New Beginnings

Yes, to all you avid bloggers out there - I finally have a blog of my very own!

If there is anything worth blogging about, I figure it will be my experience working for the Associate Missionaries of the Assumption in Worcester, MA for the next 9 months.
My Uncle Gary gave me a piece of advice after graduating from college, "Live every day to the fullest or before you know it your time in MA will have vanished and you will have nothing to show for it." By creating this blog, I hope to record memories and discoveries over the next year, so that I will remember the friendships and lessons learned.
Amidst all the noise in America, it can be easy to forget the small milestones in your life. People can become so consumed by the latest trends, newest gadgets, and personal dramas that they forget those little moments of enlightenment and wonder. I hope that this blog of little moments will serve as a constant reminder of the life lessons learned during my stay in MA.

In the meantime...
I cannot believe I just ran 5.3 miles today! Thanks be to God for giving me strength. To explain how monumental this is for me, I was hoping to run just 4 miles for the first time. My somewhat daily routine is 3 -3.5miles, but I made it a goal to push for 4mi this time. Well, after my 4th mile, I was feeling good so I kept running... I felt like Forest Gump. "I just felt like runnin'." So I did - in fact, I ran all the way back to my house and decided to keep going. When I finally decided to stop, my GPS watch (borrowed from Lucas - thank you!) posted 51minutes and 5.3 miles. I stared at those numbers for the longest time in shock. The weather was perfect though- 76, cloudy, breezy, and drizzling. As the rain poured over me, I asked God to renew me with his grace and unfailing love. That renewal must have given me the confidence and strength to continue - 5 miles would have been impossible without Him. Not to mention that there is something incredible about running in the rain! I definitely encourage it (but just during a drizzle folks, not in a hurricane for Peat's sake).

Wow- who knew I could write so much in my first blog? Stay tuned for more as I take the GRE and begin my Epic Road Trip through AR, TN, VA, PA, and CT! MA or bust!