American Armed Forces Kids Run!

The day dawned dreary and gray. There was an ocean mist hanging in the air. But it did not dampen the kids spirits one bit. They popped out of bed this morning ready to hit the track. It was the day they've been waiting for : the Armed Forces Kids Run!
We got there early (anxious with anticipation) to register each one in their age group. Ben to run the 1/2 mile, katie the mile and Grace the whopping two mile race. No group for twos so Isaac was sidelined with Mom and Digger to do the cheering. (Digger is our dog -he came along as team mascot). Each age group was staggered on the track and then the whistle blew!
Benjamin never stopped. He was a bit surprised after the first lap to find that he still had another one to go, but he just ducked his head and kept going. He finished second to Suzie Speedy in his age group. Yay Ben!
Katie put her new sneakers to the test and burned up the track from the start. But even better than speed was her dogged determination not to quit (greatly admired by Digger and myself). She came in third in her age group. Way to go, Katie!
Finally, Grace set sail. She whizzed thru the first two laps then settled into a nice jog. Though tempted to stop a few times, she never did. Just walked a bit and then kept jogging. She even had enough steam left to finish strong. The competitive edge not as ingrained in her as in her namesake, Stephanie Grace refused to out-run the little girl struggling beside her at the end, but waited patiently for her friend to catch up so they could run across the finish line together!
I thought my heart would burst with pride! Yes, they ran strong, and I was proud of that...my little budding track team...But I was even more proud of their perseverance and determination. And finally, I was humbled by their good-sportsmanship and great attitudes. No one was disappointed not to get an award. They happily left the races to go cheer eachother on the obstacle course and hop in the sack race. Isaac even found his niche crawling under obstacles and joining in the tug of war!
It was such a fun day! My only sadness was that Mark could not be here to share it with us. He would have cheered the loudest of any Dad. But they have made us proud today...and thankful.

Happy Mothers Day to Me!!

I have been dreading Mothers Day. I admit it. I have pouted all week. I even went out and bought myself a too-expensive rose bush as a present because I knew that (poor me) the kids wouldn't be able to get me anything.
Yesterday I got a card from Mark in Japan. In it he wrote: "Stacey, you are a mother of mothers. Happy Mothers Day!". This from a man who is writing two novels simultaneously and has never been known to be at a loss for words! This morning when he called, I could not help but giggle about the card. He sheepishly explained that he was in a hurry to get it in the mail.
At church this morning, out Pastor's sermon was about being "underappreciated" (1 Sam.23). In it, he relayed David's experience of being unappreciated by those people he helped and those in whose land he was trying to find refuge as King Saul sought to kill him. The pastor explained that, just in time,God sent an encourager to remind David of God's faithfulness. Jonathan, David's best friend, came to cheer him on. As I listend to the sermon it did not take too long for the Lord to convict me of my self-centeredness this week. Good grief! There are plenty of people who are in need of a little encouragement! And I have been so busy throwing a pity party that I've forgotten...
Forgotten that cheering someone else on would make my own race a little easier to run....
This afternnoon I had a chance to do some cheering. And it felt great!
I heated up the grill for hotdogs and hamburgers and the other "single moms" in the wardroom came over with their children and a dish to share. Before we knew it, we had a table covered with food. And it wasnt long before everyone forgot (at least for a while) the heavy loads we bear.
The three gals from my bible study were here. One of them mentioned how our weekly times together had really helped her get through this deployment. We all nodded in agreement. Its true. And those bible study nights have spilled over into coffee dates and family movie nights and, like today, holiday celebrations. I praise God for that! Just when we most needed it, God has brought us as encouragers to one another.
I'm sorry that I wasted time this week in self-pity. All along, God knew what a perfect Mothers Day He had planned for me!

Isaac

Ben and PoPop

Katie