Green Lake Prayers

Last summer, Anna and I ran in the Portage Bay 10K around Lake Union, and it was really fun. This summer, she set a goal to run a couple of times a week to stay in shape. Rather than entering the race this year, we had a running date this morning going twice around Green Lake, and then we went to Portage Bay for breakfast for our own 10K celebration. As we were going around the lake, I told her I was using this time to pray for you and asked her what she thought was really important in 7th grade. She talked about her friend group and how that was and is still a really big deal. So, with that in mind, I prayed for you this morning on your second day of school that you would have good connections with friends and that you would surround yourself with solid people who will encourage you to be the best version of you there is... 

Wish you could have joined us for breakfast- it was ridiculously good! 

our buddy at Green Lake this morning 

Mind Games

Sometimes when I run, I play mind games to keep myself going. 

I was doing some mile repeats this morning and found these sunflowers pictured below as my little finish lines along the way and rewards for an extra little push. 

2 Corinthians 10:5 encourages us to "take every thought captive" and I was thinking about that as I ticked off the miles today.  It's easy to get discouraged along the way with aches and pains and distractions. But, the mind is a powerful thing, and it's amazing what happens when we take this advice to take our thoughts captive and focus on things above and focus on the positive...

My prayer for you is that you would be able to master some of your own mind games and find your way through with a solid finish!  

p.s. I got this picture in a text when I was almost done with my run this morning. 

Praying that your first day in 7th grade was a good one and that this year ahead is awesome... 

Alice in Wonderland

Caz, I read this in an email early this morning before heading out for a run with Jason... 

"As the story goes, Alice sees a very unusual rabbit go down a hole, and she jumps in with two feet. She has no idea what this journey is going to be and Wonderland isn’t really all that great of a place.

There’s scary things, challenging things, and things that are also interesting and fascinating. It’s an adventure, and Alice doesn’t know what’s in store for her, but she jumps in anyway.

Alice doesn’t hesitate or think maybe a better rabbit will come along tomorrow.

She doesn’t look back and doesn’t question the adventure she’s chosen.

That’s commitment."  

The context of this email was about relationships, but it seemed appropriate on many levels. 

My prayer for you today is simply that God would bless you with the ability to not look back and question the adventure you choose. May you be one who follows through with your commitments and may God build your character step by step as you jump in with two feet. 

Just Do It

This morning, on our last morning here in Missoula, 

I decided to go for my last run up to the M. 

I’ve hiked it once before on one of our previous trips, 

but we had not made it up there this time around so I gave it a shot to squeeze it in.

As I was running up all the switchbacks, the old Nike advertisement

 “Just Do It” came to mind.

“So this is love, as demanding and nourishing and difficult as it can be, and as strong and wise as it makes you become. There is something to be gained from commitment. There are rewards for staying when you would rather leave. And there is something to be said for running up that hill when you would rather slide down it. And so you let love come perch upon your shoulder. And you do not turn it away. You do the tango. 

Just do it.”

Praying for you this morning for God to give you the grace to run up that mountain on days when you’d rather slide down.

Improvisation

This morning, I asked your dad for a good 6 mile loop and headed out the door to see if I could figure out the route.  As I got to one of the landmarks, I had already gone 2.5 miles and was not quite sure where the bike trail was that I was supposed to pick up so I turned around and then added a bit more to make it a full 6 miles. At that point, I was just making it up as I went along and was enjoying getting a better lay of the land here in Missoula. That phrase "make it us as you go" stuck with me as I was praying for you on the run.

Then, I came back to the house to find you playing around a bit with a song you and Jackson were working on together on Garage Band. It was super impressive to me to see how creative you both were together with the app to make music. You sure have a knack for making things up as you go along in this world of music.

It's my prayer that your skills in improvisation will grow and grow and that this creativity will take you many many miles... 

Elevation

As we have been here in Missoula, I have noticed that my lungs are having to work a bit harder to run the hills around here. The first day I ran here with your mom, I was breathing harder than I normally do. At first, I thought this was because of the smoke around, but then I realized that this is simply the elevation.

Missoula is located at the western edge of Montana approximately 45 miles (70 km) from the Idaho border. The city is at an elevation of 3,209 feet (978 m) above sea level, with nearby Mount Sentinel and Mount Jumbo steeply rising to 5,158 feet (1,572 m) and 4,768 feet (1,453 m) respectively.
In comparison, Seattle's highest elevation is 520 feet. 

Running up in the foothills of Mt. Sentinel this morning made me think about the elevation and the difference it can make . By working harder here in the mountains, it helps me out in my running back in Seattle.  This caused me to think about the challenges you face with OCD and how you are having to work harder than some to get through certain challenges. I really believe that this is making you stronger (even though it might feel really awful at times).  Please just know that I am praying for grit and strength and grace for you to get up some of the hills when it feels like you are having to gasp for air because I believe that someday the work is going to pay off and that you are going to feel like you are flying...

Audience of One

Today, your mom took me down to the trail behind Splash Montana and the YMCA 

so that I could run some mile splits. 

I know that you may not care about times, but here they are: 

1st mile warm up: 8:13

2nd mile split: 7:17

3rd mile split 7:13 

3rd mile split: 7:05

4th mile split: 7:05 

My goal was to try to get faster each mile, and I did. As I was coming around the bend for my third mile repeat, the phrase "Audience of One" came to mind. 

There were lots of people around- soccer players, other runners, walkers, families with kids, etc.  I did not know anyone, and they weren't paying any attention to my running. 

 But, I knew I was running before God and I could commit even these small miles to Him.  

Did you know that Bach signed his scores and compositions with the letters S.D.G. at the end: Soli Deo Gloria (to God alone be the glory).  He also wrote this at the beginning of his compositions: J.J. Jesu Juva.

Jesus, help. 

Jesus, help me to make something beautiful for You. 

In this letter. 

In this run. 

In this home.  

In this story. 

In this music. 

In this lesson. 

Lanier Iverster wrote, "Not only can I not do it truly, essentially, without You. I can’t do it for You without You."

So my prayer for you this morning around on the gravel loop was that you would be able to know God's delight in you as you stand before Him as your audience. You are incredibly gifted on stage, and I know the cheers from the crowds and the attention are exciting at times. But those cheers may not always be there, and my prayer is that you would be anchored before God and that you would carry a deep sense of belonging in your heart as you live your life and make something beautiful for God with your days. 

Smoky Days

This morning, your mom took me and Uncle Jas up on some trails up Mt. Sentinel this morning, and it was such a beautiful morning with blue skies especially since the smoke yesterday that was so thick that we could not see much of anything.  

It just reminds me how quickly change can be around the bend. 

So the next time you feel like something is so frustrating or dark or confusing or foggy, 

pray for God to show you the way and trust that light and blue skies might just be coming... 

a morning with two owls

Jason and I went for a run this morning, and on the way back, he spotted someone looking over the bridge on 20th Ave East out at two owls in Ravenna Park.  We went back to the spot with Anna and a few cameras and watched these amazing birds in awe for quite some time this morning.  We all knew we were walking on a bit of holy ground and had been given such a gift to get to start our day with them and to get to be in their presence..  

My prayer for you today, Cazden, is that God would give you eyes to see the wonder around you and that you would have a moment of awe that would stop you in your tracks... 

“Reverence may take all kinds of forms, depending on what it is that awakens awe in you by reminding you of your true size. ... Nature is a good place to start.  Nature is full of things bigger and more powerful than human beings, including but not limited to night skies, oceans, thunderstorms, deserts, grizzly bears, earthquakes, and rain-swollen rivers. But size is not everything. Properly attended to, even a saltmarch mosquito is capable of evoking reverence. See those white and black striped stockings on legs thinner than a needle? Where in those legs is there room for knees? And yet see how they bend, as the bug lowers herself to your flesh. Soon you and she will be blood kin. Your itch is the price of her life. Swat her if you must, but not without telling her she is beautiful first.  The easiest practice of reverence I know is simply to sit down somewhere outside, preferably near a body of water, and pay attention for at least twenty minutes. It is not necessary to take on  the whole world at first. Just take the three square feet of earth on which you are sitting, paying close attention to everything that lives within that small estate, including the saltmarsh mosquito that lands on your arm. Just blow her away and ask her to please go find someone else to eat. With any luck, you will soon begin to see the souls in pebbles, ants, small mounds of moss, and the acorn on its way to becoming an oak tree. You may feel some tenderness for the struggling mayfly the ants are carrying away. If you can see the water, you may take time to wonder where it comes from and where it is going. You may even feel the beating of your own heart, that miracle of ingenuity that does its work with no thought or instruction from you. You did not make your heart, any more than you made a tree. You are a guest here. You have been given a free pass to this modest domain and everything in it. .” 

― Barbara Brown Taylor, An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith

“People encounter God under shady oak trees, on riverbanks, at the tops of mountains, and in long stretches of barren wilderness. God shows up in whirlwinds, starry skies, burning bushes, and perfect strangers. When people want to know more about God, the son of God tells them to pay attention to the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, to women kneading bread and workers lining up for their pay. Whoever wrote this stuff believed that people could learn as much about the ways of God from paying attention to the world as they could from paying attention to scripture. What is true is what happens, even if what happens is not always right. People can learn as much about the ways of God from business deals gone bad or sparrows falling to the ground as they can from reciting the books of the Bible in order. They can learn as much from a love affair or a wildflower as they can from knowing the Ten Commandments by heart.” 

― Barbara Brown Taylor, An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith

“Human beings may separate things into as many piles as we wish—separating spirit from flesh, sacred from secular, church from world. But we should not be surprised when God does not recognize the distinctions we make between the two.Earth is so thick with divine possibility that it is a wonder we can walk anywhere without cracking our shins on altars.” 

― Barbara Brown Taylor, An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith

don't forget to stop and smell the roses

This morning, Jason and I started our run together and then I went on further to drop a note off at a friend's house. On the way, I saw some lovely roses but kept on running.  I thought about it for a minute and wished I had stopped to see if they were fragrant, but instead of turning back, I vowed to just stop at the next lovely rose bush on my route.  So, I found a few along the way that were lovely and definitely worth stopping for. 

Now I know that this is a bit of a cliche: 

But, I used it this morning to pray that God would allow you to stop and notice the beautiful things around you this year in middle school, in your house, in your neighborhood, in your church, in your family... I know life can get so busy with sports practice and homework and piano practice, but I hope that you can take a few minutes to enjoy the gifts all around you each day. 

Hope and Purpose

I had a few gifts from India that I brought back for a couple of people in our church, but the last couple of Sundays when I have brought them to church, I have not been able to find them. So, I decided for my run yesterday morning that I would bring the little gift bags and turn my morning route into a destination run to deliver these goodies.

  

Having a purpose for my run got my stream of consciousness going and got me praying for hope and purpose for you.  Caz, may you have a deep awareness of being in God's hands and knowing that you do indeed have hope and purpose in life each and every day. 

Yoga Day

This morning, I kept debating if I should run because my legs were feeling a bit tired and sore. Jason was my voice of reason and told me to take the day off, and I followed along with my favorite video featuring yoga for runners on Youtube. Sometimes, it's good to take a break and just rest up in order to be stronger for another day. 

My prayer for you was one for rest and that you can give yourself the freedom to take breaks when you need them...   

Here's my favorite translation of Matthew 11 which is a classic verse about rest. 

Matthew 11:28-30 The Message (MSG)

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

May you keep company with God and experience these unforced rhythms of grace little by little through your days.... 

Find your Happy Pace

Yesterday, I went for 13 mile run with my normal Sunday morning crew for our weekly long run. 

When I started up, my quad was a bit sore and I noticed I was just a wee bit behind the group pace most of the time. Usually, when I was running and chatting with one of the ladies,  she would run with me a few paces behind, but there were a few times, I ran by myself and hung tight in the back.  

The phrase from the running sticker "find your happy pace" came to mind. That was the best I could do yesterday, and I think it was wise to listen to my body and take it a bit easier.  

So, that's been my prayer for you the last couple of days that you would be able to find your happy pace.  Some days, that will mean you are sprinting ahead and leading the pack. Other days, you'll be right in the mix with everyone else, and then there will be times you are a bit behind for some reason or another.  But the secret with all of it is contentment - not stressing out when things aren't quite on target.  May God give you contentment- to accept yourself and to share that gift of acceptance with others to help them along the road when they need some encouragement. 

The Bridge is Up

Living in Seattle in our neighborhood means that to get to some places, we have to go across bridges.  We have four drawbridges near us, and these are all on some of my running routes. 

The other morning, I came to one as I was running and the bridge started to go up. Now, when this happens, I have several choices: 

1) Before the guard rail comes down, I could sprint really fast and try to beat the bridge (probably not a good idea unless I happened to be James Bond). 

2) I could stress out about the time I'm losing waiting for the bridge and worry about the possibility of being late to the next thing in my day. 

3) I could just stop and be present watching the bridge go up and down, and then I could continue my run when I'm done making the best of the change of plans and trying to go with the flow. 

So, I have never pulled a James Bond move, but I've envisioned it. I sometimes stress out, but I'm trying to live into option #3.  When things don't go according to plan, I am trying to trust God for the outcome and remember that my life is in His hands (even small details like this). 

My prayer for you today is that you will be able to embrace the present moment- even with a drawbridge that goes up before you- and that you will be able to rest in God's care for you no matter what happens. 

Stethoscopes and Running Shoes

I have a something I keep on my desk that is a bit odd given that I am not a doctor.  

This stethoscope was given to me by my friends, Abby and Jens, from their incredible journey of Jens' double lung transplant in 2014.  During their wait for the lungs, I was training for a marathon in their honor and kept a journal/blog for them like I am doing for you. After the race, this stethoscope arrived in the mail, which has become one of my most special treasures. Here is the note I received with their care package:

Dear Emily: As I was going through the things we brought home from the hospital, I came upon the enclosed yellow stethoscope from Jens’ room. Because extra vigilance was needed to protect him from disease, this stethoscope stayed in the room and was used only for him. I am sending it to you as a gift. There cannot be a better symbol of your journey. Love, Abby

On the front of the stethoscope Abby had written the following words: Come and Listen—Psalm 66:16 in permanent marker. I keep the stethoscope on my desk as a reminder that this is the greatest calling I have: to keep listening to God’s heartbeat for those with whom we share the Journey—those who have been given to us and to whom we have been given. I still need lots of coaching and training, but I’m thankful that God is teaching me and that he pursues me with his love so I can learn to hear, really hear, what he is saying.

So, Cazden, know that I am trying to listen in to God's heartbeat 

for you in the coming days as I run. 

You are loved! 

Do the Best You Can

Yesterday, I went to work for a bit and then left to go meet a friend at Green Lake. We walked around the lake once and then we ran for about 20 minutes. She has been recovering from a pretty serious back injury so she has not been able to run for quite some time so this was a big victory for her to be able to go this far.  I didn't really have time to run another time to do a workout and just had to chalk it up that this was the best I could do that day.

This morning, I slept in a bit and then squeezed in about a half hour run before needing to take Anna to her dance class. Both yesterday and today, I just had to work with the time limitations I had and do the best I could.

This morning, that phrase "do the best you can" kept rolling around in my head as I was praying for you.  Whatever it is that you are doing, my prayer is that with any limitations you might feel are around you that you will do the best you can...  (and while you're in the thick of things, please know that there are so many who love you to pieces and are cheering for you...)

Hold it up to the Light

Cazden, 

Last night, I asked Jason to let me sleep in a bit, but he forgot and kissed me on the cheek around 7. I decided to go ahead and go for a run with him to jumpstart the day. 

Anyway, as we started off through our neighborhood, it was sweet to simply hold you up to the light this morning and start the day with a simple prayer for God to take care of you today.... 

P.S. That phrase "hold it up to the light" is from an old favorite song of mine by a guy named David Wilcox. It's really about making decisions so I'll pass it on in case you resonate with it at some point... 

It's the choice of a lifetime - I'm almost sure
I will not live my life in between anymore
If I can't be certain of all that's in store
This far it feels so right
I will hold it up - hold it up to the light,
Hold it up to the light, hold it up to the light

The search for my future has brought me here
This is more than I'd hoped for, but sometimes I fear
That the choice I was made for will someday appear
And I'll be too late for that flight
So hold it up - hold it up to the light,
Hold it up to the light, hold it up to the light

It's too late - to be stopped at the crossroads
Each life here - a possible way
But wait - and they all will be lost roads
Each road's getting shorter the longer I stay

Now as soon as I'm moving - my choice is good
This way comes through right where I prayed that it would
If I keep my eyes open and look where I should
Somehow all of the signs are in sight
If I hold it up to the light

I said God, will you bless this decision?
I'm scared, Is my life at stake?
But I see if you gave me a vision
Would I never have reason to use my faith?

I was dead with deciding - afraid to choose
I was mourning the loss of the choices I'd lose
But there's no choice at all if I don't make my move
And trust that the timing is right
Yes and hold it up hold it up to the light
Hold it up to the light, hold it up to the light

It's so much friendlier with two

Yesterday, Elizabeth (who is Liam and Micah's mom) and I went for a run with another friend and ended up going for about an hour and a half. And then today, we went with our normal Sunday morning running group for 10 miles or so. I have not run this far over a weekend in a while because of recovering from the marathon in June and then having wacky travel schedules in July.  So, it felt great to be pushing myself further than I had gone in a while. I guarantee that I would not have gone this far if I had not been by myself, but because I was with a group, I stepped it up and was able to add the miles.  I know I will get stronger over the next couple of months because of the accountability of these running friends, and I know this to be true:

My prayer for you is simple today that God would give you friends who will help you get stronger and who will help you grow.  My question for you to consider when you head into new spaces is to ask yourself, "What community am I going to surround myself with?"  May God bring just the right people into your life at just the right time because life really is better together. 

A good outlet

Yesterday, I took Anna and Taylor with a couple of their friends 

to go pick blueberries in the afternoon at our favorite spot near Mt. Si.  

The night before, I went to bed late and then woke up in the middle of the night around 3:30 as Taylor was up struggling to get back to sleep because of jet lag from our trip. After trying to help him settle down, I wasn't really able to go back to sleep so just got up around 5 to start the day.  Needless to say, I was wiped out with only a few hours of sleep under my belt. So when we got to the blueberry field, I made sure Anna, Taylor and their friends were settled in with buckets and plenty of blueberries around to pick, and I went for a run around the area for about 30 minutes. 

I told Taylor I was going to run and would be back in about half an hour. He thought this was a bit counterintuitive since he knew I was tired. I explained that it would actually wake me up a bit and help me recharge. 

The thing about running is that it is a great outlet for me.  And as I was running, I was praying for you, Caz, that you would have an outlet that you too could pull out of your back pocket.  When you are feeling tired or anxious or lonely, I simply prayed for you to know what you need to do for your "re-set" button. 

Yesterday, it turned out to be a perfect amount of time to go explore around the area, and then I had the added bonus of ending up back at the blueberry fields for some delicious treats to snack on as I picked a few berries myself before we headed home.  

Yum. Yum. Yum. 

Hopefully, whatever your outlet is when you need it 

 has a few sweet treats to enjoy along the way too! 

A Change of Scenery

When I printed out my half marathon training plan out before we left for our trip to India, I decided it was best to go ahead and start after we got back since I was not sure what running would be like there.  I did have a chance to run there on my own and also with Anna and Taylor, but I decided to hold off on any attention to mileage or workouts until I got back which was a good thing for several reasons: 

1) It was SUPER hot.

2) We had to dodge cars, auto rickshaws, cows, dogs, bikes and people which made it a bit challenging to keep a steady pace. 

3) I had no idea where I was and was just making up routes early in the morning so it was good to not have to follow a training plan. 

This isn't quite the view from the M. 

running buddy #1

running buddy #2 

After we got home, I  slept almost 11 hours Monday night after flying for almost 24 hours without much sleep.  Then I woke up Tuesday morning and got out my running shoes on to try to wake up out of my fog from jet lag. 

Let me just say that the morning's scenery of UW campus and of our neighborhood sure looked different than what I saw in India.  Here are a few pictures from the roads in India to give you a picture of the difference: 

I am looking forward to the next 10 weeks to run and have you as part of my inspiration and purpose for the coming miles.  You'll be part of my backdrop each day, and my prayer is that God will use this in a small way to bring you some encouragement along the way.... 

Much love to you- 

Auntie Em