The perfect stop

You aren't always going to get the perfect ringlet when you're using a curling iron.

And if you play darts you probably aren't going to hit bull's eye every time, either.

Even though we'd like for things to end as wonderfully as we've planned, those home runs we want often take much longer than we think our hearts can take.

Two of my precious athletes (one injured and one team manager) were helping me time at the track meet on Saturday, and they created their own little game where they spent almost the entire meet trying to get the exact same times on their stopwatch screens. It's a pretty challenging thing to do when you're going down to hundredths of seconds, but they had fun making the efforts and comparing their screens after each heat finished.

I love how entertained people can be by the simplest things.

Sometimes it happens.

Toward the end of the meet, they came darting toward me, joyously shouting, "Coach Merrill, we did it!" I was in the middle of talking to a runner about a race she'd just run, so it took me a couple of seconds to process what they were talking about, and then they proudly displayed their matching stopwatch times. Their expressions were full of almost as much elation as mine when I found that blue raspberry Jolly Rancher in my backpack a few hours prior. I told them how much pride I felt in that moment for them, and they gleefully ran back to the finish line to continue their responsibilities for the day.

Oddly enough, this happened one more time before the meet ended, and they made sure to run over and tell me all about it. I couldn't help but smile at how much joy they found in something about which most people wouldn't really care too much. But they had invested so much effort into it, and it became important to them. You've got to love their dedication.

There are far too many times in life where we miss the mark, and it's easy to become discouraged. You didn't hit your goal time in a race you ran; you bombed that test you studied all night for; you said the complete wrong thing to a friend who really needed some encouragement; you accidentally made a peanut butter and mustard sandwich for lunch, because you were so tired and didn't grab the jelly out of the refrigerator that morning; you realize you got entirely the wrong impression about someone; you didn't quite estimate correctly just how much space there was in that parking spot; you bought a dress that looked a lot better on the mannequin; you threw an interception that was supposed to be a touchdown.

Life is full of those missing-the-mark moments.

But it makes things seem that much sweeter when you keep going and finally get it right.

You finally got that PR; you aced your final exam; you helped a friend when he/she needed you the most; you made the best sandwich this world has ever seen; you gave someone a chance; you executed the greatest parallel parking job the streets have ever allowed; you wore a dress you didn't try on and made Beyoncé look so yesterday; you threw the winning touchdown pass to clinch the championship.

Life is also full of those moments where you actually hit the mark.

And those are simply beautiful.

I think the important thing to remember is to persevere through the hard times. I got the privilege to cheer for a couple of my friends in the Austin Marathon over the weekend and see them achieve what they went there to do.They've been training their tails off for months, and their smiles when they finished were absolutely contagious. They hit the mark.

I'm one of the most imperfect people I know, so I'm constantly shooting arrows in wrong directions in so many areas of my life. But that doesn't mean that it's time to stop trying to get them right in the center of the circle. At some point, it will happen; if it doesn't, then it wasn't supposed to. Simple enough.

But, if it does, I know I'll want others to feel the joy—even if it's in the form of matching stopwatches.

"I don't need you"

My heart broke this morning.

And, the truth is, I think part of it will stay broken with the reality that set in.

We make the daily announcements for our school from my classroom every morning, and my advanced broadcast students are the ones who lead them. I have to punch in a code to access the PA system, and one of my students started typing it in on her own this morning. (She's one of my most responsible students, so the fact that she knows the code doesn't make me nervous that she will abuse it in any way.) I jokingly scolded her for taking over, and then she said six words that were like a dagger piercing into my heart:

"It's OK. I don't need you."

They still need me sometimes.

As soon as announcements were over, I of course slightly dramatized things and made a speech about how I had already become an antiquated figure in her life, even though I've been teaching her for four years. I was just giving her a hard time, but then truth—sad truth—started to surface: at some point, my students really won't need me anymore.

I wanted to cry.

As a teacher, it's fun to see students grow from the time they are awkward and nervous little freshmen to when they become confident and strong young adults who are ready to take on the new adventures they are about to face. Because I'm the broadcast teacher, and my classes produce the show that airs for our entire school, my students have the opportunity to be part of the program for all four years. And that makes it even harder when they get closer to leaving.

Or when they tell you they don't need you.

I started thinking about how when we're kids we need our parents so much, but we start to try to be on our own more and more as we grow up. This is actually a good thing, because you don't want to be in a Failure to Launch situation. It's certainly beneficial for us, but I have never really thought about how hard it can be for parents to get the feeling that they are no longer needed by their children. It's got to hurt.

I've noticed my parents love it when they get the opportunity to help me out, and I guess I understand why more now than I ever have. They like being needed. I've mentioned countless times how they are at all of my races, and my dad really values being in charge of my bag and making sure I am ready to go before I hit the start line. I think he really appreciated it when I visited them after the Houston half marathon and talked about how stressful it was running such a big race and having to deal with bag check, etc. without my parents there to make sure there were no worries. I'm not a helpless baby, but every once in a while it's nice to have someone take care of you.

And it's nice to care for others.

When my students leave here, they obviously aren't going to need my help anymore, but I can hope that the things they've learned in my class—especially the life lessons—will guide them in becoming the greatest people they can be. And I suppose that's what most parents have to do when their kids finally move out and begin new adventures elsewhere. Our helplessness has to fade.

But our need for Jesus never will.

He's the one thing in life that we really can't just turn to and say, "I don't need you." While we are prone to grow up and become independent, we can always count on Him being there for us no matter what age we reach. Because, no matter how much we want to tell ourselves we can, the truth is that we can actually do nothing all on our own. And it's not a good idea to try.

So, while I may not be needed by my students forever, I can take comfort in the fact that Someone wants to be needed by me every day.

And it is music to His ears when we say, "I need you."

Can't fix it all

Duct tape is so useful in my life.

It really does fix so many things.

I don't pretend to know how there is so much power in what doesn't even seem like a very sticky piece of material, but there is something extra special in there that has almost magical wonders that can literally mend so many things—and now there are even fancier duct tapes (rather than the standard gray color) so that your repairs can appear classier than they really are.

It's absolutely fantastic.

But, sadly, I have discovered that duct tape cannot actually fix everything.

Not too long ago, there was a ceiling light in my classroom that became somewhat hazardous when the screen broke on one side and was hanging, ready to fall at any moment. I figured it likely wouldn't be good to have it collapse onto one of my students, and for some reason it seemed like a good idea to try to fix it myself. I can't even begin to describe how excited I got when I realized I was going to get to use my pink polka dot duct tape. Talk about a good day!

Unfortunately, things don't always pan out as we planned.

Keep it classy.

My attempt to ensure the safety of my students resulted in me almost falling off of a chair stacked on a desk (while I was in heels) and the screen whacking into my face (twice) before I realized that the duct tape just wasn't strong enough to repair the light fixture. I was sad—not only because I couldn't fix something but also because now I knew my ceiling wouldn't have polka dots giving it more character. And that's upsetting.

There are many things duct tape can legitimately fix: flip flops, phone cases, water bottles, remote controls, Garmin watch bands (go with hot pink on that one—trust me), books, various imperfect parts of your car (well, to a certain extent), articles of clothing, and many other things that other people or even you might find strange.

But there are also far too many things duct tape cannot mend: ceiling lights (obviously), bad haircuts, head wounds (actually, it's probably not wise to use duct tape on any cut/gash/break to your body), iceberg damage to ships (Titanic still would have sunk), bridges, planes, punctures to tires, and plenty of other things—including broken hearts.

I guess it's good that duct tape can't be the solution to everything. I mean, if it weren't for duct tape's various inabilities, I wouldn't get to wear Band-Aids with fairies or Spiderman on them, because I would be wearing duct tape—and I have yet to see duct tape with fairies or Spiderman. And I love Band-Aids.

It's also for the best that duct tape can't make our broken hearts better. I'd much rather rely on God for that. It may sometimes take longer than just slapping something sticky on there, but it's worth it.

And you may end up finding more polka dots and other fun patterns than any roll of tape could ever bring you.

A good different

I might be stating the obvious, but men and women are different.

And we really don't seem to understand each other very well.

I'm not saying no two people of the opposite gender can "get" one another, but, let's be honest, our minds simply function in different ways. And this doesn't seem to change with age.

At the grocery store recently, I overheard a conversation between a little girl and her mother, and I got a little chuckle out of what was said. Mom: "You're gonna be asking a boy to be your Valentine, Lacie. Ooooooh!" Lacie: "No! No! Gross!" Mom: "Sweetie, you need to be nice. Don't talk like that—boys are not gross. They're just...different."

You can say that again.

I accidentally said that out loud as I walked past them, and the mom just looked at me and smiled. We both get that we don't get it.

Then yesterday, while I was finishing my run at the lake, I passed two women walking and heard one say, "What is wrong with guys?!" I accidentally said, "Nothing and everything" as I ran by them (clearly I need to learn to tame my tongue and not butt into people's conversations). I was just adding on an extra half-mile, so I had to turn back around and pass them again, and I was able to hear another comment from the temporary man-hater: "I just don't understand him. What's wrong with me?"

Obviously I didn't get to finish the conversation with these ladies, but I imagine her friend comforted her and assured her that there is nothing wrong with her—he's the one with the problem.

Or maybe he's just not that into her.

Men typically don't carry gold bags.

I think one of the biggest issues is that men and women express themselves differently. And, though we don't always like to admit it, women tend to read into things way more than necessary. He didn't compliment your haircut? Well, he probably didn't even notice it—you only got a trim. He didn't comment on that awesome picture you posted on Instagram? Umm, hello, you put it up during the Cowboys game. He didn't call you first thing Monday morning? He said "sometime next week." He didn't seem interested when you were giving him the latest recap of Pretty Little Liars? How can anyone who doesn't watch that show really be that intrigued? From witnessing many relationships between people around me, it's become quite apparent that guys are not mind readers. At all.

And sometimes women try to be mind readers but aren't very good at it.

Because I really don't think a guy's mind is something that should be read. It might be too scary.

What I think is so wonderful, though, is when two people learn to understand each other simply by letting love rule. I look at my parents and see two people who are completely opposite and probably think the other to be crazy at times. My mom is late everywhere she goes, while my dad is always freakishly early; my dad usually tries to use logic in most situations, while my mom is more of the whimsical, child-at-heart type of person who would rather be hopeful and imaginative; my dad likes to get things done as soon as possible, while my mom is the procrastinator submitting her kindergarten lesson plans at the very last moment; my dad will go hunting with his brother on occasion, while my mom is the one who yelled "Fly away, birds!" as loudly as she could the one time they actually let her tag along for the hunting trip.

I think they stopped trying to understand one another long ago, which actually helps them now to understand each other far too well.

As a high school teacher, I get the great joy of hearing the perspectives of both genders. This confirms my theory even further that guys and girls are wired with different ways of thinking. Again, I don't really want to know what goes on inside the male brain for the most part, but I know the female one pretty well. Are we irrational at times? Sure, but never. Do we overreact? Absolutely, but never. Could we be classified as insane every once in a while? Of course, but never. Are we slightly concerned with things that might not be that important? Maybe, but never.

Though God made us to be completely different people who don't always completely understand the other, He made us specifically for one another. Lacie will eventually learn that, while boys are certainly gross at times, she will grow to love them for the people they are. The woman walking around the lake on a Sunday morning knows that there is nothing wrong with her (or guys, I suppose), and whatever miscommunication or whatever it was she had with some guy is simply that, and she will be just fine.

The great thing is that we have a God who gets every single one of us and still loves us all unconditionally. When you find someone else who thinks you're crazy, irrational, and maybe even slightly insane—yet still loves you just the same—then you've truly got a gem. Kinda like Cory and Topanga.

And then the not understanding just becomes the understood.

Making time

You make time for the things and people you want to make time for in life.

This truth has become more and more significant in my life lately, and it's something I try to remind myself of on a daily basis.

Because some things are simply that important.

I love running. But I have to be at work each morning a little before 6, and I usually have much to do after the workday ends, so I wake up either at 3:02 or 3:29 a.m. every day so that I can get my run in before having to go to work. I make time for running, because I love it that much.

Life is full of so many events and tasks, and it's far too easy to get caught up in them and forget about finding joy outside of our own little objective-driven minds. After college, it seemed common to lose touch with old friends and become absorbed in the working world. When I started grad school and was teaching at the same time, I felt like I had no time for anything. I can think of multiple instances where I tried to make plans with people and wouldn't be able to find time or would have to cancel plans because there simply wasn't enough time in my schedule.

But you make time for the things and people you want to make time for in life.

This principle wasn't exactly engrained in my brain just yet, so I didn't really bother to think about how selfish I was or how much I was missing out on by not making time for some of the people who were supposed to matter most in my life. It can certainly be trying on friendships and family relationships. I can't imagine it would have been good if I had been dating anyone at the time, either.

The truth is, we weren't meant to walk this life alone. It's not only lonely and boring, but it's also just plain silly. I don't know how many people there are in this world—because it's obviously a number that's changing by the second—but I do know that there sure are a lot of others out there with whom we can be spending time and forming lasting relationships. Hearts filled with love are meant to be shared, not contained and stored away while we let self-ambitions keep us from what we're really meant to do in this world: love others.

Take time to make time.

Last month at the half in Dallas, my sister and a group of our friends woke up earlier than they normally would on a Sunday morning to come cheer for me. They couldn't stay super long after the race, because they were trying to make it to church on time, but it really meant a lot to me that they would give up time they could be using to sleep longer or use as extra get-ready time so that they could show me how much they cared for me.

Because you make time for the things and people you want to make time for in life.

During my first year of teaching, my dear friend and former college roommate Katie and I used to chat on the phone in the mornings before work every two weeks or so. She lives in Round Rock now, so we rarely get to see one another, but we still wanted to keep up with each other and maintain our friendship. Sure, there were mornings when one of us would call, and the other would obviously be scattered and trying to get stuff together for the day, but we would just put those stresses aside for a few minutes so that we could connect with a friend worth keeping. She's married and has a kiddo on the way now, but we still catch up as often as we can.

Because you make time for the things and people you want to make time for in life.

I understand that there are moments or events you simply physically cannot make happen because of conflicts, but there are other instances when things can be rearranged on your schedule. If you have to give up a much-anticipated afternoon nap because an old friend is in town and wants to grab coffee, save the sleep for later; if your baby sister is hosting a date auction, but you have somewhere you're supposed to be when it starts, leave your event early so that you can be there for her; if you feel like you're losing touch with someone important in your life, pick up the phone to make a call; if you have a group of friends who get together once a week just for fun and forgetting about the daily struggles life can bring us, make it a point to be there; if you make plans with someone, be where you say you are going to be; if someone asks you for a favor, set aside what you're doing for a bit to let love and selflessness dominate your heart; if it's a gorgeous day out, and you feel like you have a million errands or chores to do, make time to go for a walk, run, bike ride or to fly kites outside, instead; and spend time with people as much as you can.

Because you make time for the things and people you want to make time for in life.

We only get to live one life. What's the point in spending it doing things that either make us miserable or turn out to be nothing but tasks filled with self-driven motives? God doesn't place people in our lives by accident. They are there so we can love them and spend time with them. By making time for things and people who actually matter, we aren't wasting time—we're investing it and fulfilling it.

The one thing you have to ask yourself is what it is you want to make time for in life.

Let there be clouds

For some reason, I really love clouds.

I don't remember when my fascination with them began, but it was long, long ago. Somewhere along the line those huge white puffs in the sky caught my attention, and I have been intrigued ever since.

I understand that a lot of people aren't huge fans and prefer those days where you can look up to see "not a cloud in the sky," but, honestly, where is the fun in that?

Clouds make the sky better.

Clouds are wonderful, because, not only do they add a bit of character to the sky, but each one is so unique and different in its own way and allows people to use their imaginations more than they normally would. One person could look at a particular cloud and decide it's shaped like a castle, while another person may glance at that very same cloud and deem it broccoli, instead. I may see a giraffe in the sky, and you may think you're looking at the Eiffel Tower in the form of condensed water vapor. Regardless, it doesn't really matter, because there really isn't a wrong answer there. It's all part of your own unique ingenuity.

The wonders of the sky

Different clouds also carry various meanings and forecasts with them: nimbostratus clouds indicate light or moderate rain or snow; altostratus clouds contain ice crystals and water droplets and usually appear before storms; altocumulus generally form on humid summer mornings and forecast late afternoon thunderstorms; cirrocumulus (which are some of my favorites) are associated with pleasant weather and look a little like fish scales—they seriously make the sky look so magnificent; and cumulonimbus are fairly tall clouds that you probably don't want to see—they are good predictors of ugly storms and even tornadoes.

But clouds don't always stay the same.

One minute you may see the Sultan of Swat in a cloud and in the very next few seconds see it's turned into Simba—yet it's still the same cloud. In that regard, I think people are a lot like clouds. We are constantly changing so many things about us, yet we are essentially still the same people.

And people, like clouds, often get restless. Clouds are always on-the-go, never seeming to stay in the same sky you're seeing. They travel so quickly but still have the ability to impact each area they pass.

One thing I don't like, however, is when clouds cover the sun. I like it when the sun is shining with clouds in the same sky, but not when you can't see the sun. The sun beating down makes everything feel warmer, and it seems too dark and cold when the clouds try to take over completely. And you definitely don't want that when you're trying to read and soak up some rays on a hot summer day on your floaty in the pool.

But, when the sun breaks through those clouds, and they are both filling the sky with beauty, it's absolutely glorious.

Just like clouds, we need to let the Son shine through to fill this place with glory and wonder. If we try to do it all, it's going to be dark and cold, when what the world really needs is light and warmth. But, like clouds, we have great opportunities to impact others and be impacted, as well.

I think we could definitely all use a few more clouds in our lives.

Dip-dee-dos

Every once in a while, you're going to have to skip through those dip-dee-dos you encounter in life.

Last week, my mom and I went on a hike on a walking/biking trail near a lake while my dad biked. As we got closer to the end, my mom kept mentioning some dip-dee-dos that we were approaching. I honestly had no idea what she was talking about at first, so I just nodded and kept walking. (Bless her heart—my mom is precious, so I just let her make up her own words and go right along with it.) I mean, she was just trying to warn me about these miniature hills (if you can even call them that) that we would soon encounter, but I kinda just liked the fact that there was now something called a "dip-dee-do" out in the woods. Seemed exciting.

Then they appeared.

Dip-dee-dos

I almost had to laugh at all of my mother's admonitions. She had cautioned me multiple times about the dip-dee-dos, and they were really nothing more than little rolls and baby bunkers in the ground that were actually kind of fun. I intentionally picked up my speed and ran up and down them just to spice things up a bit. I suppose you might have to use more attentiveness if you were riding your bike over these things, but even then it wouldn't be that intimidating. Well, unless you were an ant, perhaps.

I think we treat many things in life similar to the expectations of the dip-dee-dos. We tend to make big deals out of things that really become rather anticlimactic—after all, the world didn't end a few weeks ago. We allow certain caveats from others or from our own crazy imaginations to get in the way of enjoying life as best we can. If my mom and I had tip-toed through the dip-dee-dos, I'm pretty sure it would have been one of the lamest walks those particular trails had ever seen. But, rushing through them added more entertainment and even brought in somewhat of the "stay forever young" advice that Rod Stewart once advised us all to do.

There are certainly dip-dee-dos in life that are larger than the ones we faced on the trails last week, but I think those have to be faced with the same fearless attitude. The more we look at mounds and hills as mountains we have to scale, the larger and more painful they are going to seem. And, even when we are up against peaks that seem like they are infinite heights, we have a God who is there to help us scale them—those things are even less than trail dip-dee-dos to Him.

Conquered them.

One significant fact about the dip-dee-dos is that they were essential for us to go through to get to where we needed to go. They were on our designated path, and the only logical option we had (besides attempting to create our own path and likely getting lost) was to tackle them head-on without any worry. That's what you have to do when you face situations that aren't exactly smooth surfaces: put on your soldier helmet and embrace the challenge of whatever stands in your way of making it to your final destination.

The dip-dee-dos are inevitably going to pop up along our paths, but we simply have to trust that we're strong enough to run through them like when you were a kid running through the sprinklers: fearlessly and with spirits of innocence and vigor.