FITNESS

I began running 6 weeks ago. A huge thing for me. I have never been one to exercise at all and pretty much hated running (that has developed into a hate/LOVE relationship). I started running 3 days a week with the Couch-2-5k 8 week program. I only have 2 weeks left. I went from barely being able to run 60 seconds (not kidding, it was pitiful) to being able to run a little over a mile, at this week 6. I know a mile is nothing to you runners who run miles upon miles at a time, but for me it is something. It's an accomplishment. It's having stayed committed for 6 weeks (and still going!) when all I really want to do is sit and watch tv or read a book every day. And it is turning the "I can't" into "I can".

Today, I did my FIRST (I was hesitant, but there WILL be more) 5K at the annual "Coleson's F.R.O.G". ** an amazing foundation that helps families of children diagnosed with life threatening illnesses, such as pediatric cancer** event. My goal was to run a quarter over a mile (how would you say that? a mile and a quarter?.....) before I stopped for the first time, since I was able to run a tiny bit over a mile yesterday. Unfortunately, I didn't make that goal. Whether it was due to the fact that I didn't have my running motivator (aka my best friend, Tiffany) beside me to make me pace myself (I go much faster then I should) or because being surrounded by people running faster made me want to be faster, or maybe I just didn't push myself hard enough- either way, I am happy and proud to have finished and to have supported such and awesome cause. And I know one day I will be able to run the whole thing without stopping at all. Who knows? Maybe a half marathon or *gasp* full marathon one day??

Believe it or not, running is not the entire point of this post. Although I did not post 2 days in a row, as my last post

Through all this running, one thought has stayed with me. And that is that spiritual fitness is even more important than physical fitness. I finally started running out of the desperation of wanting to lose all the weight I've gained since I've been married and the frustration of feeling like I have the aches, pains, and endurance of someone more than twice my age at only 25. I KNOW that physical fitness is important and have never been motivated enough to do anything about it. It took coming to a place of "I cannot live this way anymore" to change that. Same goes in your spiritual life. It takes coming to that place of realizing you cannot live without Him, that you cannot do it on your own. When does it become a point to motivate yourself enough to dig into His Word? To cry out for God? To seek Him in all things? Just as there are things we have to do- steps we have to take- to be physically fit, there are also things we have to do to remain/grow spiritually fit. Just like a poor diet and no activity or exercise would stunt being physically fit, so does not digging into God's Word and not developing a relationship with Him.

I am not preaching this to y'all but rather to myself. It has been a strong conviction for me these last few weeks. Remaining faithful to studying my bible has always been a hard thing for me. I always start a devotional or new study with renewed excitement and the best intentions. And then other things begin slowly filling my time. Eventually, I find it has been days, even weeks, since I last picked up my bible other than for church. Desperation and Frustration fueled my running habit. How much more should desperation for God and and the frustration of being unfaithful motivate me to seek Him in His word? With running, I give myself goals and inspiration, while I let reading my bible fall to the side.

I do not mean that physical fitness does not matter. After all, it is God who gave us these bodies and we should cherish them and take care of them for His glory, like the precious gifts they are. **Side note: when you start seeing your body as a GIFT from God instead of your own to do as you want, it makes the wanting to take care of it a lot easier!** I only mean that as important as it is, how much more important is the spiritual being that lives inside that body? It is, after all, the only part going with us when we die. I am challenging myself, and you, to dig into our bibles and develop our spiritual man. Be spiritually fit!