12 weeks....

In 12 weeks I will be running my VERY FIRST 1/2 marathon.  On October 23rd, I am going to head down to New Braunfels, Tx with some GREAT people from the The Austin Stone Community Church to run the Chosen Adoption Marathon (or 1/2 marathon in my case).

Here's why the Chosen Adoption 1/2 or full marathon is such a great race:  Our entry fees are going to benefit our ABBA fund at The Austin Stone.  What does this really mean, you ask?  It means that people like my husband and myself can get a grant or a no interest loan to help us with our adoption when God provides the perfect timing. How COOL is THAT??

My buddy, Jen at the end.

Well, here's the thing...over the last several months, I have been really, I mean REALLY enjoying running!!  I've run/walked a few 5Ks and I ran/walked/biked the Muddy Buddy.    

I asked God, how can I take this new found joy of running and help others? He told me to run 1/2 marathons 4 times a year and have them sponsored.  I was ecstatic when I found out that it was very easy to have races sponsored.  So then my next prayer was, who would my sponsorship benefit for this first race?  I was torn, I mean really torn as to who I should benefit from my sponsorship money to.  Should I have the sponsorship go towards The Austin Stone's ABBA Fund OR should I have my sponsorship money go somewhere else?  So, I prayed, waited, and listened.

You see, about 3 years ago, I was introduced to Tom Davis and Children's Hopechest (CHC).  Tom wrote the books, Fields of the Fatherless and Red Letters.   Both of these books are about the least of these that Jesus talks about Matthew about whatever we do to or for others we do or for Jesus.   The friends who introduced me to CHC and Tom Davis, also introduced me to some very sweet, warrior girls.

The warrior girls are a group of women who want and desire to FIGHT and pray for oppressed, for the orphan, for widow, for the least of these.  Well, our 'leader' the girl who started it all, Brandi, started Ifast58 and is a liaison with CHC.  She kept us informed of what was going on when the CHC team in India was needing prayer and what was going on.  She also kept us in the loop about CHC teaming up with the India Rescue Mission.  For at least 2 weeks, we prayed for safety for the team and for the information they were receiving.  

All this to say: I had a very tough decision, but felt God leading me away from sponsorship for our church's ABBA fund and towards Hopechest and helping girls who are being trafficked.  UNDERAGE girls.

Here's what I am asking from you.  Will you please help me?  My goal is to raise $2500 by October 23, 2010.  Please click on the Donation button and go straight to CHC to donate.  Please make sure that you put "Elizabeth's 1/2 marathon" in the Notes section so your donation goes towards my sponsorship.  Please take the "I run for..." blog badge and add it to your blog too.   Will you sponsor me by donating a $1 per mile, $10 per mile, or is there something else you can give.  ANYTHING, ANYTHING will help rescue girls who are being sold into slavery and being trafficked.  

The Countdown begins.....

There are so many things that we are in the countdown for....

• I get to deliver not one, but 2 cakes for foster children Aug 2 and Aug 5th!!  (5 and 7 days away)
• We get to go to a wedding reception for our Children's pastor on Aug 13. (16 days away)
• Perryn starts 1st grade at Star Charter on Aug 23. (26 days away)

But the MOST important and the MOST fun things to begin our countdown are:

• The T4A Conference.  What's that you haven't heard of T4A?  Well, you must have been under a rock...It's the Together 4 Adoption Conference on Oct 1st and 2nd here in Austin!! We can't WAIT!!!  Gabe and I are looking forward to finding out more information on how we can help and how we can begin our adoption journey.   (65 days away)
• I am also looking forward to meeting LOTS of my newest and bestest friends, the Warrior Girls.  These girls are such an encouragement to me, even on my 'best' days.  They know how to help me see what God has in store for me and for those less fortunate. (65 days away)
• I'm running the Chosen Adoption 1/2 Marathon on Oct23rd!!!   (86 days away)
• But the MOST IMPORTANT count down, is that I will be launching something EXTRA SPECIAL, in just 4 DAYS!!!  You're going to have to hold on and keep checking back, because I'm MIGHT give you a SNEAK PEEK over the next 4 days as to what will be happening on Aug 1st!!! 

Contentment

Yesterday at The Austin Stone, Darrin Patrick from The Journey Church guest preached for us. Let me just say, "WOW"!! He preached out of Philipians 4:10-13. We all know verse 13, but I have never looked or studied the verses prior to it. He talked about true contentment with our lives.

He referenced these verses:

'But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.' I Timothy 6:8 (ESV, emphasis mine)

'Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." ' Hebrews 13:5(ESV, emphasis mine)

To me, before I started reading Radical by David Platt, this was what my American dream consisted of....a NICE house in a nice neighborhood.

Darrin said that contentment is "Being ok with who you are & what you have, NO MATTER what's going on around you!" That is the most profound statement that I've heard in a LONG TIME.

Contentment is a strength issue, but not MY strength issue, DIVINE strength issue....letting God in when things are going well (like now) and when things are going bad. Contentment is a foretaste to heaven...and I can't wait to get there.

Am I a bit nervous? Absolutely. Am I bit scared? Absolutely. But I also know that the 'secret' to contentment is to NOT stop at the 'pointer' but GO ALL THE WAY. For example, not to just continue to run, but to run for others. Not just bake cakes and be creative, but make cakes and be creative for others. To not just buy a house, but wait to buy the one that God has in store for us.

So for now, I am content with being in a 2 bedroom apt, having 1 car, having Perryn in a Charter School instead of homeschooling, and whatever else God hands me right now. Are you content with God has given you?

Warning, warning

As you can see a new look has taken over the blog, which coincides with a new season in the Engelhardt household and it's going to be a WILD ride. I am giving fair warning that there will be more pictures, there will be more blogging, and there will be a different 'feel' to our new blog. Why you ask? Well, because God has been doing a work in our lives and hearts. Here's what's been happening:

1. We have had a GREAT summer! I've been to the pool, been to Colorado for a family vacation, been studying Esther, started running again, and been reactivating my LOVE for reading.

2. I am DONE, finished with just talking and posting little blog badges on the sides of the blog and not really talking about them. So, be forewarned, the TOUGH stuff WILL be talked about now, with NO sugar coating.

3. Securities and Fears - I have begun to take back my security...no one else is getting access to it anymore. Why? Well, because I have done some reading (Beth Moore's So Long Insecurity). I've also been working through the Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman Bible study with Ms. Beth. God has truly given Ms. Beth a gift to speak truth and she is using that gift in a fabulous way and God is using her to speak and work on me. (I also found on Lifeway.com that I can download the video sessions as I need them for $5 a video. Yes, it would be so much more fun to do this study with a group, but I can do it when I'm able to with my crazy schedule.)

4. Family vacation - we went on a family vacation for the 2nd time in 2 years!! This time we drove all the way to Pagosa Springs, CO. We had a BLAST!! I will get picture up as soon as I can.

5. Blog Badges/Tone/Books - here's the deal. I have been reading So Long Insecurity and we start working and discussing the book Radical by David Platt with our Missional Community group. Gabe and I both feel that we need to change our attitude and our 'American' dream is changing. As of today (July 24, 2010) we are now a one car family again. We sold Gabe's car and bought him a bicycle. We live a mile from work, why...guess what - it's getting us out of debt FASTER. We are seriously looking at whether or not we are going to buy a house anytime soon. We are waiting for God to show us that.

The blog badges that are on my blog ie: Red Letters Campaign and Hopemongers, well there's going to be more. And as much as I LOVE being creative....I am going to be using my talents to help the least of these and not promote a creative business that isn't doing very much. Will I still accept orders? ABSOLUTELY, but I'm not advertising anymore...no more Tip Junkie, no more SIS. More Children's HopeChest, Charity Water, Love146, and T4A. These guys need MY voice; however, small it is.

6. Running - I have been running a lot over the past several months. I've done a couple of 5Ks and the Muddy Buddy. I ENJOY running, I'm having fun. I've also felt God asking me to use my new love and joy to help those less fortunate. So, at least once a quarter I will be running a 1/2 marathon and having it sponsored. I will be running the Chosen Adoption 1/2 in October in Gruene, TX. This one will be sponsored, but I'm going to wait to share who's going to benefit from it.

I hope that you will continue to read my blog, and now it's going to more deep and emotional and not so superficial anymore.

I will leave you with a VERY cute picture of my kids and BEVO, because, they are always picture worthy.

Blessings,