Cowntown 10K 2012

 Last February Bill and I ran the Cowtown Adult 5K and enjoyed the experience!  Brad did the 10K.

 This year our goal was to run and finish the 10K!

 The starting line!

 I started out smiling!  I think I can, I think I can, I was saying to myself as I was a bit nervous.

 Going along just fine!  Non of my fears materialized!  I was doing just fine, thinking well maybe I can actually do this!

 My amazing partner/coach, Bill!  I couldn't have done this past year's training without him!

 We made it!  We actually did it and it wasn't too challenging at all!

 This ole gal did it!  Not bad at 53, right?  Who says 53 year old joints, muscles, and hearts can't meet a challenge!

 We actually had fun!  5K last year, 10K this year, now to ramp up our training even more and prepare for the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon, (13.1) miles, next February in Orlando to celebrate my retirement!

 I am so blessed to have these two amazing men in my life!

 My first running medal!  The 5K doesn't give out medals, only a t-shirt.  This year, doing the 10K I actually earned a medal and now I have an official time so I can be in a closer to the front corral at the Disney Princess 1/2!  It's required to have an "official" time to get closer to the starting line in a bigger race.  This way we will be in a group at about our same pace and not have to jostle around slow walkers, strollers, etc.

It was truly a victorious feeling to accomplish this goal!  So many life lessons learned training, running, walking, preparing, and then actually reaching a big long term goal!  Disney Princess Half Marathon 2013, here I come!

I love my Sunday School/Bible Study class!!

I am not sure if I was simply intoxicated by the wonderful aroma of donuts and coffee, but I found myself feeling extra thankful and blessed. (by the way, I don't eat donuts but they do smell wonderful!)  This morning as I was sitting in my Sunday School (Sunday morning Bible Study) Class, I was over whelmed with a feelings of peace, happiness, contentment, safety, security, camaraderie, humor, and joy!  I am so glad to be enrolled in the Median Adult Bible Study class on Sunday mornings at First Baptist Church of Grand Prairie.  Dr. Dale Sims was our teacher today and as he was getting into the lesson this morning I realized how blessed we are in this class to have the five amazing men who have agreed to be our teachers! It is truly amazing to observe and know so many men near my age who sincerely love God and openly are seeking and striving to be Men of God!  We have Dr. Sims, of course who is a professor at Dallas Baptist University and who happens to have a true gift for teaching and a keen sense of humor as well.  We also have Ray Bush who has a Masters degree, is a veteran who bravely served our country and who also has a keen sense of humor and draws very well so we always doubly enjoy his illustrations that are always part of his day to teach the lesson.  We also have Mr. Glen Cato who is a CPA, a Baylor graduate, and who has such a heart for God and is a big part of getting the "Victim's Relief" organization started here.  Glen too is a natural and gifted teacher who can bring such interesting and personal stories to us.  His wife is a speech pathologist whom I am blessed to get to work with!  We also have Mr. Steve Campbell who also teaches at DBU, was a Chief of Police but has retired from that, loves to hunt and fish, has raised great sons, and has an amazing wife that puts up with him!  He too has a keen wit and a gift of teaching!  He grew up at FBCGP and shares with us many fun stories from years ago here at First Church.  Our fifth teacher is Mike Rogers who is a retired teacher and was the head basketball coach at South Grand Prairie High School for many years.  Mike and his wife Karen have true hearts for God and he shares straight from his heart while also using many great sports analogies that keep us all engaged in the lesson!  
I felt unusually thankful as I looked around the room and saw so many couples and singles around my age, who all love the Lord, seek to follow Biblical principles, and faithfully come regularly to fellowship, study, worship and serve.  We share prayer requests, needs, and praises as well as answered prayers verbally and through our group e-mails and Facebook!  We encourage one another, minister to each other, and relish each other's presence often!  What a blessing!  I am so loving our Dinner 8 rotations where groups of us meet in one another's homes or out to eat together and get to know each other in smaller groups.
For so many years, I taught Sunday school in Missouri City and in Livingston or was a department director or outreach leader so I didn't get to just be a class member and be fed.  I am thankful for the experience I am having being an active member of this class at First Baptist Church of Grand Prairie!

Take care of your body!

 January 1st until next Sunday Bill's sermon series is, "I am Resolved" and today's sermon title was, "To Take Care of My Body".   Bill and I always go out together during the benediction and greet people as they leave so if anyone wants to visit or talk to either of us personally and up close, they know where they can find us!  We love doing this and it can sometimes be entertaining to hear some of the comments from friends!  Today, someone asked me, "Did you write Bill's sermon for today?"  People who know me well, know that I am all about healthy food, family, church, exercise, Disney Vacation Club, shopping, cooking, entertaining, movies, reading, photography on trips, and holiday decorating.  AND many of you know that Bill is all about sports, studying God's Word, prayer, evangelism, golf, Disney Vacation Club, and  unhealthy food!

I loved this Sesame Street video from years ago!  My mantra, Healthy Food!  Bill and I, just like all couples, have different DNA, different genetics.  Bill really can eat things that I can't and still have better blood work results than me!  He has lower cholesterol just naturally.  But my HDL's are higher than his since I do more intentional cardio but I have had to work hard to accomplish that!  My father had high cholesterol and high lipids and LDL therefore, I inherited a tendency toward that.  However, I was victorious in getting my cholesterol down 25 points in 3 months and back to normal!  I continue to take Red Yeast Rice, Fish Oil, eat 14 unsalted almonds daily, and take psyllium (the only fiber that helps reduce cholesterol) daily!  I also do at least 45 minutes of vigorous cardio 3 times a week and I don't eat fried foods, hardly any red meat, no desserts, and very little sugar.  I drink tea, coffee, and water, and some skim and or soy milk in an occasional skinny latte at Starbucks!  

Bill's message today was from Luke 2:52 and Mark 12:28-30

Bill references the scripture from Luke that says, "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and Man."  

When we were both freshmen at Baylor we were both selected to serve on the BSU Leadership Council.  While serving on that we were taught to strive to live a balanced life based on this scripture.  We were to strive to always improve physically, mentally, physically and socially.   We were given an illustration of a wheel  that had 4 divisions equally divided into these areas.  This wheel represented a well balanced successful life. 

Dan and Nancy Deel were our teachers and they taught and challenged us to seek to have balance and to be excellent Physically, Mentally, Socially, and Spiritually.  I am so thankful to have been blessed by my parents paying for me to get a degree from Baylor where I grew mentally and spiritually.  I was also challenged to learn how to grow and hopefully excel in the social and physical areas.  

The action steps Dr. Bill Skaar (my handsome husband and pastor!) challenged us to take today were:

1. Diet

2. Exercise

3. Rest - get enough sleep

4. Say no to tobacco, alcohol, and drugs

5. Practice Moral Purity

6. Build relationships

7. Worship regularly

Bill also shared about depression and how this, along with diabetes is an epidemic in our country right now.  Antidepressants are one of the most prescribed drugs.  See your doctor and find out if you have a chemical imbalance but know that simple exercise can produce natural feel good chemicals such as Endorphins/ neuro  transmitters that facilitate a natural feeling of happiness and well being!

Bill also shared Genesis 9 where the dietary laws of the Old Testament were given and foods such as pork and shell fish were forbidden and considered unclean!  We joke often about these "unclean" foods.  Thankfully we are under a new covenant since Christ died and paid the penalty for our sins.  He also lifted the Law that required us to work out our salvation, make atoning blood sacrifices regularly on the temple alter, and eat only of the foods considered clean.  Many Jewish believers continue to follow the old dietary laws such as not mixing dairy and meat and keeping kosher and their practices are yes healthy, but protestants believe we are free from the old laws.

Bill also referenced I Corinthians 6:18-20 where the word says to "flee from sexual immorality".  I am so thankful that I can honestly say I was a virgin when I married but the scripture encourages us to strive for this to protect our health as well.  This directive if followed, can guarantee that you will not contract an STD and you will also not have any unpleasant or irremovable memories of this activity with anyone else but the one and only one you choose to marry and love the rest of your life!  What a wonderful blessing and a bonus!

Finally, 3 John 1:2-4 says, "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.  It  gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

We spent celebrated our 30th Anniversary in paradise!

A view of the lagoon just out from the pool area at Aulani! Paradise on earth!
The view from Makapuu point! Stunning! Even more beautiful in person!
The sunset from the Lagoon at the Paradise Cove Luau, Ko Olina!
Stitch hanging out by the pools areas! Shaka! "Hang Loose" Hawaiian style!
The North Shore!
Sand writing!
Our leis that Bill had secretly pre-arranged to be given to us as soon as we walked off the plane upon arrival!
On the hike up Monoa Falls!
Coming back down from the steep hike up to Monoa Falls.

The Dole Pineapple Plantation was an unexpectedly delightful time! We hadn't planned on doing this but saw it on our way to North shore so we stopped and toured it and tasted the most wonderful fruits ever!!

We hiked Diamond Head to see the sun rise! Priceless!
Amazing! How can anyone doubt there is a God when you behold his creation!
The Falls at the top of Monoa Falls Trail!
The view of Aulani from across the lagoon.
The North Shore.
Fun photo spot out by the pool, the lava shack, and the shaved ice stand. So much fun! I know what things I want to do again next time we go in 2014!
The Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center on the Northwest Shore.
Our nice dinner to officially celebrate our 30th anniversary at the Ama Ama restaurant at Aulani.
Bill and I at the famous beach where the movie "From Here to Eternity" on the South East shore was filmed!
Hanging out with Mickey Mouse who just happened to be vacationing here too this week before we headed to play some golf at Ko Olina right across the street from Aulani.
After a nice round of golf with some really nice folks.
Photo from the evening we went to the Paradise Cove Luau!
Our last day before heading back home.
Pearl Harbor is a must see for all Americans. Life changing, emotion evoking, and solemn is how I would describe this monument area.

Things I'm loving this week!

My new favorite drink is Chick fil a, half a cup of diet lemonade with the other half unsweet tea! Amazing! (Thanks Debbie Sims for telling me about this!)

Red Yeast Rice!! Helped me lower my cholesterol 25 points so far!

Chick fil a's new grilled nuggets! Healthy and delicious!

Our new student minister Travis Bailey and his adorable wife Carrie! This is them leading Mosaic last Sunday night!!

What are you loving this week?