...sick girl

So much has happened in the past week.
The first disciple class.
Volunteering at a triathlon.
A funeral.
A birthday dinner with friends.
A visit with my sister and her littles.
Planning a family reunion.

But, today...

I am sick. :-(
It rarely happens to me.

But, when it does - it throws me for a loop.

I'm not the 'lay down and rest' type.

I'm a pitiful sight.

...on the couch

...tissue box within reach

...tissues scattered

I decided to share some pretty things that make me happy...

Pretty posters:

Soon I am going on vacation.

To Cancun.

I am ready!

Here's where I will be:

Sun, fun, water, rest...

Another margarita?

Yes please!

Today, I feel yucky.

Tomorrow I will feel better.

And, I will appreciate it more...

...the charm

You know what they say about the 3rd time?
Well, Saturday was my 3rd triathlon.
And - I will not say it was 'a charm' - but I was absolutely charmed all day! The triathlon was just a small part of what ended up being my most favorite and excellent day that I can remember in a very long time.

When you start your day like this:

You should just know - 'today is going to be my day'. As I drove to the triathlon site, I watched the sun peaking in and out of trees and from around buildings. Then, when I parked the car - wow is the only word to describe. This picture does it no justice - it was glorious!

I lined up for the tri.

This time, it was a backwards: run, bike, swim...

This time, I was alone. No friends were able to register...

This time, I was not nervous at all...

The horn sounded and off we went. They released us in groups of 100, 8 minutes apart. I was in the first group. It really was fun to hear the horn sound as I ran and know another wave of people was coming. Then, yes - even though I had an 8 minute head start over the second group - people began to catch me, pass me, and leave me in their dust. And to be completely honest, there were probably a couple people from the next wave that got me too. Oh well - I stayed my course/my pace. The run was on a trail. It was shaded. It was fun. Three miles down... I enter the shoot for the end of the race, to grab my bike and take off. I hear 'GO NANCY!!!!'. Standing together, with smiles and signs - two dear dear friends were there for me. To show me love. To cheer for me. To add to my already wonderful day...

See how great my friends are...

After 6 miles on the bike, I entered the pool.

I was not scared.

I was ready.

Me being me, I stayed close to the lane divider. If I got kicked or hit, I knew I could reach over and catch myself. Most of the time, I did the back stroke. It felt faster. And stronger.

Exiting the water, there stood my friends. Cheering for me still.

How blessed I am.

Later I checked the results. I WAS NOT LAST! In fact, I was 17th out of 21 in my age group. Overall, I was ~120s out of ~160 females. Seriously people, this is excellent for me. :-)

The rest of the day was rounded out with my parents, sister, and her children. Homemade lasagna and homemade ice cream shared with family was excellent.

If you can't tell, I am running out of blogging steam tonight...

I will end with, I started my Bible study last week and I have homework to do tonight.

After meeting my classmates, I am quite sure I'll have many stories to share in blogland over the next months!

Good evening friends, Nancy

...be the change

Interesting message at church this week.
Having the christian fortitude to be a leader.
Not conforming - transforming.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Thermometers vs. Thermostats
A thermometer reports the temperature, and everything else adapts to that temp.
A thermostat sets the temperature, it leads everything else to its temp.

A weak spirit is a thermometer. That person enters the room, feels the atmosphere - and adjusts to whatever is going on or being said. A conformer.

A strong spirit is a thermostat. That person enters a room, sets the atmosphere - and drives what is going on. A transformer.


A couple quotes:

• Be the change you want to see in the world. - Gandi
• Christians are supposed not merely to endure change, nor even to profit by it, but to cause it.  - Harry Emerson Fosdick
• God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. - Reinhold Niebuhr

I want to have that presence.
That positive influence.
The driver of things that are positive and good...
That is a lot of pressure for me to put on myself.
But...

I am strong and capable.
And I have high standards for myself.
Wish me luck.
I want to be a thermostat...

...call me, the caboose

Another triathlon under my belt.

Mountain Lakes Triathlon, Guntersville, AL.

Swimming was first - 600 yards.
My nemesis.
My weakest spot.
I impressed me!

Was I great? Absolutely not.

But I didn't want to cry.

I prayed my way in to the water, not just an 'in the brain' prayer, I whispered it.

And I only stopped twice to hold on to the kayaks.

ANDDDD - I saw them dragging a girl out of the water and I didn't freak out.

I remember thinking, 'I hope she's okay! She needs their attention much more than I do, I'll just keep going'. A few weeks ago, I would have thought 'Oh crap, she's couldn't do it - neither can I!'

It was hard. And whoever told us that you can put your feet down the whole time was sadly mistaken or 8 feet tall. ;-) 

I remember thinking to myself - calm down, you're good, you got this.

I sang to myself too. At first an upbeat fun song. I felt tired (my pace was faster than it should be). Then, I picked a slower song...good choice.

I did not put my face in the water. I was afraid I would bump in to people. I mixed it up between freestyle and back stroke - and it seemed to be the right mix this time!

Next was bike - 16.2 miles.

I can't really tell you too much about where the miles went, it seemed like it was over fast.

The memorable parts...

I caught up with a friend around mile 3 or 4. She was struggling. I slowed myself and rode side by side with her. She shared that she had a bad swim and really wore herself out. And, she thought something was wrong with her bike. I asked 'are YOU okay?'. 'Yes'. 'Ok, well I'm going to press on...'. I hope she didn't mind. Majority of the time, I'm the 'no man left behind' person. If someone has a bad day, I stay with them. Bad days seem better when you know you have someone that cares by your side. But. Today, I felt good. And, I thought to myself - if it were me, would I really want someone staying back for my sake? That answer is a definite no.

Around mile 7 or 8 I see this: 

I have to admit, I was not surprised. I was looking for it.

(ok...blogger font just went goofy and will not right justify. you can live with it.)

I had posted on Facebook that I would be doing this triathlon. An old friend from childhood saw my post and said that we would be riding past his house. I asked him to put a sprinkler in the yard. :-) He said he would put a sign on his mailbox. And...he did. That was really nice. I saw it from a distance and was trying to read it. Then, I got closer and smiled. Luckily I had my camera. I hopped off the bike, to take the picture. He was on his front porch...so I shouted 'hi! and thanks..this is awesome!'. He laughed and said 'I guess all that time we spent riding bikes is paying off now'. Funny. If he only knew how slow I am. Or, rather, I am sure he could tell.........I was VERY far behind the pack at this point. At any rate, a small act of kindness really meant a lot to me. (How can I pass this on to someone else? Hmmm...)

Lastly, the run - 3.1 miles.

I was doing okay...feeling good. After racking my bike, I asked a guy 'where is the entrance to the run?'. His reply, 'everyone is finished'. REALLY? Way to steal a little wind from my sails buddy. And, such is life. I found the entrance and took off. It was a short out and double back, so I was facing other runners coming back from their run. Watching intently for my friends, I see 1, 2, 3...to each I high five and smile. It's really a nice mix of mental strength to race it alone after training together, coupled with the high adrenaline filled parts when you see your friends doing well. I jogged. Kids offered me water - no thanks. At this point, they knew the racers were almost done, so they had pretty much turned it in to a water fight. I laughed inside, remembering being in that 12-15 year old range. Having a water fight with boys would have made for a very fun day. :-)

So, I finished. And I am more proud of me this time. In my age group, again, I was last. It's okay though, someone has to be the caboose. Today that is me, tomorrow it will be someone else. I hope I get to talk to that person and let them know, it's ok and that I am proud of them...I hope to motivate them to participate for the joy of it!

A goofy pic...

nice tat, eh?

...the company we keep

Yes, Nancy is here:

I love her.
I love the frame that was $9.99 at Michael's.
It still really really cracks me up!

So, the name Nancy means 'full of grace'.
Nancy above...does she look full of grace? I can't really decide.

I don't know that many Nancy's personally. In fact, just a few. And then there are all those Nancy's that people have told me 'oh, my grandmother's name is Nancy'. Great. I have an old lady name.

But, famous Nancy's, here's a short list:

• Nancy Reagan (there were many pics of her, but this one made me smile. oh-la-la): 

•  Nancy Kerrigan (graceful, yes!)

• Nancy Drew (smart girl...)

• Nancy Oleson (Little House on the Prairie. What a manipulative brat!)

• Nancy Thompson (Nightmare on Elm Street - she was a survivor):

• Nancy Sinatra (Sassy!)

Speaking of Sinatra...

Anyway, throw that one bad apple out (Oleson) and my name is pretty darn cool.
I keep good company!
And I see a little bit of each one of them, in me.
Even "One Night With Nancy" Nancy...
:-)

Happy weekend.
Nancy

...where does the time go?

One year ago: survival mode.
Today: weeks flash by and I wonder where the time has gone.

One year ago - I cried, a lot.
Today - I cry, rarely.

One year ago - I didn't sleep.
Today - tuck me in, I'm good to go!

One year ago - I was scared.
Today - I am reassured.

One year ago - weak and uncertain of myself.
Today - strong and confident.


I believe this is because I am in a much stronger spiritual and mental state. I am also in a stronger physical state.

A year.
Time heals.
Time reveals.
Most enlightening time of my life.
What a difference.
I like me.

Now what?
Where does Nancy go?

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs...


Did you notice...bottom up approach - 'needs'?
At the top - 'self' - not 'need'...desire for fulfillment.
The pinnacle.
The crest.

Credit to wiki:

Characteristics of Self-Actualized PeopleIn addition to describing what is meant by self-actualization in his theory, Maslow also identified some of the key characteristics of self-actualized people:

• Acceptance and Realism: Self-actualized people have realistic perceptions of themselves, others and the world around them.
• Problem-centering: Self-actualized individuals are concerned with solving problems outside of themselves, including helping others and finding solutions to problems in the external world. These people are often motivated by a sense of personal responsibility and ethics.
• Spontaneity: Self-actualized people are spontaneous in their internal thoughts and outward behavior. While they can conform to rules and social expectations, they also tend to be open and unconventional.
• Autonomy and Solitude: Another characteristics of self-actualized people is the need for independence and privacy. While they enjoy the company of others, these individuals need time to focus on developing their own individual potential.
• Continued Freshness of Appreciation: Self-actualized people tend to view the world with a continual sense of appreciation, wonder and awe. Even simple experiences continue to be a source of inspiration and pleasure.
• Peak Experiences: Individuals who are self-actualized often have what Maslow termed peak experiences, or moments of intense joy, wonder, awe and ecstasy. After these experiences, people feel inspired, strengthened, renewed or transformed.

Wow...I want that.
Just knowing that I want that makes me believe it is achievable for me.

This is the stuff that keeps me thinking.
Striving.
Wanting.

I have a new experience on my horizon.
Dave Ramsey, I love you - but I need a break.
Up next:

• DISCIPLE 1 - Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study
• This 34-week course is an overview of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. This is the ideal core study to increase your competence, confidence, and love for God’s Word. In this course, you will read and discuss over 70% of the Bible. 

I am nervous.
What if there aren't many people in the class?
What if I don't have time to study?
What if I don't 'get it'?
What if I have to speak up...and, am unprepared or WRONG?
I am not that person who will sit quietly and be 'under the radar' and will never be called upon to share an idea or opinion.
That's not me!
34 weeks feels a little overwhelming...
BUT - I am excited.
I will grow.
I will learn.
I will gain from the knowledge of others.
I will not be judged.
I will...be a newer Nancy, more aware of self.



Now that is cute!
I smiled.
Hope you did too...

Speaking of 'where does the time go'...it's past my bedtime!
~N

...solid

I think about this speech (vows) from Grey's Anatomy sometimes:

"I could promise to hold you and to cherish you. I could promise to be in sickness and in health. I could say, til death do us part. But I won't. Those vows are for optimistic couples, the ones full of hope. And I do not stand here, on my wedding day, optimistic or full of hope. I am not optimistic, I am not hopeful, I am sure. I am steady."

That, my friends, is how it should be.
Sure.
Steady.
REAL.
But real isn't easy, and to expect anything less than hard - is just not realistic.



Am I a dreamer?
Ideal love.
Hmmm.

I went to see a dear friend today.
She has sure; she has steady...real.
The road there has been long. And hard. And...not ideal at times.
But they made it.
Together.
Gives me hope.

I like this song - always have.
When I first heard it, I feel in love...
And I thought - I wish someone felt like this about me:

~N

...shhh, it's a secret

Ever heard of post secret?
It started as an art project.
'Mail in a postcard with your secret on it, do not include your name or return address'
From Amazon...

• "The instructions were simple, but the results were extraordinary. "You are invited to anonymously contribute a secret to a group art project. Your secret can be a regret, fear, betrayal, desire, confession, or childhood humiliation. Reveal anything -- as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before. Be brief. Be legible. Be creative." It all began with an idea Frank Warren had for a community art project. He began handing out postcards to strangers and leaving them in public places -- asking people to write down a secret they had never told anyone and mail it to him, anonymously. The response was overwhelming. The secrets were both provocative and profound, and the cards themselves were works of art -- carefully and creatively constructed by hand. Additively compelling, the cards reveal our deepest fears, desires, regrets, and obsessions. Frank calls them "graphic haiku," beautiful, elegant, and small in structure but powerfully emotional. As Frank began posting the cards on his website, PostSecret took on a life of its own, becoming much more than a simple art project. It has grown into a global phenomenon, exposing our individual aspirations, fantasies, and frailties -- our common humanity. Every day dozens of postcards still make their way to Frank, with postmarks from around the world, touching on every aspect of human experience. This extraordinary collection brings together the most powerful, personal, and beautifully intimate secrets Frank Warren has received -- and brilliantly illuminates that human emotions can be unique and universal at the same time. "

How clever.
How interesting.
Folks write 'em down, mail 'em in, and maybe they feel some sense of relief for having shared a secret.

The idea turned into a book:

(several books...)

And then, a webpage:

http://www.postsecret.com/
Check it out! They update it regularly...

It makes me wonder - what secrets do I have?
What do I not readily share with others?
And...it makes me realize that even when I am feeling down about something, there are others that are way worse off than me.

Misery loves company.

(not that I'm miserable, I'm not!)

 

What if there were a project, where folks shared their blessings?

Little things.

Big things.

Counting our blessings.

Happiness loves company too.

Happiness fosters happiness.

Its contagious.

 

Today's blessings for Nancy:

• A dear friend became a Grandfather today. He sent me a picture of a beautiful 3 lb 1 ounce grandson.
•  Blessing: sharing life's moments.
• I walked a new team member around to introduce her to our team. Many folks on the team told her that I am a good team lead. That made me feel happy.
• Blessing: appreciation and recognition.
• I was out of the office for meetings for over a week. Today, I got my work back under control (I think):
• Blessing: sense of order.

 

Random picture I have fallen in love with, makes me happy: