Trix are not just for kids

There are too many rules in life that aren't actually rules.

When I was running at the lake yesterday morning, I saw an older-looking lady power walking and pushing a stroller as she was coming toward me in the opposite direction. I figured she was taking a grandchild out for a stroll or something, because surely she didn't have a child that young. But I was way off. There was no child in the stroller. Instead, there was a chihuahua.

I tried not to judge her.

I don't own a dog, so I'm not sure if this is standard procedure for taking such a small animal to participate in one's exercise endeavors, though I can't say I've ever seen this done before. Little dog in purse? Yes. Little dog in baby stroller? No.

But, as far as I know, there is no law against such a thing.

I think far too often people try to create these unwritten rules of things people can and cannot do, and they don't always allow us the freedom to be the people God designed us to be. Who are we to say that an elderly woman can't bring her dog with her in a baby stroller to her Sunday morning excursion around the lake? Maybe that dog is one of the only things she has precious to her in life. Maybe it's very meaningful for her to have that pet with her as often as possible. The dog sure seemed to be enjoying its little adventure.

There are some rules that obviously need to be followed: don't run by the pool, be considerate of others, don't litter, put your phone on silent during speeches and performances. But there are other "rules" that are simply ridiculous: you can't wear white pants after Labor Day (who freaking cares?); no swimming for 30 minutes after you eat (I'm pretty sure you can judge on your own how long you need, especially if you're really just hanging out in the water and not practicing your freestyle); you shouldn't wear a brown belt with black shoes (anything matches if you wear it with confidence); it's not acceptable to play Christmas music or put up your Christmas lights until the day after Thanksgiving (false—if you want the spirit of Christmas to be in your life all year long, so be it).

I'll never forget an experience I had in my last year of college. I wore sweats a lot to class, because, well, who the heck am I trying to impress in the History of the Habsburg Monarchy? If I was going to learn about things I might never use again in life (and the things that would actually be helpful to me), I sure was going to be comfortable doing it. I guess some people were a bit too observant of my choice of attire. A girl in my class approached me one day just after we'd been dismissed and told me she had recently cleaned out her closet and was planning to donate her clothes to charity but that she would like to give me some first, because she noticed I wore my sweats pretty much every day. When I told her no thanks and that I was perfectly fine with what I had, she had a disappointed and almost disdainful look on her face. Oops?

The truth is, if such standards people are expected to follow are violated, who gets hurt? No one. Instead of getting so caught up in petty things that have no real value in life, maybe we should care about things that matter: like loving people for the individuals they are and appreciating the quirks that make them unique. It's not our job to judge others. God has the ultimate judgment, and He's after the heart—not what color your pants are during certain months in the year.

So, if you want to push your dog in a stroller, go for it—and know that at least Someone will love you no matter how silly it seems to others.

Forever friends

There are some friends you may not get to see as often as you'd like, but you know you'll always pick up just like no time has even passed.

They're what you can call forever friends. And they are just that: forever.

I was privileged enough to be able to spend time with two of my forever friends—LizRaz and Kebbers—today, and I was reminded just how blessed I am to have the people in my life I do. These are the type of people who would drop everything they were doing and come rescue you if you were stranded on some road with a flat tire or would show up at your doorstep with cookies and tissues if you called them crying with a broken heart.

Liz went red!

Because, even if they're not there with you, they will find a way to be there for you.

And they teach you so much about life, even if they're not trying.

My friend Liz has gone through so much in the past few years. In 2010, she lost her sister, Mary, to cancer. I saw how hard it was for Liz the entire time Mary was battling cancer, and I was there with her when Mary died. I can't even begin to understand just exactly how much it hurts to lose your sister, but I know it would tear my world apart.

Liz continued training for triathlons in memory of Mary, whom we had always referred to as her "sherpa" at races. She trained her tail off and finally completed a full IronMan, a race I know Mary was watching from above the entire time. Liz taught me about real strength as she worked to reach a goal that was going to honor someone so dear to her heart, and in the past few years she's truly grown in faith and hope.

And in love.

Liz went through a few not-so-great relationships until she finally met Chris, the man who changed her entire world and helped bring her to a new level of happiness. They're married now, and it's so refreshing to see their support for each other and desire to honor God in the way they live their lives.

Fairies for Mary

Both Liz and Kebs are such great role models for me, and they never get bored of the ridiculous stories I have for them or the silly things I say and do. They're always on my side, and I know they would kick the a$* of anyone who tried to hurt me. They are genuine forever friends.

While many of us are blessed with those forever friends, we all also have the gift of a true Forever Friend who will never ever leave us and offers more grace, mercy and love than we will ever know. And, if you don't spend as much time with Him as He wants you to, He welcomes you back with open arms—no matter where you've gone or how long it's been.

He's strength. He's hope. He's love. He's forever.

He's your Forever Friend you often see in those forever friends He's given you here on earth.

Kick off the heels

Riding roller coasters with my sister is hilarious.

When the ride starts to trek up to its highest point right before you start falling at warp speeds and twisting and turning to excitements you don't even have time to see fully, she always says, "I wanna go back! I wanna go back! I don't want to do this anymore!" But, it's too late—you're already committed, and you have no choice but to finish the ride and hang on for dear life.

Our worlds can be like roller coasters. Oftentimes I get so busy and caught up in the mass chaos that is my life that I have to remind myself to breathe.

But, even in all of the hustle and bustle, sometimes time stands still for a brief stint, and truths are revealed. That happened this weekend. On Saturday, our seniors graduated at 12:30, and it was also a mandatory workday for all of those employed by the district. I was also working graduation that day as a row leader. That same morning, however, was the North Texas Komen 5K, which I do every year in memory of a dear friend who lost her battle with cancer. I got permission to run the race and then meet everyone at the Stars Center, where our kiddos were graduating.

Saturday morning, alarm goes off. Begin madness.

After the race and awards ceremony, I hurried to my car, scarfed some food while I was driving to Lifetime Fitness, darted into the locker room to shower and get ready, hustled back to my car and headed to the Stars Center. When I got there, I knew it would probably be easier to park elsewhere so I didn't have to deal with the traffic mess that comes with any big event, so I parked in a somewhat nearby hotel parking lot (even though there were signs all around that said only guest could park there and that all others would be towed—please don't report me). I ran (in heels) through a few parking lots and hoped the police officer in one of them didn't know I had just parked somewhere I shouldn't have, because it was obvious I was on my way to a graduation with a robe in my hands.

I finally made it to the gathering area, led my row in the ceremony, watched kids (who are no longer kids) I've seen grow up for the last four years walk across a stage and on to new chapters of their lives, and applauded as they threw their caps in the air.

Then it was go time. Again.

This time, I took off my heels and dashed through those parking lots again barefooted and feeling like I was running on hot coals. I think I also stepped on something sharp, but there really wasn't time to acknowledge it—or the pain. My friend Laz's birthday was Saturday, and I had to haul tail home to change and then book it to Dallytown for some froyo fun. When I finally made it home that night, I was exhausted. The Rangers had lost to the Blue Jays in 18 innings that same day, and I felt like I had played about 18 innings myself. The only thing on my mind was closing my eyes and shutting down my mind.

Survivors

Sunday wasn't as busy, but it was kind of close with multiple tasks and driving distances piling on top of each other. It seemed fitting that I woke up and ran in a downpour of rain and a thunder and lightning storm. It was actually rather fun to splash in every puddle and come home looking and feeling like a drenched rat.

Here are some things I was able to take away from this weekend after looking past the fatigue and busy-ness:

1. Be nice, because you never know what someone is facing in life.

Prior to the awards at the Komen race, the breast cancer survivors came onto the stage carrying signs of how many years they've lived beyond their diagnoses. It's incredibly inspiring—the longest for this year was 37 years. By simply looking at these women, if they weren't wearing their pink "survivor" shirts and carrying those signs, you would never know the warriors they were and the battles they had endured. You wouldn't know their struggles and how much fight within them it took to keep facing each day with hope and belief. The truth is, we don't know always know what people are dealing with each day they wake up—you only get one life, and there's no point in living it with mean attitudes and bitterness. Be nice. Love people.

They were just freshmen.

2. Time is precious.

I honestly can't believe how quickly time seems to pass by us. I just finished my fifth year of teaching, but I remember my very first day like it was yesterday. And the kids that graduated Saturday—weren't they just freshmen? I had the privilege to teach some of them all four years as they went through the more advanced broadcasting and journalism classes and were part of the news show crew and newspaper staff. They worked so hard and dedicated so much of their time that I think there were some weeks they saw me more than their parents. At times I even felt like a mom of sorts. Watching them graduate on Saturday, one of the most cliché thoughts ran through my head: They just grow up so fast. So cherish each moment you have on this earth, because we don't have forever.

3. Running in heels is not always a good idea.

I feel like this might be self-explanatory, but (big shocker) I'm willing to elaborate. Now, some people have mastered this art, but there are those who should simply give up this feat altogether—even if it means running with the poor soles of your feet being scorched by the beautiful Texas pavement. I think we often run with our metaphorical heels in life. We get so caught up in what we're doing and start going way too fast that we forget about the consequences of falling flat on our faces or getting hurtful blisters because of our choices. Sometimes, though, it's better to be like little kids and kick off those shoes and just take off boldly for whatever destinations we're trying to reach.

4. Friends make life better.

When I finally made it to Dallas and got to spend time with people I adore, the stresses and time crunches of the day melted away faster than my froyo would have if we had sat outside in the June Texas temps. Life is not meant to be spent alone, and making memories with those you care about—and who care about you, as well—is precious and priceless.

You can't exactly get off of the roller coaster once it's begun, but somehow you can pause while you're on it and still soak in all of the greatness around you as you begin to understand that, while life is often completely crazy, it's also completely beautiful.

Weak made strong

I lift weights once a week.

I'm obviously one giant walking muscle.

But, believe it or not, there are certain times where I'm not necessarily as strong as I would like to be. I've become pretty talented at carrying more groceries than I should at once, and I've mastered my handstand pushups, but I still sometimes struggle when trying to move heavy objects. As stubborn as I am at times when it comes to asking others for help, there are definitely things I cannot do on my own.

But that doesn't mean I won't try.

I remember a few years ago when I was moving and loading items from my storage unit onto my moving truck, and I realized it was rather foolish to attempt all on my own. But, for some reason or another, my parents weren't available to help, and I didn't want to bother anyone else. There was a particular love seat I owned that was insanely heavy—I mean insanely heavy. The last time I had moved, my dad and brother had struggled a bit trying to carry it together.

And I thought I would be able to load it into a truck with no problem.

Beast mode

Surprisingly, I got it to the truck—scraping and scooting it on the concrete and probably tearing up the bottom of it completely—but then I had to get it up the ramp. (I'm sure it was a humorous sight to see a petite person trying to push this massive love seat up an incline, but thankfully I have no visual evidence of this adventure.) The bigger problem came when I got it to the top of the ramp, where there was a protrusion of some sort between the ramp and the open space in the back of the truck. The only way for the furniture to get into that truck was for it to be lifted over that obstacle.

This is where I found myself in quite the predicament.

How the heck was I going to lift this thing—especially when it was on an incline, and my body pushing against it with all of the might I had was the only thing preventing it from sliding back down to the ground?!

I don't remember how long it took me, and I will never be able to explain exactly how I got that couch in that truck. All I remember is that I tried so many different things, sweated more than normal, didn't think the happiest of thoughts in such frustration, and yelled really not nice things at an inanimate object. I also remember praying. A lot. I needed strength I didn't have in that moment, and somehow I got it.

When I was at the gym last week, there was a bar with two 45-pound weights on each side blocking what I needed. That's 225 pounds that I didn't want to have to handle. So, this time, rather than risking a hernia, I let a buffer-looking male move it for me when he saw me staring at it and contemplating what my plan of action would be.

There are moments when you simply have to acknowledge your weakness.

We talked a bit about this in church yesterday. Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians reminding them that Christ's power is made perfect in weakness, and he said, "For when I am weak, then I am strong" (see 2 Corinthians 12:9-10). I don't really remind myself of this often enough, because, quite honestly, I don't like to think of myself as weak. But it's in those moments when we are at our weakest that Christ's strength can be seen so much, because He can use even the most vulnerable people to do some of the mightiest things. Whether you feel weak physically, emotionally, or spiritually, He can still use you and make His strength known.

I may not be able to do power cleans at the gym, and moving furniture is not my forte, but I know that when my heart is feeling at its lowest I have a Father who will sweep me up and give me strength that I never even knew I had. It's like in Dr. Suess' How the Grinch Stole Christmas when the Grinch's heart grows three sizes, and he's able to lift the sleigh full of toys and return them to the precious people of Whoville.

So don't be afraid when you feel like you're weak—for when you are weak, then you are strong.