, planning, etc. Although I have been a lot of places, the more places I go, the more I realize how much I have yet to discover. But for today, I'm just enjoying singing along with Johnny from the comfort of my own home.

Mowing the Lawn

Picture taken from here.

It's time for one of my favorite summer activities again! I love the smell of the freshly cut grass, the time spent getting to know my lawn, the time to enjoy all the new spring growth, and the time I get to spend outside. I love mowing the lawn.

Chocolate Stores

South Haven, MI

Chocolate stores everywhere. Fudge. Dark Chocolate. White Chocolate. Milk Chocolate. Truffles. Chocolate covered nuts, caramels, pretzels, etc.

I have always said that my job is as far into the food service industry I want to go. But I think I may have found an exception. I love chocolate. I could certainly live in a chocolate store from 9-5 each day. Of course, I may have to increase my running regimen, but I think it would be fabulously worth it.