Running barefoot

My friend at C.Beth Run is running barefoot for over a year now. She got very passionate about it this post. So I have been listening for all this time, and I have been vehemently telling her (and myself) that I am better off with my shoes on my feet. I have been running this way since I started running (on and off) over sixteen years ago. And there are several good reasons, for me, to wear shoes: I just didn't know better, and I like to be clean. The thought of getting my feet all icky sticky and black - just not my idea of running. I was also worried about the soles of my feet.

But after walk/running the 19 miles in that stadium and the hurt afterwards, I have never come back to running as freely as before. I feel more like I am dragging my feet across the asphalt - not a nice feeling, by the way. Having her on my side, not daily, but enough, I started thinking.... and thinking and thinking.... and came to the conclusion of trying it out, barefoot, but with the socks on!

And I so did, last Friday morning. I was told to only run a small block, not a great distance, because one runs with different muscles barefoot than with shoes on, so I was not to get hurt. It was only 0.25 miles that I ran, barely a block. My feet felt so free.... oh, it felt so good. I ran my two mils first, on shoes, and than took the shoes off. Did I mention how good it felt?! Oh, so good.

So this morning, I ran my first mile in 10:30  -a great timing! But after that I just felt tired and it was way too warm, for me, something I am not sure I will ever get used to. So my second mile was more like a disaster, so much that I had to walk for half of it. So I decided that it was time to take those shoes off, the shoes that I had been fighting for for so long, but I took them off. And I ran my first full mile without shoes! Yippy. My pace was bad, of course, but I kept in mind to take it easy at first. I didn't have to stop and take a walk break, I just ran.... ran for that entire mile and felt oh so good....

My dear friend Beth - you might have convinced me to start running barefoot..... it took you over a year, I guess I am not a person to be easily persuaded for what is best for me - I mean it took my hubby a long time to talk me into him and that he is good for me... You did it! You have that effect on me.... thank you! I am so blessed to have you in my life! (and if it is just for that running influence!) Here is the link to a blog she wrote about minimal shoes, something that I definitely have to look into....

There is a time for everything

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says:

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:..."

Today, one season has finished - the pastors of our church had their last Sunday. Last night, we celebrated their farewell with them. It's over now....
It was sad; it was a gloomy Sunday, where many tears were flowing and many hugs were given, goodbyes were said and see-you-soons promised. This season has ended, and a new one will come.

So the girl that doesn't cry, cried today, got all emotional and still feels the aftermath. It seems like for the longest time, I kind of avoided to think about what was coming today. But now it is here and it hurts....

I understand what they think - because I have been there many times. It is always easier for the one leaving than for the one staying behind. They are excited because they know where they are going. We, on the other hand, are staying and still don't know what will happen to our church. It is scary.

But God will only do good. He is good. He is bringing them to a new place to grow just as He is sending someone to us to grow as well. God is good, all the time. And I am looking forward to what is coming.

Homemade Bread

Does it look yummy?

My friend @ C.Beth has introduced me to bread making here, in a very easy way. Four ingredients is all you need for the first loaf of homemade bread! Flour, water, salt and yeast. Mix it and let it rise, then bake it. Sounds easy, right?

If you are into baking, here is the book that she has and I then ordered for myself: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes by authors Hertzberg and François. Here is the link to their website.

I've been making this easy bread for the last months, and to be honest, it gets boring after a while, at least for me. The hubby and the kids still love it, so I have to make it. But for me, I am more of a whole wheat kind of girl, so I wanted to try new breads and experiment with them.

So I read through some recipes, went shopping and started to bake. The above picture is of a bread from the section 'Peasant Breads', it's called Deli-Style Rye, and it is delicious. The seeds are caraway - something every German just loves!!! (I am serious.) It is also just as easy as the other recipes that I have tried out. It's so simple that it makes me wonder why I haven't started to make my own bread much sooner.

Bon Appetit.

Daily Verse and a review of my Resolutions

"Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions."

Mark 11:25 (NASB)

Never thought of it that way! I mean it makes total sense, and I am sure that I must have heard or read it before, but I never put one and one together. Sad, really, but I guess sometimes I just leave my brain in bed when dealing with the kiddos...

That said, I remembered my resolutions, or rather attempts to better myself. In regard of my faith, I wanted to read more of the bible - so one day, I can say I have read the bible from cover to cover. So I signed up to receive a daily verse via email - so that I am forced to read the bible every single day! No excuse. I am breaking my rule of not touching the computer on Sundays, but only for a bit in order to read the verse. I make the rules, so I can break them - at least that's my motto.

But even with the daily interaction with the bible, I still feel like something is missing.

Don't get me wrong, it's not God that I miss. I know He is here with me. That alone gives me peace. What I am looking for is knowledge.And with that comes understanding. I am not a big doubter but I can get off the path a little. That's why they keep saying that we all need God. It's true.

We used to have home groups and meet every week, or every other week, to discuss a part or portion of the bible. That involves reading the bible and talk about it and pray about it. I mean, all one needs for a relationship with Jesus. (Yes, of course, there were social actions included as a plus, but still God was there with us.)
Then we used to have bible studies for the women of the church - you know the weekly kind with a DVD and a book and homework and God. It was fun and I learned soooo much from it. It's gone. I used to give me more faith when I could put puzzle pieces together by learning more and more.

So now I am a bit at a loss here and feel like I need some catching-up. Catching-up with what God has to say to me, today. I want to hear from Him and what He has to say because I believe what was true back in the days when the bible was written is still true today. Parables from Jesus are as applicable in life today. God still is not finished with me and I just want more....

Yes, it's a bit my own fault because I am not very good at self-motivation. I need the pressure from someone or somewhere to get me going. I never thought of myself as a procrastinator but lately, observing myself, I have to admit that I have become one. Big time! I don't know when it happened, but I think it had something to do with having children....

So I think I need to add to my list of resolutions to undo the procrastinator thingy. And find a new group of people that would like to interact on behalf of the bible - meaning: a bible study group!


An afterword from yesterday's post:
today's verse:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

Math is not so foreign anymore

Before the summer really gets started, I want to make sure we cover a great deal of stuff. So lately, I have Coqui work a little extra each day. Also trying to prepare him for next fall when it gets a bit more serious.
I started even with handwriting - something that I had seen on other homeschooling blogs and curriculum that are for Kindergartners. Bible study has come back with a new vengeance from Mami who found a great website with LOTS of free coloring pages and studies for preschoolers. In biology, we did something that I thought would interest him most: the human body. But besides all the body parts, he doesn't seem to be too much into the details about bones and blood. Geography is one of my favorites, and it seems to me that Coqui must have inherited that! We do the states and Europe, of course, and he has such a good memory. When I asked him what states he knows, he could come up with eight states all on his own. Eight out of fifty is not bad for under five years old, I think. So I am a little proud.Once, we tried to build a volcano, but Mami must have done something wrong, so it broke and didn't work. Lesson learned? Sure, don't let Mami teach physics!!! (actually, I am still looking for a co-op for him for that specific subject!)

But we also do other not-so-school stuff like cooking and baking (that includes measuring). He watches me saw and comes up with creative ideas of what he wants me to saw for him. He actually came up with the train pillows and his train bag, and with his soccer shirt (with a number on it!). He helps cleaning up the backyard and watering all the plants -especially the ones Oma bought! (inside joke, because I don't have a green thumb and my mom's hobby is gardening!) He cleans my kitchen floors - no, no child labor, he actually wants to do it. I mean the list is endless..... he does alot.

So here is what we have been working on the last couple of days. He knows all the numbers until 20 without mistakes; he usually knows them up to 29. We talked about counting by twos and fives and tens and so on... but that concept still seems to be hard to understand.

Here, I mean you only see the end result, but there is alot of explaining, counting with fingers and markers, and repeating by him, to do before we got to the results. Nonetheless, I am so amazed that he gets it now! Say three months ago, he could care less about Math, about adding, and subtracting - I just never mentioned it. So I let it go and figured we will come back to it later - you know the good thing about homeschooling is that I don't have to force it if it is not his strength right now.

I am sure you can tell that I am thrilled.... and proud and blessed with this little guy! I love you Coqui.