Supporting Small Business

I am a BIG fan of "small business" - I mean really, where would our country be without small businesses?

Small business owners are visionaries and dreamers - something I think that the world could use more of.  Small business owners desire to fill a need in their communities and provide for their families.  They model a strong work ethic for their families, their employees and for their customers.

I like this message:

I enjoy working for a small business currently and have very much enjoyed  networking with small business owners through my involvement in local chambers of commerce.

When I heard about "cash mobs" I knew I wanted to be a part of them!  I had the opportunity to help start the first Cash Mob in Springboro, OH through the Springboro Chamber and tonight was our first Cash Mob.  We did something a little different when we decided to combine supporting local business with supporting a local charity and it was great!  We chose the Springboro IGA, family owned since 1958 and the Springboro Community Assistance Center.

When we contacted IGA they immediately mentioned including a way to support the SCAC - how awesome: we were doing something for IGA and they continued to take the opportunity to support the community! 

If you are not familiar with Cash Mobs they are an opportunity to support local business with a group of people arriving at once to spend $20 on products.  IGA decided that for every $20 order they would donate $2 to the SCAC!  We also passed out lists of the most needed items by the SCAC so that people could purchase items to help re-stock the bare shelves of summertime in addition to their own personal shopping.

We had 100 people participate tonight and both IGA and the SCAC benefited.  I highly recommend checking out a Cash Mob near you and I invite you to join me in Springboro for the next Cash Mob if you are able to do so.

As you make your weekend plans, figure out a way to support a local business or two while you're out and about!

Have a great day!

Jen

Keep on Going

So for some reason during my 5k on the 4th of July my ankle started hurting. I didn't think a whole lot about it because I was focusing on crossing the finish line.

I limped a little that afternoon and again didn't think much about it.  However it is almost a week later and my ankle is still hurting.

I visited the chiropractor once last week and again on Monday and he said that my fibia was out and he adjusted it.  He also said that the surrounding muscles were extremely tight.  So I have had some massage, ice, electric stim and two adjustments and it is still not back to normal.

Unfortunately that means that I have not run or done any cardio since July 4!

I have not given up on my training I know that I can make up for lost time with the help of Jeff, our awesome Team Challenge coach.  And I know that Everybody's Health will help get back to full performance as soon as possible.

I am getting an X-ray taken tomorrow just to be sure there is not a stress fracture.  I am also taking a supplement that is supposed to support bone healing and break down dead tissue.

It seems that I am being sidelined a little bit at the moment but there is still much to learn from here.  And of course it allows me to use the time I would be training to focus on my fundraising.

I will keep you posted after the X-ray and another day of supplements.

In the meantime, take care of yourselves and your health!

Jen

Thank You

Thank you are two simple words that when put together can have a big impact. At the end of this holiday celebrating our independence - and all of the freedoms we enjoy daily - it seems almost too simple to just say "thank you".

However, that is what I want to say today:

THANK YOU

Thank you to those that have served our country. Thank you to those that are currently serving. Thank you for your commitment, your dedication, and for sharing your time and talent for the benefit of our country and for those around the world. Thank you to the families of those serving and of those that have served. Your sacrifices do not go unnoticed and you too are serving our country with commitment and dedication.

My Grandpa Crosby was a WWII veteran and very patriotic. I think about him and miss him a little more each patriotic holiday.

Today I ran the Run for Liberty 5K and as I was thanking the course volunteers throughout the race, some of them thanked me for running. I responded with my favorite, "Chick-fil-A-ism": "my pleasure" and I got to thinking. These brief exchanges of gratitude could have a big impact on someone's day, and likely positively impact many people. It was hot this morning, no shade on the course and barely a breeze. I am sure many volunteers were thinking that they didn't have to be there this morning and were distracted and overwhelmed by the heat. My hope is that my thanking them as I ran by let them know how much their time and presence means to the runners. Hopefully that gave them some added motivation and energy to cheer for the runners and walkers behind me. Maybe that gave another runner or walker - or a handful of them- the encouragement they needed to stay the course, to keep going, to finish strong.

We choose our attitude and I have often said that is our most important decision, therefore we should choose wisely. I choose an attitude of gratitude and I hope my choice will let people know that I notice what they are doing and that they will keep doing their best, even when they think no one else notices.

Just maybe putting together two simple words

thank + you

will have more than a simple impact. We won't know unless we try. Join me in saying "thank you" to those around us - especially those who are just doing their job or that may otherwise go unnoticed.

I thank you for reading my blog, for your support during my training and for your donations to support finding a cure for those living with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Thank You!

Monday, Monday

Some people consider Monday the start of the week.  It has always made sense to me that Sunday is the beginning of the week.  It should be a day of renewal and planning.  A day to start again with energy and hope of what the week can hold.

Today I attended the church of my friend, Pastor Wayne, and it is always a great way to start my week.  Gathering with other believers willing to say, "Hey I'm not perfect but God does not ask me to be.  So here I am ready to recognize my weaknesses and failures and to start again."  I heard many of my favorite songs and some of the lines stood out in ways that only God can make happen, like piecing together letters from magazines to make a love note.  My love note from God today reminded me that God loves me "not because of who I am but because of what You've done.  Not because of what I've done but because of who You are" (Who Am I by the Casting Crowns) and it was a great reminder that there is nothing that I can do -nothing better or different - that I could do to make God love me more or cause God to love me less.
Wow.  How lucky we are!

So...a great start to a new week and I'm looking forward to what it has to offer - and to the challenge of discovering what I have to offer this week.

I have committed to training for this half marathon - no matter what Mother Nature has planned for the weather.  It may not be pretty - and probably will NOT be pretty- so you will not see post-training pictures.  However I will let you know how my training goes and keep you posted on my fundraising progress.

Here's hoping that you found time in your weekend to relax and renew so that you begin with hope for the week ahead.

Welcome

Welcome to "No Longer Sidelined" - the title refers to my decision to join Team Challenge after 3 years of cheering from the sidelines as Team Challenge Manager in Southwest Ohio.

I truly enjoyed my time managing Team Challenge. I was blessed to meet so many great people who trusted me when I told them that they could complete a half marathon and raise funds for an important cause. These people became more than just team members as they shared their stories with me, trusting me with the details of their illness or that of a loved one. I had chills and watery eyes at times as I saw smiles on the faces of participants running for the first time ever -or the first time after being so sick as a result of their Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Parents shared with me what it was like to sit by their child's bedside and watch them become weaker by the day. I will never forget watching those parents smile with great pride, joy and I am certain - relief- as those same children crossed the finish line of their first half marathon.


The people that I met through CCFA & Team Challenge became inspiration and motivation for my work at CCFA and many of them became friends. Even after moving on from CCFA to Everybody's Health I still think of the stories of courage and the importance of a positive attitude and determination to overcome what stands before us.


I have not been running much lately and can give all sorts of reasons (excuses?!) as to why. However I realized that I am not going to finish this half marathon in Nashville or accomplish much to talk about if I don't get off the sidelines and get started.


As I was thinking about this the other day, I heard a song by Mandisa called, "Waiting for Tomorrow" and this part stood out to me:

Can't spend my whole life wastin'
Everything I know I've been given
'Cause you've made for so much more than
Sittin' on the side lines
I don't wanna look back and wonder
If good enough could've been better

So I heard God's voice - using Mandisa this time- calling out to me to get off the sidelines because I have been made for so much more...

Welcome to the beginning of this journey with me. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you join me in getting off the sidelines and getting on with the journey - wherever yours may be taking you.

Smiles,
Jen