Riverbend Ramblings

Blessed Beyond Measure

My Morning Walk

One of my favorite things about summertime is that life seems to move at a slightly slower pace. I’ve been able to adjust my morning schedule so that I’m getting in a trail walk/jog before it gets too hot. These moments outdoors help me decompress; I can feel the stress roll off my shoulders.

Sometimes I listen to music while I run, and sometimes I listen to the chorus of the songbirds perched in the treetops. I mentally go over my prayer list and especially focus on praying for my family. My heart always feels lighter after this time outdoors.

My thoughts can’t help but go to the beauty that surrounds me. I thank the Creator for allowing me these moments to enjoy His creation.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Quest

rr_5k_Weekly Photo Challenge: Quest

I’m on a quest to live a healthful lifestyle. Exercise is an important component. I started a running program a few months ago, and for the first time ever, I stuck it out.

Thinking that having a goal to work toward would be a good motivator, I signed up to run a local 5K race and continued to train. Everything was going fine until two weeks before the race when I came down with a cold that I just couldn’t shake. It really slowed me down. With one week to go, I felt too sick to run at all and wasn’t sure if I would be able to participate in the race.

I woke up on race day feeling a little bit better but still not one hundred percent. Since I had already paid my entry fee, I was determined to show up and finish even if my time was horrible. It wasn’t pretty, but I reached my goal and was happy with my time.

I placed second among females and first in my age division, although there weren’t many participants, and I’m pretty sure I was the only runner in my age group. It may have taken me 40 years, but this was a huge accomplishment for me. I’m continuing on my quest and am already looking for another race to enter.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Curve

DSC_6325

Weekly Photo Challenge: Curve

I’ve been looking through the photographs I took last month on Hope’s eighth grade D.C. field trip and came across this one that I snapped as we rushed from one tour location to the next. This is the front of the former National Savings and Trust Company building in downtown Washington, D.C. It was designed by architect James H. Windrim and built in 1888. The Queen Anne Style building was constructed of red brick, terra cotta, and copper. A number of additions were made over the years. The patinaed curves and brass clock give great personality to an otherwise non-descript street corner. The building currently houses a branch of the SunTrust Bank.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Life Imitates Art

artWeekly Photo Challenge: Life Imitates Art

There’s an old high school building in our town. It’s been sitting empty since the late 1990’s when a new school was built several miles away. I often walk the track that surrounds the nearby former football field, and I look at that abandoned school building as I walk. I wonder about what it was like back in the day, back when it was used in the shaping of young minds and lives. The building is now in a sad state of disrepair, but these colorful letters stand out.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Weight(less)

gravity3

Weekly Photo Challenge: Weight(less)

Props to my hubby for contributing this week’s photo; he’s been hiding his talent! He flew out West this past weekend and took this shot from the airplane during its descent. The clouds look heavy, yet they seem to be weightlessly suspended at the same time.