Jody's Journal

  
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Of Races and Weddings
9/20/08

Patricia (our friend and teammate) is off to Mexico for three months. She’s in an intensive training for work in creative access countries. For her going-away “gift”, she asked a group of friends to run the Nike Human Race with her. It’s a 10K race sponsored by Nike and run annually all over the world. I started training in June and on August 31, I spent one hour and nine minutes running 10K. I’m hooked! It was the most exhilarating experience I’ve had in a long time and I had so much fun that I talked Paul into registering with me for a 10K race sponsored by Gatorade on October 5! We are running at least three days a week – some days are better than others – and we are discovering many parallels between running and life. Perseverance is a key ingredient. You don’t have to be fast and you don’t have to look good; you just have to finish. Discipline and sacrifice go hand-in-hand. Neither is pleasant at the time; later on however, they produce a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by them (plagiarized from Hebrews).
   
We are trying to take advantage of this season of transition to make some lifestyle changes. Regular exercise (to keep me SANE) is one of them. We are evaluating what gifts have been added to our lives by living in another culture and seeing what of those we want to retain regardless of where we live. We are looking at our core values and brainstorming ways to live them out in our daily choices. In short, we are seeking to live more intentionally.

Last Saturday I attended one of the most simple and beautiful weddings I’ve ever seen. The bride looked like a princess and the groom was a quintessential Prince Charming. This young couple has chosen to step out in faith, believing God brought them together and He will provide. They pledged themselves to one another and to their Almighty God. Each of them has such a hunger to grow, such a child-like (NOT immature) faith that I am confident God will continue to develop and polish them into the gems they are. I can’t express my joy in their union or the blessing of knowing them. We’ve watched their relationship from the beginning and are excited to celebrate this new chapter with them. 

Ways to PRAY

• We need replacement parts to fix Patricia’s car. We sold ours and are using hers while she’s gone. Someone rear ended us last week and there are no parts to be found. (Common occurrence here. Nothing is impossible with God.)
• We need a place to live (preferably rent-free) in the States. We have a lead on a place but are waiting to hear if it’s a “go”. This is where we’d love to live but we know God’s plan is best.
• We need extra protection (health and safety) during this transition. Too often we’ve seen the battle increase as missionaries are getting ready to leave and we don’t want to be unprepared or unprotected.
• Mercy in the packing.
• Peace, grace, and comfort in this season of good-byes.
• We need an increased ability to communicate well – our love for those we’re leaving behind and our plans for the immediate future to those who support us.

What I'm studying: I’m still in Matthew plus I’ve started memorizing longer passages. It keeps my mind occupied while I run.

What I'm reading: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemingway (pre-reading Benjamin’s history) and God’s Politics by Wallis (for my own curiosity)

What I'm reading to the kids: Across Five Aprils by Hunt to the big kids and “Where the Wild Things Are” by Sendak to Donovan

What I'm listening to: “Remember the Lord” by Colin Buchanan