Back aches and weapons?

So, lately I have had some major back pain. If you know me, you know that I HATE going to the Doctor and that I have an absurdly high pain tolerance… probably due to the fact that I hate going to the Doctor. Funny how that works. I think I bring a lot of it on myself.

Anyway… I went to the chiropractor last night… He took X-rays, sent me home and told me to 1) NOT work out and 2) get good sleep. OKkkkkkkkkkkkk. I also usually work out every night that I don’t have something going on… aka last night and getting good sleep is a nice thought, but rarely happens. So… I come home, lay around for awhile and play with Palmer, then go to bed after saying goodnight to Evan… I also took a tylenol PM… for pain.

After being asleep for who knows how long, I woke up to the loudest, most obnoxious siren ever… our house alarm. Palmer goes crazy and what do I do? I lay in bed. I lay in bed for a good 30-45 seconds waiting to see if anyone else is going to do anything about it. I tried to see if I could hear a burglar… and I didn’t think I could. MIND you… I had been asleep, was medicated and was completely out of it. What did I decide? I decided that I wasn’t going to not sleep. (Was I worried about some armed crazy person? Slightly, but my sleep was more important at that point.) I grabbed the closest thing that I deemed a weapon…

Yes, friends. That’s right. I grabbed a wedge heel that I would throw at any intruders.

Needless to say, we’re not really sure what happened, but Sara and I patrolled the house, found everything to be in order, told the police to not come, reset the alarm and went back to bed.

I did wake up this morning and think to myself that I need to be more selective. I have a closet full of heels – the stilletto kind – that would do WAYYYY more damage. Burglars beware. I have a plan!

Dear staircase,

Dear staircase,

I meet with you every morning… Palmer and I greet you as soon as we wake up. We have a lovely relationship… You always welcome me home and I am always happy to see you – you’re the first thing I see as I approach the front door… This is why I find it unnecessary to cover yourself in dew on this warm Nashville morning in March. Did you think it was funny when you caused me to slip and fall down? Did you think that it was funny when our neighbors looked at me as if I had lost my mind? I am confused, stairs. Really baffled. Do you have an explanation?

I know that you feel as if people walk all over you. I know that you probably feel unimportant because you live outside. Don’t listen to the LIES. It’s not true! You are the very structure that allows us three girls and our two puppies to enter our HOME… our favorite place. Don’t you see how vital you are? Forget about the back door. He’s just jealous that you have a better view of the neighborhood.  I apologize if I have made you feel like the lesser of the two… but Palmer likes the back yard better… ahem… you know, to do his thing. I just thought I would spare you of that! Don’t you see? I was looking out for you.

So, this morning, we decided to come and visit you for a change… to see how YOU were first thing when we woke up. And, you do this. You cause me to fall.

Staircase, I don’t like fighting with you. Can’t we just step up and be friends again?

Yours truly,

The roomie with the aching back.

What to do… What to do…

When you’re not going to eat out on your lunch break and have no errands to run…

You blog.

So far, the response for the Icon event has been AMAZING. You all are the greatest… and it’s looking like we’re going to have quite the crowd… I didn’t think that overflow parking was going to be an issue… WELL… You all may prove me wrong. What can I say? This is the first event of this magnitude that I have helped plan… You should still show up… There will be valet parking… so you won’t have to worry about silly things like that. Don’t know what the heck I am talking about? Go to www.elliesrun.org/icon. You are soooo invited.

Hmm… what else? I have abandoned my plans for the half-marathon this year. I know. I know… I am bad. I only really wanted to do it because my roommate wanted to run it for the first time. (This would have been my fourth… one of which I just ran this past October.) She decided to not run it in exchange for helping someone do something really awesome (GO READ ABOUT IT)… and honestly, I feel like I haven’t stopped running or training or hurting (my knees) for the better part of 10 months… All that to say – I am not doing it. BUT… I would like to run a full this winter AND I have a new passion for kickboxing… so, all isn’t completely lost.

I am in a little bit of a lull at work. I am busy… I am just waiting on several people to hand over/ hand back projects that I have started. This has re-affirmed 3 things… 1) I HATE BEING BORED 2) I think that there truly is an end to the internet and 3) I do MUCH MUCH MUCH better when I feel like I have too many things on my plate. Good thing I have Africa at the Icon to keep me busy at this very moment.

Speaking of Africa At The Icon (yes… my blogs for the next two weeks will probably mention this… oh, at least 400 times…) Our Nashville community has REALLY stepped up. REALLY. Like… REALLY REALLY. The Icon… people at Lipman, Tall Horse, Sambuca, the people at myEmma… tons and tons and tons of people and services giving their time and resources to help us with this event… to help us spend hardly a penny so that the kids in Africa can have all the money… so that they can have uniforms and books and shoes and food… and so that they can start building A NEW SCHOOL. Yes… a trade school… where they can learn a vocation. This is SO important… for TONS of reasons, really… Here’s the thing. A basic education is a wonderful, wonderful (apparently I like repeating words today… work with me) start. It gives kids a knowledge base that they can then build upon… for years to come. A TRADE school allows them to learn a vocation that will let them make money to support their families and give back to their community. Most of us have NO idea how amazing and special and exciting this is to these African families. We go from kindergarten to high school without blinking… and then most of us don’t even have a choice about going to college or a trade school… it’s more about WHERE than IF. These families have really never even had the option… until now.

I am humbled by being a part of this. It has shown me how easy I’ve had it… how blessed I am. You can learn more at Ellie’s Run online. If you want to get involved, e-mail me at rmatheis@elliesrun.org. I PROMISE you won’t regret it! I am so thankful for everyone involved… I am so proud of our community… and yes, I still have more to say and will keep talking about it. It’s MY blog. So there.

Hmm… What else? This is completely random… but lately I have traded my coffee for Diet Coke with Lime. I’m not sure what’s wrong with me… Must be prepping for summer.

Have a fabulous Wednesday… and mark your calendars for March 19. You have plans. PLUS… that’s my birthday week… and you wouldn’t want to let me down, right?

All for a measly $25.

Friends,

In Africa, a “measly” $25 helps put a child in school. It buys them shoes, a uniform and books, gives them lunch every day and help pays the rent on their school building FOR A YEAR.

I have been working with Ellie’s Run for Africa for 2 years now. My eyes have truly been opened.

The organization helps kids in Kiberia, Kenya – a slum where over 800,000 people live in an area a little over one square mile. Kids here can’t go to school if they don’t have the required supplies – the shoes, uniforms and books…

Ellie’s Run for Africa aims to change this place. We want to be the hands and feet of our Jesus… showing compassion, being humbled and most of all, loving on these people that our Jesus loves. ERFA was dreamed up by Ellie Ambrose. She was 10 at the time of the first race… she heard a missionary at her church speak about these kids and how they live… and she wanted to change that. She did. She and her parents got busy… organized a team of volunteers… and have raised over $150,000 over the past 4 years. One of our team members – Sam Darsinos – traveled to Kiberia this year to visit the school that ERFA helps fund. He spoke with the headmaster – Tim – and asked him this:

So what was this place like before Ellie?

Tim replied:

You know Ellie?”

Sam:

Of course, we all do. We all go to the same church that Ellie goes to.

Without saying a word he grabbed Sam and gave him this great big hug and said:

That little girl and her God-given dream. Before she started to help us there was nothing here. There was just this building made of tin pieces nailed together. Before Ellie, none of these kids could afford to go to school. Now we give them shoes and a uniform to wear every day. They eat rice each day for lunch with bowls that we bought for them. We have chalkboards for the teachers to write on and desks for the children. The children have books to study and learn from. We have a roof that doesn’t leak, and walls and dividers to separate the classrooms. Over 420 kids can get an education because of Ellie and her God-given dream.

Ellie put her hope and faith in her Jesus… and God honored her efforts. What would happen if we did what Christ asked us to do… and had the mind of a child?

2009 marks the fifth anniversary of Ellie’s Run for Africa. Our team has set some HUGE goals.

• Have over 1,000 attend the race!!!
• Raise over $100,000!!!

To celebrate what God has already done and will do and to start raising money, we are throwing a party. A BIG party. And YOU are invited. Bring your friends. Bring your friend’s friends. Bring a stranger.

We know times here are hard. BUT… there are places where the times have been and will always be harder… unless we step up.

If you have questions, e-mail rmatheis@elliesrun.org.
Our team has this slogan…

Dream Big. Take Action.

I encourage you… that no matter what you want to change for the better… go for it. I have seen first-hand what God can do.

Many Blessings,

Rachel