It has been a while since I posted here on my blog. Most days I post on Instagram. It’s a mini-blog in many ways. I use WordPress for this blog and it has definitely changed since I first started this back in May 2010. Finding it a little bit more cumbersome to add pictures, etc. Yet, here I am learning new things.
I started listening to Garrain Jones after finding him on the Ed Mylett podcast. He does these free live breakthrough sessions on Instagram. People pay him A LOT of money to coach them. The cool thing is that he gives back to those who would never be able to pay him his fee.
This week a lady was working a FT job and starting a new business on the side. Her hope is to do the new business FT eventually. She started out telling him all the certifications she has in the new business. He stopped her and asked her if she had certified herself. She was taken aback and really did not understand what he was asking her.
“Certifying yourself is a confidence and belief thing. I am called to do this and I am going to do this regardless. Therefore, I verify and certify myself.” Garrain Jones
When I heard these words it was like a hug from God. I started to say gut punch but my loving God would never do that to me. I have been called to start a ministry Active Abundance. God has made it very clear. We are actually in our third year!! Again, He has been very kind to finally give me traction to start making progress to share the vision and mission with others. Starting a new ministry with a full time career means things are going to need to change. I know that and yet have been disobedient in making the changes. A lot of identity wrapped up in the things God is asking me to give up. Loss of significant income. I can go on and on.
But God is faithful. I have been in these seasons before and yet the difference this time is deep down is a lie from the enemy telling me that I am not equipped to do the next thing. I can give all the reasons why in my flesh I am not the girl for the job. But God tells me He has chosen me for such a time as this and yes, I am the girl for the job!
The important thing is not that I certify myself but knowing that God has certified me. This is what needs to be firmly planted in my heart.
What has God called you to do with your life? Are you being obedient and doing the work to get there? For me, my disobedience was causing me to have no rest in God. Trusting God is better than any plan offered by this world. Believe that God certifies and believe that you also certify yourself!
We recently traveled to Kauai, Hawaii. This had not been on our list of places to go this year. However, Hawaii opened up to travelers in March. In April we celebrated our 5 year anniversary. We normally travel to a beach. We did not want to take any tests to get back into the country. Hawaii required no tests to come back to the continental US and no masks so it was a definite yes for us to go! You can find deals to travel to Hawaii so never think you can’t afford to go!
I had traveled to Kauai back in 1995. That is me on the Kalalua Trail in both pictures above. I only walked .25 miles back in 1995. Just enough to get a view of the Na Pali Coast. I had no desire to hike back then. However, I remember saying I would come back and hike the 11 mile trail. A permit is required. However, life happened and it totally got lost in the trails of my life. Now I am in love with hiking. I had tried to get us permits this year but they were sold out. I said to myself I am going to hike this. However, the Crawlers Ledge kinda got me rethinking that whole idea.
When I look at both of these pictures I wonder what I would go back and tell my 25 year old self? God is kind enough to allow me to travel there again so its worth remembering how good and faithful He has been in my life. There is a 27 year difference between the two pictures. Before I start I came across this prayer while I was in Hawaii this time from the Bible Knee Cap by Tara Leigh Cobble and it seems fitting to pray.
“Father, I praise you for the fact that You delight to turn sinners into family. Your pursue the ones who have rejected You, lavish them with love and forgiveness, and woo their hearts to repent. Thank You for calling me your child. I am so grateful! I praise You for the way Your sovereign plan fits together so perfectly, piece by piece, move by move, to accomplish Your glory and our ultimate joy!
I’ve been fearful of Your plan, God. I’ve mistrusted Your heart, and I repent. Where I’ve believed my plan is better than Yours, I repent. Have mercy on me, a sinner. I repent of my sins and turn to You. Make my hearts clean.
Where I’ve looked too much at myself and my insufficiencies, point my eyes to You. Where I’ve preferred my own desires over Yours, set my heart on straight. Remind me that You’re with me to accomplish all You’ve called me to do; I am not alone-Your Spirit guides me. Remind me that Your plan is right and kind, even when I can see it.
I surrender my life to You, Lord-every moment of my day, each decision I make, I yield my will and way to Your perfect will and way.
I love You too. Amen”
Kalalua Trail
I only walked a quarter of a mile the first time on that trail. I had no idea of the difficulty that would lead me to a beautiful beach and waterfall. That could be a metaphor for my life. See I had no idea of the storms that God would call me to walk through. I also had no idea how much my children would change my life. Every single event in my life led me to Jesus! May I never forget God’s faithfulness each and every day.
Here are all the things I never saw coming or knew 27 years ago.
Jesus. I knew God and believed I was saved. Today I know that I know that I am saved for an eternal life with God in heaven. Jesus is my life. Surrendering my life to Jesus was a definite from old to new. I am not the same person I am today that I was 27 years ago. Thank you Jesus!
John 15:16 – “You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit, and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.” Current life and mission statement would be based on this verse.
I am a sinner who deserves hell. Jesus though paid the ultimate price and I am saved by grace through faith by His blood.
Mayson and Clayton – what a gift from God. I am blessed to be their mom!
Divorce after 28 years with Peter. That he would die leaving my boys with a void that only Jesus can heal. That I would speak at his funeral.
Betrayals from those closest to me.
Enabling. Didn’t even know what that was at that time.
Partner in a CPA firm at age 28. Then I would leave, take several detours and eventually start my own firm in 2005.
Appointed by Governor Bredesen (a Democrate) to serve 6 years on the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy.
First women appointed as Alderman for the City of White House.
I would hurt many people and have estranged relationships.
I would become a certified Revelation Wellness Instructor.
I would have anxiety for many years.
Many dreams in my heart to go and make disciples and help women know that the Word of God heals and addresses all issues in their lives using physical activity as a means to equip them.
Be blessed with the most loyal friends.
Church would become my favorite place to be.
I would run half-marathons and marathons.
I would marry Rob with whom I am equally yoked.
Oh the places we have been! Israel, Greece, Peru, Mexico, Kosovo, Yosemite, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Jamaica, Asheville, Hawaii, Gatlinburg. Oh the places still to go! Rob would like me to make it to Indiana a little bit more 🙂
I would have a step daughter, Lyndsie, and grandma to her children, Ellie and Brooklyn.
I want to be known as a women who feared God, loved big and lived out my faith. That I was a giver and invested in people not things.
God’s love healed me in one moment and is enough.
I could continue on and on because a lot has happened in 27 years. All of the difficult, hard paths led me to Jesus. I am thankful for each and every day. There is a lot of evil going on in our world today and it is easy to complain. I am choosing love over fear and chasing the dreams God has planted on my heart. This women knows that God is in control. Here’s to the next 27 years!
Today is August 8. On this day in 1992, I stood before God, family and friends and entered into a marriage covenant.
On this day in 2014, I filed for divorce after 21 years of marriage. By the time the divorce was final, we had been married 23 years plus dated 5 years. The girl above did not fathom divorce would ever happen to her. My parents divorced when I was six and I said never, ever would I allow that to happen. If you read any earlier posts on here you probably got a glimpse that it was a rough go a lot of time. The biggest blessing that came from this marriage was Salvation for me. Next were our children, Mayson and Clayton.
I normally don’t think much of this day post divorce. God had allowed me to heal and move on. This year comes after the unthinkable happened. Peter was killed in a car wreck on 3.22.21. The gut wrenching hurt I have for my boys has been one I would have like to shield them from. However, this is the path God has put in front of me so now life looks a little different when I look back on my former marriage.
The Holy Spirit prompted me to speak a the funeral. The most unthinkable thing if you knew the back story. Today it seems appropriate to post the words that were inspired by God. None of this was my doing. These were the words spoken on Sunday, March 28, 2021.
Hello. My name is Lisa Millman. I am the mother of Mayson and Clayton. I spent 28 years of my life with Peter. We dated 5 years and were married for 23 years. My sympathies go out to you Mayson and Clayton, Beverly, Jim and Peggy, Fran, Clif and Christina, Laura and Danny, and other family and friends.
I come from a different place than most of you because I already grieved the loss of my relationship with Peter when we separated back in 2014. That was the last time I had a face to face conversation with him. Had not spoken with him since 2017. God in all His mystery allowed me to hear from Peter this last weekend by text. I will never really understand how it all came about and his sudden death. I do know that God has given me an opportunity to grieve once again for him, my children and his family. When God places circumstances in your life more than once He is trying to get your attention.
I know it’s odd for an ex wife who had an estranged relationship to speak at their funeral. Believe me I know. God really pressed upon my heart on Friday that I had to speak. I wrestled with God. I spoke with a friend and she mentioned Cher spoke at Sonny’s funeral. I watched video and thought if Cher can do it so can I. Thank you to all of the Stickel family for your love, mercy and grace. My purpose here today is to publicly acknowledge how important Peter’s life was and that he had a purpose by God. It is to share the lessons I learned from sharing over ½ of my life with him.
Peter and I met when I was 18. I had recently graduated high school and was heading to Western Kentucky University. It turns out so was he. We dated all through college. After marriage we would spend time traveling, mountain biking, at the lake, camping and times with friends. On May 21, 1998, Mayson James Stickel was born and our lives would never be the same. On December 19, 2000, Clayton Lee Stickel was born. Peter loved being a dad. He was all in as they say. You both were the highlight of his life. In fact, the last weekend he said that he spent the best part of his life raising two beautiful sons. Know you were deeply loved by him. When I look at both of you, I see the best parts of him. Mayson, your caring heart, tenacity, smile, unconditional love for others, laugh and forgiving heart are parts of him that you will carry with you always. Clayton, your sensitive and caring heart, smile, laugh, love, steadfast determination to get what you want and charisma are the parts of him that you will carry with you always.
The 18 year old who fell in love with Peter knew God but was lost. My life with Peter led me to Jesus. There could be no higher calling in one’s life than to point someone to Jesus. I stand here before you today thankful for Peter. I leave you with these 5 things that came to me from Peter’s life so that they can go out to you today. We can’t go back in time and change our actions. All we have is today and how we choose to live our lives from this moment on will be a way to remember Peter.
Salvation – John 14:6 “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” We are not guaranteed one more minute here on earth. God tells us our life is like a vapor. If you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior do not leave here today unless you find out more. Once you die, you will be in heaven or hell. Jesus is the way to spend eternity in heaven with God.
Grace – John 1:16 “Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness.” Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. We can read about grace all day long but until you experience it you really can’t comprehend what it means. As a Christian, I am saved by grace because I deserve death because of my sin. I totally understand that. I have worked on being better at extending grace to others. I didn’t do this so much through our divorce process and afterwards so I ask for your forgiveness in this. This week though I finally understood what it means to give grace to someone else. Honestly, I was mad after the shock that I had to grieve again. I was only doing it for the boys. God gently tapped me on the shoulder and said it is time to give Peter grace and to thank him for being a part of my life and for being the father of Mayson and Clayton. Do not miss out on giving grace to those in your life.
Forgiveness – Matthew 18:21-22 “Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times? “I tell you, not as many as seven, Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.” Unlimited amount of forgiveness. I forgave Peter long ago and I hope he forgave me. Unforgiveness hurts nobody but you. It will make you bitter. There are gonna be things that surface in the grieving process where you want to hold on to the things you were hurt by. Forgive. Always forgive people who hurt you.
Peace – John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.” This life is hard and we all have our different struggles. Peace that surpasses all understanding is possible with Jesus!
Love – 1 Corinthians 13:13 “Now these three remain: faith, hope and love – but the greatest of these is love.” Love is what we are commanded to do. We are to love God, others as ourselves and even our enemies. Peter loved you if you were in his life.
Mayson and Clayton, I know this week has been the most difficult of your lives. I wanted to take away your pain. I am proud of you. I know you will grow from this and that you will always remember the good times you had with your dad. I am loving you on each step of the way.
Post funeral I struggled with a lot of things by the way things unfolded the weekend prior to his death. I finally realized what it was when I was reading the book, You Are the Girl for the Job by Jess Connolly. She talked about missing the moment because she had focused on the wrong things. This quote stopped me in my tracks. “But I missed the moment, an inevitable divine and holy intervention, because I made it all about myself. By God’s grace, we get to learn from our pasts and learn from one another and plant flags in the front yards of our hearts that wave this banner in bright colors and bold words: I refuse to miss out on what God is doing, what He might be saying, and how He may be miraculously intervening. I refuse to miss out because I am focused on myself, my insecurities, or my perception of my own capacity.”
I can’t go back and there is no condemnation for those in Christ. What I can do is to be there for my boys and for others hurting. I was in awe of people who sent me plants and cards although we were divorced. They knew how hard it was for our family and if my boys are hurting that means I am hurting. I was in awe of those you didn’t show up for us. I have had to dig deep to show mercy and grace. I am learning to be more bold in sharing my faith. I have learned to not miss the moments God gives to me on a daily basis. I mess up quite a bit but His mercies are new each and every morning. Thank you, God.
We are each given the same 24 hours every day. Are you missing divine moments to love God and others? Tough question when we are scrolling online liking everything under the sun but neglecting to spend time with those God placed in our lives. This life is but a vapor my friends and God has placed you here for such a time as this. Do not miss what your purpose is here on earth.
I have put off ordering/reading this book for a year and a half. I had heard about it when I was going through Revelation Wellness Instructor Training back in November 2019 from several new friends.
I really had zero expectations when I picked up this book. God has placed many, many more dreams in my heart. In my mind, I thought I know God has called me I only need to find the time. The first chapter of the book is called “It’s Quitting Time – It’s time we quit arguing with God about our inadequacy and start relying on His capacity.” First part of the chapter talks about letting go of the temptation to measure up, to compete, to stand out to rank. I thought to myself that is so not me. I don’t live my live in comparison with others. Then God humbled me on the last two pages of the chapter.
“Whatever it is for you, whatever goal or attribute or personality characteristic you’ve decided is important for you to master, even maybe to excel in, passing those around you, I’m going to ask you to quit it. Here are a couple of reasons why:
We cannot seek God’s glory and our own at the same time. If any part of our hearts is divided, seeking to win rather than seeking to wonder at His goodness, let’s just quit right now.
We can’t seek to be the girl for the job and the girl who wins at the same time. We can’t seek to be the best while we seek to be obedient to what He’s particularly called us to.
It’s His race, aimed at bringing as many people under the light and life of His love as possible. We do have a race to run. But it’s not our race. It’s a race in which we win the prize and claim the glory for ourselves.
We have to lay aside the desire to be the best. So let’s give up now. Let’s quit. Let’s take ourselves out of the running. It’s God’s job, God’s strength, God’s power, and God’s grace that actually get the work done. To step into this truth, to take our rightful place in this narrative, we’ve got to take ourselves out of the running for His job and take ourselves out of any race that pits us against other people and ourselves. To start, we’ve got to quit.”
The more I stepped back from this chapter the more I laughed at myself. This whole chapter was talking right to my heart. I have ran the race God gifted me with through my career as a CPA. Blessed beyond my wildest imagination. 30 plus years has given me the confidence that I am good at my job. I have put in the long, hard years of working to craft my skill. Prior to Jesus I looked for affirmation through my job. I now see it as a way to help others with things they do not like while providing for my family. It has allowed me the flexibility to be there for my family and my clients.
God brought Revelation Wellness into my life in 2019. Such a God story which will have to be shared at another time. I became a certified Revelation Wellness Fitness Instructor. My dream is to teach women how to get free from all the things that hold them down with their physical and mental health and take them on hiking retreats. Here we are in July 2021 and I have taught one class. It was during tax season along with some very hard personal situations I had to endure. I have felt the defeat of thinking I am not the girl for the job. I have been called to write a devotional book for Christians going through divorce. I want to put create a travel journal. I want to do marriage retreats. Oh and on top of this I will most likely be a pastor’s wife before too long. A new opportunity came up the last week or so and I felt God giving me the green light since it will be fun and so out of my comfort zone. Rob keeps asking me when I am going to get started on all these things. Of course I say my job is too demanding and I don’t have time. This weekend it hit me hard that I am using that as an excuse. I am good and in my comfort zone with my career and stepping out into the unknown will most likely not give me the affirmation that I have after 30 plus years.
How ridiculous is this? I know that with God all things are possible. At the end of the day I want people to know Jesus and be saved. I am to make disciples, proclaim the good news to the lost and advance God’s Kingdom here on earth. I do not believe God is calling me to quit my day job right now so if you are a client you can breathe a sigh of relief. I need to explore getting help or looking at other avenues to open up more time for me to chase the calling He has now placed on my life. Exciting times for new adventures. I no longer want success to be measured my money but by the impact I have on the Kingdom. There is much freedom in this shift.
52 I see you! It is hard to believe You snuck up on me. Family and friends made my day, By sending me love in their own way. Today is a day to reflect, On what is next. Where will I go, Only God knows. Here are 52 goals, That I propose. Dreams to chase, At God’s pace.
1. Encourage others each and every day
2. Write my devotional book
3. Run Zion 1/2 marathon at night
4. Hike Rim to Rim to Rim
5. Greece trip with church
6. Gather
7. Love
8. Teach 2nd The Wellness Revelation group
9. Continue to GO and make disciples
10. Preach the Good News to the lost
11. Advance God’s Kingdom here on earth
12. Find new home wherever God leads us
13. Take dancing classes
14. Get consistent with strength training
15. Hike, hike, hike
16. Find my spot at church to volunteer
17. Be in authentic relationships
18. Come up with new approach for tax season
19. Bryce Canyon 50k
20. Learn to be a better mom to 20 year olds
21. Regular date nights
22. Observe the Sabbath
23. Pay off homes
24. Make new friends
25. Become a more consistent blogger.
26. Get personal finances caught up in QuickBooks and have regular finance discussions with Rob.
27. Planning get away with Rob
28. Listen to more podcasts
29. Read more books
30. Game nights with friends
31. Patagonia
32. Glacier National Park
33. Yellowstone
34. Grand Tetons
35. Cook more
36. Revelation Wellness Personal Trainer – hikes for women
37. Get rid of clutter
38. Fit back into my jeans
39. Annual retreat with friends
40. Joyful journal
41. Serve others
42. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and be thankful in all things
42. Stretch
43. Learn something new
44. Commit to learning from Called Creatives
45. Learn
46. Connect with distant family members
47. Be still
48. Spread kindness
49. Give away 20% of money
50. Mission Trip
51. Church camp leader
52. Lead more Bible studies
Well that’s quite a list, Some things may go amiss. Thank you for reading along, To see the new beats in my song. This life is like a vapor, Every moment you need to savor. Jesus is my priority and my life, I will forever share Him even if there is strife.
Life is at a point where I am having a hard time processing it. Questions upon questions. I attended a Life Way Women’s Event on Friday and Saturday. Then with church today the tears have flowed and flowed. Some times I cannot even grasp why I am crying. God reminded me of this blog that I started back in 2010. I looked at my first post and my has my life and the blogging world changed since then. I am not even in my 40s any more.
Point of Grace was at the event I attended. They played a song that I had never heard and I bawled through the entire song. The name of the song is “How You Live (Turn Up the Music)” Here are the lyrics:
“How You Live (Turn Up The Music)”
Wake up to the sunlight with your windows open Don’t hold in your anger or leave things unspoken Wear your red dress Use your good dishes Make a big mess and make lots of wishes Have what you want but want what you have Hmmmmm And don’t spend your life lookin back
Turn up the music Turn it up loud Take a few chances And let it all out Cause you won’t regret it Lookin back from where you have been Cause it’s not who you knew And it’s not what you did It’s how you lived
So go to the ball game And go to the ballet Go see your folks more than just on the holidays Kiss all your children Dance with your wife Tell your husband you love him every night Don’t run from the truth cause you can’t get away Oh No… Just face it and you’ll be okay
Turn up the music Turn it up loud Take a few chances And let it all out Cause you won’t regret it Lookin back from where you have been Cause it’s not who you knew And it’s not what you did It’s how you lived
Ohhhhh Wherever you are and wherever you been Now is the time to begin
To give to the needy And pray for the grieving Even when you don’t think that you can Cause all that you do is bound to come back to You So think of your fellow men Make peace with God but make peace with yourself Cause in the end there’s nobody else
Turn up the music Turn it up loud Take a few chances And let it all out Cause you won’t regret it Lookin back from where you have been Cause it’s not who you knew And it’s not what you did It’s how you lived
Cause it’s not who you knew and it’s not what You did It’s how you lived
I have no regrets in how I have lived my life so far. God is so faithful and He was with me every step of the way. Even when I did not know Jesus, He pursued me. That’s worth crying tears over right there. I have squeezed so much out of the life God has given me and now He is calling me to a different season. Maybe some of my tears are because I know there will be people in my life who won’t be going on the next leg of the journey. This last month my boys lost their father. God allowed certain things to happen right before that which I can’t understand. That’s faith…trusting God when you don’t understand why things happen. When I see people they generally are concerned, ask how the boys are and pray right there and with me. What happens though when the people who are the closest to me or doing life with me don’t ask how I am doing? Don’t ask about my boys? Don’t check in with me? Don’t pray with me? It’s a hard thing to process and even harder because I wonder am I being selfish? What I have learned is that it’s easy to say things but much harder to actually live life outside our own hurts. Oh how I see God holding a mirror up to show me how I have been this person many, many times. The song reminds me that how I live my life is the only thing I can control. I have to give grace, mercy, forgive. I want to have people around me who help me grieve and I want to do the same for them. I don’t want to superficial relationships. I want authenticity.
God brought me to a class on grieving at this event. When I signed up for the event I would never have went to that breakout session. God in His sovereignty knew exactly what I needed and gave me tools on how to help my boys through the grief process and maybe many others on this journey I am on. One of the first tools we were given was the Ministry of Presence. It was right there and then that I knew where so much hurt was coming from. I also knew that I need to be present for the people in my life.
Where do I go from here? I can pray and seek God in this continued wilderness season. The wilderness is a place that God draws me in and loves me so much more than I ever dreamed possible. I have an urgent desire to share Jesus with a lost world. I have a book to write. I have lots in me to share with women who are broken. I have to realize God is enough for me. You see, it’s not what we say it’s how we live our lives.
“Bryce Canyon 50k. That sounds like a challenge.” I look back now and wonder where in the world I even came up with the idea to run this trail run. It was November 2017. I hadn’t put a run on the calendar since completing the Big Sur Marathon in April 2017 (one day I will complete my post on that.) I started looking up trail runs and the Bryce Canyon showed up. Had I ever ran a trail run? No. Not even trained on trails. Yet, I loved being out in nature and I love running so why not.
I tried to find someone to run this with me before signing up. Got no takers. Then Rob, the nonrunner, said he would run it with me. AWESOME. My thoughts were that we would be able to spend time together training and this would be a fun time. November 2017 we sign up for the 50k. Life happened along the way as it always does. His mom got terminally sick suddenly and passed away in January 2018. Then here comes tax season and several other things. We decided to celebrate one year anniversary in Mexico. All of a sudden its several weeks out from the 50k. Not a 1/2 or even a marathon but a 50k and I have done basically zero training. I am not happy at this point. Almost fearful. Wanted to back out and try again later. Rob assured me we could do it so let’s stick to the plan. So to Utah it was!
It was my first time to visit Utah. Fell in love immediately. We spent the first day in Zion. I conquered my fear of heights by climbing Angels Landing. Amazing!!!
When we got our race guide it had all the runners names spelled out for the race they were doing. The 50k was actually spelled out as 55k. I thought that was odd. When we picked up our t-shirts our names were still in 55k. Hmmmmm…..why in the world would everything say 55k when we are running a 50k? Stay tuned on this.
On Friday we drove from Zion to Hatch, Utah to pick up our bibs at the expo. This expo was unlike any I have ever been to. We drove up a long dirt road and there were tents in a circle. All the shirts, etc. were on one table to purchase. I really enjoyed the simplicity of everything.
We spent the afternoon exploring Bryce Canyon.
My dad had called me about a month before the run and asked if I was still planning on running it. I said I really don’t know. May only do the 1/2. He said that Linda and him were thinking of coming to see me run. I was speechless. No one comes to cheer me on at my 1/2s or full marathons, except Rob at Big Sur. I also was a little uncertain how this whole 50k would go. Plus a trail run where they couldn’t really see us except at start and finish lines. Well they showed up. We had dinner night before run. My heart was filled with love. Not really having a relationship with my dad for years made this extra special for me. When we talk about love, it’s the actions that really count. As Bob Goff says “Love Does.” The past doesn’t matter either. All we have is today so live and love.
It is now the morning of the 50k. Weather is 33 degrees. I did not bring any pants or gloves. Good news is that we could sit in car until about 20 minutes before the run started. I did not have my traditional oatmeal before the run so I started off on the wrong foot. Rob didn’t eat anything. I have my fueling down when I run marathons and 1/2s. Rob had no plan. Uh oh.
The run starts off GREAT except we are not going to run any of it because Rob doesn’t run. He can almost hike as fast as I run though. The scenery on the trail was breathtaking. Spectacular. No words can bring it justice. Watching the sun come up, running, with my man. Wow!
The thing I really had no clue about was that we were not only trailing running but also climbing to the top of the mountain. What a climb! Did not expect that!! However, the climbs got us to the most breathtaking views. When I came up over the hill, I was in awe! Not many people get to experience views like this.
There were only two aid stations. At mile 5 and 12.5. One of our big mistakes is that we did not stop at the aid station at 12.5. We thought we only had 3 miles left so we would stop back after turnaround. Well about 1 mile in, I ran out of water. Uh oh. We keep walking for what seems like hours. It is HOT. Rob has enough water so not worried….yet. We find out that they were wrong in how many miles it was to the turnaround. It actually ended up being 4.5 miles. So an extra 3.5 miles or basically a 55k!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is where I have a problem with the race event company. They knew it was a 55k but kept calling it a 50k. I have a huge issue with this. Extremely misleading. We make it to the turnaround. I was fading but then got a second wind when I knew Rob was struggling. He had run out of fuel to keep going. I really thought we were going to get stranded out in the middle of no where. Thankfully, God allowed us to get back to the aid station. Rob was done. There was a group of people that I had considered continuing on with but I still had 12.5 miles to go. After being out so long and feeling pretty good at that point I decided to stop too to be with Rob. We completed 22 miles. Not bad for me not even wanting to start, no training and not running at all.
We stopped at 2:30 but we had to wait on the van of shame to pick us up. We were about an hour from the finish line by car. We got back to the finish line at 4:30. There was no cell service at the aid station that we were at so my dad had no idea where we were on the trail. They had been waiting since 10:00. We were appreciative to see them!!
Here are a few more pictures before I give my overall review of the event.
Top 10 Blessings from 55k:
The views. The views. The views.
Completed 22 miles which was all the way to turnaround and back to aid station. Didn’t miss any views.
Rob made it 22 miles!
Got to spend quality time with my man.
Learned I have a lot of training to do in order to run trails.
Felt ALIVE challenging myself.
God’s provision to allow us to make the trip.
Spent time with Dad and Linda.
Still got a cup for completing at least the 1/2 marathon.
Met new people.
Bonus….took a risk for this new adventure. No regrets.
Top 10 Lessons from 55k:
Failure happens. It humbled me.
Training makes ALL the difference.
I can run trails alone.
Don’t allow friends and loved ones to run when their heart not in it. The growth and fun occurs in the journey of training and not all on the day of the event.
Love means waiting all day in the hot sun for your family to come across the finish line running or via the van of shame.
Love means sticking with your mate and putting own desires aside.
Question event organizers if the race length is not what I signed up for. Signed up for 50k but actually a 55k. That 3.1 makes all the difference on the trails in the heat.
Do more extensive research on trails in the future. This trail was very technical and difficult. Maybe for my first trail ultra I should have chosen an easier one?
Seek other females to run the trails.
I am capable of much more than I give myself credit for.
I posted all this to get it out of my system. I don’t like that I did not finish. I have questions floating through my mind. Should I be content with the 22 miles since I didn’t train and got to experience the Bryce Canyon 50k? Should I attempt to run another Bryce Canyon 50k to say I completed it? Should I totally boycott any Vacation Races since they were misleading in the # of miles we were running? These are the questions I need to answer before moving on to my next trail run. I will know the answer when it comes.
Not that I need another reason to promote RECOVERYbits and ENERGYbits but this right here really excites me to spread the word about the latest research. Check out this article from ENERGYbits. Use my discount code “lisarunsonfaith” to save 20% of these life saving products!
February is Heart Health Month and Valentines Day is right around the corner, so we wanted to share some eye opening news on how to prevent heart disease. It has nothing to do with lowering cholesterol and everything to do with increasing your Vitamin K2.
Heart disease causes one in every four deaths in the USA and we have been led to believe that high cholesterol is the culprit. Wrong.
Recent studies done by world-renowned cholesterol researchers like Dr. David Diamond at University of Southern Florida reveal that cholesterol is NOT the main cause of heart disease.The true cause of heart disease and heart attacks is inflammation and calcification of the arteries which cause your your arteries and heart valves to harden, stiffen and clog. This leads to increased blood pressure, heart disease and heart attacks. So how do your arteries get so full of calcium? It’s because virtually all of us are deficient in Vitamin K2.
What the heck is Vitamin K2?
It’s quite likely you haven’t heard much or anything about Vitamin K2 let alone it’s pivotal role in preventing heart disease. But you will soon. Noted below are links to a few of the hundreds of research articles that are pouring out from the science community about this amazing vitamin.
What does Vitamin K2 do? Quite simply, Vitamin K2 is the only way to get calcium OUT of your arteries and moved into your bones and teeth where it can be safely stored so it won’t damage your arteries and cause heart disease.
But Vitamin K2 is NOT the same as Vitamin K1 which is found in leafy greens like kale. In contrast, Vitamin K2 is ONLY found in GRASS FED animal protein and dairy or fermented foods like Natto – all of which are very hard to find.
But I have good news.There is now an easier source of Vitamin K2. Algae!
Two weeks ago ENERGYbits retained a third-party, FDA-approved lab to test their algae to find out if it contained Vitamin K2 and were thrilled to learn that ALL their algae tablets contain BOTH Vitamin K1 and Vitamin K2. Chlorella (RECOVERYbits) have almost TWICE the amount of Vitamin K2 as spirulina so if you or anyone you know is suffering from heart disease or high blood pressure, please encourage them to take one or two servings of RECOVERYbits chlorella every day.Heck if I were you, I’d buy them a few bags of RECOVERYbits for Valentines day (and buy a few for yourself too). There is so much Vitamin K in our algae that a daily serving of each algae will provide you with the “Adequate Daily Intake” of 90 mcg.
Remember, Vitamin K2 cannot be created by your body, so it needs to be supplied from outside foods but VERY FEW foods contain Vitamin K2. Fortunately ENERGYbits algae is one of them! And please also remember that ONLY GRASS FED animal meat or dairy provide Vitamin K2. This is because animals have a unique bacteria in their gut that convert the Vitamin K1 in the grass they eat INTO Vitamin K2. If the animals do not have a grass-fed diet there isn’t any K2 created. Unfortunately humans do not have the same gut bacteria as animals so humans do NOT have the ability to convert Vitamin K1 into Vitamin K2. You could eat a room full of kale and you still would not get a drop of Vitamin K2. Bummer I know.
That’s why RECOVERYbits chlorella tablets (and to a lesser degree ENERGYbits spirulina) are quite simply, your best, safest, purest way to get Vitamin K2 into your diet so it can help prevent heart disease. If you are vegan, keto or paleo, you are all set because our algae is all of these!
It’s never too late or too early to protect yourself and your loved ones from heart disease so please do more of your own research on Vitamin K2 and forward this email to anyone who has heart disease or high blood pressure.
Hippocrates said “let food be thy medicine.” We couldn’t agree more! Algae was the first and original food on earth and ENERGYbits algae is so pure, safe and nutrient dense, they are the only algae endorsed by doctors, nutritionists and athletes.
As I mentioned in a couple of posts back it took us a long time to get to Cusco, Peru from Nashville, Tennessee. We were exhausted. Our tour company, Travel Group Peru, was incredible from the beginning. After they picked us up at the airport they took us directly to the hotel. This was my first time traveling out of the country and all I could say was I was not in White House, TN anymore. Here are a few pictures of our drive from the airport to the hotel.
The first thing our guide got us when we got to our hotel was coco tea. This was to help with the altitude. He told us to rest and relax to get adjusted to the altitude until we left for our hike on Tuesday. We arrived on Sunday, 9.3.17. We would be meeting with our Salkantay guide and group at 7:00 pm on Monday night.
We stayed at the Hotel San Agustin El Dorado. Our room number was 416. I took this as a good sign because we met in April 2016. I always try to associate things with numbers.
The first item on our agenda was to get some much needed sleep. We didn’t sleep too long though because we were excited to be in Cusco. We set out to explore the city and get something to eat that afternoon. This was a map on our way to the main square in Cusco.
Plaza de Armas is a busy and vibrant square in Cusco that marks the colonial center of the city. The plaza houses two iconic buildings, the Cusco Cathedral and the Church La Compania de Jesus. There are lots of people trying to sell tourists stuff everywhere. There were shops and restaurants. Here are pictures of the plaza.
We were looking for something close to American food to eat. We found a hamburger place. I couldn’t really tell what was on the burgers because the menu was in Spanish. I ended up getting one with olive oil and medium well. It was not my favorite burger. It was still really red. As I was mid-way through eating it I remembered a lot of people had gotten sick eating the meat in Peru. Thankfully neither one of us got sick. We sat outside on the balcony overlooking the plaza. Sitting out on the balcony, overlooking the plaza in a foreign country, with my husband whom I love. I wanted to pinch myself several times. What a man God blessed me with. What a memory to start our trip.
This wraps up our first day. It was a day to get acclimated, explore and prepare for our hike on Tuesday. Stay tuned to our next day exploring the city in my next post.
This time last year I had not heard of Machu Picchu. Heard of Peru but could have not pointed where it was located on a map if asked by anyone. When I found out Peru was our next trip, I started doing lots and lots of research. My favorite place to do this is on Pinterest. Isn’t Pinterest the greatest? So I typed in Machu Picchu and Peru. I was bombarded by the words “altitude sickness & high altitude” on almost every pin.
I have asthma although thought I had outgrown it. Never really have. I don’t have attacks but was reminded last year that my lungs only operate at 50% capacity. Imagine the fear I continued to have about not being able to breathe because of the high altitudes. I researched the heck out of this subject. I know I probably took it a little overboard. You know what though? I did NOT get altitude sickness! Coincidence? I will never know but I wanted to share with other what worked for me so they will not freak out.
Here are the things that worked for me in no particular order.
1. Recovery Bits
I have taken ENERGYbits and RECOVERYbits for a while as a runner. This is real food. I had read liquid chlorophyll was used by many tourists in Peru to prevent altitude sickness. I even went and purchased this at health food store and brought it on trip just in case. Well I normally don’t take the RECOVERYbits every day although I should. Then it hit me that this was chlorella which brings vital oxygen to your body. I started taking them every night two weeks before we left and I took them every single night while we were on the trip. I copied the information below from the website at http://www.energybits.com.
“RECOVERYbits® Health Benefits
The list of health benefits from our RECOVERYbits® algae tabs is so long that we only have room to mention a few here. RECOVERYbits are 60% protein (the second highest concentration of protein in the world (second only to spirulina) and three times the protein found in steak), they have forty nutrients, and are just one calorie per tab. But more importantly, they help build your immune system and bring vital oxygen into your body. RECOVERYbits® help to defend your health 24/7. Yes, even while you sleep.
Chlorella has the highest concentration of chlorophyll and antioxidants (which fight free radicals) and its unique structure allows it to swiftly absorb toxins and safely remove them from your body and bloodstream. Yes, even alcohol. So next time you have partied too much, just swallow a big handful of RECOVERYbits® before you go to bed and say good night to that hangover. But it gets even better. Chlorella’s high concentration of minerals and electrolytes balance your internal chemistry naturally and its high concentration of chlorophyll (the highest in the world) helps to clean your blood. Chlorophyll is what makes plants green, but did you also know it’s a powerful antioxidant and a natural disinfectant? Amazingly, chlorophyll’s chemical composition is virtually identical to our blood so it was often used during WWII if there was a shortage of blood for transfusions. Are you starting to comprehend the power of chlorella?”
Here I am with my ENERGYbits container at Machu Picchu.
I was so excited that I applied to be an ambassador for this product and I found out this week I am now an ambassador! What this means is that I will share these great products with everyone and they can get discounts when they order. If you order use my code lisarunsonfaith to get 20% off.
2. Coca Tea
I had read all about this tea and the leaves in helping with altitude sickness. These are actually the leaves that are used to make cocaine. No worries though. It was safe to drink. I was drinking this tea like it was water in my attempts to not get altitude sickness. Wouldn’t matter if I was bouncing off the walls with excess energy as long as I did not get sick, right? We were offered it when we first go to our hotel. We would be awakened in the mornings in our tents with hot coca tea. We would have it before dinner. We would have it with our snacks. I liked mine with two scoops of sugar. Let’s say that this tea was so good that I actually gave up coffee for the time we were in Peru. I am going to order some of this off of Amazon. I may start having tea time 🙂
3. Water…..lots and lots of water
Coca Cola has the market share on water in Peru. I always got mine “sin gas’ which means not carbonated. We spent lots of money on water.
Water is all I normally drink during the day so this should have been easy for me. There was only one little bitty thing though that prevented me from drinking as much as I probably needed to……no bathrooms like here in the USA! The guides dug a hole in the ground on our hike trip to Rainbow Mountain. I would also have to pay 1 Soles to go to the bathroom while we were hiking. I would recommend drinking double what you normally drink.
4. No alcohol
Someone had told me to have zero alcohol because this dehydrates you. This was no problem for me.
5. We Took It Easy First Two Days
Rob lives at 623 feet elevation. I live at 863 feet elevation. The elevation of Cusco is 11,152 feet! We allowed two full days in Cusco to get climatized. We took it easy, rested and toured the city.
6. Bought a Pulse Oximeter for Peace of Mind
Anxiety has been know to derail me. I knew Peru was out of my comfort zone. I didn’t want to start freaking out that I was getting altitude sickness. So I read someone had brought this with them to monitor their oxygen levels. I went to the health food store and they did not carry them. I went to Walmart and of course they had them. I bought one and it stayed close to me the entire trip. It really did bring me peace of mind.
7. Cordyceps
Never heard of this until mid-August. Read on someone’s pin that this stuff helped them the most to not get altitude sickness. I went to health food store and got some. Only learned about it two weeks before trip so didn’t have too much time to get it in my system. Then I started researching this and it has been know to help improve asthma! WOW! How exciting. It is gross though.
This is what worked for me. There is no rhyme or reason on who or why you get altitude sickness. Rob and guide both got it on Rainbow Mountain. I am extremely thankful I didn’t get altitude sickness because it would have been worse on my anxiety than actually getting sick. I also am thankful for Rob. He comforted me, listened to me and really understood my fears. He gave me great advice. Thank you God for my husband.
I would love to hear what other things you have used to prevent altitude sickness. Also, if anyone can show me how to post my blogs on Pinterest as pins I would be so appreciative. My accountant mine cannot figure it out.
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