Brightness

Well it's official... I am training for my first half marathon. Many may not see this as exciting but to this former fat girl it TOTALLY is. I have always dreamed of running a marathon but I was too fat to do it. I allowed life, lack of control, and self loathing to strip me of my dreams as I gained weight. Over 9 years of marriage I gained almost 100lbs of weight... I hate even writing that but in order to progress I need to admit where I've come. Now almost 80lbs lighter I am FINALLY finding my worth, my drive and my passions again!! THANK GOD! One of those dreams was to run a marathon. Now let me be the first to say that while in High School and College I enjoyed running. I was very active and when I needed to blow off steam I ran, and ran long distances. Since then I have lost that ability to run distance. Sure I could run but run a long way I couldn't. Part of that was the weight and part of that was just a lost of desire to handle my stress that way. Instead I turn...

So this past Wednesday I got to finally go down and help clean up some in Joplin... I have been longing to go down there and get my hands in that rubble after the May 22nd tornado since the 23rd. But because of schedules and my Dad being in Russia at the time I decided to wait. I also knew that a lot of people would jump at the chance to go at the beginning but would get tired and would forget as the weeks went on. I'm glad I waited. No I didn't get the devastation for my self in all it's "glory" with cars piled up and people's broken lives spread across miles. I did see plenty of heart wrenching houses with stories that I didn't dare ask. I praised God when I saw the Junior High and High School because if it had been Monday there would have been a GREAT number of lives lost. I stood in awe at the trees, striped to it's white flesh beginning to grow tuft's of leaves back. I listened to a story of fear and of rebuilding. It was a BEAUTIFUL trip!!! I...