faithrunner

Why a Staggered Start? Aenise Montgomery, a friend and member of Legacy Church , sent me her thoughts about spiritual growth, and I wanted to share them with you. Here they are: One Sunday Pastor Gene talked about each of us being right where we are supposed to be. I seriously doubted his statement because I had a list of things that I should have done by now, and I had not done them. But, by the end of the sermon I understood. Another Sunday he told about his faith journey and how long he had known the Lord verses someone who had never cared to know God and how they would have the same mercies extended to them! I thought, “Talk about starting in different places.” This idea lingered well after service, and I started to think about how I used to run track a long time ago. Well, that deserves two “longs!”  I pictured all the runners prepared for different races, waiting for their lane assignment and their start time. We all wanted the inside lane on the track. (Lane 3...

I was a Lance Armstrong supporter from the beginning . He grew up where I live, and I bought my road bike and gear from Richardson Bike Mart , the store he rode out of when he began his triathlon career. He was a hero whom I pointed to often in conversations, writing, and messages as an example of what persistence and the human spirit can overcome. I believed him until the trophies started falling, and then I wondered. Not until he gave the series of "yeses" to Oprah's questions was I totally convinced he had been lying to us all. Paul and Me in 2009 I have ridden three times in the Ride for the Roses in Austin , raising funds for his foundation, LiveStrong . One of the most meaningful finishes in my life was riding with my cancer-survivor friend, Paul Olson, who finished the ride after much pain but with great joy. That ride down the final stretch with him as he received his survivor rose touched me deeply, and I gladly gave to the foundation Lance started. ...

This month I have been lifting weights with a couple of NFL Alumni . Well, mostly with one of them...a 6'5" 300-lb lineman. I look like his scrawny dad when we are walking around the gym from station to station. He has been kind enough to show me the ins and outs of his lifting regimen, which I have not done since High School football days. (I graduated in 1971.) I joined them at the start of this year because I need the extra strength for my one big goal of summitting Mt. Rainier in August.  I have learned you grow stronger through lifting by literally tearing the muscle as you lift . As the muscle heals over the next 24-48 hours, it becomes stronger. Learning not to tear the muscle too much while increasing the weight is part of the practice. You also become stronger by covering all the muscle groups with a variety of motions. Soreness is also part of the strengthening process. If you are not sore, you are not lifting enough to improve. (There's a spiritual p...

Park at the Redwood Shelter Cross the street to the trail along the river Run to end of River Trail and the Highlander Trailhead Run Highlander to Outback to Powder Monkey back down to River Trail Run at pace to Jacob's Ladder One ascent and one descent Jog back to Redwood Shelter Took me about 1h 30m. You'll be faster. Add climbs on Jacobs Ladder for climbing strength. Cameron Park Trail Map

I want to kick off my new year on the topic of spiritual wellness. It is a primary theme in my new book , A New Way of Living: Practicing the Beatitudes Everyday .  Much has been written about physical wellness and how exercise and diet are essential elements to health and longevity, but how do you know if you are spiritually well? The Beatitudes --like physical vital signs -- can serve as a baseline for your spiritual health . How can you know where you are in your spiritual development? Just as you would take your pulse, temperature, blood pressure, and rate of breathing to measure your health physically, you can gauge your spiritual health by measuring your attitudes and behavior against what Jesus considered "blessed" in his teachings recorded in Matthew 5:3-10 . Jesus not only blessed certain spiritual conditions as he looked out over his disciples and the crowd that gathered to hear him, but I believe he also revealed characteristics of who he wanted his...

I wrote an article for New Hope Digital titled " Top Five Ways To Change Your Spiritual Development in 2013 ." Here's the link . Thanks for checking it out.

Mayan Calendars 12/21/12 is finally here! The next end-of-the-world tsunami has hit the shores of our culture, and the people I talk to jokingly speak of eating all the ice cream they want, maxing out their credit cards, and partying like its 2012--just like they did in 1999. Earlier this month I blogged about the end of the world on 12/21/12 . You can read it here . Since Friday is supposed to be the end of the world, I wanted to post on last time on the subject. And, since I expect to be here next week, I will post then as usual and as the Lord wills. "Fear is the opposite of faith, " Someone once said. I agree with that statement. Christians do not worry about tomorrow because Jesus made it clear that while he did not know the date or time of the end, we can be sure God's got the final say on when all we know is over . ( Matthew 24 ) The words of Jesus we usually read at funeral services are appropriate here. Jesus was comforting his disciples when they be...