Need Some Help?

It is Monday! Boy is it Monday! Ever have one of those days? A day of tension, tightness, and tiredness? Just a day that you could use a little help. Today, is actually not that bad personally. I got to run 3 miles in under 30 minutes, sprinted stadium steps x 20, stretched and made it home before the deluge hit.

The thought crossed my mind while ascending the steps that sometimes we caught in the valley with an enemy on the high grounds. We find ourselves trapped with little hope. We may even wonder if we can survive the mission. Then as we lift our eyes up to the hills we remember that there is one higher than the hills. We engage our faith and reckon that the Maker of the Hills is mightier than the foe.

What we need on that day is to engage our faith in Almighty God. We believe that He exist, that He is powerful and mighty to save, and that He is able and willing to rescue his child. This is a good thing to remember on a day when things are going okay - cause there will come a day when this faith has to be activated.

Enjoy all of Psalm 121:

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1 I look up to the mountains—

does my help come from there?

2 My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth!

3 He will not let you stumble;

the one who watches over you will not slumber.

4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel

never slumbers or sleeps.

5 The LORD himself watches over you!

The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.

6 The sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon at night.

7 The LORD keeps you from all harm

and watches over your life.

8 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go,

both now and forever.

Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, 

and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity. 

Lou Holtz

 

Struggles and Da Feet!

Well, today was going to be the day! I set out to accomplish great things. My plan was to run further than ever. Good start to the day and actually a good run, just not as far as I planned. I ran 4 miles today but my goal was 7 miles. In fact, I barely made the 4 miles.

Sometimes we hit a real wall. Mine today was that my legs became noodles on me. This has been a week to push hard and my struggle became my weariness. I'm just not there yet, (key word "YET!").

All of us face struggles in life. All of us go through hills and valleys. All of us can go farther than we think when we don't give up. So let's not give up some things that are important. Keep being a godly man, husband, dad, and friend. Keep being that godly, lady, wife, mom, and friend. Keep going through the struggles and even the defeats you will overcome.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9

Sometimes you need to get hit in the head to realize that you're in a fight.
Michael Jordan

CORE is Vital

Rainy day kept a lot of folks away today! I decided to have a little fun with core today. Here's the run down: Ballistics warmup, 40 x stadium steps, mixed in 4 x 400 sprints, finished strong with 10 x 40 yard sprints, then CORE blowout!! 

Core is important in every aspect of athletics and life. As a coach I look for and work toward having athletes with a strong core. This will ensure their healthiness, effectiveness, energy level, and actually attitude. But it is difficult to find anyone that really does enjoy core work, because of how hard it can become. The proof is in the effort. 

As I was thinking CORE today something began to take shape. We have a spiritual CORE to that must be developed in order to stay healthy. Our spiritual CORE consists of these key facts: 

C-Christ Centered

O-Ordained Obedience 

R-Radical Relationships

E-Encouraging Evangelism 

So what's the score on your CORE? 

For to me, to live is Christ... Philippians 1:21

Most talented players don't always succeed. 

Some don't even make the team. It's more what's inside.
Brett Favre

Get Ready to Live Strong

Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine...lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance...lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness...We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior.

But mostly, show them all this by doing it yourself, incorruptible in your teaching, your words solid and sane. Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around.

God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

Titus 2: 1-6, 7-8, 11-14 The Message   

There are few things quite so boring as being religious, 

but there is nothing quite so exciting as being a Christian! 

Major Ian Thomas  

Speed Play

Some of you will read a new word today. It is as much fun to do as it is to say! Track training has taught me a Swedish word "Fartlek" it means speed play. It is a training routine a runner can do to vary speed during the workout. It helps to increase your speed and lower your times in distances. Today was built around Fartlek.

Here's the build up: ballistic warmups, sprint warm up, 10 x 400 fartleks, 20 x stadium steps, 10 x sprint hills, core work (went hard core today!), and stretch. The most fun today was the speed play. Reminded me of being a kid playing a game in the school yard trying to chase someone down. It felt good to try to run really fast for short bursts.

But I must confess that right now I am tried. My muscles are aching a little, knees are speaking or cussing at me in Swedish, and I need to recover some strength. It will come. We push out there knowing that our strength will come.  Reminds me of all those times that I try to do things in my own power and lack the strength to finish. All along my Father has had all the strength I needed if I would only rest in him, wait in him, allow him to renew me.

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40: 31.  

You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good. 

Jerry West

 

Hit The Road - Jack!

What a morning! Humid, foggy, and cloudy. Today, I hit the road. Took the road less traveled, over hill
and over dale, and round the bend. Here's the avenue: Ballistic stretch and warm up then hit the road.  It is awesome running through town. When you take to foot and leave the driving to someone else you discover how "hilly" it is in our little hamlet. When I returned the log recorded 5 1/2 miles, not bad way to get a day started.

While on the roadways this morning it became clear that my senses had to be a little bit more sharp. There is not a lot of traffic around here, but there are a few vehicles. Most of the drivers are paying great attention to the road. But there are the occasional unintended distracted drivers. Like the fellow backing out of the driveway as I was running behind him. I'm sure he would not have wanted to hit me. Good thing my muscles allowed me to leap.

The thought this morning is that in our Christian journey we have to hit the road. But be careful out there. Let your senses be sharp, pay great attention, and stay focused on why you are out here. Remember Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8.

Stay strong! Stay Focused! and Let's hit the road!

Make each day your masterpiece.
- John Wooden