faithrunner

Our Goal from the Road into Red River On Wednesday, July 17, three friends and I hiked out of the Middlefork trailhead parking lot to camp at Lost Lake and then summit Wheeler Peak the next day. This would be my fifth or sixth summit of Wheeler Peak and second year in a row to camp overnight at Lost Lake. Jim and Sara Craig drove in from Santa Fe to join us. This would be Sara's first hike and overnight camp out. She is a marathoner and triathlete, so she was definitely strong enough to make the trip. Jim climbed this trail and summit with two other friends and me last year, and he made the summit of Mt. Rainier that same year. My son-in-law, Graham , rounded out the band of hikers. This was his first summit of Wheeler but hiking and camping is part of his premarital and child-filled days. The weather was ideal and the trails were in good shape from the trailhead to the lake. The trail (#91) to Lost Lake is more scenic than either the East Fork or Middlefork trails, i...

Got up this morning and met Kyle Knighton at the family cabin in the Upper Valley of Red River. Kyle is new to trail running but he is truly hooked on it. He has run trails in Italy and Switzerland, but has not finished a sanctioned run yet. He and his wife Emily live in Waco, and he got the bug while running in Cameron Park. He signed up for his first ultra, The Rough Creek Trail Run (40 miles), September 19 in Glen Rose, TX. He will do great.  We headed to the East Fork trail head and walk/ran for an hour on the East Fork, Sawmill Creek, and part of the Sawmill Park trail. We reversed our run and got back to the car in half the time. 1.5 hr run at altitude.  It rained, and the trail had several washouts and fallen trees. Altitude was a problem going out (Ditch Cabin is 9,730) but coming back was ideal. Cool, soft trails, and my breathing fell back in pace.  Kyle ran ahead and turned back to check on me a couple of times. I soon learned I have not trained adequately for ...

On a hunch, I turned off an asphalt path to descend into a Kentucky creek bed that wandered through a grove of trees. October had announced the change of seasons and trees displayed their mustard-brown, golden fashions. Earth tones would be "in" again this year. I stopped on a slope, and overheard applause in the treetops. Trunks stood at attention during the ovation while others bent in awe of the Passerby. Laser-like rays of sunlight pinpointed the forest's floor through stained-glass patterns of leaf and limb. Wind gained momentum from the far end of the tree lined corridor like an ocean wave mounting an attack upon the beach. Leaves clapped in crescendo at center stage. As if on cue, tree after tree cast down golden, orange, and brown pieces of their best artwork like the followers of Jesus at his Triumphal Entry. The air was supercharged with falling color; A brisk autumn breeze bounced off rock, tree, and stream. Branch beat against branch, ...

Sunday was my last day as Senior Pastor with the people who are Legacy Church . They blessed my family and me beyond what we deserve or expected. My oldest daughter reflected on the event and her time at Legacy. I'll let her tell you... On 
Remembering 
Legacy ...
by Storey Wilkes Cook 
 Sunday, June 2, 2013, served as a beautiful tribute to my father on his last day as Senior Pastor of Legacy Church after 26 years . I was four years old when my daddy stepped into the position, I have witnessed changes, stretching, and growth of this body throughout my life from a front row seat. A constant I have observed through the years is the unwavering character and dedication of Gene Wilkes, my remarkable father, and his steadfast and supportive partner, my mom. Thank you, Greg Sankey for dubbing my daddy as ‘remarkable’. It is a befitting and well- earned title. Kendall Brown is a man who has weathered storm upon storm with my dad and has remained by his side. It is fitting that Kenda...

I am preparing again to summit Mt. Rainier . I gave it a go in 2011 but turned back on the top of Disappointment Cleaver.  This year my plans are to summit on August 12, my 60th birthday . I'll keep you posted and share the results, but I wanted to share some of the training I am doing to prepare for the climb and how that relates to my life-long spiritual training. I am climbing again with the best guides on the mountain , RMI Expeditions . As part of their support, they offer a 16-week training program to get you ready for your climb.  The foundation of the program is what they call, The Rainier Dozen .  Here's the list: 1.  Steam engine 2.  Three quarter squats 3.  Turkish Get Up 4.  Lunge 5.  Arm extender 6.  Triceps Dip 7.  Deep squat 8.  Steam engine laying down 9.  Mountain climber 10.  Push up 11.  Ranger crawl 12.  8 Point Body Builder These exercises can be done in ...

...but he changed how I follow Jesus. Dallas Willard went Home last week at age 77 . He touched many lives ( including Richard Foster , who influenced me too) through his teaching and writing. Here are a some ways he breathed life into my stale practices as a disciple of Jesus. Willard taught me that you have to practice the disciplines in order for them to change you . I liked his analogy of thinking I could hit like a big league baseball player if I behaved exactly as my favorite baseball star does in the game . ( Spirit of the Disciplines ) No, my favorite big league hitter is good because he has been swinging a bat since childhood, and he practices, practices, practices. We who follow Jesus fail in temptation and big-league problems because we think we can just step up and look like Jesus and knock the spiritual ball out of the park while in the game . No, we too must practice the disciplines Jesus taught us daily in order to live like Jesus. We can respond as Jesus would i...

I love the Psalms and reflections on them. The Psalms are prayers and songs that let us say things we are not sure we can say to God. They guide our hearts into the presence of God, and they allow our emotions to enter the worship chambers of eternity.  I was reading/singing through them this morning and these stanzas jumped out at me: Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed. (Psalm 85:10; NKJV) Mercy and truth have met together. They are not strangers no matter how far apart we separate them. They have met like negotiators to resolve matters that could keep them apart and cause another war.  Truth tells the dark, blatant facts and unassailable realities that reveal our fallen nature and root of evil in our lives. Truth reveals the nonnegotiable facts of life and will not compromise. Truth shines light on reality and does not care to hand out sunglasses.  Mercy sits at the same table and does not deny the truth but offer...