I've written a lot lately about our journey to become triathletes, and I've realized that there are so many parellels to life as you work through things physically. Today, I'm laid up at home from church with a sprained ankle and a torn up knee, and I didn't even do those training! I merely slipped and fell walking with some girlfriends this week and boy has it hurt! I did two triathlons and hundreds of kms of training this year, and I hurt myself walking. Sigh.

However, this has given me time to reflect and think and stop and be still, which is still a very important part of life, one that's really easy to bypass as we think "being productive" is the only way to do live.

Last weekend I was in England with Andrew, and we went to our friend's ordination service. I'm not an Anglican, but I can very much appreciate its form and traditions, and staying power, even through the midst of war, crisis, plagues and you fill in the rest of the blanks.

This service was powerful, as we watched a good friend who has gone through his own personal hell, see a miracle realized, and become ordained as a deacon (the first part before becoming a priest) in the glorious Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford. I imagine he is still pinching himself a week later.

What can be easy for us in the midst of a miracle however, is to think that all is solved, and that there will be no more hardship. But, the parking tickets, and the sprained ankles and the frustrating moments, and the atm card not working still continue and sometimes overshadow the incredible miracles God has permitted to occur in our lives. We see this in the Gospel of John when suddenly a man can walk, and all anyone can focus on is why he was lame in the first place. Darnit! He can walk, and they were still focused on the past.

I'm just as guilty. I've had an incredible year, full of blessings beyond my imagination. Seeing our friend ordained was another one of those blessings. But when I sprain my ankle, and my bank account is dry and I can't go to church cause I'm hobbling around like a horse with no knees and I throw a party and 30 people can't come, its easy for me to forget about things like I've done two triathlons this year, I'm stronger and fitter than ever. I've come to the almost end of a MA and am looking forward to a PH.D. Andrew has found his niche in so many ways, and we have amazing students and new friends and new adventures...

So. Stop with me today as I continue my wanderings, but in quiet reflection of all of the good things that "overflow my cup". And that I continue to feast even in "the presence of my enemies" and that my God is the King of Glory that humbled himself to perform miracles, not to erase our past, but to bring Glory to the Future Kingdom. Amen.