(Ice cream) Sunday and Babysitting Goodbyes

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This was going to be a long day...I got to bed really late after work as usual on Saturday nights aka Sunday mornings, but at least it was before 1 am this time! But I'm dead. All day I could not stay awake; my eyes and head were dropping at everything. Church was really good, but I was struggling. All day I just tried to keep myself occupied to stay awake. I didn't have time to take a nap, but I would've given so much for one...

Pastor Dean's sermon was about how God is the giver of all things new. He forgives our sins, makes the sun rise each new day, changes hearts and lives in ways that we never could imagine. Passages of scripture about "new" have been great encouragement to me when I have struggled in the past and/or am trying to make a change in my life. He can take any bad situation, any sin, any sinner, and make them new. One of my favorite verses on this is Isaiah 43:19, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." 
Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:10 are about putting of the old self and on the new self that God made to be righteous. 
In the passage Pastor Dean used in Luke 5:36-39 and another I love in 2 Corinthians 5:17, old can't stay with the new. You must let go of what is holding you back and work in the life ahead!

This is a recurring theme in my life, especially lately with the studies I have been in! Personally (and usually with most people whether we admit it or not), I know the old that I need to get rid of. But we can't just get rid, we have to replace. New and good!

in Sunday School, our contemporary worship leader and his wife came as guest speakers. I have always loved them even before I really knew them. Last semester I got to work with Brooks in the media department as an internship in place of one of my classes. There are just some people that have that "something" about them that others admire. That's a gift from God. It is great to hear from people in all walks of life and how they have seen God at work and the advice they can give. Fellowship is one of the most powerful tools that we have!

My little kids are moving this week! I met the Mom and son on a dog walk in the old neighborhood the end of last summer, and I babysat them a time or two a month most of this year! It was really nice since they lived just down the road. I had never babysat before, but I apparently did well because they kept asking me to come back! Almost a year later, we have moved and now they are moving, too. The parents were taking an afternoon to get outside themselves, so I came and occupied the kids! David and Svea have grown up loving to be outdoors, which is something I admire about that family. It is hard to find people "not of this world" anymore. It was always good for me to get out and away from the rest of the world when I was with them, too. Today I took them some little things and some cake, then we went to the park to enjoy the beautiful day! We rode bikes, kind of (we walked a lot for the hills and roots), but David wanted to take his scooter. Svea and I didn't think that was a good idea, but he insisted and learned the hard way. Scooters are not made for trails.

Dad has been working almost nonstop on our dock for a week now. He is almost done, but it is another one of those projects that once he finally gets going, he doesn't stop. Bless his heart, he is such a hard worker, it just drags out. I am usually okay huger-wise eating dinner really late (a bad habit I've gotten into), but I have really felt the affects of this over time now. I eat later, have a really long day, do more stuff later, then get to bed later, and I just can't seem to get back on track. I have to.

**SOS my family needs sleep!

Today's holidays are National Give Something Away Day, National I Love Horses Day, and National Ice Cream Day! I didn't have anything to do with horses except drive past them on the road, but I did give my little babysitting kids a gift, card, and slice of cake! For the ice cream, here are just some pictures of the best ones...and some Breyer's that got me to win some for free from a Twitter contest!

Here we have Cold Stone Creamery (my mix from the beach with strawberry cake batter and triple berry yogurt with strawberry wafers, brownie, coconut), Breyer's, Kirk's (also from the beach, pistachio, coconut almond, blueberry pie, banana pudding), Halo Top (most of the flavors that I have tried are amazing), Bruster's (some of the best creative flavors and a good price!), Clumpies (local to Chattanooga, creative flavors!), Foote's Rest Sweet Shop (the one and only in downtown Frisco, Colorado, homemade daily!), and another not pictured is the Comfy Cow!

The Light at the Lookout

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I wanted to "do something" this summer, so at the end of July I got a group of people together to invite any and everyone in the community to come out to Panther Creek Park one morning for a devotion time and bringing items for Food on Foot, a great organization here in East Tennessee that collects and distributes care packages and items to needy kids in the area.  This was the choice for where I wanted to focus some help going into this school year because as my mom works in an elementary school, she knows some home stories and kids who will just melt your heart.  There is such great need for food, faith, love, and simple care right here in Morristown.  Food on Foot is always welcoming donations and volunteers.

This is the logo for the flyer that I got my friend Abby Mitchell to draw!

This was a post from my instagram, showing some of the items that were ideas to donate and the verse that is like a theme verse, Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world...let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

The goal:  Let God's light shine through us into our community

 

Below is the beautiful view for where we met!

Now I'll go through some points and scriptures from my "message" if you want to hear what it was all about!

 

This world is full of darkness...sickness, hurting, sadness, murder, stealing, lying, cheating, disrespect, etc, and it makes me so disappointed to see so many lost and struggling people out there, so I want to do something about it!  I know it can be difficult and scary, but together we have others to back each other up.  We can not only keep each other going, but hopefully encourage others by example to get going, too.  I think that John 3:19-21 kind of sum this up.  "This is the verdict:  Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."  In general, the world has turned from the light and doesn't want to admit doing wrong.  God's children are to live full of Christ so that the world sees how great He is through what we do and how we live.

 

Analogy of God's light to actual light:  sunlight makes things grow, is warm, healthy and refreshing to our bodies.  Same with God!  He helps us grow in faith and character, warms our hearts, and can heal and refresh our body and soul.  Lights are also usually focal points of something, and God should also be the focus of a Christian's life.  Light helps us see things just like God's light helps us ee things like sin, hope, opportunities, reasons that things happen, and purpose for life.

 

Light overpowers darkness.  Consider a dark room, any size, even an entire gym or stadium.  Not matter how much darkness fills that room, if you light a single candle, it will be seen.  Not amount of darkness can put out a light.

 

In the world but not of the world is a simple, yet accurate saying about how Christians are called to live.  In John 8:12 Jesus said, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  Later in 1 John 1:5, John writes along the same lines, "This is the message we have heard and declare to you:  God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all."  Yes, we physically live in a dark world, but spiritually we can always have an eternal glow.

 

Be bold in actions!  You have God to protect you.  "The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear?"  Psalm 27:1

He will give us anything we need to serve Him.  "Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord."  Psalm 89:15

 

We all screw up sometimes.  No matter how bad or how many times someone goes astray, God has the power to bring them back.  We're all sinners, but there's always the invitation to turn to Christ.  "But you are a chosen people, a holy priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light."   (1 Peter 2:9)  Once we realize this salvation, we can tell others about how they can posses it, too!  You don't have to be anything special.  "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Isaiah 9:2)."

 

God can change anyone.  Consider David.  God called him "a man after My own heart."  David, such an influential man in the Bible, committed adultry with a woman named Bathsheba adn had her husband sent to battle to be killed!  Yet, God still still loved him and chose his family to be Jesus's family years later.  In thanking God for His mercy, Dad said "You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light (2 Samuel 22:29)."

 

Though we can't actually see and converse with God, His Word is the guide and light for our lives.  "The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.  the commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes."  Psalm 19:8

"The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple."  Psalm 119:130

"For these commands are a lamp, this teaching a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life."  Proverbs 6:23

 

There can always be more to life.  There is always more that we can learn.  God is willing and wanting to show us these things if we are willing to listen.  "For God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."  2 Corinthians 4:6  By gaining more of said knowledge of Christ, anybody can change his or her life.  "For You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life."  Psalm 56:13

 

Summing up 3 great things that come with life in the light:  "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin."  1 John 1:7  We get to have a relationship with God, fellowship with other believers, and salvation from our sins.

 

It doesn't stop there!  It doesn't end when we get it in our own hearts.  Each of us had to hear about it some way or another, whether at church, school, home, a friend, cookout, the radio...somewhere!  We have to follow the words of the little kid song, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!"  It may keep our souls content, but there are countless people out there looking for something to satisfy them, but they just can't find it.

 

When good things happen, we love to share about it, right?  Like when you have a good hair day, it must go on your snapchat story.  Or you have this amazing boyfriend, so you have to post a picture of him on Instagram every Monday.  (I'm not insulting you if you have done this; those were just the first examples that came to mind!)  But really, your hair is going to get messed up, and your boyfriend will make you mad, and in most cases, you won't end up marrying him anyways.  That's life, but you're still going to talk about it.  Well guess what.  God is good, and He will never let you down, so why not share that with others, too?  When we're filled with the Lord, it makes the good times that much better.  And for someone who crosses your path who may not have anything going for them, the smallest word or action could make his or her day.  Sometimes we don't even have to say anything.  When we let Christ's light shine through our lives, people will see it.  There are opportunities to shine wherever we go.  "You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden...In the same way, let your light shine before men so that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5:14, 16  We don't have to do something big, give a lot of money, or go far away to make a difference.  Right where we are is a great place to start.

 

This is why I chose Food on Foot as a little project to get myself and those around me involved in.  I want to start this year off service-oriented.  This is also close to my heart, as my mom works in the school system and sees these kids and hears their stories daily.  If you only knew some of their backgrounds, it would break your heart.  Just some things to think about:  We may complain about school food, but some kids live for lunchtime because that's the only meal they'll get for the day.  We may get mad if we have to walk through the grass across the school yard and our shoes get wet or dirty, but at least that's not the only pair we own.  We might have homework some or even every night, but some kids wish they only had pencils and paper at home so they could at least try to do it.  You never know what someone else may be going home to.  Or not going home at all.  We all have opportunities to be a bright spot in someone's day, whether by words, actions, or just the way we live in general.  One final, simple thing we can all do anytime and anyplace is pray.

It's Race Day, Race Day, Gotta Run Fast on Race Day..

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A little "run down" of what goes down on a home race day. 

I sleep in a little more...and run less. 

I also get my dinner ready to warm up as soon as I get home since it will be so late. 

 

This is what I had for lunch-toaster waffle with blackberry jam, blueberries, and strawberries. I have coffee at school every day, too.

Ya know, just some more evidence of my gift...

I tried a new protein bar and loved it!  It was the Picky Bars Smooth Caffinator.

I love to participate in contests and projects, so I did this one for Camelbak's #LivingColorful and to remind my team to hydrate!

Another new thing I tried before this race was the same brand of drink mix that I've been using when it's been more humid and I sweat more, but the kind with caffeine! I don't know if I even drank enough to make a difference, but it tasted good.

Before our first home meet, things are busy. We do team and individual pictures as well as take pictures with every single banner from each sponsor to send them a thank you. 

We start warming up about an hour before race time, make final bathroom breaks, and change shoes before heading to the line around 15 minutes before where we do strides, team prayer, and our cheer. At this meet Coach Burroughs sang the national anthem and our area FCA leader led us all in a prayer. Coach Farmer is the starter!  (Should we trust him with a gun?)

Our 5k course:  

I'd say it would compare to any of the toughest high school courses you would find anywhere. If you know anything about course record times, my old record was 19:40 (However I've lowered it to 18:38). It's tough, hilly, rocky, and rooty, but I love the challenge. We tell our new girls that if they can race our home course, they can make it anywhere. 

Flat, open start, a loop through/around some trees, the mile loop, a little flat area past the campground, cross the road and onto Old Wagon where there are little spectators but big hills. The two mile mark is at the top of a long, gradual hill about halfway through. After another half mile comes the toughest hills, a short and steep one and a long and steep one. But this is my favorite part!  It's up that hill and you're on the downhill stretch--literally!  You go down the big hill and it flattens out!  From there you run to the 3 mile marker, round the corner, and to the finish!

We are also lucky not only to have the park to practice and host races, but to have an official timing system, too!  We also have some pretty great music, and having a great race makes me want to dance; dance is what I did (just a little after I caught my breath and legs). 

Farmer likes to do his races a little different order than most, where the boys race first. His logic is that they run faster so they'll all finish sooner so the girls can start sooner. (This helps even more at our second home meet because middle school races two 2-mile races after us, followed by an elementary 1-mile race that I get the joy of leading!  It really hurts me trying to run after a race, even after a cool down, but that's just what happens! Racing hard is brutal on a body!  However, I get a big head start and just show them where to go. By the end when they pass me I just tell them where to go.)

That was the race from more of an outsider's perspective, so here it is from a runner.  I won't give too much detail, because running and racing is just something that you can't understand unless you actually do it.

Before races, I am never sure how things will go.  Like James 4:14 says, "You do not even know what will happen tomorrow..."  I always make time to read some scriptures and pray before every race to give me some peace and focus for what I am about to do.  Before this race, I read Psalm 37.  A couple verses from there that stood out were the first words:  "Do not fret..." because I was a little nervous for this first race.  Verse 4 is also one of my all-time favorites:  "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

 

  I also wrote 1 Peter 4:11 on my lower leg to remind me that I have to do this with His strength because I literally have none.  Especially with anemia, I have no energy except that that God fills me with.  Then because it is all from Him, it is all for Him.  The result is to use His strength to proclaim that strength.

  This is my calling.  Each race is an opportunity to use my gifts.  Whether I win or lose, feel good or miserable, if I have done my best, the result is God's plan.  I am to use every step to shine for Him.  Win, I praise Him.  Lose, I praise Him.  Racing is not easy.  Start lines are the scariest part.  Hearing that gun go off and the stampede of runners taking off in that first speed out is a bit intimidating!  There are so many bodies all heading for the same place as the trail narrows; I am always relieved when this part is over. 

 

Throughout races, I pray, sing bits of songs, and remember Bible verses.  Some particular to this race were from the Psalms passage, verse 24, "though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand," and the Bible Gateway verse of the day from the day before from Psalm 119:165, "Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble."  Though I did stumble a few times, literally, I did not fall!  And though I have my fears and failures, God never lets me fall.

The song that was in my head was "Lord I Need You" 

Races seem to fly by so fast!  The great ones especially.  This night was one of those.  When I have a run where I feel so free and flying and joyful, it is truly a gift from God.  I was so excited and thankful crossing that finish line, feeling better than I had since last season, relieved to have my first race this season done, I was filled with joy to the point of tears!

I have become so attached to my teammates!  They truly are my best friends. These two have been with me running since 6th grade, and Katlyn has been with me since kindergarten. Now we're seniors. We are so much more mature and have been through so much, but we are so thankful to have each other through the struggles. Each struggle is unique, but we can all relate. We are so pumped to be here in this season.
On Monday, we didn't all 3 plan to dress up, but since we did, I wanted to get a pretty picture of us.  Then we decided that we needed one just like it in our uniforms before the race and our first-team shirts after the race.  Again, there through it all!

Not to brag, just honestly what happens, I can't name a Panther Creek race where we didn't get a perfect score.

Farmer always picks out different colored first and second team all-meet shirts to give out to the top and second seven finishers. The individual winner gets a nice embroidered polo (one year was sweatshirts), and the top teams get plaques. 

After awards and pictures, it's time to head up the hill to the parking lot and back home!

It's late. No shower before dinner these nights.  I threw my leftover bows in the microwave and whipped up some dessert, finally cleaning up around 9:30. Now I still had to unpack and repack for school, do some work, and shower before bed. I love my sleep but race nights are just one of those times I am up late!

It may seem like a long day, but it flies by. 

I love it. 

There really is nothing like cross country season. 

Finally in that Summertime Grind

Now that I'm back from the beach, I can do some of the things that I look forward to doing around home during summer break.  Unfortunately, I only have two weeks until I'm gone for another two weeks, and one of those weeks is already gone.  This is going by way too fast!

What better way to start the day than a morning run at Panther Creek?  That's what I do Monday through Friday, and sometimes on weekends, too.  Summertime cross country is one of my favorite things to do, and this has been the first week this summer that I've gotten to go every day and not rush to leave! 

Here is 60+ new shark teeth that I am adding to my collection that I started last year.  I have given a couple away, but like I keep trying to tell myself, "Why have things just to have them?  Share them!  That makes it worthwhile."  I sent one to my papaw in his Father's Day card because he has a much bigger collection than I do, which is what got me started looking for shark's teeth.

I had seen this coffee on the Life is Good website and put it on my "wish list" for whenever my parents or someone is looking for something to get me.  Last week, they got it at Ingles!  I can buy it just down the road from my house!  Morristown just continues to step it up!  There are also other flavors, but my main one to try is the S'more to Love, because I am in love with smores (especially marshmallows), but next I would love to try the Banana Bread Bliss.

Since I am back from the beach now, I am not spending so much money on desserts, as was my goal after going all out last week!  Here are a couple healthy, hearty, and yummy dessert ideas I thought of.  Freezer bananas are really good, and will stay fresh that way for a really long time, so that's how I've been keeping my fruits fresh.  For the one on the left, I melted dark chocolate and drizzled it over, then stuck on peanuts and Peanut Butter Cheerios and froze it.  On the right, I sliced my banana in half to make it easier to spread, mixed peanut butter, almond butter, and honey, spread them on, and topped it with peanuts before sending it back in the freezer!

Another great freezer advantage:  when yogurts are going to expire, freeze them.  They won't.  Expiration dates are not always valid, as I have also noticed.  I have many times bought yogurts accidently without realizing that the date was a month before then, but got lost on the shelf.  It was still perfectly fine.  Smell and test the texture and taste first, but they will usually still be good as new!  Before we left for the beach, I had over a week's worth of yogurts that would hit their date while we were gone.  I was a little worried that they might go to waste, so I froze them while we were gone, and now am enjoying them as I want them when I get them out of the freezer.

For the past month or so, Ingles has had the La Yogurt flavors as the cheapest yogurts they have!  I thought at first it may be to clean them out, but they still have them freshly stocked each time I go!  I am loving this, because it is a very good brand, and way cheaper now than it used to be.  Depending on the flavor, they are either 55 or 65 cents each.  That is a deal!  The two that I get most are Pumpkin Pie and Cinnamon Maple.  There are tons of other flavors that I would love to try, they are just not available at stores where I have been shopping.  Another thing I've used here that I would love to try other flavors in is Arctic Zero ice cream.

Lately I've made a lot of maple protein shakes!  I used a partially frozen cinnamon maple yogurt, Arctic Zero vanilla maple "ice cream," vanilla protein powder, sugar free syrup, honey, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and premade milk ice cubes and blended them all up=a perfect milkshake to feed those muscles and my sweet tooth!

There is a thing going around on Instagram right now where everyone is challenging one or two people to post their favorite (or one of their favorite) Bible verses and challenge someone else to do the same.  I usually don't do those "chain message" type things that always used to go around like in elementary and middle school; I believe in Christ's plan, not the luck of forwarding a message/retweeting/etc.  This, however, is a good thing in my opinion!  It is great to have others to hold us accountable and see what many others have to share.  This is only one of a few of my favorite verses, and it took my 3 days to choose.  I decided on this one because I get really stressed out at times, but I know that if I just trust in God, He will fill me with joy and peace to power through and make the most of each and every day!

A new pancake creation!  I got this idea while Mom and I were walking through Walmart a couple days ago and passed the marshmallows.  Smores and pancakes, two of my favorites, so why not put them together?  I used my Special K Dark Chocolate Protein drink and a little cocoa powder in the batter, some marshmallows, and pieces of graham cracker.  To make it more photogenic and to add some more smore flavor (the marshmallows do better on top than in the pancakes if you want to try them), I put marshmallows and a bit more graham on top, then drizzled honey and syrup.  After a long run, these were super tasty to refuel!  One of my best creations yet! 

The next day, I got another great smores idea!  I am always looking for ways I can make dessert bowls with all kinds of coordinating snacks.  Mom made brownies for Dad's birthday next week, and I knew that she would love for me to eat one.  After hard work outside in the summer, I enjoy brownies, too, ya know!  So I took a Healthy Choice Greek Dark Chocolate Swirl Frozen Yogurt (super tasty even by itself), Yoplait Greek Boston Crème Pie, TruMoo Chocolate Milk Scoops, and cool whip, adding a brownie, Fiber One Chocolate Squares, graham crackers, and marshmallows for a terrific smore in a bowl!

Something that was on my list of things to cook this summer was to make my own recipe apple cinnamon bread.  After going to Walmart and loading up on pink lady apples, I just went in the kitchen one day and got on it.  Last summer, my neighbor who had a garden brought me lots of zucchini and had her own zucchini bread recipe that I also made.  I used her recipe as a guide, changing around some ingreedients, and whalah!  Apple cinnamon bread.

The recipe:

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups banana

3/4 cups pumpkin butter, sugars, honey, vanilla protein powder

2 cups grated/finely chopped apples

2 teaspoons vanilla

**Mix the above

Add:  2 1/2 cups flour (I used wheat)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, honey, oatmeal

**Stir together and spoon into 2 loaf pans.  Bake at 325 degrees for around 1 hour.  Depending on your oven heat, it may take more or less time, so check it!

I also keep my baked goods in the fridge when not in use to keep them fresh and moist longer.

I also got the idea to make a hashtag on Instagram for all my crafts and foods that I make, #KenziesCreations.

Are you ready for #CowAppreciationDay?  I sure am!  I love cows!  They're so cute (and tasty)!  Friday, July 11th will be our last day of practice at the park until the team goes to camp in Gatlinburg, and I have a great idea.  All the girls love doing our Bible Studies once a week at

Chick-fil-a, so we should dress up (partially) and run there from the park and have breakfast!  Katlyn and I talked about it this morning and think everyone would love to participate and hope that Farmer will let us. 

 

This morning, Katlyn and I did one of my favorite things:  a breakfast road run!  Wanna hear about it?  I posted about our fantastic morning, too.  What a wonderful way to end this week!  Happy #SmallBusinessSaturday!