Running with a barcode in my pocket...

No...I'm not running away from authority after taking something with its barcode still hooked to it but I'm "running" a 5k race with my barcode to track my time.

It's been a frustrating hard year so far with many things weighing heavily on my heart and mind. Last year, when I was having my neck problems, I found out that my Physio plays squash...so we decided to play squash starting this year. I think it's been one of the best things for me this year as she has not only challenged me with squash, but gotten me involved in 'running'...I say 'running' because:

A) I'm extremely unfit for running (those who play squash know its a total different fitness),
B) I don't have the right 'figure' for running but I give it a go anyway, and
C) my asthma doesn't particularly like running....
....but I'm waking up fifteen minutes later than the time I get up for work and doing it...to the surprise of many who know I LOVE my Saturday sleep-ins...and to my own surprise, I'm enjoying it.

The best part is that, as I slowly work at beating my personal best, every weekend that I do it I feel like I've accomplished something which, right now, is something I don't feel I'm getting to do in other areas in my life...Other than novel writing. I've been wanting change (odd I know) and, although this isn't the change I was expecting, I'm taking it on with excitement and I'm loving it.

Sometimes in life we get in a rut and life just happens and as much as my weekly routine still feels like a DEEP rut, my life has been changed by a new friend, a change in routine and a barcode on Saturday mornings.

So as I slowly work on my fitness with a few goals in mind...I can't help but think that this will be the start of a new season in my life....

 

 

Life is like a trail on the cliffs...

I just got back...well, on Sunday, from a holiday down at the coast visiting my brother and his family. The lifestyle down there is SO different, easy paced compared to the rush back here in Joburg - I really didn't want to come back.
Anyway, last Saturday my brother and I did a trail hike along the cliffs. It was a BEAUTIFUL long hike that had its own steep downs and ups. My brother does this trail almost every week - it's an 8.5k trail - and he half runs half walks (there are parts where there is no way you could run up it) - but we walked it....in 2 and a half hours.
When we hit the first 'rough' section of the downs and ups, my brother turned to me and said:
"You do know that for every down there is an up?"
"Yip." I said.
As I slowly worked my way down the section we were on, I found I was already dreading the up that was about to follow. Thankfully, after an up, you get a nice flat-ish section to walk where you don't really have to look where you're walking and can enjoy the view and breeze.

In life, there are ups and downs too...with some flat areas in between where life just goes on. It feel like, for me, that my life the past few months has been a trail on the cliffs with ups, downs and flats - sometimes all three in one day! You're down in this area but up in another or down for a few day on one thing and you're waiting for that UP to come and make you feel better - not happy in the flat sections when if feels like the world is passing you by....
Sometimes, in these times, it's even hard to trust - specially when you're wondering "What next?" or "Surely this isn't what God intended!"
Although I know it's true, as it's happened in the past, it's hard to know that in this frustrating time, God's timing is perfect. The ups and downs of various things happen at the right time for us...even those flat frustrating times when you're waiting, hesitantly, to see if there is an up or a down to come next.
I guess, as I have been for who knows how long, I'll just need to wait and see what will happen next.

Back again....

You know you haven't written a blog in a long time when you cant even remember your password! Now I just hope I remember my new password!

Since my return from the states....which now seems like ages ago now....life has been, to put it simply, HECTIC!!

You would think, after attempting to study last year around this time that I would have learnt my lesson that October is generally a busy month....but NOOOOOooooo! I signed up to do a six week course on Intellectual Property....with an exam on the 16th of November. So what happens?
1) I have the BIGGEST schedule change of my life to work through,
2) Everything starts picking up at work during October,
3) I have a novel to plot for,
4) My exam is halfway through my novel writing month (yes, I'm still determined to write another novel)
5) A few health challenges....
...but I'm pushing on and pushing through. I'm way behind where I should be on my modules but I'm hoping this weekend will be a boost in cracking through some of those modules.

But otherwise things are going. Life has been challenging the past few month where I've had to learn a lot but have also been annoyed with life and with God. A friend and I chatted last night and I was mentioning the frustrations and is it wrong to be annoyed with God - angry that things aren't the way you were hoping to be and yet, at the same time wondering if God rolls his eyes at me as I continually fall into the same sin over and over and over again. In conclusion and thinking about our conversations in bed last night, God already knows that I'm going to keep making mistakes but His Grace covers me...and I'm probably letting myself down more than Him as I continue to try and not sin, He knows I'm angry and He knows my struggles....and even though I'm annoyed with most of His plans, He still knows whats best for me. I guess its just that whole thing of trusting and leaning on Him, to know He's looking out for me and that He will give me the strength to overcome things/sin that I keep falling into.

So anyway, this is a short brief blog. I still plan on writing a blog on the snow we had here....however many months ago....since snow is rare in SA it was a big thing. So maybe, when I find time, I'll make that blog movie of Snow!

Until next time....

A photo from a day at the cricket on Saturday....