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Happy Hump Day Bloggies!

We are half way through the work week, thank goodness!

I am slowly but surely getting back into the swing of things with my workouts.

Monday night Reba and I went on a nice long doggie walk and the weather could not have been better! Then this morning I was up with the sun (and Tom...always such an early riser) for a quick 4-miler.

It was downright **chilly** when I started (and when I finished!) and my legs stung a little from the cold. It felt great!

I did the 4 miles in 41:33. A 10:28 pace. I was happy with this time considering I've taken so much time off from running. Heck, I was glad I simply got out of the bed!

On the last leg of my run, I turned east on River Road on my way home. Right about then the bright sun peeked through the trees and shone right in my face. It was such a calm and peaceful moment.

In that moment I remembered that today is my friend Parker's birthday. He would have been 32 years old today. And in that moment I was not sad, but thought of him in heaven....doing the things he loved to do. Listening to crazy rock music, off-roading in old beat-up Land Cruisers, and watching over his friends and family. I smiled to myself as I thought about him. I did not cry, but finished my run with more of a pep in my step than usual. My peaceful moment also made me look forward to a devotional I was planning to do over breakfast. I am reading a really good book right now that I wanted to share with yall. It is called The Message Solo Remix

It's by Eugene Peterson, the author of The Message, which is described as a contemporary paraphrase of The Bible.

I like it because it has 365 individual devotional messages, each with four parts: Read, Think, Pray, and Live. Each message focuses a few verses of scripture and challenges the reader to worship through the four steps.

I really struggle with making time for devotional or quiet time with God, and this book as made it easy for me because I look forward to my quiet time now. It is very easy to read, at the same time thought-provoking.

Throughout the day I've found myself thinking about the verses in that morning's message and I love that.

Just what the doctor ordered!

I couldn't find a good picture, but the spine and back of this book are HOT PINK because a portion of the proceeds from sales to breast cancer research.

Another book I can't put down right now is Sarah's Key (hey...how did this turn into a book post? hm.). Has anyone read this book? Read the summary HERE.

If you have not read it yet and would like to, do yourself a favor and do not read it on the heels of any tragedy you have experienced. I don't know what I was thinking, reading this book at this time in my life but for some reason I can't put it down.

Seriously, it is one of the best books I've ever read but just wish I'd decided to read it when every. single. thing. didn't bring me to brink of tears.

And I just learned they are making it into a movie!

Anyway...I don't know how I got off on that book tangent.....

I am doing a 10K on Saturday so that should be comical! There is a race in Hernando (a neighboring town about 30 minutes away) that my friend is planning so I thought I'd participate.

I am a little nervous about the distance. I could not tell you the last time I ran 6.2 miles!

But I am just going to have fun and take it easy. I expect to walk often and just enjoy the route. Hernando is a cute, FLAT town...much like Tunica....so I am looking forward to it.