God Wants Me to Run

“Let me run and take the news to the king that the LORD has delivered him.”

2 Samuel 18:19

Saturday afternoon I finished a race I started ten years ago.

26.2 Miles & we're still smiling!

For over a decade I dreamed of running a marathon but...

The training seemed daunting.

My time seemed limited.

My body seemed ill-equipped.

Last May I decided I would no longer allow myself the luxury of excuses. I committed to train in rain, heat and cold. I chose to put in the hours and miles. Saturday my dedication paid off when I crossed the finish line.

Yesterday as I celebrated my run with my brother, he joked he was afraid my marathon experience might turn out like the first one ever run. It is reported that in about 500 BC an urgent military message was sent from Sparta to Athens via a runner. He ran the distance, delivered the news and died from exhaustion.

As I contemplated my accomplishment so long in coming, it occurred to me that while I didn't die Saturday sometimes my message does.

A friend mentions a need...and I don't run to pray for her.

God does something amazing in my life...and I don't run to share it with my kids.

I realize I've wronged my husband...and I don't run to ask his forgiveness.

What has God done in your life today? Who should run to and share His goodness?

Workout Your Emotions

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul 

and with all your strength and with all your mind.

Luke 10:27

Athletic is not a word ever used to describe me. In fact from time to time my family will toss me something for the sure pleasure of watching me struggle to catch said item. I was never picked first for teams in PE. The way I recall it they even selected the kids in casts before making their way to my name. Not that I blame them, mind you . Sports was just not my thing. If you have any doubt about my lack of athletic prowess, can I tell you my first B in college was in...Badminton?

So how will a girl that uncoordinated, that lacking in natural ability run a marathon in a little over a month?

I'll take the first step.

We're continuing our series on emotional well-being today with the 4th component - getting moving. Have you ever wondered why God instructed us to love Him with all our strength along with our heart, soul and mind? I think it's because our Creator understands better than we do, the inherent connection between our hearts, souls, minds and bodies.

When we get moving, a noticeable improvement in our moods, our ability to cope and stress management follows. 

That first run was far from a victory. I was a sweaty mess and out of breath about step 3 but I kept moving. I tried again in a few days. As I continued to workout, I worked out my emotions. 

Ready to take your next step toward emotional well-being? Get moving.

Do you workout? How does it impact your mood and emotions?

Lessons Learned on the Road - Don't Run to Train...Run to Know

Today is the final edition of Lessons Learned on the Road. Today's guest is the ultimate finish line banquet - Mary DeMuth. After you drink in the refreshment of her wisdom today, you should hop over next Monday to your favorite retailer to buy her newest book, Everything. Everything is a an invitation to let go of the try-harder Christian life and to truly experience the richness of life that comes when we make Jesus our Everything. Watch the book trailer now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eVfl-L6xv4 & don't forget to order her book next week!

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by Mary DeMuth

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 

1 Corinthians 10:41, NLT

On my run a few weeks ago, training for a half marathon using this plan, the Lord spoke so plainly, I wondered if He ran nearby. He said, "Don't run to train, run to know."

I felt near elation in the mention because, of course, He was right (again).

I should not jog to train for this half marathon. I should hit the road because it's a perfect time for me to reacquaint myself with the Almighty.

You can also substitute a few words and personalize it for you.

How about:

• Don't work to get ahead, as you work, discover Jesus.
• Don't create art to produce something, create to grow closer to the Creator.
• Don't sing to impress, sing to understand your heart before Jesus.
• Don't check off your to do list to feel satisfaction, check it off while thanking Jesus for the ability to do so.

We can turn everything around in our hearts and minds when we refocus on Jesus. Then life becomes a surprising adventure, full of hushed discoveries of our amazing God.

When I run, I hear God.

When I jog through my neighborhood park, ideas pop into my head that I hadn't had before. It's like a laboratory for ideas, and often those ideas come from Jesus. While it is super fun to get in shape and accomplish a goal, inevitably, it's even more fun to feel like I've communed with Jesus during all that sweat and gore (if you watched me run, you'd understand this; and perhaps "run" isn't the right word.)

So whatever you do today, don't just do it to do it. Do it for the glory of God, to know Him, to find Him, to be near Him.

What activity do you do today where you could refocus on Jesus?

Lessons Learned on the Road - Sometimes You Need to Run Against Traffic

This is our second to last week in this series. How can 9 weeks vanish so quickly? When I first signed up for the St. Jude Marathon, it was 6 months away. I thought I had so much time to train, I wanted to nickname myself Caboose. (Instead that will likely be an apt name for my finish position in the race...)

So far I have run about 350 miles in my training and by December 1st I will run over 200 more. I have coursed uneven trails, quiet streets and congested hills. But some of the most rewarding have been the ones I ran against traffic.

Last Saturday I set out to run a mere 9 miles. A half mile in I was dripping sweat from my breathless face. Nine miles might as well have been 90 miles. I decided to modify and run 6. It was the hardest Saturday run of my training thusfar. 

Maybe it was because I was alone.

Perhaps it was because the cool weather I'd longed for came but difficulty didn't go.

Regardless I found myself in a tough place, running against traffic and out of energy.

I was questioning my ability and even my desire when I saw her. There was no mistaking her identity. I know no one else whose smile electrifies, whose energy emanates like Bobbi. One friendly wave swiped away my doubt. Her presence intersecting with mine shot my heart full of encouragement. This run would not defeat me. I could finish.

Most people choose to run with traffic. But when you run the same direction as everyone else, you never get to encounter. Your interaction is with one more bumper, another set of heels or even another caboose.

Sometimes an encounter requires I give.

Other times an encounter allows me to receive. 

Both require me to run against traffic.

What do risk not giving and not receiving by running the same direction as everyone else? Is there an area of your life where you need to run against traffic? 

Lesson Learned on the Road - Sometimes I Have to Slow Down

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, 

as some understand slowness. 

He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, 

but everyone to come to repentance.

1 Peter 3:9

A blue sky embraced me as I strolled from the cafe to my car. With one hand on my door handle and the other poised to answer my incoming call, I pulled the phone to my ear to the words, "You're right, Dear, I have cancer."

Life slowed down for me that day. I breathed in release as I held my husband, family and future up to God's capable hands. Three months later my precious husband would undergo a radical prostatectomy to eradicate the cancer from his body.

His recovery slowed him down. That first Sunday back at church I dropped him at the front door, checked our little ones into the nursery, used the restroom and still made it to our seats before he did. It took him almost 30 minutes to walk a few hundred yards.

His new, slower pace changed his perspective. He saw people he never noticed before.

The elderly woman struggling through the paces of her day.
The homeless man praying for generosity and the strength to navigate another hopeless day.
The wheel-chair bound youth staring into a future a few feet short of the one he'd imagined.

Sometimes when I'm running I have to slow down too. A slower pace is necessary to cover the distance. When I decelerate I see things I wouldn't otherwise notice. 

The man whose need for achievement shouts at his son to keep the lawn perfect.
My anorexic neighbor who walks with her companion self-loathing for hours every day.
The elderly woman who watches life pass but doesn't participate.

I have to slow down to see the hurting - to connect at their pace. I have to slow down to connect my heart to God's so I can see the people for whom He patiently waits.

Is life flying by you today? Whom might you notice if you just throttled back a bit?

Lessons Learned on the Road-Treat Injury Immediately

If I asked you where you were eleven years ago today, you no doubt could tell me. Were you clustered around a television at work? Did you watch in horror on a mall screen? Did you feel incredibly small and lonely as you witnessed terror within the walls of a home that no longer seemed safe?

Six thirty am that morning I boarded a plane leaving from Atlanta to Chicago. As planes were striking towers, we were sailing above the clouds. Havoc unleashed its fury on our health and safety, my plane was listed among those unaccounted for and potentially taken over by terrorists.

We landed at O’Hare to the hush of horror. One of the world’s busiest airports had halted to ingest the impact of a new normal. My new normal had boarded the plane with me that morning. After 8 years of striving for love in a loveless marriage, I teetered on the brink of an emotional affair and the end of my marriage.

Out of the ashes of destruction, hope sprang into my heart. What could birth passion in a marriage more than the threat of losing your spouse? As I snaked in my rental car from Chicago to Chattanooga, my heart dared to dream. I let it wander around my insides with wishes of a romantic reunion.

My dream didn't come to pass. It blended into a nightmare of too little counseling too late and a divorce in August, 2002. I learned something through 9/11 I'm often reminded of when I run.

Don't let injuries fester.

My first husband was a perfect match for my people pleasing non-confrontational personality. We had an unspoken agreement to have as little friction in our marriage as possible. If we didn't talk about our problems, we didn't have to admit they existed.

When you injure yourself while running, your best chance for containing that injury is to treat it immediately. Injuries that fester because you just keep running, have a longer-term, more significant impact than those you deal with.

Injuries in relationship are the same. Let's not allow our relational hurts to fester. Instead, let's invite God into our pain and proceed with an immediate treatment plan which might include painful conversations and uncomfortable situations. But the pain we experience now will be far less than the pain waiting for us later.

Treat injury immediately and avoid the pain of long-term hurt.

What's your most recent injury? What would it take to just treat it now? What's keeping you from doing so?

Lessons Learned on the Road - The Encouragement of Shade

We're continuing our series Lessons Learned on the Road with a guest post by Rachel Wojnaroski. Rachel inspires extraordinary faith for everyday living. She's a mother to seven, including a special needs child, so knows plenty about difficult moments in everyday life. If you need some encouragement in your ordinary life, I'd urge you to pop over to visit her often.

Also, I have some exciting news! Rachel's incredible book on prayer The Sensational Scent of Prayer is FREE on Amazon today. Click on the title to click over and order your copy!

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by Rachel Wojnaroski

Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. 

Prov. 12:25 ESV

The sun beat down on my brow and drips of sweat forced their way under my sunglasses. The heat slowed my feet and the temps rose higher by the minute. When I ran a half marathon in the spring, the heat served as my biggest running enemy. I had trained through the rain, through the snow, through the cold, through all types of weather, but not much heat. On this particular day of running, the rising temps were offering no friendship either.

Then I saw it, like a beckoning oasis, the row of trees was on the opposite side of the street; but they called my name. I ran toward their bidding, anxious to cool down, battling to continue to run with every single step. In one short block, my body felt encouraged to keep moving. The high temps were temporarily relieved- simply due to the shade provided by one small row of trees.

Some of us run, some of us play tennis, and some of us crochet. There are those who speak from a platform, those who quietly write, and those who read. There's the loud one in the room, the silent smiler, and the steady, dependable average one. God created humans with such variety that each one is unique and individual. But there is one thing that each and every one of us has the power to do; it's the same power as that single row of trees.

Anyone can be an encourager.

Being an encourager doesn't take a certain skill set. There are no qualifications. No travelling requirements. No business cards necessary.

Someone coming by your row could be struggling against the heat; the temporary relief you provide could be just what they need to finish the race.

Giving someone a cheerful word is providing shade on the run of life.

Who needs your encouragement today?

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Love this post? Catch up on the series:

Lessons Learned on the Road - Don't Look Back

Lessons Learned on the Road - Run the Race Marked Out for You

Lessons Learned on the Road - Rest Days Fuel Your Run

Lessons Learned on the Road - Don't Stop Breathing

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Rachel Wojnarowski is originally a small town country girl who converted to a suburban mother of seven by way of life happening. She and her husband, Matt, enjoy caring for their busy family, whose ages span 9 months to 21 years and includes a special needs daughter. Rachel leads community ladies' Bible studies in central Ohio and serves as an event planner and speaker for special needs parenting groups. She is a member of the Ohio Writers' Guild and the National MPS Society; and loves to inspire others through her blog by sharing faith, family, and fun. Wife, mom, reader, writer, speaker and dreamer, you can find Rachel on Twitter and Facebook.

Lessons Learned on the Road - Don't Stop Breathing

Are you enjoying this new Tuesday series, as much as I am? Each lesson builds our strength and endurance for our unique run of life. Thanks for joining me on the journey!

Does God listen to his cry  when distress comes upon him? 

¹⁰ 

Will he find delight in the Almighty? 

    Will he call upon God at all times?

Job 27:9-10

One of the keys to successful long distance running is maintaining an even pace. Ideally miles 1 and 26 of a marathon are covered in the same amount of time. For me I have no chance of maintaining a steady pace if I don't achieve even breathing. 

We've all experienced the consequence of unlevel breathing - that sudden, stabbing pain in our side. In fact I know why people refer to it as a "stitch" because it feels like you're being impaled with knitting needles. Three things bring relief:

1. Slow My Pace - Even though a consistent gait is important, I must slow down when my breath is out of control. Those moments of rest recharge me for the miles to come.

2. Remind Myself to Breathe - Sometimes I just stop breathing well. I must consciously remember the importance of oxygen to my body. That brief reminder recalibrates me to the task at hand.

3. Take My Mind Off the Pain - Some pain doesn't cease even with the first two steps. My only recourse left is to let my mind go to another place. With less focus on my hurt and more focus on other things, my body returns to a place of normalcy.

In my life run, I also can't forget the importance of breathing. Prayer is breath to our spiritual well-being. When it gets shallow the road of life begins to stab at us. But when I slow my pace, I have time to pray. When I remind myself to breathe, I remember to pray. When I pray, I take my mind off the pain.

Is your life out of control today? Why not slow down, remind yourself to pray and take your mind off the pain?

Lessons Learned on the Road - Running the Race Marked Out for You

Welcome back to our Tuesday Series - Lessons Learned on the Road. Today I have the privilege of welcome Rosann who I met online at Voiceboks.com and am privileged to run alongside in my journey as a Christian communicator. 

Rosann is filled with contagious joy and a zeal for life. Click over and read her blog, Christian SuperMom and you'll see what mean. She also has a unique ministry to the unemployed at Unemployed Faith. Please join me in welcoming Rosann to Jesus & My Orange Juice.
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by Rosann Cunningham

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 tangles, 

and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Hebrews 12:1

Few things bring clarity, creativity, and joy to my heart like running. I've had a passion for it since childhood, but it wasn't until a recent particularly turbulent season of life, I actually labeled myself a runner.

When life's circumstances were too overwhelming to face, running became an escape. 

For 3 miles a day I was consumed by God's presence, lost in the worship experience my well-crafted playlist provided. With each stride, whispers from the Spirit reassured me.  I finished with less stress and a renewed outlook.    

Before I knew it, God planted the seed of crazy in my heart.  It was an idea…a challenge…that would stretch me beyond life's current struggles.    

Run a half-marathon? I laughed at the thought.

A 13.1 mile test of faith? My stomach knotted up.

Me? Surely, He must have the wrong person!

But when God calls, the answer needs to be obedience. 

And so it began. 

I became a runner. For real. 

God's lessons in my race were priceless. 

In Life, Be Purposeful

My purpose was an act of obedience, but it was also a mission to regain hope and strengthen my faith. To do so meant approaching it with one goal in mind. To glorify God. 

In Life, Be Equipped

Preparation gives joy a place to settle in, suffocating fear. A training plan, proper gear, and the best nourishment, are all significant factors in equipping ourselves for the journey.

My race wasn't just physically demanding. I had a mess of emotions to deal with. To be an overcomer and effectively equip myself, I learned to do three things.

• Push myself (painfully) out of the mental and physical comfort zone of a 5K.  It was the only way to build endurance. 
• Prepare for unexpected weather or tough terrain. I didn't just shop for gear at the Nike store. I spent hours reading and memorizing the powerful promises in God's word. 
• For  proper nourishment and soul fuel, I met God daily in heartfelt prayer and quiet listening. 

In Life, Be Disciplined

Self-discipline determines victory or defeat.  Our mind is powerful, so eradicating the stream of negative thinking or a poor-me attitude is one of the most complicated tests we face.  

Being purposeful and equipped is the foundation for strong self-discipline.   

Mile four was a common battle zone between body and mind. With knees aching and  heart pounding fast, my mind sputtered lies.

You can't do it.

You're too tired.

You aren't strong enough.

To employ self-discipline, I refocused my mind on God.  I remembered why I was doing it - for His glory. I grasped for His truth - I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. (Phil 4:13)  I closed my eyes, sensing His Holy Spirit. I wasn't alone.   

No matter how rough the road, He is always there carrying me. He'll carry you too.  

What race has God marked out for you? 

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Rosann Cunningham is a Christian Author, wife to the man of her dreams, and stay-at-home mom to two delightful little girls. When she’s not out for a jog or having energy burning dance parties with her daughters, she can be found writing for her blog ChristianSuperMom, and ministering to women whose husbands are in a season of unemployment, at her other website UnEMPLOYED Faith.  Her writing inspiration for both projects comes from a strong desire to glorify God while sharing the heart of her journey through a life of faith.

How Big is Your Problem?

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.

Hebrews 12:2

My sister, Lynn, and I don't just share DNA but a common passion for fitness. Running is a part of both our fitness routines. So is a commitment to avoid anything "scary" en route. Scary includes motorized vehicles, weird looking men, and pretty much any kind of animal - big dogs, little dogs, snakes, skunks and even squirrels.


As she rounded a corner, Lynn encountered a nut-toting, fluffy-tailed rodent affectionately known as the squirrel. They were in an OK corral stand-off in the middle of the street while scenes from the rogue squirrel in Christmas Vacation flashed in Lynn's mind. Squirrel took Round 1; Lynn stopped running and waited for Mr. Nutty to cross.


Mr. Fluffy-Tail took one second too long to victory stare mid-road. His next motion was a spiral through the air Cirque du Soleil can't touch. A minivan took Round 2.


When I find myself on life's road staring difficulty in the eye, I'm tempted to ponder the magnitude of my problem. That is the wrong question. The right one is - how big is my God?

I'm not going to strategize my way out.


I'm not going to think my way out.


I'm not going to worry my way out.


He is my way of escape.


I have to allow my squirrel-sized faith trust in a mini-van sized God. I will encounter issues on the road. 


Some will bruise my spirit.


Others will cut my confidence.


From all I will fully recover when I take my eyes off my problem and fix them on my Solution.


How big is your God?

Taking the Hills

I want to know Christ...and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him.

Philippians 3:10

Running experts recommend not attempting a long distance run such as a half marathon until you can run easily run three miles. I'm not sure what their definition of easy is but after ten years of running, three miles still doesn't feel "easy". 


My typical three mile route is equally divided by a large hill. Each time I approach it I think to myself. This is my day. Today this hill will seem easy. But easy doesn't come until I'm on the other side of it.

Me and my second favorite running partner...

I find running hills difficult for three reasons: 


1. I Don't Like Hills


If God made queues for his various blessings, I doubt anyone, myself included, would line up under "Difficulty" or "Hardship". We avoid life's hills because we don't like them. No one likes suffering but life's challenges mold us into the shape of Christ. 


I don't like hills but I love becoming more like the One who purchased my victory on one.


2. I Change My Posture


When I face a hill, I'm tempted to lean forward, shorten my stride and gut it out. All these things work against my ability to run them. Difficulty can also change my posture. Typical advice during hard seasons is to "keep the faith", "you can do it" or "you got this." 


These admonishments sound upbeat but actually move my posture from one of humility and depending on God to one of pride and depending on me. When I face a hill, I need to maintain a posture of total reliance on God. He is the One who carries me up the steepest challenge.


3. My Breathing Gets Shallow


Hills wreck my breathing. It goes from slow and steady to quick and shallow. I used to wonder how it was someone could "pray without ceasing" until I heard it described and spiritual breathing. 


As circumstances come in, we breathe a prayer out.
As a situation arises, we breathe a prayer out.
As a difficult personality confronts us, we breathe a prayer out.


When I face trouble, my temptation is to let my prayer life get shallow. The one sentence prayers we've been studying (review the first three here, here, and here) allow us to keep our spiritual breath even throughout the day.


I may never run three miles with ease. Hills may never cease to daunt me. But I can choose a running partner, a posture and a pattern of breathing that transforms the uphill climb as it transforms me.


Are you facing a life hill? How could you alter your posture and breathing to better face your challenge?
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For more inspiration on preparing for life's big events, download Shannon's free 30 day prayer guide, PrePrayed: Preparation for Life's Events or Shannon's 8 Life Transforming Prayers.

Road Runner: It's a Calling

Jesus went through all the towns and villages...

Matthew 9:35

The road called to me from the wonderland of sleep. I could hear the invitation to join her. She was there waiting. Beckoning. Entreating.


As the haze of sleep lifted, my heart danced. The road hadn't been calling my name. It was the voice of the One who always goes where His people are. My soul was longing to get out on the road and run to connect with God.


As the miles multiplied, so did my revelation. I realized I wasn't just on a run for the fitness of my body. I was running for the fitness of my heart.


As I ran...


I saw Muslims out for a morning stroll. Jesus wants me out where the nations walk.


I saw evidence of teens who drank too much the previous night. Jesus wants me on the street where hurting hearts attempt to fill their need for God with poor substitutes.


I saw my husband who ran at my side. Jesus wants me on the road where my heart seals itself to my husband's with every stride.


The thing is it's less frightening to stay inside my home than to interact with people I don't entirely understand. It's more convenient to chat with the teens that come to me than to seek out ones who never would. It's natural to meet my own needs and leave my husband behind at home.


Jesus went where the people were. He didn't wait for people to come to Him. God invites us to join Him in His work. To come alongside Him we must go where He is. He is out on the road where the people are.


Is the road calling to your name this morning? What is one way you could join God out on the road today?

(If you're reading this over email, be sure and visit ShannonMilholland.com to watch the video of Trevor Morgan singing "Jesus Rides the Subway".)

The Run to Deep Friendship

Run in such a way as to get the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:24

I bought a new pair of running shoes this morning for my distance training run in the morning. New running shoes thrill me because they cushion, propel and intensify my run. New running shoes are like old friends.


It is in the worn tread of life's journeys that friendships grow deep, strong and true. Instead of wearing out your sole, they invigorate your soul. But what if you're like me and you've moved frequently? What if life's circumstances have kept you busy? Is it too late to make old friends?

Anyone can deepen a new friendship into the comfort of years. We just need some new running shoes:


Cushion


Cushion the blows of life with the pillow of an understanding heart and a listening ear. Be the soft landing place when life knocks your friend off her feet. The security she will feel in your presence will nurture authenticity in your friendship.


Propel


Propel your friend to bigger dreams. Envision your friend crossing the finish line of her heart's unspoken desires. Be her biggest cheerleader. Move her forward with encouragement. The inspiration she will capture in your attitude will foster excitement in your relationship.


Intensify


Intensify your position as giver of grace. Allow your friend to fail without failing your friendship. Fertilize your relationship with a fresh dose of daily grace. The comfort she will experience in your mercy will grow sincerity in your friendship.


Today let's run to get the prize of friendship. The run may be long. We may experience some pain or thirst in the process but as we cushion, propel and intensify we will capture the satisfaction of deep friendship on our run.

What Lies Ahead

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 

I press on to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Phillipians 3:13-14

Me and My Sweetie pre-run;
I'm smiling because it's PRE-run - ha!

Pre-run jitters danced in my stomach. I took a deep breath and the initial steps of my first half marathon. The course was arduous. As soon as I topped one hill, another loomed ahead. Early on I knew finishing would be a far greater challenge than I had envisioned.

Out on the road it was just me and God. I prayed. I sang in my heart. I thought about scripture. What I didn't do was look back. It does no good to look back at the ground you've covered. When you run, what matters is what lies ahead.

I did it again. I took a sharp tone with my daughter. Regret immediately followed. I prayed for God's help. I asked her forgiveness. I didn't look back but at what lies ahead.

The memory came back in a terrifying dream. I laid shaking in the bed as I inched closer to my husband. I called out to God for His peace. I didn't look back but at what lies ahead.

Too often we stay trapped in condemnation, guilt and fear because our necks are craned on ground we've already covered.

Look forward, friend. Because of Who runs with you, ahead lies peace. Ahead is joy.

Forget what is behind and press on toward what is ahead.