Miracle Match 10K. Race #1 of 2016.

Happy February ya'll (hey, madre)! Currently multi-tasking while watching the Bachelor. Let's face it, that show does not require many, if any, brain cells to watch. But it's so entertaining, and I think I may even love Ben (kind of kidding). Anyway, I'm SO excited to finally get to write my first race recap of 2016! I ran the Miracle Match 10K in Waco on Sunday morning. The race benefited the Be The Match registry for bone marrow. Side note: if you're not registered, you should. I am. You could save a life. Keep reading for the best and worst parts of the race. 

To drive from my house to Waco is about 80 miles, an awkward distance because I didn't know whether to get a hotel Saturday night, or just wake up early and head south. I opted for the money-saving route, and just got up at 4:30 on Sunday morning to hit the road! With coffee, loud music, and race day adrenaline, I didn't even feel sleepy in the least bit.

Bibs with my name are my fave

The race started at 7:30, so I was about an hour early and got my packet picked up. I hung out in my car getting my bib ready and just enjoying the balmy Texas morning. Last year, I was part of an online running challenge group and met a super sweet fellow Texan named Marian. She was the one who invited me to run this race in Waco, so I got together with her right before the race. It was so good to see a familiar face!

Once we were at the start line, I started to get a little nervous, but was mostly just thrilled to have a bib on and get to run another race! The crowd was a really small, friendly group, which made the race atmosphere all the more fun. I had not run more than 3 miles since my half marathon in October, so my plan was to try to run 4, then run/walk the rest. 

The course started on an older street right near downtown Waco. We ran down that road for about half a mile or so, then ran around Baylor's campus for about 3 miles. I've been on the Baylor campus once or twice before, but had never actually been through all of the buildings. Holy moly, guys, that is one of the most gorgeous campuses I've ever been on! The route went through several of the academic buildings, and also around the football stadium. As we rounded the stadium, there were several US Army soldiers handing out water and collecting water cups. I've run a few races with military personnel on the "sideline" and I get emotional every single time. There's just something humbling, and doesn't feel quite right about these people who have committed to sacrificing their time and possibly even lives, serving people out on a fun Sunday morning run. So, to anyone serving in the military reading this, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. You're true heroes.

After running through Baylor, the last couple of miles were along Waco's riverwalk. I can't even tell you how perfect it was! The weather was about 60 degrees or so, with a light breeze, and running along the Brazos River was seriously the run of my dreams. I ended up running four and a quarter miles before taking a short rest break, but then "powered through" and ran more than walked the last 2 miles, which was such a victory for me.

After I finished, I waited for Marian to finish. She had to walk the race because of some pretty brutal injuries, so I knew I had a little bit of time. I am a huge fan of HGTV's Fixer Upper, so I googled the address to Magnolia Market. Lo and behold, I was a 15-minute walk from there! I decided to walk down and check it out, even though I knew they're closed Sundays. I hope to actually go shop there at some point!

Magnolia on a Sunday

I walked back to the finish line and got there just after Marian finished. She got 2nd in her age group, super awesome! Her husband ran the half marathon, so she and I went to hang out at the finish line and cheer on the runners finishing the half. There were several mother runners with little kids waiting for them at the finish line. Several of the kiddos grabbed their moms'  hand and pulled her across the finish line, and oh my goodness, it was so adorable. I'm so hopeful and excited for the day I get to be a mom that gets to do that, because it was seriously the cutest sight.

Neat firefighter medal for finishing!

After saying goodbye to everyone after the races, I headed back north to DFW. It was mid-morning and I didn't eat the fajitas at the finish line because I saved room for Czech Stop in West, TX on the drive home. I'd heard rave reviews about how they have the "best kolaches in the world", and as a breakfast food aficionado, I of course had to test this out! Turns out, I absolutely agree! I had a sausage, egg, and cheese kolache along with a pumpkin cream cheese roll and both were amazing (to those of you judging, I DID just run 6.2 miles and walk more after that). 

Stop. Here. 

While I was on my way home, I realized the disadvantage to driving more than an hour for a race: I have to smell myself the entire ride home. TMI? Maybe. Do I care? Nah. Everyone sweats, and most people smell funny. Thankfully I had my podcasts and music to distract me.

Some of you might remember I just started running again at the beginning of January after taking the month of December off after getting a steroid injection in my foot. My foot felt great the whole month with running and other workouts, but unfortunately it was pretty stinking sore after the race on Sunday. Alas, as many people say "if you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough"; so I'm going with that I guess, because not running is just not an option right now. You will not hear about foot pain again (I hope)! 

PS If you watch the Bachelor, who are you loving? Because obvs we all can't stand Olivia.
PPS What's the prettiest college campus you've ever been on?
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen

The Importance of Second Family

Hey everyone (Mom, Hi!), this whole weekly blog post thing is getting to be a fun routine! I'm just over here getting into the habit of wearing my blue blocker glasses at night while using my phone, computer, and/or television. I had heard of lots of people in the health & fitness world using these yellowish-orange glasses to help decrease melatonin (and other sleepy hormone) suppression while on technological devices in the evenings and got a great deal on them at Amazon. So far, I've only worn them one night, but I will tell you I slept the ENTIRE night, which hasn't happened in awhile. I also like using Melaleuca essential oils to help with calm and sleepiness. Typically, I use their "Peace" blend, or straight up lavender; I either diffuse or just put a few drops straight onto my pillowcase. As I continue to use the blue blockers, I'll give you more of an update, because maybe I was just really exhausted last night after doing my taxes and watching another devastating KU basketball loss. 

Add to list of "Reasons Jen is single" ;)

Anywho, in this post I wanted to focus on the importance of second family. Now, if you know me at ALL, you know my parents and brother are the top 3 earthly people in my life (obvs Jesus is numero uno), and their importance and roles in my life are book-worthy, not "I only have a few short paragraphs before I lose followers"-esque. So, as you saw in the title, I need to talk about my "second" family. 

Before getting too far, I will preface the following paragraphs by saying everyone's second family is probably going to be different. I like to think that second family is a group of a few (or several, for you weird extroverts) people a person trusts, spends time with, and is close-knit with. For some of you, this is probably your work family, your gym buddies, or maybe even your weekend party buddies. For me though, as some of you may have guessed, my second family is my church family. 

I spoke in a previous post about how approximately 40 people from a larger church in Fort Worth planted a brand-new church, Living Hope Bible Church, in Mansfield this past summer. I wasn't really close to anyone at the bigger church, and I already lived in Mansfield, so I was like "Yeah, I'm going with the church plant! I'll save gas money and it'll be more like a small church in Kansas. Let's do this!" I'll admit those reasons are uber selfish, and I didn't realize how life-altering if would actually be. 

Never before have I been involved in a church so close-knit, so transparent, and really so raw as LHBC. In my life, I've been part of some solid churches, but frequently felt like it was a see you Sunday and Wednesday, and I'll pray for you a couple of times during the week if I get around to it, type of thing. With a group as small as ours, we are basically one giant family who shares in our struggles and our triumphs, the awesome parts of life and frankly, the sucky parts of life. This is why I call them my FAMILY.

Growing up there were always kids who bonded with other families and became honorary "children" of those families, and that was never really my style. I loved my family and those three people were all I needed. Then I moved 500 miles away from the three people I love most, and after some time found myself craving that familial attachment. Through LHBC that's exactly what I've found. And you know the best part? It's not about me. It's not about them. Ultimately, it's about Jesus. 

I haven't recently gone through a ton of earth-shattering issues in my life, but in the little hiccups and hard parts, I've found solace in this second family.  There are people who ask you "how are you?", then move on and could care less what your response is. Then there are people who genuinely ask how you are and don't let it go until you actually tell them, regardless of how tough it is to voice it. I love this and am thankful for people like this. Everyone has very different strengths and weaknesses, and to see how they all tie together to become one big imperfect blessing is pretty neat. 

So, whether your second family is your coworkers, your church family, or if you're blessed enough to actually live close to your first family, I hope everyone finds a few people to pour their life into and have the same done for them in return. I also hope that ultimately what happens is that through your sharing of lives, you're pointed to the One who created His big family, because eternally nothing else really matters. 

Finally, to those of you in my second family who have made it all the way to this point in the post, thank you sincerely from my heart for loving Jesus and loving me. :) Blessed is an understatement.

PS Who is your second family?

PPS I'm running in WACO this weekend! Can't wait to finally BLOG about a race next week! Stay tuned!

Twitter: @jen_being_jen

IG: @jenbeingjen 

My Favorite Podcasts!

Hi everybody (hey Mom)! Welcome to the third straight week of JenBeingJen. Current status: cold, heater-less, and sitting on the couch in fuzzy pink socks drinking decaf coffee (I know, who am I? Decaf?). Winter storm Jonas has made it to Texas. It might actually be below 40 degrees, and the wind is COLD! I've heard lots of people say your blood thins once you move to Texas, and my already thin blood must be nearly water at this point because I am freezing. I can only be thankful I have my cute little house, a warm KU snuggie, and an overabundant supply of warm blankets.

 I have to admit, I was toying around with several different ideas on what this blog post should be about. I thought of a few deep and meaningful topics, then axed that idea; then I thought about a post entailing why I love KU basketball even though they have let me down lately, but who cares; then finally, I thought of a fun idea that could maybe even help out others: a post about my top 5 podcasts!

I used to think podcasts were lame talk radio shows for losers and squares. Either they aren't lame, or I've turned into a loser and/or square. I choose to believe it's the former. I listen to a podcast every morning while I'm getting ready for work. It helps get my brain going, teaches me about different topics, and occasionally gives me subject matter to talk about with everyone I come across while at work. In this post, I'll tell you about my five faves, and give a little description so you can add some variety to your podcast playlist, or for some of you probably, check out your very first podcast.

1. Girls Gone WOD Podcast: This podcast is numero uno on my list right now. The hosts, Joy & Claire, are so real and relatable. They are crossfitters, which I am not, but they give advice on a wide variety of topics. They talk about their lives, their training, and topics most women athletes can relate to in some way. Claire also just had a baby, so this would be a great podcast for new mommas to listen to, too. I find myself laughing along with their stories while I'm doing my makeup more frequently than I'd like to admit, but that's why I love listening to these women. I feel like they're two women I would probably be friends with if I lived in Colorado (and did Crossfit, etc. but that's beside the point). The topics they discuss are something that plain Janes like me deal with on the daily, whether it's food issues, training burnout, or handling patients for a living (Joy is a psych therapist). If you like fitness, being a woman, or the health world, check out an episode.

2. NPR's Ask Me Another: This podcast is hands-down the funniest podcast on my top five. Ask Me Another is a trivia game show. Going on a game show is on my bucket list. I'm hoping it's Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy, but I would gladly be a contestant on Ask Me Another. The show is based in NYC, so its hosts and audience are a bit on the liberal side, but it's still super entertaining. The games are always different, and they're always moderately ridiculous. That's why it's so funny, though! I love playing along while I do my hair. It's also a really funny one to listen to in the car- it makes the miles fly by!

3. Harder to Kill Radio: OK, I'll admit it. I have a major girl crush on Steph Gaudreau and have since I discovered her "Performance Paleo Cookbook." I am a proud owner of some of her Stupid Easy Paleo gear, and was so excited when she finally came out with a podcast. Steph is a former endurance athlete turned crossfitter turned olympic weight lifter. She is a major advocate for strong, healthy women (and humans in general), and she preaches muscles and being fit are awesome. She also coined the term "Quadzilla", a goal I'm still working toward. In her podcast, she interviews a ton of different people, from athletes to chefs to self-defense teachers. All of them have meaningful information and advice on becoming "harder to kill". Steph is a laid-back San Diego girl, so she's easy to relate to and easy to learn from. Told ya, big time woman crush.

4. Paleo Hacks Podcast: Hosted by Clark Danger, one of the best radio voices I've EVER heard, this podcast is about different facets of paleo lifestyle. No, I'm not completely paleo, but I hope to lean more that direction as time goes on. You don't have to be 100% paleo to enjoy this podcast. Danger interviews different physicians, PT's, coaches, and nutrition experts on various topics relating to long-term health and well-being. He also interviews some random people who have done really cool athletic feats, or have done groundbreaking nutritional challenges. This podcast isn't necessarily humorous, but it's extremely educational, so if deep down you're a straight up nerd like I am, you'll be sure to gain knowledge and practical life applications from the Paleo Hacks podcast.

5. The Paleo Women Podcast: Apparently I'm a huge fan of Paleo podcasts. I think it's that I'm trying to get these healthier influences on my life so I will put down the cheetos and ice cream. Halfway kidding, but in all seriousness, these podcasts have helped me to make some good changes in my life. The Paleo Women Podcast is hosted by Noelle Tarr & Stefani Ruper. I had read a book by Stefani about a year ago, and came across Noelle's work through an episode of Harder to Kill radio. Noelle runs Coconuts & Kettlebells, which is a really cool company. This podcast is obviously geared toward females, and discusses paleo nutrition and lifestyle, mental/psychological struggles, period/pregnancy issues, along with lots of random sprinklings of stories of their daily lives.

Honorable mention podcasts: NomNom Paleo and Pursuing Health with Julie Foucher. These two podcasts are also great to listen to, but if I could only choose 5 to listen to, I'd pick the ones I detailed above. Thanks for sticking with me and I hope you give one or more of these podcasts a chance!

PS What is your fave podcast?

PPS What are you doing to survive winter storm Jonas? I'm ready for spring!

Twitter: @jen_being_jen

IG: @jenbeingjen 

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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2016: The Lost Year

Happy 2016, everyone (hi Mom)! That feels strangely normal to say, probably because I'm thrilled to be moving forward in life. 2015 was just a weird year (not bad, just odd), and as you'll see in the upcoming few paragraphs, I've got some fun things planned for 2016! For the past few days I've been making so much fun of the "New Year, New Me" attitude...it makes me laugh every time I hear someone say that. Just, no. I'm not a big believer in resolutions, but I am a huge fan of goals. 

Last year, I wrote down a list of goals in January, breaking them up into categories such a occupational, fitness, monetary, and "life" in general. I achieved about 90% of them, which I think means my goals weren't big enough, right? I've set some new goals this year, some of which are pretty lofty but I think that's necessary for growth. Keep reading to find out some of 2016's goals I've set...

As far as the JenBeingJen empire -yeah, I said it- I hope to increase my blogging. I'm really going to strive for one post per week, whether it be on a race, a vacation, or even book/music reviews. 

First off, I'm going to just list my top 5 life/running/travel goals for the year. Of course there are additional goals, but I won't bore you with that list. Here are the most fun and important:

1. Run one race per month--- There is something exhilarating about lining up at the start line, even if you're not going to come close to winning. I am getting butterflies just thinking about it. I can't wait to share all of my race experiences with you all either!

2. Strength train at least twice per week--- 2015 was too much running and cardio, not enough lifting heavy stuff and putting it back down. I feel better when I'm stronger, and truth be told, I'd rather never deal with how my body felt last year after wearing it down.

3. 2 rounds of Whole30--- For those of you who don't know, a whole30 is eating only whole foods for 30 straight days. I did one last April, and I'm ready to do a couple this year. I'm learning so much about food as fuel, especially when it comes to the training lifestyle I'm striving for, so feeding my body adequately and truly treating it as a temple is becoming more and more important.

4. Leave the country--- Yeah, this is probably the most bold goal I've got so far. It's also probably the one least likely to be achieved. I have a couple of ideas of where I'd like to go, but nothing concrete yet. Traveling is just one of my passions, and I am ready to put some stamps on the passport. You better believe I'll be sharing if and when I go.

4.5. It's my blog, I can do a half goal if I want. I really want to go on a mission trip this year. It's been on my heart and mind for awhile now, and I hope that this is the year it actually happens. Whether or not I'll leave the country for said mission trip, I don't know yet. I just know I need to go tell people about Jesus & show them what He's like.

5. Learn to play guitar--- While home this past weekend, I sat down and played piano for a few minutes. I have always loved playing the piano, but that's something I don't have in my house [yet]. My mom bought a guitar for us a few years ago and it's been sitting in the basement for AWHILE. I brought it to Texas and am bound and determined to play it. I will at least learn Mary Had a Little Lamb by 12/31/2016. Heck, I may even post a video.

The rest of this post needs to be and is going to be devoted to an area I absolutely need to set goals in the most: my spiritual life and growth. Last year, I read the Bible- the entire thing. As I mentioned in my last post, I also got more involved in a solid church. Both of these activities increased my faith and my desire to pursue holiness. 

In recent conversations with friends and family, I was discussing my relationship with God and just different areas of struggle in my life. Again, I won't bore you with details of all of that. After lots of thinking, contemplation, and tears (yes, I cried, sigh), I was hit with a hard, hard truth: God is not my #1. I made idols of running, shopping, and yes, even dating. So many things in my life built up and just overtook God for #1, and for that I'm ashamed, yet blessed once again by grace unfathomable.

I've wrestled with this for some time now, but through the aforementioned conversations I've begun to pray more fervently to have a heart only for God. Some days it feels like I am just falling and grasping for a rope dangling in front of me but I can't get a hold on it, just because I leave my hands by my sides and don't reach out for it. God is the rope, and to  reach out and grasp it, I need to pray, read His Word and shut out worldly distractions and temptations. 

I got to go home this past weekend, and was able to go to my parents' church, Sovereign Redeemer Church (link to church, where you can find 1/3/16 sermon), where the sermon was about Philippians 3:1-11. I had been trying to think of good passages of scripture talking about seeking Jesus, and God knew exactly what I needed to hear. In v. 8-9, Paul says "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him...." Sorry to paraphrase, and I encourage you to read the entire passage, but with permission of the pastor I want to just hit a couple of points and be finished here. 

In 2016 I want to put away fear of losing earthly possessions, of not knowing what's coming next, of the next step in God's Will for my life. By losing everything JENICA, I hope to know my savior even more. By knowing, I don't mean gaining more knowledge, I mean really knowing Him personally and experientially. I want to be found in Christ. I get this image in my head of friends or family coming to look for me, saying "Where's Jenica?", and I get to say "Here I am, you guys! I'm IN Jesus! You should seek Him too!" With all of that being said, I don't want this to sound like an inspirational Joel Osteen-esque (I can't believe he made my blog, yeesh) prosperity message. Heaven is going to be so amazing, but I fully expect and hope to be prepared in 2016 for sadness, heartache, and difficulties in this pursuit of holiness. Life in Christ isn't supposed to be easy, and blessings aren't always what we as humans think of as "happy happy joy joy". I'm still learning this.

To those of you who have once again stuck it out to the end, thank you. Someday you really should get a prize. Until next week.....seriously. May I be found in Him.

PS What goals do you have for 2016? Comment below.
PPS What's your favorite book of the bible to study? Comment below.
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen

The End of The Quarter.

Oh hi, everyone (hey Mom); I'm back again! I decided on the eve of my 26th birthday I probably ought to do a little "self-reflection" of the past year, and the past quarter century for that matter. But first, where have I been?

Did I drop off the face of the earth after the last blog post? Basically. I went home to the Sunflower State (Kansas, for those of you who struggle with geography ;) for almost a whole week at Thanksgiving. I don't do "homesick" and never have had that longing feeling to go home, but I'd say this was the closest I'd ever been. The anticipation of spending time at my parents' house in the middle of nowhere, where it's quiet and peaceful,  was as high as it had ever been. 

While there I got to unleash my inner Katniss and shoot bow and arrows. I literally got within a foot of a bird on the ground too (honorary Everdeen over here). Jace & I also unleashed our former inner athletes and got in a few good heavy lifts in the high school weight room. Of course, I ate a ton of delicious food with family I hadn't seen since July, and played Apples to Apples, one of my favorite traditions. I was bummed to learn my metabolism died though, and I could only eat one helping of everything, instead of the usual 3 (or 7, it's whatever). It also snowed, and I was quickly reminded why I moved south! The break from the hustle and bustle, sirens and lights of the city was a wonderful reprieve, and spending time with the 3 people I love most was also fabulous!

Because obviously archers wear plaid PJs

My favorite place in my parents' house

The normal Moore's and goofy Jen

Some of you may be wondering about my running, as that was one of the original main subjects of this blog. I finally saw an orthopedic MD, who did an x-ray of my right foot that has been injured since November 2014. I have a lovely bone spur coming right off my calcaneus, so I got a steroid injection and am taking 30 days off high-impact activity. This limits my running, my jumping, and basically everything I love, with the exception of walking. I'm 7 days in, and I've never wanted to run more, but I'm honoring my body and trying to get some healing at least, but bone spurs are trick little boogers, so I may just get to deal with foot pain forever! Yay! I did register for 1/2 marathon #5 though, which is the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego in June. I could not be more excited for my first trip to Cali! I will post updates as the time gets closer. 

I've also got a few shorter (K distance) races planned in the upcoming future, so just hang with me for this month-long sabbatical and I promise I'll get back to fun running posts!

Now onto more important, er, interesting....no, more pressing matters. I turn 26 tomorrow, you guys. Last year when I was turning 25, I joked about the proverbial "quarter-life crisis", which isn't so proverbial probably, because I think my generation came up with it, but oh well. 25 was such a fun and interesting year, and part of me can't wait to see what this twenty-sixth year brings. However, for some reason as excited as I am, I'm also equally terrified of this birthday. 

25 brought lots and lots of races. Countless 5K's across the metroplex, a few 10K's, and a couple 15K's and 10 mile runs. This was THE year of running and I loved it. Along with the "shorter" races, I did 3 half marathons. The Disney Princess Marathon in Orlando was the experience of a lifetime, and I cannot wait to go back and run another Disney race; it was truly magical. The Divas half marathon in Galveston was also an awesome experience....I'm not sure if there's a cooler place to run than along a beach (except maybe through Disney World haha). The last half, the Nebraska Half in Omaha was also fun! It makes me excited to run even more throughout the rest of my life while my body is still able!

25 was also the year of spiritual growth for Jen. When I moved to Texas I got involved and became a member to a pretty big bible church in Fort Worth. That church ended up planting Living Hope Bible Church in Mansfield, and I cannot say enough good things about LHBC. I have developed several meaningful relationships within the church, grown closer to God, realized how much SIN is in my life, and most importantly learned to love Jesus more. I can't wait to see where this little church goes, and how many more lives are impacted through its ministry. 

25 brought me closer to my family. Even though we're 7 hours apart, I feel like we grow closer with each visit, and I'm thankful for them and their wisdom. All three of them are so important to me, and keep me grounded and pointed toward Jesus. They're also not afraid to tell me when I'm wrong or encourage me, and know when to do which. I could do an entire post on them and probably will someday.

25 was a hilarious year for my dating life, to say the least. I just knew this was the year I'd meet "him". Well whoever "he" is, I'm still waiting. Growing up, I was going to be married by 22 and be started and finished having kids by 30 at the latest. This year I went on a few dates with high-quality men that just didn't work out for one reason or another, and I went on a few dates where I laughed and/or shook my head internally the.entire.time. If and when the elusive Prince Charming ever does come along, I'm going to pen a comedic novel about the journey to our castle... 

Finally, 25 brought a BIG purchase into my life: my first house. My goal was to live in an apartment for a year, figure out if I wanted to stay here, and if so buy a house. I lived in my apartment for 13 months then moved into my little cottage, affectionately known as Club Mockingbird. Being a homeowner has been interesting thus far, but I'm thankful to have been blessed with my cute home. 

I'm sure I've forgotten some other big events from the past year, as I always do but it was a good reminder of how blessed, how entertaining, and even at times how tough the past 365 days have been. Am I still a little afraid of 26? Well, yeah! I have to pick out my own insurance now (thanks, Obama; the only genuine thanks to him), so I'm really a real big kid now. More than anything though, it's comforting to know every event that has happened, and every event that will happen until my next birthday (Lord willing) is pre-determined by God. I hope this year I give HIM more glory & draw people closer to Him. If you've made it this far, thanks for hanging with me till the end. You deserve an award...until next time. 

PS What's your favorite age you've been so far?
PPS What advice do you have for me as I turn 26?

Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen

About Grace.

Well hey there, everyone (hi Mom); it's been too long since my last post. Fortunately and unfortunately lots of things have been happening. First, I'll give a quick "catch-up" on running and life in general.

I have been running VERY little to allow for some healing of my body as a whole as well as some specific injuries. I won't bore you with the details of the injuries. I got on Pinterest (aka time suck central) and found several "crossfit" style workouts I can do in my garage, so I've transitioned into that type of workout for now and am totally enjoying it. I do miss running, but it's nice to change things up! The only 5K I've done since running in Omaha was a Superhero Run on Halloween with Jace. It was slow for both of us (especially me), but the race raised funds for victims of child abuse, such a worthwhile cause. It was also such a treat to get to hang out with my best friend for a couple of days!

Then, last weekend my parents came down for a visit. How blessed am I; two family weekends in a row! My mom & I love the Sound of Music, so when I got a notification that it was going to be on stage in Dallas, I knew they needed to come hang out with me for the weekend. The show was amazing; my Dad even enjoyed it. See how cultured we are (but we will still opt for sporting events nine times out of 10)! While they were here, my parents also treated me to an early birthday present: a new mattress! Oh, the things we get excited about when we are "grown-ups". 

Now that we're caught up on the little things in my life, I'm gonna get down to what I purposed this post to be about: grace. I have been writing this post in my head for about three weeks and just haven't felt ready, and truthfully I'm still not sure if I'm ready but I'm hoping the right words and thoughts come to fruition as I go.

If you're friends with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter you probably saw that, a few weeks ago, I had some boxes stolen off my porch. Were they worth tons of money? No. But coming from a town of 300 people where I hadn't really had anything of importance taken from me, this was a big "welcome to the city, small town girl" moment. Through some not-so-tough detective work, I am mostly positive I know where they are but it's not worth my time or efforts to try to retrieve them, and I did end up getting a re-shipment of my items (thanks, Active Gear Up for your outstanding customer service). 

After the events initially occurred, I was ready to pack up my entire house, which I just bought 3 months ago, and move far away to a remote desert island where no one would bother my things again. Thanks to family and friends who know how to talk me down, and some grace from the Holy Spirit, I'm working through it. 

Through the whole situation, I have thought so much about how I am called to forgive those who do wrong to me. I will be very open and say, giving grace to those who go against me is something I have STRUGGLED with my entire life.  In many cases I'd rather just cut off the relationship completely than work through the issue. However, as a Christian, is that what I'm called to do? NOPE.

I found a good article called What is Grace? that explains how God gives grace to us. Let's be honest, I have times where I sin all day every day like it's my job. I am an utter disgrace to Jesus, and often a poor representation of Him. But still, He bestows upon me relentless grace. So why is it so hard for me to do the same to those who wrong me?

I'll tell you why: I'm human, and as I mentioned before, I'm a sinner. God literally sent His Son to die on the cross for my sins, and I'm sitting here harboring anger and bitterness toward people who may say mean words, or take things from me. Does it make what the others do right? No, but how does my testimony look if I speak about Jesus and say, "Oh but by the way I don't like these 37 people because of petty things they did to me 13 years ago"?

With that all being said, I know it is my responsibility to forgive those who do wrong to me, no matter how hard it is. So I pray for a heart full of grace, because look at my life. As the above article mentions, "grace is unconditional love toward those who don't deserve it"... like a hammer over my head, I am smacked with the Truth and completely convicted. I hope ya'll realize how much grace you've been given, and give it out to those who don't deserve it, because frankly the world needs so much more Jesus; and how will that happen if so-called Christians are walking around hoarding God's grace instead of handing it out?

PS Favorite bible verse about grace?

PPS Favorite at-home crossfit/HIIT workout?

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