Blooming Where I'm Planted?

Warning...this post is about life, struggle and God...it's long but I think it's worth reading, it was certainly worth writing! 

I am often so absorbed by training for this half marathon that I forget to stop and attend my spiritual health.  I have this longing to accomplish this race, not because I want people to say, wow what a great thing...it's more like I have to do this to prove to myself, my body and my spirit...that I can do it! Does that make any sense to you?  

I was talking to one of my very best friends about my spiritual health just the other day and it was about this very subject.  Feeling like I'm not doing anything significant for God, has left me feeling a little lost.  Come to find out, she is going through the exact same thing.  Don't you just love how God works? I sure do.  After we talked I didn't feel like everything was solved, but I did feel like I had made some headway and like God was still there...waiting.  For what, I don't know...I just know that God has me where I am, and I need to accept it...maybe not embrace it, but accept my garden where it is and how it looks...and bloom where I've been planted.  

My life and everything I touch is my personal garden and I CAN bloom where I've been planted.  We don't need to all go out and knock on doors, or serve at the soup kitchens to be significant. Some of us are mom's and dad's and our children and loved ones are our ministry.  The people I see daily, whether they are family or acquaintances, are in my garden and how I interact with them matters.  I may be the only person in their life that day, that reaches them for Christ through some small an act of kindness.  That means a lot to me personally, I am serving lunch to the high school kids in town Monday-Thursday and I may be their only smile or kind act in their day! In that way I am significant to God.  

How does running fit in?  Well I'm not sure, to be perfectly honest.  Yet, running is a big part of me at this moment in time and I have to believe that God planted that seed somewhere along the way for a reason.  I'm a runner but that isn't what defines me, I survived cancer, but that doesn't define me either...I'm a child of God at my core and that SHOULD define me.  I am hopeful that people see my heart (God) when they read my blog.  I pray that someone has been touched by my words (Gods words) at one time or another...but that is ultimately up to God not me.  

Running has been difficult for me.  I have had my fair share of injuries because of running, yet I love it. God has brought me through those injuries and the resulting heartbreak the same way he brought me through cancer and every other heartache I've gone through in life.  I got through those injuries because inside of me is a belief that God brings us to the valleys only to shine and show us His majesty when we come out on the other side. He is ultimately the one who gave me my spirit of triumph..it's not me, it's Him.  I hope that I show that in my blog.

You may be asking...What?

I've said all that to say this...I am struggling with pain.  Running past 4 miles is causing me pain in my hip and pelvis and I'm not sure I can keep up my training. That does not mean I am quitting just that I may have to tweak my schedule.  I am just saying I'm struggling.  My husband questions whether I should keep training for this half, period.  I am questioning it myself.  I have been thinking lately that maybe instead of trying to run the whole thing I should try a run/walk schedule.  Ugh! My ego doesn't like that last statement. To be honest, it was hard just writing that last statement. Egotistically I want to say I ran the whole way, but I really don't see that happening.  Maybe God is saying His plan for my half is better than my plan is...I have to learn to stop and listen for His advice.  It's always better than my advice. God may see this half marathon as a way to touch someones life through some seemingly insignificant act or word...I am sure that He sees it's execution and completion entirely different than I see it! It may have nothing to do with me at all and everything to do with Him. 

Thanks for listening to my struggle and for not giving up half-way through, I'm sure y'all deserve some kind of medal for finishing this post. It would be called the Medal of Friendship, and I virtually award it to every one of you! 

I am blessed by you and I thank God for bringing you into my life! Blessings and hugs! I hope I haven't scared any of you off!  I promise I have not lost it...lol!  May God bless you and keep you and may His favor shine on your life.

   



"Limitations only exist if you let them"

Godspeed...this comes from the Middle English expression "God spede (you)", a wish for success and fortune for one setting out on an enterprise, voyage, adventure, or travels. It may also mean good luck.

 © 2013 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

Weekend Update

Happy Monday lovely peeps! I hope that your weekend was as good as mine.

My daughter M and I packed up and drove my little green jelly bean over to my mama's house Friday night.  After arriving, my mom and I went out to dinner while M opted to stay and relax, she was feeling a bit sick to her stomach.  This was my first dinner out with my upper partial and it was a bit hard.  I asked for the Gourmet veggie burger with lettuce leaves for the bun.  Mistake one, I still cannot eat lettuce.  The veggie patty was overcooked, ugh...but it was good and then of course there were the fabulous and salty fries, mistake two.  Needless to say I had a stomach ache later on in the evening. It was a nice dinner and my mom and I had a great visit, just the two of us. 

Saturday I got up early and went for a short 3.5 mile run.  I just missed getting rained on, so the run was under a very cloudy sky, although the sun did manage to peak out once or twice. Later on my mama, M and I headed out for my nieces bridal shower and then back to mama's house for the rest of the weekend.  When my daughter and I go over for a girls weekend we usually just hang out, play cards, read, watch television and eat...lol! 

I really do wish my mama lived closer, right now it's a 45 minute drive but she will be retiring next year (maybe) so we shall see what happens. Anyway we had a nice relaxing weekend just being together and celebrating our Mother's day.  M and I got my mom a beautiful candle holder with three tiers of birds and leaves, we also got her a beautiful glass bird to take to her office.  


Sunday was spent driving home and then relaxing for the rest of the day with my family.  I did go out and visit my garden to see what new veggies are growing.  There are now two zucchini plants coming up and a ton of strawberries.  The peppers look awesome and abundant.  Our tomato plants are growing like crazy and the chives and coffee mint plant...awesome-sauce.  All in all it was a beautiful weekend.  Blessings and hugs!

"Limitations only exist if you let them" Godspeed...this comes from the Middle English expression "God spede (you)", a wish for success and fortune for one setting out on an enterprise, voyage, adventure, or travels. It may also mean good luck. © 2013 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

Yard Work, Painting & School's Finally Here

Hey there, long time no see...Hope this post finds everyone happy, healthy and ready for school to start back up. 

My 3 children are finally back in school, save for the one who graduated this summer, (yes I have four children) he is working full time now, wow...time sure does fly by these days.  Have you ever noticed how much faster time goes by when you reach 40?  I sure have.

The whole family has been working the last 2 weeks or so getting this fence put up and stained with a solid stain.  It was a lot of fun building it as a family and boy howdy, was it needed.  We have been wanting a fence for about 3 yrs and the framing has been up for a little over a year already...the hubby and I had to re-frame the whole thing again, as the other wood was falling apart (a bad buy) although we didn't need to replace the fence posts, thank goodness.  We also put in a new gravel pathway in front of our house (even though it is city property) it needed to be done.

This is the new well house that my hubby, sons and I built to replace the old one that was falling apart at the seams (literally).  I had fun embellishing it with stencil art.  

This one is a picture of one side of our well house and I used the same bee above to go around the entire fence...here and there..too cute.

 Here is a cute section of the inside fence...dragonflies...fun.

 

Here is one of me I took with Instagram...too much fun with hair wraps.  I have been back at the gym working out, also taking long walks, but still no running.  I am giving the running a bit more time, I'd like to make sure that my pelvic stress fracture is completely healed before I try to run.  Don't want to tempt fate or anything, lol. I hope that you are all feeling healthy and blessed, I sure am! Thanks for sticking with me through this injury and my infrequent blogging...Blessings!

Godspeed...this comes from the Middle English expression "God spede (you)", a wish for success and fortune for one setting out on an enterprise, voyage, adventure, or travels. It may also mean good luck. "Limitations only exist if you let them" © 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

Gardening

In news, other than running...

My wonderful Hubby and Children prepared our flower beds and helped me plant this weekend...I am so blessed.  Here are some pictures.  

Under The Great Tree

In Front Of The Bench

In Front Of Molly's Window

These are not mature plants yet so they have a ways to go, but we planted Marigolds, Daisies, and Violas...so excited to see them in a few weeks with some growth on them.  Happy gardening as well as running. 

"Limitations only exist if you let them"

 © 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.