He is Risen!

And I am up at 3:20 am. I fell asleep quite early last night only to be awoken early this morning with a tummy ache. The culprit is the Butternut Squash Ravioli from Pastini's! I had a stomach ache on Friday night too as I fell asleep after eating it, and I ate the leftovers a little later (7:30 p.m.) last night, and it is the same "pit in my stomach" feeling again. It is very rich, and I have been eating so low fat for two months. So, I am pretty sure that is what got me. So, I am up drinking carbonated beverage and not feeling really well.

But I feel great because it is Easter!  Resurrection Sunday. He is alive. No doubt about that. I want to shout it out to the world!

Life is so full lately. I can't contain all the exciting things that are happening!  I'll do a run down of the Well:

Well-Watered Soul - I am abiding and edging closer to the 24/7/365 kind of life that I have always dreamed of. I look at Letters by a Modern Mystic, and I am thankful for You putting this 24/7/365 kind of life on my heart back in 1983!  :) I did miss my March day of prayer though, and I am feeling the need for a little get-away with Jesus on that front. Could a trip to Silvia Beach be in order?

Prayer has been sweet, and listening prayer has filled my soul with such good things lately. I need to listen about a few things direction-wise and not please the people around me so much. It is important for me to do what you are directing me to do rather than I feel others want me to do. So, I want your water to pour over me and fill my soul.

Well-Educated Mind - I have not bee able to get to finishing Protestant Work Ethic because of all the excitement, but I want to keep working toward that goal. So, after today, and our guests. I am settling into reading. I need to focus on doing that, and I might even skip to a more modern book on the list just to hold my attention. I am looking at the six remaining books on my hearth, and I can taste the end of an era. Lord, carve out the time for me to finish this very important journey.

Well-Adjusted Heart - It is hard to separate this from the Well-Watered Soul because my heart is healed as my soul is watered.  God has healed so much of my heart. I see that as I did Healing Prayer with my small group last Sunday and memory after memory came up, and He gave me perfect peace and calm in each one. The steadfast of mind, You will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You (Isaiah 26:3). I know to whom much is given, much will be required. So, I want to steward this treasure wisely by offering Theophostic Prayer Ministry to those who want it. I have always been hesitant to do it with people, not wanting to stop them in midstream of sharing their hearts, but now that we are all on the same page, it is much easier to slip into that mode. I did it twice last week, and I want to do it more with people I meet with. George prayed with me over how I was feeling about not wanting the big group for this, and God kept saying, "That is how I made you" as I got happy memories of telling my mom and dad to hold it down outside while they laughed away with their friends, and I tried to study. This was something I loved about my mom and dad. They loved their friends, and they had such a good time with them. I did too. I just need quiet because God gave me this contemplative side. It is how I am wired, and there is no shame in wanting things quieter.

God gave me a word about my identity, and it was "Boldly Beloved."  So, I need to just be bold and not worry about it any more.

Well-Tuned Body - God has given me much balance in that too. The triathlon training was so excellent for my body. The cross-training is really what I was missing and just doing elliptical and walking was NOT  conditioning me anymore. I could not usually get my heart rate above 112 on the elliptical without being really uncomfortable in my back. So, I am glad that I am swimming, biking, and running now.

Biking is more like interval training because I have to stop and start as I ride until I get out in the open areas on the bike trails, but I usually am able to stay between 114 - 144 which his my "zone."

Running challenges me to push my heart rate to the max almost every time. So, I still have to stop and walk when it gets too high, but that is OK. My goal is to run the "Glen Eden 5K" someday without having my heart rate go too high! I had to stop and walk on all the uphills to keep it within range, but I am so excited that I can run the down hills again!  I haven't been able to do that in years because of my leg. I also look forward to trying some new compression tights to see if they help my calf not fall asleep as I run. I am talking to Paula at the club to have her help me with a safe running program. She said I should sign up for a 5K to have a goal. I have a hard time running more than two times a week though. It jars my joints, but I do love the challenge in the cardiovascular area.

Swimming is just very relaxing for me, and I wish I would have been doing it the whole time I have had access to the pool at the club. It always seemed like too much of a hassle to go and change in the locker room, but now it is easy as I dress in my suit at home and just shower afterwards. I know that my heart rate is in the perfect zone for that. My shoulder bothered me only after that chiropractor started digging in there. Never bothered me the whole time I trained for the triathlon. So, I am just waiting for what he did in there to go away.

I am still going to hike and walk too. I love my new GPS watch that helps me track my miles, pace/speed and heart rate for things too!  Very fun! I don't have to track things on running maps anymore! Just go out and ride until I have done a certain amount of miles. :) My pace is embarrassingly slow with running, but I am OK with that.

All the conditioning and watching what I have been eating since February 25 has allowed me to drop 10 lbs. So, I am at my goal weight. So, I am grateful for the triathlon for pushing me.

So, the latest thing that I am feeling is the need to not do Theophostic Prayer Ministry with a big group of people. So, I need wisdom this morning in how to communicate this to Linda so she would understand that what we are trying to accomplish is not exclusive but so that we can invest deeply in those we have been investing in over the last 1 1/2 years. I just don't sense that I am supposed to make it bigger, but I think Elizabeth would be able to do that with all of her friends and Linda's people.

Need to go with my gut on this one. I think even adding Terri and Linda for our group would really change the dynamic. We are on the same page. They would add wonderful things, but they also would change it. Not in a bad way but change it. I am asking Claudia for wisdom tomorrow!

Happy and Hopeful Today

Kim sent me Romans 15:13 today via text message. Not sure of the version, but I love it:

"So I pray that God who give you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in Him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."

I have awesome friends.

2011 Carol365

2011 Carol365, a set on Flickr.

Wondering what this will do if I blog the whole set to my blogger!

Today is the Day!

It is 6 am on the day of the race. I know that I will feel much better when it is all over in about five hours, but right now, I am so nervous!  There are pluses and minus to a later start time. One of the pluses and some time to spend with God this morning and stretch my back out. I can also run through my talk one or two times and make sure I am hydrated well.

The minus is that I have to WAIT longer for it to all be over!  I would be done by 9:30 am if I had early start times like the rest of the ladies!  I would also have more time to rehydrate, cool down, and stretch before I got in the car to go to the coast.

I think I like having this extra time.  It would be much different if I could just go home and chill the rest of the day, but I will be at the coast with 80 women!  I will giving my talk in 27 1/2 hours. I am really going to come home and RELAX on Sunday night. I'll go to the chiropractor and massage therapist on Monday and start my taxes!  I am determined to get those done next week so I can have the week prior to JIQ to really prepare for three days of intensity with people. :)

Life is about waiting.  Isn't it? I told George that I was really glad that I did this talk. It is different. When I do Personality Type and Spiritual Gifts, I am not nervous. I can do it without thinking, but this is so different. It is so much more personal for me, and I have to tailor it for this group. I can redo this talk over and over again like I do for those. It is harder to prepare for, but it has been really rewarding for me to look back and see all the promises that You have given me as I wait!

So, let the weekend begin! Praying my back cooperates today after a scary and stupid putting of a box in a freezer that tweeked my back!!!!  Silly me. I think I am OK though because I was already scheduled to see the chiropractor anyway.

Lord, please run through me. Flow through me. Swimming for You. Biking for You. Running for You!

Nervous

In 24 hours, I will be half way through my swim in Dixon Pool. I am a bit nervous about this whole thing. I love the idea of a triathlon, but the whole thing really scares me. It is so much more complicated than just a 5K run!  

In a little over 48 hours, I will be giving my talk. I was able to run through it a couple of times yesterday, and it still need some fine-tuning. I am saying too much right now. Need more personal experience flavored in there and a little less Bible teaching (I can't resist you know).  I feel like it will definitely be together by the time I stand up there. But what should I wear? :)

Well-Tuned Body - I lost five pounds in the whole "triathlon training" process. Lots of muscle gain and more fat loss than probably shows on the scale. YEAH! Next week, during my recovery (and sitting on my duff doing taxes!) I will do a high-protein, low-carb option to switch things up a bit. 

Well-Watered Soul - I have loved getting ready for this talk. I has been so good to read old journals and see how much God has taught me through the waiting process. This was well-worth the time I have invested in it. It has been time-consuming and difficult to find chunks of time to work on this talk, but the deeper time in the word, digging again on the subject of waiting has refreshed my soul. SO, thank you Vickie Z. for asking me! I pray God uses it in the lives of the 80 women who will be attending. 

Well-Educated Mind - I have been able to listen to The Blindside as I have done the moist-heat pad on my massage table. That has been great. I hope to return to The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism when I am done with taxes!

Well-adjusted Heart - Much prayer about the potential conflict that I am witnessing among a few friends (I am not a part of the conflict but have been coaching in it) had unsettled me, but I am much better after prayer from Shar Giesert, Vickie Z.,  and Joyce At. Confessing my fear that things would blow up here. I am also really looking forward to having the Listening Prayer Workshop with the Winships after Jesus in the Qur'an!  I pray all the people in conflict would come. I think we could all benefit from doing the Peacemaker Study after this is all over. 

Elizabeth is coming in 40 minutes. So, I want to run through my talk one more time before she comes. Then one more time after. Then, I go to get a bathing cap, race belt, chip holder, and my packet for the race. Then, I go to the chiropractor for a one hour adjustment session. Finally, I have from 4 pm - bedtime to work on my talk. I think that will be plenty for me. :)

I have butterflies, but I am loving my life right now. Praying for safety and blessing for my friends doing the triathlon who are all running for Jesus!  Praying for blessing on the 80 women going to Wi-Ne-Ma too!

90 - Waiting at Coffee Culture

90 - Waiting at Coffee Culture, originally uploaded by carolfoasia.

It can be a little nerve-wracking.

In 48 hours, I will begin my heat in the swim portion of the "Beaver Freezer,"  my first sprint triathlon. I had a dream last night that I forgot to set up my transition station. There were no shoes for me to change into after the swim, only this lonely laptop, and I can't have an MP3 player on the race. :)

In 72 hours, I will begin a talk on waiting that is still formless and void. I have all the components. They just have not been put together in a cohesive whole. I am usually at the "honing and crafting" stage by now, but life has been too busy for that. Michael started new classes, training for the triathlon, Southside Youth Outreach, Jesus Community. George hasn't been able to pick up the slack that he usually does because he has had a terrible cold.

But I have today. I got out of the house before things started humming and walked in the beautiful sunshine to Coffee Culture. My phone is turned off, and I am ready to roll. It is going to be a very good day.

Waiting

It can be a little nerve-wracking.

In 48 hours, I will begin my heat in the swim portion of my first sprint triathlon. I had a dream last night that I forgot to set up my transition station. There were no shoes for me to change into after the swim, only this lonely laptop, and I can't have an MP3 player on the race. :)

In 72 hours, I will begin a talk that on waiting that is still formless and void. I have all the components. They just have not been put together in a cohesive whole. I am usually at the "honing and crafting" stage by now, but life has been too busy for that. Michael started new classes, training for the triathlon, Southside Youth Outreach, Jesus Community. George hasn't been able to pick up the slack that he usually does because he has had a terrible cold.

But I have today. I got out of the house before things started humming and walked in the beautiful sunshine to Coffee Culture. My phone is turned off, and I am ready to roll. It is going to be a very good day.

TWEM Classics: 151 out of 158 (96%)

MODERN (1850 – present)

1860 Civilization of Renaissance Burckhardt 

1904 Protestant Work Ethic & Spirit of Capitalism Weber (READING NOW)

1938 The New England Mind Miller 

1973 The Gulag Archipelago (only Autobiography left)

1974 Roll, Jordan, Roll Genovese 

1987 All the President's Men Woodward & Bernstein (March 23, 2011)

1990 A Midwife's Tale Ballard
1992 The End of History & the Last Man Fukuyama 

March Madness

I always forget to write here. Just reflections in no particular order.

I am getting in shape. I was in pretty good shape before, but this triathlon training has kicked it up another gear. YEAH! I have lost about four pounds and gained a bunch of muscle.

We had a lovely vacation as a family. It was simple at South Beach in Newport and Wi-Ne-Ma at Cloverdale. We talked a bunch, walked, and played games. We even did a puzzle. Well, we tried to do one.

Now, I just did 20 on the bike at the club and walked 30 minutes afterward. I haven't had an outside bike ride in such a long time, but it has been really raining!  Now, I am all stretched and showered, and I am going to do my Bible Book Club post and work on my talk for the Spring Retreat. April is going to be a very busy month for us.

The basketball championships are on. George has been watching them quite a bit because he is sick. VCU may beat Kansas any second here.

Oh, I also finished another TWEM book! WOOHOO! I have to document that in another post. All the President's Men was fascinating! I loved reading a history book about something that happened during my lifetime. I remember the results: Nixon resigning. I don't remember all the details. So, that was really good. Now, I am reading The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. It is very well written and gives me quite a bit to think about.

I am also reading the Book Babes books that I missed over the last 10 years. The Last Lecture was great. I know that Rosemary didn't like it, as I recall. If you still read this Rosemary, remind me what it was that you didn't like about it. It was simple and a nice thing to listen to while running or biking (stationery - I don't listen to my iPod while riding on a bike, too dangerous). Now I am listening to The Blindside. What a fun book!

Well, there are 29.8 seconds to go, and it looks like VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) is going to upset #1 Kansas for the Southwest Regional Championship. All the #1's in all four regions (Duke, Ohio State, Pittburgh, and Kansas) have been beat. Or they WILL be beat in 24.2 seconds.  Now it is the commercial.

11.8 seconds, and they are going to the line. . . I like basketball when I decide to watch it, but I don't have time to watch it very often. :) It isn't the best use of my time. Try to be better about that.

Final: VCU 71: Kansas 61.  A wildcard team wins!

Mark 10:42-45

I am doing the lesson on "Kneeling" in Leadership Essentials today with Jane. I could not more heartily agree with this chapter. This is the scripture memory passage for this lesson:

"Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, 'You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.'"

Each lesson begins with a core truth, and I couldn't agree more with this one:

What is the motivation and posture of a Christian leaders?

Leading disciples are not motivated by self-aggrandizement of control or power, nor by the need to fill a deficit of self-worth. A servant leader finds joy in empowering and equipping others so they can experience the fulfillment of their God-given contribution. The freedom to be a servant leader comes from the reality of being a beloved child of God (p. 55).

This is my heart! I want to see others fly! I want them to know that God loves them, they are a beloved child of His, and that He wants them to fly with the gifts He has given them so that He might be glorified. So,  I want to say AMEN to this core truth!!!!

Now on to memorizing the verse.

P.S. I decided that I am going to be better at entering posts here about what I am learning  

 

 

 

2011 Carol365: 71 - 20-Miler in the Rain Complete

2011 Carol365: 71 - 20-Miler in the Rain Complete: "71 - 20-Miler in the Rain Complete, originally uploaded by carolfoasia.I went out for my longest distance when there was a lull in the rain..."

Eight More TWEM Books!!!

MODERN (1850 – present)

1860 Civilization of Renaissance Burckhardt 

1904 Protestant Work Ethic & Spirit of Capitalism Weber 

1938 The New England Mind Miller 

1973 The Gulag Archipelago (only Autobiography left)

1974 Roll, Jordan, Roll Genovese 

1987 All the President's Men Woodward & Bernstein 

1990 A Midwife's Tale Ballard
1992 The End of History & the Last Man Fukuyama 

I decided to read All the President's Men because it is nice to read history that I was a part of for a change. All the other books are about things past. (Except maybe The End of History and the Last Man. I don't know what that is about, and I want to read that one last: last man/last book.) I'm already hooked and I am only about 60 pages into it! The fact that I can remember it all is exciting for me! I remember the day Nixon resigned! I even wrote it in my journal that night. History making really.

I read Born Again by Chuck Colson in the autobiography section a while ago though. So, I wish I could have read them together, but that was back when I was trying to complete genre. I definitely recommend reading these books chronologically though. I did that in some cases (Pilgrim's Progress with Bunyan's autobiography for example), but I didn't think to do it for All the President's Men! I think it was when I was just blitzing one autobiography after another. Somehow I remember Colson not admitting that he had really done anything wrong other than had some bad judgment in some cases. I might be wrong on that point though. This book paints quite a sordid picture of Colson as the "hatchet man" of Nixon. Stay tuned. I think I am going to fly through this one, but I don't have it on Kindle. So, it is hard for me to read it while I am running because I can't make the print bigger. 

TWEM LIST UPDATE: 150/158 = 95%

I'm in the single digits!!!

MOSTLY HISTORY

EARLY MODERN (1600 – 1850)

1776 Decline & Fall Roman Empire Gibbon 

1835 Democracy in America Tocqueville (March 11, 2011)

MODERN (1850 – present)

1860 Civilization of Renaissance Burckhardt 

1904 Protestant Work Ethic & Spirit of Capitalism Weber 

1937 The Road to Wigan Pier Orwell (March 11, 2011)
1938 The New England Mind Miller 

1973 The Gulag Archipelago (only Autobiography left)

1974 Roll, Jordan, Roll Genovese 

1978 Distant Mirror Tuchman (January 2011)
1987 All the President's Men Woodward & Bernstein 

1990 A Midwife's Tale Ballard
1992 The End of History & the Last Man Fukuyama 

TWEM Update 148/158 = 94%

10 MORE!

I just finished this:

I downloaded the Librivox.org audio chapters that Womersley covers and read the chapters summaries of the chapters that he gives in his abridged edition. It made for easy listening as I ran or biked for triathlon training.

I especially liked Chapter 50 - a detailed account of the rise of Islam. It was very interesting, and I learned some things I didn't know!

EARLY MODERN (1600 – 1850)

1776 Decline & Fall Roman Empire Gibbon (February 25 at 4:43 am!)

1835 Democracy in America Tocqueville 

MODERN (1850 – present)

1860 Civilization of Renaissance Burckhardt 

1904 Protestant Work Ethic & Spirit of Capitalism Weber 

1937 The Road to Wigan Pier Orwell
1938 The New England Mind Miller 

1973 The Gulag Archipelago (only Autobiography left)

1974 Roll, Jordan, Roll Genovese 

1978 Distant Mirror Tuchman (January 2011)
1987 All the President's Men Woodward & Bernstein 

1990 A Midwife's Tale Ballard
1992 The End of History & the Last Man Fukuyama 

Colossians 1:9-14

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in ever good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Friday Freewrite

I am not trying to win the approval of other people;
I want to win Your approval, Lord.
If I were still trying to please people,
I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)

If I am afraid of people,
fear will trap me.
But if I trust in You, O Lord,
You will keep me safe. (Proverbs 29:25)

My help comes from You, O Lord,
Who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 124:8)

Since Your children have partaken of flesh and blood. You also, O Christ, shared in their humanity so that by Your death You might destroy him who holds the power of death - the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

Loved my prayer time this morning, and these are verses that I want to commit to memory now.:)

I go to Ginny and Lorraine's today but nothing until Michelle tonight for assessment and goals for next year. I love doing that, and she is so on top of things regarding that and even initiated it. I might like her to talk to the girls about it. God has given me such a rich cadre of women to work with this year. I feel so blessed by them. They are lovers of you and women of purity and purpose. Love, love, love every single one of them. :)

Well, I am off to do my Bible Book Club post. I had worked ahead for the Prayer Summit, and now I am no longer ahead. Sort of snuck up on me!

My Photos - Friends 2011

My Photos - Friends 2011

TWEM Update 147/158 = 93%

11 MORE! I am almost to the single digits!!!!

MOSTLY HISTORY

EARLY MODERN (1600 – 1850)

1776 Decline & Fall Roman Empire Gibbon (Through Volume I!)

1835 Democracy in America Tocqueville 

MODERN (1850 – present)

1860 Civilization of Renaissance Burckhardt 

1904 Protestant Work Ethic & Spirit of Capitalism Weber 

1937 The Road to Wigan Pier Orwell
1938 The New England Mind Miller 
1973 The Gulag Archipelago (only Autobiography left)

1974 Roll, Jordan, Roll Genovese 

1978 Distant Mirror Tuchman (January 2011)
1987 All the President's Men Woodward & Bernstein 

1990 A Midwife's Tale Ballard
1992 The End of History & the Last Man Fukuyama