Time for Change

Update: You can find me here. I'm still working on the new site but come on over.

After much consideration, I've started a blog on Wordpress. 
I'll be moving The Bella Mella content to a new domain name. It's not quite ready yet but I hope that sometime this week it will be ready enough!


Like the Brady Bunch sang, "When it's time to change, you've got to rearrange." 
So that's what I've been doing. 
For those who read my running blog, www.seemymomrun.com, it will remain where it is for now.


Moving to Wordpress will enable me to offer some resources I've been wanting to make available. 
Also, it will be a better landing page for my eBook - Run, Pray, Breathe. 
I'm not sure how smoothly the export of this blog to Wordpress will go, but in the meantime, you can always check out my running blog - See My Mom Run. I've been posting more regularly there as I'm training for a half marathon. 
In fact, go visit now and read my latest post, The Color of Your Shorts."
Thanks!

Life is Unfair - excerpt from Run, Pray, Breathe

An excerpt from my eBook: 

Run, Pray, Breathe - Going the Distance in Prayer ~ 

This excerpt is from part one

"The Reason I Run."

With determined resolve, I continued down the road. My throat tightened as I 
 walked past the home of Andrew’s skateboarding buddy. 

“Life is unfair,” I thought as I walked. Another thought emerged, “But God is good.”  

I passed a few more of my neighbors’ homes and began to run. The teardrops fell faster than the turnover of my feet.

I revisited twelve years of images on these roads - bike riding, rollerblading, skateboarding, dog walking, and the day Audra, Andrew and I were surprised by a sudden thunder storm. We raced back home, laughing the entire way. Dannie took a picture of the three of us - drenched, rain dripping from our hair, and Andrew clowning for the camera. 

Run, Pray, Breathe - Going the Distance in Prayer is an inspirational guidebook for anyone at any fitness level who wants to combine a run or walk with focused prayer.  Using the six topics of the Lord's Prayer, I teach my readers to incorporate scriptural meditation as they pray the living and powerful Word of God. This focused plan of prayer works for one mile and more and has the power to transform body, soul and spirit. 

The 3 main sections are:

RUN 
"The Reason I Run"
"Run 101"

PRAY
"I Was a Prayer Drop Out."
"Teach Me to Pray."

BREATHE
"The Fragrance of Christ"
"Inhale - Exhale"

I can hardly wait to finish writing it and make it available in eBook form.

Run, Pray, Breathe

We all have them.
Seasons of little to say.
Weeks when words are few.
Days when ideas jump but don't settle.

Running for Team Andrew

One discipline in my life that has remained constant is running.
The other discipline that has taken a beating has been prayer.
For what is the greatest obstacle to prayer?
Unanswered prayer. 
Oh I know the common response: "God answers every prayer with either a 'Yes,' a 'No' or a 'Wait.' "
Well, let me give you my honest reply to that one. It doesn't feel like a good enough answer when your child dies.


And so I began to run. Not away. But to. To God. 
And in the running, I found Him to be greater than an unanswered prayer. Greater than "No." Greater than "Wait."
When I run, He speaks to me. He inspires me. He runs with me. 
Last week I began training to run a 1/2 marathon in January - my second one. This takes time. And prayer takes time. 
I have come to believe that the effectiveness of short prayers hinge on the foundation of longer ones. Since we lost our son Andrew, I have been guilty of being a short prayer. But the Holy Spirit is convicting me to pray longer.
As a runner I know the discipline of running parallels that of praying. And that is my inspiration for an eBook on combining running (or walking) with a prayer plan. The book is Run, Pray, Breathe and it's powerful plan that

• is always fresh
• improves your endurance
• you can do alone
• you can do with a friend
• works for a mile or more
• helps you go the distance

If you are a runner or if you prefer to walk your workout, this "power plan" has the potential to transform your life! I'll let you know how and when you can order it. 
 
"Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"
Hebrews 12:1-3 The Message Bible

Do Gators Growl?

Do gators growl? That's the question I asked myself as I ran in my favorite park on Memorial Day. To read about it, go to my running blog See My Mom Run.

"Miles with Melanie"

Often when I run, I meditate on Scripture. Last week a portion of Scripture came over and again to me as I ran my miles.

Click on the link to watch the video I recorded sharing with you what inspired me as I ran.

What passage of Scripture inspires you today?

Wednesday Walking

Today is Wednesday which means I meet my friend Jen and we walk and run. But what we really do is talk our heads off. 
In fact, as far as I'm concerned, the plan to meet and walk/run each week is really an excuse to talk for an hour and a half. Because when I got back from walking/running with her for 7 miles today, I ran another mile and a half just to make sure I met my running goal for the day!

Jen in the red "Team Andrew" shirt

Me

Our conversations include (not in this order): food, Jesus, potential jobs (Today I suggested we start a personal shopping business,which is kind of crazy because I don't really like to shop and neither does she.), books we are reading, husbands (how we appreciate their unique strengths ~ seriously), our kids, how we should take better care of our skin in the sun (although I was not wearing any sunscreen and I'd bet she wasn't either), the extra accumulation of pine straw on the sandy trail which threw me off and I thought we'd gotten lost in the park, my big savings at Publix this week (I spent $58.15 and saved $72.27 (7227 ~ weird), how sore we are after we do the Shred, and something she did on my behalf that surprised me so much I had no words to respond after she convinced me she was not joking! 


I think maybe that sums  up today's hour and a half convo.


My husband and I are working on having a huge garage sale this weekend. You know the kind that Dave Ramsey describes as one so big, the dog hides?! That kind. 


Well, friends, our family is facing another challenge. I am thankful it is not health related. 
I can tell you this...regardless of what comes our way, our faith endures and we do not quit.


I tried to upload a video I recorded in my favorite park this week (the one I thought we were lost in today) but I cannot get blogger to upload it, so I'm including a link here to my FB page, where you can see it.
And there is an "oops" on the video. I left out a line from the scripture in Hebrews. This is it: "and let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us..."

It's warming up here in Florida and I'm enjoying it. Our windows are open and I can hear my neighbors sweet children playing. 

Where ever you are and whatever you are doing today, remember you are loved. In fact you are loved lavishly by the God of the universe...our Abba Father.
One of the ways God is loving me is through my friends. I am blessed. 

"21" Meditations & Motivations to Get You Moving!

So far 28 of us are taking the journey together on

"21" Meditations & Motivations to Get You Moving! 

We start Monday, the 17th, and Sunday, the 16th, I will have the plan available to download in a pdf. 

I will also post about it on my running blog here ~ www.seemymomrun.com (see my "running blog" button in the sidebar) and on Face Book in the "Notes" section on my fb profile page. You can "friend" me on Fb at "Melanie Clark Dorsey."

For more information, click on the "21." 

And as my family in Georgia says, "Come go with us!"

~ my favorite place to run ~

 

My Body

January 1st I was hoping to run 4 miles. My usual mileage has been to run a minimum of 3.1 miles 6 days a week. I wanted to start the year off with a 4 miler. 
But stuff happens. In this case stuff was my catching some kind of virus and I thought it best to rest my body rather than pushing it to run and feel worse. 
Today I am in the planning process of goal setting. A few days ago I visited "only a breath" and read that Melanie is making quarterly goals. Setting quarterly goals seems much more manageable to me than setting them for a year.
So far my categories are:  My Body, My Spirit, My Creativity and My Household. I'm sharing the My Body goals today. 
Last April I started running again. I knew that in the grieving process I had to take action to get my "healthy" back so that I could be the kind of wife to my husband and mother to my children that they deserve. (Visit my running blog here.)

Running Goals (1st quarter) ~ 3 1/2 - 4 miles 5 days/week

Strength Goals (1st quarter) strength training ~ 1 - 2 times/week

Spin Class  Goals (1st quarter) spin class at the Y ~ 1 day/week


I'm still thinking about what changes I want to make toward healthy eating. But certainly any goals I set in that category will involve cutting back on sugar. I did this last year and it was doable and after a few days, EASY! One thing that is helpful in decreasing sugar intake is to plan ahead. Pick the special occasions in which you will PLAN to enjoy a dessert. The next family birthday we will celebrate is my son Avery's 17 birthday in February. This morning I have announced that I will not be making any desserts until his birthday. He has already given me his "order" ~ homemade chocolate chip cookies & ice cream sandwiches.
What about you? Do you have any fitness goals for 2011? If setting goals for the entire year seems too daunting, why not set a quarterly goal? 

I'll Run To You

So you think you can't run? I used to think that, too. Read the story here of how I got started running.

Running ~ 9/9/10

And read the story here of why I started running again to regain my emotional and physical strength.

Who knew God would run alongside me and strengthen my heart in what I like to call My 3 Mile Messages. Read about it here.

And if you've been toying with the thoughts of running, go here for a great article on how to get started.

Let me encourage you to take care of your physical body. Most of my life I have been at a good weight for my height of 5' 2 1/2". However, over a period of about 6 years I managed to eat lots of desserts because I managed to bake lots of desserts! I enjoyed every bite but I did not enjoy gradually saying goodbye to my smaller clothes and shopping sizes too big for my height. January 1, 2008, I put myself on an individualized eating plan. My main workout was The 30 Day Shred ~ Jillian Michaels. By April I had lost over 20 pounds. I maintained the lower weight for over a year. I have since lost about 15 more pounds.*

Running, I believe, is a gift to me from God. It makes me feel better in every way. Is it hard? Sometimes. Do I always want to go for a run? I don't always feel like it but discipline carries me through when I don't feel the desire. I am always glad when I just do it. Sometimes I have to stop thinking about whether I want to run and just get ready and get out the door. Even a bad run is a good run because I did it!

9/9/10
photo shoot in my backyard courtesy of my son Avery

I love this old fence in the background.

The fence and me ~ weathered but still standing ~

I blog here on running. You'll find interviews with other moms who run, healthy recipes, cute running clothes and more! I'll be hosting a give-a-way soon. So make sure you become a follower of See My Mom Run!

*(Due to the cancer diagnosis and Andrew's passing, I lost another 15 pounds. I add this to explain the additional weight loss.)

Inhale. Smile. Run. ~ Bonus Add-ons

One of the things I like about running is the aroma; not what you're thinking! After the initial mental ricochet of the first "point two five" I am often in deep thought when I catch it. "It" being the fragrance of jasmine and magnolias in bloom ~ the grace notes of my run.

I inhale. I smile. I run on hoping that before another "point two five" I'll...(go here for the rest of the story.)

Bonus Add~ons

It's a thrift store find...4 grapefruit bowls for $2.

Homer Laughlin...maker of Fiesta Ware and made in the U.S.A.

Birthday Daisies do double duty. From white on turquoise step stool to patriotic table!

 More turquoise ~ Thrift store find ~ Ann Taylor linen skirt for $2.50...still had the original tag on it w/a price of $99. (I was having a very bad, no good "hair" day. Thus the cropped head!)

So I went to the mall this morning (July 3) and it is amazing how organized and non-odorous it is! I had forgotten since I have done the majority of my shopping at thrift stores as of late.

However, I got a very nice postcard last week from  the Helzberg Diamond store. The postcard entitled me to a free bracelet.

And my birthday fun just continues on...

Maybe there are balloons in my future for next week!

It could happen.

So since I was picking up my bracelet, (Did I mention it was FREE?) and since my daughter and I HEART in a mighty BIG way the Soma Intimates store, I felt led to pop in. Actually, Audra said, "Oh I love this place! Let's go in!"

And I'm thinking, "Oh I love this place, too, but they don't have thrift store prices!"

However they did have some unmentionables on sale for $12.99.

And really...I will not be buying unmentionables at the thrift store. Ya know what I mean, Verna?

Soma employee, Mary~ a very lovely woman with a stylin' haircut, helped a girl out. I did not say "girls" because I will not mention such things on a blog that may be read by those who are not of the female persuasion, but I think you will be uplifted to know I purchased a new home for some "girls" today.

After my purchase Mary gave me a card.

Mary mentioned she walks and swims and I mentioned I have a new blog called See My Mom Run! and that she might be interested in reading it. And then I handed Mary my new "businessy" cards from Vistaprints (250 free but you pay for shipping).

There you go! Bonus add~ons because I am sleep deprived and my mind is racing like Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby.

And tonight I will run the midnight 10k race. So when you roll over in your bed around 1 a.m. tomorrow morning, I should be between miles 5 and 6. Give me a "thumbs up." For Andrew.

I have more fun things to share...check back soon!

In the meantime, Happy Independance Day!

And watch this. I enjoyed it. I think you will, too.

You've Got Mail

The strangest thing has been recurring on my daily runs.

Sometimes I run on the beach or at a local park but this week all of my runs, except for Wednesday's, I ran in my neighborhood. Monday about a half mile out I saw a large envelope and lots of letters scattered on the ground around a mailbox. I don't know the people who live in that house, but I knocked on the door to let them know about their mail on the ground.

Tuesday nearly a mile into my run I saw one letter that had been dropped and I scooped it up and stuck it back in the box.

Wednesday there were no mail incidents because there were no mailboxes. I ran on the beach with a couple of friends.

Thursday I was almost home from a four miler and I came upon my friend's mailbox. I saw that the little door was down because the handle was broken. The box was full of mail so I shut the door and pressed it firmly so it would stay closed. I'm sure she wouldn't want a bill to blow away!

Today I had run about a mile and a quarter when, again, I saw a stray letter on the ground of Whitacre Avenue. And once again, I scooped up the dropped mail and put it back in the box.

"What is going on with me and mail?" I wondered as I quickened my pace. I have walked, biked and run in this neighborhood for thirteen years and never seen anything like this! So I asked God, "Are You showing me something?"

"Is there any significance to this?"

Normally I wouldn't think anything about this as I tend to be leery about assigning symbolism or significance to what may simply be happenstance. But when it happens four days out of five? Could it just be a newbie postal worker on this route? Or is there significance to Melanie "delivering" mail?

I'll let you draw your own conclusions. I'm still pondering it. I do have some news however. But I'll "deliver" that in a day or so.

(When I came in from my run, I asked Son to take my picture by our mailbox. He didn't even ask questions. See? They're used to my picture taking ways!)

See My Mom Run! ~ Running Moms Blog

See her? She's MY mom!

In the weeks following the passing of my twelve year old son, Andrew, from Earth to Heaven, I had a recurring idea flittering through my mind like the butterflies that dance around my front yard flowers.
One day I told a friend, "I'm thinking about running again. I want to run for the...(Go here for the rest of the story.)

My new blog: See My Mom Run! is being relocated to www.seemymomrun.com.

You will be redirected within 48 hours. I hope!

This Mother's HEART

Look what I got! Saturday's mail brought a smile and tears. This sweet canvas of "Momma and Chicks" was an unexpected, handmade gift from The Chubby Dove.

What could be any "tweeter" than this?

See my baby chick wearing a crown of life and skateboarding in the clouds?

'Thinking of my chick in Heaven...my sweet boy, Andrew.

'Loving the card he made me one year for Mother's Day.

'Holding hands in the sun, under a blue sky!


I love you, too, Son...with my whole HEART.

~~~~~~~

"I Love Mother's Day" 5k

My Girl & Me

Before the run

3.1 miles ~ Done!

~~~~~~~

Her HEART is always next to mine.

The pendant I am wearing is made from a recycled skateboard. Is that not the coolest?

My son ~ My deep thinker ~ My HEART beats for you!

~~~~~~~

"Life is Best Lived In the Company of Friends"

My very good friend and her sweet daughter ran the 5k with us.

Our "running club" name ~ MAD BootY Camp ~

"Yeah, we can take 'em."

Mothers & Daughters who run together have fun together!

Very Important Post Run Strategizing

"So they've got donuts, bagels, bananas and peanut butter over there..."