I LOVE the Blogging Community

Yesterday I posted to some fellow bloggers a reality that has been swirling in the back of my mind --- I was on the blogging fence. I was questioning if I should continue to blog with so much going on in my life. I was finding myself feeling guilty for unwritten posts and stressed to find the time to sit down and truly dedicate myself to writing. I don't want any half-hearted posts. I really want to give you my 110% each and every time I write.
The ladies were awesome in their immediate outpouring of support and advice. I feel reinvigorated. I am not alone. We all get tired, worn down, and just need a break. I am going to continue to reflect on the advice given, pray, and find the balance that works for me but the one thing I felt excited to attack right way was.....
Why do I blog?
Here is my very first post.....
Aloha and Welcome!
I am currently in the process of getting this blog up and running. My goal - to use communication with others as a means for me to stay focused on my mission. So what is my mission? Besides aiming to be a great and patient mom, which is a struggle at times with a toddler, I am officially beginning my training for the Maui Marathon in September. Woah!!!
Who is this blog for? Anyone. You don't have to be a runner, you don't have to be a mom, you just need to be someone aiming to make life a wonderful experience and you need to have dreams and ambitions. Don't we all?
What exactly will this blog contain? Who really knows! It is just the beginning of an evolution of what it is truly meant to be. I hope to share my journey with you.
Peace and Happy Running! 
I. Am. Smiling.
That post was written on 2/16/11...just over 4 years ago. Those words still fit me today. How manypeople can say that something they wrote over 4 years ago still rings true? Yes, part of the reason it does is because it does have some generalities built in but it was also because I wanted this blog to be a comfort or resource for many of us. Not just my carbon copies. Those don't exist. And in the beginning I realized I had no clue where my journey would take me. Ask me today where I will be 4 years from now and I will be equally clueless. Hopefully still blogging!
This blog is my life journey and hopefully there are tidbits here and there that readers, like you, can take to heart and perhaps learn from my mistakes. One thing I need to learn really quick is to stay accountable to myself and follow my heart. Keep prayer central and not to feel "stressed" to meet other deadlines, suggestions, commitments, etc. that are not central to me and my mission in life. This isn't to say I won't hop onto opportunities with deadlines that connect with my core....just that I need to limit how many times I say yes to in order to ensure first, I can stick to the deadline and two, the yes is a fit for me.
The me typing today isn't the same me from 4 years ago. My toddler is now 7. My job responsibilities have changed. I am a race director, fundraiser, and social media lady at work. I have run 7 marathons and to think this time 4 years ago I was on my journey to run my 1st! I run for Toby and I thank God each and every day for perfectly matching me with my buddy. I am more confident in my spirituality and am no longer afraid to say and type that I love God and want to curl up and study the bible. It is relaxing in a different way than running is. I am even on the path to get my civil marriage blessed by the church...and it is a bumpy path....but doable. Hard but worthwhile.
There is a small worry in the back of my mind that my open honesty and reflection on faith will scare some of you away but I hope not. I love hearing from you and respect you all. I look forward to many more posts of sharing my thoughts, mistakes, hurdles, achievements, and joy with you. I am sure there will be sorrows too.
I promise to continue to be honest and I am not into sugar coating things. If something sucks, I will tell you. I really dislike the sugar coating of life as I feel it sets unrealistic expectations/standards and can only lead to heartbreak. Life has its up's and down's. Are you ready to share them?

Daily Gratitude: I am thankful for the supportive and encouraging blogging community.
Daily Bible Verse: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11
P.S. All photos in this post have been pulled from older blog posts as I walked down memory lane.