4,200 miles.

meet my brother eli. right now, he is in bremen, germany studying abroad. i wish i could explain how much i love eli. not only is he an older brother, but he is one of my best friends. skyping with him tonight made my weekend (mind you, it was 6am there when we skyped). eli is living in dorm-style housing with people from many different countries. in the picture, we are modeling our team libby bracelets. mom sent him one in a care package. e was so proud to wear it. he kept telling emphasizing how proud he was of hannah and me and how moved he has been by our story and libby's story. really, by God's story that he is writing with all of this.

in germany, the favorite soccer team's rival's color is lime green. naturally, people would think that he is supporting the rival team with his green bracelet. so when people ask e what team he cheers for, he holds up his wrist and says "team libby".

he was telling me how when people ask about our family he doesn't really know how to explain our dynamics, especially in german. lately, i've been thinking a lot about our family. the phrase i keep coming back to is "open, honest love". growing up there wasn't any hiding. we were always supported and challenged but most of all, as individuals, we were nurtured. my two brothers and i are all so different (it's been determined that i am a mix of my two older bros). but my parents, god bless them, did an incredible job. when writing mom and dad a valentine i realized that the way they love, not only our family but those around them, points directly to Christ's love. it's pure and unconditional. and in it, i find freedom to be who i was created to be. there are no masks in the kennedy house. believe me, it makes for an interesting time.

[e-man: you are a beautiful soul. thank-you loving your little sis to pieces and giving the advice of a best friend and a big bro at the same time.]

tomorrow we run 5. i'm excited. my prayer is that we don't become numb to what God has truly called us to do with this/what it really means. we are running in response to what God has done in our lives. we are running because we want to come to the ends of ourselves. we want to experience the mighty strength of Christ (and we already have) in physically doing something that we could never do on our own. we want to celebrate his sovereignty and healing power.

to think this is just the beginning.
Julia

Team Libby

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6?

6 miles has never been in my vocabulary. maybe when talking about crazy runners that i am secretly envious of.  but today it entered my vocabulary. we thought we were a week behind so instead of doing 4 like the original plan we decided to do 5. but then we turned the wrong way on the trail and so we just decided to do 6. no big deal. and seriously that is what it felt like to both of us. it was so insane. and i still don't get it. i don't get how 6 freaking miles was the easiest run yet. but i love it. 

i haven't written since hearing lib's great news. and partly because i dont even know what to write besides the fact that i am so happy for her and justin. i can't imagine what they are feeling. on friday, i sat in 76 degree north carolina sunshine as one of my friends read to me aloud the post that was long awaited. as he read, i closed my eyes and tried to imagine the pure joy that they are now experiencing after kicking this cancer's butt. what a great ending and what an even greater beginning. 

we had a birthday party for one of my roommates friday night and i told her i was jealous that she got to share her special day with libby's special day. so we secretly celebrated for you too libby. and that 6th mile today was for you too.

might feel those 6 miles when i wake up but for now i am good. we're going to kick this half marathon's butt. i know it.

-han

tears of joy.

libby is cancer free. as i read her post, tears began streaming down my face. Jesus is so faithful.

"He never left us. not even for a second. I thought this morning that He loves us so much that He trusted us with cancer. That if we gave Him all the glory He would take care of the rest. and did He take care of us!"- lib

today is our rest day but today, i feel like i have to run. i feel the need to celebrate with the Lord. celebrate his healing. his promises. his love. his freedom.

so much joy,

Julia

four.three.two.

4

okay, i don't know why we haven't posted about this yet BUT this past sunday was FOUR miles. that's right, FOUR. on sunday night, before leadership, Jesus ran four miles and Han and I were there to witness it. i say this because our bodies in and of themselves could not and would not have gone for four. but they did. my prayer on sunday was that Jesus would move in us and be our strength. praise the Lord for hearing our hearts' cries (that were literal cries while running).

3

today was three. as i said earlier today, i didn't want to run. but when it came time, i was ready. what i wasn't ready for was the pain. i'd say thus far that i haven't experienced intense physical pain while running. i think i've definitely felt my body but it hasn't been overwhelming. it's usually a mental challenge. today, my body was aching. it wasn't an overwhelming ache, as if my body was telling me to stop. but it was noticeable. and it was frequent. my muscles were burning. but my legs kept moving. then i realized that i hadn't prepared well for the run- i wasn't hydrated, we didn't stretch very well, and i was exhausted from lack of sleep. tomorrow, i will do things differently. but while i think about it, isn't this so representative of walking with Jesus? living for Christ is one of the most dangerous i think we can do- it's uncharted territory, most of the time. we don't know what's going to happen next. we don't know what is going to be thrown at us. but we are called to persevere and trust. God calls us to be faithful. but how? we are prepared for battle. it's how we will fight the good fight. it's how we will finish strong. 

2

tomorrow is two. two little miles. you bet i will be drinking water tomorrow. and spend time stretching. and, come to think of it, go to bed after i finish posting. we thought three would be a piece of cake after four...SIKE. but tomorrow, we will be ready. who knows what could happen in 2 miles. my prayer is that everyday the Lord would show us his strength. his mighty strength. 

"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness...for when I am weak, then I am strong."

2 Corinthians 12.10

Julia

find rest.

running did not like me today and i did not like it either. i am starting to have strong feelings towards certain roads and i dont think that is very normal. today was one of those days that i hated most of the roads except for the one we started and ended on. but there will be days like that, many more i'm sure. and i am okay with that. the weather couldn't have been prettier so i am grateful for that. and always julia. 

still can't believe we did 4 on sunday, never thought this body would ever run 4 miles but it did. one of my sweet friends from broughton encouraged me last week after talking about whenever she doubts, she looks to creation and her doubt is gone. we started our run kind of late on sunday and so for the first mile or two, there was a sunset. and that was all i needed to motivate me. i knew jesus was there with us and was cheering us on.

i realized while running (while literally screaming/singing to jesus) how much i needed him during that 4 miles. and how much i don't do that in my life, how much i think i can do by myself, how i think i can solve all the problems myself, how i work to try and please everyone and how exhausting it is. when things get hard i ironically run in the other direction instead of towards jesus because it is hard for me to just REST secured, i always need to be going or doing something to fix it. so my prayer is to slow down, realize that i can't do everything on my own, and just REST in jesus. my prayer is the same for you. it's only tuesday, im exhausted, life is crazy but rest this week is jesus.

take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." -matthew 11:29-30

resting securely,
hannah

willing?

as i was ready today's nugget in my utmost for his highest, jesus challenged me:

"How many of us are willing to spend every bit of our nervous, mental, moral, and spiritual energy for Jesus Christ?...Is it simply to be saved and sanctified? No, it is to be at work in service to Him. Am I willing to be broken bread and poured-out wine for Him?"

when i woke up today, i was not willing. i am tired. exhausted might be a better word. last night, my priorities were out of whack and i stayed up way too late doing homework that could have easily been done if i hadn't napped yesterday afternoon. more importantly, i wasn't "working wholeheartedly as if working for the Lord". today, i don't want to run. at all. but if i'm honest, today i don't really want to do much of anything- i'd like to just sleep. 

it's not about me.

oh if i could count the number of times my monument of self righteousness has come crashing down. not only in this journey, but in my journey with Christ in my life thus far. i must become less so that He can become more. i know that my worth and joy comes from being with Jesus. my prayer is that this day can turn into an offering to Him- the only one who could compel me with willingness to run. i do not want to run. but i am willing, because Jesus was willing to run the race that brought us to the Father. and i am thankful for that. today, that's what i will remember.

"It is not that we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God."

2 Corinthians 3:5

han- i couldn't do this without you. your accountability pushes me. on the days when i don't want to go, you are fired up. on the days you are scared, i am ready. this isn't by chance. we were meant to run this race together.

i still wish 1 o'clock would delay its arrival.

willing...i think,

Julia

meant to run.

jesus made our bodies to run. hebrews 12:1 does not say let's walk with perseverance the race marked out for us.  it says let's run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 1 corinthians 9:24 does not say walk in such a way so that you may attain the prize. it says run in such a way so that you may attain the prize. as much as i hate it, jesus made my body to run. not for myself. not for my past. not for libby. for him and his name. and not swiftly. but with urgency. urgency because the gospel is that urgent. 

jesus also made our bodies to fight. oh how libby has fought. fought hard. and she is done done done with chemo. praise jesus!  and today we celebrated that, oh how i cannot wait to hug her on april 30th. i can't imagine the emotions that her and justin are feeling.  here's a glimpse [click here]

three miles has been hard and it was still hard today but it was different. good different. i always get this pit in my stomach before we run. i think because i know its going to be hard and i am scared. but today me and julia prayed against that fear. because fear doesn't exist in perfect love. so i think that fear diminished as i ran today and i hope that it continues to go away.

this weekend will be special. my sweet gaga turns 88 tomorrow so we will go out as a family tomorrow night to celebrate and that is always special. this weekend is also queen of hearts which is a huge dance at broughton. we will go to an assembly tomorrow, take pictures with our friends, eat dinner as a team and then chaperon at the dance on saturday. so it will be sweet time with my young life team and also sweet time to see my gorgeous girls all dressed up.  in the midst of all that craziness, we will run four. and it will be great. 

fearless in jesus,
han

perspective.

today was lib's LAST day of chemo [WAHOOOOO y'all did it!]. i couldn't help but cry when watching the video justin put on his post on their blog (check it out). today, i have felt so lazy and apathetic. its crossed my mind multiple times today not to train. han and i are both so busy. but i can't. i can't give up on this journey. God is teaching me too much to let it fall by the way-side. i don't want to go. my body is tired. but tonight, after campaigners, i will go. i will go because jesus went. because libby went. and because my heart is beginning to crave freedom. the freedom that comes from not doing something for myself, but for the Lord. sometimes it's easy to be selfless about easy things. but to sacrifice my time and my energy to do something that is a small step in this long journey is hard to do today.

there's freedom in captivity.

i feel like that's something the Lord has shown me over and over. it's my human nature to want to do things my way and be "free" and "happy". but the freedom that comes from serving the Lord brings me joy and fulfillment. 

today was a reminder that this race isn't about going and running. it's about the journey, the discipline. jesus didn't say to just run aimlessly and without purpose. he said to run with perseverance.  that implies that it will be hard. i'm tired. but there's a call to persevere.

putting one foot in front of the other,
Julia

risky.

this weekend the young life tarheel region met for a conference in greensboro. it was a great time to refocus and get fed truth. something that struck me in the club talks was the idea of riskiness. ministry is 'risky'. stepping out of the boat was 'risky' for peter. a one-liner that the speaker used was "if you want to know a big God, need a big God." basically, if i want to know God and his power and experience his love in its entirety, i need to actually take risks so that without him, i'll fall flat on my face. oh have i begun to taste the strength of our enormous God...

case in point: our 3 mile run.

yesterday we did 3 miles. after friday and feeling like i could've run for longer, i wasn't too scared. but yesterday, fear began to creep in during the first 5 minutes. it was a beautiful day to run and the road we were running on was more-or-less flat. but i was relying on myself. my focus was somewhere else. it wasn't even on my lack of breath or pain in my legs or how much longer we had to run. i was just not focused on God.

after the 1 mile mark, i began to focus. jesus. libby. the cross. hebrews 12. God's strength. our purpose. and i began to breathe deeper. my legs weren't painful, they were strong. the distance just turned into more time i had to worship and focus on this journey that is so much greater than myself. then, in christ alone started to play,

"there in the ground, his body lay

light of the world by darkness slain

then bursting forth, in glorious day

up from the grave he rose again"

my feet began to move faster. the celebratory fist pumps became more frequent and, multiple times, i lifted my hands in worship and surrender. jesus took my pride, my brokenness, and my pain when he died on the cross. but he broke it's power when he rose from the grave. i was running towards jesus, not the 3 mile mark.

this journey is paralleling so much of the Gospel. my prayer is that we don't lose sight of that or our huge God. it's overwhelming but it's all so, so sweet.

[sweet Laney, thanks for running with us yesterday. thanks for being an incredible teammate and an even more incredible friend. thank you for joining us in this race. and also the race in nashville.]

trying to take a risk,

Julia

we did it.

three miles. we did it. im going to be honest. after that, i cannot fathom thirteen miles, i just cant. but i am trying to not think about that right now.

today i discovered how mental this whole running thing is. while i was on mile three feeling like i was going to "die", i realized i really wasn't. it wasn't even that my legs were tired, it was my breathing and my mind that was telling me to stop.  so that needs to change big time (especially the mind part) or else this is going to be miserable. my mind needs to be retrained and OVERflowing with scripture.  so that is my goal for this week.

church this morning was so good. jd used king's david story to talk about the consequences of sin and even though our sins are forever washed away, there are still painful consequences. it hit hard and during the last worship songs i sat and cried. cried hard. but in thankfulness. thankfulness that my sin is not my last word and that i have a new identity in christ. thankfulness that even though i have been broken, i have been restored. restored with value that wouldn't have existed if i had never been broken in the first place. 

thankful and exhausted
-han

ps- so glad you ran with us today laney, love you so much and am so glad we are all in this together. OH and julia, you kicked butt today. so thankful for you and how you daily push me to jesus.

easy like sunday mornin'.

"He turned the cross into resurrection which means he can turn your pain into triumph."

-J.D. Greear 2/6/10

let's run.

Julia

day of rest

today is our day of rest. i am really happy about that (mainly because it has been raining all day and i dont think it has reached 40 degrees yet) crazy how that worked out but god is good. yesterday was hard. sweet katie joined us and it was so fun to have her run with us. so proud of you kate :) the first part was great but the run back after strength training at the gym was brutal. and as julia explained i learned my lesson about making sure my ipod is charged. but i survived without music. no music forced me to think and thinking led to prayer. so i prayed hard during that last mile of steady inclining hills and we made it. so proud of us. 

julia filled you in on hearing from libby. i cant even explain my excitement and the hypervenitlation that occured in my house so im not going to try. but thanks for the encouragement lib and i cannot wait to meet you in nashville. know that me and julia pray for you, justin, and sweet ava daily before we start our run.  only one more!! 

the encouragement has been such a blessing and ive seen how much of a difference it makes to be able to have that. so thank you to those who have been that for me, it means a lot.  however, i was convicted of something today during my quiet time. i have been reading life as a vapor by john piper (thanks to stace, another blogger, one that i actually know pretty well :) ) it is great so if you are looking for something new you should get it. anyway my conviction. like i said, the encouragement has been great but i think it is really easy for me to take that encouragement and let it stop with myself. when it shouldn't. that doesn't honor jesus in any way. "let the ones who boast, boast in the Lord." -2 corinthians 10:17 running is a big deal for me and even more so, running 13.1 miles is a big deal for me and oh what an accomplishment it will be. but i will not boast in hannah for running. i will boast in jesus. who gave me legs to run, breath to breathe, and friends and family to encourage me. boasting in jesus not only honors him but it is where i will find my pure joy because that is what i was made for, to boast in him and no one else. 

so this is my prayer. for me and julia. that we will look away from ourselves and that we will not boast in accomplishing this goal. but that we will turn all the amazing encouragement and accomplishing into glorifying jesus and that continues to be our ultimate purpose. 

-han

Isaiah 52.7

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to God's people, 'Your God reigns!'" Isaiah 52.7

this morning, at breugger's, God sent me an early valentine. isaiah 52.7 was for us today. as if the encouragement we have already received wasn't enough, God affirmed me today. and actually, without His affirmation, all the others wouldn't be enough. (no offense to all the encouragers) but really. today i know, and i mean truly know, that Jesus wants this for me and han. he wants us to do this. he has gone before us and he is coming with.

unlike yesterday, today i didn't want to run. my body hurt and it was freezing (nc weather has a personality disorder- thank you, social work classes) but today i knew that our feet were bringing the Good News. some how, some way, God will use it.

our sweet friend katie came with us today. katie, you were so great! we ran to the gym, did some weight stuff, and ran home. running to the gym was fabulous. it encouraged me that there will be hard days but the running will get easier (sometimes). han and i agreed that we felt like we could have run for so much longer. but after lifting weights? different story. not such a breeze. on the way home we hit a hill on campus. not a noticeably sucky hill.  but OH did we notice it. as we approached this sucky hill, han's ipod died. note: if my ipod died i would probably cry (tears of sadness, this time). when we're running, my music keeps my feet moving. but hannah, hannah killed it. she ran up the hill and all the way home with no music. YGG.

after my shower, before team prayer, in the midst of rushing to get ready and brushing my teeth, hannah called me. all she said was, "julia kennedy". then i heard katie in the background say, "libby", and i knew. i hung up, rushed to get ready, and then ran into the living room to my computer and there it was. an email from libby. i called hannah and told her and she told me to look at the blog. not only did libby email us, but she commented on han's post. we're the first blog she's officially "followed". us. me and hannah. i was shocked, to say the least. i didn't have much time to cry or scream or anything cause i had to go to team prayer. but i still can't believe it. [libby, if you read this, we're nuts, i know. but it's huge to us]

speaking of my YL team- bless their hearts. i'm pretty sure (and it was lovingly pointed out to me) that my hormones might be going a little crazy. my body isn't used to running like we have been for the last couple of days. today we were on our way to dinner and exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks. it all broke lose from there. my tiredness turned into bitterness which turned into laughing which turned into silence which turned into pissed-ness which...i could go on. (laney, you missed the show) bottom line: i'm thankful for my teammates. new (because y'all are new, but not inferior)- thanks for not holding my craziness against me. old- thanks for knowing me well enough to love me anyways even if i am mean, crazy, and hard to joke around with. 

tomorrow is our day of rest. i think it will be good for me.

affirmed in the midst of crazy,

Julia

tears.

day two. i keep repeating this but, we're really doing this. we made our blog "live" tonight (after giving some people a sneak peek this afternoon). i'm excited. i want people to know our hearts. to know the story that God is writing. i want people to be inspired. by our struggle and by libby's story. i want people to have a passion for running after Jesus.

i was ready to run today. it was beautiful outside. sunny. light breeze. and after 5 mins, i was hurting. but then this song came on:

"lord i have a heavy burden of all i've seen and know

it's more than i can handle
but your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones
and i can’t let it go

and when i'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

i think of paul and silas in the prison yard
i hear their song of freedom rising to the stars

and when the Saints go marching in
i want to be one of them

lord it's all that i can't carry and cannot leave behind
it all can overwhelm me
but when i think of all who've gone before and lived a faithful life
their courage compels me"
-When the Saints, by Sara Groves (click to listen)


and then the tears came. eyes welling up with tears i realized: the Holy Spirit is here. this is worship. through this running we are giving thanks. literally offering our bodies as living sacrifices. "burning like a fire shut up in my bones" i definitely felt. but, it was beautiful.


the tears quickly subsided. but the goosebumps stayed for the rest of the run. my body was aching but my soul was f r e e. (hence the fistpumps han talked about) then we came to the hill right before my house. the hill that sucked yesterday. and today i looked at hannah and said, "for freedom"


...and we sprinted.
compelled by the courage of those who have gone before us,
Julia

day two down.

well it is day two. the fourth mile has been ran. my body feels like a train ran over me last night while i was sleeping. but it's okay. it's kind of like a good sore. but there is definitely pain. 

i was worried about today. yesterday was our first day and we were pumped to get started. today my body was sore and i had another two miles ahead of me.  we ran a little bit of a different route today and it was much better. not to mention that the weather was absolutely beautiful and perfect running weather. (not that i know the definition of that at all) but we ran and it was hard. harder than yesterday but we finished and didn't stop.  i listened to different music today. yesterday i listened to some not-so-encouraging rap music so julia encouraged me to listen to something different today.  i listened needtobreathe (quite a coincidence) and some passion2010 music and it was much better.  soon i will post some favs off my playlist :) 

it is really great to have someone to train with because i probably wouldn't have enough motivation to do it by myself. every once in a while julia will look back (i am usually behind her a few steps) and smile. and that encourages me. she also does this little fist pump dance every 5 minutes or so and that helps a lot also.  the last three hundred feet or so today she looked at me and said "the rest for freedom, let's go." and we sprinted. fast. oh it hurt but it felt so good when we reached her driveway.  i am so thankful for her doing this with me. 

tomorrow we will run about two miles and then strength train at the gym.  i have a feeling i am going to like the strength training days a little more than just the running days. 

so here's to day 3 and freedom.

-han

"we run, with passion for your name, we run. freedom, you've broken every chain, we run." -chris tomlin

something beautiful.

if this can't make me run, i don't know what can. 

beautifully broken, 

Julia

we are really doing this.

the first thing that shocked me about libby was her ability to pour her heart out onto her blog with a rare and raw honesty that brought me to tears. she didn't hide her pain. she didn't always turn her anger, fear, or frustration into something that sparkled. because of this, i have learned to be honest with Jesus. to cry out for him to meet me in my pain, my depths, and bring healing and restoration. libby is a beautiful portrait of a woman who's heart belongs to Jesus.

hannah and i met last year but our friendship blossomed this past fall. the Lord has blessed me not only with a partner in prayer and ministry, but a best friend who i, too, can pour my heart out to, ugly and raw, and she will listen. she's not scared of pain because she's been there. she's not scared to cry or feel or be silent. (han, i admire that about you).

"When my hear was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73.21-26

hannah introduced me to libby's blog in anthropology class and after class i went home and read all the way from the beginning. at times there were tears. at times i was praying that i have a husband as fabulous as her's one day. and most of the time i was smiling because i knew that the Lord was moving. since then, libby has become a friend. (note: hannah and i have not met libby before. however, we do sport the ever-so-sassy green "team libby" bracelets). there are others, too. a bunch of us girls read libby here in Raleigh. there may be others that run with us in nashville. or just train with us. or just laugh at us and take pictures. the body of Christ is moving and growing because of libby's blog.

hannah and i share the fact that we have never really had a huge goal and achieved it. i think that's why i am fearful. because it's a huge undertaking. i will experience physical pain. i am going to want to be lazy. i am going to want to make excuses. but i will look to the cross. we will remember, together, why we are doing this.

today we ran 2 miles. in the grand scheme of things two miles isn't that crazy. for us, it was a big deal. and tomorrow, after babysitting and homework and all the to-dos, we will run again. to freedom.

post run, thanks katie :)

i still can't believe were doing this. but i love it.
Julia

scared

if i could make a list of the things that i hate to do, running would be second. (with throwing up/watching others throw up/seeing the sight of throw up/anything having to do with throw up in first place)  i think i can thank high school soccer for my strong hatred of running.  it is painful, i feel like i can't breathe, it can sometimes induce vomiting which frightens me, it makes my chest hurt and i usually cough for rest of the day after i run.  these are probably signs that i am just out of shape but oh well.  i envy people that "need" to run to get through their day or that love it. i really really wish i did. but i don't. at least not yet. 

on the other hand, there are many things that i love to do.  one of those most recent things is reading blogs. and love is probably an understatement, obsession is probably more like it.  and the person to thank for that obsession is libby ryder. many of you who are reading probably know of her because of how much i talk about her.  my family and friends like to pick on me because of how much i talk about her, like she is one of my closest friends because there is one crazy thing.  i have never met libby ryder. but i cannot wait for the day that i do.  her story has changed my life and continues to.  please go to her blog and read her story.  [www.libbyryder.blogspot.com]  and you must start from the beginning. no cheating. 

amazing is an understatement for libby's story and the woman that she is in jesus.  my connection to her is my dear roommate, katie.  katie did work crew at a young life camp one weekend when libby's husband was doing program and libby was pregnant with ava. libby and her husband are on young life staff in chesapeake, va.  after finding my roommate in tears one night after reading libby's blog i decided to read.  i began reading  (from the beginning) the next day in class and i sat through my class and sobbed. for at least an hour straight. after class i came home, got in my bed, and read for the rest of the day, tears constantly flowing.  from that day on, i was hooked.  and i can assure you that you will be too.  

libby is the reason that this blog exists.  i shared the link with one of my very best friends julia and she was instantly hooked as well.  libby is an inspiration in both of our lives and something that we are able to share a love of.  along with a love and heart for libby, me and julia share so much more.  we share a love of high school girls (we are young life leaders), we share a love of jesus, diet coke, lunch dates together, and bargain hunting for clothes.  she knows my heart, my fears, my struggles, my story, everything.  i feel so incredibly blessed to be able to walk through this period of my life with julia, she has been such a blessing and such an encouragement.  we have been through a lot of heartache, loss, things that has broken us, things that have hindered us from the life that jesus has intended for us, things that neither of us necessarily wish was part of our story but it is. and we are confident that those things are in our story for a reason and those things will ultimately be used for the glory of jesus.  but what a blessing it has been for me to have julia and to still have her by my side as my best friend.  i am confident that our friendship will last a lifetime and i am so thankful for her. [love you jules]

a couple of days ago, libby posted a link to her friends blog [thirstyhearts.blogspot.com] -another one that i am probably going to get hooked on.....- and the blog post was about the country music marathon in nashville tn and how they are going to get a group of people together to run for libby.  run by itself is a word i hate. but run for libby is different. i texted julia, told her to read and told her we were going to do it.  her response "i'm scared. but i'm game." my response - "me too". hers back- "lets be scared together. we're starting training tomorrow." 

so we did. we started today. we ran 2 miles. i really really did it. let me confirm that i do not run. but TODAY i, hannah, ran two miles WITHOUT stopping. i know we have a long way to go but i am proud of us.  before we ran, we had a good long talk about what this means for us.  this isn't about being skinny, losing weight, or being able to say that we ran 13.1 miles. it is about throwing off what has hindered us, leaving everything in our past, and running for freedom in jesus.  we will persevere and run the race that has been set before us.  we will run for ourselves, we will run for our past, we will run for the brokeness in our lives, we will run for libby, but most importantly we will run for jesus.

so i ask you to partner with us. maybe you want to run. maybe you want to sponsor us in running. maybe you want to donate to the ryders. but if anything, please pray. pray for us as we begin this journey, pray that we will persevere, pray for strength, and lastly, pray for libby and her family.

we hope that this blog will bring accountability and encouragement. not only encouragement for us but encouragement for you too.  maybe there is something that hinders you or holds you back from the life jesus intends for you.  if so, i encourage you to run, maybe not literally, but run away from those things. and run fast into the arms of jesus where you will find ultimate freedom.

here's to running hard (probably slow but definitely hard)
-han