Just a sample...

of the abundant glory God has been showing us here in Idaho...

I hope these images bless you as much as they did when I captured them.

"I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever."  Psalm 121:1-8 NLT


For these images and more, please visit my photography website:  anniegrey.com

Run with Perseverance

During my training for my first 10K, I relied on scriptures to get me through some of my longest runs. 

Some days, I'd find myself at mile 5 and realize I had lost the desire to keep running.  And so, at each footfall, I'd say:


I
can

do
all 
things
through 
Christ
who
gives
me 
strength.
Philippians 4:13






And it would give me a second wind.  (Making me also think of another scripture -- Isaiah 40:28-31) 


And then, other days, I needed a little something more.  And so, I committed Hebrews 12:1-2 (or part of it) to memory:


"Let us run with perseverance this race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Christ Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith."  

On the day of my running race, as I was running along, I realized that my running the 10K could be used as an analogy for other "races" in life.  While I know that this part of scripture was intended as encouragement to the persecuted Christians in regards to keeping their faith strong, I find that it can be used for encouragement in many areas of life.


And so, I encourage you to use this scripture no matter what "race" you are currently running.  Fix your eyes on Jesus.  Press on.  Run with perseverance. I believe you will find the path shorter, sweeter, and filled with blessings!

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

A BIG thank you to all who have supported me:  Motorman, who has encouraged, teased, and inspired me to be a better woman;  My pit crew: Momma, Daddy, CraftyGirl and TheBoy; Sign makers and cheering crew from afar:  Grandma Jimmy and Steph; All of you who have supported me through this journey to health:  Mj, KC, CB, Fairfield co-opers, and many, many more.  

** For those of you interested, my publicly shared goal was to run the entire race.  My unpublished, unspoken-except-to-myself goal was to finish in under an hour.  So, goal check:  Published goal:  Check!!  Private Goal:  Check -- official time:  59:18.5.  So, yay!  And yay!!  

We've arrived!

We've been in Idaho for almost a week.  While I hear the locals saying, "It's so HOT!" it is heavenly to me.  Yes, it's been in the triple digits most days since our arrival, but it's a DRY heat!  Running here in the early mornings with a 65 degree temperature and under 20% humidity is almost better than eating chocolate.  Almost.    

We've visited with some of the family, visited a few places, and done some relaxing.  I will run my 10K race on Saturday and am nervously anxiously excitedly looking forward to that. 

We're all looking forward to the adventures we'll have over the next few weeks.  We'll bring you along-

-- via our photos...

In the meantime, check out our view:

Yeah, can't see much, hence no photo!  Dry heat (see paragraph #1) also means lots of fires in the area, resulting in a smoky haze.  I can deal with it.  I'm home.  My nose is filled with the smells of Idaho and my heart is full...

14 Years!

Dearest Smoochie,

Happy Anniversary!  You have made being married easy.  I never could have picked a most perfect match for myself -- only God could have done that.

I spent an afternoon looking at anniversary cards and none of them could do justice to the way I feel about you and the blessing of our marriage.   Each day with you is filled with love, fun, support, encouragement, and a whole lot of chocolate chips.  And, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I thank God for you.
I praise God for you.
And I ask Him that we be given many, many more years together.
Because 14 is nowhere near enough!

Heart to heart.
I love you.
Always,
A.

Happy 9th Birthday, Sissy!

Dearest Punkin',
The day you were born -- so were we, in a sense.  On that day, we became parents.  A most overwhelming blessing, to be sure!  But one that we feel so absolutely honored to have been given.  You are a gift!
How quickly you have grown!  You are blossoming and becoming a beautiful young lady right in front of our eyes.

We love to watch you learn new things, become more responsible (hamster research and savings!), and grow in the Lord.   I love to watch you devour books and how you've completely overcome your shyness to find and make new friends.  And, oh, the enthusiasm for giggling you have! 

Your care and concern for others is heartwarming, and your quickness to hug adores you to all.  

As you continue to grow, I pray that you listen to God's soft voice and follow His path for you.   Know that we will always be behind you supporting you, cheering you on, and praying for you!

We love you so much, Princess!
Momma, Daddy, and M 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord.  "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11