It was a BLOWOUT!!

If you had happened to be at our Regional Women's Church Basketball game last night, you would have seen an amazing team of women play flawlessly... and get a TON of turnovers and end with a score of 41 - 18.  However, it would NOT have been OUR team...

WE GOT OUR TUSHIES KICKED BIGTIME!!!

It was after they won the tip off and strolled down for a quick layup that I was first to bring the ball down for my team.  As I was looking for an open team mate, the apposing team stole the ball from me and ran down for another layup.  At that moment, I was psyched out!  Any thoughts that I was somewhat of a formidable player left me completely at that moment.

It didn't take long for me to not even want to bring the ball down because I was intimidated!  Dang... these gals were good!  They were faster than us, seemed to score with every throw, and kept us from passing as they scored MOSTLY from stealing the ball from us!  I didn't score a single point!  I can't count the turnovers... but my daughter seemed to get a lot of them on the videos she took.  Hmmmm.  It hurts to watch those videos!  This team we played were all young girls in their early 20's and most likely all played on their HS if not college teams!  It really wasn't a good match up.  We are a good team in our own way!

We decided to consider LAST WEEKS game as our TRUE finale!  That's when I was on my game and scored a record 16 points!  THAT'S the game I want to DEFINE ME!!  The fact that we even went to regionals and were playing teams from different cities is way cool!

I did earn my first FOUL of the whole season!  Yay me!! 

We were served some HUMBLE PIE!  Or should I say HUMBLE FROZEN YOGURT... as that is where we went to reminisce our amazing basketball season.

OVERALL - it's been AWESOME to play and I hope I can KEEP PLAYING with these gals even tho the season is over. :)

Today, I knew I need to do a "long run" for my 1/2 marathon training.  Last night I did get a pretty wicked leg cramp so I was wary about going out today.  But ya know when it comes to running or exercise - you can't THINK about it too much - you just gotta DO IT!  If you think too much, you may just convince yourself NOT to do it.

So out I went on this WINDY day.  Our basketball hoop had been blown over even!  I knew just a  minute into the run that it was going to be a hard run.  Part of the time the wind was pushing me from behind and that was fine, but when I turned to come back - the wind was right against me and I was surprised how strong it was.  I was wearing a cap that was on pretty tight but if I put my head all the way up - it would blow my hat right off.  So I ran while looking almost straight down.  My pace was barely a walk but with a bounce as I was trying to run!

I thought of my friend, Joy, and her last comment on my blog where she called me "Doer of hard things".  Those words gave me strength... Thanks Joy!  I ran just over 6 miles!  And I was pretty sore!  I hope I can get back up to my 7.4 mile run... but that was like a miracle!  Miracles take a little longer but they happen!! :)

SOOO.... my new plan is to REIGN IN my eating MORE!  I've been having too much frozen yogurt lately and it's stopping NOW.  I am deciding right now that I will not be indulging in ANY candy or chocolate for the Easter Season.

NO CANDY FOR EASTER!!

Anyone else wanna join me on this challenge?  Either don't buy it, or only get it for the kids... and avoid it yourself!  Who needs that sugar and crap?  Easter's not even about all that anyway!!  Whether you celebrate Easter or not, surely you see all the candy in the stores and so this is a challenge to not give in to any easter candy!!  Let's do it.  Let's keep it healthy.

Get those celery sticks and cut up the yummy red peppers!  Pop those sweet grape tomatoes, or nibble on a few nuts and low fat cheese.  Your body will thank you!

And that is all for today, my friends!  Sending my love to all my readers!!

Life is GOOD

xoXoxoXOO ~Margene

What FEAR can do

My niece posted this on Facebook and it really made me think:

Fear is selfish. It's so tragic how fear destroys the ones who nourish it in their hearts and souls. Then they let their fears feed on their relationships. All blanketed by a delusional white flag of victimization and martyrdom hoping to avoid accountability and escape the pain of personal power in their own lives; desperately attempting to secure sympathy, safety and love for themselves.


I can see myself a lot in this quote and have tried to see where I am letting fear guide my thoughts and behaviors at times more than taking my own personal power over my life!

That first line about fear being selfish is so true.  There is nothing uplifting to another person when you live in fear.  Not only that, but your fears drain the people around you as they try to help your fears.  And it turns you into a victim and deny's you of your own personal power.

I am tired of living in fear.  Fear of LOSING something or someone.  Fear of being FORGOTTEN.  Fear of gaining my weight back.  Fear Stinks!

I no longer want to "escape the pain of personal power".

Lately, I've been struggling with something that brings me either a lot of joy or a lot of anguish.  I've been on the more anguishing side of this dilemma.  In all my thoughts and analyzing, I have come to the conclusion that however it plays out - it will be painful for me.  There is no way to escape.

But wait.  I have personal power.  That often comes with pain but IN THE LONG RUN - (aka in God's view) it is better for us.  There is JOY.  God wants us to feel joy!

I'm so tired of feeling helpless.  I am tired of begin afraid and allowing myself to feel like a victim.  I have power!  I can do all things through Christ!  I am NOT a victim!

During family scripture study the other day, we were reading in the Book of Mormon, and in 2nd Nephi 26:13 it reads:  "And that he manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith."

The part that stuck out to me and pierced me while we read was those LAST 4 WORD.  "according to their faith" - I know this is true - but I realized that that is what I was lacking in my own current dilemma... Faith!  Faith in myself, and Faith in my Savior, and Faith in what I believe to be true.  God can only help me according to MY FAITH.  If I am doubting, I am not giving Him the power in my life to work miracles!  And Hasn't the Lord ALREADY given me miracles?  Hasn't He already proven Himself?  My Life is a miracle!  I have a new life.  How can my faith dwindle so quickly?

It helped refocus me... AWAY from FEAR.  Because we cannot have FEAR and FAITH at the same time!  If we want to eradicate fear from our lives, then we work on building our faith, our belief in what is really true!  That's where I'm at today.

So I'm back to running here in Utah.  I'm trying to add in some sprinting during my runs to help me build up my pace.  Right now, I've got a slow and steady pace.

And playing basketball.  The hubs and I got an outside basketball hoop which is AWESOME to have!  AND - our church women's team is playing at REGIONAL now.  We won our first game last friday 52-18.  It was so fun!  Afterwards, Brent asked me how many points I thought I scored.  I'm not a big scorer as my skill is more on defense, but I knew I scored some so I guess 6 points.  Then he told me I scored 16 points!  BOOYA!  He said I'm good at assists and that there were people around him commenting on my ball handling.  Wow, positive things said about me!  It was an awesome feeling!

I am 3rd from the left in pink - Awesome team of ladies!!

My one year of High School basketball was spent in total self-concious anxiety and wanting to quit the whole season as I didn't seem to blend in with the team or have any friends on the team.  I never played after my freshman year.  So NOW I am making up for it and just having fun.  Feels good to get beyond that horrible first year of HS basketball.  Now I love it and I'm finally making it a better experience!   Only took me 30 years!

This Friday is our next game, and if we win - we play again right after - and right after if we win that.  This next team we play I hear will be harder so I am feeling a bit of anxiety but it's also so fun to even be playing!  I'm glad I am playing and showing my kids that it's fun to be active.  I don't recall my mom doing any sports... she was always too tired.  Hoping to change that trend in my family.

Life is GOOD!  

Hang in there my friends who are struggling 

and work on building your FAITH and not your FEAR. 

 xoXoxoX ~Margene

Sometimes You Wanna Climb BACK into Bed!!

Thanks for your comment, Julie, and for asking how things are going.  It’s nice to know someone is thinking of me.  I enjoy that extra push to update my blog as it’s actually one of the FUN things to do in my day.

My new running shoes are working out GREAT!  And I haven’t missed a training run yet.  I run M/W/F.  Lately all my runs are on the treadmill (so boring).  Last Wed I ran 6 sets of 7 minutes with the last set bumped to 8 minutes.

Then Friday I ran 4 sets of 10 minutes.

Monday was hard!  I sat in my bed NOT wanting to get up.  I contemplated for a good 5 minutes the consequences of not running, why I am running, do I really want to run, etc. Then I just stopped thinking and got up and did it.  Too much thinking can not be good sometimes.

I put on the movie “Groundhog Day” - which isn’t the best movie to watch when you’re running as it just repeats itself.  However, I ran two sets:  15 minutes and then 24 minutes!  It wasn’t quite 3 miles but it was the long sets that I felt good about.  And I DID IT.  I could have stayed in bed and nothing but my own will power made me get up and run.  That at least gives me power over myself!

I think I’m ready to run a 5k straight through now... if I don’t second think myself to death.  I pray to find a running buddy!!  I pray to find more buddies, period!

Last Friday was a double whammy run day for me as well.  Our church women’s basketball team played our first real game and we won 25-24.  Wow, was that a totally fun work out.  There was a very aggressive player on the other team and I wanted to guard her.  I felt so riled up to STOP her momentum and be that player that reined her in.  Defense has always been my strength in bb.  I also realized that I am probably 10 years OLDER than everyone else playing... which is weird because I actually don’t feel that way!  My pedometer showed that I ran for 2 miles during that game alone!  That is a fun way to rack up the steps.

I certainly have my obstacles to break through lately... as we all do.  Things I wish I weren’t so tender and sensitive about.  Longings of my heart that just bring me heartache.  Yesterday was a hard day for me and by the end of the day I was depleted of joy and just sad.  So I gave in and allowed Brent to take me and my daughter for a frozen yogurt at 9pm at night.  I loaded up that yogurt cup too and savored every last bite.  I knew I’d feel guilty later, because it wasn’t on my plan.  I was trying to hold off having a frozen yogurt until my gal trip to Oregon next month.  And do I really need a frozen  yogurt to cheer me up?  (I don’t want to answer that right now...)

So there you have it.  Life is hard, life is painful, sometimes you may want to just climb back into bed.... YET Life is still SOO GOOD and SOO worth Living!!  

~XoxoXO Margene