Kimberlita

From the Top

Kimberlita — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:26:17 +0000

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. It seems as though the days and weeks just fly by. I don’t know that there’s anything terribly new in my life. I’ve been putting in a good, fast 40 miles per week. Thankfully, they’ve all been quality miles. Hills one day and speed the next. My speed is really picking up, even in training runs. I also have been able to put in 3 intense hours of total body strength training a week. This translates into great race times. I had promised myself to take a break from racing. However, I’m still racing once a month and have been doing so for 14 consecutive months. I entertain the idea of running a marathon every once in awhile but I’m not sure my body can handle it.
I’ve also been undergoing some rather aggressive treatment for a health condition that I’ve had for awhile. I have experienced some of the side effects but it hasn’t been too bad. My hair has been falling out for at least 6 weeks but I haven’t gone bald yet. I’ve had more muscle and joint aches which is somewhat bothersome and painful but it hasn’t lessened my running. Through the monthly blood test I have learned I have high cholesterol (who knew?), lower white blood cell counts, and I’m a bit anemic. Other than that, I guess I’m good.
Most importantly, I’m preparing to be an auntie anyday now. I just cannot wait to meet little Baby Parker. I know that little munchkin is going to be so precious. I’m glad my sister was able to carry the baby without much complication and that my mom can enjoy being a grandma since I won’t be giving her any grandchildren any time soon (that I know of).
I’m sorta looking forward to the holidays. I have to admit I don’t really enjoy them. I don’t really like going to events by myself and not having someone special. I know the Lord knows my heart and that person will come when the time’s right but it’s extremely hard waiting. I do enjoy my few friends and opportunities to meet new people.

That’s all for now, folks!

Flight of the Vampire Take 2

Kimberlita — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:22:22 +0000

Once again, I ran the Flight of the Vampire 5K in Brevard, NC. Normally, I do worse the second time around on a race but this proved to be the exception. Honestly, I didn’t feel prepared as we arrived at the race about 5:10pm and it was slated to start at 5:30pm. I still had to register, pin on my number, put on my chip, and most importantly take a little tinkle. I was able to accomplish all that and a a little stretching before the race began. Thankfully! I felt like I started off fast but soon found a doable pace. I think there were about 300 people in the race this year. I ended up catching up to a woman that seemed to keep a good pace. We ran side by side almost all of the way, not speaking a word but getting in sync and staying up with each other. Kind of a weird thing not to speak to a person you don’t know yet keep pace with them as if they were your running buddy. It was a little frustrating that there were no mile markers in place. I had no idea how far along I was and didn’t know my mile splits. Oddly enough, the only words we spoke during the race were when we faced the last LARGE hill and it was big, no joke. I said “Here we go” and she said “Let’s do it!” Sadly, I left her behind and started trucking up the hill. I was able to finish strong sprinting toward the finish line. By the time I could see the clock I was pleasantly surprised that I had set a new PR for the 5K at 22:46 which is a 7:20 minute per mile pace. I was really, really excited about that. And it was nice to be in the group of first finishers and not have tons of people to wade through. I ended up being the 5th woman to cross the line, 25 overall to cross the line, and first in my age group 19 to 29. I felt that was an accomplishment in and of itself seeing as I’m in the high end of that age bracket and it’s pretty hard to beat out a 19 or 20 year old college track girl. All in all I was pleased and even a little spooked out at how well I had done!

Exercise News from the Mayo Clinic

Kimberlita — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:33:50 +0000

If you know we well,l you know that I have an unwavering dedication to exercise. And I’m glad I do according to this information:

Physical activity can take your mind off of your problems by redirecting your thoughts to the activity at hand. Any form of physical activity can help you unwind and can become an important part of your approach to easing stress. The same regular exercise routine that helps prevent disease and builds muscle can also help you better manage stress.

How does exercise reduce stress?

It pumps up your endorphins. Physical activity helps to bump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is often referred to as a runner’s high, other activity can also contribute to this same feeling.

It’s meditation in movement. After exercising you may find that you’ve forgotten the day’s dilemmas and irritations because you are concentrated only on your body’s movements. As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you
may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you remain calm and clear in everything that you do.

It improves your mood. Regular exercise can increase self-confidence and lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. This can ease your stress levels and give you a sense of command over your body and your life.

It has social benefits. Most often physical activity involves others and gives you a double dose of stress-relief with the combined benefits of exercise and fun with friends.

Personality and Character

Kimberlita — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:07:09 +0000

It’s it amazing that we are all different. We all have unique personalities. I was recently thinking about how much our personality plays into our character. Do they? Is it an excuse? I mean you hear people say, I just can’t do that because this is the way I am. I’ve been recently hearing messages on the fruit of the Spirit. Surely any born again person is capable of possessing these and living them by the power of God. The end result of really living these things is a full and satisfied life in Christ and fulfulling and right relationships with the people around us. I think it is possible for any personality. Are some fruits harder than others for some? Certainly. But impossible? Not likely. I can see how I’d struggle with some characteristics and how others come easy for me. But the Christian life is a journey and it’s work and it’s all about humbling ourselves before God daily, hourly and asking Him to change us, transform us, and keep us teachable.
It also helps me to understand the reactions of others. What I thought might be my fault may really be someone else’s resistance to change, to live the fruit of the Spirit. I cannot change them. I can only change myself and ask God to change them.

Being a Hearer and a Doer

Kimberlita — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:44:29 +0000

I recently heard something interesting about God’s will. I heard that we may know God’s will and be confident of it. However, we must also wait for God’s timing. I’m perfectly confident of God’s will in my life, but I am terribly impatient about seeing it be played out. I guess patience is what I’m going to have to learn. I’m asking the Lord to help me. I DO want His BEST and not just something to satisfy me. Easy to say, hard to do.

Giving Up

Kimberlita — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:20:51 +0000

I didn’t think I would every say this, but I am. I am giving up! I’ve been asking the Lord for something for a long time and finally I am giving up. I learned from one of my students this week something very special. He said he’d been asking the Lord for something specific for over two years and finally he decided that since God hadn’t answered him then it must mean that God was saying “no”. That struck me in an interesting way. I was rebuked by this young man’s submission to the Lord’s will. I feel I need to do the same. And there’s no use fighting it. I can’t make something happen that’s not part of God’s will. So, I’m not asking anymore.

Words of Wisdom

Kimberlita — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:11:32 +0000

I recently received these tips for success in my inbox. Not strictly biblical but the principles can be applied in a biblical manner.

“Don’t get so busy or live so fast that we can’t listen to the music of the meadow or the symphony that glorifies the forest.”

1. Keep busy
2. Don’t fuss about trifles
3. Use the law of averages to outlaw your worries
4. Cooperate with the inevitable
5. Decide just how much anxiety a thing may be worth and refuse to give it more
6. Don’t worry about the past

It’s All About YOU!

Kimberlita — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:21:59 +0000

We’ve heard this phrase quite frequently in the last few years. A mantra of sorts used in both negative and positive ways. I recently have been bombarded with this thought on both sides.

I have dealt with a very selfish person for the last 25 years of my life. Not a year goes by that a holiday is not ruined or a special occasion turns into a nightmare because life is all about this person. I have decided that I will not put up with that anymore. The Lord tells us to live life peaceably and in an unselfish manner. Somehow, knowing how I’ve been treated this is an easy decision.

On the other side of things, though, I seemed to be confused about another decision. I want to find someone to spend the rest of my life with. Like all women, I want him to be loving and caring and to think I’m beautiful. But most of all I want him to be able to solve problems Biblically and in a right manner. I had thought great things of this man I had met. Of course, it seems that those around me think he’s wonderful but a little shy and quiet. And it does seem that way on the outside. Now, don’t get me wrong we all have our flaws. But this man claims to be non-confrontational. I’m still confused about how someone can claim that based on the fact that we face confrontation everyday. I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as being non-confrontational. I think it could be called several other things like passive aggressive, lying, selfish, intolerant, two-faced and the list could go on. It is very disconcerting to have a reasonably pleasant normal conversation with someone where everything seems fine while you are face to face only to find out after the fact that everything was not fine, they lied to your face, and have given you their decision in written form by which you cannot respond or defend yourself. Granted there wasn’t any face to face confrontation, but there was a very unfair confrontation of which the offending party could do nothing to talk over the matter. How would you feel if someone treated you that way? Frustrated? Hurt? I did for sure. I cannot see one way that it is loving toward one another to act in that way. I cannot see anything biblical about it. But I can see a lot of selfishness. I can see that you “save face” in front of others that may see or hear the confrontation and think badly of you. I can see that you don’t have to deal with the other person and consider their feelings. You just have to say how you’ve been wronged and end it. Of course, this person has very few meaningful relationships. I think it comes from a heart of bitterness and anger and lack of self confidence. There is no reason that problems can’t be solved another way, a better way. And God’s Word instructs us to treat our brethren in a way that we want to be treated.

So, sometimes I cry and kick myself and think why did I make that mistake. And everyone thinks he’s just wonderful and I want a wonderful guy. But then I remember 25 years of something similar and know that I wouldn’t want to be in a relationship with someone who cannot gently and lovingly confront me in an appropriate manner. If he is this rude while we are somewhat friends, I don’t think it would be any better in a close relationship. I’ve seen a lot of problems, big and small, in my life and I’ve learned and am still learning how to deal and confront those problems in a right way. Life is full of problems no matter who you are and learning to deal with them is part of becoming more Christ like.

I am sad about my most recent run in with a non-confrontational person. And I pray for him and hope that God will get a hold of his heart and change them. But I know I cannot change him, I can only trust that God will change me through the experience.

It does the trick!

Kimberlita — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:07:41 +0000

It being sleep. I have been running on not quite enough sleep for about 6 weeks. You know the feeling. When, you should feel rested but you could have used about 45 more minutes and a few minutes to rest and wake up in bed. Instead, I was always running about 45 minutes behind on both ends and jumping out of bed in the morning to get ready. It’s not an all of a sudden feeling of tiredness but a slow downward spiral of just not feeling as perky. I think it actually can make you feel a little depressed. But, I have been trying hard this week to get more rest. Of course, that meant, I got less. I layed in bed wishing myself to sleep after extremely grueling days only to find that I had a hard time falling and staying asleep. But, today, I was able to sleep for 9 hours. What a huge change in how I felt all the way around. I had a great run, felt good about life, and managed to be outgoing and friendly. I know I should be all those things without good sleep. In one sense, though, no amount of prayer or time in Scripture can make up for the physical repair that sleep brings. God meant it for good and I can totally see why!

Exciting News

Kimberlita — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:49:44 +0000

Recently, I met two unsaved people that were close to my own age. I felt a little out of practice about how to develop a relationship with them and hopefully lead them to Christ. I heard some great news this past weekend about one of those dear folks.

I met a guy named Sam (name changed) through a running forum this summer. I am a fanatic about running so we had a lot to talk about and enjoyed swapping stories about our running histories. We became good enough friends that we started to call each other. Still, the question in the back of my mind was what was his eternal destiny. So, I just put it out there. I explained how important my faith was and that if I was going to be close friends with someone they needed to be close minded with that. He proceeded to tell me that he was searching and that he had attempted to go to church. I was stunned at that wide open door to share the Gospel. Yet, I felt it wasn’t appropriate for me to start that close of a relationship with someone of the opposite gender. A brilliant, yet risky idea popped into my mind (obviously of the Lord). Why not call my friend Dave in Charleston and see if he could get in touch with Sam and invite him to church. This idea was risky because Dave and I had once dated. It’s kinda weird to have this girl call you up and ask such an outrageous thing. But I knew Dave was a godly guy and perhaps he’d have the time to invest. God knew just what He was doing. Dave gladly agreed and starting befriending Sam. I heard updates from both sides. However, there came a point where I had to pretty much stop communicating with Sam. My friendliness was being taken the wrong way and I didn’t want the Gospel to be hindered. So, I had to just wait, pray, and trust that God was going to do a great work. A few days ago Dave called and said he had purchased a Bible for Sam and a devotional. He also said that they would be going through it together. I’ve had many friends, family, and co-workers praying for Sam. This past Saturday, Sam called to tell me he’d accepted Christ as his Savior. I can’t explain the joy I felt hearing that. When I sat back to reflect on the events, I found that God had used my little faith to do a great thing. And that it wasn’t me at all but all the Lord’s working. Now, I’m praying for Sam’s spiritual growth. And I’m praying for more opportunities to share my faith with young people my age. What an awesome God we have!