Color Run Atlanta!

Weeks ago I was visiting Stacy Julian's blog and she was saying how fun she thought this race called the Color Run would be to do.  I have been running - ish for a while now so I thought I would check it out.  I found out that the Color Run was coming to Atlanta and I got an idea.  I sent an email to my running girlfriends and asked if they would like to do the run and make a girls' weekend out of it.  They all thought that was a great idea, and a plan was formed.  

This past Friday 3 of my sweet friends, Kimberly, Mary Kathryn and Heather, and I went to Atlanta.  We had a fabulous night out on Friday, eating, window shopping, and laughing together.  We got to stay at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center, which was a very difficult thing for the 2 UGA graduates in our group to do.  This of course delighted me to no end. ;)

Saturday morning was warm and overcast, perfect for our race.  We walked to Piedmont Park and couldn't believe our eyes.  There was a sea of white shirts as far as we could see.  That was part of the race - you start out in a white shirt and they cover you with color throughout the race so you are a rainbow piece of art by the time you are finished.  The race organizers said it was the biggest race they had had so far.  There were approximately 10,000 people there.  The race did not disappoint.  We had so much fun getting blasted with color.  By the end of the race and celebration, there was really not a part of our bodies that wasn't covered in color.  We loved it.  

Having sweet friends to laugh and have fun with is definitely one of God's best blessings in life.  

Music Monday

This week's Music Monday song is one of my very favorite hymns.  I love hearing it at any time, but it is especially poignant and meaningful this Easter week.  Sometimes I think we focus so much on the Resurrection that we forget the agony and anguish Jesus went through in the crucifixion.  This version is done by the Choir of King's College in Great Britain.  I hope the words and tune remind us all this week of what our Lord went through to save us all from sin.

On the nightstand

You all know I am a huge reader.  I usually read at least one book a week.  I don't always love the books I read.  I used to feel that I had to finish a book.  Now, if I don't like it, I put it away and get another one going.  I did that just two days ago.  

I also lead a book club at my church.  Last month we had the privilege to read Tamera Alexander's book, A Lasting Impression.  Believe me when I tell you I couldn't put it down. I love historical fiction, and this book is set at the end of the Civil War when Reconstruction was happening.  It takes place at the Belmont Mansion in Nashville, Tennessee.  The Belmont Mansion is a real place that is still standing today.  I won't tell you too much about the book, but please run out and get it and read it.  

The extra special part of our book club this past month though, was getting to video chat with Tamera Alexander!  We all talked after the chat about how we think that an author might be hoity toity and super intellectual, but how Tamera was so sweet and easy to talk to.  It was like talking to our neighbor.  She is, of course, super smart, but she was extremely gracious and told us all about her research, extra info about the Belmont Mansion and one of the main characters in the book, who lived at the Mansion.  If you ever need or want to read really good historical fiction, please check out Mrs. Alexander's books.  You won't be disappointed.  I am eagerly awaiting her new book coming out in November.

I also love to read to my children.  My parents read to me a great deal while I was growing up.  It was such a fun, special time for us.  So naturally I love to read with my kids.  Right now I am reading The Mysterious Benedict Society with Aubrey each night. It is a long book - about 475 pages, but full of mystery so we are enjoying it together.  Neither of us want to stop reading when we need to!  

If you ever need book recommendations, please let me know.  I love to talk books!

Music Monday

Today's song is one my kids like.  Being someone who loves words and wordplay, I have thought this song was very clever ever since I first heard it quite a while ago.  It's fun.

Music Monday

Yesterday our church celebrated our 125th anniversary.  We invited back all of our former pastors who are still living and any relatives of former pastors who have passed away.  We had pastors and relatives from all over come back to celebrate with us.  Several of the relatives were related to pastors who had pastored in the late 1800's or early 1900's.  

It was such a special service.  Our church's theme this year is Walk by Faith and all the former pastors spoke of walking by faith during their time at our church.  The stories of God's provision and direction were amazing.  We laughed and we cried.  I was so encouraged by these men of God who were still listening to Him and following Him late into their lives.  They were so sweet and encouraging to us.  

I started thinking about Music Monday and what I wanted the song to be.  After yesterday this song, which has always been one of my very favorites immediately came to mind.  I think the lyrics echo our service yesterday perfectly.  

Music Monday

Last night we watched some of the Grammy's.  It is always a spectacle and last night was no different.  Of course, much of the show was a tribute to Whitney Houston and her too early passing.  I wanted to post a Valentine's Day love song here and since it is appropriate I thought I would post Whitney's Greatest Love of All. I was in about 5th or 6th grade I think when this came out and thought it was the best song ever.  My prayer is that Whitney knew the truly Greatest Love of All, Jesus.  

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!  I hope it is filled with much love.  

Book Review Tuesday

Tonight I am leading the women's book club at my church.  I have been leading it for over 5 years now.  It is one of my loves.  Actually reading anything period is one of my loves.  I have always loved to read.  It started young when my family didn't have a television.  Not because we couldn't afford it, but because my parents believed it wasn't good for us as children or for us as a family.  Can you even imagine your home without a television?  I never knew what I was missing.  We read through series of books together as we read every night before bed and any time we couldn't wait to find out what happened next in the book.  We played lots of board games together as a family.  And we went on bike rides through our neighborhood in the summer with my sister and I on the back of my parents' bikes.  It was good.  I learned to love to read and it has stayed with me.  We finally did get a tv when my grandfather came to stay with my sister and I when my parents had to go away on a trip.  He wouldn't stay without one!

I thought it might be fun to review the books we read for book club so if any of you out there want to read some good (mostly) Christian fiction you can have some recommended to you.  Tonight we are discussing Not A Sparrow Falls by Linda Nichols.  It isn't a new book, but it is fabulous.  It is about a young woman who is saved as a child, but her family falls apart and she ends up in a very bad situation.  She manages to get out of it, start anew under an assumed name and meets a prominent minister's family who is struggling to hold it together after the loss of a family member and the demands of a high profile ministry.  Their lives connect and intertwine.  Ultimately it is a story of redemption and how nothing is too awful for God to redeem.  My favorite quote of the book is "You cannot out sin the cross."

Next month we are reading A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander.  I cannot wait to start it!  Let me know if you ever want to join us in person.  We'd love to have you!