Resilience

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Over the Hump (fluffy dog, burnt backside)
9:09 AM on Wednesday, May 23

This day started out rough, but I got over the hump. It was also hump day, Wednesday, so I guess that fit. I've been super tired, and this run was tough, especially since there was a lot of wind one direction compared to what it has been being. I told myself during the run that it was good prep for the beach next week. I was glad to have more time at home before going to work later in the afternoon, so I went over to the old house and did one of those routes. I was feeling down and discouraged all morning, but on the run, I started getting over that hump, too. Mental energy affects physical energy, which didn't help me then, but once I got motivated, it got better. (There is also this huge fluffy dog in the neighborhood, and the past few times I've been there, he has followed me home. He's like a bear; I could cuddle him, but he is basically as big as I am.) I really need to change some things if I want to be able to have more productive days, keep my job while still doing all my cross country training, eat well, sleep well, and have time for family and friends.

Mom made dinner while I was gone running (yes, in the morning) because she was going to the old house to mow and get stuff ready for the yard sale. This let me have some time to myself and have a good meal to take with me. Thanks to Mom for making sure I get the fuel!

It was a beautiful day, so I was determined to take advantage of it! This week I've finally gotten to start working on my tan and getting used to the heat, but I know the beach will still kill me this year! I always tend to lay/sit more where my front gets more sun, so I laid on my belly all I could. That ended up being the whole time I was outside...hours! It was the hottest day I've had so far and the most sun I've gotten, hence the "burnt backside," but it wasn't bad. 

The (second) best part of the day was my fort! I was a creative kid, and it came back out today. I wanted to be outside, but also had so many things to do and look at on my laptop or iPad (emails, articles, calendars, Bible study, etc). As you probably know, you can't see those things well in the sun. BUT I made a cover for my head, papers, books, snacks, etc, while my body was still in the sun! That also helped me keep myself from overheating. To make it even better, there was an outlet right there, too. This was one of the greatest ideas I've had.

My Bible study that I did here today added to this day getting better! It was like a direct answer to my prayers. I've been so indecisive over what to do for my job and balancing my life, asking God to show me what to do. I have gotten so many little messages from God along the way the past few months, I had no doubt that He would somehow guide me, but I didn't know when. This Daniel Plan devotion started with Isaiah 48:17. WOW. The theme of the devotion was resilience. Dictionary definition-the ability to bounce back and recover from illness, adversity, depression, and the like. WOW. It kept on, hitting at simple things like if you don't eat a good breakfast, you can still eat a good lunch. If you make a wrong decision, you can learn from it and start fresh each day. When we face challenges, we can see them as opportunities. These are the things that I have been keeping in my mind to help me through the tough days. Yeah, the day may have started out rough, but every step of the day is a new opportunity.

I also worked from 4:45-10:30, training two new employees, but it was good, so at least that wasn't too stressful. My job is more tiring than you would think! But good coworkers make it so much better. Then I got to watch NBA on the couch and eat some more dinner with mom and dad. That is my favorite way to end the day.