Weekly journal

March 15-I went to Michael's and got 3 different shades of pink embroidery floss. I may make bracelets or bookmarks, and either give them to my donors as a thank you or sell them.
I told the teller at my bank about doing the walk, and gave her one of my donor cards.
I wrote my cousin Staci on Facebook, asking for her prayers as I do this. She wrote me a nice note back.
March 16-I was a bit depressed/upset and wanted to do something productive so I went on a walk. I was able to walk almost 2 miles.
When I got home my mom and nephew were in his room. Mother said when the Walk comes through Buford, she and my sister-in-law Debbie at least would come and cheer for me.
I had on 2 pair of socks while I walked, and where the seams meet rubbed my right pinkie toe and made a blister. It happened because my walking shoes are tighter fitting than the boots I usually wear.
I formed a challenge on Nike+ to track my training walks mostly, and ultimately the Walk itself. If I can find team members to walk with me, they can put theirs there too.
I made a playlist to listen to on my walks-it ended up being 36 songs.
I tweeted about my walk and blister-my sister Julie said she did four miles on Sunday, and she had a blister on one of her pinkies also.
March 18-I walked about 2 miles-the iPod acted screwy so I'm not sure of the exact distance. I met a sweet cat and his owner who lives near us. I talked to her about the walk. I also had a nice time of worship while I walked. I felt like David on the back 40.
March 19-I walked 2.07 miles-I felt bad and on thought I'd be able to do one.
March 20-I ordered some business cards with my donor information on them from Vistaprint.
I walked 2.16 miles-I felt weak and thought I wouldn't be able to walk at all, but I was able to do 2 miles.
My walker handbook came. It also came with a nice button.
I made a training schedule, based on the one in the handbook, but where the week starts on Sunday.
March 21-I gave out some more donor cards at church. I gave my friend Jeannie my extra 2010 3Day DVD. I spoke to our elder about maybe making a widespread announcement to our church to rally support from there.
A friend I made through my virtual pet Elizabeth, gave $10 to sponsor me-my first donation!
March 22-I walked 2.56 miles.
I got some pink shoelaces.
March 23-I walked 2.5 miles. I walked on the opposite side of our home to where I usually walk, to see how long that loop is.
Near the end of my walk, I saw a lady who lives near us, and gave her my donor card. She is going to try to publish my info in our club newsletter.
I joined a couple Nike+ challenges.
In the car on the way home from school, my grandnephew Aaron and I were talking about musicians. I said, not everyone is a musician. He said, not everybody is doing the 3Day Walk, but you're doing it. I thought it was sweet.
I am feeling anxious about meeting my fundraising goal, though my walk is 7 months away, and I have told relatively few people about my walking. This morning the road I walked on was right next to a pasture with cattle in it, and I thought of this verse-"For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills." (Psalm 50 10) Also I see all kinds of birds in the trees around my home as I walk, and they reminded me of this verse-"Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for Your Heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to Him than they are?" (Matthew 6 26) Seeing the animals this morning reassured me once again that my doing this walk is truly of the Lord this year, and that He has provided for my signing up for the walk and for all I have need of do the walk.

Weekly journal

I want to keep a journal of my experiences and feelings as I work toward my ultimate goal of doing the 3Day walk in Atlanta, GA this October, from the beginning.
March 2-I sent an email to 7 of my friends asking for prayer about doing the event, and wrote a note to my friends on Facebook.
March 4-One of my friends wrote me back, offering to contribute to both my registration fee and my fundraising goal.
March 5-I went to my mother's room to ask her a question, and in the course of the conversation I told her I wanted to do the 3Day walk. I was kind of afraid of her reaction; I was pleasantly surprised by her offering to pay for all the gear I need to do it. I was so grateful, to her and the Lord. It was as though He was reassuring me this was His will for me to do the Walk this year, after wanting to for so long. She also gave me $10 extra to cover my registration fee.
March 6-I started doing some yoga, to ease menstrual cramps mostly, but also as part of my training. I walked our chocolate Lab, and while I was gone I lost the Nike+ sensor that fits in my shoe. I was upset because a new one would cost me $20. I looked for it for a long time, and finally found it. I think it fell into a pile of leaves on the side of the road, and as I was looking I kicked it into the center of the road where I found it easily.
March 7-I went to church. I spoke to several of my girlfriends about the walk.
March 8-I went to our church and met up with the headmaster of our Christian school, who'd promised me money toward my registration. When I finally got with her, she gave me double the amount she'd promised me. I got officially signed up for the Walk. I sent out my first fundraising email, and put fundraising widgets on my blog and Facebook page.
March 9-I called the 3Day Coaches and spoke to a nice lady named Jody. She helped me set up a team. I called it Walking by Faith. She was very encouraging. She was on the crew in Atlanta in 2009.
I set up a pink habitat for my virtual pet.
I was able to see the list of walkers near me on Tuesday night.
March 10-As I was doing yoga, I had Kevin & Taylor (104.7 The Fish) on, and I heard one of the 3Day ads.
I found a map online of the 2009 Atlanta walk. It started at Lake Lanier Islands and went through downtown Buford. The camp was in Duluth.
"Christ isn't a sleepy spectator, watching us run from His throne in heaven. He's not in the bleachers, cheering us on from beyond the clouds. Rather, Jesus is wearing His jersey and He's running beside us, strengthening our spirits and encouraging us to keep going. Even though we often feel that we are the first to run the race, Christ has laid down the footprints we are called to follow, and we can run as though we can win." Sex, Sushi, and Salvation, p.160
I posted a fan page for myself on Facebook.
"Pain is weakness leaving the body."-on back of Marines' shirts, on EM:HE
March 11-I found an underground guide to the Walk and others like it that had some useful tips.
March 12-I bought a yoga mat to maybe keep my back from hurting.
March 13-I saw my friend Faith at Wal-mart and told her about my doing the Walk.
I printed some donation forms and also some pages from a brochure and some business cards.
A fellow walker from Huntsville tweeted me, welcoming me to the event. She said she hopes we can get together at the Walk. It was nice.
I posted a prayer request about the Walk on a blog I read, who were doing a 24 hour day of prayer. These are the responses I got--
Lord we ask now for strength and commitment for Brandee and all who would pledge to support the fund raising goal. Speak into the lives of people to be generous in a time of famine.
Brandee -
I prayed for you this morning, thanking God for your servant's heart. I prayed that your passion for reaching your goal would inspire others, and that money would come to you -- beyond what you imagined. And I prayed that you would glorify God as you walk. I'm not even sure what that would look like, but it made me think of a Team 4:13 t-shirt I've worn in races. I'm claiming God's promise for you: "He who honors me, him (her!) will I honor."
Have a great walk!
March 14-At church I handed out my business cards and told people I was doing the Walk.
The man who preached this morning preached a message that was very encouraging to me in my journey to do this. I'm planning to get the CD so I can listen to it again.
After service my friend Barbara introduced me to a lady in our congregation who is a breast cancer survivor. We had a nice talk about the Walk, and she may want to do it with me.
I had lunch with my dad, and he told me he saw the Walk in progress last year.
This is my journey so far. I feel very discouraged about this tonight; I guess I'm impatient and I want everything to happen at once. I also guess I thought that more people would give right away. I am fighting constant negative voices in my mind, telling me that I will never reach my fundraising goal. I need to fight this negativity with all that is within me. I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but sometimes I lose sight of that and get very down about this whole thing. I am sure that the way I came to sign up for this event this year after wanting to for several years, and the support I feel just from the handful of people I have talked to is from the Lord. I am believing that I will persevere and exceed my fundraising goal.

A major hurdle crossed

This morning I went upstairs to ask my mom a question. In passing I mentioned I would possibly be able to get work with the census office, and then I said, it'd help me pay for something I want to do this fall. She said, what do you want to do. Then I told her I wanted to do the 3-Day walk. To be honest I have been dreading telling my mom this; I thought she would try to dissuade me from doing it. So I said what I did hesitantly. My mom, however, surprised me. She said, if you do the walk I'll pay for what you need to do it. This was a huge relief to me; I have been worried about how I was going to be able to get all I need to do the walk, especially some new tennis shoes. My mom is willing to buy my shoes, plus anything else I need to participate in the 3-Day, and we are probably going to get my shoes when her tax refund comes in. She was adamant about us getting the shoes soon; she used to run and she knows how important having the right shoes is.

I cannot say how relieved and happy I am about this. It has made me believe that, firstly, the LORD truly wants me to do this, and secondly, that I will really be able to get it done.

A long-time dream

For several years, I think since I first became aware of the event, I have wanted to participate in the 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer (see the3day.org) . I am not really sure why I want to do it; noone in my immediate family has ever had breast cancer. One of my aunts had it, but she died when I was very young so I have no memories of her. Noone in my immediate circle of friends has had it either, so I have no direct experience with the disease. I guess because it strikes 1 in 8 women it hits closer to home with me than most other diseases. I have long gone out of my way to buy products I see with the pink ribbon on the label that indicates that company supports cancer research. I have felt the desire to do that walk for several years, but for some reason it seems even stronger this year and I am starting to seriously think that I may truly be able to do the event this year, God willing.

The event involves much fundraising, and also training to be able to walk 20 miles a day for three days. I am fairly confident that I can train and be ready to walk. The main hurdle is financial. I am unable to even come up with the registration fee as of yet, not to mention the equipment that I would need. I believe that if the LORD truly wants me on that walk this year He can make a way for it to come to pass, whether that means some generous souls endowing me to walk or me finding a part-time job. I do not know if I will be able to do the walk this year, but I know that the desire to do so fills my heart and it seems to get stronger every time I hear the commercial for the walk on the radio or see one on TV. I pray fervently that this will come to pass this year.