Scripture Memory Verse 6

I've been running a lot lately. Quite uncomfortably actually. I'm talking about the physical kind - lace up your tennis shoes, hit the pavement (or treadmill in my case) type of running. I am not a runner. I have never been a runner. I'm not really that athletic. So, why am I doing this? Several reasons actually...

I am highly competitive and love a challenge. (Not always great traits of mine.) And, I was invited by a friend to run with a group of ladies from my church in a 5K in a few months ago. Considering this is something I've wanted to do for a LONG time, I knew I had to accept her invitation!

I want to experience the sense of completion in an area that seems very difficult to reach at the moment and something that I've tried to do in the past several times before.

But...ultimately...I simply want another redemption story to share that glorifies God.

Friends...He has been doing so much redemptive and deliverance work in me lately that I can hardly contain my excitement! It's been a tough process to go through at times. Layer by layer, He's been revealing various dimensions of myself that I didn't even know existed or have simply been hidden by years of regret.

Regret over...poor decisions, wasted effort, unmet expectations, dashed dreams, aspirations never attempted, and definitely regret over allowing fear to rule in my heart far too often. Most of the things in life that I've always wanted to do but never actually attempted have been rooted in fear. More specifically, fear of rejection or of failure. Often, I'll never attempt something, because I'm afraid I'll never achieve the end result or mess it up somehow in the process. And you know what? I've even been afraid to share with you - my blog community of friends - that I'm training to run a 5K on May 7! My first 5K. There, I've said it. I've hinted at it. I've tweeted about it. I've updated my Facebook status at times about it. But, I've never boldly stated on here that I'm planning to do this. Why? Because, I've afraid of failing and having to come back here and tell each of you that I've done so. That is so like the enemy to keep us bound up in fear in an effort to rend us completely powerless.

And, that often seems to be the case in so many areas of my life. Fear of putting myself out there in "whatever" for fear of being rejected or of failing! And, sadly fear keeps me from running this "life race" with all out abandonment for many of the same reasons. But, you know what? I'm so tired of being scared of the "what ifs" all the time. I'm tired of living "safely" and never experiencing and attempting those things God desires for me. I'm tired of being a wimpy Christian and not being bolder about my faith. I'm tired of the stinkin' grip fear has on me far too often.

So...here it goes...I'm registered to run my first 5K on May 7! I'm working through the 9 week Couch to 5K training program, and I'm hanging in there...even though it's been very hard at times. I've already been to the doctor once during this training period about some back pain I've experienced, but he told me to carry on. It's nothing serious that should stop my training at this point. And...with God's help, I will complete this thing!

So, I invite you to help hold me accountable! I welcome your comments, emails, messages of encouragement. And...I covet your prayers! I literally need to be bathed in them!

All that said, I'm two days late in posting my 6th scripture memory verse for the year! Please forgive me! So, here it is...the one I'm working on for the second half of March:

1 Corinthians 9:24 NIVDo you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.