Happy International Justice Day!

International Justice Day is a day of awareness. It is an opportunity for us to take stock in what we have, thank God for our blessings, and SHARE them with others that are not lucky like you and I are. It is a time for others to stand up for those less fortunate. Please join me in respecting this day. View this amazing video at www.mochaclub.org.

"A woman's heart should be so close to God that a man should have to chase Him to find her" - C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis is brilliant. Previously to recently diving into Screwtape Letters I had only read the first in the series of Narnia books. I need to finish the rest soon. Screwtape is very different though. Each chapter speaks this truth to me and explains things in such a way that I am left wrapping my brain around revelations previously hidden from me. I'm about 2/3rds through and am ready to finish the book. The strange thing is you find yourself rooting for "the patient" of course since he is a representation of us, but also rooting for Wormwood. He is pathetic at how much he sucks at his job of converting "the patient" into a non-beleiving lump only suitible for food to the demons. How C.S. Lewis chooses to describe the world is amazing. It never ceases to give me a new perspective.

The longing of younger days

Ruth and I were reminiscing about our youth tonight. I think you know you are getting older then you start to be very nostalgic about the past. When the years of younger days start to take on that hazy glow of the hopes you had once in visions of the future. We talked about loves lost and tried to make plans for days to come, that we might be able to run off and enjoy experiences as close to the ones we have lived through now that we are older and want to pretend that we are not wiser. Remember when the look of a cute boy across the room you didn't know allowed you the freedom to uninhibitedly dream? That you had yet to be pained, poisoned, tainted, let down, broken....that this boy's stare at your sweet innocent and self confident body was nothing more than a source of excitement, hope, and fluttering in your young heart. Oh how I long for those days again. For the memories of the beach, of the windows down, in his old Chevy, of the snowcones, and first flirtations. Of the innocence, will I ever feel that free gain!

"Epic"

"Epic", my latest John Eldredge quick read, was a nice visit back to Eldredge land. I always share his vision, especially here, that the stories we are most drawn to are because of the desires and the grand plan God has laid out for us. The reason we love the the story is because the formula is our own.

Act 1: Eternal Love
Act 2: The Entrance of Evil
Act 3: The Battle of the Heart
Act 4: The Kingdom Restored
Act 5: The Road Before Us

There are a few sections of this book I would like to discuss. The parts that stood out to me the most. I may only get to my first point today though, so check back for more in the near future.

One of the points he made was this:

"It came as a great surprise to me as a counselor when I first discovered that children would much rather know that their parents loved each other than that they loved them. But, of course, we need to know that love is real, that it endures, that a world of love is planned for us and waits for us, and that we can count on it."

This struck quite a cord with me. I wholeheartedly agree and I think this is one of the major reasons our society is so plagued by divorce. That many children, like myself, of divorced families find it hard to believe in lasting life-long love and commitment. We have a view that it will all end at some point because, in our experience, it always has.

Although many people have faith in marriage because their parents were able to give them that incredible example, a large majority of us have lost that, have even lost placing value on such a thing. The only reason I have faith in marriage is because I have faith in God. This is why I believe a faithless marriage is destined to fail, or at the very least is not going to be as beautiful a picture as God intended. For me that faith is rooted in God and, although I think this is the best course, others find seeming success in rooting the faith of their relationship lasting in love, in goodness, in trust, in truth. These marriages may last the test of time, but to me God encompasses all these things, making Him the focus of not only my future (hopefully) marriage, but of my life.

Spooning

What's your take on spooning? Are you the type that likes to sleep all tangled up, touching, holding, being held...Or are you the type that has to be separate in order to get some shut-eye? The past has brought me all types but I must admit I am a tangled up fan. There is something about the security of it, the closeness. It makes me feel safe and protected. Call me a crazy traditional girl but that's just what I prefer. It's not a deal breaker though, just a preference. So, what's your take?

Ellie's Run - OMG I'm running a 5k!!

Get this, I, Libby Marshall, am running a 5 K. OK, ok, I know you marathon runners/triathaloners out there are laughing at me but I don't care. A 5 K is a pretty big accomplishment for this lazy girl. In fact getting me off the couch/out of the bed, down the stairs, and to my car is a big accomplishment. Let's not kid ourselves. But here I am, running a 5K.

Ellie Ambrose is an inspiring young woman. At the age of 10 she decided to do something about poverty in Africa. She created this run and here it is, five years in the running (no pun intended), stronger than ever and helping put more clothes on children's' backs, food in their mouths, and education in their lives. If I am going to run I can't think of a cause I would be more passionate about. That's what's going to get me through this little 5K. Maybe someday it will be what gets me through a marathon. We all know Ellie and the children of Africa have been through one.

If you would like to support my run please visit http://www.elliesrun.org/hero/libby-marshall

Being Active....

Today is beautiful in Nashville. It is one of those days I am so grateful to the Lord for bringing me here. I recently bought a bike, I got a steal on Craigslist! So today in all this sunshine I biked to the gym, worked out with Heather, hung by the pool, went to Whole foods for lunch, and rode home. It's about a 20 minute bike ride to the Y. I got home and just about collapsed. I think what I really want to know is do I get this feeling of exhaustion? Is it because I am out of shape, getting older, or is this totally natural? It kinda reminded me of when I was a kid though. I would run all over the place and get completely tuckered out. I guess it's a good thing though, being that active. It does a body good, right?