Jaime Barich wasn’t always so nice.

The 36-year-old wife and mother of five would tell you she used to be a nasty person.

It was unintentional. I thought I would be on the sidelines. After all, it was a kids' race. Actually, a mud run. Precisely, the Dirty Myrtle Mud Run. I had signed Page and Graham up for the kids 1-mile event.

Graham asks about a zillion questions every day. Many of those are about geography. Is it nighttime in China? Is that in a different country than we live? He wants to know about communication, too. How do birds understand one another if they aren’t saying any words?

You can’t keep a good plan down.

This past April, the people of Abiding Village took a giant leap of faith and went on a three-week fundraising whirlwind to raise $10 million. Yes, you read that right - $10 million in the span of three week’s time.

Beth Pensinger is infatuated with love stories. She’s watched all the movies and read all the books.

“I’ve always been obsessed with romance,” she said.

That obsession kicked into high gear with the Twilight books and films.

“Go, Mama, Go!” Graham shouted from the sidelines. Such sweet words from a sweet 4-year-old voice to mark the end of my 3.1-mile adventure run called Rugged Maniac.

The first time Francis Alford heard about a community garden project was on a Sunday morning. The words came from the pulpit.

Alford said his pastor, the Rev. Scott Johnson, mentioned the idea to the Union United Methodist Church congregation at the end of a sermon a few months ago. As Johnson pitched the project, he also asks for volunteers to put some action behind the vision.

Mama died November 17, 2003. She was 74-years-old. That’s her in the photo, the third one from the left.

I stepped outside into the pre-dawn morning. While the air was cold and crisp, my heart was warmed by the Creator’s star-filled sky. It was beautiful. It was clear. It was such a refreshment from the rainy, dreary weather we’ve had here lately.

I have the most amazing in-laws. I am forever the recipient of love, support, and encouragement at one or both of their hands. They frequently go out of their way, doing things to make life easier for all of us. They are eager, devoted, and attentive “babysitters.” I can think of no one else who could keep my children safe, fed, AND spoiled, all while teaching life lessons.

I began running the morning of my twenty-fifth high school reunion.

Where is your Bible? Do you keep it in a special place? What color is it?

I grew up in a home with a large, heavy, white family Bible with gold lettering on the cover.