Ironman Devotion from Mom

-I was just updating my blog thinking about the various events of the past few months in my life. Then, I browsed the blogs of several of my friends. I had some funny thoughts in the process about how my blog seems kinda silly in some ways, filled with pictures of me running and doing triathlons. Most of my friends are writing about the joys of their children and their daily discoveries. As much as I love training and racing, my blog seems a little more self-centered than most of my other friends who are at a different stage in their lives. Anyway, my mom sent me this devotion the other day, and it inspired me to think about my faith and really think about shaping my character with these races and events that I focus on. I feel in some ways God has enlightened some self-discoveries and helped me to become a better person in these past several months of training and in these moments I feel at peace with my current focus. However, I know this is not a permanent phase in my life. In some ways, I look forward to the day of possibly posting pictures of my own children and their events rather than pages and pages of my own race stories. BUT-for now I don't have kids, and I truly do feel my training and racing can produce life changing character in me if I allow God to do so. It is a delicate balance though. Of course I am competitive, of course I get obsessed about my next event, and in some ways this is how God made me...but in the grand scheme of life, there are much grander things to focus on. I hope that as I train to complete my Ironman, that I can think about some life parallels that are more important than my next race. I hope that God can use these experiences to help me for whatever the next phase in life will bring. For now, I will enjoy checking all the cute pics of my friend's kids and continue to be more than a bit "obsessive" about my upcoming challenge of the Ironman, my gear, and my competitive nature. But, as my mom's devotion lays out a beautiful prayer below, may it be my prayer for suffering in competition as well as my prayer for life after Ironman training. May any suffering I endure, produce endurance, character, and ultimately Hope, as I continue on in my journey of life.

Here is the entire devotion that my mom sent:
"Read Romans 5:1-5

Paul’s poetic logic goes like this:

Rejoice in suffering,
Since suffering produces endurance,
Which produces character
Which produces hope.

We once thought that Paul’s poetic words were really more rhetoric than reality. Beautiful, but more lines of poetry than means of production. Then we became distance runners. And in distance running we found that Paul describes a basic dynamic of life, the actual dynamic of human growth. Suffering – putting in the miles – really does produce endurance. And when you have built endurance, it changes your character. And the new renewed character does produce hope.

Some disciplined and joyful runners who inspired us often ran rejoicing in their sufferings. Paul, Porter, and Terrell would call out, perhaps five or even ten miles into a run, “I feel happy! I feel healthy! I feel terrific!” Their enthusiasm was contagious.

One of the most surprising scenes of hope and joy is an Ironman Triathlon finish line. After 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and 26.2 miles of running, triathletes finish with huge smiles. The suffering has produced endurance that produces character, which produces hope.

One of us coaches cross country; the other runs cross country. High school students struggle to run at 6:00 AM before school. Some come and stick with it. Others do not. The difference so often between those who keep on running and those who don’t is learning to rejoice in the suffering, to rejoice in the effort that eventually leads to hope. And hope does not disappoint us, “because God’s love has been poured into our hearts.”

PRAYER: O God who goes the distance, help us embrace the suffering, knowing that you will transform it into endurance into character into hope – and your hope does not disappoint. Amen."

By Roy and John Herron

Vacation!

We loved Seattle in February 2007 for our anniversary trip, so we decided to head back for 2008, but this time in the summer. I had signed up for a litte Half Ironman, which took up a good chunk of our time in the middle of the trip, but Ted was glad that he was able to get a spot on a fishing charter the day after my race! He is a creature of habit, so we enjoyed revisiting our favorite restaurant, Chandler's, where he had some great Crab! It was beautiful eating there, the weather was about 70ish and we sat out on the patio enjoying the great view of the water and boats going by. Ted was able to fish with our same guide from last trip, and he enjoyed that quite a bit. I personally enjoyed the Salmon that he caught and grilled for me on the night of our return! :) For those of you that know about Ted's grilling, know that I am definitely spoiled when it comes to getting good meals from his passion as a grillmeister! I was pretty good before the race about trying to eat pretty well and keep my alcohol consumption to a minimum. But, the day after the race we enjoyed a nice patio meal consisting of popcorn "fried" shrimp, chicken strips, french fries, and my favorite beer, "blue moon." It was nice to kick back and enjoy "the day after!" But, I must say my stomach did not feel so great after that meal, but it tasted great!

Lake Stevens 70.3 Half Ironman! July 6, 2008

I completed my 2nd Half Ironman this past Sunday near Seattle, WA at Lake Stevens. All in all it was a great experience and a challenging race for me. The scenery was beautiful and the hills were abundant! Thanks to the kind listening ears/emails of some friends and my coach, I have now finally stopped obsessing over the many minute details of the race and I won't bore you with them all here. I consider myself more of a runner by experience, so this whole long distance tri thing is a whole different game for me. It is a different form of mental focus that I am still learning. I was a little freaked about the thought of having to complete double the distances for the Full Ironman in just about two months after finishing this challenging race, but as the days pass, I am forgetting the struggles and just focusing on training one day at a time for that "double"distance race coming up! I'm "Going for Gavin" as he fights Cancer month after month, I hope to endure just one day of hardship and complete an Ironman!

As for this Lake Stevens Race, I swam 1.2 miles, biked 56, and ran a half marathon. My overall time was 5:26, which was faster than my last Half race in Orlando in 2006, so that was a good thing! I made this goal and signed up way back in January, so it is definitely great to have completed it! Now onto training for the Full - Yikes!!!

My own "Mini Retreat"

June 20-21st Some people like to get away every once and awhile and enjoy a little retreat. Well, I had my own sort of mini-retreat in June as I attended "Triathlon Camp" in Oklahoma. To me it seemed like a great idea to help get me prepared for my upcoming Half Ironman and to enjoy some nice time away in a cabin along with some good time in the great outdoors with other fellow triathletes. Well, I quickly realized that this whole concept was a little strange as I tried to explain it when first requesting time off at work, then to other friends. You should see the funny faces people made, when I mentioned "Triathlon Camp!!" I still remember a text message I received from my good buddy Janice, that said something like, "I did not know you were headed off to triathlon camp, you are such a NERD!" Anyway, it was some great riding, lake swimming, and a little running. I hung out with the Fit2Train group, and I was glad to find out that although I was amongst some very "hard core" athletes who are competitive about their triathlons, they were also a great group who knew how to mix in some good "clean" fun and not get too uptight about the ins and outs of proper training, nutrition, etc. I especially enjoyed indulging in some high calorie snacks and beverages with them post-workouts. (Braums, Burgers, Beer, etc.) I had started getting a little burned out with my training in early June, and this little weekend getaway came at a great time for me. I am a pretty big NERD, so I enjoyed staying in a cabin by myself, cooking my own chocolate chip pancakes, obsessing over my triathlon gear/bike, cliff bars, gus, etc., and talking alot of "Tri" talk with other Triathlon enthusiasts! We covered two 60 mile rides, two long lake swims, and a 10 mile run....what else could you ask for a "mini-retreat"??

Wine Party for Gavin

June 14, 2008 We had a great time at the Wine party for Gavin. I posted the note from evite below, mostly to remind myself to continuously pray and remember Gavin and the Smith family as I continue to train for various races and prepare for my first ever Ironman! Thanks to all of you that were able to come to the event and/or donate! It was greatly appreciated! The address is listed below if anyone else would like to donate to the Medical Fund for Gavin!

SUMMER WINE BENEFIT FOR GAVIN Please join us for an evening of wine to raise money for The Gavin Smith Medical Fund.

My friends, Stacie & Jeff, and their sweet little Gavin are fighting hard to Cure Gavin's cancer. As many of you know, the last few months have been extremely tough for their family. I'm in the midst of training for an Ironman and I feel my training is a way for me to remember the Smith family and all of the trials and tribulations they are going through... So I am dedicating my efforts to Gavin. I told Stacie it is like they are having to make it through an Ironman and Many Marathons each and every day with all the daily challenges that Gavin has to endure.. I am blessed that I have time and my good health to train for these big events, and any minor pain that I experience along the journey is nothing at all compared to living in the world of Cancer.... I am inspired each and every day by Gavin and all that he has endured and battled, he is one tough litte fighter, and I pray that he can fight and win this battle! So in my races these next few months, I'm gonna keep "Going for Gavin"

So, Join me for a Night to Raise our Glasses to a Cure and Victory for Gavin! Feel Free to Invite Your Friends!**All proceeds from this event will benefit the Gavin Smith Medical Fund If you are unable to come but would like to donate to Gavin's cause,

mail a check to:

Gavin Smith Medical Fund

Bank of AmericaTX 2-551-01-014023

Cedar Springs RoadDallas, Texas 75219

Chris Graduated!

May 25, 2008 Well, as you know, I like to sometimes fit as many events as possible in the span of one day in my sometimes crazy life. My triathlon choice in Austin was strategically located to allow me to also make it just in time to my brother's graduation from Austin Presbyterian Seminary. So, after finishing the tri, I quickly showered, changed into a dress, and even Heels! (Later, I was regretting the heels decision) I headed off with my mother to attend his graduation ceremonies and festivities. Very proud of my big bro! Way to go Chris!

Long Time No Blog

It's July now...crazy how time flies. My life has slowed a little this week after a nice relaxing vacation to Seattle along with the completion of a Half Ironman, so I am going to attempt to recap some of the important moments in the past few months of the Martins!

May 25, 2008 - I completed the Cap Tex Tri in Austin and had great fun hanging out and sharing the race experience with my training buddy Robin. I had not done an Olympic tri in over two years, so it was a little nerve racking. It was great experience though and overall a fun day. I had a great bike that day, the fastest ever clocked in a race for me. The run was tough, a little side cramping...or maybe alot...but I thought about Gavin and I tried to push on through! I clocked 2:36 that day, which was about 15 minutes faster than my Cap Tex tri 3 years ago with the same course. In 2005, I did a little pre-race waterskiing and hanging out in the sun for 3 days straight with buddies, but for 2008, I decided to forgo the prerace water ski trip, so I guess that was a good decision!

As I wrote before my marathon, I have decided to try and dedicate all of my racing efforts to my friend Stacie's son, Gavin, who is battling cancer. I happened to visit Stacie at Children's for a while the Friday before leaving town for Austin for the race. It was very inspiring to quickly be reminded of their current life circumstances and the daily battles they were fighting. It was good timing for me. During the race, when I had those stomach issues and started to walk during the run, I quickly remembered how much stomach trauma poor little Gavin had been through with all the chemo, etc. I knew my suffering was pretty minor in comparison, and I was able to get running again as I thought about it. I remembered I was gonna keep "Going for Gavin!" Overall it was a fun day! My mom took the shots for me, it was great having her there! I may have lost a little time as I made sure to wave each and every time I saw her like a total cheese ball, but it was great to have her as a fan! My running shot is pretty glamorous if you take a close look... you could possibly use that for blackmailing purposes...

Hello Neighbors!!

We drove an hour to a wedding today just so we could see our neighbors! Seriously, we are are the worst neighbors ever! Ted & I were out of town almost every weekend in April between the two of us! So, unfortunately it had been a long while since we had gotten to chat and catch up with our neighbors and long time friends! Vic & Kristy were surprised that in the past few weeks we had sold a boat, purchased a new car, I had run a marathon, and Ted had fished with the Pros in in South Texas. But, they were just as busy as they had been to Disney World, two retreats, and a long list of other activities... Hey guys, next time maybe we could meet out on the front porch instead of driving all the way to Pilot Point, TX! Congrats to Jason & Kellie on Tying the Knot and for helping us finally reunite with our good buddies from next door!

Baby Quinn Has Arrived

My friends Kimberly and Mike are the proud parents of their second little boy, Quinn Michael Melson, born yesterday May 1st. I had the pleasure of getting a peek at little Quinn today at Baylor on my lunch hour! I also enjoyed chatting with big brother Preston, who at 2 1/2, is a rockstar son of speech therapist, Kimberly. I was so amazed at his articulate speech for such a little guy! He has been hanging out with his Grammy having a great time! He proudly announced to me, "I'm the Big Brother!" It was great to see baby Quinn and the whole family! Congrats Kimberly and Mike!!

Morning Marathon Confession

As most of you know, I have an addiction to marathons......
This is the email I sent to my triathlon coach this morning:

"Confession: I have an issue with needing to sign up for another marathon as soon as I complete one, or sometimes several at once (my fall tri marathon mania :) So, Marine Corps Marathon registration opened this week (and I have yet to do this one)…. And I have a childhood friend who lives in DC…. So, I signed up…. But, of course I am a nut, because it is like 5 or 6 weeks after the Ironman (October 26)… I really am not focused at all on whether I actually complete it at this point, it is way back in my mind, but for some reason I just couldn’t control my impulses (I remember getting my credit card out to enter it in and thinking, “I won’t tell anyone about this for awhile” Crazy, huh?? Maybe that should have been a sign, to stop and think on it, but no I continued and pressed that register button. My husband said after having to confess post-sign up to him, “If you wanted to go see your friend, you could have purchased a plane ticket without having to sign up for another marathon!!” After my ironman, I may want to have nothing to do with running or working out period, so in that case, I figure I will just go see my friend and “watch” the marathon, but just in case I am healthy and feeling ok, I have a bib number :)… We have good friends in Chicago and NY as well, and 2-3 times I have done each of those marathons almost as if I think that is the only way for me to get to see them….."

Good News for Gavin!

After a really tough past few days, my friends Stacie & Jeff, received good news today about Gavin.
quote from their blog:
"God's Listening"
"We believe with all of our hearts that God is listening and responding to all of our prayer requests for Gavin. We received some good news from Gavin's oncologist and knew everyone would want to hear it. "....... "The fluid pulled from last week's round of chemo (after only one dose of chemo from the week before) revealed that there were NO CANCER CELLS in the fluid. We're not out of the woods, by any stretch of the imagination, but could tell that the doctor was highly surprised by the test result."
She is referring to the CSF, which originally had cancer cells detected. He still has the spots on his spine, but this is very good news that at least the fluid is clear after just one round of chemo.

Also, Stacie just posted a link for a fund where we can donate to his medical fund. I know a few of you asked me what we can do for them. Well, I think one of the biggest things we can do is raise money for them for all of these medical expenses.

I was planning on doing an Ironman in September, but now I would like to somehow honor little Gavin and maybe have a few fundraisers leading up to my event to raise a larger amount of money for them and then present it to them. So, I will keep you posted. For now, keep the prayers flowing for disappearance and healing from all of the cancer! And here is the link again for their blog if you want the info now, feel free to donate just directly to the fund: http://www.smithscooptexas.blogspot.com/

OKC Marathon 2008

OKC Marathon 2008!!

Wendy Hazelwood took these pics for me with her smokin' new camera! Thanks to Wendy for being My Head Sherpa, Curb Service Chauffeur in the rain, and for being the Best Cheerleader ever! As most of you have already heard, I had the race of my life this past Sunday in OKC! The weather was crazy chilly for April in OKC, but after our near death heatstroke in Chicago, I gladly accepted the gift from mother nature! The marathon started at 6:30 AM, so Wendy and I were up at 4:15Am, and my sweet mother in law and father in law, awoke with us, just to "see us off" and to make sure Wendy had a whole large thermos of coffee in tow for the journey. We headed South on I35 from Guthrie down into Oklahoma City. It was raining pretty steady so Wendy dropped me at the curb near the start line and she went off to park the car (What a great friend!) We met up with our Dallas buddy Biegel who would be running the Half! Even though temps were in the 40's and it was still raining, I stripped off my jacket, extra shirt and gave it all up at bag check. I tried to stay warm as it was still drizzling and pretty windy. Then, a nice opening ceremony began including 168 seconds of silence to remember those lost in the OKC bombing. Here is a blurb from the website that describes the the meaning behind this memorial marathon, and with the events of the past month in my life and friends of mine, I found it very fitting:
"On April 19, 1995, a great wrong was done in Oklahoma City. However, on this day in April the forces of fear and hate were beaten by love and compassion.The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is a race that is not about running—it is about life.168 banners line the marathon course, one for each victim. Those banners serve to remind us as we run that we have been given the gift of life and that it is too precious to waste. This is what the Memorial Marathon is about: realizing the preciousness of time, valuing one another, taking life as it comes and making something magic from it. Celebrating Life. You don’t have to be a runner to participate in the Memorial Marathon. All you have to do is change the world you live in one moment, one opportunity, one person at a time. It is not about running—it is about living."
I read this the night before I left town and it was very inspirational. As many of you know, my friends have a son, Gavin, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. In the past month their lives have been turned upside down and it has made all of us that know them really think about life, faith, family, friends, and making the very best of each and every moment. So, with Gavin in my mind and on my heart, I headed to the start line wanting to honor the battle he is fighting!

I tried to really stick to my plan this time of starting out slow... (only took me 11 marathons to learn that this really works!) I won't bore you with all the details of each mile, but I can't say I have ever felt better in a marathon. I trained really hard this time, thanks to lots of help from my coach, Stacy. Also, I have a developed a different sense of focus and determination since I turned 30, which has changed me in alot of ways. Anyway, the race really just flew by for me because for the most part I was feeling so great. Yes, there were some pretty hilly sections, some stiff winds occasionally, some periods of intense fatigue. But, the greatest thing about this marathon was that all of these negative aspects were just fleeting moments throughout the miles, none of them ever lingering or consuming me. Before I knew it, I was approaching mile 20, and there was Wendy cheering me on, coming up and running beside me! She and I both knew I had never run a race this well before, and she was so excited for me! She yelled out, "I talked to your mom, and she said to tell you Good Luck!" That just made me even happier. It just happened to be my mom's birthday for this fine race day. And, even though she could not be physically there, I was motivated to make her birthday a great day regardless! I looked at my watch at mile 20 and I knew that I would likely meet my goal to qualify for Boston unless something crazy happened. Then, I also realized that I had been holding back a little waiting to reach this point, and before I knew it I was speeding up focused on just a 10K to get me to the finish! I will always treasure the way I was able to finish this marathon, because you never know if you will ever feel that great at the end again. It is the first time in 11 tries for me, but I will savor every moment! I got close to the finish and I was even able to sprint a little and it felt so great, I got tears in my eyes and I just raised my hands up in the air and smiled up to the clouds and at the time clock :) Well, somehow I clocked a 3:33 on this fine day... 15 minutes less than my last PR (3:48). I still can't believe it! I have always secretly wanted to qualify for Boston, but in my 20's I wasn't always the kind of person to really focus and really go for it. I ran several marathons not trained well and several where things went pretty well, but not quite well enough. I have run some of the big marathons multiple times, some of the flattest marathons, and even hometown Whiterock 3 times. OKC is not a big marathon, not a glamorous marathon, and definitely not a flat marathon, but with the weather and the timing of many events in my life, it turned out to be The Best Marathon for me this April 2008!










Here is a link if you want to see some other pics from the marathon:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kristina.mrtn1/OKCMARATHON

A Fun & Crazy Weekend in March!!

Sat. 5:15 AM - Meet Heather & Tonya, Drive to Aledo TX

Ride Bicycles 100 miles through the rolling hills in the Ride for the Heroes Rally

1:30 PM Eat A Nice Burger, Head back to Dallas

3:30 PM Shower and get ready for a Double Party night

6:30 PM Buy Wine at World Market for Tonya's Stock the Bar
(Kristina forgot to eat, no time, she's gonna be starving!!)

7:30 PM Let the Party begin at Tonya's new Casa! It was great catching up with the work crew from Baylor!
(sorry for the orange top with nasty tan lines, ouch!)

10:00 PM Head to Party 2 - Andrea's 30th B-day Soiree is in Full Swing at
the Schweitzer House...

12:30 AM Leave the Schweitzer's, Kristina is still giddy from all that riding, Ted wants to go home!

Sun. 6:30 AM - Kristina Runs 11 miles with her dog Marty at Whiterock Lake

Sun. 12:00 PM - Eat family lunch with mom & Bro. after church

Sun. 3:00 PM - Kristina runs 9 more miles to make her needed total of 20!

**** disclaimer**** Intense Triathlon training mixed with a double party night can be hazardous to your health, but thank goodness Kristina is training so much, her energy level is just now coming down to a level that others can manage with all of her fatigue from the workouts

A Fun Night!

We had a great night at Tommy & Anna's wedding! We took pictures as if it was our "Second Chance Prom." Kerri finally got us all arranged on the stairs properly. Check out my nasty running and biking tan lines...lookin' so sexy with my strapless dress... Yikes...Maybe I could at least invest in a cheap spray on tan for my next night out... Well, it was a beautiful wedding at the Old Red Courthouse. All of us girlies had some fun dancing the night away. Good thing Ted drug me home before I got too crazy... As graceful as I am, it was a little dangerous dancing in my high heels a week before my marathon! Home Safe and Sound Thank Goodness!!

MS150

Well, I survived my second year of the MS150!! It was great fun and I was again amazed as I rode my bike through different towns to see MS patients in wheel chairs sitting on the side of the rode cheering and saying "Thank You!" Being the sap that I am, it brought tears to my eyes a few times... With that being said, I am so glad that this is such a huge well-run event. My mom's sister has MS, and I have a friend at church with MS. It is great that they can raise so much money for such a great cause!!

Well, to even get to the start line from Dallas, it is a bit of a logistical nightmare. Friday, I drove to Austin parked my car at UT, took a bus to Houston, then I crashed with my old high school soccer buddies. I had fun catching up with Becky & Jorge and adorable little Maddy. We all went out for pasta so Brian and I could "carbo load." Linda & Brian hosted my Friday night stay...and we all woke up at the insane hour of about 4AM then headed out to start two day trek from Houston to Austin. I of course rode with the Brewery team again, "St. Arnold's." Take a look at the crazy colored jerseys! They took good care of me, fed me well, and made sure that I had plenty of choice replacement beverages on tap in La Grange. I stuck with tradition since things went pretty well last year (about 3-4 beverages and a good massage, and I was good to go for the next day). Brian and I had a good day of riding the first day, we covered 80 miles with some nice hills as you get closer to La Grange. Things got pretty nutty at the second half with a stiff headwind...but we survived and headed into camp. I showered in a shower trailer and staked out my sleeping bag on a nice patch of grass. I then headed over to visit friends on the Sun & Ski Team. We all compared and embellished stories from the grueling ride, and before you know it, I was off to sleep.

DAY 2: Woke up about 4:45 AM, only to repeat the same routine all over again!! Except this time you have to line up for about 1 1/2 hours just waiting for them to release all 13,000 riders at once from the gate... It was a pretty chilly morning, as we slowly pedaled off waiting for the crowds to thin. The rider in front of me turned back and said to me, "I can hear your teeth chattering, are you okay??" After about 20 miles, I finally warmed up a bit, although my toes stayed numb for another hour or so. I headed into my favorite part of the ride into Bueshner state park in Bastrop. It is beautiful with tree covered winding roads with some pretty crazy hills to climb. After the park, I stopped for lunch and then headed into Austin. I was lucky to jump on with a fun pace line and cruise at a nice speed drafting into Austin. Just like last year it was a great feeling riding into Austin knowing I had covered 160 miles or so on my bike! I had a celebration beverage at the St. Arnold's tent and vowed to make this my last beverage until after my upcoming marathon. Yikes in two weeks, running OKC marathon! So, I headed back to Dallas to recover and see if I could recooperate my body and prepare mentally for an upcoming Marathon! What was I thinking??!!

Relaxing Sunday

Today was a nice relaxing Sunday! I am on an easier "rest" week from training, so I did not have to spend as many hours riding and running. But, I did get some nice riding in the Tour of Dallas yesterday morning. Today I did a short ride before dropping my bike off at the Bike Shop for a final tune up before heading off to Houston for the MS150 next weekend. I had a shorter run up a whiterock lake this afternoon and enjoyed the great sunny weather! I had the nice surprise of running into my good friend Andrea as I was running along.

Ted is on his way back from his fishing adventures, and I will have him write a summary to capture all of his exciting moments! He did really well and had a great time!

I love when I get time on Sunday just to relax. I have had time to think about friends in need of prayer, the blessings I have, and many other peaceful thoughts. I am in a settled routine lately, and it is good right now. Even though I am working and training quite a bit. I enjoy all the fun I get to have along with these activities. I had a nice lunch with my mom today before heading out to the Lake. I feel truly blessed to have my Mom and a great circle of friends here in Dallas.

Gavin's surgery

Just wanted to update those of you who were thinking and praying for my friends Stacie/Jeff and her son Gavin. I truly believe the power of prayer and I see how it is helping this family in the midst of this crisis. The surgery went much better than expected today. They think they were able to get most or all of the tumor. There are still many hurdles to leap, but they are very pleased that the surgery today went so well! There are more specific updates about the surgery on the blog if you are interested. http://smithscooptexas.blogspot.com
Thanks for all of your prayers. I am truly amazed how communities of faith can come together and I am so thankful to see their circle of prayer and people growing by the minute, as I read all the uplifting comments on their blog. I am more aware of just how precious each day of life is and I am glad to have each of you as friends and family, I see how people are surrounding Stacie with love and prayer, and I know if that were any one of us in that situation, we would do the same for each other, and that brings peace to know that when believers are gathered, Christ is truly present in the midst of our darkest and scariest times...
God Bless,
Kristina Martin