Update

March 24- I walked 2.5 miles. I joined a couple new Nike+ challenges.
March 26-I walked 2.52 miles. My nephew's girlfriend gave me $1 in change for the walk.
March 27-I walked 2.77 miles, part on the trail by the lake and part in the road.
I have blisters on both heels, and the right one's pretty painful. The blister on my toe is nearly well but becoming a callus.
March 28-I found a dime in the road in front of our house. My sister-in-law promised to save her change for me.
March 30-I walked 2.9 miles. My mom gave me a pair of Reeboks that don't rub my heels, so I barely felt my blister. While I walked I decided if I could beat my best distance I would have fresh mixers pasta for lunch-I beat it by .13.
I found a great blog by a fellow walker.
March 31-I walked 3.07 miles.
The business cards I ordered came, and they look great.
I woke up on the floor (I may have had a seizure that caused me to fall out of bed) and my left thigh is badly bruised. My left ankle is also a little tender.
April 4-After our church service, I went on stage to speak to my sister, and before I did so I spoke to the man who ministered that day and got him to pray with me about the 3-Day. He prayed a nice prayer, and said his sister has breast cancer.
April 7-I have felt sluggish and weak this week, about since I fell out of bed. Also my bruise and ankle are still sore.
April 9-I got a small journal to carry in my waist pack on the event.
I went to a Fit for the Cure event at Belk in Lakeshore Mall. I got a hot pink ribbon.
April 11-I got a pink shopping bag and pink ribbon socks at Kroger.
April 12-I walked 1.09 miles. I beat my best mile time.
April 13-I went to a Get Started meeting at the Cumming library. It was led by a nice lady named Karen. It was good, and I met a lot of nice people. I gave out a lot of business cards.
April 14-I walked 1.3 miles. My bruise is almost better but my leg is still a little tender. I found a penny in the road.
I ran in Kroger before I picked up my grandnephew to see if they had cake, and saw an old classmate from high school. I told her about doing the walk.
At about 4 someone from the 3Day called. They were calling all the team captains for a check-in. I talked to her about my bruise. She said I was doing the right thing by easing back into my training and by putting ice on my leg. I also asked her if I could get a digital copy of the DVD so I can put it on my iPod.
April 17-We went to the Nike outlet. I talked to a couple salesmen about the 3Day. One of them went and got a couple different shoes, one of which was the Air Miler, which I saw online and wanted. List price is $88--the price on the box was $25. When we went to pay for them they rang up at $10. It was awesome.
April 18-One of my girlfriends gave me $20 for the walk at church.
April 19-I walked about 1.4 miles-I did something wrong and mistakenly erased the workout from my iPod.
I put some change I had saved plus my girlfriend's money in the bank and donated it--there was actually more than I thought there was in the jar.
April 20-I walked 1.46 miles.
April 21-I walked 2.25 miles. I found a quarter in my car.
April 22-I did 20 minutes of yoga. My neighbor saw me getting out of my car when I came home from the store today, called to me and reminded me to come over because she'd promised me a donation when I spoke to her yesterday during my walk. I went to her house and used her computer to make a donation.
I feel so encouraged about this every time I find a coin somewhere or something that's essential to my walk is severely marked down.

Read-a-thon update #2

Since my last update I read Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos (and really enjoyed it).

Read-a-thon update

Since my last post I have read Psalms 46-50, Proverbs 10, Matthew 21-24, and the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah in their entirety. Here's what I'm reading next-

Read-a-thon

I am participating in Dewey's read-a-thon! Check out their site here http://24hourreadathon.com/
I am reading from Dawsonville, GA, about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta.
At the moment I have 2 books in my to be read pile- Bo's Cafe by John Lynch et al. and Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos. I'm also going to read the Biblical books of Isaiah and Jeremiah.
I would like to finish at least one of the books.
Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/jerusalemlover
My face book page is www.facebook.com/defenderofzion

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.