Memories Along the Way
Photos, articles, and items from different seasons of my life. A few glimpses into the people, places, and memories that shaped the road.
The Road That Changed Me
Before the First Miles
Related chapters in my book, The Road That Changed Me: “The Road to 278 Pounds” and “I Can Fix You”
This was me in 2011, when I weighed 278 pounds. At that point, a marathon was far beyond anything I could imagine doing. The photograph captures the starting point behind the number in my book’s subtitle, before the weight loss and the miles that would follow.
In The Road to 278 Pounds, I describe the exhaustion, responsibilities, and years of pressure behind that weight. I Can Fix You tells how an unexpected conversation in a doctor’s office helped begin a change.
My First Marathon
Related chapters in my book, The Road That Changed Me: “Running with Memories” and “Don’t Stop”
This is the medal from my first marathon, the Via Lehigh Valley Marathon on September 8, 2013. Tyler ran the race too. I had dedicated it to my dad and Katy, carrying our family’s running history with me into a distance I once thought impossible.
The chapters Running with Memories and Don’t Stop tell the story behind this medal: the preparation, the difficult miles, Valerie’s encouraging text, and my mom and Jeff cheering through FaceTime as I approached the finish. I finished in 4:14:32. The medal reminds me of much more than a time—it brings back the people who helped me get there.
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Stories from the Road…
A Note Along the Way
From the Stories & Reflections page of this site: “Before I Knew the Road”
A handwritten note I have kept from an earlier season of my life. Alongside photographs and medals, pieces of paper like this preserve something different: words that mattered enough to hold on to. I wanted to include the original here as another glimpse of the road behind the book.
At the Convocation
From Stories & Reflections: “Forty Days, an Unexpected Road”
This photograph was taken at a CEC convocation on August 30, 2000, during a forty-day fast. I began that season with a job and a plan, but the road took turns I hadn’t expected. Today’s reflection tells of losing my job, unexpected invitations to Florida and California, and learning to keep walking without knowing where God would lead.
Related chapter in my book, The Road That Changed Me: “Ridden in His Arms”
