Hi, my name is Michelle Parker -- thank you for stopping by my website!  Let me begin by saying, I am NOT a runner!  In fact, I actually HATE to run. So how did I end up running a marathon (actually two marathons!) -- well, that's actually an interesting story.

Some people are destination people: they see a goal and get right to work outlining steps to achieve the goal.  They love straight lines and to-do lists that keep them focused, on task, and moving forward!  I like these people (and even live with a few of them!), but it's not how I'm wired.  I am a journey girl.  I love to wander...go at an easy pace...find a shortcut...and stay in my comfort zone. 

On this particular journey, God asked me to try a different way...a way that was beyond my comfort zone and required my complete dependence on Him.

It all began with a phone call from my friend Cheryl.  She is a military spouse with three young kids.  She also had a full-time job and two part-time jobs at the time.  Oh, and did I mention she battles Multiple Sclerosis?  Needless to say, I think she's amazing!

One day she left a voicemail saying very calmly that during a routine exam, they had found a lump and that she had breast cancer.  We spoke multiple times through the process, and when I called her after the double mastectomy, she mentioned that the REAL "cancer marathon" would begin with the chemo.  You see, even though I am not a runner, Cheryl is.  She was approaching her battle as a six-month marathon and said she was up for the challenge!

I wanted to be there for her -- drive her to treatments, take her meals, babysit her kids, sit with her while the chemo dripped in, hold her hand and tell her it was going to be ok.  But we live halfway across the country, so I didn't have those options.  That's when the idea grew in my spirit: I would run a marathon for Cheryl.  I would not just run it, though, I would run it IN PRAYER with her and for her. 

So I began each run with her on my mind.  When something hurt, I thought of her...she can't quit chemo because it hurts!  When I didn't feel like training, I thought of her...she didn't get a day off just because.  It took discipline, perseverance, and a team of prayer warriors to push through the tough stuff.

That was my path -- an actual path of running...going outside, lacing on my sneakers, and putting one foot in front of the other even when I didn't "feel like it."  But that's not everyone's path.  For Cheryl, the path was chemo. For another friend, it was the end of her marriage.  For another friend, it was the heartbreaking death of her daughter.  We all have a "marathon" calling us -- some we choose, and others are forced upon us. 

This is the heart behind my devotional book, "More than a Mile."  What began as a sacrificial journey for Cheryl quickly grew into an opportunity to bless other people and be transformed myself in the process.  It is my sincere prayer that the lessons shared in this book encourage you in your own "marathon," whatever it might be!