never stop

just wanted to share this song with you, girls.  do you have some tissues handy?

if you scroll through my previous posts, you will find more posts about books than about boys or my love life.  one, because it is essentially non-existent (and cue end of pity party). two, because that just typically has never been me to ramble on about mushy gushy love stories, at least not here on my blog.

however, this little song popped up on pandora the other week, and it came to my attention again today.  it may not have the same romance-inspired lyrics of say frank sinatra's the way you look tonight, but there is just something that catches me about the realness in the modern lyrics.  there's realness about the modern, relevant lyrics.  for the full effect, i recommend the acoustic, wedding version.

ladies, does this not describe the insecurities many of us face in a relationship?:

he describes our worry, our insecurity:  "you always want to keep my gaze." 
he responds: "you're the only one i see, love.  and that's the one thing that won't change." 

i also find that this little phrase reflects such a factor of relationships that gets lost or overlooked in today's media and even in our day to day lives:

"i will never stop trying.  i will never stop choosing you, babe."

i know very little about this band, but even from what is likely a secular perspective on relationships, have they not hit the nail on the head?  this is what we hear over and over again from christians about what makes a healthy marriage, a healthy relationship?  there are some days that will likely not be easy to love or to choose (or prioritize seems to also stand out here to me) your committed one.  but it is a choice that can should be made.

my initial thoughts were, "oh, let me share this sweet, little love song with my girls because isn't it so sweet?!?!?"  i apologize now as this is turning into more of a spiritual post than i had originally intended, but i am going to go with it, because maybe someone needs these words (or maybe i just need to fill up a little more of the interwebs). 

as i continue down this path this very scattered, crooked path, perhaps, i remember a story shared by one of the speakers at a women's conference i was at this weekend.  a speaker was sharing her testimony about how her husband responded so gracefully to her after her three year affair with another man was revealed.  he responded with this (or at least something close to it), "honey, i don't understand why i am saying this, but i don't know how to not love you."  what an incredible testimony of love.  that to me sounds like a husband who hasn't stopped trying, who hasn't stopped choosing his babe.

and to draw it to a super spiritual close, that is redemptive love, my friends.  listen to your god whispering those same promises, those same declarations to you..."i will never stop trying.  i will never stop choosing you, my child...i don't know how to not love you."

...part of me keeps reading this thinking it sounds so cheesy. and part of me keeps saying, just click 'publish'. sometimes i give up on my blogging because i struggle with formulating my thoughts into words.  everything sounds so much better and more intelligent in my head.  so, thanks for bearing with me...as i click 'publish'.

run, randa, run

there has been an upgrade, folks.  0.0 to 4.0

i am running now.  on real ground.  not a treadmill.  i am slowly starting to enjoy it, too, but it is a slow very slow process.

for years i went to races and cheered on my runner friends, never thinking i would ever join the race.  well, with the encouragement from a few friends, i did it.  i ran a race.  i ran the virginia 4-miler. 

apparently here is the official result (which differs from the original placement that was posted, which had me bumped up about forty places...lame).  i have some work to do to get faster.  next year, folks!

fun fact:  about ten strides into the run, my pants were falling down.  so picture me holding onto my pants for the next four miles.  yeah, that was fun.  truthfully and thankfully, i didn't seem to notice all the much once we really got moving.  and then by the end, my tank top was slightly starting to unravel.  talk about wardrobe malfunction.  next year will be better!

you know what was better than the pretty, shiny finisher medal at the end?  my cheering crowd.  i. have. the. best. friends.

i am signed up for the turkey trot.  come run with me!

a world with octobers

missing you, blog, missing you. still trying to catch up on life.  someday, maybe.

just a quick post to say happy october, happy fall.  this seems appropriate since i finished the anne of green gables series last month.  it is a fun, little fall quote.