22 July 2010

200 Miles

Life is training. Training is life.

This is not a new moniker. But I have new perspective about it today.

I just finished an astonishing book called, "Ultra Marathon Man" by Dean Karnazes. To say that he fully tests human frailty and limits would be minimal. This is a man who has run over 200 miles in one setting. He has run a marathon in Antarctica, to the South Pole. (Think about that for a minute!) He has run from the lowest point in the U.S. (Death Valley) to the highest point (Mt. Whitney) as a 135-mile footrace - see http://www.badwater.com/ - in temps in excess of 130 degrees.

This is extreme. This is a fire burning so deeply inside, nothing can stifle it.

This story is his strongest life. And it is incredibly inspiring to me to know that others hunger for a passionate life like I do. That undeniable inner "push and prod" that I just can't deny - it's my personal fire. Do I have the desire to run 200 miles in one setting? Let's just say, my 200 miles will have a look of it's own. Maybe it's in running. Maybe it's not. This I know: my strongest life will be passionately and purposefully discovering just what my 200 miles is.

And then acting on it.

08 July 2010

10 days ...

I don't think I realized it would take 10 days to be fully here. We are moved and settled, finally. It was long and hard and good and fun, all at once. And now there is peace.

I am peaceful knowing we have space with which to serve others and build relationships. I am peaceful knowing our children have room to grow together and in solitude. I am peaceful knowing my husband and I have our first home together. It is not ideal. But it is ours. And we have dreams to fulfill that will begin in this space. That is hope.

Today I read in Hosea, Psalms, and the book of Hebrew. The theme I saw was "Solid Food to Move Forward". I believe that my discipline to pursue friendship with God is the solid food I need in order to realize the dreams He gives me. That very same solid food gave me strength to get through a tough 10 days of transition. And my strongest life? It would be nothing without clarity of mind, heart, and spirit.

To solid food!