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Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Race Day this weekend! Calling in all inspirational quotes!

Spiritual resource to share: inspiration to run with

Okay all you wonderful readers, I need your inspiration and best quotes to take along with me this weekend as I go into my first ever cross-country ski race. I have been training these last few months with my good friend (see our hardly-ever-written-in blog) and NOW I feel so ready. Yesterday I did my first 11k run and felt great.

I'll be doing the easy part of the Birkebeiner - a run called the Prince Haakon Run which is 12K. It is, I am told, a good beginner run. My friend and my son are more ambitious and will be doing the 23K Kortolopet.

To start us off, a new friend emailed the other day. He found my blog while checking out "Christian Science," was delighted to know I prayed and skiied, and shared how he had been healed through prayer while training and racing the Birkie. He also shared one of his favorite quotes:


"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

Going through my archive of kayaking and racing inspiration, I came across some other goodies. These are the kind of ideas that you can shout to one another over the noise of a river rapid or probably even down a ski trail:

  • All things work together for good to them who love God.
  • Glorify God in your body and in your spirit.
  • You have all the strength you need.

Then there are others that are easy to write out and carry. These are helpful in the calm waters and eddies of a river, and would fit during a rest break available every 6K along the race course:

  • They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
  • Mind, joyous in strength, dwells in the realm of Mind. Mind's infinite ideas run and disport themselves. In humility they climb the heights of holiness.
    • Here is a good one to remember when I am soaring downhill - a good humming song:

      I climb, with joy, the heights of Mind,
      To soar o'er time and space;
      I yet shall know as I am known
      And see Thee face to face.
      Till time and space and fear are naught
      My quest shall never cease,
      Thy presence ever goes with me
      And Thou dost give me peace. (#139 Christian Science Hymnal)



      Do you have any inspiration that has hit you on the slopes, the river, the track, the trail, the field or the court? It's all good.

      I probably won't be posting on Friday, but will be back at my post, posting on Monday!












      To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

      6 comments:

      Kate said...

      have a great time dear friend....you are full of love and love is the motivation behind EVERYTHING....even your sweet body of activity and joy!

      all love, Kate

      Laura said...

      have at it, kiddo!

      Heb 12:1

      let us lay aside every weight, ... and let us run with patience the race that is set before us ...

      :)
      L
      @}-->--

      Colin Treworgy said...

      When I do distance running, I contemplate Hymn 412 (O Dreamer) as I run. I like to think about what it means to break the dream that we are bound by or dependent on a material body and I like to think about how the Christ is there now helping me to break those bonds. Have a great race!

      Elizabeth said...

      I always like to add "with joy!" after that quote from Science and Health you mention about God's ideas running and disporting themselves since, as it says in p. 481, "God's being is infinity, freedom, harmony and boundless bliss."

      Enjoy!!
      b

      Anonymous said...

      When I ran my last marathon I used hymn 144 "In atmosphere of Love divine, we live, and move, and breathe." It helped keep me going picturing myself surrounded by God.

      Anonymous said...

      These are the ones I remember writing out on slips of paper and handing to ultramarathoners as they came through our aid station at mile 84 of a 100-mile run in the middle of a cold November night:

      "We are all capable of more than we do." -- Mary Baker Eddy

      "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run, and not be weary. They shall walk, and not faint." -- Isaiah 40:31

      "You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however." -- Richard Bach

      "To those leaning upon the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings." -- MBE

      "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need." -- MBE (came in handy when I caught a glimpse of The Wall at mile 22 in my first marathon)

      "Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours." -- Richard Bach

      "Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man who is doing it." -- Confucius (?)

      "So many men seem destined to settle for something small, but I won't rest until I know I'll have it all." -- Stephen Schwartz

      I also closed almost every post on my old marathon training blog with an inspirational quote. The old blog is online here if you want to sift through the archives for usable quotage.