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