How not to become Road Kill

One of my favorite races to run is the Marine Corps Half Marathon.  This year will be my fourth time running it.  I have had, within seconds, the same time EVERY year.  The last three out of four years I have been injured or sick 2 weeks before the race.  This year is no exception.   Thursday night I woke up with a severe sore throat and by Friday afternoon, I could breathe.  I took Theraflu and went to bed.  I slept in and took it easy Saturday morning.  I felt very pressured to get out and run, the race is two weeks from today, so I did.  I have 13 miles on the schedule today and after last week's series of unfortunate events, I needed to get them in.  By mile 4 I was feeling light headed, so I started walking.  I was belittling myself for being so sorry, but there was something I had seen at mile 3 that got me to thinking about the whole situation.....

Since I started so late, the sun was out in full force.  I switched to the other side of the road as it looked that there was more shade.  There was, but there was something else too.  First I nearly stepped on a mostly scavenged armadillo.  GROSS.  A few hundred feet down the sidewalk was a dead cat, a huge dead cat with huge flies fly around it.  Both were on the sidewalk and smelling ripe.  So, when I began feeling dizzy at mile four, I decided that I really didn't want to become road kill, so I slowed it down, considerably.

Running is like that, I have these grandiose goals, but sometimes I have to do what I can so I can make it to the race healthy.  I can't compare myself to others.  I have to remember that this is only for fitness and I do have to get up and live my life tomorrow.  And I am getting old.  It is difficult for this body to fight two battles at once, whatever microbe invaded my body AND 13 miles.  I have no control over the battle in my body between the good and the bad.   So, I got over it.  I was ok with 4 miles and I live to run another day.

This is applicable spiritually as well.  The battles we fight can make us weary and sick.  Jesus tells us in Matt 11:28 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  He also tells us in I Peter 5:7 to cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us.  He does care for us more than we can understand, so much so that He died for us.  How wonderful is that.  Isn't it special that we can lean on the all powerful One?  So when our battles get tough, let's follow the Psalmist's advice in Psalm 4:8 "I will both lay me down and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

Stay Calm and Call Mom

Lately, bittersweet is what describes my life.  Sad because my girls are moving on and I don't see them everyday.  Sweet, because they have grown into lovely young ladies, finding their place in the family of God.  They are out in the world, making decisions for themselves.  But there are tough days.  I am still glad that on those tough days, I am only a phone call away.  I am happy that they want to call me for advice.  But most of all I hope they know the One who has all the answers is only a prayer away.  I pray that they will continue serving and loving God.

What is good about an empty house?

For the whole month of June, my house has been mostly empty.  I guess that is kind of like "mostly dead".  I have been a little sad, so I decided to make a list of what is good about an empty house.  I couldn't come up with a top ten list, but here are the ones I came up with, not necessarily in any order.

• I can clean the house and it is still clean the next day, and maybe even the next.  Of course the doors to their rooms are closed because I haven't gotten the nerve to clean them yet.
• I don't have to plan meals, because Dad is much simpler in the food department.
• The electric and water bill is much lower even as hot as it has been.
• I can listen to what I want to, as loud as I want to without hearing "really, Mom, what is THAT?"
• No one knocks on the bedroom door as soon as I shut it.
• I can clean the refrigerator because the shelves are empty.
• I don't hear 5 different ipods all playing different music.
• I don't have to leave the room when it comes time to decide what movie "we" are watching.
• I get the whole couch to myself.
• I can leave the house without my wardrobe being criticized (at least by people that will say it out loud)
• The girls call for advice, actually listen and more often than not, take it.

I guess I did come up with more than 10.  There is one more.  Every birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day when the girls asked what I wanted, I told them "peace and harmony in the Tyson home".  I have a whole lot of that now but a scrap every now and then would be nice to spice things up a little

Now I have time

It is Sunday night and I am sitting in the living room with my husband and 2 of our dogs....no kids anywhere. As we sit exploring social media on our respective laptops, I think back to the day when I couldn't imagine being in the house with no children for one night, and definitely not a full week.  But I am....

I traveled over 1000 miles by car to get my oldest children to their summer destinations.  Briana is spending her summer in Somerset, PA.  This is very close to where the plane went down on 9/11, flight 93, I think it was.  It is a very remote city.  Beautiful farms.  Very few people.  She will be working with another intern to promote the camp.  For two weeks, it was just them and the families that run the camp year round.  It has been lonely but things are picking up as the counselors and eventually campers begin filling up the cabins.  They just had a new addition, a pony was born today.  Briana was the first to see the baby.   She has adjusted well to a very different life.  I am sure she will learn a lot

I left PA and met Andrea in Virginia.  She has a job there and was moving into her first apartment.  Actually it is an old Victorian house that is shared by several girls.  She is making her way in the adult world.  I am very proud of her.

 Pictures of my trip

Joanna is working at camp this summer.  I think she is very surprised at how difficult it is.  She has met some new friends and is enjoying working with old friends.  She is working with the daughter of an "old" friend of mine.  It is interesting that we spent many years at Trinity Youth Camp and her daughter traveled from Utah to work at camp.  Our daughters have become friends.

Baby Krista is in Michigan with the youth group.  It is her first big trip all alone.  We haven't heard from her much, which means she is working hard.

One very special thing about the beginning of summer is that I have been able to spend alone time with every member of our family.  This is not something that happens often.  I think it was a first with Joanna and Krista.  I spent 2 whole days each with them.

Now what to do with this time I have.....among other things, I think I will blog a little more.  I set this blog up when Briana left for Argentina to keep her updated.  I think with all the girls leaving, I need to post more to keep them posted in between all the texts we send to each other.

The First Mile and the Last Mile

I have been teaching 8th graders about justification and sanctification.  It is a difficult concept for them, but it is crucial for them to differentiate between the two.  While I was running my 9.3 practice miles for the Gate, I stumbled upon (in my mind) an interesting analogy involving the first mile and the last mile.  They are, at least for me as a runner, the most important in a race.  They should be viewed as the most important in the Christian's race as well.

In running, the first mile is important.  It is the one that gets you off the couch and hitting the pavement.  The first mile for the Christian is putting your faith in Jesus Christ.  This places in the narrow path that leads to heaven.  John 14:6 illustrates the margins of that path. "No man cometh to the father except by Me", Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  When we put our faith in Christ, God sees us as righteous, just as if we had never sinned.  As Christians, this is the beginning of our journey.

No runner wants to walk his last mile, especially not the finish line.  He wants to run across the line.  Paul speaks often of his desires for his last mile.  In Acts 20 he is telling of his trials and ends by saying "None of these things move me".  He was not distracted by his difficulties in life, he knew who he believed and was persuaded that He would finish His work (2 Tim 1:12, Phil 1:6).  Paul was not ashamed when he ran into heaven because he was not ashamed of the gospel here on earth.

If the first mile and the last mile are most important, does that mean those middle ones don't matter.  Absolutely not.  If I, as a runner, go too fast or try to do too much, I may become weary and stumble.  As a consequence, I might walk, stumble or crawl across the finish line, making me ashamed of my performance.  It is those middle miles in our Christian life that will keep us from not being ashamed before Christ when we conclude our last mile.

This is where an understanding of sanctification is important.  It is the act of turning from the world to God. (2 Cor 5:17).  These "good works" are not necessary for justification, but should be a result.  Just like the middle miles for a runner, you must prepare.  Your preparation for those miles in your Christian walk comes from God's Word.  Here you will find the plan for your life.  Follow it.

What I learned from Eighth Graders

My posts are sporadic. My life is very busy, that is a good thing, but it does impair my creativity. In December, I resigned from th DCPS. I felt like I was too old to fight that battle. I had never in my life been to public school. I had never worked in the public sector. I had never personally been exposed to Unions. I didn't know your employer could deduct money from your check to put in a retirement account for you, without your permission. And I had certainly never been exposed to grade recovery, compass odyssey, limelight, alt cert, and th list goes on. I was definitely on foreign soil. I really had some great students and colleagues, but I guess I am more of a free enterprise kind of gal. When I was offered the job at a private school, I took it.

Here is where eighth graders enter. I teach ninth grade Economics and eighth grade Bible. I have never taught eighth grade and only taught ninth a few times. Eighth graders are a strange breed. Here is what I have found to be true, not necessarily in order of importance.

In order for something to be heard, it must be repeated at least 5 times per student.

In order for students to notice the homework assignment written on the board, it has to be multicolored with stars around it, and that is only good once and for just a few observant kids. The next time you have to find another way to make it stant out.

When called out for talking, it is never their fault and they are not the only one.

Arguments can go on for days.

Read is a four letter word.

Their notebook is always in their locker

When a child has his hand raised during discussion, it is probably to go to the restroom, not to answer the question.

Drama, drama, drama, life is so full of drama.


They contain copious amounts of energy and really don't have a lick of sense, but they don't claim to know anything, that will come next year in ninth grade.