i have been on this Running Journey for over two years now…maybe even three!
it's still hard but not as hard as it was.
i still get mad at not being as strong as i wish i was (aka…didn't work out enough to get strong)
i still get annoyed when others seem to enjoy it more than i do.
but i do enjoy it… when i am done.
i really like that i have good friends to run with me.
i KNOW i wouldn't have kept running if there was not accountability and reward with them.
we have run a few races and maybe lost a few pounds.
we have run probably hundreds of miles together by now.
we have strengthened our friendships (it's amazing what you can talk about while running 5 miles)
we have gotten much stronger in our two years.
we no longer need bathroom breaks…even on long runs.
in six days we will run our first HALF MARATHON.
13.1 miles.
and for 6 months i have cringed when i said that.
dread.
frustration.
unhappiness.
nervous.
scared of failing.
but this past week the Lord changed my heart.
i have a new outlook and i literally have done a 180 about it.
it was time to change my focus.
off of ME and onto God.
"You were bought at a price. So glorify God in your Body"
1 Corinthians 6:20 (NASB)
and the same verse in a different translation….
"God owns the whole works. So let people see God in
and through your body."
1 Corinthians 6:20 (The Message)
i love that…the whole works!
like a cheesbuger with everything on it.
awesome.
so now i am feeling different.
i am not afraid.
i know i will not fail.
I know i am not alone.
even if i end up physically alone at the race… i am never alone.
I have Jesus in me.
"Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that
God’s Spirit lives in you?"
1 Cor. 3:16
what in the world is there to be afraid of???
i am filled with the Spirit!
He's got me.
i have felt full of gratitude when i think about the race the past few days.
grateful for a body that CAN move (even as slow as mine does).
thankful for the friends that run with me.
blessed with a body that is healthy and it is a GIFT.
i may not be a size 5.
i may not be fast.
but i am blessed.
"I appeal to you therefore, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship"
Romans 12:1
i am using this week to prepare spiritually as well as physically for the race.
offering myself again to God.
"here i am Lord. use me how you want. whatever you have for me i want to do."
because running a race with thousands of people 2 weeks after a terrorist attack at a race is a little scary….at a memorial race for past terrorist attack?
but really no matter what happens
EVER…
God has me in his hands.
and i have peace in that.
"Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day."
Psalm 139: 17-22
how could i read that and ever worry?
i will not be fearful.
i will worship in adoration.
————————————————————————————————————————–
two more things:
1. we will revisit the subject of raising teenagers again.
thanks for hearing my heart.
2. the winner for the Lisa Leonard giveaway is:
I would love to buy the jumble of charms necklace with our sweet kiddos names 🙂
email me Bree for the details! Congratulations!!
Jen - Hi meg! Search shutterlily on Instagram. She just built a coop for her chickies out of a children’s playhouse.(all documented on IG!) Adorable! Good luck!-Jen.
Naomi - My parents modified our old Wendy house for their chicken coop. They just added some perches for the hens and created an area at the back where the hens lay their eggs (basically it’s raised a bit to keep them safe[r] from rats). They also cut a hatch at the back so they could reach in and collect the eggs without having to actually go into the smelly coop!
elisa - Your photos are amazing. I grew up on a ranch….it was a wonderful experience. How awesome for your kiddos to be surrounded with life everyday.
Rebekah - I love the chicks among the grape hyacinths — one of my very favorite flowers and a perfect scale comparison.
Gretchen - I’m so excited for you as you begin your chick adventure. Here is a link to our first coop. Since then we’ve graduated to two larger coops, 75 chickens, and … moved to a farm! 🙂
http://neweveryam.blogspot.com/2010/09/coo-coo-coop.html
beth larson - Love the pictures of your chicks with the chicks! Also just wanted to wish you the best at the marathon….if I could do one thing in my life that I would be eternally proud of it would be to run a marathon- (ps it’s never going to happen haha) YOU GO GIRL!
xo beth
Valerie @ Chateau a la mode - Love, love, love your photos of yur littles with the chickies. You are so brave to do the chick thing. I might be too much of a city girl even though I live in the suburbs 😉 I think for know I will live through you and your chicks.
I will be praying for you on your run. You GO girl! You can do it! Yay Meg! Go, go, go!
Tiffany - The photos made me smile once again. My dad built one for their chickens. He calls it their “cottage”. Too bad we live so darn far away, otherwise I’m sure he would enjoy building you one!
Courtney - some of my favorites: http://pinterest.com/serenityfarmsa/chickens-coops/
another board of pinspiration: http://pinterest.com/fresheggsdaily/cute-coops/
Lee Ann - My advice is to make it simple and make it easy to clean. (and get going on it because those birds will need to be out there in the next couple of weeks 🙂 You can look up all of the dimensions you need on-line. It doesn’t have to be terribly big if they’ll be able to get out during the day. I think they say you need 12-18 inches of roosting bar/bird. If they’re going to be in it all the time it will need to be pretty big. The roosting bars must be at the highest point of the coop. Their instincts tell them to go up at night so if the roosting bar is below the nesting boxes, the will sleep (and poop) in their nesting boxes. They poop all night directly below the roosting bar -again, easy access/clean up of that area is a must. Nesting boxes don’t need to be anything special. About a foot square opening. I’ve seen lots of people make them out of buckets tipped on their sides. I have had up to 14 chickens and three nesting boxes have been more than enough. They like to all lay in the same one. And then you have to know the critters in your area. Our main ones are chicken hawks and coyotes. My chickens roam in a pretty big fenced in yard. At one point we didn’t have that secure and lost 10 of the 11 in one night to a coyote. (It’s secure now.) However, the area is big enough that I can’t really keep the hawks away and have lost one to a hawk.
Good luck! They really are so fun! There’s nothing like a fresh egg.
Erin - Meg-you rock! God will see you through, just as you said. I can’t wait to read your post-race post! FINISH STRONG!! Sending you a big hug and a smile from Colorado!
Katey - Seriously the cutest pictures of your girls with those chicks.
Andrea - I agree with the Craig’s List thing. We just received chicks about a week ago(ordered them through the mail). My husband was talking about building one but I talked him into getting one. By the time you spend the money and the time, you could have had one made. He looked and looked, and finally ordered one from a gentleman off Craig’s List. My dad spent $600 on making his own! We are going to build a pen to move around the yard. HOPEFULLY, they will go from coop to yard and back every morning and evening. My eldest daughter is going to take one in 4-H. She is VERY excited.
Amanda M. - Go check out your local feed stores. Ours always have those handy coops for sale that look like mini barns. The only problem you are going to have with finding something is that most pre-made chicken houses and runs are for 2-3 full size chickens. You could do something like that if you plan to move them around all the time— or let them free range. Im sure you have really cold winters so checking with your feed store will really help with specific directions for Kansas!
Terrie G - Great pics!! I seriously want chickens…and a cute chicken coop!
I’m sure if I had some my hubby would build me a coop!!
Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Brady - Meg–you should check craigslist. I live in Benton, KS and we just got a few chickens too. I was checking out craigs list and there was an already built coop with 11 or 12 nesting holes for $100 🙂
christy - Love the chick-chicks pix! I was just thinking of you & your chicks the other day. My husband built a lovely fence for us to keep our girls on one side of our yard, away from my plants & patio. Two of the lil’smarties found a way over the fence. The 3rd, is too big to hop up high enough. Reminded me of PanFry. She doesn’t lay eggs, she’s just a pet/company. I could never eat her + we get plenty of eggs from our other two girls.
We built a very simple coop, 2×4’s & chicken wire. Since we live in a mild climate no need for winter protection & I live in suburbia, the only wild animal I have in the backyard is a squirel. Our dogs don’t bother the chicks, but they do like to steal their treats. I would look on Craigs List or have your on Craig build something. Backyardchickens.com has some great inspiration, there are also books & magazines with coop plans, check your library. I would love a fancy coop, but it’s not in the budget and my girls are content & sheltered as is.
Jacci in Ohio - Hey, Megan 🙂 Check out @tiffanyruda on Instagram. She built a super simple one from scrap material.
Terri - Oh, I went to the link and you have to scroll down almost to the bottom (or go into archives to Sept. 15, 2010) for her Coop tour. It’s also a really neat and creatively done coop. Lots of ideas!
Terri - http://www.thefancyfarmgirl.com/page/24/
Scroll about 3/4 of the way down and you’ll come to the post. It is called “Here’s the Coop”. Lovely pictures of her chicken coop (complete with chandelier!) Also, picture of the original chicken coop which is much less elaborate from when they had less chickens. Her 12 year old daughter designed the original chicken coop herself and she and her dad built it for her mom. Very sweet. I believe this posts also links to a chicken coop linky party. She talks about it at the beginning but I didn’t click it. Enjoy all of the picture. You’re sure to get an overload of inspiration! Here’s thel ink.
http://www.thefancyfarmgirl.com/page/24/
tere - I wish I had chicken coop advice.
But your chicks are growing too! The girls are looking older! And I’m happy to see the kids in tanks and not snow attire. That’s a good thing 🙂 xoxo tere
Sarah - One with a huge run! I reluctantly gave up my chickens last year. They were mostly free ranging and the amount of poo was ridiculous.
Heidi DeGroot - Runnings sells a small chicken coop. I am not sure how many chickens the size is perfect for. I also am not sure if you have Runnings in your neck of the woods:) I think the price seemed fairly reasonable though. May be worth a try!
Ashley - what about those cool coop trailers? that way you can move it when you move!
Arielle - I’m sure you can’t wait for the chickens to give you yummy egs.
Jen - Those are happy pics, Miss Meg. 🙂 Best of luck with the 1/2! Have you seen this shirt?
Half Marathon Mama: 13.1 miles of peace and quiet.
Jen - This woman (Karen) has made a fabulous chicken coop.
http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/building-the-coop/ Also has all kinds of info on keeping the chickens.
Laurel - How about this one?
http://chickensaloon.com/the-rambler-backyard-chicken-coop/
Melissa - I am amazed at how fast those chicks grow! I need to take pics of mine I think we have some of the same breed. I only have four so bought a tiny coop. Without a doubt build one – or maybe could buy from Menards one of those sheds and make it into a coop? Probably expensive though.