I just finished my second ever 5k and I felt the need to say something to someone. Despite my dragging legs and disappointment at not having more at the end, I finished. I know, for real runners, a 5k is peanuts, but for me who is only two months out from swearing "I don't run." it is something. I wish that running felt good, but I have yet to reach that point. It feels great when it's over but it's not like biking for me where mid-ride I am struck by euphoric feelings about how much I love what I am doing right now. Nope. Mid-run I am still struck by nauseous feelings and wonder if I can keep this putting of one foot in front of the other. I'm going to blame it on small lungs. And considering that I am still chilled and haven't stopped sneezing, I'm going to blame it on getting a cold too.

As comfortable as I was in my "I don't run." position, there is a certain amount of satisfaction in proving my own self wrong. Although I also believe I am done running for the season so we'll see what happens when it warms up again next Spring.

Enough about that fitness stuff; I'm not obsessing, I promise.

On to some of my reading from this morning. Richard Foster: "Celebration comes when the common ventures of life are redeemed." As most of my days are consumed by what most would consider "common ventures," I like this thought. Foster was writing about joy and living a life of celebration, "jubilee" even. For the Israelites to celebrate the Year of Jubilee required a great amount of trust. This was when they let go of a lot of things that they could have put their security in: servants, land holdings, even the planting of crops. Yes this year meant freedom for everyone and everything, but the very acts of the celebration required a trust that God would provide for the next year. Likewise, living a life of joy and celebration every day requires that I trust that God is going to see me through the next year, or hour even. Living in freedom requires I put my trust in God, not in the multitude of rules I have created to manage myself.

Ann Voskamp said this week that "All fear is the lie that God's love ends." I'm still pondering that one, but I've found it to be the true root of many of my fears. Maybe it's not that I'm afraid God's love will end, but that it won't be enough for this hard thing I am going through or enough motivation to overcome this sin in my life. Wow, does my thought life really tell the Creator that I don't think He's going to be enough for me? Wow. I think I need to study on "how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."

So, back to my opening quote, Christ has redeemed my laundry, my changing of diapers, and my breaking up of fights. When I do them as unto Him I can lay them at his feet as a gift and even that I can be that close to Him is cause for celebration.