Ann Voskamp

Operation Fortitude Fitness (Month #4)

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Sharita

Is it just me, or does it seem a little bit crazy that 2012 is already 1/3 of the way completed?!? Apparently time not only flies when you are having fun, but also when you run a personal ministry. (Fortunately, for me, those two are one and the same for me… most days :-)

April was legit. 7 Days Time Ministry continues to reach new levels (insert happy dance here!) and I feel like I’m kinda sorta getting back on track for my Getting Smart with 2012 goals. (Click here to read the full story from January.)

As promised, I will now update you on my personal progress for my 2012 goals… I know this might not be the most entertaining post on the planet, but let me tell you what, folks– if you want a great way to stay accountable, blog your journey and stick with it. There have been SEVERAL days over the last couple of months that I didn’t want to follow through on ANY of these goals. However, because YOU (yes, you!) are my accountability partner, I have pressed forward.

So without further ado… I give you… (hey that rhymed!) my April results for Operation Fortitude Fitness. (AMERICA!)

SMART Change #1: Operation Fort-itude Fitness.  In short, my goal for 2012 is to log 98 miles per month via biking, swimming, running, elliptical etc to “travel” from Fort Benning, Georgia to Fort Riley, Kansas. Also, in order to stay on track with my strength training, I need to do 2,500 various reps per month. As of last update, I had logged 423 miles Jan-March and “arrived” in Turrell, Arkansas.

RESULT: GOAL MET…  Again and FINALLY! The month of March and first three weeks or so of April I was really struggling. I mean, I was doing stuff, but without much enthusiasm. Or sweat. But praise 9 pound 3 ounce Baby Jesus, my exercise mojo appeared to be on its way back in at the latter part of last week. YES! On Friday of last week, I tied my personal best for distance traveled, logging 14 total miles. (8.3 on foot, 5.7 on the bike.)  I guess my body has finally recovered (ish) from the physical stress of our miscarriage. Yesterday, I started (and dominated!) my new re-training plan to run a 5K. I signed up for one in Americus, GA on June 23. My goal: Get my time under 30 minutes. I know I have a long way to go (my best “race” time so far is 36:30) but this will only be my 3rd 5K. Pray for me :-)

So, back to my “original” goals. I was able to log 2,975 reps in April! (Goal met!) I also logged 128 miles this month (551 total for 2012) and have “arrived” in Thayer, Missouri! YES! “Feels” great to be back in the Midwest. (I know. I am a nerd.)

Crossing the Missouri border! YES!

SMART Change #2: Spend at least one hour per day in the Lord’s presence by using my new Jesus Calling Devotional and studying the accompanying Scripture. I will also continue to keep a prayer request list in a notebook and/or iPad.

RESULT: GOAL MET (ok, kind of modified.) Here’s the thing, peeps. The first two months of this goal were INCREDIBLE. March was kind meh. Then April continued to get “routine” instead of relationship-seeking. When God called me away on my sabbatical, He spoke volumes to me. Turns out I was becoming legalistic in this goal. Instead of seeking to spend quality time with Him, my tick-tock hour was a “to do list” thing for me. So, I am still DEFINITELY doing quiet time every day and praying from my iPad prayer list app. However, I don’t look at the clock anymore. I make sure I am not rushing through it, but I am letting GOD decide how much time He wants me to chill with Him. Most days, it is still around 45 minutes to an hour, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. The time I spend with Him each day is once again back to the quality of Jan/Feb, not the legalistic “check it off the list so I can move on” mode of March.

SMART Change #3: Complete my 1000 Gift List (inspired by Ann Voskamp’s book) by the end of 2012.

RESULT: ON GOING  This month, I am at #839… an increase of  155 gifts from last month! (And a majority of those have come in the last 10 days.) God is awesome and I am well on track to reaching 1000. (But I doubt I stop there– this LIST is a gift in itself!)

SMART Change #4:   Memorize a book of the Bible, starting with 1 John.

RESULT: ON GOING I’m feeling pretty legit about this one for the month of April. I have stumbled my way to 1 John 4… It’s far from perfect and it isn’t completely ingrained in my brain, but I think by October, this will be doable in a “I-don’t-have-to-peek-at-what-comes-next” kind of way. YAY!

SMART Change #5: Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry and submit to God DAILY in all areas of my life.

RESULT: ON GOING Did you read my sabbatical post? Yeah. Making HUGE strides on this one by letting HIM do the hard work and me simply be the hands and feet. My soul is recharged and I am loving it!

Moral of the month: Allow yourself some flexibility. Sometimes (ok, almost always) God is going to have some hidden lessons along the way, especially when it comes to your own personal goals and plans. Make sure you aren’t blazing through life so fast that you miss those lessons! What God taught you so far in 2012? Have you achieved any of your goals? How have you witnessed God moving in 2012 for you?  I would love your input. Leave a comment here.

Thanks for coming along… You all are AWESOME lifetrippin-cheerleading buddies!

One step at a time,
SGK

“I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.” –Philippians 3:13-14 (MSG) 

Categories: 2012, accomplishment, America, Ann Voskamp, challenge, fitness, healing, living | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Operation: Fortitude Fitness (Month #3)

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Sharita

Oh dearest readers… March was certainly “a month” for the Knobloch family. I have always hear that it was supposed to come in like a lion, out like a lamb (or visa versa.)

But for me, it kind of felt like the whole month was one big ol’ roaring lion. Baring it’s teeth. In my grill. Chasing me down the street.

However… It didn’t catch me! The Lamb seemed to save me. (Jesus = Lamb. Get it? Look at me go with my play on words. Whew.)

We are kicking off a new month (and that’s no April fool’s joke) so it is time to start fresh. But in the meantime, here is my accountability update from my “Smart” changes for 2012. (Read the Original Post here.)

SMART Change #1: Operation Fort-itude Fitness.  In short, my goal for 2012 is to log 98 miles per month via biking, swimming, running, elliptical etc to “travel” from Fort Benning, Georgia to Fort Riley, Kansas. Also, in order to stay on track with my strength training, I needed to do 2,500 various reps per month. As of last update, I had logged 306 miles Jan-Feb and “arrived” in Wallerville, Mississippi.

RESULT: GOAL MET… Sorta. I fell short on reps this month with only 2,100. But even with being exhausted from pregnancy and the subsequent miscarriage recovery, I did manage to still log 117 miles. Granted, most of these were walking or on the stationary bike. But I am extending some grace to myself this month (a task harder for me to do than running 5k!) and chalking March up to one of my most challenging, emotionally draining months of my 26 years on this earth.  I am now Turrell, Arkansas and have traveled 423 miles in 3 months. Gonna count that as a win!  America!

SMART Change #2: Spend at least one hour per day in the Lord’s presence by using my new Jesus Calling Devotional and studying the accompanying Scripture. I will also continue to keep a prayer request list in a notebook and/or iPad.

RESULT: GOAL MET!!   Honestly folks, this goal was even harder to achieve than the above physical challenge. Not only did I have company staying with us for about 12 days this month which kind of squiggled up my schedule a bit, but losing the baby didn’t help at all. I was physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted for several days… And if I am being perfectly honest (which I always try to do in my posts) I was pretty ticked off at the Lord for a few days and really didn’t WANT to meet with Him, let alone talk to Him and spend precious quiet time together.

But I did… Many days during my quiet time, I read Jesus Calling, then cried and cried at the feet of Jesus from my red recliner rocking chair. He always had something to say to me and my quiet time is helping immensely in the healing process. Plus… I still pray every day for the folks in my iPad prayer app. It helps me keep a larger perspective of God’s plan and helps me to be commune with Him.

SMART Change #3: Complete my 1000 Gift List (inspired by Ann Voskamp’s book) by the end of 2012.

RESULT: ON GOING  I am downright shocked at the progress I made on this one, dear readers. I guess Jesus really has a hold on me. It was one of the toughest months of my life… and at last update, I was at #571…  I am now at #684. For all of you non-math folks out there (like me) that is 113 new things to be thankful for added to my list in one month. In the midst of crisis and heartbreak. Talk about digging the gifts out of the crevices and finding the blessing in the “ugly beautiful!” Praise Jesus :-)

SMART Change #4:   Memorize a book of the Bible, starting with 1 John.

RESULT: ON GOING Uh, yeah… bout that. I made it to 1 John 3:3 (three whopping verses farther than last month) the things kind of bottomed out. Memorizing was put on a hold this month… No excuses, but considering that the day after I miscarried it took a hot minute to remember how to make a sandwich, I’m gonna play the self-grace card on this one too.

SMART Change #5: Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry and submit to God DAILY in all areas of my life.

RESULT: ON GOING This was the most drastically improved of all the goals this month. God FORCED me physically to slow down… as in, I barely did anything for three days after our loss except cry, text and hug on my husband. In my mandatory slow down time (which is still in progress, BTW) I have been able to listen to and submit to God on the deepest level thus far in my life.  As much as I wish that God’s plan for March 2012 was different, I can’t help but feel His generous blessings flowing over us in our experience of ruthlessly eliminating hurry and submission. After all… “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.” (Matt. 5:3 MSG) 

So today’s moral of the story: Goals are awesome. They really are. Everyone should have some. But sometimes, we need grace more than goals. Have you been in that position before? I would love to hear you recount of grace vs. goals– leave a comment here.

Thanks for all of the support, love and prayers you all have been sending our way last month. While our bodies and emotions have been tired, our faith has never been stronger and more energized. What an interesting fitness blessing, huh?

“Marching” onward,
SGK

“…We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” –Romans 5:3-4

Categories: accomplishment, America, Ann Voskamp, blessings, dependence, fitness, goals, God, living, miscarriage | Tags: , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Don’t just say it… LIVE IT!

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Sharita

I am terrible at saying “No.” Anybody out there with me on that one? (If you say “yes” because you can’t say no, then yes, you are in that group…)

Honestly, I have gotten a little bit better at saying no over the years, thanks to the spiritual growth I have experienced. When it comes to big life decisions, I at least usually stop for a breath before I blurt out the word “YES.” And since getting married and becoming an army wife, I think twice about agreeing to excessive commitments that might interfere with the minimal hubby time that could end up on the calendar…

But if there is one thing I am worse at than saying no, it is changing a yes to no. Those are some awkward moments when I have to de-commit myself to something. Fortunately, I don’t have to do that very often… but when I do… YIKES. (Insert awkward moment here.)

As a birthday present, my beloved boss Kelli gave me a copy of Ann Voskamp’s book “One Thousand Gifts.” I am trying to read it slowly so I can fully absorb the richness that is woven throughout the pages of this book. I always thought I was a person filled with gratitude… but lately, in my “YES” excitement, I started to wonder.

To learn more about this awesome book, check
out One Thousand Gifts.com.

I came across a quote last night in her book that REALLY struck me: “If I’m ruthlessly honest, I may have said yes to God, yes to Christianity but really I have lived the no.” Oh dang. This sounded familiar to me.

For the most part, I am an optimistic, upbeat and enthusiastic person (if you haven’t noticed the excessive exclamation points throughout my blog posts.) I have done a lot of things that some people might call crazy if they didn’t know my God (master’s degree, call to ministry, marrying into the military.) But the quote about saying yes but living the no really struck my heart.

Saying YES to God and living the YES are two different things. I can say YES to Him all day long at work, throughout my blog and personal ministry… but its those times when I’m struggling or am about to blow a gasket per army “logic” that I stop living the YES and transition to living more of a “maybe” or even a straight up no.

When I start to doubt/question or even start thinking I need to see to believe is the point of living the no. But here’s the thing– God doesn’t want me to live the NO. I don’t want to live the NO. But The Enemy does. Enter stage left the sin of ingratitude. Sigh.

Here’s the awesome part… by simply being aware of whether or not we are living the yes or no can help us to pray to live a life of YES.

Have you said yes to God? How about Christianity? If not, take a few moments to pray and invite Jesus into your heart.

If you have already said yes to God, let’s live a life of yes. With this constant answer YES, there is no awkward moments when you try to back. You can’t back out– Because God has our back.

So don’t just say it… Live it!

SGK

 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. –Colossians 3:16


Categories: Ann Voskamp, God, gratitude, Live | Leave a comment

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