Ok. I am in a hurry, so I will type this out really fast. Forgive typos.

Just wanted to share what the Lord quickened to me this morning.  It was so good.  I am sort of athletic.  In other words – I excercise.  I can play some sports.  However, one thing I have never been is a runner.  I mean I could do some High Impact Aerobic Class for like an hour and half – but run a mile?? No.  So I guess you could say that I have been training for the great Living Word Camp Triathalon!  Ha. THe past 2 years I have wished to be in it, but I knew that I wasn’t able to run three miles.  So with the help of my trainer, Chelsea, I am almost there.  I have til next thursday to get to 3 miles.  TOday was a milestone – I ran 2.5 miles!  That is big for me. SOmething even greater happen today though. .. I actually woke up excited and determined to run 2.5 miles – i was looking foward to it, and actually confident that I could do it. .. but it was raining out, a little.  I have run in snow and rain – so no big deal – headed out anyways.  Well it poured a few times and then right near the end, about 3/4 mile left to go – and started pouring pretty hard.  By now I am drenched, and I just started to laugh.  Here I am by myself on the parkway, laughing and running!  Then this just went through my head “You can have joy in the rain!” — Life can be hard.  LIfe can seem like only rain. But with the Lord we are graced to be able to have JOY IN THE RAIN!!!!  At this point I was basically crying, laughing and running all at the same time — don’t forget — DRENCHED.  Now its like the last quarter mile and as i turn the corner – the very end – i could even see the end in site — I pours like twice as hard and the wind starts whipping — and with such determination — i head to the end.  I was running the race in my head!!  WHen I hit the end, it tookeverything in me to not drop on the ground and and just Praise the Lord!  I was physical fine and honestly excited because I could have gone even farther.  I wasn’t dropping because of physical exhaustion – but of just complete Wonder and Awe for the greatness of our Lord and how we can have JOY in tough rainy times — we can have victories when it rains!  I didn’t end my big bad 2.5 miles and then the rain stopped — no I ended it and it was still raining –

Whatever you my be going through – keep running – who cares that it is raining!!!!  Have Joy!!! He is with you.