Restore Me

Posted on January 7, 2019 by sportymama70 | 1 Comment

What a year it has been! I spent the last year with BE ruminating in my mind. That was my word for 2018. I am so not into New Year’s resolutions. Never have been. But what I DO, is pray. Pray for a WORD, a word to focus on and to set me on fire. To fix my heart on intentions, meaning, and hope. Don’t get me wrong, though, I am not bashing on resolutions, and I think they work for many. I think sometimes we get so off course during a year that giving yourself a resolution is incredible! It creates a fierceness in you: a determined heart and a purpose. I am, however, about goals. The type that allows growth but is not over-reaching and unattainable, so that you set yourself up for failure. Pliable goals that move and flow over the year. Some quick and some that are going to require some hard work. Maybe repairing a relationship, running a 5k, picking up an old project you were frustrated with or picking up a discarded passion that you allowed to fall away for whatever reason.

Last year was the year of “BE,” and I have been put to the test. Two thousand eighteen was an unbelievable year! In 2017 we had decided to sell off, donate, bless others with our excess and pack up and move out of the country. We dedicated to a full year. The year brought so much growth, challenge, joy, change, and transformation to both G and I. It was pretty magical, and we learned a lot. We learned that things are indeed never in our control. Something that sometimes both of us struggle with, obviously, because we continue to be challenged on this. We were blessed in a multitude of ways that we never imagined. We learned to BE more present and trust more. We learned that being comfortable and BE-ing comfortable means entirely two different things. We learned to BE more gracious and more thankful. We learned that to BE content doesn’t mean materially or always easy. We learned to BE more patient and to navigate problems without allowing annoyance to slip it’s ugly fingers in.

Going into this year as I nestled down my heart to await my word, I was excited! I was also exhausted and frustrated. We knew the time G and I had spent apart due to his career was not working well. Although living abroad, he had a lot of travel to the States. More than we anticipated. We knew that my complete retreat from racing and triathlon was not working. Coming off of several years of constant competition and endorphins to “hammocking” was not feeding my soul and my inner fire.
I prayed for a few months for my word, and just like always, in the early, dark hours of the morning while lying in bed, it was there on my heart.

Restoration.

res·to·ra·tion
/ˌrestəˈrāSH(ə)n/Submit
noun
1.
the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition.
synonyms: repair, repairing, fixing, mending, refurbishment, reconditioning, rehabilitation, rebuilding, reconstruction, overhaul, redevelopment, renovation; informal rehab
“the restoration of derelict housing.”

This is always the part of the story that gets me excited because I never know where these words will lead. I always look forward to the transformation that they bring each year. I love that it gives me something to focus on and center myself on. Pray about and REALLY listen.

Restoration/Restore can mean a million different things. We do know we both love living abroad. We both agree that we are still dedicated to that. We are both wild-gypsy souls with an unquenchable amount of wild and wanderlust. We know that beyond the shadow of a doubt had we not decided to move, we would’ve regretted it later on. We are still happy we leaped when a lot of people would instead remain comfortable in their box. We know that no matter what, we will usually always take the road less traveled. We will never take things for granted and never say no to an opportunity. We won’t “live the same year 75 times and call it a life.” Travel, seeing other countries, visiting places in your own country, meeting people, exploring, eating foods that are questionable (HAHA) smelling, tasting and feeling the pulse of new areas, we think, intensifies the richness of your life. You realize how small you are on this vast globe. You learn a lot about adaptation and resilience. You learn there are a million paths to happiness, and none of them look the same.

So we start over. A new year. A new word. A further purpose. A fresh new love. New expectations and possibilities. New promises to lean in to. New vistas. With a renewed sense of wonder and curiosity and a fully open heart for RESTORATION, whatever that is going to look like. Ready to flip the flow (thanks Pastor Steven) Laying everything down for an inspired and passionate start line with a fresh eagerness and inquisitiveness for two thousand nineteen.

One Word…..

Posted on January 30, 2015 by sportymama70 | 3 Comments

Welcome to the New Year!

It’s almost February and I’m wondering for all of you New Year Resolutionaries…How Ya Doin’? Keeping up on your plans? Your workouts? Your promises to yourself? Your family? Your friends? Are you reading more? Starting your new language? Learning to play that new instrument? Training for a marathon? Traveling? Skydiving?

What WAS the plan? The resolution?

Twenty One days to make a habit they say…if you’ve held out this long, then you are most certainly on the right track!

I’m not a resolution maker. I never have been. I feel like I learn, acclimate, adapt, goal-dream, every day. So I do a word! There’s a great website that I stumbled upon a few years ago; One Word 365 and I thought “THIS! This is awesome!” Ever since, I’ve done One Word.

2015 the word that came to me: RISK! It was a bold choice, and quite frankly a little scary. I am already a huge risk-taker…so to have RISK be the word that came to me for 2015, I thought…..”How much more?”

I think about and pray about this word daily. I’ve shared this word with friends, and family and the Hubster. It. Is. Out. There. Dangling in front of my every move. It’s thick in my mind every day.

I’ve been very prayerful about it. “Lead me. Send me. Take me to the risk that YOU see for me.” That’s scary! That’s a huge. Audacious. Intrepid. And at the same time, if you know me…..right up my alley. Still, there’s a ~~small~~ part of me that thinks;

wait….what?

I don’t even know what this is going to look like right now.

Will it be one great risk? Or will it be a series of small ambiguous uncertainties that unite into one?

Isn’t that the great thing about faith? And risk? The exhilaration of the unknown.

I’ve already been challenged a few times since the New Year on my One Word. And interestingly enough, my sidekick <see hubby> has helped me to recognize when in fact I haven’t or almost haven’t taken a risk that sat right in front of me. New relationships are one area. So I’ve taken the leap. Or….am at least standing on my tippy-toes, cliff-side, the tiny rocks crumbling at my feet, prompting me to step. As intimidating as it may be, I will live out RISK. With God. With my family. My friends. My faith. My training. My racing. My life.

I love what Rick Warren wrote about taking risks:

-You probably remember the part in the third Indiana Jones movie where Indiana Jones came to the edge of a cliff. He was challenged to step out over the cliff even though he couldn’t see a bridge beforehand. That’s not a bad picture of genuine faith. Faith is stepping out and doing what God has asked you to do when you can’t see what will happen in the end. You don’t know exactly what God’s going to do in the end, but you know he’s asking you to step out in faith. Click here for full article.

What scares you? Do you make resolutions or goals? What are they? Are you good at keeping them? Are you fearful to move? Do yourself a favor; follow through. This time next year, you will look back with great esteem and admiration at what you’ve accomplished.

I cannot wait to see this year of RISK unfold and evolve.

Starting to Goal-Dream

Posted on January 13, 2014 by sportymama70 | Leave a comment

I do not do New Years resolutions. I just don’t and never have. I guess maybe I have always missed the point, or have felt like I do not want to set myself up to fail. Statistics are staggering on how many make resolutions and do not follow through. The optimist in me, of course, is overjoyed at the ones that do their best at carrying them out and succeed. I guess it seems silly to me to make these grand decisions instead of micro-decisions throughout the year. I mean, we all change, everyday….so why not make mini decisions throughout your changing, daily life? Why not adapt and learn as life carries you?

I do, however, set goals. This happens year round, so I don’t necessarily feel that it is a “resolution” and being that it is now January 13th, I’ve kind of missed the window of opportunity in making them resolutions. My goals change. They change often and they make up a myriad of different situations. As I sit and assess this coming year race wise, I have no choice but to make goals. Which races to enter, how to train, do I change running shoes (again) how do I become faster, eat cleaner, and manage my time well during the training season? Do I get a new bike, or is the one I have going to carry me through this race season (she’s a great bike)

Speaking of training….I am one week out from “officially” starting the training for my third Ironman. Wow! It’s exciting! It makes me get these butterflies in my stomach like I am about to jump off of a cliff. That feeling of exhilaration and nausea. The sweaty palms, the tingly fingers. I will be doing a 27-week training plan for this race. I am hopeful that the cross-training that a triathlon provides through varying swim, bike and run days, will keep me injury free and not have the situation I was in this summer that took me out of my Fall marathon. I am happy that I have learned over the years, that less is really more as far as training goes for me. I mean, I trained for my last Ironman in 9 weeks (not advised) but it worked out, and I have the PR to prove it. I started a sort of “weening into” training last week. My coach gave me a 2-week warm up….”OH hello triathlon body…time to wake up!!” I have to say, it has been nice to be back on a plan. Not that I have been sitting on the couch for months, but I have definitely been more, shall we say, lenient, in my training.

I am once again, looking forward to sweaty feet, tired muscles, stinky running shoes, helmet head, a chaffed bottom side (for a while…ok always) visor hair, living in tri-gear, catching up on every movie on Netflix during trainer rides, napping, falling into bed completely used up physically from a hard training day, blisters, the squeeze of compression socks, a car that looks like I am living out of it, snaps on the head from my swim cap, goggle eyes, the foam roller (ok, that’s a lie) the Stick (ok, that’s an even bigger lie) and the fabulous perfume of chlorine!