joy – IN THE WEIGHTING

My 9th Half Marathon

November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 Leave a comment

Hey there SuperStarrs, it’s Super Cool that I’m able to chat about My 9th Half Marathon!!! It’s hard to really tell ya the spiritual feeling I had holding my guitar bling, looking at the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame Pyramid & realizing, what was once a Dream & Desire, just happened!!! This trip was so full of Awesomeness that I can’t possibly write about it all in one post. It started with me picking up my race packet as soon as we got to Cleveland, Ohio.

The Arcade in Cleveland, Ohio

While there I found a cool coffee shop called Rising Star Coffee Roasters. Of Course I love coffee & being a Starr I had to check it out, even though I already had Starbucks in hand. LOL!!!

Inside Entrance

Coffee Break

SuperStarr Coffee

Outside Entrance

Then we headed to check out the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & meet up with my friend Cristy & her family!!! I will make a future post with more from that visit because it’s gotta have it’s own. Such a cool place that every music lover should check out!!!

Cristy & I With Our Munchkins!!!

We spent the entire day there before parting ways so they could head home & I could sleep. The next morning was the Half Marathon Race. Now here’s some videos of this Amazing race!!!

Start

Finish

Getting My Bling!!!

Deborah Busy Bee!!!

My Feet Hurt From Kicking My Own Butt!!!

My 9th Half Marathon

Miguel My Running Buddy This Race.

On the way home from the race we had to make a stop at A Christmas Story House . For years growing up I’ve spent every Christmas Eve watching this classic movie. So when planning the trip to Cleveland, Ohio I knew this was a must stop. It was AMAZING & the kids had so much fun. I will post more of our visit on a later time closer to Christmas. Here is a few pics for now.

Ralphie’s Red Ryder Rifle!!!

A Major Award!!! Actually I’m Wearing Mine Around My Neck!!!

After having fun at the house we the headed home but stopped on the way to have dinner & ice cream @ Ducky’s Snowballs with Cristy & her family.

Cristy & I

Our Boys, Ethan & Kaleb w/ Melody!!!

It’s so Great that our kids get along so well & they never want to leave. So that was our time in Cleveland & we all agree that CLEVELAND ROCKS!!! 🙂

It’s AMAZING that my next race is gonna take me into double digits!!! I will forever be able to say that I’ve ran 10 Half Marathons in 7 states in 3 years time!!! And to think back that it all started with a Dream to finish just one. God is so AMAZING!!! Seriously SuperStarrs if He can take me from sitting on the couch doing movie marathons to running 9 half marathons, He can do anything for anyone who dares to dream!!! I believe that the dreams inside us is there because He put them there!!! So whatever you got stirring in you, start now going for it. It’s Your life. Believe in Your Dreams!!! Ask God for help & put your faith in Him!!!

SuperStarrs What’s Your Dream???

What are ya doing to make it a reality???

Make Healthy Choices & Be Patience “In The Weighting”.

Top 10 Safety Tips For Running Outdoors!!!

March 20, 2018 Leave a comment

Hello SuperStarrs!!! Today I’m sharing tips on how to stay safe while running outdoors. I’ve been running outdoors now for over 2 years and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!! I LOVE the fresh air. I LOVE the sunshine. I LOVE the scenery changing. I LOVE being outside with the seasons changes. I LOVE waving to people and seeing the neighborhood dogs. I LOVE seeing the flowers and trees blooming. I LOVE early morning sunrise Summer runs. I LOVE the falling leaves in the Fall. I LOVE crunching in fresh fallen snow. However I know that with running outdoors can cause some fear in some people. Especially when just getting started. That’s why I am sharing with y’all what I’ve experienced, so that you can shake off that fear. When you have planned ahead & are aware then, you can lace up & getting going!!!

I’ve heard people talk about being fearful to go out for a walk, run or ride by themselves. It saddens me when I hear of anyone being controlled or held back by fear. I totally believe that we should use wisdom like I shared in the video and probably not go running in the woods alone. However I do think sometimes people don’t even realized they are being held back by fear and worry. It make me think of in Proverbs where it talks about

“The sluggard says, “There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!” 22:13

“The lazy person claims “There’s a lion on the road! Yes I’m sure there’s a lion out there!” 26:13

So many times people can waste time worrying about things that will never happen. Sometimes people like to find their excuse and then they feel better about staying the same. When people think of the worst case scenario and allow that to be their reason for not making a positive change then, they are living in fear. They are believing the lies of fear, rather than believing what God says. 2 Timothy 1:7 God tells us that He hasn’t given us a Spirit of fear but He gives us Power, Love and Self-Discipline!!! I choose to believe and live in Power, Love and Self-Discipline!!! SuperStarrs I pray that you want it too. I believe if you are still reading then you do want it too!!! It’s up to YOU to go get it!!!

SuperStarrs, do you walk, run or ride outdoors alone???

If so, do you have any tips that you can share with the class???

What fears have been holding you back from taken your workouts outdoors???

How are you gonna live in Power, Love and Self-Discipline???

Be Patient & Make Healthy Choice while you are In The Weighting!!!

Purpose Of Winter!!!

February 3, 2018February 3, 2018 Leave a comment

Hey SuperStarrs, when I started getting healthy, I began saying “I want to wear out, not rust out!!!”. Basically meaning I realized I wanted to age well & be able to use my body until I can’t anymore, rather than “rusting out” like the Tin Man. Just sitting around until nothing works anymore. I’ve seen many older people just sit around & then when they want to be able to do something physically, they can’t because they didn’t maintain their physical fitness. While working in the salon, there were many woman who would come in to have their hair washed & styled each week, because their arms were too weak to do their own hair. I learned then, that if we don’t use it, we loose it!!! So that fired me up to keep my strength up & get moving. However, God has been teaching me lately that it’s ALL about balance!!! In either direction it can be harmful. Truth is I don’t want to wear out either!!! I want to stay healthy & strong all the days of my life. So if you have seen or heard me say before that “I want to wear out not rust out”. I’m sorry & still on my Journey of “In The Weighting“. As God teaches me along the way, I will continue to share & be real with y’all. Watch video to hear me share more.

Recently I had a day where I was just exhausted. I was struggling to keep my eyes open. My Monday morning started off normal and so I went running off into the day checking things off my to-do list. Kids off to school, Run done, Showered, House Cleaning done and then I realized that I could squeeze in a nap before the kids got home. So as I was laying so thankful that I was blessed with this moment to rest, I started thinking of other things I could be doing if I didn’t nap & asking myself “Who naps in the middle of the day??? Really who does this???” realizing I hadn’t done this since the kids were little & still getting up thru out the night. Just as I was starting to feel a bit guilty for taking a much needed rest, I felt the Holy Spirit whisper to me ” Not everyone has ran 16+ miles, served at church, taken care of family members problems, encouraged others online, worked on a Baby Shower & Birthday party, all while still taking care of their own family by serving them by all that it takes being a Wife & Mom in the past 72 hours!!!” I then realized I had earned & truly needed the rest my body was s l o w l y telling me to take. The body can only take so much before it says “I’m done. Outta fuel. Battery empty”. Isn’t funny SuperStarrs how we won’t let our cell phones run down until they die or allow our cars to run out of gas but we somehow allow it for ourselves. That’s so not right because truth is we can buy another cell phone or car but we only have this one body, period. No matter how advanced Science & Medicine gets, nothing will ever replace us!!! We take time to refuel our cars when the low fuel light comes on. We charge our cell phones nightly so that we will wake up to a fully charged battery for the day, but how many people don’t take the time to sleep to make sure they are fully charged for the day??? If the dirt, trees & flowers take time to rest & recharge, with only one job to do, then that should show us how much more we need it!!! If you struggle with getting a good night’s rest check out “Where To Start” to hear more!!!

I hope to get ya to take some time to slow down where you can & purposely schedule rest for yourself. Look at what you are doing & ask yourself if you really need to be doing that task. Or can someone else help or take over??? There are things that only we can do but then there are other things we just do. Where can you get help? If you can hire it done great!!! I’m not talking like we can all afford maids & personal assistants. However do you have a child you can train to take over the task while giving them a few bucks??? Even if it’s not done exactly how you’d like, a half swept floor is better than an unswept floor!!! Remember they are in training!!! How many years have you been doing it your way??? Ya never know they could surprise you with a better way!!! If you don’t have kids or they are grown, what about a niece or a neighbor kid??? What about where you serve? Are there others that you can train so that you can have a break sometimes??? Are there things you are doing simply because you have always done it but nobody even cares about it but you??? I’ve been totally guilty of this one!!! There are certain traditions or decorating that my family doesn’t care about if they get done or not. So if my chalkboard doesn’t get a new saying weekly or monthly 😉 there’s no real harm done. They don’t even notice until it’s changed and even then they are not keeping track of when it was done last. My point is that we sometimes just do more than what we really need to do. That can add stress & anxiousness that steals our peace, joy & rest!!!

So SuperStarrs How are gonna purposely get rest???

Do you already practice rest??? If so please share any tips with us!!!

What are you gonna do differently with your schedule???

Who can you get to help you???

When are you gonna take time for your God Date???

Remember You are a SuperStarr!!!

Be patient & make healthy choices while you are “In The Weighting“!!!

Find What Makes You Get Up & Go!!!

September 29, 2017September 29, 2017 Leave a comment

SuperStarrs this video I took this past weekend when I was at the Love Life Women’s Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Which is always a great time of getting refueled and encouraged while hanging out with thousands of ladies!!!

So if you are saying, “Debbie, I don’t have anything that make me want to get up & go.” Then guess what ya gotta find it!!! You can start by remembering what you liked to do as a kid. Did you dance, tumble, or play sports? Was it in a group setting or did you prefer going solo? Did you enjoy playing for fun or did competition help motivate you? Take some time to remember what you made you feel good, while having fun. Did you enjoy jumping rope, bike riding, swimming, or lifting weights? Do you like routine or constantly changing things up? If you were never very active before you can start now. Be adventurous!!! Take a dance class or sign up for swim class at your local YMCA if you enjoy meeting new people. If working out alone is your thing, then stay home & push play on a workout DVD. Don’t have one, then YouTube whatever you looking for. Anyone can grab your sneakers & music and get outside for a walk. You’ll enjoy the fresh air, sunshine & be able to build up to miles. Then someday start walk/run & then you’ll be running before ya know it!!! The point is, just start with something. Try it, if you are not feeling it then move onto something else. Keep going until you find your thing!!! You will still be burning calories & sweating until you find it.

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You can check out more of my pics from St. Louis on my Instagram @debbierstarr!!!

For me I love to run for many reasons. Number one is I love to eat & I love to eat carbs!!! Running allows me to burn off & refuel with carbs!!! I also enjoy being outside, getting fresh air & sunshine all year round!!! Smelling the lilacs in the Spring, getting some color on my skin in the Summer, watching the trees change colors & the welcomed cool weather in the Fall, & making footprints as I crunch in the snow in the Winter, all these changes keep my runs always fresh & new. It never gets boring & when I travel I get to actually see places that I wouldn’t if I was just driving. Another Love is I get to put music in my ears & drowned out the rest of the noise of the world. This Mom needs her music & a break from the latest Disney Movie my Daughter is obsessed with. (Currently it is Moana.) Occasionally I’ll meet up with friends, but most of the time I run solo. It works for me. It’s my therapy a lot of days. Even on tough days, I’m able to run off stressed energy, while talking to God about what’s going on. I always feel better after my runs!!! I’ve never regretted a run.

Whatever you choose, start by slowly adding that into your schedule. Start off slow and add as you can do more. If you haven’t rode a bike in 15 years, don’t hop on and try to do a 10 mile ride. The goal is to feel good afterwards, not struggling to walk for the next week. Even if you just did around the block, that progress from just sitting on the couch. Remember to stretch & stay hydrated!!!

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This year was the last year to be held annually in St. Louis. Next year it’s moving to Tampa, FL and then on from there. With all change there is bittersweetness to it. For the past eight years I’ve road tripped it down to St. Louis mostly with the same core group of ladies and one year solo. (I was prego with baby girl & knew it needed to be a solo trip so that I wouldn’t have to share a bed or bathroom & that I could nap & have quiet time when I needed it. True friends understand when you are honest about your needs & they’ll never try to make you feel bad.) So this past weekend was a great time of reflection. Remembering where I was spiritually & physically when I First started coming & then where I am today. It started with me healing spiritually then has progressed to physically. Thinking back, I was so full of hurt & anger from things I was going through, but also past things I never dealt with. Hurts & betrayal that I didn’t know what to do with. Wounds that I never properly treated, so they never fully healed. I didn’t know how to Love. I couldn’t Love others because I didn’t know how to even Love myself. All that, created the storm inside me. I didn’t have peace or joy. I didn’t trust those who did. I felt if I couldn’t have it, then it wasn’t real & they were all fakers. That’s where I was but, I also had this desire stirring inside me. That IF it was possible, IF it was available, IF others actually had Peace & Joy, then I was gonna do whatever & search out whatever until I found it & had it for myself. So that’s what I continued to do on my spiritual journey. I Loved Jesus & wanted to Love others the way He was asking me to but, I didn’t know how. So I just kept asking God for help. Asking Him to show me. Teach me. Every year I’ve kept returning to St. Louis excited for whatever He had to teach me. Every years God would speak to me thru the Teachers about whatever I needed to focus on next. Then I’d go home & do it. One year was Love, another getting rid of angry, another finding Peace, another on living in balance, another Trusting God, another Discipline & on & on until now. SuperStarrs if you’ve been following me on my “In The Weighting” Journey then you already know from My 1st Marathon post, that I was on the treadmill running, during a break at this conference, when the Holy Spirit told me, He would help me run a Half Marathon if I really wanted to do it. And the rest is Beautiful History of me sharing my story with SuperStarrs all over. To give Hope & Encourage them to Start & Shine in their journey wherever God is taking them. To Dream Big Dreams & to know that God Loves them & has Awesome plans for them!!! That’s YOU!!! That’s this running ministry!!! So Super Cool!!! God is AMAZING!!!

That is why I had to share this all with y’all!!! I never want ya to think that I have it all together, it’s God who holds me together!!! No mater where you are now, if you are not happy & want to make a change. He will Help You!!! Just like He did me & you never know what God can do with your story!!!

As I was eating at my favorite foods at my favorite restaurants, realizing this was the close of this season. I was at peace & have joy for what’s to come. Did ya hear that??? I HAVE PEACE & JOY!!! What I started searching for, I have today & have had for years. Just kinda forgot where I started, until this past weekend when God gently reminded me. I have unshakeable Peace & Joy now. So much that no matter what changes or losses come, I know in my heart, as long as I have Jesus, I will always have Peace & Joy!!! No one can take that away from me!!! 🙂 It IS Real & I’m not faking!!!

SuperStarrs if you don’t have the Peace & Joy of Jesus, I invite you to check out My Upper Management page for more info on how you can get it!!!

So what makes you want to Get Up & Go???

What adventure are you gonna go on???

Remember You are a SUPERSTARR!!!

Know that YOU are Love by God who has Amazing Blessings for YOU!!!

He is always there, waiting for You!!!

Be patient & make healthy choices while You are “In The Weighting”!!!

Stop Dreading & Complaining!!!

July 28, 2017 Leave a comment

Hey SuperStarrs, do you ever dread or complain about workouts or eating healthy??? YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! We all have days or will have days, where we will be tempted to have a bad attitude. So I am here to encourage you on how to handle those days when they try to creep up on you.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to find the negative in things of life??? SuperStarrs In order to have a life of Peace & Joy, You will have to work for it!!! You will have to purposely choose Peace & Joy everyday!!! It doesn’t just happen, we have to choose daily to have Joy & Peace. If you are really struggling getting your workouts done, change it up. Try something new or play a sport that you love. Take a Dance class. Sign up for Martial Arts class. Think of something that you’ve always wanted to do or used to be able to do, that you want to be able to do again. Like a pull up, the splits or a handstand. Maybe it’s a Real pushup or sit-up. Whatever it is, if it’s something that you really want, you can keep working at until you are able to do it. Have fun while you are getting healthy!!!

For added Bonus here is a funny out take video for ya’ll!!!

What negative things are you gonna stop saying and thinking???

How are you gonna be more positive in your words and thoughts???

When you were younger, was there something you always wanted to do or a sport you enjoyed playing???

How are you gonna Have Fun???

Make Healthy Choices while you are “In The Weighting”.

My Life Verse

June 21, 2017June 21, 2017 Leave a comment

This is it!!!

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SuperStarrs I am so excited to share my story with you about my life verse. I hope it encourages you wherever you are today and gets you Dreaming about Your Tomorrows!!!

It’s Super Cool to be able to share this story with you while Bob and I are celebrating 12 years of marriage!!!

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GOD IS SO GREAT!!! He never leaves us and is with us throughout all the storms of life. He has Great things planned for us, even when we don’t feel like He does or can’t understand what’s going on. Trust God and Believe that you have Amazing things coming to you. Things Bigger than we can Dream for ourselves!!!

SuperStarrs, Do you have a Life Verse???

If so, Please share with us!!!

What new promises have you discovered in the Word???

Do you remember a time when you were going through a storm and God brought you good out of the situation??? Trust that He WILL do it again!!!

Make Healthy Choices while you are “In The Weighting”!!!

What Are Your Triggers???

April 26, 2017April 26, 2017 Leave a comment

Hey SuperStarrs, How’s it going??? We are having an Awesome Spring here in Illinois. The weather has been warm already, so I’ve already got a some color on my skin. Which is Awesome of this pale girl!!! Just another reason I LOVE Running outside!!! Today’s video I’m chatting about Triggers. Maybe you already know yours and just need to know how to get a handle on them, or you have no idea what I’m talking about. Watch the video to find out why it’s so important to know you triggers and how to respond when they happen.

I shared a few of My Triggers but here is more.

Being Tired.
Being Hungry.
Under Caffeinated.
Being Rushed.
Unprepared.
Change of Plans. (Especially last second when I have no time to prepare. How do you prepare for that???)
Bored. (Yep I’m a hyper person. I like to be working, moving, learning, entertained, reading, doing SOMETHING other than just doing nothing.)
Being Lied to.
Being Hurt.
Being Frustrated.
Being Scared.
Not Being Heard. (I’m sure most Mom’s can relate to having to repeat yourself over and over and over again, especially at Bedtime.)
Stress/Feeling Overwhelmed.
Having to Wait/ Feeling like something is taking FOREVER to happen.

After you know your triggers you can be proactive by preparing as much as you can and not putting yourself in those situations as much as possible. Example, It’s late and you know you have to get up early and have a busy day, but you are tempted to watch just one more episode. Knowing you are not the best you when you are tired, will help you to push stop before the seconds count down to automatically start the next episode on Netflix and go to bed. Then you can get a good night’s sleep and have a blessed productive day. If something does come up, you will be more stable and able to handle it. Being exhausted will only will only add to the stress of whatever is going on.

If you haven’t watched this video “You Do Have What It Takes!!!” check it out.

SuperStarrs, What are Your Triggers???

Please comment below and share with us, as you discover your Triggers. You could help someone else learn that they too have the same trigger.

Have a Blessed Week!!!

Make Healthy Choices while you are “In The Weighting”!!!

You Do Have What It Takes!!!

February 2, 2017April 14, 2017 1 Comment

If you have Jesus, YOU DO have what it takes to make healthy choices, get stronger and lose that extra weight. Watch the video to hear more. If you have questions about Jesus or the Holy Spirit, check out My Upper management page. “Who is this Jesus guy” & “Who is the Holy Spirit” for more information.

I can feel like punching someone in the face, but when I don’t, I’m exercising Self Control. Come on now, Don’t Judge!!! We’ve ALL felt it before. If you say you haven’t, you need to repent because you are lying. Whenever we feel like doing something, we make a choice to do it or not. Just because we feel something does not mean we have to go by our feelings. Just because I feel like eating ice cream doesn’t mean ice cream is the boss of me and I have to eat it. Weird Al isn’t really serenading me… Eat it, Eat it, Eat it, Eat it. Even if I’m thinking and feeling like he is LOL!!!

You might feel like you don’t have what it takes to make lasting real changes, but YOU DO!!! Here’s how I know because I once felt and thought that I was..

“Too old to start getting healthy, I should’ve made healthier choices when I was younger.”

“No way I could run…I used to smoke, my lungs are shot.”

“Every woman loses their body after having kids.”

“I don’t have the time or money to workout.”

“My family won’t eat healthy meals that I cook.”

“Healthy food cost too much money.”

“I wasn’t raised with healthy habits.”

and on and on with so many hopeless excuses of why I could never be healthy or strong again. So sad when I think about how much time I wasted being miserable and feeling hopeless. But I am here to tell you that YOU CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens you!!! Philippians 4:13 I want to save you some time. All alone we are weak but with Jesus WE ARE STRONG!!! Through Jesus we have access to the Holy Spirit. The Powerful, Counselor and Helper to us. When we have the Holy Spirit inside us we HAVE Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness & Self Control. All the fruits of the Spirit. We just gotta use them to help us.

The fruits of the Spirit, just like our muscles, we can use them and get stronger. Or not and they will just stay weak. God covered our skeleton with muscles for the purpose to assist us in moving and strength when we need it. Because they are inside and covered, we kinda forget or don’t even know they are there until…we use them. They become sore and then we are reminded they are there. They have always been there all along. The same as the Holy Spirit. Again like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets and then other people notice you have it. We all can think of people that we love and admire them because they are patient, peaceful, kind, joyful, good, gentle and have self control or Awesome ripped arms.

The first time I saw Sarah Connor doing pull ups in Terminator 2, I knew that’s who I wanted to be when I grew up. LOL!!! Seriously though Sarah shows us from the 1st to the 2nd movie, how much you can change and strengthen yourself when you know your purpose. Like protecting your son from a deadly Terminator!!! Also just had to show you the arms I’m working to have.

OK back to those who have strong fruits of the Spirit. We see it in their actions, their character…it’s who they are. They weren’t born that way. They choose everyday to continue to be that. They choose Joy!!! They choose Peace!!! We can too!!! They are not at an advantage over us. We just have to choose to not go by our feelings. We just have to choose to strengthen ourselves in Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness and Self Control. Not what we feel like doing, but what we know that we need to do. Over time we will grow strong and have fruits to show. Just like a muscle, once you get it you still gotta work on maintaining it. With doing what we should even when we don’t feel like it. IT’S IN THE RESISTANCE THAT STRENGTH IS BUILT!!!

Remember to love yourself along the way!!!

I Choose Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, and Self Control!!!

What will you choose???

Make healthy choices, In The Weighting.

IN THE WEIGHTING

Wife. Mom. Runner.

Tag: joy