Why I Have a "Crush" On the Zobrists

Hey everyone (hi Mom) for the second week in a row! I finally started running again, and I've been running almost daily, just not very far. So far, my foot has hurt a little bit but does feel better than it did a couple of months ago, so I'm optimistic. It feels good to be running, and I actually look forward to it again. I've also been doing more weight training (yes, twice a week, yay!) and that has been hard, but fun. My first race is in a couple of weeks, and I'm excited to see how it goes!

I also got the guitar out of its case over the weekend and began to play a little. So far, I have learned to play two chords. Needless to say, I may not be the next Taylor Swift. I know, I'm a bit disappointed in myself too, but the world probably doesn't really need two Taylors. The weird part of playing the guitar is reading the music. With playing the piano and saxophone, the sheet music all pretty much looked the same; but with the guitar there are chord charts and frankly, I just don't understand how to read the music yet. If anyone has any helpful hints or tricks, I'll gladly accept them. Otherwise, I'm counting on YouTube to teach me!

You're probably starting to wonder what in the world the title of this post means. I'm getting to it. I decided to make this the first official JenBeingJen book review. I recently read the book "Double Play" by Ben & Julianna Zobrist, and checked out some of Julianna's music as well. For those of you who don't follow baseball, Ben Zobrist played for the KC Royals this past season (World Series Champs, woo!) and is very firm in his faith both on and off the field. I didn't even know who the guy was until this season, and now he's one of my favorite MLB players, and I don't say that lightly. 

Before the post-season, I had no idea I'd become a huge fan of his entire family as well. I started following Julianna on social media during the playoffs, and was truly inspired by her positive message and her clear love for Jesus and His people. If you haven't already, I'd recommend following her. 

I don't recall exactly when I first discovered the Zobrists' book, "Double Play", but I know I couldn't wait to read it as soon as I bought it. It took me roughly one week to read it, which is saying something because lately I've been taking forever to get through books because I haven't made time for reading.

Double Play talks about how Ben & Julianna met when they were younger, their crazy love story, and where they are in their lives together now, and how Jesus is the #1 rope that ties every bit of their lives together. Through reading how they met, didn't date for a long time, then ended up together completely confirmed that God's timing truly is perfect, no matter the life and the situation. In the book, they each tell their side of the story back and forth, which is super entertaining, because as we all know men and women have different viewpoints on how every situation turns out in life. 

I (and you, too) often think that celebrities, like movie stars, professional athletes, singers, etc., have easy-peasy lives and never truly go through struggles. Especially not struggles like every day "plain Janes" like me do. This is so not the case. In Double Play, the Z's detail the deep, dark challenges they have gone through in life, which was eye-opening. It was also encouraging to read about how Christ got them through the challenges, how they continued to seek Him in the lowest of lows, and how they seemingly praise Him in all things. 

In addition to reading Double Play, I decided to check out Julianna's new song "Alive", because she has been heavily promoting it on her social media outlets. I was unsure of what to expect, but I'm glad I checked it out and would recommend you do the same! The basic concept of the song is that she has turned from her old ways, is pursuing holiness, and is now alive in Christ. The beat is pretty "pop-py" but I added it to my running playlist. 

If my concise review of Double Play hasn't convinced you to read the book, I probably shouldn't write reviews anymore, because literally anyone can be encouraged by this godly couple's story, even if you're not an avid baseball fan like me. It's a quick and easy read, and is cheap on Amazon, so check it out and let me know what you think! If you're like me, you'll hope you get to meet these people someday, or be faithful like them at least.

PS What are some good books I should read?
PPS What is your favorite workout/running song?
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