Tiny sneakers...Huge blessing
26.2.....I am finally crazy enough to attempt it. I have wanted to run a full marathon for a couple of years now, but for whatever reason my plans have always fallen through. I have been training now for about two months. I plan to run in a half marathon in Chicago on January 26th to prepare me for the trailbreaker marathon on April 6th in Waukesha. I do believe that this time around, I have the dedication and will power to go through with the training all the way to the end. However, it doesn't hurt to motivate you even more. I did some research obtaining additional marathon motivation and people suggest doing fundraising for whatever cause you see fit. Fundraising is the route I decided to go with, what a great way to make sure I meet my goal while earning some money for something that is dear to my heart.
Next I began to think of the different areas that the fundraising could go towards. The possibilities were endless but my heart kept coming back to one place. That place was my cousin Rachel and her husband Josh.
Josh and Rachel meet their freshman year of college. Rachel was working towards a teaching degree and Josh was on a somewhat indecisive track to becoming a pastor. Form their first date, to the wedding day and throughout the first years of their marriage, their love continued to grow. They wanted more than anything to share this love with a child of their own. After four years of praying to be blessed with a child, they finally became parents to Josiah. They traveled to the incredible country of South Korea in September of 2009 to meet and bring home their baby boy. In his mother words, "Si could very well be the sweetest, cutest little boy on earth and is most certainly the joy of our life."
Josh and Rachael now live in Otsego, Michigan, where Josh accepted a divine call to preach at Peace Lutheran Church. Josh and Rachel are bringing Josiah up in a loving Christian environment. You would not be able to find a set of parents that love and cherish their child more. With all this love to share, they have decided to add to their family once again. As they start up the adoption process, the financial aspect can be awfully stressful. Preparing for another addition to your family is emotionally taxing by itself, so it is my goal to relieve a tiny bit of that stress by raising money through running a marathon in support for their adoption.
Josh and Rachel have been such great role models in so many different ways. In a time where the family unit continues to deteriorate, they provide for me an example of a healthy Christian family. They have also taught me a valuable lesson in patiently accepting what God has planned for you. God's path for us doesn't always line up with what our intended course. They had to patiently wait for years until the Lord blessed them through adoption. They are the some of the happiest and most caring people that I know and it will be a true privilege to be able to help them.
Josh, Rachel and myself will be truly grateful for any donations that you are able to make. It will be a journey for them that will have its financial, emotional and spiritual hurdles. So, even if you are unable to contribute financially, keeping Josh, Rachel and Josiah in your thoughts and prayers will be greatly appreciated. I wouldn't mind a few prayers my way as well, 26.2 is a lot of miles!
Thank you for visiting my page and actually reading it all the way through. I look forward to seeing the donations and receiving the encouragement for the marathon. Every single donation will help in a big way. God's blessings!!!
