Hope Above the Clouds

This photo was taken two summers ago on the morning of Grand Teton Relay 2014. It had been raining and looked as if we were in for a soggy experience. I have considered sharing it many times, for it seemed to speak to me. However, I wasn't certain of its message. If you look closely, you will see that the sun's rays are reaching up. It wasn't just peeking through the clouds, but rising above them.

That's just something to think about as you strive to rise above the clouds in your life.

Have a Hopeful Day!

P.S. The weather cleared and we had a beautiful experience!

Carol - aka Running Granny Green

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Guest Blogger: Savanna writes about Moving Forward



My name is Savanna Taylor. I was born and raised in a small town called Parma, Idaho (perhaps you have heard of it?) After getting my degree in History Education, my husband Brycen got accepted to the Healthcare Administration program at WSU in Spokane, WA. We have one crazy daughter named Addlee who is smart, spunky, and has a lot of curly hair. I love a good book, anything that has to do with Real Housewives on Bravo, my family, shopping, and my religion. I love to blog, it is such a great outlet (even if being a mom might come first to updating it)!

Push Play

It seems lately that my life has been put on pause. It is waiting for the next “big step” in life. My husband is finishing up graduate school at Washington State University in Spokane and we are still jobless. So imagine that every time the phone rings you hope it is good news, or every email is a “can we have an interview?” email, but alas nothing. I have envisioned myself already living in seven different states before he even got a rejection letter. I didn’t want to buy a deeply discounted jacket for my baby for next winter because “what if I live in Arizona?” crossed my mind. I am silly that way. That is just one example though, of how I have been putting my life on hold lately. 

My family recently had some major changes happen in it (I will spare details, let us just say it changed the career path of several people) and all of the sudden I was left thinking that everything I knew as normal was suddenly well not normal. I thought, they should just stick it out, just let it blow over, just hit pause. Now I see though, that by pushing that play button of life and making things happen they found out how much happier they really can be.



Playing with a toy any way she wants!

I have found that if I hit pause on my life and wait for something to happen I often miss the most important parts of it. I miss the opportunities to hang out with my friends, continue to explore a city I have grown to love, and even the little moments with my small family. I have put off big decisions because I am waiting for the next scene of life. Like a movie, I am paused. I had the thought, “why am I not enjoying this life I have? Why am I waiting for life to happen?” Think of it like the lottery, you won’t win it if you don’t play it (granted your chances are very slim). Isn’t our life like the lottery though? Think of all the amazing things that you and I take for granted every day, hello we have running water! I just think of how we sit and wait for a trial to pass, or sit and wait for the rainy day to be over, or sit and wait for that clock to slowly click to 5:00 p.m. so we can leave only to rush home and sit in front of a TV. I love to watch my 18 month old daughter play. If she gets frustrated with something she just throws it down and moves on to something else. She doesn’t just sit there and wait, she reacts, and she moves on, she finds something else! We are not meant to be stagnant. Either we are moving forward or moving backward. There is no pause. So if we live life in this limbo we really are doing ourselves a disservice. Today I went to the store and I bought that discounted jacket, because even if I do live in Arizona, California, or Alaska I did something progressive. I planned for the future, I embraced this pause in life, I recognized it, and I decided to push play.

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Monday Mood Mender: So You Want to Buy a Boat

 

 

This Monday Mood Mender is an excerpt from Gold Pans and Irons Skillets.  As the weather warms we begin thinking about outdoor recreation and that can include buying a boat!  Enjoy!

So You Want to Buy a Boat

Are you nuts! Maybe you should wreck someone else’s boat first. There are a few facts regarding boat ownership that one should be familiar with prior to purchasing a boat of his own. These guidelines may very well save one’s sanity.

The first and probably most important guideline is to buy a used boat. Do not be tempted by the shiny paint and bright propeller of a new boat. The unblemished interior and perfect upholstery will not add to the level of fun experienced by boaters. Rather, they will elevate the level of stress the inexperienced boat owner will encounter while developing his boating skills. Look for a well-loved boat—one that has previously missed the trailer while loading, scraped up against an unkempt dock, had its propeller dinged by unseen rocks, and/or possesses rebuilt gears having had them stripped by a sandbar. This will not only reduce stress levels, it will also save a great deal of money and grief.

Money. Remember there are hidden costs to boat ownership. Though the monthly payments seem manageable, do not forget the rising costs of insurance, boat fuel, boat licenses, life jackets and boating toys, picnic lunches, boat storage, doctor appointments, insurance deductibles for boat repair, swimsuits, sunglasses, sunscreen, ibuprofen, and a new hot tub.

Grief. A boat can tear a hole in one’s heart in so many ways. The first time it gets damaged the owner may feel as if one of his children has been diagnosed with an incurable fungus. This will most likely occur on the maiden voyage in any number of fashions. If one is fortunate enough to have previous trailer experience, the jackknifed boat trailer may be avoided. If not, SUV may experience paint job damage, as well. It is inevitable that the driver of the boat will, at some point, miss the trailer while attempting to load boat. Hailstorms happen. Upholstery wears out. Some reservoirs have hidden obstacles such as, rocks, tree stumps, and sandbars. Boat plugs are small and cheap, but critical to boat buoyancy. Do not forget the plug!

The second guideline is to get help. Boats are not cars. They do not move like cars. They do not steer like cars. They do not have brakes. The steering wheel is on the right side of the boat, not the left. A valid driver’s license does not guarantee competent operation of a boat. It is advisable to take a lesson, take a friend (with boating experience), or hire a driver!

Bodies of water can be deceiving. Water, unlike pavement, is fluid. It is ever changing. What may lie well beneath the surface this week may be lurking just below the water line next week, especially if the body of water is an irrigation reservoir during a drought year. It is advisable to take a map, take a friend (that knows the area), or use a depth finder. The latter is probably not the best option as this is a well-loved boat. It lost its depth finder long ago.

Weather is unpredictable. Thunder. Lightening. Wind. Rain. Hail. It is advisable to get a weather report, get the boat out of the water, and get to cover.

The third guideline is to exercise patience. Not only is the boat owner new at this activity, the boat riders are also new. Communication skills tend to develop slowly. While driver can see individual in water behind boat or in front of trailer waiting to help with loading, he cannot hear due to the roar of the motor and propeller. There is a learning curve required to decipher hand signals, head nods, and arm wavings.

Remember, well-loved boat was purchased for a reason. It requires practice to learn to enter a boat free of muddy feet. It also requires practice to tie secure knots. Nervous drivers sometimes do bring the propeller into contact with foreign objects. It only takes a few minutes to swamp a boat, but boat will drain and dry provided it can be rescued in time. Keep spare boat plug in glove box.

The fourth guideline is to find joy in the ride. The motivation behind acquiring a boat was most likely to have a good time, spend time with loved ones, and relax. It may take time to accomplish this goal. It is difficult to have a good time or relax while panicking over learning to launch, load, and operate one’s newly purchased boat. Add a few scrapes and dings, discover that the boat still floats, learn to water ski or catch a fish, improve communication skills, and the experience will begin to be enjoyable. If, however, the motivation was to keep up with the Joneses, the best bet would be to purchase a brand new boat complete with shiny paint job and bright propeller. It would then be wise to park it in a rental storage unit to preserve the newness, take a few snapshots, and talk really big to the neighbors. The monthly payments and insurance will still be due, however many of the added hidden expenses will be avoided—as will the joy.

 

Moral: If you love something enough, even its imperfections are beautiful.

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Adversity

 

 

This photo was taken after a thunderstorm during the Grand Teton Relay 2014.  The weather cooled a bit and the light patterns were beautiful.  The quote is from The Hard Run: Painful Lessons from a Running Granny. I thought the two went well together!

 

 

Enjoy and Happy Running!

 

Guest Blogger: Carlos writes about overcoming weakness

Meet Carlos, an educator, photographer, and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is also a husband, and a father. He and his wife, Bridgette, have one daughter. (Well, she is expected any day now!) Carlos is a Spanish high school teacher, and loves to photograph, spend time with his beautiful family, and be active in his church. You can visit Carlos’ photography website and personal blog at http://www.carlosrendonphotography.com 

 

Overcoming Our Weaknesses  

 

What are your weaknesses? What are your strengths? What are some things that used to be your weakness but are now strengths? How did you change? Who have you become?   Who helped you? 

  

Jesus Christ taught: “If [you] humble [yourself] before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto [you] (Ether 12:27, The Book of Mormon: another testament of Jesus Christ). 

  

I have found tremendous strength and comfort in knowing that if I place my faith in Jesus Christ I can do the impossible. And so can you.  

  

What are you willing to do to be who you want to be? 

  

Our whole existence in this life is to be happy! Yes! Happiness! So how do you do it?  

  

There’s a small phrase that I have told many people and I believe it to be true:  

  

  

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight 

 

To be happy you must work for it. Put your body into motion and that emotion will come. 

Be kind to the fellow that everyone hates 

Lift someone up 

Serve, serve and serve. 

  

A dear friend of mine taught me this powerful lesson:  

 

You love those whom you serve and you serve those whom you love.   

  

 True Love is true happiness. And serving everyone will give you that love, which love transforms our being into who we want to be.   Service is an expression of love and love, a powerful source of change. 

 

So why talk about happiness if you want to make your weakness, strengths?  

  

Happiness is that force that will drive you to believe and push yourself to be better and better. Happiness is a gift available to all that will do more for you than you have ever thought. 

  

Go home and write down the things you wish to be better at. Then next to those weaknesses find a way to love someone in the process of seeking to do better. For example, if you want to be a better husband, or child, you might consider making dinner for your wife, or cleaning the entire kitchen for your mother. 

  

In all, we are endowed with the seeds of greatness, so trust in God and go and make your weakness strong as you serve, love and be happy. 

 

Follow Carlos at CarlosRendonPhotography. Give him a visit and show him some love.  He's going to be a daddy soon!

 

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Happy Running!