• 3 Reasons This Christian Girl Runs

    I get it. Some people hate running. I once was one of them, and some days, I still am. When I tell people I’m training for a half marathon, I get a variety of responses. Most fall into one of the following categories. I’d be curious to hear yours, and I promise, you won’t hurt my feelings! [polldaddy poll=9817788] Asking the reason why Whether you’re setting goals or getting ready to make a decision, pause to ask, “Why am I doing this?” That’s a healthy question. Last time when we talked about goals, we determined the bottom line for doing anything is to glorify God (I Corinthians 10:31). Let me…

  • 2 Realities of Reaching Worthy Goals

    I’m convinced that anything worthwhile involves sacrifice. To reach a great goal, you have to give up good things. Take sleep, for example. For the last two Saturdays, when many people enjoyed the chance to catch some extra Zs, I set my alarm early to go for a long run. Granted, I enjoyed the morning with some amazing running partners, but I had to sacrifice sleep, embrace sweat, and push through fatigue (and dewy cobwebs along the trail). But I’ll never be ready for my half marathon in November if I don’t. As I type those words, I laugh, because not many years ago, I couldn’t even run a mile.…

  • The Path of Resistance

    Last week, I went biking on a particularly windy day. Starting down the trail, my dirt bike raced along without much effort on my part. The return home, however, was not such a breeze. With head down, I peddled hard into the wind and made much slower progress. My thighs started to burn. Resistance brings pressure, sweat, and sometimes pain; I’m not just talking about the kind that comes from biking into the wind. Life presents us with resistance. In school, we have to work hard and figure out teacher expectations to earn good grades. In our jobs, we might have to deal with unpleasant customers, co-worker conflicts, or project deadlines. Good relationships…