No More "I Can'ts"...

"I can't do it.."' Ever mumbled those words or screamed them for that matter? Oh, I have. Time and time again. How often do we completely doubt that we can accomplish something that is so far out of our "comfort zone"? If you read my blog, you may remember that back in January, I completed the Disney Half Marathon. That is 13.1 MILES! To be honest, I still have a hard time believing that I actually finished without passing out or my legs just falling right off. My husband first presented the idea to me several months before the actual race. I am pretty sure that I laughed right in his face when he suggested that I RUN IT! Was he absolutely crazy?? I could barely run a mile without passing out. Apparently, he saw a lot more potential in me than I saw in myself. I automatically thought those dreaded words, "I can't..". Somehow he convinced me to do it. Training was rough!! I was exhausted everyday after work, and the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was run. There were days when I just thought, "I can't do this--why am I even trying??" Those were the days that I look back on, and am so thankful that my hubby pushed me to get out and run (even though at the time, he made me angry--he just didn't understand how TIRED I was!)... I had several great runs during training, but also had several really hard runs leading up to the race. Even on the day of the race, I kept thinking, "There is no way I can do this, this is crazy!" But even though I thought I couldn't do it, I tried to believe that I really could. About a mile or two into the race, I actually started believing that I could do it...I could run 13.1 miles! And I did! I couldn't move the next day, but I ran a half marathon successfully! I literally had tears in my eyes when I crossed the finish line because I couldn't believe I actually accomplished something that, in my eyes, seemed impossible! I learned a valuable lesson through this experience that has carried over to many other areas of my life: If I work hard, stay disciplined, and believe in myself--I can do anything! Satan has a way of placing those "I can'ts" in our heads when in reality the Word says we can do ALL things through Christ. There is something great about challenging yourself, and then working hard to successfully meet that challenge. I am tired of saying "I can't..." and am ready to challenge myself in new ways. What is a challenge you are willing to face??? I love to hear. Be Blessed! Jenn