Just Me...

So...after telling my friend, Hannah, we should do this 31 day blog challenge...I'm finally getting started while she is on day 17 or something. So here we go with Day 1

Today’s assignment is: The story of your life in 250 words or less…so here I go:

I’m the youngest born of four children, a laat lametjie. I was fortunate enough to be home with my mom in my younger years (no preschool for me); siblings looked after me in school holidays. I went to Aston Manor Primary School and Sir Pierre van Ryneveld High School. I lived for sport in my school days playing Softball and Cricket and participating in Athletics, both track and field. I went to college and continued playing cricket until I began working at TWR. I am still at TWR after 9 years. I now have 3 siblings-in-laws, 4 nephews and 3 nieces. I love writing novels in my spare time and hope to publish one soon. I enjoy being with my family and close friends. I enjoy playing squash, even if I get my butt whipped and doing 5k runs (or walks).

That’s it….short and sweet and way under 250 words!

Until tomorrow....

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.