2025

 

It's the second day of a new year.  I meant to post something yesterday, but spent the day taking Christmas down instead!  It's a lot of work, both putting it up and taking it down, but I love how my house looks for the holidays.  I also love how clean it seems after everything is put away.

Goals?  Resolutions?  Plans for 2025?  

I'm a bit blank on these right now:

I finished reading my Bible for the year on Tuesday and started a new plan on Wednesday.  I got behind a couple of times last year - both times when we were out of the country.  I was able to catch up within a week and now I'm back in Genesis!  It never gets old.

I've got to drop some weight - pounds that have slowly snuck back on in the past two years.  I know what to do - track, track, track what I eat!  Too much sugar and not enough water need to change. I won't eliminate sugar completely, I just need to cut back a lot.

 

OUCH!

I've started the year with a run many times, but this year I kicked my year off with a bike ride!  It was a chilly one - about 43 degrees the entire time.  It was a gorgeous first day of the year and hit about 70 mid afternoon.  I'm looking at blue skies as I work on this post.

I looked back and realized that I never wrote about our vehicle change in 2024.  We started the year with three cars - our faithful 1992 Saturn and our 2006 Porsche Cayenne here in California.  We also had a 2008 Saturn Aura in Hawaii.  When we went to Hawaii in March, we cleared out everything and gave our car away.  Over the summer, our other Saturn started giving us trouble.  It died while at a stop light when Les was driving it a couple of times.  The second time, it wouldn't start at all so we had it towed to our mechanic.  The cost for repairs along with money we have spent the last two years, finally pushed us over the edge and we chose to donate it to charity instead.  It served us so well for over 32 years, but it was time to let it go.

 

Now we only have one car!  It's been four months and we've made it work.  Since Les works from home, it's hasn't been too challenging.  I've been forced to think ahead if I need anything on Saturday because that's usually when Les will take the car to meet friends for a bike ride.  Other than that, we're content to just have one car for now.

I'm very thankful that we were both healthy in 2024, minor colds/flu were all we dealt with.  Les continues to enjoy his job. We're anxiously awaiting the day when we can break ground on our new church property!  We're believing 2025 will be the year when things really change for Victory Tabernacle.  We are bursting at the seams and are so excited for this next stage.

Happy New Year and may this be your best year yet!

New Year's Resolutions

 

I didn't make any resolutions to start this year.  That doesn't mean there aren't areas in my life that need improvement, but I do my best not to wait until January 1st (or Monday) to readjust.  I just Googled "how long do new year's resolutions last?" and there were over 300 million results!  Here are just a few:

How long do New Year's resolutions last? 43% of all people expect to fail before February, and almost one out of four quit within the first week of setting their New Year's resolution. Most people quit before the end of January, and only 9% see their resolutions through until succession.

 

Although New year's resolutions are popular, they are not always successful. According to U.S. News & World Report, the failure rate for New year's resolutions is said to be about 80 percent, and most lose their resolve by mid-February.

 

A new poll of 2,000 Americans found that it takes just 32 days for the average person to finally break their resolution(s) — but 68% report giving up their resolutions even sooner than that. In fact, one in seven Americans never actually believe they’ll see their resolution through in the first place.

I know that some people make resolutions as a joke just to see how quickly they can break them.  Others fail because they make unrealistic resolutions or don't have a plan.  Two years ago I desperately needed to lose weight.  I knew what had worked for me in the past and with a lot of patience and determination, I stuck with it.  Last year was about keeping it off and this year is more of the same.  My personal healthy eating journey has always included treats, usually in the form of chocolate.  I'm sure I could have lost weight more quickly, but it was about more than just weight loss.  Any change needs to for a long term difference.

I receive a weekly email from TrainingPeaks and there are a couple of articles I wanted to share. The first one came a few weeks ago. "4 Common Weight Loss Mistakes to Avoid"  The article was actually about weight gain during the holidays, but I thought the information was great for anytime.  The author trademarked an acronym for D.I.E.T. that I really like ~ Disaster Imminent Every Time™!  The disaster happens when we set an unreasonable goal and try to do it in an unreasonable amount of time.

 

The second article is "4 Steps to Achieving Your New Year Goals."  While this article focuses on racing season for runners and cyclists, the principles are applicable.  A key statement, "Remember that great performance doesn’t require perfect preparation; more often, intelligent adjustments in the face of setbacks make the difference."  Setbacks will come, no matter what your goal, but adjust and keep going.

I think Henry Ford summed it up perfectly:

My Summer Riding Goal

Along with our wall building, the other thing Les and I have been doing a lot of lately is riding our bikes.  It started with my birthday ride of 35 miles.  Sometime in June I decided to set a new goal ~ a Metric Century!  That's 100 kilometers or 62 miles.

My training so far:

April 27th - 35.71

June 11th - 36.35

June 17th - 25.01

June 25th - 36.16

July 9th - 42.10

I've done some shorter rides and runs during each week as well.  Today I set a new distance record for me!  Les has been on all my long rides with me.  They're recovery rides for him and hard efforts for me, but it's been a fun way to spend a morning.

By the end of today's ride I was ready to be done.  Several hours later, I'm feeling a little sore, but so glad to have done it!  It's been a long time since I've set a big fitness goal, my last marathon was almost 5 years ago.  We are currently eyeing Les' birthday on August 19th as the day we ride our metric century.  Just a day shy of six weeks from today.

Anyone else have a fitness goal to share?

2017: Where Will You Focus?

I've seen a lot of posts about resolutions, goals, and words for 2017.  I don't know if I have ever chosen a word for the year and stuck with it the entire year, but the word that has been bouncing around in my brain for the past few days is Focus:

1. the center of interest or activity.
2. the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition.

Focus is a tricky concept.  We are all busy and it is easy to lose focus on what matters when we try to focus on too many things.  There are things in life that we need to do, but they can't be the center of our interest.  I can't ignore the piles of laundry or expect my house to clean itself, but it can't be the most important aspect of my life.

Les taught an awesome Sunday school lesson about Jonah to kick off 2017.  The book of Jonah is short and most of the lessons we hear are from chapter two - Jonah's time in the belly of the great fish.  I have always found chapter four to be extremely interesting.  The city of Nineveh had a 120,000 soul revival and Jonah was very angry.  I have never understood what was wrong with him!  He was not only angry, but he sat and pouted.  "It is better for me to die than to live."  

The conclusion of the book sums it all up, "Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:  And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?"

Jonah had a greater love for a gourd that provided shade than he did for a city that was perishing.  Les finished the class with this question, "Do we care more about materialism or personal comfort than we do about the thousands of lost souls around us?"

In all our resolutions, goals, plans, and desires for 2017, may be never lose focus of the thousands of lost souls around us.

What Are You Thinking?

Whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you're probably right. 
~ Henry Ford

We've made it through the mid-point of February.  The time when many New Years resolutions, plans, and goals fall by the wayside.  I'm happy to say I'm still on pace with my daily Bible reading!  I have finished Genesis, Exodus, and Matthew and read parts of Psalms and Proverbs.  I'm plowing through Leviticus with all the sacrifices (not recommended for breakfast reading!) and I'm holding the course.  (FYI - I'm posting this to hold myself accountable, not to brag.)

It's not too late to catch up with whatever you had planned.  Unless, of course, you think you can't.

Great Peace

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!  That's a lot more fun to say than Happy New Year!  I hope you're starting this year off right.  I went for an early morning run.  I have found the perfect place for running prayer - Tantalus Mountain.  It's very distracting and busy when I run in Waikiki and around Diamond Head, but when I head to the mountain, it's peaceful.  I enjoyed a good run and a great talk with Jesus this morning.  I think running is a great time to hear from God - I'm too out of breath to do much talking.

I began a new Bible Reading plan this morning.  It has readings from the Old and New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs each day.  I didn't read my Bible all the way through last year and have every intention of doing it this year!

For the last couple of days, I have thought about a verse for 2014.  I asked God about it.  I don't expect Him to reveal what 2014 will hold, but this verse has been rolling in my brain and I thought I'd study it out a bit:

"Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."  Psalm 119:65

We don't have to look far to find things that offend us.  Open up your favorite news website or newspaper.  This world is full of offensive things.  Jesus said "offences will come."  It's unavoidable.  When you walk through the door of your place of employment, or your school, or your church, you are walking into a place where you may be offended.  Relationships end because one party has offended the other.  Lawsuits occur because of offences.

How can we have great peace when we are being bombarded?  One commentator put it remarkably well:

Great peace have they -  They have great calmness of mind. They are not troubled and anxious. They believe and feel that all things are well-ordered by thee, and will be conducted to the best result. They, therefore, calmly leave all with thee. As a matter of fact, the friends of God have peace and calmness in their minds, even amidst the troubles, the disappointments, and the reverses of life. The love of God is the best - the only - way to secure permanent peace in the soul.
Which love thy law - It is the love of law, and the belief that the law of God is in accordance with justice, that gives peace to their minds. God’s government is a government of law, and therefore it is loved.
And nothing shall offend them - “They shall have no stumbling-block.” Hebrew, “And to them no stumbling,” or stumbling-block. The meaning here is, that they would not fall into sin; they would be kept safe; they would be preserved from the power of temptation. The meaning is not, as it would seem to be in our version, that nothing would pain, grieve, or irritate them; but, as above, that as long as they were obedient to the law, and disposed to obey it, they would be safe from the power of temptation.

My number one goal for 2014 is to:

Love His Law, so that
I will have Great Calmness of Mind;
Leaving it All in God's Hands,
I will be Kept Safe, and
Nothing will Cause Me to Stumble!

Wordy Wednesday ~ Dreams

My in-laws brought be a little book last week called "101 Words that Matter Most for Women."  Each page has a single word, it's meaning, several Bible verses and a quote.  I'll be sharing those here from time to time.

I thought the word "dreams" was a great way to start 2013.  Resolutions are good and goals are worthwhile, but don't forget to dream along the way.

Dreams:  a cherished ambition, hope, aspiration or ideal.

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  Psalm 37:4 

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us...  Ephesians 3:20

Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.  II Corinthians 5:9

You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.
~C.S. Lewis

Psalm 37:4 is one of my favorite verses, but there's more to life than just receiving the desires of our heart.  Delighting in the Lord is the first order of business, the dreams will follow.  May God give you the desires and dreams of your heart in 2013!

Marathon Update

The Ojai to Ocean Marathon is now less than two weeks away.  My training is drawing to a close.  I received this quote from Runner's World this morning:

Training for a race is sort of like a metaphor for life—it shows you how important goals are, it shows you how much you are capable of, it shows you the power of dedication. I've never run 13.1 miles, but I know I can do it. I will do it. 
~Ashley Cadaret, Running: A Love Story, Other Voices blog, Runner's World.com

That's how I'm feeling about the marathon.  I've never run 26.2 miles, but I know I can do it.  I will do it!  I really am excited about completing my first marathon.  I don't know how fast or slow I'll be.  I'm sure I won't break any records, but I will set my own PR (personal record.)

My blogging may be a bit hit and miss the next couple of weeks.  My brain is pretty focused on running, so there will probably be more posts on McMarathon Moments, than here.  Run on over there, I'll be having a contest next week to guess my marathon finishing time.

It's almost summer time.  We're nearly half way through 2012.  Do you have any goals that you set in January that are working well for you?

Long Term Goal

Today's Runner's World thought for the day:

My long-term goal is to be around to run long-term.
~Jeremy Dobrick

This reminded me of something Sis. Kay Singleton said on Sunday morning. She said, "God is a God Who keeps me and He's been keeping me, but you gotta want to be kept!"

As I child, I remember saints testifying, saying things like "I've been living for the Lord for 40 years and it just gets better and better!" I thought they were ancient, when they probably were in their 50s! But I always wanted to be one of those saints who had been living for the Lord for 40 years or longer! It's always been my long term goal.

I've learned there is no magic to being here long term. I just have to keep doing the right things long term...

If I want to have a long term prayer life, I must pray long term.
If I want to have a ready knowledge of God's word, I must read it long term.
If I want to see revival in my church, I must keep reaching out long term.
I must fast, worship, be faithful, live holy, love God and those around me, long term.

Heaven is my long term goal and I'm going to keep walking the path that will get me there, long term.

Mileage Update

If you were reading this blog a year ago, you know I was very intent on making a goal for running last year. 2600 miles was my goal. An average of 50 miles per week. I had a tracker at the top of my blog and would update it once a week. I DID make that goal last year. I had to run nearly 60 miles during the last four days of December, but I did it!


I started this year completely burned out. I didn't want to run at all. Blah. The thought of getting up and running was not appealing at all. So I decided not to set a goal, I'd just run, drop my miles a little, and see how the year unfolded.


I did eventually get to the place where I was enjoying running again. Adding the Las Llayas Trail to the mix made it enjoyable.


Then I bought Myka! The little bike that could! Of course on the days that I ride, I don't run, so my running miles have dropped but I've added cycling miles.


Here's where I was last year at the end of August:

1675.4 running miles

Here's where I am this year at the end of August:

1373.4 running miles
203.3 cycling miles
1576.7 total miles

With absolutely no goal set, I am only 100 miles behind last year's total!


Of course now the question is, do I crank it up a little and try to beat last year???