Doubling Up Workouts To Kick Off The New Year

Posted on January 6, 2019 by Coco

I hope the first week of 2019 has been good to you! With a day off on Tuesday, some people still on vacation schedules, and general post-holiday-season discombobulation, I am struggling with remembering which day it is! I think I’m also confused because I adjusted my workout schedule around the holiday and even ended up doubling up workouts a few days.

Weekly Wrap

I’ll make up for those double workouts this week, since I have a business trip with flights that will prevent Wednesday and Friday workouts.
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Talking About New Year’s Resolutions At The January Ultimate Coffee Date

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Coco

Happy New Year! Deborah and I are so happy to see you at the first Ultimate Coffee Date of 2019. We hope one New Year’s resolution you keep is to comment on other coffee date posts. It’s your participation that makes it enjoyable and worthwhile. We will keep the link up open all weekend, so there’s plenty of time to enjoy our virtual get-together and catch up on what’s going on in each other’s lives.

coffee date new years resolutions

 

In keeping with the season, I’m sharing a few of my goals for the New Year–and seeking your advice on how to reach them.

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Wrapping Up 2018

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Coco

We are down to the last hours of 2018, and I am taking Holly and Wendy up on their offer to use this week’s Weekly Wrap to spend some time wrapping up 2018. It’s fun to look back and remember the races, bike rides, hikes, and Scooby Miles that made the year so special.

In case you missed it, I also did some looking back in my December Runfessions.
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December Runfessions

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Coco

It’s the end of the year, which means that many of us are looking back over the past 12 months, taking stock of where we are, considering how far we’ve come (or not), and figuring out what we did right and what we’d like to do better in the new year. With all that sole-searching, it’s the perfect time to participate in the Runfessions link up hosted at Marcia’s Healthy Slice  until Marcia fixes her main site.

December RunfessionsI’m also joining the Friday Five link up hosted by Lacey and Miranda at Fairytales and Fitness. Did you participate in their fun holiday gift card exchange?

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Praying For President Trump

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Coco

The liturgy for Holy Eucharist in the Episcopalian church includes “Prayers of the People,” during which we pray for the Church, our country, people across the world, our community, those who are in need for whatever reason, and the departed, among others. This means that on most Sundays we are praying for President Trump in church.

Praying for president trump
The Book of Common Prayer offers several different forms of prayers, and from time to time we use other forms from alternative prayer books. When the prayer for our leaders is general (as above), it rolls off my tongue. But when it gets more specific, I find myself choking back a snarky yeah, right before uttering my Amen.

praying for President Trump

Praying For President Trump

My husband will be the first to complain tell you about my really bad habit of rolling my eyes when I hear something I am skeptical of or disagree with. I know it’s rude, but it takes real effort to keep my skepticism and disagreement to myself. Knowing this, my snarky reaction to praying for President Trump led to some soul-searching.

praying for president trump
I think my reaction to these prayers is rooted in skepticism of Trump’s motivation and disagreement with Trump’s policies. The words feel futile, but it is that feeling of futility that bothers me the most. I don’t expect Trump to change, but if I believe praying for President Trump is a waste of breath, aren’t I also doubting God’s power and influence?

praying for president trump
In my post-Christmas decluttering I came across the bulletin from our Thanksgiving service, which included this verse from 1 Timothy. The Apostle Paul saw the Roman Emperor order the crucifixion of Jesus, yet he still believed in praying for their rulers. These words admonish me to put aside my personal feelings of futility and pray for those in power.

I was not surprised when I heard that President Trump attended a Christmas Eve service at the Washington National Cathedral–after all, it is a great place to be seen on Christmas Eve. But when I read Bishop Budde’s comments that the President seemed to be fully engaged in the service, I was able to think of the President in a different light–as a person as vulnerable as we all are to the transformative power of God. So, I will continue praying for President Trump, and strive to do so with less skepticism and more faith that God’s will be done. Amen.

 

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