My Running Story

To start this story--I need to go back-way back.  Running is in my genes.  Growing up both my parents were runners  (I recently found a race shirt of my mom's from 1986---and have been wearing it around the house!)  I joined the track team in the 7th grade and I will never forget the day I ran a 6:34 mile.  We moved to Georgia my 8th grade year and they didn't have a track team for my grade...but once high school hit, I was back on the team.  Just in the last month a friend posted an old track picture of us at state my freshman year.....  talk about memory lane.

The funny thing about back then was I may have run 4 different events---but I was a sprinter.  The longest I probably ever ran was a mile and that was just conditioning to be a sprinter.

College came and I pretty much hung up my running shoes.  I didn't really have a desire to keep "sprinting" and I surely had no desire to run any distance whatsoever.  

Fast forward ... by a lot.

Jude was born March 5th, 2011 ....   Fall 2012 I had the startling realization that I was still carrying baby weight, but more than numbers on the scale, I had fallen into a complacent lifestyle.  Don't get me wrong--life was busier than ever--just personally I had zero exercise in my life.  I think what scared me the most was how easy I had gotten comfortable with the complacent, no exercise lifestyle, that I felt like I could blink and ten years would pass and my whole family would be living a very unhealthy lifestyle.  If anything I wanted an active lifestyle to be present in our home and I knew it had to start with me.

Enter in the couch to 5k program.  Not gonna lie--I thought I was going to die the first week--but I pressed on.  That was September.  In October I asked for birthday money to buy new running shoes and I made real changes in my diet.  I knew enough that the two go hand in hand.


At this point I set for myself the following goals:  a 5k by the end of 2012, a 10k in the Spring of 2013, and a half marathon in the Fall of 2013--by my birthday in October.

I ran my 5k on Thanksgiving Day--the Gobble Jog in Marietta.  My two goals were to run the whole thing without stopping and under 33 minutes (my age).  Happy to say I did both! (Nowhere near that 6:34 mile from middle school--but we gotta start somewhere right?!).

At Thanksgiving Runner's World put out a statement saying that Americans gain the most weight between Thanksgiving and New Years.  They issued the challenge to run one mile every day during that season. I put the link on Facebook and my friend Katie responded.  We both took up the challenge and we took to holding each other accountable!  I'm here today to tell you as for getting in shape, her accountability is the best thing that happened to me!  Each day we sent texts. We didn't make it the entire season, but I still think we did really, really good.  It was during this season that Katie asked me if I wanted to sign up for the Nashville Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon in April.....wait....what????  This was way before my October goal.....but we signed up for what would be for each of us our first half marathons!

After the first of the year we started our training and continued our daily text messages and holding each other accountable.  We both suffered some set backs--she had a knee injury--I had crazy sickness--thankfully they were at the same time and neither one of us lost heart.  We were able to encourage and speak life into each other just when the other one needed it!

We watched the miles increase.  We tried to run a 5k together that got cancelled due to thunder & lightening. We encouraged each other when a three mile run was tough and we screamed with joy when we both went on our first for real long distance runs.  I can promise you that accountability is what made all the difference for me.  I've been blessed by both her and my friend Sam who is the ultimate athlete and every technical question I send to her.  She even made me download an app so she could watch my training--which held me to a whole new level of accountability!!

All this to say 7ish months ago I was living a very complacent lifestyle.  Now I crave the simplicity of a run.  To have the time with the Lord--letting Him refresh my heart as my feet hit the pavement has been lifesaving and life giving over the course of these past months.  Like I said earlier, I thought I was absolutely going to die my first time out there on the couch to 5k program.  And sure, there are some days that my run does not go great---but it's about getting out there and being active, and for me encountering Jesus in another beautiful way.  

To close my running story....I want my son to grow up living an active lifestyle and I am so thankful that I woke up before he settled in.  And if we want the real truth....we all really do this.......

Kidding.  Kinda.  But the real beautiful truth in this sticker is that in October I took my birthday money to our local running store and bought real--tested to my feet--running shoes.  I haven't been back till this past week to ask them a question and while I was there the hubs bought me this sticker (and then put it on my car for me--isn't he wonderful!!!).  Not going to lie--it felt good...okay...great!  To go from being there buying my shoes (and I happened to sign up for my 5k while I was there) to buying a sticker showing I had completed my half marathon.  It feels absolutely incredible to be living an active lifestyle once again.  I promise if I can do it, anyone can!

Boston: as a newbie runner & the fight against fear

Boston.  It is one of those moments that you will forever remember exactly where you were sitting when it happened.  I was in a coffee shop with a friend that had just returned from the mission field.  Her back was to the tv screen and I had to interrupt her and say I am so sorry, but something has happened.  Even the coffee shop crew came from behind the counter to gather around the tv to see what had happened.  It's one of those moments you have no idea what's going on but all you can do is say the Name JESUS over and over again.

I've struggled with the words to say over the past week because I'm new to the running community.  So new, I wonder if I have words to say, or even if I should say anything at all.  When it went viral to wear a marathon shirt on Tuesday to support Boston all I had was a couple of 5k shirts.  I still wanted to show my support, so I wore it anyway...but that just shows how new I am to this community!  So new, I haven't even written my whole running story on here yet, but I did want to say a few words today.

One week from today Katie and I will run our first half marathon together.  We have been training since the first week of January.  We've been running "together" since Thanksgiving.  She lives in Nashville and we text almost daily holding each other accountable.  I know how hard we have worked for this half next weekend and it's a race that anyone can sign up for---Boston is a race of a lifetime.  I can not even imagine someone wanting to steal that from someone....but that is not the purpose of this post.

Fear.  Katie and I stayed up late Monday night talking each other out of exactly where the enemy wanted us to go---the pit of fear.  I could feel it creeping up on me.  As the news reports came in and as we watched the clips over and over again, we just kept talking each other through it and out of it.    The questions we've asked each other--do we want our families standing at the finish line--something as a newbie runner you've been dreaming of for your first big race.  And if I'm being honest with you for a split second I had the thought creep in--do I want to do this--put myself and my family at risk?  Is this whole running thing worth it?

As the week has gone on...YES.  More now than ever do I want to run.  I was passionate about it before, and I plan on sharing my running story with you this week my first big race approaches, but running is absolutely worth it.  I will not only run on Saturday, I will run more this upcoming year than I had originally planned prior to Monday.  Run now for those that can't.  Pray harder that Jesus will somehow use this for His good.  I will enter into Saturdays race declaring that the enemy has not won.  Jesus is Victorious.  Fear cannot and will not win.

--

For the tangible side of things....how can you help?

Pray.  That Jesus would be made known in the midst of this.

Another Mother Runner has a great blog post on 10 ways to support Boston.

Pavement Runner has organized A Week After:  A Run for Boston (click that link to find your city!).  There is one in Piedmont Park for Atlanta.  The facebook page for that event is here.

Big Peach Company is also organizing runs for Monday night--click their page here.

Something you can do from anywhere is the Run 26.2 for Boston--it's an event going on on Facebook that you can join and commit to run 26.2 no matter where you are.  You can do it in one day, one week, one month.  Click here for the event page.

And to close it out--My favorite article I have read so far can be found here--Let The Healing Begin: Running Still Matters by Brian Metzler.

Ten Years Later [McLendon Missions-Part Three]

Thank you friends for being so kind to my heart earlier this week.  I am so excited to start writing again and I can't thank you enough for your kind and encouraging words.  They mean more to me than you know!!

~

Ten years ago this month I came "home" from the mission field of Costa Rica.  I had been working with Christ for the City with their Renacer program (the rehabilitation ministry for street girls).  Although I wasn't certain how long I was going to be there, I was sure I would be there longer than the three months I had been there for.  Let me back up just a little.  I fully surrendered my life to Jesus the Fall of 2001.  I went on my first mission trip Spring 2002 (which happened to be to Costa Rica).  I graduated from UGA in May 2002 and spent the months that followed raising support and allowing the Lord to prepare my heart to go.  I left in January 2003 and in April the Lord started giving me dreams of me at RHUMC--which was nowhere on my radar.  We all know how the story unfolded--the Lord opened the door for me to move to Richmond Hill and work with the youth for the next five years, but the part of the story I want to share today is what He has done in my heart when it comes to missions.

To be honest I did not leave the mission field in April 2003 very willingly.  Even though the Lord gave me very vivid dreams of RHUMC and we know how the story ends now, I did not know all the pieces then, and I still thought there was a full time calling of missions on my life.  I was confused, a little hurt by the Lord if we want to be honest, and wanted more than three months (all very selfish).

It is now April 2013.  I can hardly believe ten years have passed.  What I have seen the Lord do is more than I could have ever, ever dreamed of.  Now both in Richmond Hill and at RiverStone He took my passion for missions and my passion to see youth walk in the fullness that He has for them and He put them together.  I tried to count the mission trips that He has allowed me to lead the other day and I couldn't.  I got overwhelmed by His goodness and now think the calling of "full time missions" for me may have just looked different all along.

This year overwhelms my heart even more than any other--because I get to watch my husband lead.  In 2005 he came along with me on a mission trip to none other than Costa Rica.  He had never been on a mission trip before--much less ever been out of the country.  The second day there I ended up in the hospital in Costa Rica and he ended up leading the team beautifully all week long.  He has been marked as a leader from the very beginning and I love that I get to see it coming out this year more so than ever before.  We've been able to lead together over the years--but this year I get to watch him lead on his own and it's beautiful (he'd probably beg to differ with me--but I think it's beautiful :).

At RiverStone Tom says, "we want all of you to go on a Short Term trip and we want some of you to come home."  Ten years ago I was one that was unhappy I was "coming home"  but I am one that now has had the privilege of going back over and over again.  Admittedly ten years ago I questioned the Lord A LOT.  Today, I wouldn't have had the last ten years any other way.  To know the youth I've had the privilege of knowing.  To take them on life changing trips.  To now see Robert lead, not only a trip, but lead a Summer Camp and a mission team (which is not for the faint at heart) and to remember the Robert in 2005 being out of the country for the very first time.  Jesus is beautiful.  His plan is absolutely perfect.  I'm so thankful the April 2003 Kristin decided to listen to Jesus and come home.

To read the full story of what the Lord has the McLendon's up to this Summer click here and here.

Why I almost quit writing... [a very honest post]

I almost didn't write yesterdays blog post because well-my Fresh Start was for April 1st and as you can now see I didn't write it till April 8th.  I looked back in my journal at April 1st in my Secret Place with the Lord and this is what I wrote, "Jesus.  Not only is it a new week, it is a new month.  I love when the first falls on a Monday.  There is a freshness to it.  A fresh start.  A newness.  A do-over.  Jesus, that is exactly what I am asking for today.  I just feel like I can take a deep breath in you.  Whisper your name and say let's do this."  (As I type that out of my journal I feel like I am letting you see a piece of my heart--please be gentle with it.).   I drank deep of this with the Lord and so wanted to share all of this with you...

The reason I didn't write it for a week is because my Fresh Start got further and further away with each new day last week (and do y'all follow Robert on twitter?  If you do you can see what happened after I posted yesterdays blog post!  Y'all-for real!!!  Sometimes all you can do is laugh!).  The reason I did write it is because it was a promise from the Lord that I feel like He whispered to my heart that I felt like some of you could relate to and I was being disobedient by not sharing it.

With that, here comes a very honest post--back in the fall I felt the prompting from the Lord to jump in with the Nester and do a 31 day blogging series and what the Lord gave me was Isaiah 32:18.  I didn't make it all the way through the 31 days because life hit, but it did stir something in me.  So much so a couple of months ago I spent time rearranging our blog and changing the name of it from "The McLendon Whereabouts" to "The McLendons" with the subtitle of "and their journey to an Isaiah 32:18 home."

I did a lot of rearranging of things on the blog--but never once wrote a blogpost once I did it.  The reality of it was I felt like I had to have it all together before I did so.  The same with last week.  I had a fresh start on Monday and lost it all on Tuesday.  The lie that entered into my mind was that I no longer had something to offer or to write about.  I know that is not true, but it's the fear of man that enters in--that we have to present ourselves as if we have it all together.  I'll just throw it out there--I do not have it all together at all.  Most of the time I feel like I am the full time wife, full time mother, full time youth pastor that isn't doing any of these things well.  Or at any given time, doing one of the three things well while the other two are being neglected.  And the one that doesn't even make it onto the list--house wife--I'm completely horrible in this area.  My house gets a good cleaning when we have company over and let's just say it's time for company to come over to kick my butt into gear (I said this was a completely honest post right--it's going to take everything in me to hit publish on this post and then I'm going to have to walk away and not come back to my computer and hit delete!!).

The beautiful thing is I know my little family is unique.  We are a family in full time ministry.  We are a family in full time grad school.  We are a family in full time two year old BOY toddlerhood.  I feel like we are the opposite of the "normal" (or whatever normal is suppose to be) family.   In the midst of this absolute craziness I do believe the Lord has set me on a journey of discovering what it means to have an Isaiah 32:18 home.  "My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places."  I almost quit writing because my journey is not pretty.  I don't have it all together....and somewhere along the way I started to believe the lie that I have to have it all together before I could write.  So here we go.  I really do want to write again.  It's good for me.  I am a writer.  I know I am.  (Thank you Dorie for reminding me that I am.)  The noon deadline every Tuesday for five years in Richmond Hill for my Hill Topper article almost drove me crazy, but now that it is gone, I miss it.

It's not going to be pretty--but I'm on a journey--1.  to offer my family an Isaiah 32:18 home.  2.  to write again.  I hope you'll join me....

**Side Note/Disclaimer--Not every post is going to be about Isaiah 32:18 as it was in the 31 day blogging series--I'm just simply going to start sharing our journey again and hope you'll extend grace, yet find encouragement in the beautiful calling we have on our family.

A Fresh Start

Last Monday morning I woke up with a newness in my heart.  It was for starters a Monday morning.  There's something about a Monday--like a chance for a do-over (am I the only one that feels that way?).  Then it was April 1st.  The combination of the two did something for my heart.  February and March were long months for the McLendon household.  February was especially hard and March just felt like we were trying to dig out of the hole that February created for us.  With all that said I welcomed Monday, April 1st with open arms.  I woke up early, eagerly anticipating all that the Lord had for me in the Secret Place and the word He gave me was "A Fresh Start."  Thank you Jesus.  I whole heartedly receive that.  As I pondered on that throughout the day, I thought-I may even blog about this one.  Yes, an April 1st-a blog entry would be good.  Who doesn't need a "Fresh Start"?  Of course, the day got busy and I felt my time to blog go slipping through my fingers and as I laid down to sleep that night I thought, it's okay, I can still blog on the 2nd, it's not too late.

 The next morning, as I stood in the kitchen fixing little man his breakfast he proceeded to get sick all over the kitchen floor (with no fair warning at all--somehow that is so unfair--to both of us!!).  As I rushed to clean him up and settle him down, I felt my "Fresh Start" and April being different than February and March not just slipping away, but being stolen by the enemy (these were the lies that were quickly coming at me--just being honest here).  

Tuesday quickly turned into friends covering shifts and Robert and I playing tag as we each ran back and forth from home to work to home to work as we each had meetings we both had to be at through out the day.  Wednesday turned into much the same with an added bonus of a friend leaving dinner in the church refrigerator for us to pick up.  If I have learned anything in the hard months of February, March and now the first week of April, we are not alone and our community has kept our little heads above water (so, so, very thankful for our RiverStone community!!).

Now, back to my "Fresh Start."  Jesus gave it to me one week ago today.  Little man may have been feeling better on Thursday so we sent him back to "school", just for him to wake up from his nap on Friday at 4:30pm screaming, "IT HURTS!!"  So off to immediate med we went--an ear infection and ten days of antibiotics for us!  But here I am, once again on an absolutely beautiful Monday morning... again.  It's not April 1st, it's April 8th, but I'm still claiming it for all it's worth.  The winter is gone, the Spring has come.  The McLendon's need a Fresh Start.  We need the Fresh Air.  We are drinking deep of all the goodness of Jesus as He says in Isaiah 43:19, "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?"  A Fresh Start.  Jesus has that for me today (I'm claiming it with every ounce of my being and not letting the enemy steal what Jesus has given me).  If a Fresh Start is what you need today--know I am praying for you!

McLendon Missions 2013, Part Two

This Summer Robert and I each have the privilege of leading two different mission teams.  He's headed to Scotland, I'm headed to Costa Rica.  We wrote a letter a few weeks back and thought it would be good to share our heart here on the blog.  Last night we shared Costa Rica with you.  Tonight we are sharing Scotland.  Thank you for partnering with us and praying us through what God has called us to!  --Kristin

"I had the privilege of going on a mission trip to Scotland last July, and now I am leading a team of twelve back this year.  I know what you’re thinking, “That sounds more like a vacation to a Christian country.”  All of the mission trips I have been on overseas have been to Christian countries to minister to Christians, but this trip was different.  I thought this trip would be a group of Americans holding a summer camp for a bunch of Christian UK kids.  I was wrong. 10% of the Scottish population is “churched,” and less than that have a true daily walk with Jesus.  This trip was the closest I have come to ministering to an unreached people group who have never heard the gospel and been impacted by the testimony of Jesus Christ.  Christian kids do come to this camp, but 50% percent of the kids that come have not heard the story of how the creator of the universe desires to love them.   Lives are changing, and communities are being transformed because of this camp.  Christian kids in Scotland are ostracized in their schools, beaten up for wearing camp t-shirts, and made a mockery by their peers and neighbors.  But we believe God is on the brink of doing something new in that country through these kids.  We long for more. I work our RiverStone summer camp here June 30 – July 5, and then I will lead one in Scotland July 14 – July 19.  We will be working with a local pastor transplanted from Zimbabwe and his church in Stewarton.  Please go with me in prayer.  I 100% believe in these efforts, and in the message these kids haven’t heard yet."  --Robert

McLendon Missions 2013, Part One

This Summer Robert and I each have the privilege of leading two different mission teams.  He's headed to Scotland, I'm headed to Costa Rica.  We each wrote a short letter a few weeks back and I thought I would take a moment to share it here on our blog.  Tonight we thought we'd share Costa Rica with you.  Tomorrow we'll come back and share our heart for Scotland with you.  Thank you for partnering with us and praying us through what God has called us to!

"Last week I laid myself before God’s alter and wept.  Overwhelmed by how much He has called us to and at the same time completely humbled by it.  When I look at the summer before us--all I can say is Jesus you have to do this.  The beautiful thing is--I know that He will--and in the midst of it we get to watch hundreds of teenagers encounter Jesus.  I am truly thankful for what He has allowed us to be a part of and humbled that we get to play a small part in the lives of these teenagers.  Our summer kicks off with me, Kristin, leading a youth team of 15 to my beloved country of Costa Rica.  Why the Lord allows me to return to the country of my very first mission trip over and over, I do not know, but I am truly thankful.  Each time He shows me new levels of His heart for ME--and for that I will keep going back.  On a less selfish note, this summer our youth team will be deepening our relationship with the Abraham Project and partnering with RiverStone sent missionaries, Jonathan & Amy Griffith.  We will be working with the children at the Abraham Project’s on-site Day Care Center and Children’s Home.  We will be doing construction work, hosting Youth Group, Host Home Date Night Out, and doing local outreach. Mission trips are all about going and serving-but for me as a student pastor, I love watching the change that happens in my students.  There aren’t words big enough to describe it - except to say that I will do this over and over, and as often as the Lord will allow me!    Please be praying for the unity of the team, those that we will minister to, and the hearts of my students!  We will be in Costa Rica from June 3-11.  Then it’s Summer Camp here in the states June 30-July 5.  We take nearly 400 of us to Covington, Ga for a week away with Jesus.  Jesus has entrusted me with much, and I just want to honor Him and bring great glory to His name!!!"