God-Sized Goals

As I write this, I am listening to Griffin and his friends watch a movie during his first sleepover. I am upstairs because I can't concentrate. I am simply at a loss for words, and if you know me, you know that doesn't happen often. Words are sort of my specialty. But right now, words are not enough for the emotions bubbling inside of me.

We did it. Through faith, prayer, family, and friends, I officially reached my $10,000 goal for 2015. In fact, I went over it. As of today, my fundraising page sits at $10,315, and I don't even know what to say.

But I am going to try.

Back in February, I decided to set a $5,000 goal. At the time, $5,000 seemed IMPOSSIBLE. Last year I raised $3,475, so going for a higher amount felt unattainable. But, I publicly announced $5,000 was my goal, and I was determined to do it. Then I went to Chicago for a conference with TWV leaders from across the country. It was there that God placed it upon my heart to change my goal to $10,000.

I didn't change it at first. I was scared. What would people say? Would people continue to donate year after year? Wasn't $5,000 enough of a goal? Would I really be "that" person and continually ask people for money. When I went back to school that Monday, I talked to one of my closest friends, Holly, about it. I was totally scared about how she would react, but she simply told me I should do it. Same thing happened when I told my friend Missy. So, I listened to the nudge from God, and I set a God-Sized Goal.

Slowly but surely, I received support from people left and right. Josh and Eric agreed to put on my benefit concert, and it was a smashing success. But even when I reached numbers I had never seen before, I doubted. Just LAST week, I was frustrated because I couldn't see how I would ever get from $7,000 to $10,000. Just last week I talked with Sinead about how I felt stuck. She told me to pray. And I did. I turned to the One who created the heavens and the earth. I asked Him to provide me with more fundraising ideas. I prayed for Him to put names upon my heart to ask. I felt like I had already asked everyone, so I even prayed for names of people I could bravely ask again.

The next day, without ever even asking a single person, a friend who had already donated got his company to donate to my page. Then that evening, a different friend donated for the second time this year. Then an anonymous donor gave a hefty amount. I NEVER said a word to anyone about my prayers. God simply answered them. And in less than 24 hours, my fundraising page jumped a $1,000.

And then today happened. Today a different family donated for a second time. Their generosity alone will provide FORTY people with clean water for LIFE. And just like that, my God-Sized Dream is no longer a goal. It is a reality.

To my friends and family who have listened to me talk and talk and talk about Team World Vision, THANK YOU! To my friends and family who donated, THANK YOU! To my friends and family who have physically supported me on my runs in a variety of ways, THANK YOU! To my friends and family who have prayed for me along the way, THANK YOU! To my friends and family who simply believed in me, THANK YOU. Words will never be enough.

Jesus is alive and well my friends. He is alive and well. And with Him, all things are possible.

~Sandra

Happy 9th Birthday, Griffin!

I have been pretending this day wouldn't come for weeks. Each birthday signifies that another year flew by, and I just have a hard time accepting that fact. How in the world are you going into 4th grade? Seriously, you were just born YESTERDAY!!!

Griffin, I write this post TO YOU because I know that soon enough you will be old enough to start reading this blog. You already enjoy the occasional scroll through my Facebook account, so it is only a matter of time before you start looking through this :)

It's hard to put into words how very proud I am of you. You are growing up to be more kind and compassionate than I ever hoped you to be. You love school, your brother, and anything that involves competition (wonder where you get that from?). You are more wise at 9 than most are at 30. And I am lucky to witness it.

Reading has been a passion of yours for a while, and this year has been no exception. You officially reread each Harry Potter book this year, and you are on Book 7 of How to Train Your Dragon. Sometimes I worry you read too fast, but you are always entertained :) Currently we are reading Wonder together; I am so blessed to be able to spend all summer with you, so we get to read it together often in the mornings. I am sad that we go back to school in just three weeks! Academically, you really took off this last year in math. Reading has always come naturally to you, but it appears that you might actually be better at math! This means Dad wants you to be an accountant, but somehow I know that is highly unlikely. Speaking of careers, you have oscillated between wanting to be a police officer and a teacher for quite some time. Recently, though, you announced that you want to work for Team World Vision when you are older. Dad and I agree that this is a perfect fit for you :)

This year you asked to go to Feed My Starving Children for your birthday party. How could we say no to that? So, next week, you will pack some meals with a few friends and have your VERY first sleepover! Technically we have had sleepovers with cousins and the Scalias, but this will be your first friends sleepover.

Tennis and running are still tied for #1 on your sports list, but you are going to play on your first soccer team this fall. I am not quite ready for anything that commits us to 3 days a week, but I really think you are going to love it. Running with you is still one of my all-time favorite activities. Now that you have your own GPS watch (birthday present this year), I can only imagine how much more competitive you are going to be with me! You have been staring at that watch since the moment you put it on :) You play football at recess, and you love the Green Bay Packers, but I don't see you playing any formal football soon.

One of my favorite things about being your mother is watching you take care of your little brother. The two of you can fight like the best of em', but at the end of the day, the two of you are the BEST of friends. You constantly have his back, and you often give something up to make him happy. This selfless love simply warms my soul.

I know I tell you this all the time, little man, but I am so very blessed to be your mommy. I cannot wait to see all that God has planned for your life. Dream Big. Be Bold. Love others.

I love you to the moon and back! Forever and a day.

~Mom

My continued journey with Team World Vision...

Happy Sunday, folks! I wanted to take the time to update you all on my current journey with Team World Vision. We are getting ready for a HUGE team dinner this Friday, so my excitement is through the ROOF! Due to my excitement and passion, this will be long, so THANK YOU in advance for reading :)

This summer has been going by WAY TOO FAST!!! I go back to teaching in just five short weeks!!! That also means that I have just 31 more days before I leave for HOOD TO COAST!!! In exactly 32 days, I will embark on one of the most incredible races of my entire life.

I was also given the opportunity to up my involvement with Team World Vision. In addition to running and fundraising, I became a Team Captain, I lead a Saturday group run, and I gained two new titles: Fundraising Coach and Team World Vision Church Recruiter. It’s a good thing I like to talk because I spend a lot of time on the phone encouraging others to DREAM BIG and make GOD-SIZED goals with Team World Vision :) My involvement continues to fuel my passion, and I have been lucky enough to meet some AMAZING people with incredible life stories and dreams of changing the world. I owe so much to this community, and it is an honor to give back in a variety of capacities.

I have said it before, but running with Team World Vision has been life changing for me. I started running with TWV in 2010. Had you asked me about running long distances just a month prior to my commitment, I am pretty sure I would have laughed in your face. Put simply, running wasn’t really my thing. Sure, I ran on the treadmill, and I pushed my athletes to run during practice, but it was simply a means to staying in shape. After having two kids, it wasn’t anything :) But here I am, and running has invaded every area of my life. But in a good way.

Because of Team World Vision:

• I am the healthiest I have ever been.
• I wake up REALLY early on Saturday mornings to help lead some INCREDIBLE people. 
•  I know about hydration, protein shakes, gels, gu, energy chews, Advocare, and Isogenix. 
• I get to experience sacrificial love. 
• I have been able to complete races with both of my brothers.
• I know that Body Glide is my best friend.
• I spend more time talking to God. 
• I get to enjoy running with my two boys. 
•  I am able to teach my boys what it means to be generous with time and money. 
• I learned that I CAN DO HARD THINGS! 
• I am reminded of how blessed I truly am.
• I get to do what I believe Jesus asks of me…LOVE THY NEIGHBOR! 
• I can be a WORLD CHANGER!

Never in a million years did I think I would become so involved with something other than my family and teaching, but alas, Team World Vision has stolen my heart. I am committed to teaming up with TWV until the Clean Water Crisis is officially solved. I am committed to raising $10,000 in 2015. $10,000 is a ridiculous amount of money. But you know what else is ridiculous? The fact that children around the world are dying because they don’t have access to clean water. Today, nearly 1,600 children will die because they lack clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. The best part…WE CAN CHANGE THAT STATISTIC RIGHT NOW! There is no searching for a cure. We have the solution which is why I am so determined to fundraise $10,000. 

Right now, my fundraising page sits at a little over $6,000. That number is absolutely amazing to me. OVER 100 lives will be changed because of the support Griffin and I have received from family and friends. To those of you who have come alongside us on this journey, THANK YOU! If you haven’t yet or you feel the nudge to support our efforts again, I ask that you prayerfully consider helping another child gain access to water, education, and LIFE! Let’s change lives together. 

http://tinyurl.com/duniganrunsHTC

~Sandra

Team World Vision Virtual 6K

I am struggling to put this experience into a coherent story, so just stay with me. My heart is so full, and I want the world to know it.  But that picture above. That joy plastered across Griffin's face. Priceless. My chest practically bursts open every time I look at it.

On March 22nd (World Water Day), I had the privilege of running a Virtual 6K with Griffin. The race was put on through Team World Vision, and there were runners from EVERY state participating at one point or another throughout the day. The distance, 6K, was chosen because this is the average distance someone has to walk in order to access water (mostly dirty) in Africa. The $50 entry fee guaranteed that you would provide one person clean water for life within 6-9 months.

It is no secret that Team World Vision is near and dear to my heart. When I started running with TWV back in 2010, I had NO IDEA how much this organization would change my life physically, mentally, and spiritually. I had no idea that I was stepping into an INCREDIBLE community of people who are on fire for Jesus. I had no idea that I would become the healthiest I have ever been, both inside and out. I had no idea I would become so passionate about something I HAD NEVER DONE BEFORE. I had no idea I would become determined to solve a problem I had never really thought about or comprehended. I had no idea that I would meet some of the most awe-inspiring people. My journey with Team World Vision has been nothing short of amazing, and I was stoked to finally share this community with Griffin.

It didn't take long for Griffin to want to run like me. In 2012, he ran his first 5K, and he was hooked. From that day forward, he has been asking all about when HE gets to run with Team World Vision. TWV typically does endurance races, so being that he was five at the time, I knew it would be quite some time before I allowed him to train for a half or a full marathon. But, this year, that all changed with the creation of the 6K.

Griffin was on board with running this race IMMEDIATELY, and one of the first things he said was, "Now I get to help provide people with clean water." Despite the fact that he is VERY new to typing, he took the time to email family and friends inviting them to cheer him on and donate on his behalf. He even talked to a few people in person. He was set on accomplishing a goal....which leads me to another story :)

I learned through this process that God is bigger than I give Him credit for, and Griffin's heart of servitude is capable of accomplishing more than I can ever imagine. When I originally asked Griffin if he had a fundraising goal a couple of weeks ago, he told me that he wanted to raise $800 because he is 8. I quickly let him know that his goal was rather large, so he changed it to $400 because that meant 8 people would gain access to clean water. "You know, cause I am 8." So, that became his goal. Well, by race day, family and friends had donated over $800 in honor of Griffin's race. God honored the desires of Griffin's heart. Not the goal of my choosing. Through others' generosity, He honored Griffin's original goal. HOW AMAZING IS THAT? We serve an amazing God.

You guys, I can't even begin to describe how truly AWESOME Sunday was. I have completed two full marathons and have fundraised a lot of money thanks to the generosity of others, so I know what it is like to be full of emotions at the start and end of a race. But nothing prepared me for the joy and pride I experienced doing this with my eight year old son. My little man ran 3.78 miles in just over 35 minutes. He had 17 people show up to cheer him on (a few even ran with us) and celebrate even though it was COLD.  Not only did I get to share my love of TWV with Griffin, we got to once again experience the love and support of some of our closest friends and family members. Words of encouragement were constant, and smiles were plentiful. Griffin prayed for support, and now 19 people will have clean water for life because of his desire to help change the world.

I am determined to help solve the clean water crisis in my lifetime folks, and I am so honored that so many of you have joined me (and Griffin) on that journey. It is hard, at times, to reflect about things that don't affect your day to day life. But TWV has helped me think outside of my little MN life, and I am beyond grateful for the support I have received thus far. To those of you that sponsored Griffin, cheered him on, or have sponsored me (through financial giving and/or running support) in the past, words of gratitude are not enough. Actions speak louder than words, and I am surrounded by people who act in such a way that gives me SO MUCH HOPE for the future. Thank you.