Devotions of a High Heeled Warrior

The day of reckoning arrived on Saturday.  I have been using the Couch to 5K app for the last 3 weeks.  It has shown me right on target to run a 5K.  The only problem is that I'm on target to run it in another 4 weeks.  Hmmmm.  I didn't let this stop me.  I got up bright and early for my inaugural run.  My lack of training wasn't stopping me, but the 27 degrees cold almost did.  I put on a pair of running tights, then another pair of pants, socks, a tank top, t-shirt, hoodie, jacket, and a beanie to top it off.  Still cold.  Everyone said, "You'll warm up once you start running."  Everyone was wrong.  I was freezing, but I wasn't backing down.  When we started running, all of the little jr. high and high school kids dashed off in front of me.  I decided to use the tortoise and hare principle.  I started my jog and stayed steady as I was passed by hordes of little teeny-boppers, one being my own daughter.  ...

This week has been the biggest challenge of my training.  Just when I thought I was doing great, I was infected by my dear husband.  I got this upper-respiratory junk that made it hard to run and breath at the same time.  My first run of the week, I pushed through the pain and ran.  Not too bad.  By the next run as I watched it rain outside, I knew that I wouldn't make it, so my husband suggested going to the gym to run on a treadmill.  I weakly agreed.  When we walked into the nice, warm gym, I thought what a great idea!  When my GPS on my From Couch to 5 K app wouldn't activate, I thought what a horrible idea.  I knew that without the app, I would have to do an extra run to get credit for this week.  Grrrrr!  The the big lug who gave me the nasty cold totally came through for me.  My husband grabbed my phone and walked outside.  Picture this.  It was dark and the treadmills face the windows.  The windows are ...

I have been trying my best to continue my training for the 5K that is looming in my future.  This week has been absolute chaos.   The goal of the From Couch to 5K app is to get you prepared to run a 5K when you have had no experience.  This sounded perfect for me, but it does come at a cost.  You have to dedicate 3 days to train a week.  No big deal, right?  I struggled to find times to run.  On Monday, I had to work at a benefit as a waitress for a fundraiser for our church.  Tuesday was volleyball.  Wednesday was church.  We had a special team from ASU-Jonesboro coming in to talk about dealing with depression with our youth group.  I thought it was now or never, so I ran the parking lot of the school next to our church.  A couple of teens from my youth group were so kind as to keep me company by skipping behind me for half of my run.  Yay!  I had to face 6 college girls in sweaty jogging clothes, but I got ...

My first week of training is over.  I promised I would keep you up to date on the From Couch to 5K app and my training, so here goes.  My first day, I decided to run in Gassville Park.  It has a great course that slowly meanders up hill on the last half of the course.  When I turned on the running app, I had a problem with sound.  It would vibrate, but no matter what I did, no sound.  The app has this lovely progress circle that changes to green, letting you know you are almost done.  I watched the green like a person on a sinking ship watches the last raft.  Since I didn't have sound, I didn't know that you are supposed to briskly walk the first five minutes, so I ran the first five minutes.  After that you are supposed to run one minute and walk one and a half minutes for 10 cycles.  I did the opposite and ran a minute and a half and walked one minute.  It seemed like the app hated me because it would vibrate to run at the botto...

No, my friends.  I am not training to be a pirate!  Today, our church and another church joined together to do a fall festival.  Of course, anytime I have the chance to dress up in a costume, I jump at the chance.  So needless to say, to the embarrassment of my children, I ahoyed my way around the park.  I love the chance to embarrass my children.  I feel that all the times I walked through Walmart with my children whining or crying has given me the right to bring a little taste of that embarrassment to my children.  Heehee.  But many are wondering why I am training.  My children are all athletes at Cotter Public Schools.  This year, all the athletes are required to run in a 5 K run.  I have never ran a 5K, and I haven't ran in years.  I felt now is the time to get active, so I signed myself up for a 5K at the end of this month.  One of my friends laughed at me when I told her my plans.  I believe her response wa...

This morning, I was challenged with teaching a roomful of teenagers.  This may sound easier than it is.  Imagine trying to contain about ten puppies in a basket.  You put one in and before you turn around another one is out of the basket.  So picture a room of squirming, fidgeting, hard to impress teenagers with their 'tell me something I don't know' eyes focused on me.  We were discussing how we measure ourselves against others around us instead of by God.  Our Scripture reference was Romans 8:29.  It said that we should be like Jesus.  Continue picturing the roomful of teenager puppies.  They are repeating whatever I say.  Me-"We should be like Jesus."  Them-"Jesus, yes."  Me-"You were made by God.  Look to Him for acceptance."  Them-"Acceptance, yes."  Me- "Stop putting your arms around the person in the row behind you and take that fidget spinner out of your nose."  Them-"Fidget spinner, yes."  Do...

There are several things that will always make people want to ask, "What happened?"  You show up at work with purple hair.  You are missing one eyebrow.  You are wearing a cast.  And, let's not forget, you show up at church with a black eye.  You want a really great story about how you thwarted a burglar in your home while saving both your family and your worldly possessions.  Or how about, you were rescuing orphans when the shack in which they were hiding disintegrated trapping you inside.  But, alas, none of that happened to me.  In fact, my story is probably one of the most absurd you have  heard today.  I was hit by a crow.  Yes, you heard that correctly.  A crow.  I know, the next thing you are dying to ask is "how".  So this is how my tale begins.  My first year of marriage, I was just learning how to cohabitate with another human being.  Late one night after being sick and being under the influence ...