Faith Laces

  ✨ A family moment, a simple craft, and a glimpse of God’s transformative love. While we were camping, Cai had one simple request: to make a paper fan. It was a quick, no-fuss craft—perfect for our outdoor setting. I didn't bring along the craft bin though, so we had to make do with materials we had on hand. First, we took a few finished camping MadLibs pages and folded them accordion-style, breathing new life into something that had already served its original purpose. With a little glue and a pair of popsicle sticks rescued from the firepit, Cai turned ordinary scraps into a colorful fan—and soon, into his favorite fidget toy. It was a short crafting moment, but the joy and calm it gave him lingered long after. Watching him enjoy fidgeting with the fan reminded me: God is the master of repurposing. Just like those MadLibs and popsicle sticks, our lives may feel used up or done. But when we place the pieces in His hands, God creates something new—something deeply meaningful. ...

Scripture:   "Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come." — Psalm 71:18 (NIV) Devotional:   These days there's no reason to wear suspenders—unless they’re Barry’s. A bold red pair, thick with memory and meaning, packed and unpacked for decades as a keepsake of someone special. Until one day, they were worn. And suddenly, they became more than clothing. They became a testimony. Barry’s suspenders aren’t just fabric—they’re faith in action. They symbolize the strength it takes to show up, to pour into teenagers, to serve humbly and speak boldly. Barry didn’t just wear faith on his sleeve—he wore it strapped across his chest. Like a cross between John Denver and the Brawny Paper Towel man, Barry was a man of the earth and a man of God. Through workcamps, his garden, and tall tales, Barry mentored with his hands and his heart. He embodied the fruit of a life rooted in ...

  Have you ever watched fireworks light up the night sky and felt a sense of wonder? That burst of color, that sudden brilliance—it’s like joy exploding in the darkness. But what if I told you that kind of light can live inside a jar? Even better, what if it could live inside   you ? The Little Jar Once upon a time, there was a small, empty jar sitting on a windowsill. It wasn’t fancy. It didn’t glow or sparkle. It just sat there, waiting for someone to put it in the recycling bin. One day, a child came along with a few simple things: a little oil, some water, and a few drops of food coloring. He poured them in carefully, stirred gently, popped in an Alka-Seltzer tablet and then— boom! —colors began to swirl and dance like tiny fireworks. The jar didn’t know it could do that. It didn’t know it could hold something so beautiful. Cai watching the 'fireworks' show. The Light Inside Us Sometimes, we feel like that jar—plain, small, maybe even a little empty. But with just a tiny b...

  Fun and Faith on Fridays 1.  Our inaugural STEM project is inspired by *Awesome Engineering Activities for Kids* by Christina Herkert Schul. Cai was particularly enthusiastic about this activity. Sitting together coloring the popsicle sticks was very relaxing.  The push pins were too hard for Cai to push the pins through the sticks.  Glue on the ends of the pins is a must. 2 . The next thing I was really looking forward to was the CD Hovercraft. But before we got started, we noticed we didn't have the exact bottle cap we needed, which could mess with the experiment a bit. The hovercraft is a fail for now. With the proper bottle cap we might succeed. 

February 7 - February 13, 2016 38 Weeks Pregnant Sunday February 7 - 3 miles Thursday February 11 - 3 miles Total Miles - 6 miles New baby is low and I think this is why my upper legs are so sore during and after running. At this point, I'm also having sciatica pains in my right leg which cause me to limp when I run. Officially I made it 38 weeks during this pregnancy but in the interest of not hurting myself for after the baby is born I'm going to stop running until baby is born. I wish I could have continued to run, but my tiredness and the bad weather combined with the soreness in my body that running causes have convinced me now is a good time to take a break.

January 31 - February 6, 2016 37 Weeks Pregnant Monday February 1 - 2 miles Tuesday February 2 - 3 miles Thursday February 4 -3 miles Total Miles - 7 miles I'm disgusted by the low mileage, but whether it's Nate's hospitalization, the bad weather, the crummy roads or the pregnancy, I'm just tired and lacking the motivation to get moving.

January 24 - January 30, 2016 36 Weeks Pregnant Thursday January 28 - 2 miles Saturday January 30 - 2 miles Total Miles - 4 miles It finally happened - snow - and a whole bunch of it - 2 feet! It snowed on Saturday so Sunday through Tuesday the roads were just too narrow to run on. I wouldn't have had anywhere to go when a car came and the sidewalks weren't in great shape. The park is off the map now since they don't plow or clear any paths. :( I had planned to go running on Wednesday, but Nathan ended up being hospitalized at Chambersburg because he couldn't get enough oxygen. After staying in the hospital overnight Wednesday, I went home Thursday and eked out 2 miles. Unfortunately that night, Nathan was life-flighted to Hershey. Saturday was a bitterly cold and slow two miles with Makayla around the hospital.

January 17 - January 23, 2016 35 Weeks Pregnant Sunday January 17 - 3 miles Monday January 18 - 5 miles Wednesday January 20 - 4 miles Friday January 22 -5 miles Total Miles - 17 miles

Photo courtesy of Kara Pittman Photography January 10 - January 16, 2016 34 Weeks - Photo Courtesy of Kara Pittman Photography 34 Weeks Pregnant Sunday January 10 - 3 miles Tuesday January 12 - 5 miles Thursday January 14 - 4 miles Friday January 15 - 4 miles Total Miles - 16 miles I hate to see my miles decrease like this when for the past two years I've been increasing my miles to run the Chambersburg half marathon and then the Pittsburgh Marathon. It's depressing.  On the positive side, we had family photos done by Kara Pittman on Saturday. It was cold at 40 degrees but it could have been colder! Nathan wasn't happy about any of it and cried the whole time. When we got home and he woke up from his nap, he had a fever.

January 3 - January 9, 2016 33 Weeks Pregnant Sunday January 3 - 3 miles Monday January 4 - 4 miles Wednesday January 6 - 5 miles Friday January 8 - 5 miles Total Miles - 17 miles The pain is getting to me and the slow pace isn't helping. On the plus side, the weather has been so good. No ice or snow to worry about :)

December 20, 2015 - January 2, 2016 31 and 32 Weeks Pregnant Sunday December 20 - 2 miles Monday December 21 - 3 miles Wednesday December 23 - 5 miles Friday December 25 - 6 miles Sunday December 27 - 3 miles Monday December 28 - 4 miles Wednesday December 30 - 5 miles Friday January 1 - 6 miles Total Miles - 16 miles and 18 miles Had a great run on Christmas day - it was warm around 60 degrees! Christmas Eve was even warmer at 70 degrees! Ran 6 miles on January 1 while in WV. A dog chased me and I had to have Dan come and pick me up. After driving away from the dog, he dropped me off and I resumed my run. Still running slowly. My upper, inner thighs and pelvic area start hurting after about 2 miles and then they hurt badly the rest of the day. Anytime I try to pick up the pace, the pain is worse.

Nathan Fall 2015 December 13 - December 19, 2015 30 Weeks Pregnant Sunday December 13 - 2 miles Monday December 14 - 3 miles Wednesday December 16 - 5 miles Friday December 18 - 6 miles Total Miles - 16 miles Sunday was a beautiful day - more like a spring day than an almost Christmastime day. I was too nauseous in the morning before church to run, but Makayla and I went for a short run in the afternoon. It was around 60 degrees. Since I still wasn't eating much, Monday's run was short and slow too. Nathan had surgery on Wednesday to put in a G-tube. Being in the hospital all day and overnight Tuesday didn't give me a lot of energy for a five mile run on Wednesday, but I managed it. I tired to pick up the pace on Friday, but 6 miles was still done slowly. The entire month of December hasn't been great for running. I've been terribly slow, especially compared to November.

December 6 - December 12, 2015 29 Weeks Pregnant Sunday December 6 - 3 miles Tuesday December 8 - 4 miles Thursday December 10 - 5 miles Total Miles - 12 miles I was scheduled to run 6 miles on Saturday but I woke up and immediately started throwing up. I couldn't get out of bed most of the day. On Friday we went Christmas shopping in Pittsburgh with my dad. We were gone from 10am to 11pm. I don't know if that's what did me in or not. Anyway, my goal is to get my long run up to 8 miles before the baby is born, but that's not looking possible at this point. Not only is it hard to run when I am nauseated, but also when I am nauseous all the time, I'm not eating and if I'm not eating I don't have the strength or energy to run.

November 29 - December 5, 2015 28 Weeks Pregnant Sunday November 29 - 3 miles Wednesday December 2 - 5 miles Thursday December 3 - 4 miles Total Miles - 12 miles

November 22 - 28 2015 Makayla and I at the Greencastle Turkey Trot 2015 27 Weeks Pregnant Sunday November 22 - 3 miles Tuesday November 24 - 5 miles Thursday November 26 - 4 miles Friday November 27 - 5 miles Total Miles - 17 miles This week was the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot (1 mile kids' run and 5K). I woke up Thursday morning at 5am and felt like throwing up, but I couldn't. So I laid in bed for the next two hours wishing I would just throw up and feel better. I debated whether to run the race or not considering how nauseated I was, but in the end decided I would just try. I was going to be nauseous whether I ran or not, so I might as well run! Makayla and I ran the kids' 1 mile. The weather was great - about 40 degrees or so. When we started, I felt really bad and I know I held her back. As we ran I just encouraged her to find her pace so she could run the entire race and not sprint and then walk. To my surprise she ended up running the entire mile without ...

November 15 - 21 2015 26 Weeks Pregnant Sunday November 15 - 2 miles (Very nauseous. It was hard to run today.) Monday November 16 - 4 miles Wednesday November 18 - Had planned to do 6 miles but got violently ill at mile 2.5. Unfortunately I didn't have my cell phone. It was so bad I contemplated lying down on the sidewalk, but I didn't want anyone calling an ambulance. Friday November 20 - Felt better and was able to complete 6 miles. Total Miles - 16 miles

November 8 - 14 2015 25 Weeks Pregnant Sunday November 8 - I took off to rest from race on Saturday. Monday November 9 - 4 miles Wednesday November 11 - 6 miles - the farthest I've run since June 24, 2015 when I ran 9 miles. Friday November 13 - 5 miles Total Miles - 15 miles Felt pretty good this week. No adverse pains from the longer distances and I kept a decent pace 11:30-12:00.

November 1 - 7 2015 24 Weeks Pregnant 24 weeks pregnant for Menno Haven 5K November 1 - 3 miles November 2 - 3 miles November 4 - 5 miles November 6 - 2 miles November 7 - Menno Haven 5K for Memory Care  3.2 miles in 31 minutes at 9:41 pace Total Miles - 18.2 miles Saturday was a great day for a 5K race. The weather was cool but not frigid - about 55 degrees. Makayla signed up for the full 5K instead of the children's 1 mile run. This presented a small challenge for me - run with her or try and beat my 2012 race time when I was 9 weeks pregnant with Nathan.  Last year I finished in 26 minutes. I knew that was unlikely to happen this year, but I really wanted to race against my previous pregnancy time. Ultimately, Makayla ran about .5 miles with me to start and after I finished I met her about .5 miles from the finish line and ran with her to the finish. Dan walked with her for the other 2.2 miles.  It was hard because Makayla and I have be...

Gender Reveal October 31, 2015 October 25 - 31 2015 23 Weeks Pregnant October 25 - 3 miles October 26 - 4 miles October 29 - 3 miles October 30 - 5 miles Total Miles - 15 miles Didn't run on Wednesday because of rain; however weather has been really nice. Most days I wear a tshirt and capris running leggings.  Saturday we announced during our church's Trunk or Treat that we are having a boy. Nathan was a pumpkin and Makayla was Anna for Halloween. My little pumpkin.

October 18 -24 2015 22 Weeks Pregnant Sunday October 18 - 3 miles Monday October 19 - 3.2 miles Wednesday October 21 - 4 miles Friday October 23 - 5 miles Total Miles - 15.2 miles