Allow me to give you a backstory to what you’re about to read. 

During the summer of 2000, I had a conversation with a good friend of mine one evening.  It was a Wednesday night and we had just left our regular Praise Gathering-completely inspired by God’s presence.  It was a beautiful night and we begain talking, on the corner, about some dreams.  Out of nowhere it came out that I had a dream to run.  I spoke so passionately about my desire to run that there were actually tears in my eyes (I had no idea that I cared so much about that!)  Jessica-my friend-was moved.  I told her that I wanted to run a 5K and maybe even a marathon someday.  I tried to do something about that desire, by jogging a few times a week.  That fall, my RD-Sharon, an avid runner-tried to help me, but I lacked motivation once the cold hit…in Minneapolis.  By November I think I was completely unmovitated. 

Since that time I’ve gone through so many spurts of loving to jog (I definitely jog-not run).  Every time I’ve gone through those spurts I’ve felt awesome but then something happens.  What I think I’ve realized is how closely it correlates to how much Satan loves to discourage me, and how much I’ve let him do it.  For years I’ve felt a desire, a passion, to run (jog:).  Something like that, in me, was divinely placed there. Inside me there is an innate desire to be healthy and fit, and to run!  It’s been there for a long time and I keep coming back to it. 

Last July (2 July’s ago) I did a 5K with my friend, Anne Marie.  She posted on her blog that I ran a 5K with her, but what really happened was-she ran a 5K and I jogged half a 5K and walked half a 5K.  It’s okay, I wasn’t as much a runner as I wanted to be.  In her recent post she stated that she wanted to run a 10K in the spring.  I thought, "Go right ahead, Anne," not really considering this again.  But something has sparked in me through some conversations with Christy, Emily and Anne Marie.  I’m kind of inspired to go at it again!  (except this time I’m not gonna let a little girl pass me;) 

I just finished a conversation, during which I committed to running a 5k again!…and maybe even a 10K!  A 10K seems a bit far-fetched for me right now, but I think there may be hope.  I don’t hope there’s hope, with Jesus there is hope…period.  Back to the whole "Satan loves to discourage me" thing, I am here to expose the lie that I cannot run a 10K.

With all the ways that God has been changing me this year, it’s no surprise that I can actually see myself doing it!  He has challenged me to obey him with my body in a deeper way than I had ever allowed Him to!  It’s been fabulous.  I’m amazed at the way that He’s changed my life, and it’s been quite a journey!  And it’s been an "inside-out" experience-literally! 

What on earth is He gonna do next in me?  Perhaps I will run that marathon that I’ve wanted to run for several years!