Time for a Leap Year Proposal

To all my single girlfriends, today is your day!  Leap Year has been the traditional time that women can propose marriage.

St. Bridget's Complaint
It is believed this tradition was started in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for so long for a man to propose. According to legend, St. Patrick said the yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the leap year.

February 29th in English Law
According to English law, February 29th was ignored and had no legal status. Folks assumed that traditions would also have no status on that day. It was also reasoned that since the leap year day existed to fix a problem in the calendar, it could also be used to fix an old and unjust custom that only let men propose marriage.

The first documentation of this practice dates back to 1288, when Scotland supposedly passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to the man of their choice in that year. Tradition states they also made it law that any man who declined a proposal in a leap year must pay a fine. The fine could range from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves.

If all else fails, maybe you'll get a silk dress out of the day!

Hello, Winter

We have had an extremely mild winter this year.  Very little rain.  Lots of sun and wind.  It was in the 80s last week, so it was a bit of a shock when I stepped out for my run this morning:

Just a bit on the cool side... it definitely made me run a little faster!

If Only I Were God

I recently read "I'll Watch the Moon" by Ann Tatlock.  It was an amazing read!  Here is the book description:

When polio stalked Minnesota in 1948, fear was every mother’s constant companion. Young Nova Tierney and her older brother, Dewey, live a mostly idyllic life despite sharing living space with a motley assortment of tenants at the boarding house run by their Aunt Dortha and mother, Catherine. Dewey, nicknamed “Galileo” for his love of astronomy, dreams of some day walking on the moon, and he and Nova spend many happy hours looking at the night sky together in their backyard. When Dewey is hospitalized with polio, Nova promises to watch the moon for him (thus the title) until he is well. But will he recover? In her bitterness over a childhood secret, her late husband’s infidelity and her son’s desperate illness, his mother turns her back on God. “Sometimes, I wonder how we all go on living,” she muses. Hope begins to return when she strikes up a friendship with boarder and Auschwitz survivor Josef Karski.

I didn't know much about the polio epidemic, being born after the vaccine, but it was one of the most dreaded childhood diseases of the 20th century.  People who were finally getting their lives back after WW II, were now facing a dreaded disease.  While Dewey is in the hospital, his mother has many conversations with Josef.  She questions how he can go on believing and trusting in God when his entire family was destroyed during the war and he spent years in a concentration camp.  Josef tells her a story that he heard while in Auschwitz.  He questioned if God had turned His back on him.  A Jewish rabbi shared this story with him:

A Jewish rabbi was standing high on a hill with a couple of his students, looking down at the town where his school was. Suddenly a group of Cossacks on horseback attacked the town. As he saw many of his students, along with the men, women, and children of the town being slaughtered, the rabbi looked up to heaven and said, "Oh, if only I were God." One of his students said with astonishment,"But, Master, if you were God, what would you do differently?" To which the rabbi replied, "If I were God I would do nothing differently. If I were God, I would understand."

We often hear people say, "If I were God, I would..."  or "How can a God of love allow such?"  But we are not God.  We can never fully understand His ways.  Josef concluded his story to Catherine with this:

There is so much of suffering that I will never even begin to understand. But I am content in believing that I don't have to understand why the story unravels the way it does so long as I know that in the end everything will be all right.

I've been thinking about my brother Rod a lot lately.  Really missing him!  I could spend the rest of my life saying, "if only I were God..."  But in the end, everything really did turn out all right for Rod.  He left this life, with all its pain and sorrow, and received a crown of life.  If I were God, why would I change that?

100!

Only 100 more days until my marathon!  Eeeeeek!!

 

I ran 6 miles in 58 minutes yesterday.  9:40 pace.  My last two miles were 9:05 and 9:13.  I know I'm getting faster...  O2O here I come!

Sweet Tea, Please

Les had to travel to Richmond, VA this week.  He flew out early Tuesday morning, was in meetings all day yesterday, and is flying home now.  I got an email from him Tuesday night that said, "Found some grub" and it had this picture:

We don't have a single Cracker Barrel in the entire state of California!  I was just a little jealous.  When we talked later that night, here's how part of the conversation went:

Me:  So you went to Cracker Barrel...what did you have?  No, wait, let me guess...  fried catfish.
Les:  Close, it was grilled.
Me:  And your sides?  Corn?
Les:  Yep.
Me:  And hash brown casserole.
Les:  Yes.
Me:  And hush puppies.
Les:  No hush puppies, I had biscuits. What did I have to drink?
Me:  Sweeeeeet tea!!
Les:  Yes.  I had dessert, too.
Me:  Cobbler!
Les:  What kind?
Me:  Cherry!
Les:  Yep.

So after nearly 21 years, I guess I know what he likes to eat!  Even when we're apart, I've got him figured out.  Although I'd much rather have him here so I can cook for him.

For a little more serious post about food, check out my Fueling Strategy on McMarathon Moments.

Quality vs. Quantity

One thing I'm learning in my marathon training is the difference between quality and quantity.  In the past I have run 40 to 50 miles in a week, but not pushed the pace.  Now I am running about 30 miles, but running with a focus.  One day I'll run 5 easy miles, the next I'll run 5 miles of hills, then a long slow distance.  Each day has a different focus with a certain time involved.  I can tell I'm getting stronger, even though I'm running shorter distances.

It's the same way with what we eat.  Eat an apple and you'll be satisfied for quite a while.  Have a 100 calorie snack pack and you'll be looking for more in a 30 minutes, and something else in an hour.

The Pharisees were all about quantity and making sure everyone saw it.  They fasted twice a week and payed tithe on everything.  Neither of things are wrong, they're actually good things.  But the quality of the Pharisees' lives were such that Jesus called them hypocrites seven times in Matthew chapter 23!

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might"  Maybe you don't feel like you have a lot of talent ~ it doesn't matter.  Whatever you do, give if your best. 

“The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it. ”
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it.”
~ Lou Holtz

Success, Failure, or Feedback?

Les taught a great lesson in Sunday school this past Sunday.  I won't try to reteach it here, but there is one concept I wanted to blog about.  It's the concept of feedback. 

Whenever we attempt something ~ from inviting someone to church, to losing weight, to training for a marathon, or starting a business ~ we have the opportunity for feedback.  If we don't get the outcome we wanted or expected, we will often call it a failure, when we can just as easily turn it into feedback.

What is feedback?  I have heard this often in Weight Watchers meetings.  The number on the scale is feedback.  You were down 3 pounds this week?  Success!  Maybe.  It could be you were sick and didn't feel like eating, or you cut your intake drastically.  The following week, back up a pound?  An utter, total failure!  At least that's what we tell ourselves.  Not true!  It's an opportunity to review how we've eaten.  Feedback.

When we invite someone to church and they say no, that doesn't make us a failure.  It's our job to plant the seed.  We can take a moment to review our approach.  Were we unfriendly or did we make the person feel like they better come or else? Feedback to be a friendlier person, then leave the rest in God's hands.

The great Thomas Edison said, "I speak without exaggeration when I say that I have constructed 3,000 different theories in connection with the electric light, each one of them reasonable and apparently likely to be true. Yet only in 2 cases did my experiments prove the truth of my theory."  2998 failures?  No, just continual feedback on what would finally work.

The word success is found only one time in the Bible.  One time.

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."  Joshua 1:8

Follow His Word, guaranteed success.

President's Day

I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.
~ George Washington

 

 

Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
~Abraham Lincoln

Friday Foodie - The Way to a Man's Heart

Les and I had our Valentine's Day date last Saturday.  We took our bikes to Santa Monica and rode the bike path to Redondo Beach and back.  34 miles of pedaling, laughs, and people watching.  That's called a "heart healthy" date!

We took Flat Sophie along so she could see the ocean... 

You know, it's not just the guy who should do the spoiling, right?  We ladies can turn the table and spoil them every once in a while, too.  So that's what I did on Valentine's Day!  I fixed Triple Berry Muffins (thanks, Betty Crocker!) for breakfast; ham, cheese, and roasted red pepper paninis for lunch; and lasagna for dinner!



Of course I used homemade pasta for my lasagna.  I am so hooked on the stuff!  It really does taste better than any you can buy at the store.  One other bonus - there is no film of "slime" in the pan after you drain the pasta.  Know what I'm talkin' about?  Yeah, the store bought must have major preservatives, while mine is just flour, egg, water and oil!  This lasagna was so good, we ate it two nights in a row.  While I am a big fan of leftovers, I rarely eat them two days in row, I usually want something else in between.  But I couldn't wait to have more lasagna!  I made a very simple meat sauce with Italian sausage and red bell peppers and NO ricotta cheese!

Marathon Training

I haven't posted much about my running on this blog since I've been keeping it all over on McMarathon Moments.  I'm in my second week of 16 "official" training weeks and I've been writing about my running each day this week. 



Today was incredible!  It was windy, but I managed to beat my planned time by 2 seconds a mile.  That may not seem like much, but I was 37 seconds BEHIND that pace at the 3 mile mark with only 2 miles to go.  I was amazed that I was able to make up so much time in such a short distance.

I saw a Nike ad that said, "Ran Sounds Better than Run."  In other words, doing it, getting it done, sounds better than planning on it. 

Are your plans for 2012, whatever they may be, on target or is it time to up the pace a little?

Paths

I received these photos via email from my aunt.  The pictures are amazing, but the path that my life has taken, with God's help has been even more so!

Psalm 16:11
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psalm 23:3
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Psalm 25:4
Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
 

Psalm 25:10
All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
 

Psalm 27:11
Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psalm 142:3
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

Proverbs 2:8
He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

Proverbs 4:18
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Proverbs 4:26
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established

Proverbs 8:20
I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:

Isaiah 2:3
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 6:16
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Matthew 3:3
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I've fallen in love many times... always with you.  

~Author Unknown

 

Whitney Houston, 1963-2012

The headlines were numerous on Saturday night and all through the day Sunday:  "Whitney Houston, pop titan, dies at 48" "Celebs react to Whitney Houston death: 'Please tell me it's not true.'"  "Whitney Houston mourned at New Jersey church of her youth" "Family, fans mourn Whitney Houston with tears, prayers."

I don't normally blog about celebrities, perhaps it is because of her age being so close to mine, but I found Whitney Houston's death to be very sad.  48 is truly too young to die.

A sensation from her very first album, she was one of the world's best-selling artists from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. She awed millions with soaring, but disciplined vocals rooted in gospel and polished for the masses

While I was working as the secretary of Truth Tabernacle Christian School, she was recording her first album and making millions.  I was still going to Youth Camps and Conventions, and she was touring the world. 

But the end of the story is where the tragedy lies.  I'm sure we will never fully know all the details.  But it appears she was alone in a hotel room in Beverly Hills. Her fame and fortune couldn't comfort her in her final moments.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Mark 8:36

The Leftovers Poll

I was really surprised with the results of my Leftovers Poll.  Y'all are like me!  I'm surprised I didn't get a single vote for "No way!  You can't make me!" because that's how I would have voted as a teenager.  Thanks to all who voted.

How Do You Feel About Eating Leftovers?

They taste great!

 

71%

I'll eat them if I have to.

 

29%

Leftovers? With all the people in my family, there aren't any!

 

0%

No way! You can't make me!

 

0%

Total Votes: 24 
Comments: 0 

Say Hello to Flat Sophie!

I received an unexpected visitor in the mail yesterday ~ Flat Sophie!  Some of you may be familiar with Flat Stanley, the little boy who loves to go on adventures.  Sophie is our third "flat" visitor - our nieces Claire and Hannah did this project when they were in about second grade.  Sophie is the daughter of Les' long time friend, Jerry.  They have known each other since the 70s when the McElhaney family moved to Nashville.



I have a few adventures planned for Sophie, but I didn't want to limit her time to just Simi Valley.  Wouldn't it be more fun if she could take a virtual tour of other places around the world?  So here's where my fellow bloggers come in!  If you would like to take Sophie on an adventure in your town, please do the following:

1.  Copy Sophie's picture to YOUR blog.
2.  Answer the six questions listed below.
3.  Come back here and leave a comment with the link to your blog.

I need to return Sophie to Tennessee by February 22nd, so if you want to participate, please do so by next Wednesday, February 15th.  Here are the questions:

1.  What country/state/city am I visiting with you?
2.  What is this state famous for?
3.  What is the capital of the state that I'm in?
4.  What is at least one landmark I could see in this state?
5.  What could I do for fun in this state?
6.  What was my favorite thing that I did while I was visiting you?

I hope you help me show Sophie some cool places around the world!

Mom's Bible

I've written many times about Mom's Bible.  My third post on July 24, 2008 was titled "Mom's Bible."  It occurred to me that I've never actually shown pictures of her Bible, so I thought I'd share some today.  She received this Bible on her 47th birthday ~ the age I am right now.  I've now had this Bible longer than she did. 

 

This was the year she became a grandmother ~ three times over!  But the family record that is most precious to me is this page:

Record of each of her kids' baptism and Holy Ghost infilling

Taped on the inside cover is this card from Rod.  He sent her flowers after she completed chemo the first time in 1990.  It's still the Final Score.



There are dozens of pages that look like this:





I'm so thankful for this precious treasure!

But If Not

'No shortcuts.' For me, that means don't skip any hills, and don't take an easier route. It's harder at first, but I can tell I'm getting stronger.
~ Runner's World Challenger Matthew Palmer

I've been wanting to share this quote for quite some time.  After Sunday night's message, I decided now was the time!

Brother Brown preached from Daniel chapter 3.  It's an old, familiar story of the three Hebrew children who refused to bow down to the image of gold.  When they were questioned by king Nebuchadnezzar, they were "not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." (verses 16-18)

There are things in life we would all like to avoid.  If we could take shortcuts around our trials, we would.  I believe there are things that God does spare us, but there are somethings we must go through.

Would we still be telling the story if king Nebuchadnezzar had backed down and told the Hebrew children, "Okay, I'll let you get away with not bowing to my image."  God allowed them to be thrown in the fire to show just how great He is.  He was in the fire with them and they came out without a single hair singed and no smell of smoke on them!

I'm not praying for any trials to come my way, I'd like to skip through my days, but if not, I will keep my hand in His and know that He is walking through the fire with me.

As I picked up Mom's Bible, looking for a suitable quote to close this post, I saw this:

4-27-90 - Black day for me - but God is in charge. Cancer is not too hard for my God.

Whatever you're facing today, you can rest assured that God is in charge, nothing is too hard for Him.

Revival Hangover?

If there is such a thing as a revival hangover, I've got one!  I've been drinking of the new wine!  (See Acts chapter 2.) 

Last night was our final service with the Brown Family.  Heaven only knows all that was accomplished during these first five weeks of 2012.  I believe people will be in heaven because of these services!

I said it before, but I'll say it again.  I love the Brown Family.  They were a tremendous blessing to our church.  Bro. Brown's preaching, Sis. Brown on the organ, Gentry on the drums and Avelyn singing and worshiping right along with the rest of our church. It felt like they belonged here!

We blessed them last night with a special offering.  First Pastor White asked us to send our "spare change" up with our kids.  I found one to give mine to.  Before it was all said and done about $150 was collected!  When Pastor White asked Gentry who should get the biggest portion, Gentry said, "God."  It was so cute!  We also took up a special offering for Sis. Brown ~ she played and sang for every altar service, so she earned every penny!

Of course, revival doesn't end when the evangelist pulls his trailer down the highway.  As a church, we must keep what we received and keep reaching for more.  I know God has great things in store for the rest of this year!

Friday Foodie ~ Leftovers?

Earlier this week, the Pioneer Woman tweeted "I like leftover meatloaf much better than regular meatloaf."  I made meatloaf that same day and we enjoyed the leftovers a couple days later.  As a family two, we eat leftovers on a regular basis and I think many of them taste better the second time around.

How about you?  Are you a leftovers kind of person?  Do your leftovers make it to the refrigerator, then to the trash a couple weeks later?  Do tell!  I've also added a poll on the side.

Look Where You Are Going

Runner's World magazine featured the oldest marathon finisher ever this month.  Fauja Singh, completed the London marathon last October in 8 hours and 11 minutes.  He thought it would take about 9 hours, so he was very pleased with his result.  It didn't say how long he has been a runner, but he said, "I lost my son when I was 81; running helped."  Would you like to guess how old he is? 



He ran his first marathon in 2000 at the age of 89.  He completed last year's marathon, his eighth, at the age of 100!  One Hundred years old!  That's amazing!  He had this to say about injury prevention:

I look where I am going.

I thought about that last night as Bro. Brown was preaching about heaven. No one is going to stumble into heaven by accident. Our eyes must be on the prize! 

Hebrews 12:1-2 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

I Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

Philippians 3:13-14 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

I'm planning on going to heaven.  That's right, planning.  It won't happen by accident and I have every intention of making it.  I'm looking where I'm going.  Revelation 22:20 "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

Sending the Right Message?

This came to me via email from Weight Watchers Magazine.  

You may not be able to read the entire thing, it says:

Win a trip for you and a friend to a luxury resort and spa in Las Vegas.  Indulge in fine dining, entertainment, shopping and pampering spa treatments and leave Vegas feeling as good as you look.

Just wondering about the "indulge in fine dining" part.  Anyone else think this might be sending the wrong message?  What happened to the old "don't reward yourself with food" mantra?