A Comfortable Bible
Back in high school I participated in competitions called “Bible Bowl.” I’m not even sure if they still do this or not. We studied and memorized a book or several books of the Bible for about 9 months. We met together once a month, in addition to tournaments around the state, and around the country. They were quiz competitions. The top teams will have memorized, word-for-word, flawlessly, in the Kings James Version. While I may not have always been at the top, I did memorize quite a bit from my KJV Bible.
The KJV was translated over 400 years ago now. Our English language has evolved and changed since then. For me, reading through the KJV is both awkward and annoying.
When I went off to college, Lincoln Christian College, the Bible that the college used in all their classes was the Harper Study Bible, which was the Revised Standard Version. It was certainly better than the KJV, but it was still a bit clumsy. My junior year they switched to the New International Version Study Bible.
I still have that Bible. I have had to tape it back together several different times. Two years ago Traci had it rebound for me as a Christmas present. It has all my notes, underlinings, and feels comfortable.
About 8 years ago I bought a New Living Translastion. It was much easier to read, and felt more natural. I really enjoyed it and it gave me a new perspective on many different scriptures I had learned in the NIV.
But, after a couple of years, I found myself going back to the NIV Study Bible. I just liked studying it better.
Then, last week in church, our pastor introduced me to a new Translation, the Holman Christian Standard Bible. I downloaded the free app to my Android phone and began reading through it. I like it… a lot!!
It seems to be a modernization of the NIV translation. The NIV was translated in the 1970′s. Since that time, there have been many new archaelogical discoveries, new manuscripts, Dead Sea Scrolls, and other evidense that can make for a better, more accurate translation.
I’ve included a video below that explains things better.
The HCSB translation was done in 2010. The HCSB Study Bible is probably the best I’ve seen from a Study Bible. It is very, very impressive.
Here’s my suggestion, for whatever that is worth, regarding translations:
- For a new Christian, and especially a younger Christian (college age and younger), I would recommend the New Living Translation. There is an NLT Study Bible
that is also very good. I think the translation just makes things easier to understand in a language that younger believers can understand.
- For growing Christians and those in their late-20′s on up to their 120′s, I recommend the HCSB Study Bible
. I believe the accuracy of the translation, the study notes, charts, time lines, maps, articles, cross-references, etc. are second to none, and can really help deepen one’s walk and relationship with Christ.
Furthermore, if you have an iPad, you have to get the HCSB Study Bible app. It’s about $10 and is THE BEST thing I’ve ever seen. I would buy an iPad just so I could use this app. 
I’m looking forward to getting into this… and… give me another 20 years and I’m sure it will feel comfortable.
Joy In The Journey – Part 6 – Back To Africa
After celebrating our second wedding anniversary, Traci and I set out on a new course together – raising the financial support necessary for us to go to Zaire, Africa on a three month short-term mission trip with African Christian Mission. My second trip, Traci’s first trip, and first time ever on a plane.
Getting To Africa
Raising support is one of those things where it is easy to be on the giving end, giving money to help someone else fulfill their calling, but it is not always easy to be on the receiving end. It is extremely humbling when you begin sending out letters, sharing your story with churches and small groups, and for them to reach in their pocket or right a check from their hard earned money, to help you get to where God has been calling.
Over the first 5 months of 1991, we wrote a lot of letters, spoke with a lot of people, went to a lot of meetings, and reached 100% of our financial goal to be able to go. We had people praying for us and encouraging us, all along the way.
Traci graduated from Lincoln Christian College in early May, 1991. We got our immunizations. Got all our visas and passports set. And then in late May, we made the journey to O’Hare airport and said goodbye to our friends and family for 3 months. Goodbye is usually not easy, but I still remember walking away with Traci down the carpeted hallway, to our gate at the international terminal. It was her first real trip away like this. We boarded Sabena airlines and were on our way.
The First Month In Africa
We were met at the airport in Bujambura, Burundi by a couple of mission families. We began driving the roads, traveling through border crossings from Burundi into Rwanda, and then to the border crossing from Rwanda to Zaire.
The border official had started his weekend a bit early, drinking a bit too much homemade banana beer, and did not want to let 12 white people pass through his border crossing.
After a couple hours of waiting, he decided to let the women and children go, but the men had to stay. Traci set out with the other ladies, on into Zaire. Welcome to Africa, Traci. Your husband is stuck at the border and you don’t know what is going to happen. Jay, Jeff, and myself soon found out we were not going anywhere as the banana beer continued to flow. Mosquitoes were coming out. It was growing dark.
To avoid getting bit my mosquitoes (runs the risk of Malaria) the three of us slept in the cab of the Toyota pickup, sweaty and hot. Toyota pickups were not meant for 3 guys. In the morning the new border official (who had not enjoyed banana beer) released us, and we drove into Zaire with no more incidents.
We settled into life, living in the Beeman’s house. We walked and rode taxis around the city of Bukavu. We took Swahili lessons with Buhindiwa. Visited the hospital with Carolyn Butler. Helped the Rosses count currency (the Zaire money was experiencing hyper inflation that summer). And, we helped out in any way we could.
About 2 weeks into our trip, we climbed on board the mission plane and traveled to Mwenga to visit with the Hegler family for a few nights, and then back on the plane to visit with the Reed and Stevens family in Kazuza. Mwenga is much higher in the mountains and was a bit more basic living. Kazuza was much lower in elevation and the families were working hard to build their homes and build the church.
We worked with the Stevens in building their home, put on the tin roof, adjust solar panels, and get moved in. We got to drive a fantastic Toyota truck (in the photo), and I got to give Traci her first ride on a motorcycle up and down the airstrip. Traci also got to experience getting bitten by siafu (African soldier ants). We worked with the local church and got to have our first rural African church service. No one does an offering dance or song like the folks in Kazuza!
One of the really cool parts of this trip was getting to spend time, in the village, with Ron Butler. He was the reason I ever made it to Africa. I was able to watch him interact with the people, and sit around and chat with him. It is one of my top memories of my life. I can still close my eyes and remember the sandy soil, the bushes around us, sitting on stools against the Reed’s house. Ron in his Australian cowboy hat, and me in my baseball cap. He was one of the greatest!
Month 2 – Goma, Zaire
After Kazuza, and after arriving back in Bukavu for a week, we began receiving letters from home and it felt good to be back in the city life. We wanted to explore a new area. Diane Beeman set us up to spend a week in Goma (Jay and Diane Beeman were great!), a city on the north side of Lake Kivu. There were no other missionaries there. We were there to meet with the Goma church… and they were very ready to meet with us.
Kisongo was the pastor of the church, and he had arranged for hospitality beyond what any 5-star resort could do here. Granted, it was Zaire, but the heart and effort still humble us 21 years later. We stayed at the home of one of the church members. He treated us like royalty and had a hot breakfast for us every morning.
Our Swahili was very limited, and their English was zero. We had a translator with us… some of the time. He found family and would go visit with them. So, through our broken Swahili, we managed to share with the men and women of the church. We would have HUGE meals of fish, beef, chicken, and all kinds of fruits and vegetables. We found out the the church knew we were coming and had taken up such deep sacrificial offerings to buy the food to provide for us and help us travel throughout the week. They gave beyond what they had to give.
It was an emotional time for Traci and I. We would cry from the hospitality we were shown and how much this church wanted us to come and serve. We struggled at night sometimes being home sick or isolated. One of our closest companions was listening to Rich Mullins on our Walkman.
We ended the week with a church service. It was probably the most incredible service I have been a part of. The singing was intense. The prayer time was even more intense. The singing and the preaching went on and on. We understood very little of what was said, but we knew that God was moving, God was healing, God was here. We gathered for a parting photo outside the church with several members, heading back to the airport, and back to Bukavu, on the south side of Lake Kivu.
Month 3 – Leaving Africa
Funny things happen in my head sometimes. The thoughts in my head tend to blow around with the breeze and I can be in love with Africa at one moment, and then the next moment, drop the idea in Traci’s lap that I don’t want to come back to Africa. She probably wondered what kind of man she had married at the time. I was somewhat of an emotional basketcase trying to keep it together.
We ended our summer in Africa at the Kumbiya conference in Rwanda. We slept in tents for about 10 days. It was a lot of fun and we got to meet and spend time with missionaries from all over East Africa. After arriving back in Bukavu, we said goodbye to our African friends and missionaries, drove back to Burundi, and climbed on board the Sabena 747 for Belgium, and then Chicago.
In the weeks and months that followed, I was more confused than ever about my future. I just needed some time… at least that is what I thought. What I really needed was a mentor who could give me some guidance. I’m not sure I would have listened, but I needed someone. I gave the appearance of having it together, but on the inside I was a wreck and my once “sure future as an African missionary” was anything but certain. I was a ship without a rudder, map, or direction.
My Response
Africa is hard on me. It is the one place I want to be more than anything. It has been 21 years since that summer, and now, 15 years since my last trip to Africa, yet, I still dream of the people, the land, the animals, the life. But, when I’m there, this battle rages in my head and heart to go home, to quit, to another life back home in America.
I could live the rest of my days in the simple life in East Africa… at least that is what I tell myself. At the same time, having been to Africa four times now, I know the battle that awaits me… the battle to go home.
Maybe that’s my problem – I don’t know what “home” is. Home seems to be elusive to me. I have a hard time being settled. I’ve lived in Texas now most of my married life. While Texas is my home, I’m not sure I have embraced the idea of “home” yet. Maybe I’m not supposed to.
I do know this…
The summer of 1991 was an incredible summer for Traci and I. It was the experience of a lifetime, and one that we were fortunate and blessed to have experienced. Bukavu, Kazuza, Goma, Kidadobo, tent life, climbing mountains, eating strange foods, and having the time of our life. I hope we were able to be a blessing to others, as much as they were to us.
At the same time, it raised several red flags that I ignored. It would have been better had I recognized the red flags and been humble enough to listen to those around me.
I guess I have a tendency to over complicate things as I play out the thoughts in my head… longing for a home where I can rest and find peace.
As the title of this says – there is joy in the journey. It may not all be pleasant. It may be the greatest experience of your life. But, it’s all part of the journey.
My greatest lessons on grace and forgiveness still lay ahead as I try to pursue a dream that maybe was not ready to be pursued.
Running Goals for 2012
Last year I set off on my goal to lose weight and get back into shape by running. I did Weight Watchers as well. It was a HUGE help to me to teach me more about portion sizes, what foods are better choices, and overall better eating habits. Highly recommended. You can read more about all of this on My Weight Watchers Story.
I never really thought I would like running as much as I do. It seemed rather boring and painful. It’s proven to be just the opposite. I began walking and hiking for 2 months or more, and then finally on April 1st I began to run… barely.
It was tough going at first, but I built up from about 2 minutes to running my first 5K on Memorial Day. I ran other 5K, and then a 10K in September. My ultimate goal for 2011 was to run the San Antonio Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon, which you can read about here. I did that in November.
Overall in 2011, I ran a total of 425 miles. That’s pretty darn good, from being a slug who couldn’t climb a flight of stairs, to running that far.
2012 Goals
I have several goals regarding running in 2012.
First of all, I want to reach 1,000 miles. That’s going to be quite a stretch for me. That means I am going to have to average 19-20 miles per week to pull this off. I’m already behind schedule.
Second of all, I am going to run at least two half marathons this year. I have my first one scheduled for March 25th in Dallas. That will help out my weekly mileage as I’ll be running about 25-30 miles per week in the weeks leading up to that race. I may try and insert a 3rd half marathon late in the year to help me reach my fifth running goal below.
Thirdly, I am going to run my first marathon later this year. I am still trying to pick out the right one at the right time. Running a marathon has been one of the things that has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. Certainly, the weekly mileage leading up to this race will give me a boost toward my first goal.
Fourth, I am going to run shorter races throughout the year to help with motivation, encourage my family for them to run, and be a part of the competition of the race. I know I want to run the American Heroes Race 5K on Memorial Day again, as well as the Tour de Fleur 10K in September. Other than that, I may try some small races to see if I can place in any of them.
Fifth, and this is my big one. This will actually spill over into 2013, but I want to run the Goof and a Half race at Disney World in January 2013. This is a half marathon on Saturday, followed by a full marathon on Sunday. 39.3 miles in two days!
This is my goal that will stretch me and keep me moving foward. This is the big prize that I’m shooting for. If it ain’t big, then it ain’t a goal. Traci thinks it’s a bit crazy, but I’m ready to go for it.
Today’s my day off from running. I’m gonna do a little Bowflex, shower, and get back to work.
Planning my year!
Looking For Something New and Fresh
I was on Facebook earlier today and read a post from one of my friends, Deyna, who had quoted Napoleon Hill:
“Neglecting to broaden their view has kept some men doing one thing all their lives”
I don’t know if you’ve ever been there, but have you ever felt like your vision is so shallow, narrow, and short?
If you know what I mean, it is a feeling that all you can see is what is immediately happening around you at the moment. You respond rather than create. You react instead of dream. You feel stuck instead of free. You feel anchored instead of alive. You feel like you are living to be safe and please others instead of risking and offending.
That is how I feel as the year starts off. I’m just being honest here. I feel like I am not living the life I was meant to live and could live.
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy my life and I love my God, and I am not whining or complaining. I realize I have a pretty ideal life, having worked from home full-time since 2004. That’s pretty amazing!
But, sometimes it is time for a new adventure and new territory to be conquered and explored.
Sometimes it is time for a change of scenery with what seems to inhibit my vision and obstruct my view.
Sometimes I feel that God wants to write on my heart something new, but I stand in the way as I fight to survive in my daily existence.
Sometimes I want to risk it all, lay it all out there, and free fall.
Sometimes I wish…
…I wish…
Ahhh… there’s no time to wish, and certainly not enough energy. I have a mortgage to pay, school tuition, a minivan that needs to be replaced, and I simply don’t know if I have the strength to wish. I’m feel tired.
.
.
But, I know, that if I don’t fight for something new and fresh, and don’t yield my life, hope, and future to God’s design, soon, I will forget that I was ever meant to live, dream, soar, or wish.
In talking with Traci, my wife, I was telling her about these thoughts, and I made the analogy of how rocks and boulders get beaten down and made smooth over time by the crashing of the waves. That’s how I feel. I feel as if the crap of this life, financial worries, concerns, and more crap just beats me down and makes me smooth.
I don’t want to be smooth, as stupid as that sounds. I want to have an edge to me.
So, as of today, I am moving forward, with what little strength I have, and what short-sighted and narrow vision I have, to explore, pray, seek and set out on a quest for something new and something fresh.
I’m not really sure what that means. I’m not sure that is for me to define right now.
Which is probably how any quest starts… moving toward the unknown, putting my faith in the One who will guide me to whatever risk, land, life, or mission He leads.
Hopefully… to be continued…
What I Want For Christmas
What I want for Christmas this year… hmmmm… my list seems to get shorter, yet more expensive.
I’m not going to go into all the philosophical stuff of world peace or an end to both the Democrat and Republican parties. I’m going to be a bit more practical.
1. First on my list is the Pacific HBO miniseries in Blu Ray. I am blown away by the sacrifice of these men who fought in the Pacific theater of WWII. It makes the whining and bitching of Washington DC today just sickening. At the same time, it makes you honored to be a part of this country, the idealism and the freedom we have. This is a must have gift.
2. Second on my list is also a Blu Ray DVD series – The Lord of the Rings – Extended Edition. It may not ever get any better than this 3-part series. This has got to be one of the greatest series to have ever been made. The story. The music. The scenery. The picture quality. Everything about this movie is A++ And, you have to get the extended edition. There is too much to be lost by not seeing the full length.
3. I would love to have a new leather recliner, new couch and love seat for the living room. I don’t know any specifics yet, but having that would really be nice.
4. I would like a new 3-D 60 inch LCD flat screen TV. I have a nice 46 inch plasma, but I am wanting to replace my 27 inch TV. Remember, this is a wish list… not list based upon practiciality… like needing to get my molars fixed and my teeth cleaned. I also need a nice stand for this TV to go on, accompanied by a quality 3D Blu Ray player and Bose surround sound system… just sayin.
5. In order for me to watch TV here, I might need some recliner theater seats. This would be cool. I could replace the couch with the claw feet and put in these theater seats. Ooohhh… it would make watching TV so much more fun.
6. I would also like some new sweaters, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. My other ones don’t fit any more. I lost 50 pounds so far this year… and want to drop another 40. So, my old ones are a bit too big. Time for some new ones to fit the new me.
7. Just to keep things on the less expensive side… some running socks would be nice. My other ones are getting a bit worn out.
There are several other things to add here… a new truck, computer, ipad, boat, etc… but, I’ll wrap things up with the socks.
Three through five are probably a bit sketchy… but it doesn’t hurt to add them.
Completed My First Half Marathon
January 2011 I set out on a goal to lose weight and get back in shape. This isn’t the first time I had set this goal, but I was determined it would be the last.
I did two things to make this happen: 1) I joined Weight Watchers to help get me moving in the right direction and to learn better eating habits, 2) I set a goal that in November 2011 I would run the San Antonio Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon.
I was way out of shape. I was about about 100 pounds heavier than I was in college. I began by walking at the local mall several times a week (it was too cold to walk outside). In February and March I also began hiking on some trails. Then, on April 1st, I hit the local jr. high track and started to run.
I could only run 2 minutes before I was completely out of breath. I extended that to 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 6 minutes, 8 minutes, 12 minutes, until I could do 30 minutes.
I ran my first 5K races (3.1 miles) on Memorial Day. I barely made it, but did so in under 32 minutes. In June, I ran another 5K race and did it in under 30 minutes. In September I ran a 10K race (6.2 miles) in a little more than an hour.
I struggled through very sore knees and ankles along the way. Being fat is not easy on your joints. I chose a training that would give my joints time to recover and yet push me further.
In October I began hitting double digit distance. I went 10, 11, 13 miles. In early November I hit 15 miles. I was ready for San Antonio.
On November 13, 2011, I crossed the finish line at about 10:40 am, having reached a goal that I had set out earlier this year. It was, without a doubt, the hardest run I had ever done.
There were 30,000 runners, volunteers, and participants on the course. How many runners is 30,000? From the time they sounded the gun to start the race at 7:30, using their “wave-start” method, I didn’t actually get to the start line until 8:07. It was very difficult to run at the pace that I had trained for. I was constantly bobbing and weaving left and right on the streets, up on the side walks, dodging people who would suddenly stop to walk. I ended up exerting too much energy within the first 7-8 miles of the race that when I hit the 10.5 mile distance, I hit a wall. I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to run another step.
My good friend Bill Rogers was running with me. He kept urging me on over the last 3 miles to make it home. He set goals for me, “let’s run to this next corner,” “let’s just make it to this next point.”
I finally hit the home stretch. Thousands of people were lined on either side of the street, and the last uphill before we turned the corner for the finish line. They were all cheering for everyone. As I turned the corner, I saw Traci, Lauren, and Josh (as well as Bill Rogers’ family). They were yelling, holding up the signs they had made, and just as excited to see me cross the line.
It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t my best time. I certainly wasn’t the fastest. But, it was everything I had. It took me 2 hours and 33 minutes.
The volunteers put an ice cold towel on my head. They hung the finishing medal around my neck. They took my picture. They gave me water, some fruit, and other stuff. I found my family.
Here I am now… the day after the race. My knees are good. My ankle is a bit sore. My pride a bit bruised for not running it 20 minutes faster.
But… I am very happy. I’m a bit wiser now about what it takes to run in the midst of 30,000 people.
I am very satisfied to have reached a goal that seemed so far fetched at the time.
I am ready to do it again.
I want to drop another 20 pounds and then begin training for my next half marathon.
After that, a full marathon.
Nov 12 – At the expo getting my race number
Nov 13 – 7:20 am – about 15-20,000 runners in front of me
7:20 am – about 10,000 runners behind me
8:40 am – Running at mile 3 in front of the Alamo (Bill Rogers and I)
10:40 am – Crossing the finish line
11:00 – Recovering and showing off my medal
Joy In The Journey – Part 5 – The Ministry Years
The ministry years: 1987 – 1990
Petersburg Church of Christ
In my senior year of college I opened a new phase of my life, what my college major was all about, serving and working in a church as a youth pastor. I was hired on at my first church, Petersburg Church of Christ in Petersburg, IL. It was a part-time position that I could drive back and forth to while going to school full tilme.
I loved working with youth. I have served on the staff and faculty of 200 different weeks of youth camp. The transition to a paid staff position was not a real easy transition for me, namely because it involved more of an administrative role and I had a contract, responsibilities, and expectations to meet.
While there, I bonded with a couple of families and youth. They were a great help to me and I appreciated their ministry to me tremendously. The one family in particular, The Sears family, would become friends of mine for many years to come. They saw my heart and my love for the mission field as well.
I left the church after a year and a half. I was very discouraged in my relationship with the senior minister on staff and especially the leadership of the church. I don’t want to put the burden of the blame on them. I had a lot to learn about working in that kind of environment, but there were men on the board who said several things that hurt both my new wife and myself. It certainly wasn’t worth the $150/week I was getting paid… which they reminded me weekly was more than I was worth.
I did have a good ministry there. I was green. I was there for the youth and their families. To that end, it was successful and I’m grateful for the experience.
South Shores Christian Church
In early 1989, after several months had passed from my time in Petersburg, I accepted the call to move to Decatur, IL to serve in the full time position as youth pastor at South Shores Christian Church.
I became much more intimately involved with the youth of the church and others in the community. Traci and I had been married for less than a year. We were still very green and had much to learn about serving and working in a ministry. But, you can only grow out of greenness from experience.
We grew close with the youth and many of their families. Many of them were becoming out close friends. We led many of them to a deeper relationship in Christ, started several things that had not been done before, and led a team down to Mexico on the church’s first ever mission trip experience.
In the fall of 1990 two things happened – I was ordained into the ministry, and a irreversible event would cut my ministry short.
As a bit of history, the church where I grew up in Springfield, IL, the youth pastor had come from South Shores Christian Church where I was from. That was 10 years prior to where I was now. The night I was ordained, I wanted the leadership from my home church there as well. I didn’t realize that the leadership of South Shores was still bitter about that.
That night of my ordination, my home church approached me about taking a mission trip in the summer of 91. Traci and I thought it was pretty exciting. We went to the leadership of the church at South Shores to openly discuss it. I went in to the meeting hoping for an open dialogue and to brainstorm ideas. I didn’t know the history, and 10 years of bitterness exploded on me that night. In addition, I was approached by some other men who were there about going to Zaire with Traci in the summer of 91.
I was blindsided as the leadership told me to leave, cut my strings and go, and that they wished I had never come. I was devastated. I went home that night in shock and shared with my wife what took place. I was hurt, stunned, and left spinning with what to do.
I shared some of these things with a few men I trusted. Ultimately it had to be my decision. After weighing things out, I resigned from the church amidst a lot of puzzled, disturbed, angry, hurt, and tearful goodbyes.
It was now late 1990. Traci and I moved back to Lincoln, IL, in Seminary, in college, and scrambling to find a job.
My Response
It’s been 2 decades since I have served on the staff of a church. There are times when I consider another shot in another setting, but I am not thrilled about returning to the administration and the politics of things. I am just not that kind of person, which I am more than fine with. There are plenty of other ministry opportunities that exist outside of paid staff positions. I am more of a free lancer and not an employee type.
Everyone has regrets. There are things I should have done differently. Two ministries, each about a year and a half. Not very long, yet very full of sharing lives together. Just so you know, I returned to South Shores Christian Church in 1996 and confessed to them some of my hurt, what went wrong, and to heal relationships. That was a good experience.
I don’t have an easy answer for things, but working as a pastor can be very challenging. It takes a lot of grace on everyone’s part. I probably should have finished college and not served at the church in Petersburg… but, then I would have never met the Sears.
I should have made a minimum commitment, say 3 years, at South Shores. They knew my heart and desire for missions, and that I would some day soon want to go to Zaire. But, there were several misunderstandings that could have easily been avoided had I known the history between my home church and South Shores. They felt that my home church had stolen one pastor away, and ten years later they had come to steal another one away.
Communication can solve a world of problems. I wasn’t ready to leave the ministry, but I felt I was left in a position (at least at the time) where the best option was to resign. In hindsight… I gave in too easy rather than fighting for what was right. What was right was to communicate my desire to stay, serve, and grow. While there is always blame to share, I carry the lion share of the blame for acting irresponsible and too easily allowed my emotions to dictate major decisions.
The biggest mistake was still ahead of me. I would fail to mature in some areas, and I lacked the personal mentor to help me process what had been happening in my life. Because of this, I was not able to be all I could be for my wife, and others around me due to hanging onto the baggage of the past. It was time for Rich to grow up, but in some ways, I would exchange the long term benefits of responsibility for the short-term gains of selfish pursuit.
There IS Joy In The Journey. Even in the midst of pain, hurt, and confusion. It may not be as apparent because joy can be hidden in plain site without the grace and wisdom for your eyes to see.
I am shaped by the ministry years. It is my history. It is my life. It is my joy.
Losing Weight, Getting Healthy, Running
So far in 2011 it has been a year of getting healthy. Since the New Year, I have lost a total of 45 pounds, been eating better, and have been exercising. The main thing I have been doing is eating less and moving more.
I have primarily done it through Weight Watchers. You can see the blog I started by clicking here ==> My Weight Watchers Story. However, the primary thing I have learned through WW is portion control while still eating the foods I love and enjoy, as well as making healthier choices throughout the day.
Weight Watchers has been good, and you learn quite a bit after a few months, but it isn’t necessary. You can do it on your own, but it can be harder to pave your own road. It’s not a bad system to plug into for a few months and learn about point values, portion sizes, and making good choices.
Also, I started moving. On February 1st I started walking the malls before hours, after I dropped the kids off at school. I would walk 2-3 miles 3-5 times per week. Then I started hiking at a nature preserve near my house. There were some pretty difficult trails. I would hike 4-7 miles about 3-4 times per week. I really enjoyed that.
All of this was building up to a point where I could lose enough weight so I could run. I started running on April 1st… although running may have been a bit of an exaggeration. Even after 2 months of warm up with walking and hiking, the first day I couldn’t run 2 minutes without feeling I was gonna drop and pass out. I was following a plan to run 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes, 7 times. Then, when I felt I had that mastered, I would run 3 minutes walk 2 minutes, 6 times. Then run 4 minutes, walk 2 minutes, 5 times…. getting up to 8 minutes of running, 12 minutes, 20 minutes, then finally 30 minutes.
It’s pretty amazing how it built. On Memorial Day weekend I ran my first ever 5K race – The American Heroes 5K. I ran that in 31:39. Not too bad for a guy who couldn’t even run 2 minutes less than 2 months prior.
I continued to run, and ran my second 5K race – The Get Your Rear in Gear. I ran that in 29:07. A pretty nice improvement.
I am running my first 10K race later this month and hope to finish in about 65 minutes. I’ll let you know how it goes.
But, today, which I am most excited about, was day #1 of a 10-week training program for the San Antonio Rock-n-Roll half marathon which I will be running on November 13th. It makes it even more unbelievable to me that I could go from couch to 13.1 miles in about 10 months.
Anyway, my body, mind and spirit have been awakened this year. A new church at The Church on Rush Creek as well. Feeling great.
Now, I need to crank out the next part of my Joy in the Journey story.