::TEAM LIBBY::

what a beautiful picture of grace this season has been.

watching the ryder's depend on the Lord has been amazing.  amazing - doesn't do it justice but i'm terrible with words.  all i know is that watching your friends, who you already knew were incredible, faithful people of God, put their hope to the test is really incredible.  their faith is real & strong & bold.  i love that they know Jesus more today because of cancer that they've endured.  never losing sight of the hope they have in Christ.

watching the body of christ rally around people you love - ridiculous.  the ryders have been loved so well by friends and family and complete strangers.  it is such a powerful testimony to who God is and what the body of Christ looks like when people are committed to doing what He would do / does.  He gives, cares for, provides for & loves lib & ryde & ava extravagantly, and that's what i've seen the body do as well.

seeing the ryders run the race with cancer, seeing our friends run a physical race to support the ryders has been such a blessing to ben & i.  here are some pics i took while in nashville cheering on our friends & getting to see libby.  what a beautiful sight.  i have warriors for friends.  and God is so good.

{i took WAY too many pictures - after party post coming soon}

hebrews 12:1-3

 ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ² Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

dinner with team libby friday before the race

gettin' hyped to go 13.1

after being rained on for 3 weeks.  God gave us this.  the most beautiful day!

ben doing his stretches like the rest of the team.  and no we didn't run.

in the corale and ready to go!

our nashville-native hosts for the weekend {aka my cousin & her boo}. 

andrew, thank you so much for letting us crash your house, keep you up late & for helping so much with all the details.  we appreciate it more than you know!

... and they're off!  i tried to get pics of everyone but it was so hard for me.  action photography may not be my forte...

a couple hubbies supporting their marathon running wives!

team libby paparazzi

:: a new team libby friend running by::

 two more new friends!

 here they come around mile 5.  GET IT!  WOOT WOOT!

::we found new friend cassandra too::

 after the race we met up with all the runners.  they did such an awesome job!  we are so proud of all of you for finishing strong.  you're incredible.  thank you for supporting the ryders. 

we hung out around the end of the race for a long bit to visit and to make sure we found every last team libby-er we could.  it was really fun to spend the weekend with some of our favorite people in the whole world.

 our new raliegh friends.  they are precious. 

it was great to get to know you.  thank you for loving & supporting our friends.

1 corinthians 9:24-25

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 

SUPPORTERS OF TEAM LIBBY / THE RYDERS : we love you.  we are so thankful for you.  you are such a blessing to our friends and can't even describe how much it means to know they are well loved & provided for.

{party post up next}