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5 tips to make running fun: You read that right!

I met Richard through our online Glory Chasers Christian running group and a mutual friend Jonathan Winter. Richard is a pastor in the U.K. and an avid runner. I’m grateful to welcome him to the blog today to share his tips on making running fun and leaning into God in the process.

Guest post by Richard Pidgley

After a long hard weekend consisting of a tiring Saturday “work day” at the church clearing a jungle of vegetation and weeds from the land in front of our building and then the Sunday service the following day and other pastoral duties, I wasn’t really feeling it for a Monday morning run. But as usual Discipline, who sounds stern but actually is my great friend in helping me achieve much in life, pulled me from my comfortable bed and helped me tie my ASICS laces and get me through the front door.

1. When you’re not feeling it, trick your brain!

A good bit of running advice for when you’re not feeling it, is to trick your brain! Yes, tell yourself that although you’re not feeling it, you’ll just run for 10 minutes, your body gives in to this as it doesn’t sound too bad, but let’s face it once you’ve run for ten minutes you’re usually feeling like you can keep running and you do!

2. Make your best days the days you don’t feel like running

So I’m through the front door – thanks to Discipline – and although my running buddy may have appeared hard on me, he allows me to have some fun once I’m out there! For me, a “fun run” usually involves a new route and where possible some water. (Or a crazy mid-run photo opportunity to share on social media.)

That day I got to run near a river, which meant I was able to hop over some crazy stepping stones crossing the water. I count this as fun because if I got my footing wrong I’d get very wet! Then I ran through the river where there is a ford in the road (a shallow area for cars to drive through the water). Hey if a car can go through it, I can also go through it. And finally, to complete my crazy fun antics, I ran up through the river along a submerged bank of shingle until the water reached over my knees and I could no longer run. I came out of the river soaked but laughing to myself. How crazy is this, and it’s only 6 a.m. in the morning!

As a child of God, I can tell you on good authority that our Heavenly Father God likes watching us having fun. You see, Christianity is not about religiously keeping rules and regulations, but about a wonderful relationship with God and learning to do creative, fun stuff with the lives He gave us.

3. Look for lessons in faith while you’re having fun.

While running in that river, I soon went from splashing in puddle-depth water to ankle-depth water, then to knee-depth water. If I had continued, it would have gotten much deeper according to the warning signs close: Danger Deep Water – No Swimming.

While struggling to run in knee-depth water, my mind went to that special river that Ezekiel saw in a prophetic vision, a river which flowed from the temple out into the desert and into the Dead Sea (Ezekiel 47). The river is symbolic of life from God and the blessings that flow from His throne.

The vision suggests that we get into the water by faith. The water is up to our ankles, and then as we trust God we go deeper up to our knees, and then up to our waist, and then the water is so deep and the current of the Holy Spirit is so strong that God takes us to new things, places and opportunities in His power and for His glory!

Photo by Richard Pidgley



4. Be mindful of divine waters, dynamic waters, and deepening waters.

This river is divine. It’s from God and will bless us. It’s dynamic water because it is actively transforming deadness into life. Isn’t this the work of the Holy Spirit deep within us? And it’s also an ever-deepening river Scripture tells us the waters get deeper as we experience God’s dynamic power.

The ever-deepening waters speak of increased blessing as we allow the Holy Spirit more control over our lives. Yes, we go deeper when we trust God, when we pray and worship. When we wade out into the strong current of the river of God, and come to that place when we truly are immersed in God, then we experience a spirit-filled life.

Like the Jewish exiles in Ezekiel’s day, we also are living in dry and desperate times! You may feel exiled, empty and exhausted, but be encouraged for the door to God’s presence is wide open through Jesus’ work on the cross and the mighty River of God is flowing freely.

5. Take time to reflect on your relationship with God.

Are you living a spirit-filled life? If not, today is the day to see that changed. Surrender all that you are to God and invite the fullness of the Holy Spirit into your life.It’s time to get your feet wet. Start wading out into God’s river, and don’t stop until you feel His mighty current powerfully transforming and directing your life.

Here’s a running goal: Find a new route, shake things up and have some fun. Splash in some water, swing from a tree branch, take a crazy selfie, after all…

Running isn’t always about the time we run, but the time we enjoy while running.

Richard Pidgley is married to Lynne, has two adult sons, a wonderful daughter-in-law and two super cute grandsons. Richard is an Aseemblies of God minister who leads Millpool Hill Church in Birmingham U.K. He has an MA in missional leadership and loves to teach the Word of God. He is also a lecturer at Maranatha Bible College Baguio City Philippines and loves early morning trail running. Contact Richard on rpidgley at millpoolhill.com

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July 22, 2021 Categories: Guest Blogger, Running

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Meet Dorina

Aloha, friend! If you love stories, you are in the right place. I write about grief, glory, running, food, and more. I hope these words inspire you to chase after God’s glory in your life today!

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  • Kailani’s Gift: Revealing a new children’s book cover! July 25, 2023
  • It’s another book baby! June 16, 2023
  • When your answer just might be a question June 3, 2023
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Before Footer

I’ve created this compassionate resource for your personal journey with grief. This book was 8 years in the making and offers a comforting, giftable resource for those who are processing their own loss, whether of a loved one, a season of life, or a dream. Breathing Through Grief includes 25 short devotionals that each focus on a different aspect of grief from my personal experience.

The journal also includes special resources such as:
•
breathing exercises
•
reflection questions
•
soul care tips
•
ample writing space
•
advice on how to talk to children about death
•
suggestions on how to approach triggers
•
creative ways to honor a loved one’s memory

If you or someone close to you is walking through loss⁠, let the comforting words in Breathing Through Grief encourage you with the knowledge that you are not alone and bring you a semblance of peace as you continue forward on the road to healing.

The book releases Nov. 14. You can pre-order today. For more information, visit www.waterbrookmultnomah.com.

View

Sep 21

Open
I’ve created this compassionate resource for your personal journey with grief. This book was 8 years in the making and offers a comforting, giftable resource for those who are processing their own loss, whether of a loved one, a season of life, or a dream. Breathing Through Grief includes 25 short devotionals that each focus on a different aspect of grief from my personal experience.
The journal also includes special resources such as:
•
breathing exercises
•
reflection questions
•
soul care tips
•
ample writing space
•
advice on how to talk to children about death
•
suggestions on how to approach triggers
•
creative ways to honor a loved one’s memory
If you or someone close to you is walking through loss⁠, let the comforting words in Breathing Through Grief encourage you with the knowledge that you are not alone and bring you a semblance of peace as you continue forward on the road to healing.
The book releases Nov. 14. You can pre-order today. For more information, visit www.waterbrookmultnomah.com.
8 1

Last week I embarked on a new adventure. My sister and I were hired as the new chefs for the Open Door Sisterhood retreat in Priest Lake, Idaho. This annual 5-day retreat is part of a year-long experience carefully curated and nurtured by podcast hosts and authors Krista Gilbert and Alexandra Kuykendall. This gathering is designed for professional communicators and business women who want to infuse the hope of Christ into their work.

As I was chopping onions and adding fragrant spices to the pot, I felt great pleasure. My heart swelled with delight as my sister and I showed a small group of women how to roll lumpia just like our Grandma Cora taught us. I experienced joy in serving up Pancit, Bibimbap bowls, Butter Chicken, Pizzelles and Pumpkin tiramisu - all the while sharing the stories of how these foods connect to my family.

I remembered one of my favorite stories in the Bible after the resurrection of Christ. Jesus appears by the Sea of Galilee where his disciples were together. The group heads out to fish, but they don’t catch anything.

The next morning Jesus is standing on the shore waiting for them. He calls out, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

They answer no.

He urges the to cast their nets on the right sight of the boat. The result is a catch of 153 large fish - so many that the net is torn. Jesus urges them to bring the fish for a big fish fry on the shore. “Come and have breakfast.”

None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish (John 21:11-12, NIV)

We see Jesus’s joy in serving them. He takes time to make bread and prepare fish to nourish them well and then send them out. This is the power of food and sharing a meal across the table. It’s nourishment for the body and soul.

🫶🏾 Friend, what about you? Have you ever had that experience of doing something that brought you great joy and blessed others?

{Read the full reflection here: https://open.substack.com/pub/dorinaglorygram/p/follow-the-joy-set-before-you} #foodie #food #cookingtherapy #nourish #lovelanguage #powertothesisterhood #retreat @theopendoorsisterhood

View

Sep 18

Open
Last week I embarked on a new adventure. My sister and I were hired as the new chefs for the Open Door Sisterhood retreat in Priest Lake, Idaho. This annual 5-day retreat is part of a year-long experience carefully curated and nurtured by podcast hosts and authors Krista Gilbert and Alexandra Kuykendall. This gathering is designed for professional communicators and business women who want to infuse the hope of Christ into their work. 
As I was chopping onions and adding fragrant spices to the pot, I felt great pleasure. My heart swelled with delight as my sister and I showed a small group of women how to roll lumpia just like our Grandma Cora taught us. I experienced joy in serving up Pancit, Bibimbap bowls, Butter Chicken, Pizzelles and Pumpkin tiramisu - all the while sharing the stories of how these foods connect to my family. 
I remembered one of my favorite stories in the Bible after the resurrection of Christ. Jesus appears by the Sea of Galilee where his disciples were together. The group heads out to fish, but they don’t catch anything. 
The next morning Jesus is standing on the shore waiting for them. He calls out, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
They answer no. 
He urges the to cast their nets on the right sight of the boat. The result is a catch of 153 large fish - so many that the net is torn. Jesus urges them to bring the fish for a big fish fry on the shore. “Come and have breakfast.” 
None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish (John 21:11-12, NIV)
We see Jesus’s joy in serving them. He takes time to make bread and prepare fish to nourish them well and then send them out. This is the power of food and sharing a meal across the table. It’s nourishment for the body and soul.
🫶🏾 Friend, what about you? Have you ever had that experience of doing something that brought you great joy and blessed others?
{Read the full reflection here: https://open.substack.com/pub/dorinaglorygram/p/follow-the-joy-set-before-you} #foodie #food  #cookingtherapy #nourish #lovelanguage #powertothesisterhood #retreat @theopendoorsisterhood
26 4

I had a fantastic Sunday morning running the Diamond 10k! 🩵💎🦋 The weather was simply gorgeous! I could feel a cool breeze kissing my shoulders (most of the way) on the out-and-back course from the San Joaquin River Parkway Conservatory. My hubby Shawn was the race announcer. The runners got to cross the finish line under a chandelier and sparkly sun rays.

This is one of my fave races because of all the phenomenal women cheering each other on, the beautiful jewelry by Endure Jewelry (instead of traditional medals), and of course, the sparkly donuts. 🍩 🏃🏽‍♀️My friend and race director @sunny.runs always has every detail dialed in to make it a beautiful & community-oriented event! After a long week, this was definitely the breath of fresh air and reset I needed!

#glorychasers #walkrunsoar #eatprayrun #runningmotivation #running #runhappy

View

Sep 18

Open
I had a fantastic Sunday morning running the Diamond 10k! 🩵💎🦋 The weather was simply gorgeous! I could feel a cool breeze kissing my shoulders (most of the way) on the out-and-back course from the San Joaquin River Parkway Conservatory. My hubby Shawn was the race announcer. The runners got to cross the finish line under a chandelier and sparkly sun rays. 
This is one of my fave races because of all the phenomenal women cheering each other on, the beautiful jewelry by Endure Jewelry (instead of traditional medals), and of course, the sparkly donuts. 🍩 🏃🏽‍♀️My friend and race director @sunny.runs always has every detail dialed in to make it a beautiful & community-oriented event! After a long week, this was definitely the breath of fresh air and reset I needed! 
#glorychasers #walkrunsoar #eatprayrun #runningmotivation #running #runhappy
47 2

It was truly my joy to
design, cook, and serve up
11 meals
Over 5 days
Taking 13 women on a
World tour.
Nourishing souls.
Telling stories
through food.

#foodiefriday

View

Sep 16

Open
It was truly my joy to
design, cook, and serve up
11 meals
Over 5 days
Taking 13 women on a 
World tour.
Nourishing souls.
Telling stories
through food. 
#foodiefriday
31 4

📖 Join me today for a verse-by-verse reading and unpacking of one of my favorite psalms! Psalm 139 is a reminder that we are known by God and He is always with us.

Maybe you are feeling lonely today. Maybe you are wondering if He really cares about your grieving heart or sees you in the waiting. These honest and passionate words from David are a honey-sweet reminder that we are never alone.

I personally love thinking about God with knitting 🧶 needles designing and knitting each of us together in our mama’s womb. I love thinking about how with thread and needle 🪡 He hems me in.

🫶🏾What was your fave verse or image from Psalm 139?

#psalm #biblestudy #versebyverse #david #fearfullyandwonderfullymade #knitting #bibleverse #psalms

View

Sep 15

Open
📖 Join me today for a verse-by-verse reading and unpacking of one of my favorite psalms! Psalm 139 is a reminder that we are known by God and He is always with us.
Maybe you are feeling lonely today. Maybe you are wondering if He really cares about your grieving heart or sees you in the waiting. These honest and passionate words from David are a honey-sweet reminder that we are never alone.
I personally love thinking about God with knitting 🧶 needles designing and knitting each of us together in our mama’s womb. I love thinking about how with thread and needle 🪡 He hems me in. 
🫶🏾What was your fave verse or image from Psalm 139?
#psalm #biblestudy #versebyverse #david #fearfullyandwonderfullymade #knitting #bibleverse #psalms
20 6
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