I’m writing tonight under the stars. The ocean breeze is sweeping over the rooftop of the hospital as our team reflects on our amazing week. Most of us have been sleeping on cots up here because it’s much cooler than inside.  Falling asleep as we search for constellations in the stars and waking to a brilliant sunrise are not bad benefits though. This morning’s sunrise did not disappoint.  Rays of light filtered through the clouds illuminating the sky in oranges, reds, pinks, and finally blue.  We watched this brilliant display as we read our Bibles and prepared for our epic day.

(the "mom's" on the team enjoying the sunrise)

From sunrise to long after sunset, we bounced from one place to another.  Each outing we took could be its own blog post.  At 6 a.m., Scott Campbell, a former personal trainer, took some of our teammates and five security guards on an exercise excursion.  We ran down the streets of Haiti to the Caribbean Sea, less than a half mile from Grace Village, and into a gated community park.  We ran the stairs of a partially finished pavilion that faced the sea and around the sidewalk that circled the park.  Four handsome teenage boys battle rapped – a combination of rap and acting – on the edge of the sidewalk.  Fishermen worked the sea from their boats and pulled their nets in from the shore.  We ran past wild chickens, goats, and a big bull cow grazing in what would have been a grassy area in an American park. Who gets to do stuff like this?

(the workout crew)

After breakfast we toured the tent village beside the hospital.  At its maximum capacity, 25,000 people lived in tents on twelve acres of land. Residents have slowly been finding permanent shelter and Grace Village has begun to reclaim their land.  A garden grows where tents once were.  The walkways, once so narrow you could barely pass through, are now wide and easy to traverse. Noticeable change is happening and the people have hope for their future.

(Ann and Melanie in the tent village)

Next we drove to the Lambi site to see the homes that past Solid Rock teams have built, and we have great admiration for the “Road Warriors” who cleaned the knee-deep refuge from their canal. The Lambi women there take such pride in their new homes, hanging delicate lace curtains over windows and around beds. We had the opportunity to enter several of the homes and pray over the families, praising God for being El Roi, the God who sees, and praying for provision for their needs.  Diane was blessed to see the house her Dad built, pray for that family, and give her scarf to the vibrant little girl who so proudly showed Diane around.

(Diane with the family that lives in the house her dad helped build)

When we asked the ladies at the widows’ home to tell us their story, they each told us about their bodies and the healing that they need. So we prayed for just that: healing for a limb paralyzed by a stroke, healing for legs injured during a fall. Whitney also led us in song, and they sang right along with us.

Today was Liz Eischen and Amanda Jones’ turn to shine with the kids.  At the boys’ home, we used the supplies and toys they compiled to blow bubbles, color pictures, jump rope and sing songs. Our visit ended in a rowdy game with rubber balls being kicked and thrown in every direction. These kind, joy-filled boys are a true testament to the work the Juenes are doing to care for the orphan and the widow.

(Amanda and Liz at Lambi)

We also went to the Girls Home to meet some of Madam and Bishop’s fifty-five girls.  We played the same games that we did with the boys and also made jewelry.  While we played, these children stole our hearts.

(Jodi at the girls home)

Madam Jeune gave us the honor of sharing her story and asked us to photograph the older girls.  She wants to use these photos to help share these graceful girls’ stories.   Stay tuned for more information on how you can sponsor the boys and girls Bishop and Madam have welcomed into their home.  These precious children need sponsors. When you see their faces and hear their stories, you’ll want to help.

Orlena Ballard led a hard-working crew from our team help the Haitians in the Lord’s Kitchen.  They sorted beans and cooked huge bowls of rice and beans to serve the children in the tent village.  While they cooked, they used an interpreter to hear the women’s stories.

(Ann, Kathleen, Whitney and Zebby posing as chickens by the chicken coops)

These women are just like us. They are eager to share their story with anyone who will genuinely listen.  They love beautiful things and light up when you pay them a compliment.  They like to see their photo after it’s been taken and are quick to give and receive love.  They are truly lovely.

We closed our day with a Dude Devotional.  Alex gave us a preview of his sermon for tomorrow.  Jeff Hartley, our incredible Forward Edge Haiti Field Coordinator who has fearlessly led and served our team all week, shared his story of how he came to faith in Christ.   It’s an incredible story – ask him sometime.  He also revealed he has three sisters which explains why he’s been comfortable around so many women all week!

(the "Dudes")

The week would not have been the same without all the moms on the team.  Beth Viducich, Ann Menke, Julie Kohl and Mary Kay Taylor have mothered and loved on our team. Penny Stady, Kay Moore and Jodi Hughes have kept us on track and made sure we knew what to expect and that we were properly equipped.  It has truly been a team effort and one that God perfectly orchestrated.

Thank you for your prayers and all your comments on the blogs. We have been invigorated by the love you’re sending across the miles.

With a grateful heart,

Madam Curt, Madam Jon, and Madam Josh

P.S. Jon and Curt—have fun at the Lord of the Rings marathon/sleepover. Remember, you have SIX children upstairs. (hugs to Grant, Katie, Karly, Alli, Kiki, and Paigey)

P.P.S. – To Scott, Beth, Josh, Jake, Savannah, and Zoey – love you guys.  God has been so good and this trip has been amazing.  Spent the day with my kitchen ladies – what a blessing!  I also got to see Wetzel and took a picture with him.  I know you guys are missing me as much as I’m missing you.  Promise to bake cookies when I get home.  Love- Orlena

P.P.P.S. – Husband! (John Joffer) – The things I’ve seen and the stories I’ve heard “are not even normal in my consciousness” and I can’t wait to share them with you.  I miss and love you. See you soon!

We can hardly believe it! Today was the last day of the conference.  Like the previous two days, God showed up in a powerful way.  The pastor’s wives, who seemed almost indifferent to us and to each other in the first hours of the conference, were changed women when they left today.

I (Jodi Stilp) got to share my personal testimony of how Jesus has been the Light of the World in my life.  I reminded the women that He is holding out His hand –offering to be the Light of the World to them as well as they serve Him in a very dark place.  When I finished speaking, Whitney Baucom led the women in song. Haitian voices joined ours, and we worshipped together as sisters in English and Creole.

Light of the World you stepped down into darkness.

Opened my eyes, let me see.

Beauty that makes this heart adore you.

Hope of a life spent with you.

Whitney then shared her story of a life transformed. El Roi – the God Who Sees – sought her in her darkest moment and instead of seeing a sinner, He saw a godly woman.  A Worshipper.  A Leader.  He redeemed her life from the pit and set her feet on the Solid Rock.  She reminded the women that God sees them too and to pray for their rebellious loved ones. No one is too far away that God doesn’t see them. There is always hope.

And so Diane and Vicki Marshman spent the next portion teaching the women how to raise godly children who would passionately follow Jesus. When Vicki finished giving them practical tips, the women peppered Diane, Vicki, Jenna Silva, and Kay Moore with questions. The pastor’s wives promised to take everything they learned home to share with the women they serve every day.

Before we closed our time together, Madam Juene called our team to the front.  The women thanked us for coming and then gave us gifts.  These women who have so little gave us Haitian flags and bracelets so we would “never forget them and remember to pray.” They gave Diane a painting and a beautiful vase.  Then they prayed for us.  And I don’t mean a proper America-style prayer.  These women stormed the front of the room, enveloping us with their hands and their hearts, and raised their voices to God in a beautiful symphony of praise.

The Haitians love titles.  Every nametag was at least four names long and each name was important to them.  They labeled our conference as seminary, called us missionaries, and received an official signed certificate from Pastor Diane Carol Comer.  Are you giggling like we are?

When all the ladies received their certificates, we celebrated with a Haitian feast complete with six five-gallon buckets of ice cream – a luxury in Haiti.  The ladies kept coming through the line, again and again, some of them eight times!  What a joy to give them an opportunity to indulge in such a fun treat.

These Haitian ladies arrived at the conference empty and feeling alone.  They left filled with the power of God and an army of new friends who can relate to a life of ministry.  The pastor’s wives from small villages and big towns, from Pentecostal, Methodist, and Baptist denominations, exchanged phone numbers and addresses and embraced each other in long hugs as they said their goodbyes. They asked to get together again next year.

The four men who served the ice cream, the men who’ve been traveling with us all week to provide protection and support, have blessed us and these Haitian women in mighty ways. We’ve kept Mike Varadi, Alex Salzwedel, Scott Campell, and Tim Durkee busy with some really important jobs.  When they’re not beating up bad guys (their latest claim is 90 with one hand tied behind their backs), they’ve served our team by filling water bottles, restocking snacks, schlepping those big red duffle bags, and unclogging the one toilet our entire team shared.  More importantly, they’ve prayed fervently for us while we served the women here.

Tonight they set up Flicks on the Bricks (a rooftop movie) and are sacrificing Captain America to watch Letters From Juliet.  We’re currently having volume issues so they’re taking turns narrating the subtitles in girly voices. A huge shout out to Abby, Cynthia, Janet, Tracy, and Kate for loaning your men to us for the week.  We think they’re pretty great.  By the way, Pastor Alex (gotta love the title) is preaching in church on Sunday.

We’re heading to bed tonight with full hearts and a huge sense of relief.  God planted the seed for this conference in Madam Jeune’s heart.  He grew it by giving Diane and Jodi Hughes the vision, and He birthed it this week. I’m so glad I got to be a part of it.

With a grateful heart,

Jodi

P.S.  To my awesome husband Curt and my five beautiful children – Sarah, Grant, Katie, Alli and Paige – I love you!  I’ll be home soon and can’t wait to squeeze you. Grant – we sang Light of the World, just not in opera.

P.P. S. Jenna says, “Congratulations Grace and Andrew.  Hearing I’m getting a niece in a few months was the best news of the trip!”

As we end our third day in Haiti — and our second day of the women’s conference — it’s hard to know where to begin. The work of the Spirit is the direct result of your prayers. In spite of our inadequacies, God worked in a mighty way. We are women truly blessed. The only request we received yesterday from the pastor’s wives was for more—more teaching, more stories, and more of us pouring into her dear sisters. When we woke up this morning — many of us on the roof to relish the nighttime breeze—we prepared ourselves to speak even more.

So we told stories. We prayed with the ladies and worshipped with them. A woman sitting next to Mary Kay Taylor refused to smile until we began praising the Lord. Then her joy poured out. With her arms waving in praise and her voice loud with song, she turned to Mary Kay and taught her how to worship in Creole. Mary Kay waved her arms with this woman and she sang with joy. Together they rejoiced in a language that Mary Kay didn’t understand.

Madam Jeune asked that we give one dress to each of the pastor’s wives today so we began laying out all the beautiful dresses that you so lovingly picked for them, dresses of all shapes and sizes, in every color.

Ashley Krause, we missed you today! Thank you for all your hard work and love for these ladies. They rejoiced when they received these beautiful gifts. Some put them on right away to wear for the afternoon. Others made sure their dresses matched the handmade bags that Chris Akenson and so many of you sewed for them.

The remaining dresses will go to other ladies who lost their church attire in the earthquake. It will be a blessing to each of them.

Jenna Silva shared her heart this morning for people who don’t know God and told of how God can give them joy amidst oppression. Vicki Marshman spoke about her search for answers to life’s questions. Caryn Ogle began to share her story, and in the midst of it, Madam Juene asked her to sing. The Haitian ladies joined in the song of On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, and God’s power flowed through the room. Melanie Dobson told the story of the friend she lost in the Haiti earthquake. And then Diane told of how God used suffering to transform her into a passionate follower, completely in love with Jesus.

As we went into our small groups, we could all feel the Spirit moving. On the first day, we had to draw women out, but today they were coming to us, eager to share their testimonies. “To tell you all the things God has done in my life,” many of them said. The women in each group — American and Haitian women alike — gathered around each woman and prayed a choir of Haitian and English words over her.

All of a sudden, the women in Ann Menke’s group were on their feet, singing and dancing, and in minutes all the groups across the sanctuary joined in the song. The women wrapped their arms around us as we danced together.

Diane told the women that they needed to come to the United States to teach us how to dance. And so they taught us how to dance for the Lord. One woman—Yanick Toussaint—even wrote a song and choreographed a dance. Just for Diane.

And the beautiful thing was….

Diane danced along.

What a wonderful life.

Who made it?

Jesus did it.

With what sewing machine?

His blood.

What thread?

The Holy Spirit.

Then turn around that I can see.

Here I am.

Turn around one more time

Let’s strike applause.

If I did not have Jesus,

I would not be alive.

Jesus has given all of us life. We are rejoicing with Yanick and all the other ladies.

Please join us in the dance.

With joy,

Allie and Melanie

Thank each of you for your notes! It was such a joy to return from day one of the conference this afternoon and read those. We told the Haitian ladies that you were praying for them this week, and your prayers have deeply blessed us and the women we met today. The beginning of the conference was both overwhelming and amazing. To compress the past ten hours is almost impossible, because we are still processing all that has happened. The Spirit moved today in a powerful way, and we are humbled and incredibly grateful for it.

As we walked into the open air sanctuary this morning, it was our privilege to hug the beautiful women dressed in their Sunday best. Outside the sanctuary were palm trees and mountains and people singing below. Inside were pink and white balloons and two giant fans working hard to cool almost two hundred ladies and a host of translators.

When Diane began speaking, the connection between her and these ladies was immediate and clearly inspired by God. Through the translation of Madam Jeune, Diane thanked the ladies for pouring their lives out for so many. And she explained that it was our turn to pour into them.

(Ann and the women)

“You and I are an essential part of God’s kingdom,” Diane told them. “God calls each of us by name.”

(Jodi and the women)

Amens resounded around the room as she began to encourage them through the story of God meeting Moses at the burning bush.  Each lady received a packet of the names of God as Diane spoke, each Bible verse written in both French and Creole. Then they all received one name—a name that has been prayed over for months. A name we hoped would speak specifically to them.

The ladies began to share the names of God they received along with their stories.

A lady with diabetes received the name Physician.

The lady who received Child lost her children during the earthquake.

Almighty was given to the woman whose son had been kidnapped, held for ransom, and then returned six days later to the glory of God.

A lady who had a dream about the Prince of Peace before the conference received a card with that name.

God With Us was given to a woman whose twelve children had been rescued from the earthquake.

A young woman, heartbroken that her three-year-old daughter is not yet talking, received The God Who Sees Me.

And the stories about the Lord’s names continued as we broke into small groups and shared together.

Jenna Silva spoke to the ladies next about El Roi—The God Who Sees Me. She shared her story of growing up as the daughter of a pastor, of her rebellion and then of her reconciliation with God and her family. The ladies were overwhelmed with emotion. Perhaps some of them have children who have walked away from God. Others may even be drifting away from God themselves. We may never know all of these ladies’ stories, but Jenna’s words met them in a deep place that crossed cultural boundaries and spoke to the heart of their struggles and joys and the desire for their families to know God.

(Diane and Jenna)

We have many more stories to share in the days and even weeks to come.  Please don’t stop praying for us and our new Haitian friends. We desperately need the Spirit to carry us through this week.

(Beth holding a baby at the conference)

Diane’s father inspired her to go on this incredible journey to Haiti. We miss having you with us, Jack, but you are part of the team in our hearts. Blessings to you.

With Joy,

Melanie

P.S. Kelle Belle—Your sweet mama gives a shout out back to you. She loves you and misses you.

P.P.S. So far there have been no spider sightings in Carrefour. Don’t tell Diane, but Ann M. has a little surprise, just for her.

We’re here! After eight months of praying and preparing, twenty-three of us and our giant red duffle bags filled with dresses and supplies arrived in Port-au-Prince early this morning. And we’re all positively giddy to be here.

A big blue bus met us at the airport along with the warm sunshine. Our luggage and two of the men rode on top, and as we bumped along the massive potholes on the city roads, we saw things we’ve never seen before. Rubble still piled along the streets, almost two years after the earthquake. Goats climbed on mounds of trash. Tent cities lined up with magnificent coastline on one side and lush mountain views on the other. Horns honked and we could reach out the windows and touch the passing trucks.

And yet, in the middle of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, right in the midst of the devastation, there was in incredible resilience in the faces of the people.

I expected to see sadness in the eyes of the Haitian people, but instead I found joy in many of their eyes.  We waved to the children, and they waved back, smiles wide across their face. Most of the women were busy transporting baskets filled with bananas or barrels of water on their heads, but some smiled at us as well.

An earthquake devastated Haiti, and yet her people continue to live their lives. They are shining their shoes, shaving sugar cane to sell on the streets, and carrying clean water to their tent houses. Women are washing dishes and cooking food on the cracked sidewalks. Men are selling tires and furniture.

An hour or so later (we lost track of time), gates opened in front of us and we drove onto the property of Grace Village. Madam Jeune greeted us with hugs, praising Jesus for all He has done and will do this week.

Most of the Haitian women coming to the conference tomorrow have begun their journeys. They’ve been personally invited by Madam, and some will travel twelve hours by all sorts of modes of transportation. More than two hundred women from across denominations in Haiti will gather together to worship God and encourage each other.  This is the first time Haitian women from different denominations have gathered together to fellowship.

Thank you for praying for our trip. God was clearly with us in every leg of the journey.

Thank you for sending dresses (hundreds of them!). As I write, ladies are sorting the clothing and putting together gift bags for the women. The Haitian pastor’s wives will distribute the dresses long after we’re gone.

And thank you, most of all, for praying for the women who are coming to the conference tomorrow, that they will be revived, renewed and encouraged by His many names before they return to love and care for the people in their communities.

This blog will be our only communication with friends and family at home during this week so please send as many messages and notes as you want as comments. Jodi Stilp, Allie Rice, and I will pass the notes on to the ladies (and four men) on our team.

Diane sends her love!

With Joy,

Melanie Dobson

P.S. Note from Vicki to Steve—Remember that Coco gets two cans of dog food (and she loves you too!).

“Is – is he a man?” asked Lucy.

“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.”

“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe?  I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”

“That you will dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”

“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver, “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

I was in high school when I first read this disconcerting description of the God I had recently committed my life to.  Rich in vivid imagery and richer still with sound theology, the stories in the Chronicles of Narnia captured my whole heart.

But an unsafe God?

I wanted a god who would offer guarantees of a good life, a protected future. And so for the next many years I set about constructing a personal theology that safed God up a bit.

I memorized all the “promises” for protection, camping out on what sounded to me like iron clad can’t-get-out-of-it contractual agreements.

I collected quotes like this one: “There’s no place safer than right in the center of God’s will.” Ooh yeah, that sounds right to me.

But is God safe? Are we, as His followers, promised a safe life?

Ask Peter, or James, or John. Hounded by religious lawmen, they lost everything. Peter and James died violent, decidedly unsafe deaths. John was dipped into a cauldron of hot oil, then banished to an island all-alone.

No, God is not safe.

But He is good.

And so 20 women embark today on a journey into a world that is not safe.

Following in the footsteps of hundreds of others from our church, and tens of thousands of Jesus followers around the world, we chose to leave our safe, insurance protected homes to travel half a world away to bring the love of Christ to a people who need Him desperately.

A people whose world is anything but safe.

Why do we go? Because God is good.

And though every woman amongst this team living in safe suburbia is sure to lock their doors at night… and we wouldn’t think of not wearing seatbelts… and we disinfect our hands and cutting boards and doorknobs… and warn our kids against all sorts of random accidental possibilities…

We all know that it is this decidedly unsafe God who is leading us to Haiti.

The sense of His presence is palatable. Not in a packaged, marketable sense of nothing-bad-can-possibly-come-to-you kind of way. We just know that He’s leading and we’re following and He’s going to do something amazing in us and through us and with us in unsafe Haiti.

And we’re almost giddy with anticipation.

I wonder if the real danger for most of us Jesus followers has nothing to do with disease and disaster.

Maybe the real danger has more to do with our refusal to risk. To do what isn’t safe. To dare.

And I’m not just wondering about malaria carrying mosquitoes and crazed kidnappers…

Dare we risk relationships by telling the truth?

Dare we risk our financial security by giving scandalously?

Dare I risk my reputation by listening to that Voice which promises to whisper directions in my ear?

Dare I risk my comfortable Sunday routine by signing up to take care of kids? Is a harried mother who needs to hear the Gospel again, and again, and again worth it?

I don’t know what kind of daring adventure you’re contemplating right now. But I’ll bet there is some challenge lurking somewhere deep down where nobody knows.

Let me pass on the words our unsafe-but-relentlessly-good God has spoken to my scaredy-cat heart:

“I command you— be strong and courageous!

Do not be afraid

or

discouraged.

For the LORD your God is with you

wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

In other words…

Just do it!

From all our hearts,

Diane and…

Jodi Hughes, Kathleen Joffer, Zebby Wheelock, Caryn Ogle, Jenna Silva, Allison Rice, Ann Menke, Melanie Dobson, Liz Eischen, Julie Kohl, Jodi Stilp, Orlena Ballard, Whitney Baucom, Beth Viducich, Amanda Jones, Vickie Marshman, Mary Kay Taylor, Penny Stady, and Kay Moore

And…

Scott Campbell, Alex Salzwedel, Tim Durkee, and Mike Varadi

(our big, brave, we’ll-do-everything-to-keep-you-safe guards!)

Watch and wait and pray for us!  We’ll be posting every day this week from Haiti if the electricity and Internet hold up…

Dear Diane, Will I ever find someone to share my life with?

I am getting older and I feel like I will never find "the one", I'm not even dating... Is there something wrong with me?  Why do I have the desire in my heart to marry and start a family?

I have been trying to be patient and I pray about it a lot, but I feel like my life is going nowhere.  Don't get me wrong I love where I am in life (lots of friends, finally finding the right church, two good jobs, love for missions and travel which I get to do every year) but I feel like something is missing.

I love reading your blog, you inspire me.

Thanks for sharing your life.

Dear friend,

I love your questions and the passion I hear emanating from your words!  Yet at the same time there seem to be some underlying misunderstandings that I’d love to help you address. Let’s start at the top.

Will I ever find someone to share my life with?

It is my firm belief that it is a mistake for a woman to spend her learning, growing, independent years “finding” a husband. Instead, this is an invaluable season to find your own self!

Who are you? What do you love? What fills you with energy? What/Who drains you? How are you best suited to serve the Savior?

These are years of growing into the beauty for which God created you. Years for becoming lovely in every way.

The Bible tells the story of God presenting Eve to Adam as the perfect counterpart to make up for his lack. Adam responded to God’s gift of beauty and Eve responded to Adam’s response.

No one was finding or frantically searching or fretting about their impossible list of idealistic expectations. Adam was doing his job of identifying creation and Eve was simply being her beautiful self.

Take some time to read Isaac and Rebekah’s love story in Genesis chapter 24. Rebekah was doing her job— drawing water from the village well. Isaac’s emissary (remember this was an arranged marriage) prayed specifically for a quality he knew would be essential for Isaac’s success— enthusiastic helpfulness.

Isaac needed a woman to come alongside him and serve wholeheartedly and energetically. Rebekah met those criteria. Notice how often in the text it is noted that Rebekah responded “quickly”. She “ran” to the well to get more water. She volunteered to help without being asked. She enthusiastically invited the man home to meet her family. Rebekah was a woman ready and eager and willing and full of life!

She had the remarkable confidence to hop on the back of a camel and venture off to marry a man she had only heard about.

Now, I am not advocating whirlwind, cross-country romances by any means! Theirs was a different day entirely. But learn from Rebekah’s readiness. Admire her confidence. Emulate her energetic working for the good of others.

And don’t overlook Genesis 24:16. “…and the girl was very beautiful.”

Now, before anyone get all in a dither about outward appearance not mattering and men shouldn’t be so focused on what a woman looks like, etc, etc, etc, let me explain something I’ve observed.

Men are attracted to beauty. They always have been, they always will be. It is unrealistic for a woman to ignore a man’s desire for a beautiful wife. What is unrealistic is our culture’s insistence on a narrow definition of what beauty is.

God made every woman with a unique beauty. It is our responsibility to take care of what He made, to cultivate our beauty. By stewarding our bodies well (aka eating healthy, exercising, staying reasonably fit, smelling fresh, etc.) and developing healthy relationships, and by creating beauty everywhere we go, and growing more and more intimate with the Savior, we take on the beauty He intended for us.

All those qualities are apparent in Rebekah’s story.

So my advice to you is simple: be beautiful.

In God’s time, He may bring someone across your daily path who delights in your beauty, someone who needs what you have to offer, someone who will move heaven and earth to make sure he’s up for the challenge of loving you the way God intended you to be loved.

And that, my friends, is worth waiting for!

From my heart,

Diane

P.S. I’ll be addressing the whole idea of “the one” in a coming post…

Hello! My name is Anna Norman (used to be a “Wright”). I married the most beautiful/handsome/wise/godly man I know over 15 months ago on July 24^th, 2010 and I am so honored to share our story with you!

I love our story; not in a “look at me" sort of way but in a “look at Him" sort of way. It is one of those stories that you look back on and just wonder how God writes things so perfectly and so far outside of our comprehension (and imaginations).

Here it goes...

Matt Norman was that guy. The one that was known as the bachelor throughout Solid Rock for quite a few years. He was always serving, had turned his life to the LORD at 23 and really had an amazing walk with God . He was the one that caught my eyes in 2007...but nothing happened for about 2.5 years.

We met, as he recalls, for the first time at the Way in 2007 (the SR group for those 18-28...I used to fall into that group). To be honest, I had heard quite a bit about him as John Mark was one of his friends and also thought he was the greatest catch for us ladies. And did I mention he was ridiculously handsome (and becomes moreso everyday)? However, one small thing, Matt was not a “dater.”

He really was that guy-the guy that you wanted to know in the smallest of ways; the silent type that you knew had a world of mysteries hidden behind his eyes, and someone who you knew answered to God and not to man.

I actually remember first meeting him officially in the summer of 2008. He led a house church in Lake Oswego that I said I would never go to (only because there were a lot of ladies at it and I didn't want to be one of "those girls"-not that any of them were but you know?). I ended up there one day because my sis and and a girlfriend had gone out to lunch and didn't have time to take me back to my car before they went. This was the first time I remember actually conversing with him.

Let me share a bit of the background on my heart at that time: I was never a dater. My longest relationship was three months-in my 28 years. I rarely was asked out-very rarely. Which was likely a good thing because I don't know if I would have said “no” when I was supposed to. What we think of as rejection I truly believe God sees as His protection and grace.

God did put two things on my heart since a young age that I felt my future spouse had to be: 1) Someone who answered to God and not to man and 2) someone I could listen to for the rest of my life. I also said I would never go out on a date with someone who asked me out via text message (more to come on that one). My amazing parents always prayed for a man like this.

Back to the story: After this house church meeting I started hearing from MANY people things such as: "Do you know Matt Norman?", "Would you ever date Matt Norman?" And yes, people did refer to him with the first and last name-all the time. This is not an exaggeration, I probably over the course of two years heard around 100 different people ask me about him. They also asked my sister about him and I, sent me emails saying they were praying we would get together (I thought it was weird but apparently they were on to something), I had people come up and say they knew who I was going to marry, we had the Kiselys pull both of us aside in the fall of 2008 and ask us about each other, and many constantly tried to get us at the same place together.  Example: Miss Barbara invited my parents over to their home for dinner, along with me, my sis...and Matt. Interesting.

Nothing happened. Nothing. I mean ladies-there was NO REASON for me to think that he would ever be interested in me. My friends often said he looked at me in a different way but I didn't see it-at all. However, there was something I just knew. This next part might sound weird but the definition of faith is "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." I truly have many, many journal entries from my prayer journal asking why Matt was put into my life. Why was he always wherever I was? Why was I so attracted to him? Why I thought he would never ask anyone out...let alone me. But I KNEW that God had said to "wait for that man."

Throughout the two years we had many awkward and great conversations. Never on the phone but once for many weeks during Christmas break 2009 via facebook chat and often face to face since we were usually at the same church functions. He made me so nervous and few things are able to do that. He doesn't remember any of the awkward moments-I guess that is why He made us male and female. The "wait" was for about 1.5 years even after I knew the LORD's promise.

In August of 2009 there was a week where he said he was going out of town with his family. I felt that I needed to pray for him as a man, not him in relation to me (which I had often done and realized that was not the right heart), for that entire week. He got back on a Sunday and on Tuesday I got a TEXT! Please refer to the standards I listed above if you are wondering why that is in caps. He asked if I wanted to go out to dinner. I, of course, went against my creed and said yes!

Our first date was August 17th, 2009. You might think that it was history from there but that just wouldn't make our story perfect. We talked for four hours straight over dinner and dessert and when I went home I told my roommates that I would wait another 50 years to go out on another date like that...it was so pure, so perfect.

The next two months were interesting. We had an amazing family invite just Matt and I along with all of them for a Labor Day weekend retreat at their ranch. We had some odd conversations over the four days and I left there not really knowing what would happen.

(Matt and I on the Labor Day retreat)

You see, when Matt asked me out, he didn't know for certain that I was “the one.” He was trying to process through things and make sure that he was listening to the LORD in everything. This often means that men need that dreaded word to many women, time. He had never taken any large risks in life and this was likely the largest. We went on many dates during these two months where he was the perfect gentleman: barely even sidehugs to end the dates. And I still felt the LORD urging me to trust and wait for this man...

September 21^st, 2009 (literally, written in my journal)- while on the Labor Day trip I remember sitting out on the dock reading from the book of Ruth. This story always fascinated me and it got me thinking of what a woman in waiting looks like. On September 21st, on my usual running path, I was just praying and asking what I was to do about Matt and trying to wait.  I felt the LORD sweetly say, "You are Ruth. You wait."  Great! More waiting!

The funny thing is what happened within ten minutes of that. I was listening to the Loveology podcast from the Way while running.  John Mark was trying to give an example of a good dating situation and here was the kicker; he said "It would be like Matt Norman dating Ruth."  I teared up. Immediately.

Really? Really? Does the Maker of the universe care that much about our hearts? Is He that involved in our small stories?

It gets better. I went home after the run and we had a meeting at our house that night regarding a Zimbabwe mission trip.  The group asked each of us to pick up one of the pictures that were all over the house and write to that orphan.  All of the kids had Zimbabwean names and their birth dates on each sheet.  Except for the one I picked up: it said "Ruth-new girl." That was it. Her picture is still on our fridge now...

(Ruth from Zimbabwe)

In the book of Ruth, Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law (although her husband had died), told her to start working in the field of a man named Boaz who was very kind to her and cared for her since she was a widower.  There is a verse that says, "Wait for the man, for he will not rest until the matter is settled." That is why I waited...that is why the LORD called me “Ruth.”

It wasn't until the last week in October of 2009 that things changed. I had been patient (by God's grace...most of the time) in just letting things go as they were.  I was willing to wait for him to KNOW for sure but this week was the time that I felt peace to ask what he was thinking regarding us.  He spoke for about 30 minutes straight on how he wasn't quite sure and didn't like taking huge risks and quite a few other long sentences...it ended like this: I said, "I trust you."

Matt and I started dating that next Thursday after we had that conversation.  That was October 24^th, 2009.  I went to Bali/Thailand over Thanksgiving with a group of friends from the church and he wrote me a letter for everyday I was gone with a verse that reminded him of me. We got engaged on April 24th and married on July 24th...

(our wedding)

The verse on our wedding invites was Ephesians 3:21.  "Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly beyond all that we think or ask."

Amen.

*We are also six months pregnant as I write this! The funny thing about the Ruth part of our story is that I actually promised God if I got to marry Matt, that we would name a daughter Ruth. We aren't finding out what we are having but if it is a little lady, you know her name!

Ladies: please wait on the LORD and relish every minute of it. I LOVED my life before dating Matt. I loved where the LORD used me, what He taught me, how He pursued me when I walked away, and looking back, how He was preparing my heart and my character to be a wife. Cherish the waiting...it is His time to make things more beautiful than you had ever imagined.

PS: here is the best way to describe how I love my husband (from a journal entry while dating)-

"He is the last line in "Anne of Green Gables," "I don't want diamond sunbursts, or marble halls, I just want you." That is my husband to me.

In this new series entitled “Love Stories”, I have invited you to ask questions. The idea was to make sure that we were addressing what concerns you, rather than going off into the la-la land of nebulous theory and cute concepts that no one really understands.

And I have loved reading your questions!

Every single email has been well thought through and sincere— obviously written by people who honestly want wisdom for living and dating well.

I have also noticed in the last few weeks of looking that there is a plethora of blogs about dating and relationships. Some really good ones and some not so great.

Two of the best are written by women I know: Ally Spotts writes with wit and unique insight, teaming up with her dad who is a Christian counselor to make sure she gets it right. And Joy Eggerrichs blogs on www.loveandrespectnow.com.

Her insights are often hilarious and always down-to-earth and Biblically grounded.

Yet what we want to do here is somewhat different.

I am an “older woman”, a role I relish. In answering your questions I will give the perspective of one who has lived and loved and made mistakes. I am not a professional... I am a wife of 33 years, a listener, a friend, and a mother of two godly men and two lovely women.

And though the Bible is strangely silent when it comes to direct statements regarding dating/courting/friendships-that-are-more and all the complexities between men and women, there are treasures to be gleaned there.

I am going to attempt to be practical. Yet at the same time, I want to paint a picture for you of what God’s purpose in all of this is.

Please be nice to me when some of my answers go against what you’ve heard for years and years… this blog is intended for those who are unapologetically centering every inch of their lives around the Lord Jesus Christ— or are at least trying to!

So here goes…

Q: What does it mean to be inviting?

A: This question refers to a statement I made at Loveology (if you haven’t already, these teachings by John Mark and Mike Eyrie are worth listening to) in answer to the age-old question which every decent girl struggles with:

How do I get a guy’s attention without resorting to flirtation or initiating?

This is a dance I have been watching for a long time.

Women are told not to “chase men”. We’re told that men should be the leaders and initiators of the dating relationship.

And I wholeheartedly agree!

If a woman wants to marry a man who will take up the God-given role of spiritual leadership in the home, she’d be wise to let him lead from the get-go. A man who mildly allows the woman to initiate and perpetuate the relationship is going to be a passive husband— and I’ve yet to hear of a woman who really wants that!

But does that mean that a girl has to sit quietly with her hands folded in her lap and demurely look down?

I hate to say it, but that’s kind of what I taught my own two daughters. By “don’t chase boys” I communicated to them that they needed to be passive. Problem is, that’s terrifying to the guys!

I’ve listened in on their conversations, girls— when five or six of these guys crowd into my son’s room to eat Dorittos and play computer games and talk, they’re anything but quiet. Yet these go-for-broke young men are cower at the thought of approaching a withdrawn, unwelcoming woman. They need a little help!

In reality, there is a way for women to invite men into the possibility of relationship. And most good men wait for that invitation. They’re looking for some sort of clue that their initiative just might be welcome. That they have a chance. That you’d like to give them a chance.

So that’s the concept: The guys initiate, while the girls invite... and both have to be happening at about the same time to get this dance started.

Now for the practical: How does a woman invite?

Well, I’ve started a list and it’s getting ridiculously long— much too long for a single post. So for today let me just give you…

Invitation #1: Communicate admiration for him.

Movies, sitcoms, comics, even children’s books (read The Bernstein Bears!) treat men as if they are big, stupid, klutzy idiots. Can you imagine how hard it is for boys being raised in our current emotional environment?

Yet God wired men to lead with confidence and He wired women to come alongside and help with competence. (more on the whole man/woman roles for a later post)

It is a woman’s God-given directive to come alongside and encourage a man. To make him believe he can do it. To admire him when he does. And to tell him loud and clear!

Learn to encourage, admire, and communicate respect to a man, and you will be an inviting woman.

For many young women, this is excruciatingly difficult. Think of the risk!

If you haven’t grown up in a home where encouragement is dished up at every meal, you’re going to have a tough time choking out the words.

Just be honest. And be bold enough give that kind of grace no matter what his response.

Before Phil and I started dating I was so in awe of him that I was sure I wouldn’t be able to string two sentences together in conversation. So I did what every shy girl does... I avoided him! But one day I just couldn’t hold back. I had to tell him how much I admired his rock solid faithfulness.

There is a whole back story here, but long story short, my uncharacteristic boldness got him to thinking about me. What I meant as a simple word of encouragement, he interpreted as an invitation. Of course he could probably feel the vibrations of my pitter pattering heart during the entire 60-second conversation! Yet somehow those shyly offered words of affirmation got the ball rolling.

Now, there’s more to it of course. Where’s the balance, how much is too much? You don’t want to scare the guy off by embarressing him… but you’ll need to ask your friends for that kind of feedback. There is no perfectly reproducible pattern to follow. Just as each and every woman is uniquely created by God to be beautiful and appealing, her approach to welcoming a man is going to look unique.

The point is this: one of the best ways to be inviting is to encourage and affirm and admire him.

And in case you’re concerned that I’m just giving you tactics for catching a guy, consider this: The number one piece of wisdom I offer to married women who want to have a great marriage is the same…

Encourage… Affirm… Admire.

From my heart,

Diane

So… you want chapter and verse? Here’s one every man wishes his wife would put into practice…

Ephesians 5:33

Amplified Bible

33… and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly].

To which all our brothers say: AMEN!

It’s hard to sit down and write a love story. It’s even harder to sit down and write your own love story. I looked to others for examples, but soon realized that everyone’s love story is different.

That is what I learned to love about love stories. God writes each one perfectly and unique for each person.

My love story is one about unexpected love.

In December 2008, I graduated college in Southern California and moved back home to Portland, Oregon.

It wasn’t a move that I wanted to make. Moving home, having a degree but no career, and leaving behind what I thought was all my independence in another state, was hard.

I was that girl who thought some boys were cute but was never really into dating. I had my first relationship when I was a sophomore in college, innocent liking, is what I would call it. It lasted a whole six months.

Two months after that, I “liked” another boy, that I called my boyfriend for about three months.

But I just wasn’t into dating. I was more comfortable around guys, having grown up with four brothers. I had lots of guy friends, but I was an independent girl, who never needed or wanted a boyfriend.

I firmly believe God was preparing my heart for what was about to happen. Never needing or wanting a boyfriend was clearly God protecting me from the heartache and pain of being in multiple relationships while in High School and College. But not only was God protecting my heart, also my purity.

In early April 2010, I went to dinner and a movie with a dear friend. It wasn’t until a couple weeks ago, when I was reflecting back on my “love story” that she reminded me what I said that evening. I told her I believed God had finally released my heart to date. I was open to the idea of having a boyfriend and falling in love. Something I had never had peace about before.

Twenty some days later, I met Alexander for the first time. He was tall, dark, and handsome. He was soft spoken, had a calm presence, and was very quiet. I chalked all that up as being boring. Dreadfully boring, or at least that was my first impression. It wasn’t love at first sight.

A week and a half later, I got invited to spend the weekend at Lincoln City with some friends. I didn’t want to go because I knew Alexander was invited, too. Since our initial meeting, many people were behind us dating. I knew the beach was part of their plan, and I wasn’t about spending an awkward weekend at the beach with a handsome guy that I wasn’t interested in.

I spent the weekend observing Alexander. Fascinated by who he was and how he interacted with others.

We had little interaction after the beach. I’d see him around church serving and loving on people. But I made no effort to talk to him. Still admiring from afar.

But something Inside of me started to change.

I wanted to be noticed. I had always thought Alexander was so handsome but I was always so drawn to how I loved watching him interact with others, especially when it came to the way he showed love to every person he came into contact with.

But I had no reason to believe he noticed me. I was always kind and warm in our few interactions and maybe sometimes, secretly looked for a detour to walk past him. But I was conflicted. Did he notice me? How do I let him know that I like him?

To my surprise, he had noticed me. He called me on Wednesday, May 19^th 2010 and asked if I wanted to go on a date that Saturday.

Our first date May 22^nd: we talked over Crepes, walked around Portland, picked out books at Powell’s, and had Mexican Food for dinner. Our date started at 1 p.m. and ended at 11 p.m.

It was the best date I had ever been on. I knew after that date that I was going to marry Alexander. The only problem, he didn’t.

The next couple of months were some of the longest and most life shaping months of my life. I’m not a patient person. In fact, I’m a total perfectionist, who always has a plan and wants things done accordingly.

Had God forgotten that he had released my heart back in April to dating a guy? I clearly thought this guy was Alexander. Was he not? Was I dating the wrong guy?

Thoughts and questions, like those, bombard my mind. I didn’t trust God.

It was as if I had made a plan and timeline, scanned a copy, and sent it off to God…expecting he’d forward it on to Alexander to make sure it happened.

The beauty of dating a man that trusts and follows God is that they had a plan. Just not the same plan. A little over six months from the day I went on that first date, with a tall, dark, and handsome guy, He got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.

And on May 7^th, 2011 I became his wife.

This love story, written entirely by our Father, is better than any love story I could have imaged or dreamt for myself.

Fallon

Some truths to take note of:

1. Fallon waited on God’s timing to ready her heart and soul for the oft times complicated venture of dating.
2. First impressions are often way wrong! Fallon laughs at her embarrassingly off the mark impression of Alex.
3. Alex and Fallon took some time to just watch each other from a near distance before jumping into relationship.
4. Friends who loved them both were a great dating service!
5. Fallon had to curb her impatience for a while… and wait for Alex to take the initiative.
6. Fallon trusted Alex because she saw that Alex is “a man who trusts and follows God”.
7. Fallon and Alex invited God to write their love story— and He did!

From Genesis 2

Long, long ago in a land now hidden by time and eroded in failure, there lived a man. He was no ordinary man, for this man had been given a name— Adam, which means earth.

Adam was made by the Creator of the earth, who gathered a fistful of dirt into His hand and breathed His life into the man.

This Adam was the king of all God’s creation, designed to watch over the beauty, to cultivate its richness,

to partner with God in His work.

And the work was good. Filled with delight and joy— fun.

Adam’s first task was to identify and catalogue and name each created animal. How he must have laughed as he traveled throughout the land investigating anteaters and koalas, eagles and eels.

Words flowed as he watched these created gifts burrow and cavort and tuck in their tails and chase the moon.

Perhaps he ran his hands down the ridged back of a rhinoceros. Or scratched the ears of an elephant. Buried his head in the mane of a lion. How he must have laughed at his first sight of a zebra— those gaudy stripes his glimpse into his Master’s flair for drama

But he laughed alone. No snicker echoed his, no smile in response.

And God saw all that alone— the wandering and the wondering and the hoping. He saw that it was not good.

Not good at all.

And God’s heart reached into Adam’s and felt his ache down deep.

In that moment an idea was born.

God, who lived in three, would make Adam to live in two. A matched pair— different, but alike. Designed to fit with God, to mirror His beauty,

to laugh with Him and joy in His work.

To do it together.

And so God, the Creator, created again.

First He laid the man on the soft earth and let him rest there; filled his nostrils with the scent of pine and cradled his head on a pillow of peace.

Adam slept deep.

And while his man slept, God got to work.

Forming, sculpting, crafting, smoothing, God’s smile wouldn’t stop as He added a little here and softened a little there.

Beauty.

Intimate, radiant, God-made art.

A gift for Adam from God.

When the time came for God to give His gift, He shook Adam’s shoulder and whispered in his ear, “Awake, my son, and see.”

Yawning wide, languishing in that netherworld between rest and reality, Adam opened his eyes. What he saw shocked all sleep from his body.

Exquisite beauty.

Hair tumbling down rounded shoulders, arms reaching out to him, skin the color of the earth warmed by the sun, eyes that laughed and wept and saw… right through to his wildly beating heart.

Eve.

And so the story begins... God’s first love story.

For the next several weeks we’ll be delving a little deeper into God’s intent- the why’s, and the what’s, and any how-to’s God may have imbedded into His story.

And because no two stories are exactly alike, and God’s love shines through all sorts of cracks and crevices created by all our differences, we’ll be posting other tales of love. Not fairy tales, mind you, but real stories about love and loss and mistakes made and hopes dashed… and Redemption. Great doses of that Grace He pours all over our undeserving lives and the Mercy that makes us long for more of His love.

But we need something from you...

We need your questions.

Every other week or so we’ll serve you a story… and on the other weeks we want to sit a while and talk about it. All those wonderings and wishings and wanting to do this right. We want to know- I want to know- what worries you.

I am on of those older women now; the ones who are given the call to teach and train and encourage and coach all you younger women. It’s a task I relish.

And my husband, Phil, is an older man, expected to “promote the kind of living that reflects right teaching…” and living in a way “worthy of respect”, “wisely”, filled with strong faith and lots of love and endless patience. (Titus 2)

With Phil as my wise counselor and the Bible as my guidebook, I’ll attempt to answer your questions about love and relationships and what God wants. And when I’m pretty sure my response is not enough, I’ll seek out others who know a whole lot more than me.

Together, we’ll delve the depth of God’s heart and discover the beauty of the gift He gave so long ago.

Looking forward to your questions…

From my heart,

Diane

Send your questions- any questions- via email to hespeaks@ajesuschurch.org.

by melanie dobson How can the women of Solid Rock help women in Haiti?

Last spring Diane Comer asked this question of Madame Jeune, the co-founder of Grace Village that helps care for the poor and orphans in Haiti. After praying together, the women began to dream as they shared their hearts.

What if a team of women could travel to Haiti and pray with the godly Haitian women in leadership—the wives of pastors and evangelists who’ve worked tirelessly to comfort women grieving the loss of husbands and care for children who lost their parents in the earthquake rubble? What if Solid Rock could organize a retreat specifically to love and encourage these women who’ve poured out the love of the Savior during the past two years?

What if the Solid Rock women could share about the glory and power of God’s many names that we learned about at the Night in Prayer? Strong Tower. Mighty Creator. Prince of Peace. Immanuel (God with us). Husband. Father.

But since not every woman in Solid Rock could go to Haiti this fall, Diane also wondered—what else could all the women do together to love the Haitian women?

The answer slowly became clear. The women of Solid Rock could do something that no one else has done. They could donate dresses for the women in Haiti to wear to church.

It may seem a bit strange to donate dresses when many in Haiti are struggling to obtain healthy food and clean water. But unlike the church culture in the Portland, both Haitian men and women dress up to attend church. Men wear nice shirts and often ties. Women wear beautiful dresses out of respect for the Savior and their community. They may not have much to wear the rest of the week, but they treasure their church clothes for Sundays.

After the earthquake, many of the Haitian women lost their church dress in the rubble and they have no resources to buy or make new clothing. With the help of Solid Rock ladies, pastor’s wives will now have the opportunity to give a dress to women who are seeking to follow Christ—a reminder of how much Christ loves and values them in the months and years to come.

Hundreds of men and women from Solid Rock have traveled to Haiti in the past year, offering their hands and feet to love the hurting people in this country by building homes, feeding children, and sharing the love of Christ. In October, twenty Solid Rock women will respond to Madame’s invitation and travel to this country to encourage and pray for pastor’s wives in their work. Instead of bringing building supplies on this trip, they will deliver duffel bags filled with dresses donated by the women of Solid Rock.

On September 17, you are invited to a unique women’s event called Dress for Haiti. Starting at 11 a.m., there will be a luncheon as well as information about how to donate dresses for the Haitian women. And there will be opportunities to purchase a conservative dress or skirt and blouse online through computers setup specifically for the event—clothing that will give a Haitian woman dignity as she attends church, maybe for the first time.

In the midst of the destruction, in the midst of horrific grief from loss and pain, the light of the Savior continues to glow in Haiti. It is a light that beckons people away from the dark and into the loving embrace of our Savior. It is a light that shines in safe havens like Grace Village and through the beautiful eyes of Haitian believers trying to help their country heal.

It is a light that we—women of Solid Rock and ambassadors of Christ—have the privilege to shine as we love the Haitian women by meeting their needs through prayer, encouragement, and by donating and delivering hundreds of dresses in the hope and strength of another one of God’s many names—Light of the World.

Journeying with you,

Melanie Dobson

P.S.  Wednesday (September 14^th) is the deadline to sign up for the Dress for Haiti luncheon. More information about the event or to donate a dress after the event is available here. For additional questions, please email women@ajesuschurch.org.

Also, if you would like to be in an army of women who will be joining together to pray for the team going to Haiti in October, please email prayhisnameinhaiti@gmail.com.

Has the post-race euphoria worn off yet or are you still basking in the glow of mission accomplished? It was wonderful to meet many of you on race day, pray together, race together, and celebrate together.  I’m so proud of each one of you. You did it!

A big thank you to Diane Comer for casting the vision of Not Your Own and to Elizabeth Mosser for all the behind-the-scenes formatting work she put into each post.  Thank you to each of you who volunteered at packet pick up, to Monica and Brian Albaugh for transporting and setting up our tent, and to each of our family members who volunteered on race day.  We appreciate all your extra effort.

Tricia Ball, one of our Not Your Own half-marathoners, blessed me with a hand-stamped silver necklace that says “Not Your Own.”  She is making them available for sale to our group at a reduced price of $20 per necklace.  If you would like a daily reminder that you are Not Your Own, visit Tricia’s Etsy store to place your order.

Thank you to each of you who took the time to write out your story.  It’s been like Christmas this week at my house as I opened each of your emails and read with joy the work God has begun in your lives.  We have some pretty incredible sisters in this family!  Young and old, experienced and novice, runners and walkers…  our Not Your Own group was diverse but united around a central theme of honoring God with our bodies.  God took our desire to honor Him and wrote beautiful and diverse stories in the hearts of each woman.  Listen to just how creative our God is.

•••••

Remember Melinda my friend in Canada?  The day before our race she received word that her cancer has spread.  In her words, “Though it has spread to more lymph nodes it is still fairly localized and I’m not dying from it yet - just inconvenienced by it for another year at least.  Tomorrow I am running at 8 a.m.  I’m going to be praying lots.  Praising Him for the positive results and the not so positive ones. By His grace and for His glory – run, walk or crawl.  It’s going to happen because I am Not My Own.”  Melinda ran the entire 10k by herself in the wood of British Columbia.  “It was a battle, but I did it!” she said. “I prayed the whole time.  God gave me a song in my head and I kept picturing all of you ladies running beside me.  I ended up beating my best time ever by 40 seconds.  Praise the Lord!”

•••••

Elizabeth, a middle-aged momma who wanted to be healthy enough to keep up with her boys originally set out to run the half-marathon.  As she began to train, she realized her schedule and her body would not accommodate a safe half-marathon and she was forced to adjust her goal to walk the 10k.  “God knew exactly what I could do because I am Not My Own.  My walk/run training the past three months was a challenge for me.  I kept to it.  It did not yield a half marathon. God knows me.  He knew what I could do.  He sent me not one but two angels.  One angel named Rachael to train with and one angel named Kelsey to do the race with.”

•••••

Tanya and Trisha took comfort and encouragement in walking the entire race together.  It was a first for Tricia and she finished faster than her goal time, recovered quickly, and enjoyed it more than she expected.  “The Not Your Own was an answer to prayer,” Tricia said. “God used it to get me up and moving but more importantly, to change my heart. Thank for the reminder that we are not our own, bought at a price and worth so much more.”

Tanya said, “The verse I got on race day in my email was Romans 12:5 NLT.  It says, ‘…so it is with Christ’s body.  We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.’ Not only do we each belong to God, but to each other too! Seems like we did a great job of exemplifying this today – encouraging each other and serving each other to do great things. Kind of fitting, no?”

•••••

Bob was not a part of our group.  He probably doesn’t even know Solid Rock exists, but he sent this email to the race coordinator and she forwarded it to me.  He said, “As I was completing the Helvetia half marathon, I suffered a severe leg cramp when I entered the finishing chute.  I couldn’t stand so I sat down and tried to straighten my leg.  Some lady came to help me stretch and relieved the cramp.  She helped me up and I was able to get across the finish line.  In my rush to finish, I’m not sure I thanked this lady for her help. She was with a group of women who were gathered just to the left of the finishing chute.  I’m old and slow, but I love this race and plan to participate as long as I can.  Perhaps you might know of this group and could let them know how much I appreciate this lady’s help.”   That was our tent ladies and most likely one of you who helped Bob.  How cool is that?

•••••

Crissy has me to blame for roping her into Not Your Own.  She lives in Newberg and we became friends through a Christian-based moms group.  She said, ”My husband says I’m an athlete now since I ran in my first 10k race last weekend, but that wasn’t my goal with I committed to training for this event three months ago.  Jodi’s simple call to action on Facebook caught my attention.  ‘C’mon ladies.  Who’s going to join me?’  The Bible passage she included is what held my attention, ‘You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.’  (I Cor. 6:19-20)

I’m in, I thought.  Then I typed it.  Then I went on to read what I was in on.  I was going to run a race? I was excited and a little nervous because I didn’t know what to do first.  The word training hadn’t entered my head yet.  I just knew I had to ‘practice’ running.  I ran the first few weeks in my Crocs until Jodi told me I better go get a pair of running shoes fast!

As I ran more and was able to think less about the mechanics of what I was doing, I began to realize running really cleared my mind.  I was inspired by Jodi to keep my mind quiet and listen to what God might have to say to me.  Each time I tied on my new running shoes, God showed me something new.    Some of these things may seem small, but they were important to me.  I learned:

1. To obey. God said, ‘Just do this and watch what happens,’ so I did.
2. To be humble. God wanted me to see that I don’t always have to contribute some of my creative ideas to accomplish a goal.  I didn’t have to make this more complicated than it was.  God said, ‘Just go run.  Run more and more and more each time until you reach the goal.  I designed your body and it can run.  You can do this.  Trust me.”
3. There is treasure to be found in routine. Many of the things I do are very cyclical (laundry, dishes, washing the kids’ faces) and as soon as I finish them, they need to be done again.  While I was running one day, I realized I would have to keep running again and again if I wanted to stay in shape.  In that moment God shed light on the truth that all of these routines are actually His glorious design.  None of these things are just getting in the way and taking time from other things I could be enjoying.  These are things to be enjoyed.

This is probably the most important truth I learned while running, and I don’t think I could have clearly understood it amidst a pile of laundry or a load of dishes. It helped me to understand that anything I do can and should be done for the glory of God.  Now I can say I run for the glory of God!

•••••

The Albaugh family touched not just the people who know their story but also fellow runners on the course.  Brian and Monica’s son Jaron was born with Miller-Dieker syndrome.  He wasn’t expected to live to see his first birthday that he celebrated in March of this year.  Isn’t God good?  Jaron’s nickname is Turtle Man based on a picture of him smiling at two weeks old.  According to his mom, “his amazing life has transformed each of our lives over the course of the last year.  He is our little glimpse of heaven, here on earth.”

Monica writes, “When I started this journey, I had a good 40 pounds to lose, half of which I’m still working on.  A few years ago I decided to do something about my weight.  It took actually losing weight for me to realize my relationship with food and being inactive was actually sin I was clinging to.  I used food to bring me joy, to comfort me when I was stressed, frustrated, or just plain bored. I chose not to view my body from God’s perspective. He created our bodies to be his temple, a sacred place where His Spirit dwells.  I did not have the respect for my body that God had and I definitely was not honoring Him with my body.  Challenged by Diane’s call to live out I Corinthians 6:20 and encouraged by Jodi’s words of running wisdom, I embarked on a mission to train for and finish the Helvetia Half Marathon.

I really wanted my whole family (dad, mom, brothers and sisters) to do this with me.  I began asking them to join me on this ‘mission impossible’ and one-by-nervous-one, they said YES!  We got all the gear we needed for running.  We stayed connected by group messages on Facebook and ran long runs together when we could.  We even gathered for a family birthday in Tacoma and ran ten miles along a golf course.  We were really doing this!

Brian and I had talked about getting shirts made since there were seven of us running together to identify ourselves as a group.  We chose a turtle for the front to honor Jaron and used Hebrews 12:1 as our theme verse on the back.  ‘Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us/’ I only wish we would have added, ‘And all God’s children said, ________”’because I had at least 30 runners who commented on my verse while running the race.

Race day came.  We all showed up, stretched, drank water, prayed, ran, walked, huffed, puffed, prayed some more, ached, groaned… but all seven of us finished!!!!!  A few of us beat our training pace.  Some were just thrilled to cross the finish line still alive. We were all amazed and thankful to complete what we started – TOGETHER.”

•••••

Tiffany said, “The morning of the race I was nervous, excited and a bit scared.  I flipped open my devotional just as I do every morning and it was based on I Peter 5:7, ‘Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.’ All I could do was say, ‘Thank you Lord for reminding me why I am doing this today.’

I knew this race would be tough.  I’m not in as good of shape as I was two years ago when I first got into running, but I had a completely different outlook on why I was running and why I wanted to finish the race.  When I got to the Solid Rock tent I put the ‘Not Your Own’ bracelet on my right arm.  On my left forearm above my watch, I wrote the verse from my devotional in bright red.  I knew while I was out on the course I would need continual reminders that I am Not My Own and that I needed to cast my anxieties on Him.

Throughout the race I was running behind or in front of Elizabeth.  We made the last turn on the road to the stadium and I started to pass her but I felt the Lord tell me to use the little bit of energy I had left to pull her along.  We ran the last ¼ mile together and it was an awesome way to end. Two years ago I may have been in better physical shape and run a bit faster, but I know that the condition of my spirit and my relationship with Christ is so much stronger and tougher that I wouldn’t go back to who I was then for anything!”

•••••

Rachael ran the half-marathon at Helvetia, her first.  In preparation for the race, she started running with two different women.  “I loved my runs with Ashley because we chose a new place to run each time we went out.  It was always an adventure and it gave us time to share with each other how God was moving in our lives.    Elizabeth and I ran a 2.5 mile loop each week, rain or shine.  As we ran, I would chuckle as she told me stories about her kids, listen intently as she gave me Godly advice and wisdom, and smile with appreciation as she encouraged me.  My goals for the Helvetia half marathon were: (1) Don’t stop running.  Walking is not an option.  (2) Don’t come in last place.  (3) Finish!”

Rachael injured her hamstring during her training and came to the stadium on race day feeling undertrained and really nervous.  Ashley was walking the half-marathon and Elizabeth was running the 10k, so she was on her own for the duration of the race.  The first 8 miles passed uneventfully, and then Rachael got distracted.  “Something was wrong with my right sock, my left ankle and knee were bugging me, the inside of my legs were rubbing, my race shorts were too big and not fitting right, and a thought I quickly had to surrender was, ‘No one is going to be there to greet me at the finish line.’ Through all the distractions I kept reminding myself that I am Not My Own, that I was bought at a price and that the Lord is my strength and he has given me victory. (Exodus 15:2)  By mile thirteen I had nothing left in me and was not able to sprint to the finish line.  As I rounded the corner to run onto the field, I heard, ‘Ah!  There’s Rachael!’  Two smiling faces, Kelsey and Elizabeth, were there waiting for me and cheering me on. I don’t know how long Kelsey and Elizabeth had to wait for me, but that act of love still brings tears to my eyes. Days later, I still have achy knees but I also have an appreciation for new and old friends and a thankfulness that I am Not My Own.”

•••••

Alisa wrote, ‘After weeks of training, I ran my first half marathon.  13.1 hard-earned miles run by my very own legs.  Today as I nurse sore muscles and joints and reward my hard work with some homemade ice cream, I’m reflecting a little bit on this thing that I just did.

I wanted to learn what it meant to surrender myself in obedience to the Lord, in a practical, tangible way.  Through the sweat and frustration and tears and elation of training for this seemingly impossible thing, I longed, somehow, to bring glory to the One who created me. I wanted to please my Father’s heart.  And I hoped that someone else might catch a glimpse of Jesus in my journey.

The race itself went amazingly well.  Not easy, mind you, but easier than I expected.  By mile 12 I had to pray through every single step, ‘Just keep my feet moving, Jesus,’ I whispered through my wheezing.  And He did.  As I finished the race with my version of a sprint, I felt the most amazing sense of victory.  Not only because I had just pushed my body to run for two hours and twenty-eight minutes straight, although that felt incredible. The real victory was that I threw off everything that hindered me, fixed my eyes squarely on Jesus, and through Him, I ran my race.”

•••••

Michelle said, “Seven years of blissful marriage and two little boys later, I found myself turning thirty with thirty extra pounds. No question I was thankful for the blessings the Lord had given me, yet I was still hiding behind layers.  Over the years, the Lord has shown me that I am an emotional eater.  I eat when I’m happy, bored, sad and angry.  I ate to comfort myself, not to fuel my body.  I grew up in a very obese Italian family.  Food was an art form, but taken to the extreme.  I’ve had to learn that food is not the enemy; it is part of the Lord’s beautiful creation, created for our sustenance.

Six months ago I said to my husband, ‘Babe, if you could change anything about me, what would it be?’  After a few minutes of thinking, he said, ‘You are an awesome woman with vision, endless ideas and passion.  I would like you to say ‘yes’ to one or two things at a time, follow through to complete the task, and then move on to the next vision that He gives you.’

The Lord had been preparing my heart for that exact moment. I want to be a woman of her word, filled with the Spirit and conducted by the Spirit.  I knew my first task was to start taking care of my physical body.  I have lost 25 pounds this year through a strict dietary regimen.  While I was changing our family’s dietary habits, I realized I needed to exercise my physical body as well.

When Jodi and Diane asked us to consider running in the Helvetia race, I knew it was what I needed to push me forward and stay on track and keep this body moving in the right direction toward good health.  It was slow going at first – running for a minute then walking for two.  Eventually it turned into walking one minute then running two.  I slowly gained endurance and began to actually enjoy the process.  On race day my goal was to run the entire 10k with no stopping, and I did it!  Slow?  No question.  But I finished.

The Lord has continued to remind me that when I say ‘yes’ to one thing, I will have to say no to another.  In this season of saying ‘yes’ to training, I am saying ‘yes’ to good health.  I am showing my boys to love and respect the food that God has given us and the bodies we have to use for His glory. Better yet, many goals were accomplished by saying ‘yes’ to one discipline.” To God be the glory!

•••••

Andrea told me, “This was my second time running this event.  Four years and two kids later, I was able to shave ten minutes off my time.  It was still short of my goal but now I am even more eager to do another race.  I hit a wall at mile eleven and never really broke through it.  I pretty much shuffled the rest of the way with Mandisa’s song Stronger blasting through my iPod on repeat.  It’s a great song to run to when all you have left is to cling to Jesus to make it across the finish line.  I caught up to Monica Albaugh and unplugged the headphones so we could listen to the song together as we neared the finish line.  It was great to be able to finish with another Not Your Own lady and so encouraging to see so many women from our church out there.”

•••••

I met Amanda at packet pick up.  Slender and beautiful, she looked like a natural runner.  I asked her what event she was participating in fully expecting her to say the half marathon.  Instead, she grimaced and said with a determined look, “I’m walking the 10k.”  My confusion must have been obvious so she elaborated.  “I grew up running but I’ve battled some tough health issues in the past year.  It has taken a long time to stabilize my health and even now it’s in a fragile state.  I want to run but my body needs rest. I joined Not Your Own to honor God with my body, but in my case it means I have to force myself to walk a shorter distance instead of run a longer one.”  I was floored!  I saw the resolve in Amanda’s eyes to obey and honor her God and it touched me.

I caught up with her via email after the race.  She said, “The 10k was a lot of fun.  I definitely thought about running a couple of times, but I didn’t.  I walked the whole way.”  The ironic part of Amanda’s race is her finish time.  She chose a pace per mile that her body could handle and forced herself to stick to that pace, but her timing watch malfunctioned and she ended up finishing at a pace that was almost two minutes per mile faster than she anticipated!  Amanda obeyed God, listened to her body and walked her way to victory.  She finished by saying, “I can’t wait till I am healthy and running again, but in the meantime, I will just keep walking.”  You go Amanda!

•••••

This will be our last Not Your Own post for the Helvetia event.  Keep an eye on the blog and the Not Your Own Facebook page for the next Solid Rock sponsored-event, probably spring of next year.  In the meantime use the Not Your Own Facebook group to stay connected, build relationships, and find other events to train for.  While you’re at it, why not pull in some of your non-believing friends or co-workers to train with you?  You never know what God will do while you sweat and share together!

I’ve enjoyed connecting with each of you.  I posted my race day experience on my personal blog.  I’d love to have you follow me there until we meet again!

Persevering with you,

Jodi Stilp

Good morning ladies. At this time next week most of us will be nursing sore muscles and gingerly getting ready for church.  But we’ll be beaming because we finished what we set out to accomplish.  You just might be tempted to wear your finisher’s medal to church. I was going to write a post about what to expect on race day, but any information you would ever need to know is beautifully detailed on the Helvetia Half Marathon website, including a What To Expect on Race Day article.  Please take the time to review all this information.  You will be glad you did.

You have worked so hard over the last twelve weeks persevering through one of the wettest and coldest springs in Portland’s history.  You’ve spent money on new shoes, workout gear, and race registration. You’ve endured blisters and achy muscles.  You’ve forced yourself out of bed early, stayed up late, and pushed your body to go distances you didn’t know you were capable of.  You’ve been mentally, physically and emotionally challenged as you embraced the vision that you are Not Your Own.

There’s only one hurdle left. The race. Can you visualize the finish line?  Family and friends eagerly scanning the crowd of athletes (that’s you) awaiting your arrival and erupting in chaotic cheering when you round the bend and come into sight.  You are almost there and I know you can finish what you started.

I ran track for one season.  I was in 7^th grade, awkward, and unsure of myself.  I was a decent sprinter but distance was my specialty.  My favorite race was the 800 meter (1/2 mile) or two times around the track.  Most runners (me included) would start off sprinting and then fizzle as they rounded the last corner heading into the home stretch.

My Dad understood this race and he’d plant himself on the grass inside the track, right at the 700 meter mark.  He’d wait for me to come around the corner, see my agonized look and know that I was at my breaking point.  It was in that moment he’d start screaming at the top of his lungs.  “C’mon Podi.  You can do it.  They’re closing on you.  Run Tweedle Dee!  Just run!”  His encouragement was what I needed to dig deeper and just run. All the way to the finish and into his arms.

Hebrews 12:1 is one of my favorite verses.  It says, “Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

On Saturday you will be surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.  They will be watching you run, especially how you finish.  You’ll experience exhaustion.  You’ll question why you got talked into all this nonsense.  You might even want to hunt me down after the race and give me a piece of your depleted mind.  In your moments of weakness listen for your Daddy screaming encouragement and run with perseverance the race marked out for you.  Just run. All the way to the finish and into His arms.

Persevering with you,

Jodi

Don’t forget to:

• Let us know if you can volunteer at packet pick-up on Friday, June 10^th at the Scholls Ferry location of Portland Running Company. They need help from 3-6 p.m. so if you can serve in that time frame, please email hespeaks@ajesuschurch.org so we can add you to the volunteer schedule.
• Pick up your race packet. There are four options available.  I highly recommend that you do not wait until race morning to pick up your packet.  It’s worth the extra trip to be prepared ahead of time.
• Eat a good meal on Friday night. Fuel your body with the right energy so you’ll be in tip-top shape for the race in the morning.
• Lay out your race day supplies some time on Friday afternoon: shoes, socks, bra, undies, shirt, shorts/skirt, hat, sunglasses, energy foods, water bottle if you’re racing with one, timing watch, bib number, ipod, earbuds, and clothes to change into.  The adrenaline starts pumping when you do this which is why I recommend starting hours before you want to go to bed for the night.
• Give yourself enough time to get to the stadium. I’ve heard over and over that traffic to the stadium on race morning is a nightmare.  Plan your route and then double the time it normally takes to get there.  You’d rather be early and have time to chat with other Not Your Own athletes than be late and miss the start of the race.
• Look for the Not Your Own tent. We will have a tent set up in the vendor area around the stadium (I’m sorry I don’t have a specific location yet) to gather before and after the race.  We’ll pass out Not Your Own wristbands and pray before we head to the start.  This will also be a great opportunity to put faces to the names of the ladies who have been training.  Ask ladies if they are running or walking and what pace they hope to maintain. Find a buddy to line up with at the start and make a friend while you race.  We need each other.
• Email hespeaks@ajesuschurch.org to let us know about your race experience. We’ll share some of your stories in future posts.
• Happy running and walking!

I want to introduce you to my training partner.

Ladies, meet Carissa – wife to Tass, mother to Lukas, Toby, and Markus, daughter, sister, friend to many, and runner.  In her pre-kid life she worked as a tax accountant which translates to her being really smart and paying attention to detail.  In her post-kid life she added “teacher” to her list of accomplishments and is successfully home-schooling her sons. I think she’s pretty amazing.

We met almost three years ago at house church.  We were both new to the area and new to Solid Rock.  Occasionally we’d pray together in small group catching glimpses of each other’s lives in five-minute snippets.  I often thought to myself, “I need to get to know Carissa better.”  But we left to start a house church in Newberg and my interactions with Carissa over the next two years dwindled to sporadic interactions on Facebook and random sightings at church.

In that time Carissa got pregnant, had a baby, lost all her baby weight in a matter of months, and ran a half-marathon at a pace I’d worked for three years to attain. Are you as impressed as I am?

As for me, I injured my knee, had surgery and spent six months in physical therapy rebuilding my strength.  I ran my first post-surgery race right after a family reunion where my step-brothers (who are very fit and fast runners) shanghaied me into a verbal commitment to run the Portland marathon with them.  I walked away thinking, “What did I just get myself into?”

Within weeks Carissa emailed and asked, “Are you by any chance running the Portland marathon?  I’d love a partner for the long runs at the end of the training program.  Would you be interested?”  With that email we became partners in crime.

Our partnership is mostly electronic.  We message each other when we run, lamenting when it’s super tough and celebrating when we fly through a run.  We check in with each other for accountability and encouragement and once a month try to run together.

Our first training run was eighteen miles in the foothills surrounding Newberg. We used our three hours of running to pepper each other with questions, tell how we met our husbands, and share our parenting struggles.  By the time we huffed our way back to my driveway we were fast friends.

Carissa is thoughtful, calm and collected.  Her running reflects her personality.  She tackles a run in a calm, calculated manner, regulates her breathing to keep it even at all times, and never appears to be struggling.  I am impulsive, excitable, and emotional.  My running reflects my personality.   My pace changes drastically based on the terrain.  I sprint down hills, sound like an asthmatic woman in labor when I climb, and sigh, moan, hoop and holler as my emotions dictate.  Carissa rolls her eyes at my crazy antics and laughs at my lame jokes.  I appreciate her take-charge, no-nonsense approach to life.  She takes care of all the planning and details and I just show up at the appointed time (or maybe a few minutes late). We make a good team.

Over time our partnership has grown from running accountability to life accountability.  We check in with each other, lamenting when life is super tough and celebrating when we’re in a season of victory.  We pray for each other, our husbands and our kids.

I invited myself over for dinner and a sleepover at Carissa’s house the night before the Portland marathon because she lives closer to the start of the race and I abhor getting up early.  We ran the marathon together in the pouring rain and had a “we’re really doing this” emotional moment at mile 13.

Sharing that grueling race with a comrade made me realize I never want to run a long race alone again.

A few weeks ago we ran the Eugene half marathon together.  We used the race as a chance to escape for 24 hours of girls only time.  It was life-giving for both of us.

Last weekend we previewed the Helevetia half marathon course.  Carissa brought a friend and we all met at West Union Elementary School.  I was a few minutes late, slightly discombobulated, and prepared to run a ten-mile loop and not a step further.  Carissa was on time, stretched out, and hoping to add three miles to our loop to make a full half marathon.  None of this surprised either one of us.  After all, we’re partners.

We ran up, down and around country roads through breath-taking farmland.  Cows mooed.  Dogs barked.  Birds sang.  We passed the quaintest country church (just wait until you see it) and ran past clover fields in full bloom hemmed in by the coastal mountain range.  The beauty of the route took the edge off the pain of climbing so many hills. You ladies will love this course.

I asked Carissa if I could share the story of how our friendship evolved.  She said,  “Go for it.  God’s fingerprints are all over our running partnership and friendship.  I pray writing about it will bless others too.”

We all need a friend who embraces our differences, celebrates our victories, and challenges us to grow.  King David had a friend like this in Jonathan who “loved David as he loved himself.” (I Samuel 20:17)  When David was literally running for his life and hiding in caves, Jonathan found David’s hiding place and “helped him find strength in God.” (I Samuel 23:16)

Do you have a partner in crime like Carissa who helps you find strength in God?  Once you have a comrade that sticks by your side through the grueling race called life you will never want to run alone again.

Persevering with you,

Jodi

PS: Check back next week for more details about race day!

Remember when I told you that God-centered exercise has an element of holiness to it?  My prayer is that you’ve experienced this holiness first-hand as you’ve practiced honoring God with your body.  In the off chance that you still think I’m crazy, I decided to share an old story with you that happened more than two years ago.  It was a holy moment and I hope it encourages you.

•••

I came home from a photo shoot with my kids (ranging in age from 3 to 7 years) promising to NEVER go anywhere with them again.  My wise husband urged me to put on my running shoes and trade the madness for some time with God.  I mapped out a ten-mile loop on the mountain behind our house and took off.

I cranked my worship music and started climbing, cresting the first peak around the three-mile mark.  The road turned to gravel and dropped down into a serene mountain valley.  As the forest closed in around me, I turned off my music to revel in the solitude.

My feet crunched the gravel in a rhythmic cadence. The delicious smell of leaves burning wafted through the air.  Birds serenaded me.  A mountain creek babbled.  Dogs barked and horses whinnied.  In the distance, saws squealed and hammers pounded. The cacophony of sound somehow sounded harmonious.

I turned off the gravel road and started a second and much larger climb.  I labored up the mountain, with each step exchanging frustration for peace.  When I finally emerged from the woods, I gasped at majestic Mt. Hood.  Cloaked in clouds, fog, and the last rays of sunlight, she towered in the distance grandly keeping watch over the tiny foothill I was climbing.

The wind that whispered gently at the start of my run increased in intensity as it whistled then whipped through the trees.  Branches danced to its melody and as I crested the final peak, I could see and feel the storm rolling in. I paused briefly at the summit to soak in the panoramic view of valleys, vineyards, forest and distant snow-capped peaks before starting my steep and fast descent.

The storm chased me down the mountain.  Friction from the road heated the bottom of my shoes.  Wind-induced tears rolled down my face and dried before I could wipe them away.  The trees sang as I raced down, down, down to the safety of my home below.  As our neighborhood came into view, I felt the first drop of rain on my face. My legs were tight, new blisters were forming on my toes, and my fingers were ice cold, but my soul was refreshed.

I couldn't help but think of the time Elijah felt abandoned, scared and alone. God told him, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." (Read I Kings 19 for the whole story.)  Elijah expected God to reveal Himself in the wind, earthquake, and fire, but the LORD chose a soft and gentle whisper to assure Elijah of His love and remind him of his purpose.

The LORD passed by me on my run. He whispered “You are not alone” in the thick forest.  He displayed His power in majestic Mt. Hood. He used the trees to sing me a love song. He dried my tears with the wind.  He restored my soul. The LORD passed by.

•••

• Will you share your the LORD passed by moment with us?  Email your story to hespeaks@ajesuschurch.org.  We want to hear from you.

• Make sure to tune in next week for information on what to expect on race day.

• Mark your calendar to volunteer at The Portland Running Company on Friday, June 10^th, any time between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.  You have to pick up your packet.  Why not stay and volunteer?  If you can help, please email hespeaks@ajesuschurch.org and we’ll get you connected.

• We will have a tent set up on race morning.  Plan to come a little early to meet other athletes who have been training and pick up your Not Your Own wristband.

• Hang in there.  The end is in sight.  You can do it!

Persevering With You,

Jodi

Last night as I was falling asleep I told myself I’d run a 10k this morning instead of my usual 4-mile loop.  I woke to a cold, foggy morning and a lazy attitude.  It’s amazing how quickly I came up with reasons why I should NOT follow through on my plan.  Even when I was in my running gear, headphones in place and at my imaginary starting line, I tried to talk myself out of exercising. It came down to obedience – I am not my own. I took captive the defeating thoughts and shoved off for my run.  As I ran I prayed, and my soul connected with my Savior.  Wind in my hair and feet flying down the rolling country road, I felt my spirit soar.  For those moments, my body and mind were free from the weight of day-to-day life. It was exhilarating.

This week I read Psalm 119 slowly and deliberately and was surprised by the underlying theme of action.  The author uses verbs like obey, meditate, follow, memorize and seek to describe his pursuit of God.  Verse 32 says,  “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." My immediate thought was, “This author was a runner.  That’s exactly how I feel when I run!”

When I obey Jesus, when I mediate on His word like the psalmist says and follow in the path of His commands, life feels free and unencumbered even in the face of suffering or trials.  When I try to power through life on my own, wandering far from the pathway of Jesus’ commands, I find myself encumbered by disobedience and weighted down by sin.  Stumbling through life is exhausting.  Running isn’t even an option.

As I reflected on this passage, I realized I wanted to be reminded of the joy that comes from running the race of life with my heart set free.  I pictured a little girl half running/half dancing down a sunlit, wooded path.  Hair flying, arms flailing, huge smiling proclaiming, “I am free!” I used my daughter as my model and brought this vision to life.  We blew up the photo, wrote the text from Psalm 119:32 on the mat, and hung it in our house.  Every time I see it, I smile.

You may have joined Not Your Own as an established runner seeking friendship or as a non-athlete looking for motivation to start moving forward. Wherever you are on your journey, my prayer for you is that your heart will be set free today as you run in the path of God’s commands.

Persevering with you,

Jodi

Now for a few logistics…

• There has been a ton of interest in wearing something on race day that identifies the Not Your Own group.  Bright red wristbands are being made for each Not Your Own athlete.  We hope you wear them proudly on race day.
• Mark your calendar for Friday, June 10th.  Race packets will be available for pick-up at the Scholls Ferry Road location of the Portland Running Company and Paula Harkin, race coordinator, needs our help.  She’s asking for volunteers in groups of 3-4 to work the tables and hand out race packets to participants.  Hours she needs to cover are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  If you are available to help with this effort, please email hespeaks@ajesuschurch.org.  We’d love to have a big Not Your Own representation bring the practical love of Jesus to the Portland Running Company staff.

Hey Ladies. Can I let you in on a secret? You’re more than halfway done with your training. Can you believe that?  Way to go!  If you’re anything like me, the euphoria of your newfound athleticism has long since faded and the prospect of grinding out another five weeks of disciplined training sounds exhausting, not exhilarating. Now is the time when the rubber meets the road.  It is so tempting to give in to exhaustion and boredom and bail out on the training plan.  I talked to a lady, scheduled to run her first marathon, at a runner’s expo last weekend.  When I asked her if she stuck to her longer weekend training runs, she hesitated and then said, “Well… I didn’t like wasting four hours of my weekend running all those extra miles so I stopped.  I’ve run a half-marathon before so I figured I can run half and walk the other and I’ll still eventually cover the distance.” I’d be shocked if that woman made it to the finish line.

If you allow yourself to opt out of finishing your training schedule because you’re tired or it’s raining or the long distances are boring, you are setting yourself up for major fatigue and possible injury.  Allow that line of reasoning to permeate the way you think and you could easily talk yourself out of showing up on race day.  A quitter’s mentality is so defeating.

But you’re not a Quitter. You stick it out because you are Not Your Own. You were bought at a price, one paid with blood.  When the going gets tough, the tough get going and you are Tough.  You hold true to the commitments you make because you are not an Aimless Runner –you run to get the prize.  You see clearly in your mind’s eye a toned athlete running (in slow motion of course) victoriously toward the finish line.  The crowd chants your name while you, arms pumping, sweat beading, feet flying, sprint toward the finish line tape.  You are a Finisher.

The path we allow our minds to travel often dictates, for better or worse, how we feel. II Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” I love the aggressive, battle-lines language that Paul uses.  He writes from an offensive position, “demolishing” arguments and “taking captive” every thought that would dare to come against the knowledge of God.

I like to pair II Corinthians 10:5 with Philippians 4:8 where Paul says, “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” We capture the negative, defeating lies and replace them with positive, victorious truth.

What does this look like?

• “It’s raining and cold.  I’d love to skip my workout,” becomes “It’s raining and cold outside.  Won’t that shower feel wonderful when I’m done with my workout?”
• “I still have 3 miles to go and I’m dying.  Maybe I’ll turn around early,” becomes “I refuse to cave in to mental peer pressure.  I will finish this distance.  I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

Not convinced?  Listen to these stories from the front lines.

Rachael says, “This past January, I started a journey to lose 60-70 pounds and to get healthy.  I seem to think in my brain that there aren’t a lot of 26-year-olds who need to lose this much weight.  I prayed Jesus would break the chains that have held me down far too long. Something I’ve been learning is that while I’m Not My Own, I’m also not ON my own.  There are others around me, supporting me, keeping me accountable, and encouraging me.  Almost 50 pounds later, my weight loss goal is only 10-20 pounds away!  As I run 3-4 times a week and attempt to not look like a fool in the gym, I find that the physical discipline is transferring to the spiritual.  Be encouraged.  Wherever you are, God’s grace will see you through.”

Carissa (my running partner and friend) and I ran the Eugene half-marathon last weekend.  Before the race, we prayed together asking Jesus to be glorified in our bodies and in our minds as we ran.  We ran fast and strong and when we got tired, we chanted to ourselves, “I am Not My Own.” Even better, we both broke our previous personal best times!

Alisa says on her personal blog, “Here’s one very important thing to know about me:  I am a quitter.  I can think of very few times in my life where I set my mind to do something and actually saw it through to completion.

In the case of Not Your Own I am quite literally surrounded by a cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1).  My body and my spirit cannot be separated – I am one being, created by God for His glory and His purposes.  So I signed up to run, not walk, the whole 13 miles.  I am determined.  This time, I am going to see something through to the end.

I ran 6.5 slow and steady miles last week and as I ran, I thought through the reasons I am running:

• I am running to get into shape.  My body isn’t nearly as healthy as it should be and I want to be strong and fit.
• I am running to look good for my husband.  Call me shallow, but I want to fit back into my favorite jeans without having to camouflage my lovely muffin tops.
• I am running because it gives me a few moments to be alone, pray, worship, think and listen without the constant noise and needs of two little kids.
• I am running, if for no other reason, out of obedience.  God’s Word instructs me to glorify God in my body (I Corinthians 6:20) and to be disciplined and self-controlled (Galatians 5:22).  I know that if God says it, it has good purpose.  I want whatever He has for me.  I want to run my race.

I am halfway to a goal that stills feels daunting, but no longer impossible.”

Like Alisa, you are halfway to a goal that still feels daunting, but is no longer impossible.  Are you ready to enter the battlefield, demolish strongholds, and take your thoughts captive?   Claim the truth of Philippians 4:13 in your life – “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” and keep persevering all the way to the finish.

Persevering with you,

Jodi

(source)

The unanticipated theme of this year for our family has been Managing the Chaos. Since school started this fall Curt and I have fought to manage our personal schedules, our family schedule, our time together as a couple, and our time with our kids.  We've had periods of balance but the majority of this school year I've been functioning on the brink of Could I Be Any More Overwhelmed.  It's not a place I like to be.

Earlier this month, one of our pastors was preaching from I Corinthians 9:24-27.  It's a passage I love because Paul uses the analogy of running.  He says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly..."

Duh. I seldom go for a run, long or short, without mapping out my course ahead of time.  I know how far I'm going to run, what route I'm going to take, and the hills and terrain challenges I'll face.  Unless I'm injured, I don't sway from the course. The few times I've skipped mapping my run ahead of time have resulted in disaster.  Inevitably I'll run too far, take too long and send Curt into a panic, or strain something from running a distance my body isn’t equipped to handle.

I found a can't-live-without resource. It allows me to plot my exact course, tells me total distance covered, tracks elevation gain and loss, and even has a place to mark where to take a potty break.  I'm not sure how I ever trained successfully before I found this website.

I started this school year with a rough draft of the route I wanted to run this year, but unexpected challenges and extra miles I didn't plan on forced me way off course.  Somewhere along the line I lost focus and began running aimlessly.  No wonder I've been so exhausted and crippled in my attempts to rein in the chaos.  I haven't taken time to turn around, come home, recoup from my "injuries" and chart a new course.

But how do I do that? Phil said, "Don't ask what can I say no to.  Instead ask what am I called to say YES to." That one sentence brought the clarity I've been fumbling for and changed the way I evaluated my schedule challenges.  I've been saying no to some really great things, but I haven't been evaluating what I'm saying yes to in light of my calling.

I sat down with Jesus and we had a heart-to-heart.  I pointed out all the things I've said no to and threw myself a little party. The celebration lasted two seconds because the next thing I did was write down all the things I've said yes to.  As the list got longer and longer it became evident that some of the yes items didn't match my calling.  It was a total bummer.  I liked those activities.  A lot.  I didn't want to give them up, but I knew it was what I needed to do to run a focused race for this season in my life.

I John 5:3 says, "This is love for God: to obey his commands.  And His commands are not burdensome." I needed to obey God and make those "I'm sorry but I have to say no" phone calls.  It felt like a huge sacrifice, but the encouragement that my obedience demonstrated my love for God gave me the courage to pick up the phone.

It's been three weeks since I made those phone calls and it's taken every day of those three weeks to tame my crazy life. My schedule, for the first time in months, is finally free enough for me to say yes to the things God has called me to.  Praise the Lord, I am no longer running aimlessly.  This chica is running in a such a way as to get the prize!

Persevering With You,

Jodi

PS: We would still love to hear your stories! Send them to hespeaks@ajesuschurch.org.

“Who touched Me?”

Luke 8:45

“Jesus traveled through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom.

And wherever He went, He healed people of every sort of disease and illness. He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd.”

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Matthew 9:35-36

Meaning of His Name:

As Jesus and His disciples pushed their way through a crowd of insistent well-wishers, one woman reached out to Him to brush the hem of His coat with her fingers. A whisper of desperation in a life gone wrong. Her ailment eluded the experts and alienated her family.

Do you know how she felt?  Alone, desolate, on the edge of despair?

Maybe its time you did something about it.  You see, Jesus did go about healing people overwhelmed by sin sickness, and He hasn’t stopped.  Sure, their bodies presented the problem upfront; deafness, blindness, people paralyzed, and lame.  He healed diseases that ate away at bodies and illnesses that devoured minds. And somehow, in every encounter, He got to the heart of the problem.  He asked if they really wanted to be healed.

Do you?  Are you sure?

Freedom from sin and healing from debilitating disease comes at a cost. Jesus didn’t just randomly go around healing folks.  He studied His subjects carefully before He allowed His power to penetrate their lives.  He knew the price they would pay for wholeness.  And He knows that most of us get mighty comfortable propped up in our bed of weakness.  Our identity, our energy, our attention, our reason to connect gets all wrapped up in the throbbing pain that defines our existence. Without that what is left? Without my problem, who am I?

So I echo the words of the Great Physician: What do you want?

If you are absolutely certain that you want out from that sin-disease that entangles you, then by all means, go to Him.

Push through every obstacle,

get up as close as you can,

and grab hold of the hem of His garment.

And then never, ever let Him go.

For He is….the great Physician.

From a heart that knows,

Diane

Luke 8:40-56

Matthew 10:34-39

Luke 7:1-9

Luke 7:10-17

Luke 7:22-23

James 5:13-16

Matthew 20:32, Mark 10:51,52, Luke 18:41-43

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