Listening for God

The Breath of Life

2012-01-31T06:44:00.000-05:00

The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

We breath in and we breath out. Take a second to notice your breathing. You are experiencing the wonderful, mysterious breath of life, first placed in our lungs by the Lord God. Our life is sustained by that breath, his breath.

A newborn breathes 30-40 times a minute, and as we grow the number the breaths per minute decrease. Most adults breath 12-20 times per minute, somewhere around 27,000 times a day.

Each breath is a gift of God and is a silent praise to God whether we acknowledge it or not.

What do you think about that?

Tuesday a.m.

2012-01-31T06:38:00.002-05:00

Good morning! Wow, 50 degrees at the 5 o'clock hour? In January? I've heard predictions, based on statistics, that we will have, because of the mild winter so far, a very cold March and April and a very hot summer. But I also recall the same folks saying that our winter would be very, very snowy. Hmm. We'll take what we get and like it, right? No, we'll probably complain... ha ha

Yesterday almost turned out like I thought it would! There was one change, however, that presented me with a great opportunity. I'd been asked to see someone who is really struggling with depression and had recently attempted suicide. I was asked by a concerned family member to drop by, which I was fine with. I don't like the "just show up" approach, however. The concerned family member finally told her sister that I was coming, and the struggler adamantly refused my visit. Fortunately I was informed before I got there. I am hoping/praying that I can still see/help this person.

Once I got word of the cancellation, I happened to notice that it was sunny and nearly 60 degrees, so I contacted a friend who was about to get off work. Together we decided that we should ride our bikes, starting at 4 p.m. Tim S. and I took off on a nice 20+ mile ride. It was so enjoyable. We even saw Iron Bill out riding. He was in hurry to get back to Bedford by 5 for a run, so we didn't see him for long.

On our way back, we ride the wide shoulder of highway 37 from Woodville Road to the Lighthouse bookstore, where we park. I love finishing there because it is slightly downhill and fast. Last night we had a tailwind, so we were rolling pretty good. I hit and held 30 mph for a little while, until tired legs returned me to reality. I could see Tim's shadow and knew he was right behind me, so I focused on the road ahead. Then all of a sudden, when I look for his shadow, he wasn't there. I finished the ride and quickly threw my bike in the truck and went looking for him. He had flatted about a mile out. By the time I got there, he had a new tube on and was ready to go.

OK, so yesterday I was telling you I felt over trained. Yes, I am aware that I ran yesterday morning and then rode yesterday afternoon. Well, how about a triple, my first, when I am battling fatigue? That's how smart I am (ha ha). Last night at 8 (usually when I am thinking about bed) I got in the pool at BNL for a "swim." I wish I could take those ""s away. Not yet. Last night was not particularly encouraging, but I know frustration is a key part of learning, so I'll just leave it at that. Anyway, it was kinda cool to record in my log a run, a ride, and a "swim." This is the reverse order of a triathlon.

Today, I've got to study and study hard. My sermon series is quite the challenge. Trying to condense down the entire book of Genesis into one sermon is not easy. I'll study for a while and then get out of my cave to do what I do.

Tonight is Tempo Tuesday!

Monday a.m.

2012-01-30T06:24:00.001-05:00

Sorry about another wheel picture, but, hey, I love these things! I'm going to take my time getting them ready and mounted on the bike. There is no need to hurry. My focus is still on Boston, so running is priority one presently. I am fighting being over-trained. I know that it is the combo of tempo running, hill repeats, and long runs. I've got to figure out how to manage those three training components without crossing over the line. I'll see how this week goes. It's classic: the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak! I want to go north of 45 miles per week. I hit several 50+ mile weeks before Monumental. I still have time to get there before Boston. Careful!

Today is going to be a busy one, so I just need to hang on for the ride. I've got a couple of meetings this morning and 2-3 people to see in Bloomington, a person or two to see in Mitchell, a stop at the Store, and who knows what else will come my way today.

I hope to end my day in the BNL pool. I am determined to learn to swim!

Repairing Broken Windows

2012-01-30T06:03:00.001-05:00

Are you familiar with the broken window theory? It basically says that if you don’t repair a broken window, then you are inviting vandals to break another and then another... It applies to litter and graffiti as well. If you don’t clean it up in timely manner, then you are inviting more.

What happens when we let little things go unrepaired in our lives?

What do you need to repair today?

Good Saturday!

2012-01-28T20:28:00.000-05:00

It was a good day today! I got up early and started on an 18 mile run, joining my friends at 8 a.m. for 12 miles with them. It was pretty stinkin' breezy out there this morning, and it even spit snow a couple of times. After the run, I went "down on the farm" (Bob Evans) with a couple of my friends.

Then it was a trip to take the trash off. When I got home from taking the trash off, a Fed Ex truck was in my driveway. I knew this meant that my wheels had finally come! There was a mix up on getting them sent, so they just now came. If you remember, I won these wheels, which are pretty expensive (worth more than my truck - ha ha), by writing an essay. They are pretty cool. I now have to learn to ride faster so I'll be worthy of them!

Kedra and I went to see Joyful Noise this afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it! I laughed quite a lot. It was a bit corny at times, but who cares? Wal-Mart followed the movie and a trip to Pizza Hut to bring home supper for Ben and us.

Spectator or Player?

2012-01-27T06:39:00.003-05:00

Some have said that the church is like a football game in which thousands of spectators desperately in need of exercise are watching a handful of players desperately in need of rest.

Are you a spectator or a player?

Friday

2012-01-27T06:22:00.001-05:00

How's that old line go?

The journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step.

As crazy and implausible as it sounds, I do want to become an Ironman. Right now I could probably master the the meaning in the top photo. A guy (at least this guy) has to have a goal, a dream really, to keep moving and motivated. The Boston Marathon was that dream for a long time, even though I didn't try to realize it/attempt to fulfill it until the last 3-4 years. Now it's Ironman in the fall of 2014. Yes, more than 2.5 years from now.

I know I can ride 112 miles, and I know I can run/survive a marathon. Swim 2.4 miles? Last night I took my first step. I didn't drown! I "swam" about 12 feet, so that means I only have to come up with 12,600 more feet to do it. Gotta learn to breathe -- ha ha! And of course I have to move from a nice pool to an open water swim in the ocean. Crazy? Certainly and perhaps certifiably. Doable? I believe. Rand the Ironman helped me a lot last night, and John H is an encouragement. I watched him swim 1000 yards, and a year ago he was about where I am now.

Today I am feeling over trained a bit, so my plan to bike outside is on the bubble. I can't do it until the afternoon. If the conditions are good--sun, light wind, mid 40s--I will try go for a short 20 mile ride. Otherwise, maybe a complete rest day? My hard tempo and hard hill workout yesterday have left me a little tired. I'm looking at 18 miles in the morning, hoping that the weather does not hinder me.

Yesterday I spent time most of the morning with 2 former students. Time with both of them was spent in the context of a courtroom. It's a whole different world. One of the students is awaiting the trial for her son who was murdered. We sat for quite a while waiting for her attorney to talk to the judge. The pain of having to relive one of the worst nightmares you can imagine is so difficult. She is dreading the trial: pictures, 911 call, the defense... Gonna be rough.

Today it's back to sermon prep. I didn't get very far yesterday. Gotta hit it hard this morning! I hope you have a great day!

Thursday a.m.

2012-01-26T06:28:00.001-05:00

I took this picture 2 days ago. I have a flower still alive from last Summer! I’ve never seen anything like it. I know our winter has been relatively mild, but we have had temps down in the mid teens a few times, yet this flower has survived. Why?

I think there are two things that are key.

1.) It is located fairly close to the house, about three feet.

2) It is located right next to a big rock.

My theory is that its location next to the house and, more importantly, its location right next to a rock that holds heat from the Sun has kept it alive all winter long.

Seems like a good picture for us: stay close to house of the Lord (church, which is people, of course) and stay tight with Jesus.

"Jesus is a rock in a weary land! A weary land! A weary land!"

Are you close?

* * *

Here we go Thursday! I'm starting my day by going to court with a young man who is making great strides in allowing the Lord to turn his life around. I'm so proud of him. I am going to testify before the judge about what I've seen and what I know. Pray for him.

Today is sermon prep day. It's going to a be a challenge to get everything done today, but I work better under pressure. We'll see! Genesis 3 is a challenge because it is so full of things that need to be considered. I'll probably touch on most of them briefly and then "big picture" it. The big picture is that Genesis 3 explains the mess we're in. It explains death, pain, and weeds! We had a great class last night -- lots of good questions and discussion.

Today is hill repeat day. I used to dread them, but now, while I'm not exactly looking forward to the pain, I look forward to the feeling I have when I am finished. They are real confidence builders. I'm not sure when I will get them in today. I'm sure I will find the time somewhere along the way. I hope to go to pool tonight. I did not make it last week, due to some trouble with my furnace at home.

Off we go...

Groan alert

2012-01-25T11:05:00.001-05:00

What happens when you cross a centipede and a parrot?

Are you ready?

A walkie-talkie.

And sorry that the picture does not quite match. Just look at it as a little extra humor.

What do you need to say?

2012-01-25T08:01:00.001-05:00

They say Moses was a basket case. (Sorry.) Poor guy did NOT want to have to speak for God. Listen to some of his excuses. Sound familiar?

Moses raised another objection to God: "Master, please, I don't talk well. I've never been good with words, neither before nor after you spoke to me. I stutter and stammer." God said, "And who do you think made the human mouth? And who makes some mute, some deaf, some sighted, some blind? Isn't it I, God? So, get going. I'll be right there with you—with your mouth! I'll be right there to teach you what to say." (Exodus 4, The Message)

What kind of excuses do we give to justify our silence when words need to be spoken? Words of encouragement perhaps? Maybe, even more difficult,: words of loving rebuke or challenge?

Who do you need to speak to today? What do you need to say?

Wednesday

2012-01-25T06:40:00.001-05:00

Good morning! I've had some nice smooth, bold Honduran coffee this morning, so I'm ready to let the day unfold. Wonder what will happen today? I have several things scheduled, and I know there will be lots of other things happen as well.

Last night was Tempo Tuesday. We start the run at Parkview at 5:15 and warm up for 2+ miles, stopping to stretch at the 3 way stop on Washington avenue. The tempo starts at the second power pole from the intersection, heading south, where it then turns down Industrial Drive. You round the corner, turning south again, in front of White River Lodge and find your first mile mark at the stop sign. Mile two, which begins slightly uphill, takes you up to 39th Street, where you turn left. Once you "T" into Washington, you turn right, heading toward Hillcrest Circle, which you run around counter clockwise, bringing you back onto Washington. Mile 2 ends at a man hole cover, not far from Hillcrest Circle. Mile 3 allows you to retrace your steps, but you get to stop at the top of Industrial, right in front of Washington Ave. The last hill is a killer!

Several people were tempoing last night. The group I ran with was mainly Jim Sowders, Tim Galloway, and me. Rand H hung around for part of it, and a faster group was with us for a little while as well, before pulling away. Our goal was to run 6:47 for all three miles. We hit the first mile in 6:46. I've learned you have to push up the hill at the beginning of the 2nd mile to stay on pace. We pushed but didn't let off, so we went through the 2nd mile at 6:36! Yikes! I felt that one! Time to hang on and try survive the last mile, which is pretty tough, because it has 2 uphills. The last uphill, Industrial Drive, gets pretty intense at the end, but it is where you get to finish, which makes it more manageable psychologically. I went through the last mile at 6:51, which is a little off pace, but that was fine. My overall average was 6:44, which is 3 seconds per mile better than I was shooting for. I'll take it and be quite satisfied!

Jim did 4 miles of tempo and looked good and strong. He pulled away on the 3rd mile and just kept going. Tim payed for the hard 2nd mile and fell off just slightly, maybe 2 seconds. Next week I am going to try 4 at 6:47. I don't know if I can hold pace for the 4th mile, but I won't know if I don't try. Right? Today is an easy, recovery 7 miler.

Creation vs. Evolution - Dino Demise

2012-01-24T10:05:00.002-05:00

These photos illustrate our conversation about world view! ha ha

Tuesday morning

2012-01-24T06:39:00.000-05:00

Good morning! I hope your week is off to a great start! Today is going to be one of the nicest days of the week. January was been really, really easy on us this year, and we're getting close to the end of it - just one more week. Once February comes, you know that we start getting some nice, mild days.

I had a good day yesterday; got a lot done and felt good about it. I got up early yesterday morning, 4.40. I don't know why. I just woke up and was ready to go, and I never really crashed all day. I think it was because I didn't run Saturday or Sunday. I don't need as much sleep, I suppose. I usually only get 7 hours per night. That's all my body seems to want/need, even when I'm training hard.

Yesterday morning, after the school traffic cleared, I coasted down the hill to Spice Valley Baptist Church, where I park for my Spice Valley to Bryantsville hilly run. I was doing 7, so I was going out 3.5 miles, crossing Highway 50, heading toward Stumphole. (It was nice going up my "hill repeat" hills at a relaxed pace.) I could tell going out that I had a strong tailwind. "Going back will be tough but it will build strength. There could be a headwind in Boston, the whole way," I told myself. That was before the clouds thickened/darkened and became quite ominous looking. I decided to turn a half mile early and make up the 7th mile closer to the truck. It was a good decision, because it started raining some. I got the 7 in and was satisfied.

I love the expression, "where you stand determines what you see." It's so true, no matter how you look at it. We're using this expression a lot in my present sermon series about the Story of God.

Where you stand determines what you see.

If, by faith, we step inside the Story of God, then we will see life and the world in a different way.

It really matters which story you stand in. The confusion comes when we stand in the story of the world and try to make sense of God’s Story.

Leslie Newbigin: "The question is whether the faith that finds its focus in Jesus is the faith with which we seek to understand the whole of history, or whether we limit this faith to a private world of religion and hand over the public history of the world to other principles of explanation."

Where do you stand to understand life? Where you stand makes a big difference.

For example: What does it mean to be human? Who are we? The world’s story says, "You are no more than a random product of time and chance, an accident on this spinning ball of mud!"

The answer that comes from the Story of God says something drastically different! It says that we are God’s masterpieces! We are God’s handiwork, the highpoint of his creation, his image bearers.

Tonight is Tempo Tuesday! Last week I made a vow to go 3 miles at a 6.47 pace. Now I will be slightly nervous all day, which may seem silly to most of you, but some of you will understand! ha ha.

Paradise

2012-01-23T08:16:00.001-05:00

Genesis 1 & 2 pictures life as we would love to live it! No sin, no shame, no problems, a perfect peaceful environment where God and all of creation, including humanity, are in complete harmony. The work is significant, purposeful, and enjoyable. It’s what we all long for – Paradise!

We had it and then lost it. Read Genesis 3.

The Good News is that, thanks to Jesus, we can have it back.

Revelation 2:7 — He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

In the meantime we live in hope, overcoming daily by the Spirit of God.

What do you need to overcome today, as you travel toward Paradise?

Monday

2012-01-23T05:54:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Here we go again - a new day, a new week. Wonder what this one holds? I'll let you know in a few days. Did you stay up for the storm last night? I knew it was coming but went to bed/sleep anyway. It looked to me that the worst of it would be to our south. I woke up around 1 a.m. (I think) to strong wind. I let it blow and went back to sleep.

I was talking to someone the other day about how with radar technology and tornado warnings based on Doppler images that it's almost like the boy who cried wolf. So often nothing really happens, so I think a lot of us are taking such warnings with the proverbial grain of salt. I'm not sure if anything needs to change. Just an observation.

Wow, the weekend turned out to be lazy for me. I wrote a little about it on Saturday morning, which you can see a couple of posts down. I kept waiting for the salt/sand truck to take care of my hill, which, from what I gather talking to others, must have been one of the worst spots in the county. Anyway, I could not get out for a Noon run, and the truck finally backed up the hill around 3, I think it was. By this time I decided to have another rest day. The bike called my name, but I ignored it. Oh well, I know rest is good. I am ready to go this week. My main goal this week is holding a 6.47 pace for 3 miles tomorrow night. I also plan to get 45 miles in this week. The rest should help with both. Boston is 12 weeks from today.

Not got a lot I want to talk/write about presently, so I will say, "See you!" I may share more later...

Fill in the gaps

2012-01-22T15:20:00.002-05:00

I saw this on Facebook and found it mildly interesting. I've seen similar things over the years. It is fascinating how the mind works to fill in the gaps. Sometimes that can be good; sometimes it can be bad.

Saturday delay

2012-01-21T09:40:00.001-05:00

Good morning! I should be about 9 miles into my 16 miler, but I'm sitting in my Lazy Boy chair, enjoying the warmth of the fireplace. I would rather enjoy its warm after completing a nice long run. Why am I not running? ICE! Our road and my driveway are very slick!

I went out before 7 to see if I could get out with my truck. I found out pretty quickly that things were bad. I went out first on foot and almost fell several times. I lost my house shoe in a mud puddle that I didn't see and that didn't hold me up, so I had to go back to the house with one shoe and two socks. I then went and retrieved my wet, muddy shoe. For some reason it made me laugh.

Next I tried getting my truck out, thinking that the ice layer might break up under the weight of a vehicle. Wrong! I managed to get in the yard, where I could get better traction. I got onto the road a couple of times, but I couldn't go very far. I had to back/slide down. Right now my truck is barely off the road, awkwardly positioned in my front yard. Oh well. Best I can tell no one has been by our house today so far.

I am hoping for a noon run -- that's what my buddies have announced as the time for our run today. I hoping that a salt/sand truck will come by and get the road passable. I think the highways are clear. If I can't get out, then I'll get back on the bike trainer again today. It's pictured above.

My favorite part is the fan that I suspended from the ceiling. Kedra was nearly mortified by what I thought was quite a creative, ingenious move. I think I heard "tacky" in a tone that was like a groan. What? Notice the table holding my computer, phone, and I-pod. Also seen are my sit-up bench and part of the Torso Track apparatus. My new bike, not pictured, is positioned on the other side of the room. I can look at it and imagine the fun we'll have outside one of these days.

2012-01-20T07:57:00.001-05:00

Friday!

2012-01-20T06:40:00.001-05:00

I don't know why I chose a hair theme today? Maybe it's because I got a haircut last night? I opted for the style of the top picture.

So we are under a Winter Weather Advisory? Oh well. My only concern is that it's going to mess with my 16 mile run in the morning. Running on ice is not much fun. Neither are hill repeats! I do like the results though, and isn't that why we do lots of things that are not pleasant at the time?

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.

Hebrews 12:11,12

The hill repeats are getting... I wouldn't say easier, but I would say that I'm getting stronger and dread them less. Yesterday, for my final repeat, I chose a steeper, longer hill, just to ramp things up a little.

Today, as far as a workout is concerned, is bike trainer day. I would much rather ride outside, but I don't think the weather is going to reach my acceptable range for outside riding. I have my trainer set up so that I can surf the Internet while I ride. I also listen to Led Zeppelin, often looking at the lyrics to their songs on the web. I know, I know, there are several things about the last few sentences that strike you as odd. What can I say? I have always liked LZ's music -- lots of interesting lyrics.

Pat A and I met yesterday to work on Sunday's sermon. We had a good meeting. Synergy! I was really intrigued by the idea, in Genesis 2, of the breath of life. Pat had actually done a sermon on the topic and shared some of his findings, and I looked up some things as well. Did you know that:

Most adults breath 12-20 per minute
Most us of us take around 27,000 breaths per day

I was struck by the fact that every breath is a gift of God and is a silent praise to him, whether we acknowledge it/him or not.

Numbers

2012-01-19T08:28:00.002-05:00

Looking over my training log this morning, I noticed that on this 18th day of January, I have trained a total of 18 hours so far - 15 running and 3 biking for a total of 134.73 miles. (Loving the new training log!) What does this mean? Nothing, I think.

Swimming? 0! Maybe tonight I will log a few feet. Main goal: do not drown and most important: do not embarrass me or anyone else. ha ha

150 - I saw it yesterday.

There are 347 days left in this year, unless the Mayans are right, then you have a few less. Good time to make those purchases where you don't have to pay anything for the first year, if you believe the Mayan thing.

This is my 877th blog post, and there have been 99,387 page views since it started.

Found this:

What is the most interesting integer, and why? Obviously the answer is highly subjective, but I'm still interested in people's opinions, preferably those of professional mathematicians. To make my question a bit more interesting, I'll add the qualification, "not counting 0, 1, and -1," since these numbers are obviously interesting, but in a very well-known (uninteresting?) ways. So perhaps my question really is: what integer has the most neat, surprising and memorable property or properties, and why?
Here's an answer:

142857. You can multiply it by any integer from 1 to 6 and the product is the number 142857 with it's digits rearranged:

142857 *1 = 142857
142857 *2 = 285714
142857 *3 = 428571
142857 *4 = 571428
142857 *5 = 714285
142857 *6 = 857142

Sadness in Shoals

2012-01-19T06:44:00.003-05:00

Last night at our meal at church, my nephew who teaches at Shoals, came to me and told me that a teacher had committed suicide. When he told who, I remembered the teacher. He was quite popular and did lots of good things with the students. I remember him as a cross country coach, back in the day when I helped with junior high cross country. I was impressed by his passion.

It's going to be a rough day in Shoals. Will you pray for that community today?

Thursday

2012-01-19T06:31:00.001-05:00

Good morning! How are you today? Thursday = sermon, prep for Sunday day. We had a good class last night. We laughed a lot as we considered Genesis 2. I think it was holy laughter. We discussed the idea that "naked" was before the Fall, and "nekkid" was post-Fall. OK, you had to be there. I am really wrestling with how to capture what's going on in Genesis 2. I think it's a picture of what we all long for, what we desire. It's paradise, where everything is as it should be.

What's interesting is how the Story of God reads. God creates paradise -- a garden, more like a national park. Mankind is placed there, in God's cosmic kingdom, to partner with God, to work in the garden, to have dominion over it and what's in it. We are the crown of creation. Through our selfish rebellion, we forfeit it. See Genesis 3. But God won't let it/us go. He begins the long process of restoring it, and that's how the Story ends in Revelation. Paradise is restored to those who are faithful.

Revelation 2:7
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Revelation 22:1-5
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

We are in the middle of the Story. Our faithful position in it requires us to bring the future into the present by living out God's loving way and will. Thus the Lord's prayer, "Your will be done on earth as it in Heaven." Of course we are fallen and the all of creation is fallen, which makes it challenging, to say the least. We, along with all of creation, long for the Day when everything will be made right and new. Restoration and Redemption. See Romans 8:18-25.

This morning I will work on my sermon to point of frustration, which is a key part of the creative process. Then it will be time for a run. Usually in a state of frustration, my sub-conscious mind keeps working, and then when I come back to the desk, I am ready to move forward. Some things cannot be forced. I have scheduled for today hill repeats. I ran 6 easy miles yesterday morning. Twenty five degrees with little wind actually felt pretty good!

Stats!

2012-01-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks Don!

Who saw this shocking development coming??

2012-01-18T06:46:00.002-05:00

Paula Deen has diabetes! How could this have happened?

Wednesday

2012-01-18T06:37:00.000-05:00

(thanks Alan)

Seems like an appropriate picture to fit along with my study of Genesis 2. Actually it's probably more appropriate for Genesis 3 - after the Fall! God's creative intent was for men and women to live in absolute harmony, bringing unity out of diversity, which is a reflection of who God is (community of Father, Son, Spirit -- unity/diversity). Good marriages reflect that; bad ones reflect the curse found in Genesis 3. There's a whole lot of this latter reflecting going on! In Christ, we get a taste of the past pre-fall Paradise and the future Paradise, where all will be made new. See Ephesians 5:21ff.

Last night was Tempo Tuesday, and it was windy! And on the cold side. But neither was/is a problem if your desire to succeed takes priority over your comfort. Some would call that crazy; others call it commitment. There were a group of us, and that community of like-minded folks makes things so much easier. I must confess, that without the community last night, I probably would have opted out of running hard. Some of us even flirted with that option. "Man up!" was heard and heeded.

We did our 2+ mile warm up and stretched a little. Then it was time to tempo. There were different ones doing different paces. My group of Tim, Jim, and Ryan was after a 6.40 something pace, although we negotiated a 3 mile run at 6.50, due to adverse weather. We had also talked of doing 2.5 miles at pace, moving up to 3 miles next week. Decisions on the run would be made.

We hit the quarter mile mark a couple of seconds fast, so we slowed a bit. We hit the half a little slow, so we pushed a bit. Then it was into the stiff wind, where it was hard to judge pace. We ended up going through the first mile around 6.52, I think. Slow! Time to pick it up! The second mile of our course is the harder than the first; it has considerable inclines. We pushed up the hill before enjoying a tail wind for a little while. We hit the second mile in 6.44, I think. At this point I was feeling yesterday's 10 miler.

We held the faster pace going up the hill and back into the wind on 39th. As we neared the 2.5 mile mark, Tim the Elder indicated that he was stopping at that point (as stated last week). Jimmy said he was going on for the 3. I was torn. I really wanted to man up and do the three, but I was getting tight. The last half mile was going to be up hill, so I chose to drop off and end the tempo at 2.5, which was what we had planned to do a week ago. Next week I vow to do all 3 at a 6.47 pace! Ending at 2.5 was a little frustrating, but it fits my plan of holding back just a bit right now.

Today is an easy 6 mile recovery run. Tomorrow: hill repeats. Friday: bike. Saturday: 16 miles, which will make 45 for the week. Feeling good!

Yesterday I had a guy step back into my life. He had been absent for quite a while, maybe more than a year? Chainsaw Mike! He's another one of my collection of different, interesting people that have come into my life. Chainsaw is an interesting guy. to say the least. I helped him and his family a lot a couple of years ago. Mike, unlike some poor folks, really desires to work hard. His nickname comes from his desire to earn a living by cutting trees.

A few years ago his chainsaw died, so several of us rallied around him and raised the money to buy him a nice saw. He has done fairly well, which explains his absence from my life, I suppose. Yesterday he was in need again. It had to do with his children and their well-being. After a long conversation about life, we got him/them fixed up.

Wonder what/who today will bring?

Tuesday a.m.

2012-01-17T06:34:00.001-05:00

Good morning! It's weirdly warm, isn't it? I guess that's going to change soon! Even as I write this, I got a tweet saying that we are under a severe thunderstorm warning. I think I'm glad that I'm not running until evening, but I also know that it's likely to be in 30s and very windy at that point. Oh well...

Here's the story on the girls pictured above:

Karol Yasmin Izcano Cruz and Kelin Elizabeth Izcano Cruz are native Hondurans that have a strong desire to attend college to earn engineering degrees. However, they do not have the financial resources to fulfill their aspirations. These wonderful Christian young ladies have worked with Marc Tindall and ministry teams visiting Honduras. Both are very bright girls who worked hard to earn good grades in high school and have a desire to use their degrees to help their country. For just $400 per month, we can send both of them to engineering school. This support requires a commitment of four years to allow them to complete their education, so please carefully consider your pledge. Should unforeseen circumstances necessitate a change to your commitment, we would encourage you to seek a replacement for your pledged support.

We have a Facebook group for these girls, if you want to help. We have raised the first 3 months of their tuition and have pledges to cover some of the rest of it, but we are not quite there yet. They started school yesterday. It's hard to explain what a huge thing this is.

Yesterday was a nice relaxing days in some ways. I ran 10 miles yesterday morning. John H. ran 5, and Bill D. and I ran 10. We had some good conversations about life, perseverance, endurance atheltics, etc. I also picked his brain about biking. I got a lot of good, helpful information.

After the run, Kedra and I attended a funeral in Jeffersonville, followed by a meal at Cheddar's. We've eaten there a few times, and it's always good. We made a couple of stops in the Clarksville area before heading back home.

Today I need to really dive into Genesis 2. There are lots an lots of interesting things to think about/wrestle with from those few verses. There is a joke that comes out of Genesis 2. Now, I am not endorsing this joke or the thoughts behind it. Are we clear on that? hee hee

After God created Adam, and Adam had been in the Garden for a really long time, he started to get a little lonely. So, Adam went to God and said, "This Garden is amazing, but I'm starting to get a little lonely; is there anyone that you can send to keep me company?"

God answered, "I have the perfect person. She will help you with almost everything. She'll clean, cook, wash you clothes, be your friend, and even rub your feet after a long day. She really is perfect in every way!"

Adam said, "That sounds great! How soon can you send her?"

God replied again, "I can send her right away, but there is one thing ... it's going to cost you an arm and a leg to get her."

Adam thought for a moment, and then said, "What can I get for a rib?"

Hey, I'm just reporting that there is joke that's based on Genesis 2.

Monday - 13 weeks until...

2012-01-16T06:37:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Today is Martin Luther King day, which seems pretty much ignored around these parts. I know Dr. King was flawed, like all of us, but, man, he said and did some very remarkable things, things that we all benefit from.

Since Kedra and Ben are off, and a lot of my running friends are off, I am taking the morning off to be around all those just mentioned. I plan to run 10 miles starting at 8 a.m. I don't know how many will show up, but my guess is there will be a few. I like starting the week with a 10 miler; looks great in the running log! Speaking of that, I am using a really cool log at Beginner Triathlete. I love the fact that it imports my workouts from my Garmin 405 and keeps weekly, monthly, and yearly totals for all activities. Awesome!

I ended last week with a 14 miler in 14 degree air temps. Actually it was a little colder than that at the start. I really don't mind running in cold weather. The biggest annoyance is watery eyes and the icicles that form on my eye lashes. I just knock them off every once in a while and keep moving. Really. Saturday's 14 miler was good. I had a few late miles down around the 8 minutes per mile pace. The long runs are supposed to be run a little slower, so it's good to get down near race pace without pushing or trying.

The Boston Marathon is 13 weeks/3 months from today. I'm feeling good and fit and actually holding back some. I don't want to peak too early. My original schedule front-loaded a lot of miles early (like now), due to my concern of really bad winter weather that might prevent training. Since that has not happened and doesn't look like it's going to happen in the near future, I have backed off a little on total miles and my long run. I hit 40 miles per week the last 2 weeks and have had a long run of 15 miles. I originally had planned to be around a 20 miler this Saturday, but I think I will keep it around 15-17. I will probably go up to around 45 miles this week, which is down from the 50 I orginally planned. Flexible!

After my run this morning, Kedra and I will head to Jefferonsville. We'll attend a funeral and then spend a little time just enjoying the day. Kedra has been really busy with her school work. She is trying to get her teaching license and recently completed a calculus course. She's doing great! I'm really proud of her.

One way to do it

2012-01-14T06:55:00.000-05:00

Friday

2012-01-13T06:46:00.000-05:00

This morning is making me really look forward to going to Honduras in February! It's on the cool side out there, but, hey, it is January. I'm in my nice office at home getting ready to finish up my sermon and all that stuff that surrounds it - slide show, discussion guide, etc. I had my Honduran coffee, so I am ready to go!

Yesterday was a good day! I wrestled with my sermon for a while and then left it percolating in my mind while I did hill repeats. I got those in as the mist transitioned to big fat snow flakes. It wasn't too cold, so I really enjoyed it. Hill repeats are the hardest thing that I am doing right now. By far! My training is built around 3 quality workouts per week: Tuesday speed work (tempo runs/steady state run later), Saturday long runs, and Thursday hill repeats. On Monday I am doing 6-10 miles on hills but not pushing. Wednesday is an easy, slow 5 miler. Friday is my bike trainer day. I take Sunday off totally, as far as training is concerned.

After returning from the hill repeats, it was time to meet Pat A for lunch to talk through the sermon and other stuff. It helps both of us to talk through what we are thinking of saying, challenging our thoughts regarding relevance, interest, etc. This is another piece of my collaborative approach to preaching, involving as many people as possible in sermon prep.

After a long lunch and sermon discussion time, I left to pick up a friend who is on a journey to find God and peace. We had a really nice time just talking about all kinds of things. After that it was home in time for supper and to build a fire in the fire place. I read quite a bit of Iron War last night. It's an enjoyable read.

Today is going to be a busy one, but it should be enjoyable. I'm running 14 miles in the morning. I hope the wind dies down, and it's supposed to. I think the air temp is going to be around 15, which is not too terribly bad. I find it hard to run long when it gets down around zero.

Thursday a.m.

2012-01-12T06:56:00.000-05:00

Good morning! I hope your week is going well. Today is sermon prep day for me, so that will be my focus most of the day. I will do some hill repeats, here in a little while. It will be good to get them in before the weather gets too crazy. Tomorrow is an off day from running, so I will get on the bike trainer in my basement for an hour or so, plus I will do my 3rd core workout of the week. I've expanded that (the workout not my core), making it a little more difficult.

Yesterday I went to Clarksville to see a family surrounding a loved one who was passing from this life. He completed his journey around 5.30 last night. On the way back home, I stopped in Salem to see a guy in the nursing home there. He was doing well. Then it was on to see someone else, followed by some more study and prep for class last night.

Last night in class we talked about Genesis 1. Wow, there is so much to consider! So many questions and so few answers, but, by faith, it is the beginning of God's Story, which is the beginning of our story. Where you stand determines what you see, and where you stand in regard to (any) story determines how you live. I think the problem we have is that we try to fit God's story into ours as one compartment in our compartmentalized lives.

God's story says, "You start here, and then you will make sense of your story and your world. No compartmentalization required! It's all mine." But it takes faith. In fact, any governing story requires some kind of faith. I am going to put my faith in God's story and accept it, even with all the unanswered questions. Isn't that the essence of faith - to trust God in spite of doubt that is found in the context of unanswered questions?

Hebrews 11:1-3,6

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Wednesday a.m.

2012-01-11T06:42:00.003-05:00

Good morning! This is the first day of the rest of your life. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Not sure why. Looks like it's going to start out with a little rain, which is fine. The rain will water the flower in my front flower bed that is still alive and blooming! It's about 5 feet from the house but surrounded by rocks. My theory is that the rocks have absorbed enough heat to keep it from freezing thus far. Amazing: a flower still alive with blooms in (almost) mid-January!

Yesterday was a busy day. It got that way with the blessed interruptions that came. I'll spare you quoting my line about interruptions being my ministry, but it's true. Today is likely going to be a lot like yesterday in that regard. It involves family members of church members being sick and/or passing from this life. It's too early in the morning to find out just yet what is going on.

Last night was Tempo Tuesday. We are easing into the tempo runs, which are run at slightly less than your 5K pace. We usually run 3 miles at tempo pace, after warming up for 2 miles, and this is followed by a 2 mile cool-down. Last week we ran 1 at tempo pace; last night we ran 2. Not everyone participates, and not everyone runs at the same pace. Last week I ran with Jim S. and Tim G. The three of us ran a 6:47 mile, so that became the goal for this week's 2 mile tempo. Ryan R. joined us this week.

The first mile was 6:46 and second was 6:39! We charged up the hill after the first mile, because I've learned you have to do that to maintain the pace for the second mile. Ryan pulled us around the circle pretty hard near the finish which resulted in the faster second mile. I was pretty happy with that time! Not sure I can hold it for another mile...although I am feeling really good right now. I ran the last cool-down mile at around a 7 minute mile last night, the last half of that being more like 6:30. Crazy! Breakthrough for this old guy? I am tired this morning though. I need 5 easy ones once it gets daylight. Hill repeats tomorrow.

Tuesday a.m.

2012-01-10T06:30:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Tuesday! I've been up since 4.40 - just woke up ready to roll... I am looking forward to breakfast with a friend "down on the farm" (Bob Evans) in a little while. Following that I really need to hit the books for a while. I want to get our new sermon series off to a good start, so I need some extra time in study this morning. This is my favorite thing to do, so I am pretty excited about it!

After I get this preaching project wrestled to the ground, I will re-emerge from my (quiet) cave to go places and see people. The day will end with a good 7 mile run in Bedford this evening as the sun sets. We are doing 2 miles at tempo pace tonight. We set the bar at 6.47 pace last week, so we are trying to maintain that for 2 miles this evening, easing our way into longer runs. The weather is going to be unbelievably beautiful for such an activity!

I hope your day goes well!

Some 2012 Goals

2012-01-10T06:17:00.000-05:00

Better late than never! I’ve had these goals and have been working on them before the new year began, but I had not published them until now. This is an incomplete list. I have more goals, but they are more personal and not worth and/or suitable for sharing.

Read through Bible

I’ve done this a few times, but I didn’t do it last year. I missed it and feel like I was not as focused on the Grand Narrative as I would have been if I had been reading it straight through. I use a Bible specifically designed for the goal. It has a date at the top and how many chapters to read. It also has an overview of the reading, along with some challenging thoughts regarding application. It builds in breaks periodically, and some days have less to read than others. It helps keep it moving along.

Running

I think I ran around 1700 miles in 2010, but in 2011 I only ran 1260. That’s fine, and it reflects where I was all year: in a non-competitive state/funk. I think it was the post-Boston Qualifying affect for me. I put so much energy into the Monumental Marathon of 2010 (where I qualified for Boston), that I just didn’t have much to offer after it. I really thought my drive and desire would come back in the spring. Wrong. It’s back now, however!

Having a low mileage year and not investing any emotional energy into running in 2011 has left me hungry and ready to really go for it this year. My goals include a 3.29.59 Boston Marathon, which is very ambitious, given the hilly, difficult course. I hope to total 1500 miles this year and be competitively focused in the Persimmon 5K in September. I may run a fall marathon with a view toward Ironman training. I am thinking of doing an Ironman in the fall of 2014, which is probably certifiably crazy. There may be other running goals, but they will likely be in the context of a triathlon (hopefully).

Biking

I want to become much faster on the bike. I have ridden for 2 years now, in the summer only. I rode quite a lot last summer, which was why, in part, my running miles were way down. I’m not very fast or strong on the bike. This year I am going to work some during the winter and get out earlier in the spring. I have a really good bike now, so it’s time to work hard. I plan to complete RAIN without dying or being hospitalized! In preparation, I plan to do at least 2 centuries (100 mile rides); I only did one last year before RAIN. My other biking goals will be in the context of triathlons. I want to be able to average 20 miles per hour minimum for the sprint distances.

Swimming/Triathlon

This is the biggie! And I plan to start on it soon, maybe this week. So many of my future goals hinge on this. My desire is really, really high, so I plan to stick with it until I get it. I don’t have to be fast or pretty, I just have to get it done without drowning (ha). My first goal will be to get across a pool and back, then longer distances, followed by open water swimming, followed by a successful sprint triathlon, where the swim is usually around a quarter mile. If I can get that, then I will move on up to the Olympic distance, hoping to move even further along by doing a half Ironman in 2013. The swimming portion of that event is 1.2 miles, followed by a 56 mile bike ride, followed by a half marathon. Of course the ultimate goal is the Ironman, which is a 2.4 miles swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a full marathon. 2014? We’ll see...

Reading

I hope to average reading one book per week. This last year I started reading more broadly, including some biographies and fiction. I usually read 2-3 books at the same time. I have one I read while the TV is on, something pretty light. Then I have one for reading in bed, again pretty light, because I usually fall asleep with it. Then I read books related to ministry, theology, etc. when I am more alert, like before 5 p.m. (ha).

2012-01-09T16:41:00.003-05:00

Monday, Monday!

2012-01-09T06:43:00.003-05:00

Bah-da bah-da-da-da Bah-da bah-da-da-da Bah-da bah-da-da-da Monday, Monday, so good to me... So, how's it going? It's going to be another mild day in January. I love snow and miss it a lot, BUT if it's not going to snow, then I much prefer this over a very cold and dry January day. I know winter is going to show up one of these days, but it's already January the 9th. That means, to me, it is not that long until we start getting those warm days in February and March, kinda like the days we're having now. ha ha.

I don't suppose I have much to report since my last post on Saturday. We had a good day at church yesterday, maybe one of the best in quite a long time. Maybe New Year resolutions kicked in a week late? It was good to see a big crowd.

Today I plan to get 8 miles of hills run/done as soon as school traffic clears off the roads. It's nice going out at 37 degrees with no wind. The rest of the day will involve study, meetings, the Store, visits, and whatever interruptions come my way.

If the sun comes out later today and it hits 50 degrees, then I will be tempted to get on my bike late this afternoon. I will probably resist the urge, because I don't want to get over trained. I am pushing myself right the red line right now. Last week I had 40 miles of running and 30 on the bike. The 40 miles included a 15 miler, hill repeats, and a fast mile, which was the beginning of tempo runs. I need to be careful.

Since I won those wheels I've had the realization that my bike is now worth at least double what my truck is worth. I'm not sure what this means. Hmmm.

Yesterday I booked a ticket to Honduras. I had decided that I was not going to go on the February trip, due to financial constraints, but I wanted to go because the ambulance has arrived and will be dedicated in Copan on Feb. 27. Over the years I have accumulated a ton of One Pass frequent flyer miles. Amazingly Continental Airlines has allowed me to keep them, even though they date back to our trips back and forth to New Zealand in the mid to late 80s!

Over the the years I have tried to use them, but they make it difficult with blacked out travel days etc. Last week I checked into going to Honduras, using some of those miles. I was surprised to find that I could actually use them in a way that fit the schedule I wanted. Yesterday I booked the flights, using several of the miles. I had to pay $25 in taxes. Not bad! We have a team from church going Feb. 18, and I will join them mid-week to help for a little while.

OK, need to get after it again!

Saturday afternoon

2012-01-07T16:01:00.000-05:00

Yes, a rare Saturday post. It's been a good day and a sad day all at the same time. The sadness comes because we said good-bye to Luke and Rebecca. They both left for Lipscomb early this afternoon. The sadness was/is not too great, because they are doing well and are at great place and a great place in life. I'm very proud of them. I miss them already!

Their leaving was mitigated somewhat by a very brief visit with Lester and Maddie. We met them at Golden Gables parking lot shortly after we sent Luke and Rebecca off. Lester and Maddie bought a house in Bedford, and today it was inspected. Lester has a job in Bloomington waiting for him after he graduates in May. To say that we are thrilled about them moving back to this area wouldn't quite do the trick.

This morning I ran 15 miles, 10 of them with the group. I started a little after 7. It was a beautiful morning and a really good run. I had a quick breakfast with some of the group at McDonalds before coming home. A frequent topic today was the wheels pictured above. Why? Because they will soon be mine! Why? Let me explain.

These wheels are really, really nice bike wheels; expensive also. You can find them on the Internet from between $1000 to $2000! How can I possibly afford wheels like these, wheels worth more than my truck? I can't and would never pay that much for bike wheels. So how are they mine? Tri-Magazine.Net had a contest in December, an essay contest. The assignment was to write why I deserve them, so I wrote a piece, along with a poem. And I won! Amazing! [I'll share my essay after they publish it.]

Now I find myself the owner of a nice tri bike with amazing wheels. I am not worthy! Now I just have to get the bike motor to go faster!

Friday!

2012-01-06T06:36:00.001-05:00

Good morning! Wow, it's going to be an awesome day. Is it really January 6th? It feels like a spring morning: cool but indications of a relatively warm day. I have a 30+ mile bike ride planned for noon with Tim the Elder. Should be a good ride on my new bike and it will give me another opportunity to figure out any tweaking that needs to be done.

Yesterday was a good day. I got a lot of my Sunday prep done, not all but a lot. I did hill repeats on the run and felt good about them, after I was done. I didn't feel that good going into them but did them any way. Discipline. Boston. The ethics meeting at the hospital was good and enjoyable. Then I spent some time with a friend who is trying to find/figure out God. We had a nice visit about all that. I'm praying for him. I then drove a bus to BNL for, as some say, "wrasslen," which is also called wrestling. ha ha.

I had never been to a wrestling meet before. Interesting. I guess because it was BNL and Mitchell, it was a little more intense than usual. BNL won easily, which I think was the first time in a few years. I sat with Nick Mullis and enjoyed visiting with him.

This morning I have lots to cram in before my bike ride. I should be able to get it all done.

I should have added this to my "random" post the other day. You have probably figured out that my blogging is part therapy for me - ha. You have probably also figured out that I don't talk a whole lot about ministry or theology--some but not a lot. (I'd have to kill you if I told you much of what I know.) I find talking about running and riding and other things is a nice way to balance out the things that make/take up the majority of my thoughts and time. It's a good thing for me, and if you enjoy reading it, then we both benefit.

Thanks to running with Mike J. the other night, I am changing the way I log my workouts this year, especially in light of wanting to be a triathlete. I am using a free log at Beginner Triathlete. It will keep my running, riding, and (future) swimming workouts. The point that sealed the deal for me is that it imports my workouts from my Garmin. I am going to experiment today with using my Garmin on the bike so I can important bike data. My apologies to all the Garmin haters in the crowd! NOT! ha ha

OK, I've got lots to do, and that noon bike ride is motivating me to get it done!

Patience

2012-01-05T08:14:00.004-05:00

From my man Henri Nouwen:

Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control: the arrival of the bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict. Patience is not a waiting passivity until someone else does something.

Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later and somewhere else.

Let's be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand.

Thursday a.m.

2012-01-05T06:35:00.000-05:00

Good morning Thursday! Hey, hey, a nice warm up today, and tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer. If it's not going to snow, then 40s and 50s are good by me! Having said that, there is something brewing for about a week from today -- big storm some where, followed by Arctic air. Oh well, it is January.

We had a really good class last night, full of lively, thought-provoking discussion regarding what it means to be a true community of Christ followers. Our culture of rugged individualism makes it hard for us to experience the community that is described in the Scriptures. I'll address that some on Sunday, along with some others things.

Today is going to be a busy one. I'm going to run some time early this morning. I moved my hill repeats to today this week because of the tempo run on Tuesday. I have a lot of prep work for Sunday and a meeting at noon with the ethics committee at St. Vincent Dunn Hospital. Then I'm going to spend some time with a guy I haven't seen for a while. Then I am helping out the transportation director by driving a bus to BNL for a wrestling meet. I've never attended one of those, so I guess I'll go in and see how that works. If we are there long enough, I will slip down to the pool and check out the adult swim that takes place. I plan to start going over for that once a week at least.

OK, here we go...

Thoughts I've had Lately

2012-01-04T15:56:00.000-05:00

My neighbor Roger's death has been hard on Kedra and me. We loved the old guy, stubborn as he was. I really expected that I would find him dead at home, so at least that didn't happen. I don't think I will soon forget carrying his bony little 84 pound body out of his house--the house to which he would never return--a couple of weeks ago. Roger did not want any kind of service at his passing. He wanted to be cremated, and so he was.

There is a reason why we have funerals, along with visitation. It's about closure in a lot of ways. With Roger and his wishes, that closure is hard to find. Everything at his house looks the same right now. I have to consciously remember that he is no longer with us.

The last few days have been full of death for me. A funeral last Thursday for a 48 year old woman, Gerald T's death and funeral, and then Roger's death all kinda caved in on me. People like me are in an odd spot of having so few people who minister to us. (I wonder what funeral directors do?) I think it's rare and normal that few, if any, in a church minister to their minister. It can get lonely at times. I'm thankful I have a couple of really good friends who do a good job of understanding and "being there" for me.

I'm reading through the Bible, so today I was reading Genesis 11. The story of the Tower of Babel is told there. Lots of things to consider, including that in a lot of ways the confusion of Babel was reversed on the day of Pentecost, when everyone heard the Apostles speaking in their own language. This is a hint of the absolute unity and harmony that will be experienced when the Kingdom of Heaven is fully realized.

I was thinking about Babel in a different way today, however. I've had this thought for many years and have had conversations with several about it. I'm sure it's not original thought, but I wonder if all the research regarding constructing life in a laboratory is not a modern day attempt to "build a tower that reaches into the heavens" so that some "can make a name" for themselves? I wonder how far God will let man go in this area?

At the end of this month, I will have completed my 14th year at the Mitchell Church of Christ. Hard to believe! It's hard to stay in this vocation, evidently. A Duke University study found that 85% of seminary graduates will drop out of ministry within 5 years and that 90% of all ministers do not make it to retirement age before quitting. Wow. I hope my endurance athletic disciplines serve me well in this area! Can I be one of the 10%?

30/150 Plan

2012-01-04T08:21:00.000-05:00

OK, you remember my 26.2 plan? I kept to it pretty well. I think I only "cheated" twice on the coffee pledge. Both times were after a long run in cold weather. Once I accidentally used a salt shaker. Other than that, I kept to it. I actually enjoyed the challenge of it and the satisfaction of doing it. The payoff? Six pounds lighter and considerably faster on runs, along with simply feeling better all the time. Gone was a bloated feeling; replaced with a light, hollow feel. Do you know what I'm talking about? Man, it feels good!

OK, so the 26.2 plan ended on Christmas Eve. For the days that followed I left the plan, but not in a huge way. I still did not use the salt shaker, which is a pretty significant thing for me. I used to salt just about everything, including, at times, pizza. Yes, I know... Anyway, when I was off the plan for a week or so, I ate a lot of sweets, drank a lot of soft drinks and buttered my beloved popcorn. You know what? None of that was very satisfying. So that makes it easier for me to go on my new 30/150 plan.

What is this plan? Pretty simple. I will go back to the restrictions of the 26.2 plan for 30 days OR until I reach my goal weight of 150. Here are the key elements:

1 cup of coffee per am, then nothing but H2O

No desserts

No salt out of shaker for meals

No butter on popcorn

Reasonable portions

Small, high protein snacks between meals

30 sit-ups 3 x week

100 Torso Track 3 x week

35-45 miles per week running

Bike trainer 1x week for 1 hour

I'm at 154 now, so I doubt it will take 30 days. I'm not sure how I will modify things to maintain that weight. I'll figure that out when I get there. This is the weight that I ran the Louisville marathon. I had a really bad day, mostly due to weather issues, but I was in the best shape I had been in years. My Boston qualifying marathon in Indy, a few months after Louisville, saw me at 155, but the weather was cool.

If I go into Boston at 150 and with good, injury-free training, then I should have a really good day. That's what I'm after. Then I hope to follow that up with a great summer of running, biking, and swimming. More on all those goals soon.

Wednesday a.m.

2012-01-04T06:42:00.001-05:00

My three sons in redneck mode! Ben has been wanting a gun for a long time, so over the break we shopped around. He wants to hunt coyotes, so he found a good, used .243 rifle. The boys got my old .222 ground hog gun (from my very redneck youth) and had some fun. They placed a target about 400 yards away and started shooting. To go check the target, they all three loaded on a 4 wheeler. The picture does not quite capture the humor of the sight. Yes, they actually did hit the target at that distance, with the .243. They also called a coyote in one night, but didn't get a shot.

Yesterday was a good day in a lot of ways, but it was draining also. Gerald T's funeral went well and was filled with emotion. I don't know how many funerals I've done over the years; it's a lot. I've said before that I would rather do funerals than weddings, because a funeral provides an opportunity to really help people who are pretty focused on life and death issues. Weddings? Not much thinking going on there! ha ha

The part of the funeral that I find the hardest is when the family, at the end of the service, comes to say that final "good-bye." That part often gets to me. You see such raw and real grief. Yesterday was no exception. The sight of inconsolable mourning helps me identify with what is said in John 11, where Jesus sees Mary grieving the loss of her brother, Lazarus.

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept.

I often use this passage in funerals; used it yesterday. Even though Jesus knows that the resurrection of Lazarus is moments away--a resurrection that will create celebration, on this side of it, he weeps. Identification. #Incarnation.

Yesterday I got to spend some time on other projects as well. I am working on a sermon series, Find Your Place in God's Story, which will begin a week from Sunday. It's going to be a overview of the entire Bible, helping us all see how the plan of God unfolds from the Paradise (lost) of Genesis to the Paradise (restored) of Revelation. A lot of people really don't understand how the Story goes, and, therefore, having trouble relating to it and living it out.

Last night I had a really good run in Bedford with several friends. We were running as the sun went down. It was such a beautiful evening. Yes, it was a little cool but not too bad at all, once we got warmed up. We ran the 7 mile tempo run course, running just one mile at tempo pace. I was pleased to crank out a 6.47 mile without too much trouble. Next week we'll try hold that pace for another mile. Today is an easy recovery run of 5 miles.

Got lots going on today with study, meetings, and visits, followed by our Wednesday Evening Meal and class at 7 p.m. I hope to have a productive today and the rest of the week. My goal is to have everything finished by Friday at noon. Why? Have you seen the forecast? Mid to low 50s on Friday. I am planning on a 30+ mile bike ride Friday around noon. We'll see...

Tuesday a.m.

2012-01-03T06:09:00.000-05:00

Good morning! It's on the chilly side out there, so bundle up. The cold is not going to last very long, which is kinda strange for this time of the year. The forecast on Friday is sunny and 54! I am planning on another outdoor bike ride at this point. I'd much rather ride outside than in my basement on a trainer.

I don't know about you, but I'm allowing myself to slip back into a routine. Christmas and the week after are so unusual (and nice). I guess yesterday was a holiday; didn't feel that way. I remember in days gone by that New Year's Day was a fun day of eating and watching football. I know this year was different because it was one of those "observed" holiday, being observed a day late. Plus the BCS in college football has really changed everything. I watched the end of the Rose Bowl and a little bit of the Fiesta Bowl. Oh well...

Running was a little more challenging yesterday morning. The wind and the cold, with a little sideways snow thrown in, made it a little harder to get motivated to get out. I decided that Spring Mill Park would be a good place to run, so I headed out there for 7 miles. It wasn't bad at all, and the Park is so beautiful. I did a lot of trails and hills. Tonight I'll run 7 more miles in Bedford with a group. We are easing into tempo runs, starting tonight. I'm ready.

Today is Gerald Tolliver's funeral. I need to work on that for a while this morning and then see how everything evolves from there. His viewing was in our Family Life Center yesterday and seemed to be going well when I left.

Soon I will tell you about my goals for this year and my new 30/150 plan, which is a lot like my 26.2 plan. As you can imagine, a lot of it centers around April 16th and the Boston Marathon. The desire to have a great run on that day on that course makes it easier to go out on days like yesterday and to eat right.

OK, I have lots of work to do, so I best get started!

Monday, January 2, 2012

2012-01-02T06:20:00.002-05:00

Good morning and Happy New Year! Ready or not, it's here. I'm not quite ready, since I have not formally written out all my goals, etc. I have them scratched out on paper, so that counts, I suppose. I'll give you a blog version sometime this week. Today is my last day of "vacation mode." Kedra and Ben go back to school tomorrow, so today I want to hang around them as much as I can.

Last week was somewhat relaxing, but death reared its ugly head in a big way. I had a funeral on Thursday, followed by a meal in our gym. Then on Friday I got a message early that Gerald T. had died. It was too early to call the family, so I had breakfast in Bloomington with Pat A. After that I went to see my neighbor Roger. I found him in pretty bad shape. We were able to communicate barely. He signalled to me that he was feeling really bad. I left him and called his brother, telling him that I thought Roger would not make it much longer.

From the hospital I went to Gerald T's house and spent some time with Alex and other family members. Gerald was taking an early (Thursday) evening nap, after a long, fun day, and simply died in his sleep. He had lots of health issues, but his death was totally unexpected--the hardest kind for those left behind. We talked about his funeral and where to have it. A couple hours later, we were talking of using our church buildings, and that's how it settled out.

I went home Friday afternoon and did a few things. Then 3 p.m. rolled around. This was the time that Bill D. and I had set for a 30 mile bike ride. The forecast had been for 54, sunny, and windy. It turned out to be cloudy, 49, and windy with a hint of moisture in the air. Big difference. But I have a new bike, and I wanted to ride. Bill did too, so we took off. It really wasn't bad at all. I love the new bike! It's so much more comfortable and I feel faster on it. We'll see if I really am, as the spring and summer arrive.

Following the bike ride, the plans to use our buildings for Gerald's visitation and funeral were finalized. Then I got a call from Roger's brother saying that Roger was really bad. "Maybe you can go up there," his brother said, from St. Louis. I called the hospital and talked to the nurse. I've been called in too many times when death was not that imminent, so I asked her point blank about the timing, knowing that death is very imprecise. She gave me a refreshingly straight answer. "You won't make it before he dies." Since we were having a family dinner, with Kedra's parents from Alabama, I didn't go. The nurse was right - I would not have made it. Roger's death has affected Kedra and I quite a bit, and I talk more about that at another time, perhaps.

On a more cheerful note, Saturday was a good day! Tim Galloway needed 5 miles to reach his 50,000th running mile. Several of us did some of it with him, followed by a nice celebratory breakfast at Golden Corral. It was very nice. He's a good man and an amazing runner. Lester and I started early and then did a few more after Tim's 5. We ended up with 13, which made a 40 mile week for me.

OK, this is too long. Maybe more later...

Rest in Peace, Roger

2011-12-31T05:57:00.000-05:00

Roger died last night around 6 p.m. I saw him yesterday and knew the end was near. We'll miss him a lot.

2011-12-29T06:45:00.002-05:00

Thursday a.m.

2011-12-29T06:27:00.003-05:00

Good morning! Thursday! We're closing in on closing out one year and welcoming a new one. I can say that I will be kinda glad to kiss 2011 good bye. It was not one of my better years, and I will explain some of that in a post later on. Since it was not one of my better years, it sets up 2012 to be one of the best ever, and I will explain that later also.

Yesterday started really well. I met some friends in Bedford at 8 a.m. They had decided on a 10 miler, which was really what I wanted also. Off we went. We ran a nice comfortable 8.30 pace. I felt good the whole time and am gaining confidence. Today I will do an easy 5. I'll take Friday off and then run 13 on Saturday. This will give me 40 for the week and 1264 for the year, which is about 500 miles down from last year. I focused on the bike for most of the summer and really let my running slip, which is fine. I think the lighter miles has me rested and positioned to run really well in 2012.

Today is sermon prep day, plus I have a funeral and a funeral dinner. I will also spend some time with Roger's dog. Yap, yip, yappity-yap. ha ha. Roger's brother came in for a couple of days but is leaving today. I saw Roger yesterday. He is doing better but still has a long way to go.

Tomorrow mid-afternoon I plan to go for a bike ride outside, hopefully a 30 miler. I've got one other person going at this point and am hoping for others to join. It's supposed to be around 50 degrees. I am eager to get some more time on my new ride.

OK, I have lots of writing to do today - sermon and funeral message. See ya!

Wednesday a.m.

2011-12-28T06:26:00.000-05:00

Is it Wednesday already? This week, between Christmas and New Years, is always hard to keep track of. It seems that hardly anyone works, and people are coming and going. The days blur into one another. I kinda like it. It's the storm before the long, cold calm of January.

Yesterday I timed my run just right. I was dressed and ready to run in the rain, but by the time I got started, it had started snowing. It was beautiful! By the time I finished, the fields were covered in a nice blanket of white, and so was I. I had about half an inch of snow built up on the bill of my Gore-Tex hat. I had a nice run that included hill repeats.

Today, I am running this morning with a bunch of guys in Bedford. Like I said before, hardly any one is working this week. I'll run somewhere between 5 and 10 miles, depending on what others are doing. I have a funeral in the morning, which will limit my distance tomorrow, so I would like to go a little farther this morning. I have 40 miles scheduled for this week.

My neighbor, Roger, is still in the hospital, so I am going up again today to check on him. He is more stable now than he was over the weekend. His brother came in from St. Louis. I'm glad he's here. I think he is going to figure out what to do with Roger's dog, Benji. I feel sorry for the little beast. His socialization needs are not being met. ha ha.

The first picture above is from my home office window, shortly after my run yesterday. I guess you can see why I love working from this location. I love my home office and get a lot done there. The second photo is from Christmas day. Kedra managed to find Christmas Vacation shirts for our whole crew.

Monday December 26

2011-12-26T20:12:00.000-05:00

Hey, good evening! I hope you survived Christmas! Welcome to some readers who have wandered over here from Perspectives. I wrote a short piece there about the amazing Albert Mesarosh. He's still running at age 73. Wow! I hope I can run that long. I remember, when in my 20s, hearing a girl talk about her father, in his 40s, running. I said, "Wow, that's so cool that he can run at his age!" ha ha. Now I'm 53 and feeling pretty strong. Who knows?

My 26.2 plan ended on Christmas Eve, but I didn't really alter the plan much. In fact, I don't think I did anything different. As a result of being on the plan, I lost 6 pounds, but I'm not quite where I want to be. I will resume the plan on January 1, if not before. In the mean time, I'm not going to do anything crazy. I simply love the way I feel, and I am running considerably faster. Several miles are being cranked out at or below my Boston Marathon pace of 8 minutes per mile, which will be a 3.29.45 marathon. I haven't started serious speed work yet, so I'm feeling good about where I am.

I did have a bad day of eating yesterday, Christmas Day, but, hey, it didn't kill me. I had a great 7 mile run this morning with a lot of the gang in Bedford, plus, Lester, my oldest son, was there to run with us. It was a beautiful morning and a great time.

We had a great turn out for our Santa Hat run on Saturday. More than 100 runners participated, and together we raised more than $600 for those who transport cancer patients. It was a great morning. As soon as the run was over, I headed to Bloomington Hospital to check on my neighbor Roger. He had coded earlier that morning, so I was very concerned about him. I found him in better shape than I thought. He's doing pretty well again today.

Today and this evening we had our family Christmas celebration. Part of the tradition is for my three sons and me to go on a long drive to explore unknown territory. Today we wander through eastern Greene County and then over to Monroe dam. We took tiny country roads and saw lots of interesting things.

Tomorrow is hill repeats for me. I hope you don't think I'm sick/crazy, but I am really looking forward to them. They are unpleasant at the time, but yield really good results. Kinda reminds me of this (from Hebrews 12:11,12):

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T05:40:00.002-05:00

Pain and pancakes

2011-12-23T13:21:00.001-05:00

Friday

2011-12-23T07:25:00.001-05:00

I don't know if I oughta go sailin' down no hill with nothin' between the ground and my brains but a piece of government plastic.

Do you think it really matters, Eddie?

So how's it going? Here's how it's going for me - not in the mood to write today! ha ha. I am working on getting ready for Sunday by smoking meat to eat and by preparing a few words to say, hopefully also a little meat. Yes, that was bad. Go ahead and boo if you want.

I will go to Bloomington mid-afternoon to see Roger, who does not have TB! Relief confirmed. I'm gearing up to get everything done so that tomorrow is relaxing. I'll have our annual Santa Hat run in Bedford and then a day of not much else hopefully.

Merry Christmas to you!

Thursday

2011-12-22T07:06:00.001-05:00

Well, so far, this weather prediction has been far from right! I guess winter officially starts today, so I suppose there is still time. Speaking of winter starting today - did you know that winter started yesterday in the central time zone and today in the eastern? It officially started around 12.30 a.m., which is 11.30 p.m. (yesterday), centrally speaking. Now isn't that interesting? Stop snoring!

You already know about part of my day yesterday, if you read the previous post. Shortly after that I spent more than 3 hours involved in court with a grieving mother. It was a long, frustrating experience. We sat there for the longest time, only to have a 2 minute meeting with the prosecutor, and there was really nothing significant to share. Oh well, while we were waiting we watched several people being sentenced and others making appeals. There were lots of people garbed in jail attire, complete with chains.

The judge sure doesn't mess around. He speaks straight and boldly. One young man appeared before him because he had not checked in with a court appointed defense attorney. The judge ripped him pretty good. The kid was dressed in jeans, complete with holes, and a hooded sweatshirt. The judge started, "First of all, if you ever show up before me again in jeans like that and a sweatshirt like that, I will find you in contempt!" Then he said, after ripping him for not checking in with the court appointed attorney, "Mr. xxxx, you have 10 minutes to get from here to his office on I Street. We are going to call in 10 minutes to see if you made it." The kid started to leave. "DON'T YOU LEAVE, until I tell you you are dismissed."

Due to the length of my time in court, I didn't have time to get to Bloomington to see Roger. I called and found out that he had a biopsy and should know the result in a day or so. They also should be able to tell about TB.

Today I am running 10 miles with some friends and then the family and I are heading to Louisville for a while. Christmas vacation is kinda starting!

Wednesday late morning

2011-12-21T11:30:00.003-05:00

I have a few minutes between things, so let me tell you a couple of things. One of them comes from last night. As I was running around Wilson Park last night, I kept seeing a police SUV. It stopped up behind the Armory, and I think let a couple of squirrely teen girls out. Theymay have been walking by there, I'm not sure. Either way, they came walking toward me. One was wearing a Santa hat; both were laughing and giggling as early teen girls do.

As I approached them, the one wearing the Santa hat said, rather boldly, "Nice ears!" What? I replied, "Hello." Nice ears? Wow, all these childhood memories of having monkey ears came flooding back. Then I felt my ears to see if they were hot and thus were red. Didn't seem to be. Nice ears? Of all the things they could have to said to me, the one who has the body of a god (think Buddha)... Nice ears? Oh well.

This morning I was on my 5 mile run. I had climbed the long, and at times steep, hill and was cruising along. A car was coming around the curve and I recognized the driver and waved. As he passed me, he entered into a very tricky curve. All of sudden I hear a car skidding across the wet pavement, and then I hear it crashing into small trees and debris off the road.

I immediately turned around and ran hard to see what had happened. I thought it was my friend, but it turned out to be another vehicle. This truck had met my friend going too fast and didn't make the (tricky) curve. As I got there, the young driver was getting out of the truck. He wasn't very happy and expressed that. I asked if he was OK. He was fine.

He started wondering how he could get out. It was clear to me that it was going to require a pretty good effort from another vehicle. He came to the same conclusion. I asked him if he had anyone he could call. "No, everyone I know is at work." I said, "Here's my deal. I'm about 10-15 minutes from my vehicle, and I have a 4 wheel drive at home. I can get it and try pull you out." He was happy to wait, and now I was on a mission.

Bronco to the rescue! Yeah, baby! I got the needed stuff together, put on my superman cape and off I went. Pulled him out! Another deed done, even though I had to shorten my run by a mile. Hopefully the heroics will cancel the feeling the "4" in my running log gives, the "4" that normally drive me nuts. I wanted 5! ha ha.

Wednesday a.m.

2011-12-21T06:30:00.000-05:00

Good morning! How's it going? How many days until Christmas?

Today's the long day. I tried to sleep in and actually made it to 5:15 - ha ha. I really wish I could learn to stay in bed longer, but once I am awake, I find it hard to stay there. The upside is that I get a lot of stuff done in the mornings.

Yesterday was centered around Roger. I went over and took care of his dog. Soon, like right now, I am looking for someone to take the dog until Roger comes home again, which is likely going to be a while. Let me know if you are interested. Roger's house is pretty much a mess, and the dog has contributed a fair share of making it that way. I need to go do some basic cleaning...

Roger was about the same yesterday, maybe a little better but not much. He is still in isolation and will be another day or so. They have to take cultures three days in a row to determine if he has TB. Today will be day 2. Until they get to day 3 and beyond, visiting him requires a gown, mask, gloves, etc., which makes it a little harder. I went in yesterday with the social worker. Since she is a hospital employee, she had to have this really fancy outfit, looked like a haz mat suit, only a little lighter. The nurse debated whether I would have to wear one also. I told her that I've already been super exposed anyway. She let me go with the stuff I mentioned above. I am assuming Roger does not have TB. I'll be in for a shock if he does.

I spent quite a bit of time with old Rog yesterday. The social worker wanted me to tag team regarding nursing home placement. We did, and I think it went OK. Roger can't walk right now, so he really has no choice. I am guessing they will try to discharge him on Friday, assuming he is TB free. They are doing more tests today regarding possible lung cancer.

The rest of the day was filled with study and phone calls and messages. Last night I went to Bedford to run with my friends, which is always an encouraging experience. I started early so I could get 4 miles in, including a couple of hill repeats. I missed Monday's workout altogether, since I was dealing with Roger.

With my 4 miles in, I met everyone else. I thought they were running 5, but someone said something about 7 miles. OK. Then it was negotiated down to 6. OK. Then we were directed to go the wrong way, which would have made it a 5.5. Not OK. I mean you can't run 9.5 miles! So close to 10, you have to do 10. So another guy and I took a detour, and I ended up with more than 10. It was nice and misty. Actually, I think the mist had turned into rain, but it was mild. I enjoyed it and felt really good.

Today I have meetings, a court visit with a grieving mother, a trip to Bloomington to see Roger, and a class to teach. Going to start it all with an easy 5 mile run. I am thinking of running long in the morning.

2011-12-20T09:13:00.002-05:00

Tuesday a.m.

2011-12-20T06:25:00.001-05:00

"Interruptions are my work." You've heard me say that over and over again, quoting Henri Nouwen. Yesterday I had a full day of such work. I was doing what I do a little after 8 yesterday when Roger, my deaf neighbor called me on my phone. He "pocket dials" me occasionally, so I thought little of it. I listened for about a minute to see if I could discern anything that would indicate trouble. Nothing.

A few minutes later he sent a text, which he does sometimes. He just said, "Could use some help today." I replied, "What with?" trying to discern a time frame. No reply, so I go over to check on him.

When I walk in, he is not on the couch, where I usually find him. I walked into the living room and turned on the light. Then I saw him. He was slumped over in the kitchen, leaning against a wall, over a trash can. He had a pair of sleep pants on and then jeans over them. The jeans had fallen to his ankles. It was a pitiful sight. I thought he was puking but he wasn't.

I touched him. He barely moved and said, "My legs aren't working." We slowly straightened up, pulled his jeans up. He is so skinny that they had simply fallen down, even with his belt buckled. We walked to the couch and got him to sit. I told him I was taking him to the ER. Significantly, he barely nodded an "OK." No protest this time. I told him I needed to go home and do a couple of things.

Returning in about 5 minutes, I found him lying on the couch in his usual position: head totally covered with blankets. I pulled them back and mouthed, "Let's go." He said he wanted to wait and let his legs rest. I shook my head. He protested, "I can't walk." With that I signaled that I was going to carry him to the truck, and before he could protest, I picked him off the couch and carried his bony 90 pound frame to the truck. His psycho dog was protest, acting like he was going to bite me. Must have been quite a sight really.

As we made our way to the ER, I was afraid he was going to die. He was in bad shape. I was praying for him. Then I called his brother in St. Louis, telling him what was going on. This is the only family member that has contact with Roger. We got to the hospital and started unloading. One of their folks came out and helped.

They got him in and started doing all kinds of tests, while I was Roger's ears. The doc came in and talked about what he was finding etc. A little later on, early in the afternoon, the doc came back and pulled back the curtain, he had a mask and gloves on and was accompanied by two nurses who were masked, gloved, and gowned. He said, "He may have TB, so we are moving him to isolation. If he has it, then you have been exposed." Hmmm.

We moved rooms and were informed that Roger was going to be moved to Bloomington. I need to leave and got home about 3. Kedra and I were planning on going to Bloomington last night anyway, so we made our way to the hospital, where it took a long time for us to find Roger. We finally found him. I gowned, gloved, and masked up to go visit. (Does all that protection really matter at this point?)

I'm going back up this morning to check on him, after I check on his yappy dog that I do night like (ha ha). Stupid thing barks its head off, acts like it's going to bite me, and then lets me pet it. Psycho dog. I talked to Roger's brother a couple of more times, and he told me that they thought he had TB before, due to a spot on his lung, but they ruled it out. I think that will happen again this time; sure hope so.

I feel so sorry for Roger. He is alone and doesn't understand a lot of what is going on in the hospital. I advocated and interpreted for him yesterday. While I there waiting I managed to get a lot of stuff done. Having done the ER thing with Roger a time or two before, I knew to take my computer and a book or two. I got a 12 week sermon series planned and outlined, amongst other things.

The ER is an interesting place. During my extended stay yesterday I heard a lot of real life unfold. You can't help but hear stuff. I heard an angry guy, a very angry guy, cuss loudly for everyone to hear, about his dissatisfaction with the slowness of the ER. He was going to blankity blank (lots of F bombs - lovely) leave and go to the other hospital in town. Adios!

There was an exchange between the doctor and a lady who said she couldn't afford her medicine. Not taking the meds had led to her visit to the ER. The doctor said, "Do you smoke?" "Yes." "How much?" She told him, and it was alot. "How much do cigarettes cost?" She told him. He said, "You say you can't afford you meds, but you are spending more money than the meds cost on cigarettes." "Yes." "I'm not trying to make you feel bad, but I want you to see that you are making a choice here." Good job, Doc.

2011-12-19T20:12:00.002-05:00

Funny Tweets

2011-12-19T06:40:00.001-05:00

One of the guys I follow on Twitter is NotKennyRogers - very funny guy! Here are some of his recent tweets:

Looks like Kim Jong II took the Denver loss pretty hard.

BREAKING: North Korean Leader Kim Jong II has died...making this year's Secret Santa gift exchange in Hell one for the ages.

"Congratulations to New England on today's big win." - Satan

Green Bay loses, Indianapolis wins and Kim Kardashian is a millionaire. I'll take 'Signs of the Apocalypse' for $600, Alex.

I am 100% certain that Christopher Hitchens is no longer an atheist.

Monday

2011-12-19T06:29:00.000-05:00

Good morning! It's the Monday before Christmas! Are you ready? I'm not, but I have a plan to get ready. That counts for something I suppose. Getting ready will dictate a little bit of a different week for me., that coupled with Rebecca and Luke being home, which is so, so nice! Lots of unusual activities this week.

The weekend was good. Uneventful really, which is very good. On Friday I managed to take a little time off. It's really hard to get down time for people who do what I do. We are "on call" 24/7/365, which is fine, and I think most of us think about what we do and the people we love constantly. Finding blessed distractions is important. The older I get the more I realize the importance of taking care of my self. That, in part, is what my running, cycling, and my move toward triathlon is all about. Kedra can tell you that I am at my best when I come home from doing these things, especially if I have done them with a group.

Friday, after finishing up a little prep for Sunday, I got on my bike trainer for a little more than an hour and did some core work. I don't really recall what I did the rest of the day. Luke and Rebecca were here, and so was Kedra. She wasn't feeling well at all. She stayed home from school. I think I did some reading.

Saturday was a nice 10 mile run with a good group. It was a beautiful morning to run: upper 20s and still. We had a few miles at 8 minute miles or below, which is really encouraging. I'm starting to train faster. After the run, some of us went to breakfast. Then it was back home for this and that.

Yesterday was good. It was so beautiful! Church went well, followed by nice meal. The Colts won! After the game I went for a short 5 mile bike ride. I have a new bike that I am trying to get adjusted, so that was a lot of fun. I've been saving my bus driving money, plus other extra funds that have come in over the fall. I've been looking around and found an great deal. The bike felt great yesterday!

OK, let's get this week rolling...

2011-12-17T11:22:00.000-05:00

Friday

2011-12-16T07:52:00.001-05:00

What's this picture of? It's my bike speedometer from last summer, right after I rode my first 100 miler. I don't remember the exact date, but I do remember the ride fairly well. I rode most of it by myself and then connected with Tim the Elder, Tim the Strunker, and Iron Bill, for about 30 of the middle miles. They were a welcome break for riding alone.

Today is Friday, so I plan to get on my bike today for a little more than an hour. I will do my 3rd core workout for the week. I'm still right on my 26.2 days of discipline plan. I have only deviated twice, once on purpose and once on accident. Last Saturday after a 12 miler in pretty cold conditions, at breakfast I drank some coffee, and the other day, while talking with someone at lunch, I just grabbed the salt shaker without thinking and shook it a couple of times before I came to my senses. I immediately stopped, announced to everyone in the restaurant what I had done. I then began the process of self-flagellation. Please don't confuse this with another similar word.

Speaking of flagellation, and I didn't not wake thinking of this (remember which word we are talking about), a story comes to mind, a story from a few years ago. I was at a monastery where Benedictine monks live, receiving a nice tour of the place with a nice monk. He took us into a hall that had murals all over the wall and ceiling. One of the them depicted monks involved in self-flagellation, a practice associated with the past. So I ask the monk, "Do you still practice this?" He said, "Yes, in principle."

I could tell he was wanting the conversation to stop, but I pushed a little, "So what do you do?" He said, "Well, we don't beat ourselves anymore, but we do things that help us deny the power of the flesh." Not giving up, I said, "Like what?" He said, "We'll, let's say after supper, chocolate cake is being offered for dessert, we might deny ourselves that." I said, trying to keep from bursting out in laughter, "OK, thanks."

Beating yourself vs. not eating chocolate cake - sounds equal to me!

Thursday a.m.

2011-12-15T08:17:00.000-05:00

Good morning! I hope you woke up well and your day is going well! I had a few minor computer problems this morning that has delayed me by about 20 minutes. That's ironic since my sermon theme this week is "waiting." I got it going in time to do the essentials (not really essential but feel that way) before taking Ben into football conditioning at 6.05. By the way, he told me last night that has gained a few pounds already. Good for him!

Yesterday I had a Mitchell Area Ministerial Association meeting, you know, MAMA meeting. I will spare you my usual jokes about the name... Anyway it went long, as usual. I know this is so surprising -- a room full of preachers and the meeting goes long?? Whoda thunk it? Anyway during the meeting, one of my oft repeated lines came up, "I used to complain about interruptions to my work until I realized the interruptions are my work."

I left the meeting to do good. Went to the Store for a while, met a friend to give him some things, helped unload of truck load of food, signed a letter for our coat giveaway follow-up, talked on the phone, and went back to the Store. I hadn't been there very long when my phone rang. The incoming call said, "Mitchell Police." Hmmm - the police calling me...

The person calling identified herself by name and said that she was with the police department. Then she asked if I knew a man named Roger. Of course she was referring to my deaf neighbor. She went on to tell me that he had an episode in Arbys and needed me to come and help him. "I'll be right there." [Gotta love small towns where everyone knows your name.]

I arrived to find a community of first responders gathered. Roger was sitting in his truck's passenger side, all slumped over. The ambulance people told me that he had fallen and hit his head but was refusing medical care. They did take his blood pressure and it was "sky high." I opened the door of Roger's truck. He looked at me and said, "I want to go home."

One of guys who was there, Greg, said he would drive Roger home, if I could bring him (Greg) back to town. No problem. We got Roger in the house and on the couch. I took Greg to town and then came back to Roger's. I tried and tried to talk (by writing) him into letting me take him to the ER. He was having nothing of it. I wrote him that his blood pressure was "sky high" and that he could have a stroke and die. He just smiled and did a no-big-deal wave of his hand. OK, Roger. With that I left.

I stayed close by and went back to check on him. I really thought I might find him dead, and I actually thought I had when I walked in. His eyes were half open and he was not moving. I could not discern any breathing movements and could not see a pulse in his neck. I was about to touch him, when all of a sudden he moved! Startled? Yes. Both of us. ha ha

Anyway, he said he was fine. I checked on him later and again this morning. Still fine. I offered to take him to eat and get some meds. He's thinking about it. Stubborn old man! He told me he could drive. Watch out for a black Ford truck! ha ha.

Thinking ahead

2011-12-14T17:04:00.001-05:00

I was in a hurry this morning and didn't get to mention anything about running. Last night I went over to Bedford to run. I did a couple of miles to warm-up before the others arrived. There was a smaller group last night. We started out at a rather pedestrian pace, but on the way back things started picking up a bit.

Kathy and Josh were out ahead of the rest of us. I could tell coming up the hill that the 4 of us in the chase group had picked up the pace. We dropped down from an 8.40 to an 8.18, and then I decided to pick it up further, trying to catch Josh and Kathy. My next mile went down to an 8.01, which is my Boston Marathon goal pace, but I wasn't done yet. The last mile went down to a 7.07, which I was pretty happy about, especially after a hill workout yesterday. I caught the leaders, and at about the same time, Tim the Elder pulled up with me as well. It was a great run!

I had a nice 5 mile recovery run early this morning, while it was still dark. I love mid 40s and mist. I think it may be my favorite training conditions; not sure why. While running, I've been thinking a lot about biking. I really look forward to having a great biking season, right after the Boston Marathon. I will be working all winter on making that happen by being on the trainer. I hope to do all 162 miles of RAIN (instead of the 158 + hospital plan).

The other big thing I look forward to next year is completing a triathlon. That's ambitious for a guy who doesn't know how to swim! This old dog is going to learn a new trick! I've been reading books about triathlon, specifically about the Ironman, which is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, followed by a full 26.2 marathon. All events are back to back to back. I know I can do the last 2... Of course I have to start with a sprint tri, which is about a quarter mile swim, 10 mile ride, and a 5K run. If I don't drown, then I should be fine.

Wednesday

2011-12-14T06:39:00.002-05:00

Good morning! Are you finding the whole present political process pretty discouraging? I confess I am. I am less politically minded than I used to be and more Kingdom minded, but I'm still interested and concerned. Nothing (and nobody) about any of it really excites me right now. Oh well. I am a citizen of Heaven, and that's what really matters. I'm ready for the Second Coming of Jesus. I really am.

Yesterday was a good, solid day of doing good. Enjoyable. I attended a funeral yesterday morning and was moved by the minister's message. He knew the deceased and knew her well. I wish I had known her better and would have seen some of the things he knew and saw. It's impossible to spend enough time for everyone to know them well.

While at the funeral home I got to see the good folks who work there. I really respect all of them for the way they do things and who/how they are. While there, I was reminded of a couple of stories. Once when the funeral director and I were on our way to a cemetery, we were talking about an employee that had been let go. The director was saying that this young person didn't like having to work unusual hours, and then the director added these words of wisdom and insight, "Death takes no holidays." How true.

This reminded me of a few funerals that I have done right around Christmas. I think I've done 2 funerals on Christmas Eve; not totally sure but I think so. That's a tough time to bury someone, but it actually is a powerful time, if we believe the Christmas Story. That, of course, became the heart of my message. "Today in the city of David a Savior has been born." A Savior that takes away the sting and the power of death.

Once, several years ago, I had a funeral right around Christmas for a lady that I did not know that well. I was surprised that I was asked to do it. The funeral was on a Sunday afternoon. The problem was that I had tickets for Colts football game that kicked off at 4 p.m. Here's what I remember: I had Kedra lurking in the cemetery in her car. As soon as the final amen and the loving hugs and handshakes were done, I said, "Look, it's Haley's Comet!" As everyone looked, I dashed away toward Kedra's car, throwing off my suit and tie as I went.

We sped to Indy! Kedra drove while I painted my body blue and got my blue wig on. After I was "dressed," at the first stop light, we switched drivers. She shoved the car in park, and the doors flew open. I ran around the front and she around the back. Just as the light turned green, I was able to forcefully pull the shifter into D and off we went. I think I hit 124 mph.

As we neared the old RCA Dome, I forged some official looking papers, and we were able to park right inside, where the players park. We got a police escort on one of this little golf cart things, right to our seats. We arrived just in the time for the kick-off.

Some of the above is true.

OK, that's probably enough for you and me today.

Tuesday a.m.

2011-12-13T07:26:00.000-05:00

I can feel it coming on! It happens every few months or so, and I usually just go with it. For the sake of a faithful few, a righteous remnant, who enjoy coming here for a visit, I will resist the urge. What am I talking about? The thing that seemingly strikes most bloggers - the urge to stop doing it for a while. I'll try keep sharing a glimpse of my life each day, as boring as it is.

I guess you've noticed that I talk about a lot of different things, but I don't talk about everything; not even close. I keep a lot to myself. A lot. I tell my wife and children, on a fairly regular basis, "I am an enigma of a man." They roll their eyes, which I think means that they agree. A man of mystery, that's what I am. ha ha. A man of selected information to share for sure. I mean, I would have to kill you if I told you a lot of what I know, like the whole alien visiting me thing. Oops.

OK, see, I am making the cartoon come true. Yesterday was so beautiful! I took advantage of it to go for a midday run, which involved hill repeats. Wow, my heart has not pounded that hard for a while! The weather made it a little easier. I also went out for a very short bike ride. I have a friend's bike that I am trying out. I about decided it's too small for me. I felt a little scrunched and don't see anyway to fix that.

Later in the day, I worked out in the yard for a while. Then I grilled some chicken for supper. See, what an exciting life I live! Prior to, and mixed in with those exciting things, were a few phone calls and texts to check on people, some time at the church building, and some time at the Store. I picked up my wife for a brief lunch, which I love doing. I'd rather spend time with her than anyone else.

Each week I make a list of 20-25 people that I will try contact in some form or another. These are people that I probably would not normally run into. I hope you don't thing this is a legalistic list that I am going to check off. I care about each one and try to speak encouragement in some form or another. Probably more than half don't go to church with me/us.

Today I'm going to study old Simeon for a while, attend a funeral, go to Bloomington for a hospital visit, deliver a couple of coats to kids who don't have any, after picking the coats up at the Store, contact/see some people, and then cap the day off with an evening 7 mile run with my buds in Bedford. That's the plan...

OK.

Good morning Monday!

2011-12-12T06:25:00.002-05:00

Here we go! It's Monday, and we're closing in on Christmas, less than 2 weeks away. We're also closing in on a New Year, and I am really looking forward to a new year. This year has not been the best - something that I will explain in a future post. That's not a complaint but more of a set-up for an epic 2012. I've got some major plans for 2012.

The Boston Marathon is 18 weeks from today, so today I officially begin training. Of course, not much will change, because I've been focused for the last 3-4 weeks. The only change is the official introduction of hill repeats, and then at the first of the year I will add tempo and steady state runs. It feels exciting to be within the 18 week timeframe. A lot of marathon training programs are 18 weeks long.

The weekend was good and basically uneventful. We had a nice party Friday night with our ReGeneration Store board and employees. I dearly love this ministry and the people involved. Things just keep going better and better. Our sales are increasing, and so are donations. We are trying to figure out that last part. It's becoming more difficult to process all of them. We are trying to figure out what to do about space and employees. It's a good problem to have.

Saturday started out cold and with a good run! We had a nice group that did 10+ miles. I wanted 11, so I started a little early. We started out slowly but kept picking up the pace. I was very pleased with the overall time and with the data that showed that we ran the last 3 miles down in the 7:50s per mile, which is my intended pace for the Boston Marathon.

After the run, several of us went to breakfast, where the talk turned to bikes. I visited a nice bike store on Friday, down in Clarksville. The "very motivated seller," as he called himself, said that we "could make something happen," if I was a "motivated buyer." (ha ha) Wow, I'm not an impulse buyer, but he had my attention with all the deal$ he was offering! It's a good time of the year to buy bikes. I walked away but enjoyed seeing all the tri bikes he showed me.

This should be a great week! The weather is looking mild, and we're heading toward Christmas! Two of my beloved children will be home Thursday. I can hardly wait!

Problem solving

2011-12-10T06:43:00.001-05:00

Gettin' serious about bike trainin'

2011-12-09T16:12:00.001-05:00

I don't want to fail at RAIN next summer, so I'm going to get out all winter long! Thanks Alan!

Friday morning

2011-12-09T05:52:00.001-05:00

It's Friday! I hope your week has gone well. Seems like a pretty good one from my end.

I think I remember why I've lost interest in baseball. I think it goes back to a strike many years ago and all the greed involved. Fast forward many years. Did you see what Albert Pujols is going to make over the next 10 years? Around $250 million. You want to know how that breaks down in terms you and I can understand? Try this: He will make $68,493 per day, everyday, for 10 years. You can read more here.

I don't know much at all about Albert. I think I've heard he is Christian in orientation and is generous. I hope so. Leaving him out of it, the whole thing seems obscene to me. I know all of pro sports is full of lots of greed and selfishness, and, yes, I do enjoy watching NFL football. Sigh. I guess I am part of the problem, just a small part, I hope.

Today is bike day - an hour or so on the trainer, followed by my 3rd core workout for the week. Tomorrow is an 11 mile run, which will make me 35 for the week. I think I've lost 3-4 pounds, so my 26.2 plan is working.

My exchanges continue with the young man I mentioned a couple of posts ago. Pray for him please. OK, I need to get a few things cooking, so I'll see you soon.

NFL MVP?

2011-12-08T19:12:00.001-05:00

Doing Good

2011-12-08T08:03:00.001-05:00

A couple of posts ago I mentioned the idea of "going about doing good," which is rooted in Peter's words found in Acts 10. Peter is describing the work of Jesus. I think that's how we should look at life and do life. (As an assignment, read the letter to Titus, noting how often the word "good" shows up.)

Yesterday I had an opportunity to do some good by connecting a guy who needs a job with a guy who was looking for someone to help him with a 2-3 day project. The boy needing work has been in trouble with the law because of drugs and alcohol. The guy needing some help, long ago, travelled down that same road. He's understands and was eager to give the boy a chance. Here's hoping it turns out good for everyone.

The young man that emailed me yesterday emailed me again. He was replying to my reply to him, but he had a question.

God has a plan for everyone, right? Is there anyway to figure out what that plan is?

How would you answer that question? I wrote him back this morning basically telling him that I don't believe that God necessarily has specific plans all the time for specific people. For example, I'm not sure God wants you to have a specific job and marry a specific person. If he did, then he would have to make those things clearer, it seems to me. Further, it seems to me that God simply wants us to be faithful to him, living out his will on earth, wherever we are, doing whatever we do. Right?

I like the illustration of a kid in a big backyard. "Son, I don't care what you do in the yard. You can slide, play in the dirt pile, swing on the swings, play with the dog, whatever you want, just don't leave the backyard." I think God would say, "It doesn't matter to me where you work, just do it in my will to my glory. JUST DO GOOD!"

Just a few thoughts for you this morning. Feel free to disagree.

2011-12-08T07:08:00.001-05:00

So it's Thursday! I like Thursdays like I like Tuesdays, which is a lot. Class, what happens on Thursday? That's right! It's sermon prep day! I am really enjoying that right now, because I am collaborating with Pat A on sermon prep. That is enjoyable and it keeps me more focused. After a late morning run, I will meet him in Bloomington for lunch and to finish the sermons that we have started independently.

Last night in my class we considered Luke 2:8-20, which tells of the shepherds receiving the very first word of Christ's arrival in this world. This is really shocking! Shepherds were not mainstream folks and were not very popular with the religious types. Yet they get the birth announcement and hear the angels singing. Wow! We need to think about this, and that's basically what the sermon will be about.

The song the angels sing is pretty brief, but it is amazingly reassuring to those who wonder if God loves them. So far in the Nativity narrative, we have seen God use the too young and the too old, and now he is focusing on the outcasts. God is inclusive!

We talked last night about God's peace and goodwill. Troy talked about smiling lovingly at his daughter during a public performance where she "messed up a little." He talked about how he still loved her and her "mess up" didn't change any of that. The angels' message seems to convey this love from God. Troy's comments made me think of the wonderful book The Shack. There is a line repeated in the book, a line attributed to God that is directed toward us, you and me as individuals.

I am especially fond of you.

Isn't that the essence of the gospel? God loves us, and as is fond of us. We are his beloved children, sons and daughters, even though we may be shepherds. OK, I'll save the rest of the sermon. ha ha.

I ran 6 miles yesterday and will try to get 7 in today. I did some hill repeats yesterday. These were unofficial, since there are not on my schedule yet - ha ha! I'm getting ready for the official ones that begin next week. I've run fairly well this week. I'm concerned about the long run on Saturday. It's only going to be around 20 degrees, which makes it a little harder to run farther. We'll see.

2011-12-07T14:58:00.001-05:00

Wedensday a.m.

2011-12-07T07:20:00.001-05:00

Good morning! How are you? It's Pearl Harbor Day, December 7th. There are 17 days until Christmas. Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future.

Yesterday was another good day, full of expected and unexpected people and things. I had to remind myself of the deeply embedded Nouwen words, "I used to complain about interruptions to my work until I realized the interruptions are my work." I had lots of interesting conversations yesterday. If I told you about them, then I would have to kill you. Not really. But you would probably find most of them not that interesting.

The best part of the day was the brief visit by Lester and Maddie, as we shared a meal together. Lester got his truck back from the mechanic, so he has to be happy. There is a thing about a man and his truck. I prefer to drive my old beater with 240,000 plus miles over anything else in our fleet.

Why the preaching pictures? Well, that started with an email that was sent very early this morning by a 19 year old who no longer lives here. More about that in a minute. I have to confess I really struggle with preaching at times, especially with my preaching. It's so hard to tell if it does anything. There are all the requisite jokes about it being boring, too long, etc. I always laugh along, but don't really find them funny, to be honest. Then there are others, from time to time, who say kind and encouraging things. Those words are like honey.

Most preachers, I think, always wonder about the effectiveness of what they do. I think that's probably a good thing, but sometimes it can lead to discouragement. I have to remind myself on a regular basis that my job is to present Scripture and to make sense of it, patterned after Nehemiah 8:8.

They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.

I remind myself further of what God says in Isaiah 55:11.

. . .my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty,but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Yes, I am very aware that my words are not God's, but if I am doing my job, then, in a sense, they are (right?), and if that's the case, then my preaching is not in vain (even though if often feels that way). I suppose that's why I am very careful with the text, and it's why I don't tell a lot of stories and then find a text to go with them. I start with the text and try to stay with it. It may not be the most entertaining way to go, but I believe it's faithful.

OK, having said all that, this morning I get this (and I really, really hesitate to put this here, fearing you will think I am being boastful):

Hello Allen...I'm not sure if you remember me but my name is .... My mother is ... we used to go to your church years ago...I recently had a really bad accident and broke my neck playing football. Since then I realized how wrong I was living and how blessed I am to be here today after everything that's happened to me. I was talking to my mother a while back and she told me I should talk to you...And truth is I wouldn't even be doing it if I had any one else to talk to but right now I just feel like I have no one. I've been thinking very hard about going back to church and learning more about the word of God and when I thought about it I don't think I've ever seen anyone deliver such a message in their teaching as you did. I want to thank you for being such a wonderful person. You helped my Mother a lot when I was younger and at the time I was too young to see how. I plan on coming back to Mitchell one of these days, and coming back to the community I feel like I belong in. I'd love to hear back from you I'm having a very hard time dealing with a lot of things in my life right now and I need Him more than anything. Thanks Allen. By the way I'm 19 now. And me and my Mother both really miss living and Mitchell and being in a community like yours.

Here's my point: God's word does not come back empty. Further: this is not about me, it's about God and his message. Again, I feel strange sharing this with you, but I feel led to. And yes, I will be contacting the boy. Who knew he was paying any attention at all? He was just a kid when he lived here before, a troubled kid. Wow. You never know who is paying attention and to what they are paying attention. Live well.

OK, time to head for the hills to run...

Wow!

2011-12-06T07:54:00.001-05:00

Tuesday!

2011-12-06T06:44:00.001-05:00

Hello Tuesday! I like you. For some reason you are one of my favorite days of the week.

Did you survive all the rain? I know you know that I'm nuts, but I really like rainy days like yesterday. Not totally sure why, but I do. I like being inside watching it rain, but I like being out in it also. Yesterday morning I helped my Dad and Ben load out some calves, which was fun. The truck and trailer got slightly stuck only once, so that wasn't bad.

Seems like I was out and about in the rain a fair amount during the day. I went here and there seeing people and doing things, splashing in puddles along the way. Last night I went for a run with a bunch of other crazies (I know that's what most of you are thinking, so I beat you to the punch - ha ha!). I had a really good run; I felt good and picked up the pace for the last 2-3 miles, going 7.30 for the last mile. My 26.2 plan is really going to help my training. I'm getting rid of a lot of the impurities in my body, making it more efficient.

Today is another day packed with good things. Gonna run 7 miles, see a bunch of people, email & text others, have lunch with another former student, hang out at the food pantry, and generally do what I do. I try to model my life and ministry on the words that Peter used to describe Jesus (Acts 10):

He went around doing good.

Some days I simply try to do no harm - ha ha! Don't always succeed. Most days I try to be aware of simply doing good, even in the smallest simplest of ways; nothing flashy, fancy or really worth talking about. It may be just a smile or a pleasant word to a cashier, maybe a nice tip to a waitress at lunch, or maybe some notes of encouragement. I am aware of the bigger things too -- things like being faithful in following God's lead with the ReGeneration Store, or being conscious of preaching well by studying well. You get the picture. I don't talk a lot about it; just do it. I think it's important to see Kingdom significance in all we do. It all matters.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,

do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The exciting news of the day for us is that Lester and Maddie are coming to dinner tonight! I don't know if I have mentioned this or not, but Lester has a pharmacist job waiting for him at a pharmacy in Bloomington. What a blessing to have a job lined up before you graduate! They are coming down this afternoon with some work related things and to pick up Lester's truck. He left it here at Thanksgiving to get our local mechanic to work on it.

OK, off to do the day!

Silence

2011-12-05T14:22:00.001-05:00

Do you like silence? The older I get the more I seem to enjoy it. I drive without the radio on a lot anymore, which is a big change, because I used to listen to the radio all the time. The silence in a car provides a great time to pray. I leave my eyes open, just in case you were wondering.

I enjoy silence – most silence but not all. I don’t enjoy the silence of relationships gone bad, and I don’t enjoy the silence of (seemingly) unanswered prayers. That kind of silence leads to lots of sighs. I think Zachariah and Elizabeth could relate to this one. You can read their story in Luke 1. Go ahead if you want. I’ll wait here.

Something else isn’t it? You may not realize the backdrop for this story is 400 years of God’s silence. His people are waiting, anticipating a day when a Messiah will come and restore them to a position of freedom and prominence. They’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting. Generation after generation, anticipating and anticipating and waiting some more.

That’s been the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth as well. When they got married, everyone said they were the perfect couple. They both came from good church families and their immediate families were both involved in the priesthood. It was a match seemingly made in Heaven. They got married, and like most everyone else, they hoped to share the love they enjoyed by bringing new life into the world. They prayed to have a baby.

They prayed and prayed and prayed. Each month they waited and waited and waited. They anticipated that God would answer their prayers. They sighed at God's silence. The fervency of their prayers died down as the months changed into years and into a decade and beyond. One day they stopped praying for a baby. Life changes. They finally admitted what they had known for a long time. Elizabeth was barren, and God was not going to answer their prayer. Silence. The silence of unanswered prayer. A silence stretched out over a lifetime of possible conception, echoing 400 years of God’s silence. Silence with lots of tearful sighs.

Then one day Zechariah is serving in the Temple, doing literally a once in a lifetime task: offering incense in The Holy Place. The angel Gabriel shows up and nearly scares Zechariah to death. Gabriel calms him down and tells him that his prayers have been answered. "You’re going to be a dad!" Gabriel goes on to explain the special nature of this child and what he will do. Turns out he’ll turn out to be John the Baptist.

Zechariah takes it all in but is not so sure it’s really true. "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." A very good question and an excellent point, in my opinion. Gabriel doesn’t like the answer and strikes poor old Zechariah with silence. There it is again! Silence. Turns out it will be nine plus months of silence. Nine plus months of "be quiet and watch this." Nine plus months of "be still and know that I am God." Nine plus months of "be still and trust me."

I wonder what Zechariah did during all the time Elizabeth carried John the Baptist in her old womb? I think he was deaf also, so there wasn't much communication with anyone, maybe except God. He had nine months to think, to pray, to adjust, to wait, and to trust. Once the baby was born, Zechariah took the opportunity to show that he learned the lesson. "His name is John," Zechariah announces to the stunned crowd. Then old Zechariah, with his rusty vocal cords, sings an amazing song about his son.

Let’s go back to silence in this story for a moment; it's all through it. Is God trying to tell us something? Do we hear echoes of "Be still and know?" We should, if we don’t.

The silence of God, as it often does, led to disappointment for Zachariah and Elizabeth and even disgrace for Elizabeth, but even in the silence, even in the disappointment, they kept trusting and obeying and didn’t grow bitter. They trusted God with the unanswered questions. They trusted him with the silence. They trusted him.

I'm working on doing the same.

Monday Morning

2011-12-05T06:10:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's Monday again! And raining again! I hope you had a good weekend. Saturday was unbelievably beautiful, and, for me, full of activity.

The weekend started with a fairly busy Friday. I finished up all my stuff for Sunday, spent an hour on my bike trainer, did my 3rd core workout for the week, ran a few errands for the coat giveaway and the toy sale, and then drove a bus to the Crawford County basketball game. I got home sooner than I thought from the game, around 10 p.m., so I was happy about that.

I got up early on Saturday, read some, and then took off for my weekly long run with friends in Bedford. I wanted 12 miles, and I knew that most were running either 5 or 10. I got there early enough to get a couple of miles in before the 8 a.m. start. A rather large group gathered to do 5 together, then a smaller group, including me, continued on to do another 5. The weather was perfect and the pace was comfortable. I ended up with 35 miles for the week - just what I wanted.

After the run I went straight to the coat giveaway and toy sale at church. Wow! I got there right after both had started, and it was crazy! Crazy in the good sort of way - lots of people everywhere. People were getting coats, and people were buying toys. We had tons of people helping with both projects. It was so encouraging, on so many levels, to see.

We ended up giving away more than 300 coats, and a few of those will be delivered this week. We ran out of a few sizes, so we will buy the coats and take them to the people who need them. About midday I left to go home to change clothes. As I was leaving I saw a family of 5-6 walking up the street, coming to get coats. None of them had coats on. It made me feel really good about what we were doing.

The toy sale was amazing also. When we tallied up the money on Saturday evening, we had right around $3500! Keep in mind that most things were sold for less than $5, many things a lot less than that. The amount of toys we had was simply amazing, almost overwhelming. These all were donated over the course of the year. Around 1.30 we still had so many that we decided that we would allow people to fill up a garbage bag full of whatever they wanted and we would charge them $5. This really helped us, because a lot things got taken away, which lessened our clean-up task.

The toy sale benefits in at least two way. First, it allows people to buy toys for very low prices. We had people of all kinds shopping, but we had a lot of poor people. This made me feel good, because it means that they will be able to provide some Christmas presents that otherwise they might not have been able to afford. Second, the revenue we receive will be used to help people in need in various ways. Everybody wins!

Here we start another week! Only God knows what will happen this week as the days unfold. Right now it looks to be a fairly uneventful week, which is bit of a change. Of course that could change rather quickly. This is my second week of my 26.2 plan. It's going great! No slip-ups and no problems so far.

I may post some more later...

2011-12-04T05:38:00.001-05:00

Christmas Carols

2011-12-02T07:49:00.001-05:00

This is our banner for our sermon series, considering the 4 "Christmas Carols" in Luke's Gospel.

Mary’s song - Luke 1:46-55 Magnificat

Zechariah’s song - Luke 1:67-79 Benedictus

Angels’ song - Luke 2:13,14 Gloria in excelsis

Simeon’s song - Luke 2:28-32 Nunc dimittis

Friday!

2011-12-02T06:02:00.001-05:00

Here's what my son, Luke, says about this photo:

Despite individually stating all 10 letters of my name, the worker (of Oriental descent) managed to get one letter wrong.

I will say one thing and then leave it. I don't mean this as a racist thing. I love all people, but sometimes you just gotta laugh, especially at yourself.

So how's it going? Yesterday was another one of those non-stop days. Got up early and got on my sermon prep, then I went for a nice run with Tim the Elder and Time the Strunk (not to be confused with Tim the Younger and Tim the Elite, although I could make a case that the Elder is also Elite. I mean he won his age group at Monumental!), then arrived at my lunch meeting with the ethics committee. Let me say this: the hospital food at St. Vincent Dunn is good! At least what I've had each month has been.

After the ethics meeting, I chatted with the chaplain for a while about his work and about his adventures. His name is Wally, and he is getting ready to leave for a few weeks to climb Mount Aconcagua in Argentina. It has an elevation of 22,841 feet and is the highest mountain outside of the Himalayas. He has climbed several of the world's highest mountains. If I were younger, one of my goals would be to climb Mount Everest. I made that decision after watching a series about it on the Discovery Channel a couple of years ago. Wally has the same dream, and he has already climbed to Everest base camp.

After the ethics meeting, I made my way to Heaven's Garden, a little cafe at the Lighthouse Christian bookstore. It's a great place to work: free WiFi and all the stuff you would expect at a cafe. I met Pat there and we work on our sermons for Sunday. Working with another person really helps me to stay focused on the task at hand. It was very enjoyable time well spent.

Then it was off to the Family Life Center to check on the set-up for the huge toy sale. The amount of toys we have is unbelievable! Seriously! Penny and crew have done a great job in getting set up. They will work all day today as well. I left the FLC and went to the Store for a little while. While there I got a truck load of coats for the Coat Give Away on Saturday. We have more coats than we can sell at the Store. It's all the Lord's work... Darrin came by and we had a great talk about life.

I got home in time for supper and the nightly battle to stay awake until bedtime! I like to read in the evenings, but I cannot read serious stuff. I finished a book about running last night, Once a Runner. I only dozed off once last night.

OK, here we go today. Finish up Sunday stuff, help with the Toy Sale, lunch with my lovely and beloved wife, and then I am helping out the desperate transportation director by driving a basketball bus to Crawford County. That'll be fine, but it means a late night.

Tomorrow a 12 mile run, followed by Coats and Toys...

Thursday

2011-12-01T06:17:00.001-05:00

This cartoon cracks me up! I'm not sure we could handle the truth of what people really think at times. That's an interesting thing to think about, isn't it?

Yesterday was one of the longest days I've had in a while. I was up at 5, doing what I do -- reading, praying, getting ready for the day. I ran Ben into football condition a little after 6 and came back home for breakfast with Kedra. I saw her off, read a little bit more, and then went for hilly chilly 6 mile run. The sun was so nice! After the run, it was off to the office for a meeting, followed by some more study of Zechariah. Then I went to a funeral in Livonia, followed by a visit to couple, followed by a meeting, followed by a brief trip home to change clothes, followed by a meal at church, followed by a class, followed by some Toy Sale stuff. Yesterday was a rare day with little to no down time. Of course, scattered amongst all that were several phone calls, texts, and emails with various people needing various things.

Today will be a little quieter, I think. This morning I will work on preparing for Sunday: sermon, slides, life group discussion guide, and Sunday a.m. class. I will run late morning, when the sun has warmed things up a bit. I have a St. Vincent Dunn Ethics Committee meeting today. I really enjoy those. We talk about the new policies being adopted, do case studies, and problem solving. I think I would really enjoy being a hospital chaplain. Today's meeting is considering that piece.

This afternoon I am getting with Pat A to work on our sermons. We are doing a collaborative effort on the Christmas Carol series. He met with his church last night regarding the text, and I had my class which did the same. We'll bring all of our individual study, coupled with what we learned in class, plus what we work on this morning, to the table this afternoon to see how that influences what we say on Sunday. The sermon belongs to the church, not the preacher alone. They should help prepare it, in the sense of helping the preacher see what the text says. I've been doing this for about 8 years, I think. That's what my doctoral thesis was about.

My 26.2 effort is going exceedingly well. I am staying right on track and doing well. The eating is not too hard and the core work is coming along nicely. Tomorrow will be my bike day, along with my last core session of the week. Saturday I plan to run 12 miles, which will put me at 35 for the week. I did this 26.2 type thing about 2 years ago and lost 12 pounds and got my body fat down to 10% or less.

Jay Eubanks and I were talking last night and we stumbled upon the fact that we both love the TV show Amazing Race. Long story short: we think we should apply to participate! I think we are serious (ha ha). If you have seen the show, then you know that each couple has some interesting angle. Ours would be: black/white, short/tall, preacher/former pro basketball player, etc. Every time I watch the show, I tell Kedra that I would love to do it. It involves world travel, physical challenges, problem solving, and other things that I would enjoy. We'll see...

OK, here we go...!

Wednesday

2011-11-30T06:22:00.001-05:00

Good morning! Wednesday already. Wasn't the snow beautiful? Yes, it was! You snow-haters need to lighten up - ha ha. I got to run in the snow last night, but the problem running in the snow after dark is that you cannot see it as well. It was still fun. We had a group of about 10 last night, and I add that fact just in case you thought I was the only one. This morning's run will be dry - first one this week.

Our huge Toy Sale at the ReGeneration Store is this Saturday. It's nearly unbelievable how many toys we have. We are moving the sale up to our church gym to give us more room. Last year we sold more than $2500 worth of toys on one day. I expect that we will exceed that this year. Going on at the same as the toy sale is our church's annual Coat Give Away. I think we will give a lot more away this year, since the toy sale is going on across the parking lot.

Yesterday I spent some good quality time with old Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Interesting guy! You can read about him in Luke 1. He provides an interesting constrast with Mary, and Luke carefully weaves their stories together, which is the story of two babies, John the Baptist and Jesus, both in the wombs of very unlikely women, one old and one young. I wonder when Zechariah and Elizabeth quit praying to have a child?

I went to Mitchell Manor yesterday. I go just about every week. One of the people I see there is Hollace Sherwood. Hollace is getting fairly along in years, well into his 80s. He had a stroke a few years ago and cannot speak, which makes visiting him a little challenging. He's a remarkable man. He was a science teacher for years at Mitchell High School, but the thing that impresses me the most is that he and his wife began "the corn project" (now BHRP) many years ago. You can read about it here. A magazine article and a couple of God-honoring people with good minds and hearts is all it took. Talk about a reflection of Mary and her attitude: available and willing!

While at MM I came across another person. I knew she was supposed to be there, but she got delayed. With all the confidentiality laws, coupled with no children and a very tenuous church connection, I had no idea where she was. Nobody knew anything. Anyway, I was able to find her and see her. She is a sweet old lady who seemingly has so few connections in this community. It was good to see her. I seriously doubt she will have any visitors at all.

OK, off to the hills for a run, followed by a full day of people to see and places to go...

Tuesday a.m.

2011-11-29T05:57:00.001-05:00

Give Thanks 4 raffle tags torn off

Good morning! Think it'll rain? What about snow? Doesn't look like much of that. Oh well, I think it will come sometime before too long. Cold rain makes you want to stay inside, but most of us have to go out anyway. Yesterday morning, when it was raining very lightly, I took off for my Spice Valley to Bryantsville Hill Run, a nice 6 miler with lots of ups and downs. I'm getting stronger and threw in several periods of acceleration along the way, including uphill. No Heartbreak Hill for this guy!

Day 1 of the 26.2 plan is in the books and it was successful. Let's do it again today! Eating this way presents some challenges when you are out and about all day, like I will be today. I've packed several things to take with me to eat at the appointed times. The cool weather is nice, since it eliminates the need for refrigeration or a cooler.

One of the nice things that happened over the weekend was that I got to discuss my accommodations for the Boston Marathon. My niece-in-law (is that a term?) has a sister, Mary, who lives in Boston. She was in for the weekend +. Their apartment building keeps a suite open for visiting relatives. It has a couple of bedrooms, a kitchen... well, it's an apartment. We have it booked for Friday the 13th through Monday 16th, and it is about half the cost of a hotel room, which are very expensive as you can imagine. Staying there will allow me to eat much better and be better prepared to run on Patriot's Day! I'm also hoping that maybe some other family members might be able to swing a trip to Boston.

Mary is married to Gregg, and I really enjoyed getting to know him. He is a researcher at Harvard University and works on finding a cure for cancer. Clearly he is a sharp guy, but he is also easy to talk to. He has some friends from Harvard who have run the marathon, so he shared what he knew about their experiences, which is consistent with everyone else's testimony.

Better get going - lots of people to see and things to learn. I running this evening in Bedford. Hopefully it will be snowflakes falling instead of rain by that time.

The photo above was the start of the Give Thanks 4. Some, very few, forgot to tear off their raffle tag from their bibs. An announcement caused everyone to check.

26.2

2011-11-28T07:58:00.001-05:00

Most people know that the marathon is 26.2 miles long, which is long way to run by the way, especially when you are trying to run fast. The Boston Marathon is now only 20 weeks away, so I am in my last 2 weeks of pre-training, before my official training starts. The difference is the introduction of hill repeats and speed work. I have playing around a little bit with both for the last couple of weeks, so it won't be totally shocking to my system. I will ease into it also, being careful not to get injured.

The 26.2 of this post does not refer to the marathon distance, rather it refers to days. For the next 26.2 days, which takes me into the first 2 hours of Christmas Eve, I am going on a strict diet to get down to the weight I want to be at Boston. I'll see where my body takes it, but I think I will lose 5-7 pounds. The next 26.2 days, and I just add the .2 for fun, will be about disciplined eating and activities. Once it's over, I will loosen up a little but not much.

Here are the key things for me, things that I will avoid for 26.2 days, starting today:

1 small cup of coffee in the morning (avoiding 2 big ones) followed by nothing but water. I hope to drink at least a gallon of water each day.
No desserts, no candy - NONE!
No salt out of the salt shaker for meals (some on popcorn is OK)
No butter on popcorn - this is my weakness and downfall! ha ha (Some have beer bellies, I have a popcorn belly)
Reasonable portions at meals, eaten slowly
Small high protein snacks between meals
There are other, smaller specific things, but I can't think of them right now
I will run 30-40 miles per week

I've been doing some core work, but for these 26 days I will establish a habit that will continue. Three times a week I will do 100 Torso Track and 30 sit-ups (50 TT, 30 SU, 50 TT). I will spend at least one hour per week on the bike trainer, hopefully a little more. This is as much about biking as it is running. I plan to do RAIN (yes, all of it - read this if you don't get the joke) next summer.

OK, I've gone public with this, which is my way of making sure I will do it, all of it! Anyone want to join me on this 26.2 challenge. Hey, it ends on the morning of Christmas Eve! What better way to prepare for all the food challenges of Christmas and the days following? And you might just find that some of the food you give up loses some of its appeal...

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-28T06:03:00.001-05:00

Tim Galloway & Larry Moffatt awarding Albert Mesarosh

Good morning! That was a nice, long weekend! Now the reality of a new routine is making its presence known. More about that in a little while. First, how 'bout we recap a little about things since we last met?

The Give Thanks 4 went really well! The weather was different than forecast, but it was actually pretty good running weather. We had 129 finishers, and Kyle Stansbury, a former student of mine, won. He's a really good young man in many areas, including running. We had a great awards ceremony. The highlight of that was giving Albert Mesarosh the Albert Mesorosh Long Run Award for a lifetime of running achievements. This will now be an annual award given to someone who has run a long time and accomplished a lot.

Here's a sample of Albert's career, compiled by Tim Galloway. This is from 1992, when Albert was 54 years old:

Jan 19 Frosty 5K 22.21
Feb 22 Vincennes 10 miler 79.13
Apr 4 Spring Fever 5K 22.46
Apr 12 Glass City Marathon 4.03.54
Apr 18 Fitness Challenge 5K 21.37
Apr 25 Louisville Half marathon 1.43.17
May 2 Crane Half marathon 1.45.01
May 23 WRV 5K 21.30
May 31 Phil Harris 5K 21.29
Jun 6 Sunburst Marathon 3.44.08
Jun 27 Limestone 5K 20.32
Jul 4 Madison 10K 41.25
Aug 1 Owensburg 5K 21.35
Aug 9 Morgan Monroe 10 miler 79.06
Aug 29 Watermelon 5K 21.13
Sep 5 Summerfest 5K 20.17
Sep19 Toledo 24 hour run 85 miles
Sep 26 Persimmon 5K 21.29
Oct 4 Celestine 5K 21.25
Oct 11 Columbus Marathon 3.43.45
Oct 18 Louisville Marathon 3.44.20
Oct 25 Chicago Marathon 3.48.51
Nov 1 Columbus 50K 4.53.19
Dec 5 Kentucky 50 miler 9.52.00

This is really amazing stuff, especially toward the end of the year, where he ran 3 marathons in a row, followed by 50K (31+miles) and then a 50 miler! Before all that he ran 85 miles in a 24 hour run. Albert is 73 and still runs! I asked Larry Moffatt and Tim Galloway to present the award, since they know Albert better and have run with him over the years. They did an excellent job. Albert received a nice, long standing ovation from the appreciative crowd. Well deserved!

After the race, we had a nice family gathering at our house. Lester and Maddie then joined us on Friday evening, so we had all my kids together. It was my 53rd birthday, and the best gift was having all of my children around. I had to fight sadness when they all left yesterday afternoon, but I was thankful to have the time with them.

It's going to be a good week! Time to catch up, reorganize, and move onto the next thing. We have a new routine developing. Ben has weight-lifting at 6.15 a.m. now, so we are all adjusting to that. He does not get his license until February. I don't mind running him into town for this. I want him to really bulk up and become all he can as a football player. That's his passion.

Watch for another post a little later on today: 26.2.

Wednesday a.m.

2011-11-23T06:13:00.001-05:00

Good morning! How are you? I am going to be quite occupied today. (Sorry for the wordplay - couldn't resist.) Today is mostly about getting ready for the Give Thanks 4. I think we may end up closer to the 200 runner mark than I thought. A lot of people registered yesterday. Today I have to organize and/or contact 25 volunteers and do a ton of other little things on my list. I really enjoy this kind of thing, so it's going to be a good day!

Luke arrived from Nashville/Guatemala early this morning, around 2 a.m. Kedra, being the good mother, represented his parents to welcome him home. I will welcome him later on when he gets up! It will be so nice to have him around for a few days. Lester and Maddie will join us Friday evening, and then we will all be back together for a couple of days. Wonderful!

Yesterday was a busy/productive day. I got all of my stuff for Sunday completed! I don't think I have ever, in my entire life, done that before. I did a few things/errands for the Give Thanks 4, saw some people, and had a good evening run in Bedford. It was a full and good day.

Tuesday morning

2011-11-22T05:59:00.001-05:00

Good morning! Looks like it might rain for a while today! That's fine with me, because I am warm and dry in my quiet, comfortable office, ready to work on my sermon for Sunday. Yes, I am working way ahead this week. I want to be totally ready for Sunday by Wednesday night. All of my kids will be home by Friday night, but they've already started trickling in.

Rebecca came home Saturday, and I knew I missed her tons, but I didn't realize how much until she walked back in. She adds so much life to everything. Luke has been in Guatemala since Thursday and is on his way home right now. I got a brief message saying that he is in Antigua. He'll fly from there to Houston and then to Nashville. He will either drive home late, late tonight or tomorrow. Lester and Maddie will arrive on Friday.

I am looking forward to hearing of Luke's trip to Guatemala. He went with a few others to do surveying in the remote village that Lipscomb has adopted. His senior engineering project is to design a bridge that will span a deep gorge. It will replace a very dangerous rickety one that is presently used by the villagers.

Since I hope to be totally free Thursday-Saturday to spend time with family, I am compressing everything into the first 3 days of this week. I made my usual list of 20 something people to contact, but I probably won't get all that done, but I got a great start on sermon prep yesterday. Pat A and I met for about 3 hours yesterday to study/talk through the preaching text for this week. Synergy! Today I've got to flesh out the good skeleton we constructed.

The Give Thanks 4 is only 2 days away! I got to talk to the Police Chief yesterday. He was very helpful and supportive. We are north of 85 preregistrants, so that likely means well over a 100 runners. The perfect forecast should bring lots of last minute, fair weather runners out. I am really looking forward to it! I've got quite a bit to do today and tomorrow in prep.

I got a good 6 miler in yesterday. I ran the SVBV course (Spice Valley to Bryantsville) and did some accelerations on the hills, both up and down. Hill repeats are going to be a key component for my Boston Marathon training, so I am kinda easing in, getting ready for them. The Boston course is hilly and difficult. I've been told by several, and have read the same in several places, that the down hill portions, especially later in the race, are very difficult. The course beats up your quads. I am actually going to do some hill repeats running down hill. This was suggested by marathon guru Hal Higdon.

OK, busy day today! Study, a few visits, Give Thanks 4 work, Store, and a 7 mile run this evening in Bedford. Ready, set, go...

Golf balls in a jar

2011-11-21T06:14:00.001-05:00

A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “yes.”

The Professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the space between the grains of sand.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else -the small stuff.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. “Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.” One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The Professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

Monday morning

2011-11-21T05:47:00.001-05:00

Good morning! It's going to be a short week. Are you ready for it? I am! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love the food and the feel of it, and it's free from a lot of the commercialism that steals Christmas. Don't take me wrong, I like Christmas also, but Thanksgiving is hard to beat. Since Thursday and Friday are essentially days off, it means that I have a lot of work to do Monday through Wednesday, but I am OK with that.

The ambulance story keeps moving along. I think the picture I have chosen today will probably illustrate this whole process, once it's completed. Warren C and I were supposed to drive the ambulance to Plain City, OH last Friday. Thursday evening Darrin calls me and says, "Hey, I was in the store office and overheard Donna saying that she and Max were going to Columbus on Friday." He went and asked her about that and found out that they were riding over with their daughter to watch a granddaughter play basketball. Long story shortened: after a few calls it was decided that Max and Donna would drive the ambulance for us and then ride back with their daughter. Providence.

I went down to the barn Thursday evening and got the license plate on, and Friday, Warren brought the ambulance to town. We met, prayed, and sent the Timbrooks on their way -- on their way to meet the mysterious Edgar at Yoder's Hardware in Plain City. Later that afternoon they called to say that Edgar wasn't there and no one at Yoder's knew who Edgar was! More phone calls. Finally I got a hold of Edgar. His phone died and he was running late. In the end the meeting/transfer took place. Now I think the ambulance is supposed to be loaded on a flat bed truck for a trip to Honduras. I will keep you posted!

The weekend was good. Because I didn't go to Columbus, I was able to catch up on a few things. I was also able to run 7 miles with a couple of Tims. I wanted to run Friday because I was going to help with the donut run at BNL on Saturday, which I did. See below. I also got a jump on this week's sermon.

I hope to get all my work down by Wednesday night this week. I want to be free to really enjoy Thursday - Saturday with all of my kids. Today I am going to work on my sermon, along with Pat A. We are preaching the same texts for Advent -- the songs from Luke 1 &2 that surround the birth of Jesus.

November 27 Mary’s song - Luke 1:46-55 Magnificat
December 4 Zechariah’s song - Luke 1:67-79 Benedictus
December 11 Angels’ song - Luke 2:13,14 Gloria in excelsis
December 18 Simeon’s song - Luke 2:28-32 Nunc dimittis

I've entitled the series Christmas Carols. On Christmas morning, a Sunday this year, we will sing a lot of the Christmas Carols that are near and dear to so many. It should be a good series.

Saturday evening

2011-11-19T20:08:00.001-05:00

Just a quick hit here! Four days until the Give Thanks 4! Yikes! We are getting several pre-registered, so I think our numbers are looking good. We should have more than 100 runners. I was hoping for 200, but I don't think we'll make that.

Today was a fun day! I helped out with the Starstrong Donut Run at BNL. They had a great turnout and raised lots of money for cancer research. Most people opted to run the first half of the the 5K and then carry a dozen donuts the second half. The real challenge, only taken by a very few, was to run half, eat a dozen donuts, and then run the second half. Yuk!

After the run I went to eat with some friends and then headed out to help a friend clean up a property. It was fun. It was a nice day.

The story keeps evolving

2011-11-18T06:38:00.001-05:00

Good morning! The ambulance is headed to Ohio this morning, but I am not. I was all ready to go, but then we found out that someone else was going to Columbus today. Long story short: Max and Donna Timbrook are going to take it. What a journey this has been, and the ambulance still rests in a barn in Bryantsville. That all changes in a a couple of hours!

Hmmm

2011-11-17T15:54:00.001-05:00

This was sent me today. Looks like a war is a-brewing.

Should I be concerned?

2011-11-17T09:24:00.001-05:00

So this morning I am reading the Indianapolis Star online and come across this headline:

Wounded deer apparently kills Indiana hunter

It's about a hunter who shoots a deer, and then the nearly-dead deer attacks the hunter. Evidently they engage in a massive struggle and the hunter finally kills the deer with a knife but then dies. Wow!

So I tweet this story, and then one of my friends tweets back:

"better watch out for squirrels next"

Oh man! I hadn't thought about that. So I start looking around, doing a little intel work. The above pictures are what I found. It may be my imagination, but I have seen a lot more squirrels lately. They all look a little bigger and stronger than usual.

I'm thinking that Johnny Furbee is behind all this!

Reading elsewhere

2011-11-17T06:50:00.001-05:00

Hey, if you don't like running, think it's stupid, and want reasons for not doing it, then you could read this:

Top 11 Reason for not running

On a totally different note, here is an interesting article about the Penn State mess and churches:

Narcissism and Grandiosity in Sexual Abuse

Thursday a.m.

2011-11-17T06:18:00.001-05:00

Good morning! OK, class, let's compare these two maps. What is the difference? That's right! One is exciting and interesting, and the other is boring, very boring. Why am I showing these maps? It's a way of dealing with disappointment, I suppose. My big ambulance adventure, driving it from Mitchell to Honduras has now turned into driving it from Mitchell to Plain City, Ohio.

I still don't know all the details yet. I called a number given me yesterday and spoke to thick-accented guy about driving the ambulance to a hardware store in Plain City, the one behind the McDonald's. He said something about "the stuff," "the brothers," "the cartel," and a few other things I could not make out. Oh well.

Just kidding about the drug running references! All I know is that I will probably drive the ambulance to OH tomorrow or Monday, probably tomorrow if I can get everything organized. Evidently this guy works for a guy who knows a guy who has a friend who has a brother that has a truck his mother lets him use to drive to Honduras on a regular basis. We are supposed to load the ambulance on that truck.

OK, so all you people praying that I wouldn't be able to make the trip, you win! Plain City, OH! Plain City. Wow. The main thing, seriously, is that the ambulance makes it to Honduras and is put into service to serve hurting people. Marc wants me to fly down later for a transfer and dedication ceremony. I doubt I can do that for lot$ of rea$on$, although I would love to.

Today is all about preparing for Sunday and beyond. We had a great class last night, talking about giving thanks in all circumstances, which is what I Thessalonians 5:18 says to do. Really? How? We concluded that you can only do that if you have a long, faith-infused/informed, view of life that is marked by trust (faith) in God to redeem all things (Romans 8:28).

You probably can't say "thank you" in the midst of a terrible tragedy, but your faith informs you. You know that God can make something good come from the bad as he works in/through it. Sometimes it takes a long time, so we hang on and trust the best we can. God understands our doubts, questions, frustration, and anger, during those times. He keeps loving and pursuing us. Don't give up on him or yourself. All who wander are not lost.

A Good Prayer

2011-11-16T11:14:00.001-05:00

Teach me, O God, so to use all the circumstances of my life today that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin.

Let me use disappointment as material for patience;

Let me use success as material for thankfulness;

Let me use suspense as material for perseverance;

Let me use danger as material for courage;

Let me use reproach as material for longsuffering;

Let me use praise as material for humility;

Let me use pleasures as material for temperance;

Let me use pains as material for endurance.

by John Baillie

5 Months from Today!

2011-11-16T10:53:00.001-05:00

Wednesday

2011-11-16T06:12:00.001-05:00

So what day is it? Oh yeah, it's Wednesday, the longest day of the week. Before it's over it will be a 15 hour day, but that's OK. It ends well with a nice meal at church, followed by a discussion with a great group of people. I'm not sure what to think of the cartoon. I suppose I am guilty of that, but I usually just get quiet when I don't have much to say. I don't need to always contribute to the noise. Right? ha ha

Yesterday was a day of lots of travel. I went to court with my friend yesterday morning, leaving the house about 8. Turns out that I couldn't go with him before the judge, so I sat outside the chambers and got a lot of things done. Previous experiences taught me to take things to do. I left the courthouse and went to the bank to get our "Give Thanks 4" checks approved. Got it!

Next stop: the Mayor's office. We had a surprisingly long chat. He got up and shut the door and wanted to talk about lots of things. We did. It was good. Next stop: police station, but the chief was out of town. I chatted with the dispatcher for a while and promised to return some time soon. I did a couple of more stops before going to the ReGeneration Store for a while. Donation just keep increasing, which is a good problem to have. We are trying to figure out how to manage it, however.

Between all the stops, I was able to contact most of my race volunteers in one way or another. We are in good shape! I stopped to talk to my neighbor Roger about helping and ended up helping him get his wood splitter going. He has trouble starting it.

Yesterday afternoon I went back to court with my friend. This time I got to be in the presence of the judge, who happens to be a friend. My friend is changing his life and I got to say that to the judge. I think the hearing went well. We shall see. Next stop: back to Mitchell for a Capstone Ministries meeting. Next stop: Bedford to run. Yes, that was my third trip to Bedford, for those keeping score.

Last night's run was very enjoyable. I did 2 miles before the group arrived and then did 5 more with them. I always leave the group run feeling encouraged and energized. I love my running friends. Speaking of them, you really might want to read THIS. It's by one of our group runners. Wow! I've really enjoyed getting to know Wendy and Tim and appreciate them a lot. I don't always run with them, because they are really fast!

OK, I guess it's time to continue on with the day!