So at the beginning of the week, I made a list of all the things I wanted to do over Spring Break. Here's how it went:
1. Spend quiet time reading my Bible and reconnecting with Him.
This week was a great week to reconnect with God. We enjoyed going to church both Sundays, even though services were quiet with so many families and college students out of town for Spring Break. I enjoyed reading my Bible alongside the book I read for List Item #4. But more than that, I feel closest to God when I look out at his creation... looking out on the horizon across the ocean when I run, watching the sunset off the bay... we love this island.
2. Enjoy a different part of the island every day with Brent.
We didn't go to a new part of the island every day, but I definitely enjoyed spending time with Brent every day over Spring Break - riding our bicycles, trying new restaurants,, running out on the seawall, watching the sunset, staying up late watching movies, and sleeping in as long as we wanted to! I am so lucky to be married to my very best friend. I know I say it all the time, but life is so much better together.
3. Run my best week's distance ever.
This week I ran ten miles. That's five miles shy of my best, but hey, that's not too bad for a beginner and that's farther than my average weekly distance! This week I got new running shoes as part of my commitment to running longer distances, and yesterday I ran the Shamwalk and Run 5k with triFITrun. My running partner is home from her Spring Break trip. Marathon training starts tomorrow.
4. Read a non-teaching-related book, cover to cover.
One of the first things I did over Spring Break was go to the Rosenberg Library. I checked out this one... Lazarus Is Dead by Richard Beard. It was a really, really good read that stretched my thinking and even deepened my faith. Beard isn't a believer or a non-believer (I'm not sure what exactly that classifies him as), but he explores the story of Lazarus from different perspectives, including the Bible, non-religious historical accounts, literature (including poetry and plays), and artwork. He wonders about who Lazarus was as a person - his strengths and his weaknesses, how close his friendship was to Jesus and how that friendship began, the joys and the frustrations that he must have experienced coming back from the dead (after all, the Bible says that the Pharisees conspired to kill him afterwards), and the different discussions he may have had concerning whether or not Jesus was the Messiah, King of the Jews. As a believer, I wanted to read the Bible passages about Jesus and Lazarus simultaneously (and Beard made it easy, because he cited scripture throughout) and it made me curious too! The Bible is truth, but I wish it had more details! Though I didn't agree with Beard about everything, I appreciated the time and effort he has spent learning about the topic and enjoyed reading his perspective. Should anyone read it, I'd recommend they read this little bit that Beard has to say about his views on the Christian faith just to know where he's coming from.
5. Try new recipes from my cookbooks.
I tried several new recipes, but my favorite new recipe that I tried was Chicken Florentine Pasta by The Pioneer Woman. It's pasta, chicken, grape tomatoes, and baby spinach tossed in a light wine sauce, topped with parmesan cheese. When I did Weight Watchers, I never ever made pasta - it was just too many points per serving for anything - but running more has afforded me a little more grace and I've learned to control my portion sizes, so I thought I'd treat Brent to a homemade pasta dish. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
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