almost there.

i can't believe it. as i talked to my parents on the phone while icing both of my knees with frozen vegetables i realized from the excitement in their voices that this was a huge thing. we ran close to, if not, TEN miles today. as we were running, i couldn't help but think of the first day- the two miles that made this whole journey seem impossible. with less than two weeks 'till nashville, there is no doubt in my mind that we will finish the race in one piece with a smile on our faces. on the run we talked a little about it. about how we get to road trip to TN and share this experience together. to meet libby together. to finally run 13.1. it all seems so surreal...but i'm getting used to it.

this morning i read some of romans chapter 1. i was so encouraged by paul's words. he talks about wanting to see his fellow believers. he writes, "When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours." i can't help but think about team libby. in less than two weeks, a team of us in neon colored shirts with run for libby and for jesus and for freedom. i remember writing those words (basically) when we started the blog. but forreal: it's almost here. i can't be more encouraged by the picture that this team is of the body of Christ. we are from all over but we are coming together for the same purpose: to celebrate lib and to glorify Jesus.

i don't remember who it was but the other day we were running and someone (we knew them) said "yeahhhh team libby!!". no joke. not lying. it happened. but how huge is that? even though we knew them, i still think it's a big deal that they knew why we were running. and hasn't that been the hope from the beginning? that Jesus would become more and we would become less. through libby's story, he changed us. the Holy Spirit compelled us to run. and now? the Spirit is at work through our running. for His glory. that's beautiful.

happy birthday to a beautiful best friend and irreplaceable running partner. han, i am so thankful that 20 years ago today barb brought you into this world. you. are. a. blessing. i am humbled by the story Jesus has written for your life up until this point and thankful that i get to witness and experience a whole lot more life with you.

"and then the beat comes

and then she's moving on the dance floor

and I wonder what she's running from

if it'll catch her..."

-The Beat, Ben Rector

you're beat has been the call to persevere and be faithful. you ran straight into the arms of the Father and he won't let go.

i am so excited to go home. to spend time with my family and eat good food from our fridge. i got to pick my oldest brother up from the airport the other night and we went out for a late dinner date. we got to talking about Jesus and other really great things, and something that i've been thinking about ever since is how, because of Jesus, we get to openly come to the Father-sinful and confused and guilty-but he loves us. oh how He loves us! i am in awe. i get to approach the creator of the universe and call him Father because of Jesus. because of his sacrifice. and, because he rose from the grave, i get to worship the living Christ. amen. amen. amen. halleluyer.

i can't figure out how to put pictures in a post. it changed. so hopefully there will be pictures to go with this post soon (of han's bday and post 10ish mile run today).

i am humbled. and honored. to be a part of something like this is something i would never have imagined. it's so much bigger than us. thank the Lord for that. because, like we've said before, if it was about us we wouldn't have made it those first two miles.

this was a really long post. i guess this is a sign that i need to post more often. which i already knew. but i'm surprised at how much i had to say.

overwhelmed by his provision. gosh this is incredible.

Julia

20

"i have designed you to need me moment by moment. as your awareness of your neediness increases, so does your realization of my abundant sufficiency. i can meet every one of your needs without draining my resources at all. approach my throne of grace with bold confidence, receiving my peace with a thankful heart." -jesus calling

what an encouragement this was this morning. needing jesus moment by moment is not weakness, we are designed that way. and oh how i needed jesus moment by moment (mile by mile) today.  we ran 9 point something close to 10. it was hard but it is done. its hard to describe our runs and i feel like i always say the same thing, "hard but good" but thats kind of all i can say. we ran with laney [who will be running with us in nashville] and one of her friends halie sue. something crazy about them: they dont run with music. seems like such an irrelevant thing but my runs are literally planned around charging my ipod and i really didn't think i could do it without.  but i wasn't going to be the only non-social loser running with my ipod [not that i could talk much anyway] so i didnt take it. and survived, i know crazy.  and i might have even liked it better. time seemed to go by a little faster. i hit a hard part at mile 6 and it never really got easier til i was done but never did i think that i couldn't finish. somehow in the midst of 9 miles i was confident. confident in jesus' strength and confident that the holy spirit was going to continue to carry my feet even when my knees hurt, even when my breathing was out of control, and even when i was moving as slow as a turtle. over and over i prayed, carry my feet holy spirit.and they were carried, 9 and something miles. and i am so thankful.

tomorrow [well today since it is now after midnight] i turn twenty. twenty, that sounds weird. it will be a girls day with my mom and my sisters with cute restaurants, massages, girl talk, my sweet little nieces, cupcakes and a family softball game to end the night.  [my dad and brother-in-laws all play on a league for my parents church] but i am so excited about just the [quiet] time (my nieces will be with their "a-ma" for some of the afternoon) that i will get to spend with my mom and sisters.  there is something so sweet about sisters, especially as you grow older and get to experience more of life together without all the dumb fights that you had growing up.  and same goes with my mom, i would have probably thought you were crazy if you told me in high school that my mom was going to be one of my best friends in college but its true. time with just us 4 is so rare and special to me. so tomorrow i am going to really take advantage of it because there's no other way that i would rather spend my birthday.

and my birthday present to myself, a day of rest :) which i think is well deserved after today.

cheers to 20,
han

beautiful day.

this will be short, but i had a moment to write so i will. monday, in the heat of the afternoon, han and i ran eight freaking miles. EIGHT. it was hard. and there were tears. and prayers. and water breaks. our run epitomized us: broken. but it was okay. it was beautiful. i'll blog more in depth later and so will han.

today is a beautiful day. i can't believe the race is two weeks from saturday. holy crap that scares me just thinking about it. but today i will run 4. and i get to run with one of my sweet high school friends. it will be a special running day.

lib, were thinking about you. keep blogging, it encourages us. we can't wait to meet you and hug you at the finish line.

here's to continuing to run: through the brokenness, pain, and fear. jesus is doing this. we are blessed to be witnesses.
Julia

and on the seventh day, we ran.

after reading han's, i can't go to bed...i have to post. like she said, sunday was seven. seven miles. i still can't believe that we went from barely 2 miles to running 7. we're alive. but the journey is long but over.

it's been a big bummer for us that we haven't been able to run like we "want" (i use quotes cause we never necessarily want to run. but, we do want to train...if that makes sense). needless to say, we were scared to run. but, as we were writing on our hands before, han remembered

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear..."

1 John 4:18

[if i had to describe what i see in hannah on a day to day basis it would be her quiet strength. i am amazed at her courage and assurance. she has an air about her that is calm but strong. thanks for being the level-headed one, han. even lately on these hard days, you are strong.]

sunday was an incredible running day. i can't describe it generally so i will go mile by mile...

[mile one]: confident. admiring our steady pace. enjoying the scenery. the sun is setting. 

[mile two]: harder than usual. i have to pee. crap we still have to run 5 more of these. stop to text han's mom that we will be late for dinner.

[mile three]: potty break in the bushes. wow we still have 4 more miles. my breathing is steady but i am bored. so i pray. "Lord awaken my soul. Holy Spirit, meet us here. be the force that perpetuates our bodies forward. for your glory, Jesus." wow, still haven't gone very far. (look at hand) "Jesus, be with libby. let her know how beautiful she is (and how hot she is with her pixie cut). give her motivation to continue to seek after you. continue to heal her body." i'm tired. i can see the 4 mile mark. "hannah, I have no idea how I am going to go 3 more."

[mile 5]: "Lord, make me move. I am tired. this stinks but this isn't about me. awaken my soul. awaken something inside of me that compels me to keep running..." i realize that i am moving/running quickly and effortlessly...something i have never experienced up until this point... like a force inside me was moving me and i was just there to witness it. runner's high? no. Holy Spirit? yes.

-turn off music-

[mile 6] prayers for han

[mile 7] prayers for two friends. i feel alive.

it's hard to put it into words but i will continue to try,

J

on to the next one.

seven was completed. one.two.three.four.five.six.seven.  [those numbers seems much further apart when running]  and sunday we will run eight. then nine. then ten. then 13.1.

in 26 days, we will run 13.1 miles. 

that blows my mind. and kind of scares me that its so soon. i have been a little discouraged and nervous about it all. is this really going to be possible? we haven't done too good at keeping up with our schedule.  life gets busy and we really haven't had much time to run together in the past couple of weeks which isn't fun.  i hate days when we have to run by ourselves. not fun. but something felt good about yesterday. [not really my body] but after the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th mile (ha) i felt like i found this new motivation.  there has always been a lot of "mind" motivation and things to run for from day 1 but not really physical motivation, my body doesn't die to run by any means. and not that i am dieing to run 4.5 miles tomorrow but im excited and i think physically motivated for once.  and i hope that it will stay until april 29th. i don't think ill need much on the morning of april 30th, in nashville, with the ryders, with team libby, with julia and laney next to me, with our safety green tshirts and wristbands, with my mom and sister [hopefully] at the finish line. [that wasn't to guilt trip you into coming mom and linds :) ] it gives me chills just thinking about it. maybe ill even run it twice. ha just kidding.

something im excited about:
i think one of my favorite qualities about julia is her passion. especially when its passion for jesus. i love it and it is such an encouragement. prayer was really laid upon her heart yesterday so before we ran, she had the idea of writing peoples names on our hands to pray for as we ran and it was great.  we wrote each other's and lib's and friends names. and then on the last mile i had this crazy idea of dedicating each mile of the race to a hindrance that we are throwing off or someone we love that needs prayer.  and we can write all thirteen of those on our arms the morning of the race and really pray specifically for something on each mile.  so i am going to start working on that list and praying about that list. but im excited because i think it will be great.


something to be praying for:
i have bad hips. i feel like an old lady saying that but i really do feel like i already need two hip replacements and im 19.  i think i injured them during soccer in high school and they just have never really healed. and they haven't bothered me too bad until mile 7 yesterday. and then this morning, they were very angry at me. i am really bad at doing the hip exercises that the doctor gave me to do months ago [meaning i haven't done one day of them] so i really should start doing those, even though im not sure how much help it will do in 26 days.  but now im scared for race day.  that they will hurt on 7 and i will have 6 more miles to go. so pray against that and pray for protection against injury for the both of us until race day and for race day. because it would suck so much and i would cry for days if one of us couldn't run. 


thanks for reading, supporting, praying, and loving.  its much easier when you have people standing beside you.
-han