National Merit Semifinalist

The semifinalist have been announced we are so proud to find that Emily and 8 others from Cabot Public School district are on the list.  Emily wasn't feeling good about her PSAT test last spring and was just sure that she would miss the cut off, but much hard work and prayer and she moves on.

Last night the school board recognized the semifinalist for this high achievement.  It was so awesome to see these girls receive such well deserved praise.  They are well on their way to great things.  So proud to have these girls in my life.

Arkansas Governor School = Opportunity to become more

Today we took and dropped Emily off at Arkansas Governor School.  This is such an exciting time in her life with so many changes beginning here.  She gets to experience college life with out all the freshman pressures. Instead she will have the opportunity to meet 400 bright students from around the state while exploring new avenues of communication, political and social views, and critical thinking.  She gets to see what living with roommate and community showers are like and to explore an amazing college campus.  

I am having a hard time putting into words my excitement for her and her friends.  On the day of her birth, I prayed for nothing but the best for her.  I prayed that she would take every opportunity and do anything she set her mind on.  All she does makes me smile with such pride because she is such an amazing well balanced, open minded, cool headed, loving young woman.  She makes me laugh and yes she even causes me to loose my cool in frustration at times.

This is going to be an exciting and amazing next 6 months leading to the next 5 years.  Thank you God for letting me be her mom.

Packed with her list in hand.

For when she needs her space!!!!!

Relaxing in her spot.

Total clowns

Don't blink!!!!!!

How can 17 years go by this fast?  I didn't think I blinked.

Only two more months of my sweet girl's junior year.  We have started looking at colleges and she has been job shadowing individuals to figure out what career interest her.  It has been a wild and crazy ride thus far and I know that her going off to college doesn't mean it's over just changing but I am having a hard time comprehending that the parental job of motherhood I started on 17 years ago is about to move from one of protector, schedule organizer, disciplinarian, cook, boo boo tender and taxi driver to simply adviser and observer.

Being a mom has been the most wonderful experience.  Nothing like I could have ever imagined.   I have enjoyed EVERY stage of my daughters' lives so far.

Training Run

Garmin Connect



I started the year off with a run on the first but until tonight haven't made it a priority.  I don't know why I let other things get in the way.  I really enjoy the time on run.  The weather was perfect and of course the company was great.  Maybe it was just the combination but I ran 3.1 minus a 0.08 breather completely.  I can't remember the last time I did that.  Ran not ran walk.  That makes me feel so good.  I want to run my first 10k not run walk it.



Do not get me wrong, there is NOTHING wrong with run walking anything.  It's just my goal to run all my 5ks and 10ks.  If I ever do actually sign up for a half or (crazy thought) a marathon then those will be where I run walk because my goal there is just to finish.



So my pace was 11 to 11.5 for the 3.1 so my next goal is to drop that to 10.5 to 11 for the 3.1 and then of course to get that 6.2 miles all running.



I'm going to get there.  May not be as soon as others, but I'm going to get there.

May the training begin....................

I finished my PT sessions but was still not without pain.  So my therapist sent me back to my doctor, Dr. R, for evaluation.  Dr. R. recommended me to a specialist, Dr. N, who happens to be the specialist who treated one of the elite female runners of Arkansas.  He is a great guy and has ungrounded me from running.  I am on special medication and will report back for re-evaluation in early January but until then I am free to run as I feel up to.  I managed to get one run in since he said that and then fell ill with the flu.

I am working on setting some run goals for this year.  One goal is easy: finish one 10k and one 15k.  I was ready for the 10k just prior to the injury so I think it won't take much to get back ready for the 10k.

I did run the jiggle bell run 5k Dec 6th and had a good experience.  Didn't set a PR because I didn't run it all the way.  But I didn't hurt much afterwards.  Which I am really glad I did well because Dr. N asked when I ran last and I didn't want to lie to him.  I did a 4 mile group run in the cold the day I was release and was really surprised at how well I did.  My biggest problem was how cold I got.  I have got to get some more weather appropriate clothing.

I am looking at running the Little Rock Marathon 10k on March 1st.  At the moment, I am looking for a running partner since Erin and Marty will be running the half marathon together.

Grounded

So in early September, I woke one Friday with my left knee hurting and the lower calf feeling odd.  I say odd because I can't really describe what it feels like.  Just not like it should but not really painful.  I continued to run my normal runs because it didn't hurt while I was running but bending down or sitting cross legged or sitting on my left leg was extremely painful.  Finally it got to the point that when I ran it did hurt and hurt so that I could make it a tenth of a mile.  So off to the doctor I go.

The doctor thinks it is patellofemoral syndrome and sent me to physical therapy.  I like my PT, she isn't a sadist as I was afraid she would be but she did ground me from running.  Now there would have been a time when I would have been so happy to have a reason to not run but it seems I have crossed some line or corner that I didn't know existed and I miss running.

So I have completed two weeks of PT and was feeling much better and I started looking for a 10K again.  I've been looking for one to enter for a little while now.  Well I didn't find a 10K but I found a 15K (9.3 miles).  In St. Louis is the Hot Chocolate 15K on Dec 14.  It's a bit hilly though and I'm concerned with not being able to run for another 2 weeks if I could be ready.  I have done 6.2 miles and was doing it regularly before PT but 4 weeks with no running is not good for training.

I found out last night that I better not plan on doing this 15K though.  Last night I running late to the homecoming game and didn't want to miss Mei being escorted across the field by Bo, so I ran halfway across the school parking lot when they announced her name.  I know.  I shouldn't have, but I did.  I also, upon getting up in the stand, kneeled down to take pictures.  I couldn't kneel long as the sharp pain was extremely intense.  My knee thobbed through out the night and all today.  I've iced it twice already and am about to ice again along with doing the exercises.  This is not looking good.

I now know I'm a runner.........

I now know I'm a runner.  Why do I know I'm a runner now, because when I downloaded my watch today and looked at my total for the week, I immediately started thinking: "Only .03 more and I would have had 15 miles for this week.  Ok, that means I've got to put my running shoes back on and go do 1.03 and make it 16 miles."

You thought I was going to say go run .03 and make it an even 15 didn't you?  Well what kind of runner would I be if I did that?  If I'm putting my shoes on then I'm at least putting in a mile.  And maybe even 2.03 miles.  We will just have to see.

But the 14.97 miles is nothing to feel bad about.  See this is the most miles I have EVER ran in one week.  One week!!!!  Yes, I know, my wonderful husband ran 13.1 in 2:23 just 14 days ago but that is him and that isn't me.  This is the girl that three years ago when I LOOKED at the couch to 5K app's day 1 week 1 exercise routine wondered if I would ever run for 1 minute much less for 1 mile.

I've come a long way baby!!!  Now you must understand I'm not a fast runner.  I don't know if I will ever be a fast runner, cause that isn't my goal.  I also don't look beautiful when I run.  My hair pulled back in a ponytail makes my face look rounder than normal and my lines of wisdom more apparent.  Soooo not a pretty site.  My legs, stomach and butt jiggle like jello and I sweat.  I mean I really sweat.  There is no way you can call that glistening.  I am also not very graceful.  I do not look like those wonderful professional inspirational photos that everyone post on their Facebook.  I resemble something more like a hippo or elephant.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not down on myself and before anyone starts hammering me about on hippo and elephant abuse, I think they are beautiful creatures.  I'm just saying when I say I'm a runner, please don't imagine one of the elites going down the street.

I'm very proud of how far I have come and I am excited to see where I am going to go with this.  It's all about me and my times and my races and my miles.  And I am loving every step I take.

Little Rock Marathon

Went with Marty today to pick up his race packet for the 1/2 marathon tomorrow and ran into so many of the running ladies from the Women Can Run clinic.  It was so very cool and now I'm watching them post photos of their bib numbers.  I'm so excited for all of them but I'm feeling a bit like I'm an impostor.  I have found that I really do love to run but I set here now wondering why I didn't at least sign up for the 5k that was today.  I could have done it and it would have been a good day for it.  At least it wasn't raining.  I've been even studying the 10k route and really want to try it.   My goal for this year is to do 4 more 5k's and by the end of the year doing a 10k, but I think I need to just go ahead and decide now that I'm doing to sign up for the Little Rock 10k for 2015.

I want to look like this.  How many miles would it take to get that waist?

Get serious

I am so struggling with my weight!  It really makes no sense.  I am more active and still gaining weight.  I'm not as consistent as I should be but hey I'm far more active than a lot of people.  Yet I am, as of this morning, at the highest weight I have ever been!!!!

I'm not depressed about it but I am feeling a bit discouraged.  I'm not wanting to be 100 pound super model but I'd like to not have a double chin in every stinking photo I take. I've been running for almost a year, again not with great consistency, but I can run 35 mins without dying or at least thinking I'm dying.  This is a HUGE improvement over a year ago. 

I want to do this for me.  There really is no other reason because my wonderful husband and fabulous daughters love me and tell me this all the time. 

So why can't I succeed in losing 40 pounds?

1.44 miles but they don't count...

Went and ran today with Erin.  Managed to get 1.44 miles in.  It doesn't count toward my goal of 5 miles per week in 2014 since it's not 2014 but hey it's a move in the right direction.

I'm excited because one of my co-workers and I devised a plan to work out together after work in the gym in our building.  I am really hoping this will help keep me motivated.  I'm good with planning but I do tend to get bored easy if I don't see results.

Just have to persevere.

One step at at time.  Yeah me!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Christmas was a wonderful time spent with my family.  Now I'm looking toward 2014.  I have many things that I hoping to accomplish this year.  This are not resolutions but goals or maybe you can call it a bucket list for the year.  So here is the list:

1. Run a 10K (6.2 miles).
2. Run 20 miles each month or 5 miles a week.
3. Go camping at least 3 times with the family.
4. Get three major credit cards paid off but 4 would be great.
5. Reconnect with at least 3 girlfriends.
6. Take more quality photos.  I take a lot of photos but I would like to work on my photography techniques.
7. Show my daughters more and more love.  They have grown way too fast.
8. Work out 2 days a week for at least 30 minutes.
9. Through the running and the working out get into a shape that I am comfortable with.  My current shape is not unacceptable but I am not comfortable with it.  I currently would prefer to never wear a swim suit.  I want to show off my naval ring not hide it.
10. Clean out the flower bed in my front year and create something beautiful in it's place.

Well there is a start.  There are many things I could add but there is always 2015.......

For all my friends who might read this (I'm not sure anyone does.  Ha Ha) I pray you have had a great 2013 and that 2014 is a continuation of this or if 2013 happened to be the year of trials for you, then my prayer for you is that 2014 be a renewing and healing year.

God loves each of you and so do I.  

Love to all,

Jo

The Day After

So I'm moving today.  That's a good thing.  Not as sore as I thought I would be but I certainly know where my quad muscles are thanks to hills.  Some soreness in my ads from working on how my core as I run.  But really, I'm not that bad.  I know I need to run tomorrow night if I can.  We are doing training around the state this week for work and will be getting late each day but I will certainly try to get moving.

One step at a time.  It's all I can do. 

Running

I finished the Women Can Run clinic and rain my first 5k.  Since then I have ran 2 more 5k  Today I joined several from the clinic for a run and ran 5 miles.  So proud of myself.  Now I must confess that there was walking mixed in with the run (a lot of walking) BUT I ran too.  Time was 1 hr and 5 min.  So certainly have work to do.

I'm not feeling to bad but who knows how I will feel in the morning when I go to climb out of bed.  I haven't done hills in a lonnnng while and today had HILLS.  Course I'm a wimp, my HILLS are most peoples ant hills.

Running

It is so crazy!  I have in the last month ran marathon.  Not all in one day but 3 to 5 miles at a time. I started on March 4 at the women can run clinic.  It meets two nights a week (Monday and Thursday).  I can only do Monday's due to my Women's Bible study but at least one day a week I'm not sitting at home on the couch.

I started with a lot of walking and less running, but after 9 weeks I do more running then walking.  On Saturday I run 4 miles straight.  This is the first time I have ever ran 3.1 miles much less then 4 miles.  I will be running my first 5k on May 11.  I am very excited.

I look forward to running.  I have NEVER looked forward to running.  I feel really good about myself when I post a run.  I am not looking to run marathons but I am looking forward to running stronger and faster.  I'm thinking a 10k will even be in my future.

Running for God

The author of the book got so into running that he was spending all his time running.  He would still make church but God really wasn't a priority.  A dear friend and he were talking and his friend said to him, "Don't let this (running) become your God."  Too often we let other things become our God, our idols.  We put our priorities into sports, our kids sports, our homes, our jobs.......  The list is, unfortunately, endless.

BUT, when we take our passion for other things and add God, abundance over flows.  That is what this man did.  He put God into his running and created Run for God.

There are some similarities to faith and running.  New runners start out doing short runs so not to overwhelm the body and the gradually work up to long runs.  In our faith we start with small parts of the Bible and work our way into deeper learning.  Running takes endurance and strength.  In running, as in our faith, sometimes we fall or get hurt and we must pick ourselves up and start over.   We must seek to heal ourselves and to grow stronger.  Through scripture and prayer, we gain the strength in our faith to heal and to grow.

I am suppose to plan to train for three days each week and to plan to run a 5K in about 12 to 13 weeks.  I have done a 5K but I have NEVER ran the entire 3.1 miles.  This is my goal for me in 12 to 13 weeks, to run the entire 3.1 miles.

So, like I have unofficially started this study, I unofficially did my first training today.  After church, I had +Marty Bowie  go "run" with me.  We went to Magness Creek and after a 5 min warm up ran for about 12 minutes.  I haven't ran since Thanksgiving Day when we did the Turkey Trot that Go Running put on.  So 12 minutes wasn't too bad.  I think Marty's watch said it was about 3/4 mile.  It was good for me but I feel bad for him.  He was just getting warmed up.  :(  I wish I could find him someone to run with but then I would loose my running buddy.

I have now read week 1 of the study and I'm not sure how the Bible study part works but maybe in week 2 I shall.

Prayers are most appreciated.

+Briggs Lyons +Andrette Prather

Run For God

Why am I reading this book?

Well the cheesy quick answer is, "I want to get in shape." But I that is too easy.  I can get into shape without reading this book.  But I want to do more then just get into shape.  I want to be inline with God's will: spiritually, physically and financially. Since we have decided that this is the year to get right financially, I am feeling that I need to work on the physical aspect too.  Why not do it all once?

I know that God doesn't want me to be wonder woman but He does want me to be able to do His work in this world.  And to do that I need to be able to physically go about the challenge of His work.  And to do that I need to take care of myself while growing deeper in my faith with God.  I really want to get where I can go on a international mission trip and I don't feel that is something I can do physically right now.  So, here I start this challenge.

With any luck I can persuade my darling husband and a few others along on this journey. +Marty Bowie, +Briggs Lyons

Finally FINISHED!!!!!

FINALLY!!!!  After a year of working a national and then a regional and finally a state team, the project that I started last December is rolled out to our field staff.  I know this isn't interesting or important to anyone else but to me it is HUGE.  There has been long hours of sitting on teleconferences with DC to Hawaii WME engineers.  There has been arguments over the best way to make non-scalable engineering designs scalable.  And I'm seeing from my auto-correct that scalable isn't even a word.  "TOO FUNNY".  DC sure thinks it is.  I won a few of the arguments and lost a few but I know that I tried my best to represent the state of Arkansas and the engineering that we do here.

This past week, I, along with my fellow colleges who also endured this last year,  presented these many changes and ideas to the field staff.  Though there were concerns and grumblings, we heard good feed back from all the meetings.  Will that mean the next year of implementation will be easy?  No but it's a start.

It feels so good to have worked so hard and know that I gave my best.  Now to relax a bit and then figure out what the heck I'm suppose to do now.  LOL

I QUIT!!!!! ............ Making Excuses

Do you ever make excuses to not make a change for God or excuse to not follow Christ completely?

I have made excuses to not read the Bible daily or to not get up earlier to do a devotional.
I have made excuses to not participate in church activities.
I have made excuses for gossiping by calling it discussions the problem.
I have made excuses for not tithing.

God wants us to be happy, not walking around in misery and full of guilt.

God also wants to help us.  He wants to help us get through the situation.  He will give us words to speak; the support we need; the forgiveness we need.  God loves us and will be our cheerleader.

Now go!!!!  God sends you as you are BUT He goes with you.

God says, "is there anything too difficult for me?"

Maybe our problem is we quit because we put a limit on God's ability?

What excuses are you using to keep God at a distant?

Reflections

6 years ago, Marty and I and the girls stepped out of our comfort zone to go on a mission from God.  We had no special skills, no great knowledge of the Bible, and at most we were baby Christians. Marty might have been a toddler but who can tell?  There was no blinding and a sight regained instant or even a voice from God moment, just a feeling that I had that I need to do more to change my world after I had spent 72 hours on the spiritual retreat called Walk to Emmaus.  Now we weren't going far.  It wasn't like we were going out of country or even moving out of state, we were just going to help launch a new United Methodist Church on our side of town.  Yet who could have dreamed of the experience and adventure and the transformation that we would experience?

When leaving Cabot UMC, we had done barely anything but worship and Sunday school.  We had help start the contemporary service and a Sunday school class (God's creation), that are still very vibrant in that church today but other then me "serving my time" in the kids Sunday school classes and taking my turn with VBS and taking a Disciple Bible Study class, we really were just "Doing" church.

I think in the beginning we were just "doing" church at Christ UMC too but somewhere along this journey it changed.  Over the last 6 years, I became the children's director where I researched and researched bible studies, nursery set ups, safe toys for special gifts, VBS materials for 4 very successful summers reaching 100 + children, worked with countless, amazing moms and dads and servants of God and learned what it means to work on a shoe string budget.  It was tough but I loved working with the children and listening as they would sing the VBS songs with their motions and come running up and giving me hugs at the knees.

I learned what it means to be a roady in a band doing set up and take down and set up and take down and set up and take down.  It gets old in a hurry and isn't very glamorous, especially in the 100 degree heat of July and August in Arkansas.

I became a part of a cell group during the first years of which I was so glad to have Marty lead.  I so enjoy hearing him explain the Bible in a way that I can comprehend.  But over time we thought it would be good to start a men's study and a women's study and for the life of me I don't know how, I was assigned to lead it.  I found new joy in my life.  I'm not great and I don't know much but I learned that God will equip me with what I need when I need it during the studies and now I offer a women's study every Thursday evening, we are small in size but these women help grow me more.

Some where among all this I found time to go back and work some of those Emmaus Walks where I was pushed into a new change, public presentation of a talk to women I don't know.  I have never been a public speaker and would do everything in my power to avoid it.  I even took a lower grade in school to avoid getting up in front of people.  But either through the children, the cell group or the women's studies I had learned that God never asked the person we would pick to do it but the one that stuttered or the one that was not the most beautiful to do his work and so I stepped out of that box.  I have since been blessed to give 10 Emmaus talks and 1 chrysalis talk and was even an Emmaus Lay Director where I had to stand up all weekend and read long passages to the women.

But God wasn't done yet, having taken a break from children's, He called me to begin working with the youth as a Youth Coordinator.  I never thought I could work with youth.  They seem like foreign creatures to me but I guess with the blessing of two of the most precious daughters and the blessing of several wonderful Jones boys + Cory, I found a new place to serve.  The youth group of Christ UMC has changed so much in this last year.  It has grown to 16 who attend regularly now and I can see the start of more growth on the horizon.

During all of this, I wasn't the only one changing or growing.  Marty went on his Emmaus walk just 6 months after I did and felt the call to do more.  He wasn't sure what but since we had just started with the new church start, he thought it was that.  He soon realized it wasn't it and after going back and working an Emmaus walk himself, he came home to tell me that he thought God was calling him to preach.  LOL.  Good friends had been telling him that for years but I guess he finally heard it from God.

He has been on that path now for 4 of the last 6 years and just last week he completed the last course work and is now a local pastor for the United Methodist Church.

Who would have thought 6 years ago that today, I would be a pastor's wife.  Children's - ok, I've always loved kids.  Teaching women's studies - ok, they're not that hard you are really just asking the questions in the books and letting the women take you were God wants you to go.  Youth - ok that is a bet of stretch but I grew into it with Emily and the Jones boys.  But pastor's wife????  Boy does God have a sense of humor.  He has been laughing at me for more years then I knew.

I never knew I was growing.  I never realized I was being reshaped.  I felt the heat of the kiln oh so many times as he would mold me into His design.  I felt the pruning of the dead branches I clung so tightly too. And I cried at the pain as we would watch other members come and go.

In all the time, I don't think I ever really thought that He was reshaping me to work in a mission field other then Christ UMC, but today our family closed this book of our lives because God has a plan for us and it's time to move to the next adventure.

It's not good-bye Christ UMC but take care and keep the faith.  Continue on this wonderful mission because God has a wonderful plan for you all.  If you have been sitting on the edge just waiting for the moment then take the opportunity to jump into God's plan for you.  I don't know what it will be, I certainly didn't but I know that if you open your heart and just follow where ever, doing what ever God calls you to do, you will be moved as Marty and I and the girls have been moved and grown during our time at this wonderful church we will always call home.

One dress, two different teenagers, 23 years apart.

One dress, two different teenagers, 23 years apart.

1989

2012

I can't even find the words to describe the feelings that I feel over seeing this.  Proud that she looks so beautiful.  Awe that she wanted to wear my dress.  Shame that I can't wear it any more.  Inspired to try and fit in it again.  Worried that she looks so grown up at 14.  Old because she looks so grown up at 14.

Thank you God for the blessing of my beautiful, wonderful daughter.