Lent Day 23

Half way.  Tonight at midnight will mark two exact halfway points: this is the half way point in my Lent experience and the halfway point in our US government’s fiscal year.  Half way through and I have made so much more progress than the government.

Even after the experience I had last night with the neighbor and her dogs, I still went running tonight.  I will not let anyone or anything get in the way of that promise I made to God.  I will stay true to my commitment.  Though, I do believe that God tests us sometimes by allowing some things to happen in our lives.  It’s how He shows us that He is there for us and for us to prove our character to Him.   This whole experience is not about going outside running and getting in shape physically.  It’s about building my relationship with God and strengthening my character.  It is through adversities that we grow stronger.  It is through these tests of my character that I will know how strong I can be.  You cannot tell how strong something is until you test it.

I have a concealed weapons permit and I do carry daily.  This is not because I go looking for trouble.  I carry a weapon to protect myself and my freedom in case trouble should happen to come looking for me.  Now to stay true to that, I took both dogs and my weapon as I went jogging tonight.  We went running around the east half of the loop all the way to the most southern point where I can see the sunset.  From there, I went back north to where I would normally take the west half of the loop where those ferocious caged animals are located.  At that intersection, I stopped for a brief moment debating.  Do I stand my ground knowing that I am well protected and it is my right to run in the road or do I turn right and go back along the east half of the loop from whence I came?  There is a sense of selfish pride that I had to fight off.  That sense of standing up for what I believed is right, when in all reality I would have been looking for trouble.  I turned and ran up that steep hill to the east.  Sometimes it just feels better to do the right thing.  When I got to that halfway point at that intersection, I had to ask myself what I was doing.  Do I take the high road or the low road?  Is my goal success or will I allow myself to be distracted? 

Avoid the confrontation.  If the confrontation looks for me, I will be prepared, but in the meantime, I’m going to do everything I can do avoid it.  In doing the right thing, God will bless me with that strength and endurance to have an enjoyable uneventful jog around my beautiful neighborhood.  The running feels good.  Making the right decision felt great.

Sometimes when I go running, I don’t even pay attention to what I am physically doing.  I simply put my body on cruise control while my mind ventures off into its own journey.  That can be a wild adventure in itself.  As I said to a friend yesterday, “Thank you traveling flight Ben33011 on Grass Airlines”.  So there I was, running along, my mind was somewhere near the Bermuda Triangle, and YIKES! A snake!  My heart skipped a beat!  Oh, wait, that’s the same piece of rope in the road I saw yesterday.  Argh! 

Lent Day 22

Rules . . . When Lent began I made up a few rules to go by.  These are rules for me to follow in order for me to ensure my success.  For example, I will not eat anything after 7:00 pm.  This is only a part of the commitment as everything else involves giving something up: fried foods, sweets, bread, sodas, and even chocolate.  I suppose I could eat after 7:00, have a candy bar, or even skip my exercise for a day, but that would be cheating and breaking the rules. 

I had questioned why I made some of these rules for myself a few nights ago.  I had to rush home after working a bit late.  I ate dinner as fast as I could in an attempt to finish by 7:00.  I was a tiny bit late, but I figured God would forgive me.  I hurriedly changed clothes and went running and learned something.  There was another reason for not eating past 7:00; stomach cramps when running.  They say don’t go swimming for 30 minutes after you eat.  Apparently that applies to jogging as well.  There are many good reasons to have rules.

America was founded on Judeo-Christian values.  I have always felt being a good Christian is part of being a good American.  When I started Lent a few weeks ago, I felt a strong sense of patriotism come over me in appreciation for the freedoms I am granted: freedom of religion being high on the list.  Christians should follow rules as established by the church and our US Constitution.  Having a strong sense of morals is requisite to understanding what the rules are and why they are in place.  If you have a morals, you don’t need to be constantly reminded what is right or wrong.  A little common sense never hurt anyone either.

Tonight, I really wanted Tyler to go with me.  We even decided to take both dogs with us.  This proved to be much more complicated than I thought.  I suppose Monte is only half of Tyler’s weight, but that is a hefty ratio when Monte’s speed is factored in.  Tyler didn’t appreciate that very much.  I gave him Molly, and it worked out much better. 

We made it almost all the way to where the Great Danes live.  I looked ahead and noticed the gate was open, a blue 4 door Jeep was pulling out, and the big dogs were barking.  Tyler and I stopped and turned around nervously heading back a few feet.  I waved at the lady in the Jeep when she stopped, rolled down her window, and proceeded to yell at me for coming by her house disturbing her dogs.  I was stunned at such an approach.  She assaulted me and let me know that she owned the road in front of her house.  All I could ask her is if her dogs could get out.  She told me that they were in a pen, but they “could” jump out.  I had my son with me.  I had God with me.  I have to be a good Christian American that obeys rules and sets a good example for my son.  Love thy neighbor is on the list.  She pulled off making some snide comments, and we proceeded with caution.

There is a fine line between stupidity and ignorance.  Some people have a hard time figuring out which side of that line they are on. 

Lent Day 21

Yes I did it!  I ran farther and faster tonight than I have run yet.  I went all the way to the sunset spot in the south and the yellow mail box in the north and back to the same driveway with no short cuts.  According to the odometer on the 4 wheeler (and confirmed in the car) this is exactly 3.1 miles.  I did this in exactly 32 minutes. 

I had made a new years resolution to be better each day than I was the day before.  My best friend keeps saying that I can set myself up for failure by doing this.  I can see his point that there is no level of super great that I may continue to attain.  However, I know I will have backsliding days, therefore, I will make the next day better.  Today, I did better than the last day.  I was more productive at work, I ran farther and faster, and I had a better day than the day before. 

I took both dogs tonight.  Not only is my endurance increasing, but so are the dog’s endurance levels.  Monte doesn’t have to do the country line dance anymore since my pace has increased.  He stays steady the entire duration.  Molly didn’t make me drag her at all.  She was able to keep pace the whole way.  In fact, when we got back to the house, she didn’t even collapse until she got all the way onto the porch. 

We heard a few dogs tonight; the same normal dogs.  As we approached the dreaded house with the Great Danes, I noticed something . . . something horrible . . . the gate was left open.  The only noise we were making was the jingle of Molly’s tags on her collar.  At that point, I prayed that Molly wouldn’t get tired and collapse.  We really picked up speed to the fastest sustainable pace I could muster after almost 2 miles of non-stop jogging.  We were about halfway past their house when I heard the dreaded sound of a dog bark.  It wasn’t them; it was one of the dogs on the other side of the loop.  Ok God, I need your protection.  I have two dogs tied to my belt loops as if I am dragging a chum line for sharks.  Unfortunately, I am using 400 test line with my bait.  We made it all the way past and up that long hill before I would slow down long enough to see if they were coming.  We were safe.

We made it back by the house which measures at the 2.75 mile mark.  In order to hit my goal of a 5K, we have to go past to the yellow mailbox and back.  I really debated as this was already a record speed trip for me.  Going the extra distance could be my goal for tomorrow.  No Ben, you are here now, do it!  I kept going and the dogs didn’t mind that we just passed our house.  As we got into the dark wooded trees, I heard a tree fall.  It startled all three of us.  We kept going.  I got an email on my phone.  I kept running.  I got a FB message on my phone.  I kept running.  I thought I heard a wild animal just in the edge of the woods.  Man, it sure seems like there are a lot distractions trying to keep me from finishing this tonight.  I promised God and he will give me the strength and protection to endure this.  Yes, I did it!

I got home and did my 40 sit ups.  They were really hard since I was so tired.  Just as I was finishing the most difficult last one . . . 40!  Blake yelled out, “Yes, I did it!”  He was playing a game . . . the timing couldn’t have been any better for both of us.

Lent Day 20

I couldn’t stop thinking about the commitment I made today.  Up to this point, my commitment through Lent is to God and myself.  I committed to make sacrifices and God gives me the strength to do all things as long as I invite Him along.  I have to be very careful not to become prideful and think that this is about me. 

Today, I received the notice for the annual Down Home Days Festivities which included the annual 5K run.  Hey, I did that once, back in my younger college days.  Can I still do that?  I sent out an email to a few friends and asked for volunteers to do it with me.  I included one guy who is a real outdoorsman and go getter.  He said it sounds like fun.  He’ll probably finish it in first place, and run it again just so he can break a sweat.  To my surprise, Christy accepted the challenge and said she is going to do it with me.  Then I really started razzing my best friends.  Come on you guys, you know who you are. ;-) 

All of a sudden it hit me that I am going to run in a 5K in less than 3 weeks.  I grabbed Monte and said, “Let’s Go Boy.”  Monte’s endurance level has really picked up and that is a good thing.  We ran tonight.  We made the first 2.04 miles in exactly 20 minutes.  The last ¾ mile was not so good; it took 10 minutes.  I was determined we were going to run 3 miles in 30 minutes, but we fell a quarter mile short.  I suppose we could have gone on the extra quarter mile, but it was getting really dark.  That typical southern fog was rolling in heavy like something out of that old Charlie Daniels Band song, The Legend of the Wooly Swamp.  I do believe that song was written to describe this exact geographical area on a dark foggy night.  I’m heading back to the house. 

Great Danes!!!  Three Great Danes!!!  I should assume that one of these days while I am out jogging that some neighbor’s dog is going to come out to visit me, and I should be carrying a big stick.  I don’t because I never get nervous about dogs.  I am man!  However, this is the first time we saw those three gigantic, huge, enormous, over-sized, extra large Great Danes.  I mean, really, they were big.  “God, are you there?  I might need some help here.”  Monte got excited and started pulling really hard to go toward them.  He had a lot more confidence than brains.  Neither of us ever said a word, but he must have felt like I was his big stick.  Little did he know, he was a mere snack before they bite off one on my legs.  As we continued our slightly hurried pace past their house, I reminded Monte not to stop and mark this territory.  They ran back and forth occasionally biting each other for fun.  Their bark was ferocious.  They ran along a fence that was about 4 ½ feet tall with wooden sections at the corners and luckily for me, closed gates.  When we got to the end of their fence line, I was certain that they were going to hop right over and eat us.  There they stood up, propped their elbows on the top rung of the wooden section as if standing at a bar ordering another drink, and then . . . one of them woof whistled at me while licking his chops.  Have you ever seen those pictures of dogs playing poker?  Well, these are the goons that sat at the bar being the body guards.  

Lent Day 19

And on the seventh day God rested . . .

Yesterday I mentioned how companionship while exercising can provide additional motivation.  That is definitely true, because the second round of exercising with my best friend didn’t even feel like exercise.  We spent all morning at the baseball park running back and forth between Blake and Tyler’s fields at opposite ends of the park, then chores around the house, then running with the dogs, and then when it was supposed to be time to relax with friends, I joyously welcomed a second run around the neighborhood with my best friend.  We jogged, talked, and even laughed, but it sure didn’t feel like exercise.  It’s amazing what a difference having a friend along can do.  Afterward, we sat around a bonfire and enjoyed good company.

This morning was dreadful.  Just before I closed my eyes last night, I realized that the alarm clock was not set to get up in time for church.  The boys, having gone to sleep at almost midnight, would be too irritable for a day of fun if we didn’t let them sleep in.  Unfortunately, my wife failed to realize what was in my head at about 8:00 this morning when she yelled for me to get up.  “Oh, my legs and lower back, what did I do to myself yesterday?”  This is different than being sore from a hefty work out, but rather . . . simply exhausted.  “Exhaustion?”  I asked myself, “How can I wake up this tired feeling?”  Surely my mind can make my body get up and get going . . . but, I couldn’t.  Could there be too much exercise?

The day will be joyful.  The weather is a perfect 76 degrees, scattered clouds, and a gentle breeze.  I really want to be outside, but I have no energy left.  We went to the State Park with a picnic lunch.  The boys played on the playground, and then we hiked the trails.  Christy and I shared the feeling of exhaustion.  However, when we have two boys that are so excited to hike the trails and see the wonders of nature, it’s hard to hold back.  It was great to be lead on by Blake and Tyler.  The companionship kept us motivated.  We pushed on as a family.  Sometimes, all it takes is that extra bit of companionship, friendship, and encouragement from someone that is excited to spend time with you. 

We stopped at the end of the trail, took our shoes off, and dipped our feet in the cool water.  It was nature’s best foot spa for our exhausted feet.  Now, it feels delightfully good to be back at home where we can relax.  We can lay around with the windows open and catch up on some needed rest.  Christy is still asleep.

Lent Day 18

The effect of having a running partner.  Trying to do anything in life by yourself can be lonesome and detrimental to the success of your endeavors.  Today I ran with both dogs, Monte and Molly.  Running alone versus running with a partner can make all the difference in the world.  There is something more motivational about having someone with you. 

I am witnessing simple companionship lead to friendship.  As long as I invite them along for companionship, these dogs become my friends, and we get along much better.  It’s just like that with God.  As long as I invited Him along for companionship in my life, we will build a relationship that leads to friendship.  I have invited God along in my life on a daily basis; not just for the 30 minutes a day of exercise, but in everything I am doing.  This is building my friendship with God. 

I’ve watched too many times when dogs or other pets become family members and then eventually when we lose that family member, it becomes too much to bear.  My family and I have been through this too many times.  I had gotten to the point where I did not want to become friends with anymore dogs.  I got these two mutts up from the pound where they were already considered someone’s garbage to start with.  Therefore, it makes it easier for me not to become too attached.  While I will always treat them nice, I sure don’t want to actually make them family members.  They are not allowed in the house, yet I will treat them fairly and decently.  However something is happening.  Now, they are becoming my running partners.  They have learned my running habits and built their own endurance levels up.  They have learned how to keep pace with me, and I would even consider them . . . friends.

Everything in life has an equal and opposite reaction.  Life appears like a pendulum.  For every pendulum swing in one direction, there results in an equal pendulum swing in the opposite direction.  This is true in all aspects of my life . . . including running with these dogs.  When I started out, I was pulling the reigns back to slow these two characters down.  Shortly after the halfway point, I find myself pulling the reigns the other direction as these dogs want to slow me down.  Come along friends . . . we have company coming over.  There is something better waiting for us when we get done.

Lent Day 17

Sometimes I just have a hard time getting going.  Sometimes it is not because I don’t have the energy; rather I may even feel like I don’t need to. 

I think the problem with seeing too much success in anything we do is that we get overly confident and even feel like we need to reward ourselves.  I think this is why so many diets fail.  We eat salads, vegetables, and all that good for us food for a few days and then we justify that one not so little bowl of ice cream.  Then we get frustrated because we don’t see any results from all that dieting.  Heck, after four or five days of rabbit food and one dessert we may even gain a pound or two.  Why diet and gain weight when I can eat crap like before and not gain anything?  Besides, don’t we always gain more weight after a diet than we lost during the diet?  Sometimes it seems like a little success can lead to a lot of failure. 

This is definitely not a diet and exercise plan for me.  No, if it were, I would not have gone exercising tonight.  I felt fairly proud of myself for losing ten pounds in 16 days.  I actually feel better about myself today than I have in a long time.  I even felt like sharing my success story with people today, as if I am so very accomplished.  Apparently my weight loss was not enough of a reward . . . Well, I have not hit the finish line and this is a journey much longer than 16 days. 

So, yes, I am feeling a bit confident with my success.  Maybe I could even skip one day . . . surely God isn’t going to punish me.  Since I got home late tonight and it was already going to be dark when I started running, I decided to postpone it until after the game of “Trouble” with my family.  Then after Blake won and the prayers had been said, it was time to reconfirm my commitment to God.  This is about my dedication to God; this is definitely not about losing weight and exercising.  Those are positive rewards God shows me for keeping my promise to Him.

For some reason, we really need to feel like we need to measure up to something.  Watch two children play together for any amount of time and you will wonder if you’re watching a sporting event and try to figure out who’s winning.  I went shopping before I got home and acquired some new bicycling gloves.  (I think they double as racing gloves and jogging gloves and pretending to punch someone gloves and . . . they are really comfortable and make me look tough.)  I also purchased a pedometer.  This is a cheap Wal-Mart one that counts steps, calories, time, distance, checks my pulse, and like every other electronic gadget, it has a flashlight built in.  Yep, my resting heart rate was 65 and my jogging heart rate was between 125 and 135.  It said I went 2.0 miles in 31 minutes.  However, it did not count my 40 push ups.  So, am I any more successful now that I spent that $14?

Lent Day 16

Wow, Day 16, they say time flies when you’re having fun.  This morning Christy and I both weighed ourselves and felt a little bit of excitement as we can see the pounds coming off.  Nothing is more encouraging than seeing the results of your hard work.  I want more.  I want to constantly do better. 

If someone had told me a month ago that I could see this much improvement this fast, I would have said they were crazy.  Of course, that is because I would have never put this much dedication into it.

Christy went jogging this morning on the path that I had mowed for her around the property.  It is exactly a quarter mile; we measured it with a wheel.  She was so invigorated by her own success that she got in an extra lap within her allotted 30 minutes.  Tonight, I decided I would do Christy’s path.  I figured I have been doing about 10 to 12 minute miles, so this should be easy going in circles around the yard.  I was wrong!  This is rough terrain!  It is mostly grass, leaves, and sticks with nothing level.  There are steep hills and dirt mounds and all kinds of obstacles.  There are multiple spots where the dogs have dug small trenches just big enough to twist your ankle off.  Surely Monte and Molly are digging in an attempt to catch the moles, but if you ask me I think they are making an obstacle course to prepare me for the hike in the AT.

Knowing the exact distance of each lap leads to a different problem.  I find myself setting distance goals rather than time goals.  When running for a length of time, I tend to pace myself into a steady rhythm.  This builds endurance.  When running for a distance goal, I tend to speed up and run to get to the goal.  This builds up speed.  I did a lot more sprinting tonight than normal, yet I only did 8 laps (2 miles) in 30 minutes.  That is a full mile less than what I have been doing for over a week now.  I found out running up those steep hills is not at all like running on a flat hard dirt road.  Kudos to Christy.  Anyone who is walking, jogging, or running on unlevel ground in your yard, do not get discouraged.  This is much harder.

Speaking of setting measurement goals of time or distance, how do I measure up in my relationship with God?  I know that I am doing better in the past two weeks, but how do I measure that.  I suppose I could grade myself . . . “Ben, you have earned 16 bonus points to use toward heaven . . .” No, that doesn’t feel quite right.  I know that I have felt more joy, peace, and general happiness in the past two weeks than I have in a while.  I have been able to turn over problems to God without worrying any longer.  I know that I feel good emotionally and spiritually.  I feel, for the first time in my life, that I may be able to represent myself as a Christian publicly and witness in this manner.  Whatever the measurement, I know one thing for sure:  I want more.  I want to constantly do better.

Mentally Lazy America

I love old cars and the mentality of the old days because people thought about actions and consequences.  People understood how a gasoline engine worked and how to make it go faster.  They knew that electricity doesn’t just appear out of an outlet mounted on the wall and water doesn’t just appear out of a faucet.  Understanding basic physics led to constant industrialization in America.  Men and women understood how to make things work.  If you bought a Model T Ford, then you better know how to fix it.  If you needed a new outfit, you needed to know how to sew.  People understood how to apply rational scientific thinking in every aspect from the kitchen to the Space Shuttle.

Modern technology has made people’s mentality very lazy.  It appears that there is no reason for people to understand how or why things work like they do.  This is not correct, yet, it would be a real project to ask college students today how to change the oil in their car or what to do when a tire goes flat; besides calling a tow truck or maybe even the police.  At some point, doing math calculations or learning to spell will become obsolete with the use of computers and other electronic devices in every aspect of their lives. 

With this mentality regarding the normal every day items we use, it is no wonder that the youngest generation and future of America is so ignorant.  They apply this “no cause and effect” ignorant thinking to their lives in every possible way.  This includes their education, job, economic views, and even their political affiliation. 

If America is going to survive as the global leader, we need Americans to understand why things work like they do.  Left leaning liberal do-gooder mentality is not socially responsible.  This has been tried and tested throughout history and yet, these ignorant kids and young adults of today do not want to learn.  Socialism is for psychopaths to gain control over the masses.  When will America wake up?  Will it take economic collapse?  Will it be when someone uses WMDs against us putting us in the Stone Age?   Will it take losing America to wake up the minds of its citizens?

People have become mentally lazy.  We witness and tolerate this every day.  All the leftist liberals had to do to gain power and control is figure out how to brainwash the children through educational system.  Make everything in people’s lives disposable: their cars, electronics, clothing, even their lives . . .  and so the sheep will follow down the repeated paths of history. 

Lent Day 15

It feels good to have two weeks down.  It is amazing how quickly I have noticed a difference in myself both physically and mentally.  I have lost seven pounds in two weeks and built up endurance so much that my daily exercise feels like a normal enjoyable routine rather than hard physical labor.  My belt has been tightened two notches.  After I get done doing push ups, I have to fight Christy off of my rock hard chest. J  (I might have embellished a little there . . . but my chest is pretty firm)

Tonight is Blake’s birthday.  I was blessed this night 5 years ago with my second son.  God has been really wonderful in my life regardless of how much or little I have been committed to Him.  It is wonderful to know that God runs with us even though we forget to ask him to come along. 

After Blake opened the rest of his presents, Tyler and I went for a run.  Tyler kept asking if we could do a shorter route tonight.  I explained that we go down the road and it makes a loop; there is no short cut.  As we approached the intersection where the loop returns I asked him if he wanted to go the opposite direction.  He answered yes, because it’s getting dark.  Before it gets dark, he wants to see where those big dogs live and what they look like.  It was at that moment that I realized that he was on to my plan about making him run fast.

We did some steady jogging past where most of the dogs live and he pointed out that they were all behind fences.  When we got around to the far side, there was one yard with no fence and the two dogs were barking and coming toward us.  Of course, that only took one big yell from his Daddy in a deep commanding voice, “Scram, get out of here!” and suddenly, I was his hero.

I decided to get a little extra exercise with Tyler along.  Since Tyler’s legs are so short he says I walk too fast for a walk and too slow for a jog.  He has learned about Monte’s country line dance the hard way.  As a compromise to both of us, I decided it was time for him to ride on my back piggy back style.  I tried running like this, but he slides off too easily.  The funny part is when he is fast huffing like a dog panting on a hot summer day with each step I take.   You would have thought he was the one carrying me.

We continued on walking and jogging together the last one third.  By this time it was really dark and I had a special treat for him.  I pulled out two really bright flashlights.  He enjoyed that.  As we made our approach to the house, I began jogging, then I began running up that steep hill.  Tyler will not stay out in the dark by himself so he is going to do whatever it takes to keep up with me.  He ended up running so hard and fast . . . it was great!  He makes me proud.  After we got to the house, we walked it off for a little while.  He looked over at me and declared, “See Dad, going the other way was shorter.”

Lent Day 14

Running at dusk / night poses some additional factors.  Besides not being able to see well, it can be a bit scary . . . for a city boy like me.  I went running north tonight instead of the usual southern path to avoid dogs and such.  When I started out, I looked up and could only see one star in the sky.  It was a bit creepy in the dark silhouetted trees.  Christy offered me her Mag-light, but I didn’t think I needed a big heavy flashlight.  Besides, I didn’t know what it would do to my eyes.

I decided to take Molly with me tonight instead of Monte.  I think Molly would lie down and be better bear food while I ran for safety screaming like a . . . man.  While running for any length, most people will slow down and walk once in a while.  Molly is not like most people.  Since this was only her second run, she did not have the endurance.  When she gets tired, she drops like a rock.  Seriously, she just stops, puts on the brakes, and tries to make herself feel like dead weight.  This is when I noticed a couple of lightning bugs blinking in the edge of the woods.  I thought, “There is natural light all around me.”

We went all the way to the paved road and back.  I saw more cars tonight than usual; two and one of them even passed me.  Even though I was dressed in all white, I held the screen of my phone facing him as my “warning” light to let him know I was there.  After Mr. Gordon passed, I had to wait a minute for my eyes to readjust to the dark.  I took a minute and looked up at the sky to see that a few more stars began to shine through he night air.

I began thinking how God can be our light in life.  I think that being committed to Lent this year has made me open my eyes to what God wants me to see.  Last week I focused on listening to God, maybe this week I should focus on what God wants me to see. 

I continued running and noticed that even though the woods are very dark, the road was certainly shining bright.  Then I figured out something.  The moon is not made of cheese.  I have narrowed it down to two possible chemical make ups: that mysterious stuff they put inside of those glow bracelets that you get at the fair or lime rock roads.  More than likely, I have to go with lime rock roads because most of those bracelets are varying colors and the moon is only white.  I sure hope the guy that grades my roads doesn’t try to do any work on the moon’s lime rock.

By the time I got back to the house I noticed that the sky was full of stars.  I could see the big dipper and several other constellations.  Of course, it was nice to be back by my own house where the street lights brighten my yard just like this city boy likes it.   Yes, I shall finish doing my exercises in the house where it is all lit up.

Lent Day 13

The goal was to give up laziness in all aspects of my life.  I want to be a better Christian, husband, father, friend, employee, etc . . .  I can do all of these things if I just get up and let God work in my life.

Today for lunch I went shopping for hiking / camping supplies.  While out, I met a 61 year old man who is about to embark on the north half of the Appalachian Trail with his 21 year old son.  This trip of about 1,000 miles will complete the entire AT with his son.  He told me stories about his first hikes on the trail with his kids when his daughter was 7 and his son was just 5 years old.  As I get ready to do a mere week on the AT myself, I found inspiration in this gentleman; inspiration for the AT hike and inspiration to spend more time with my boys.

I am inspired by my friend who has a week alone with one of his daughters.  I saw a picture of them just riding their bikes together.  I know why he took the picture; you could almost feel the pride through the camera lens.  Then tonight, I really enjoyed watching the two of them walk away from the ball field together.  The sun was setting and all was well with them.  There is something really special about getting one on one time with one of your children.

Sometimes things happen for a reason . . . or at least it is up to us to make the best out of potentially bad situations.  This evening my wife became ill and my youngest decided he needed to go to bed early.  This left Tyler and me to fend for ourselves.  Isn’t that funny how things work out sometimes?  Tyler was a great helper gathering the chicken eggs tonight.  He really amazed me when I turned around and saw him standing there holding a hen.  “What are you doing with that chicken son?”

Well, I still have to exercise and watch Tyler.  “Come on son.  We’re going out.”  I had to explain to him what I have been doing for the past 12 days, but I chose to get down the road before I filled him in on the agenda for tonight.  We got about a quarter mile and he stopped running, looked up at me, and asked quizzically, “how far are we going?”  “About 3 miles buddy.  We better pace ourselves.” 

I was trying to slow down for Tyler by running zig zags when all of a sudden I almost stepped on a snake.  We checked it out and sure enough, it was alive.  It was just a small Oak snake.  That was a cool wild life experience my Mom would surely enjoy.  I’ll send her pictures later.  We were able to hear the owls that have been hooting back and forth each night.  The best part was when I would explain to him, “That the next house has dogs.  We’re going to be really quiet so we don’t alert them.  We are going to jog a steady pace all the way past and out of sight.”  Then just when we are about out of sight, I tell him, “We better run, I think I heard the dogs coming.”  Man, if that kid would run like that on the baseball field, we would have a star athlete!

Lent Day 12

What a beautiful weekend with 80 degree days and cool full moon nights.  I would welcome these days all year round.  Even though it has been a wonderful weekend, there is still that “work” I have to do.  I took Monte running with me tonight.  I think it’s because he’s more entertaining and well controlled on a leash; if he just didn’t have to stop for so many bathroom breaks.  The best part of tonight’s run was the last stretch up that killer hill.  I out ran Monte the entire way up the hill and into the yard.  I just kept running fast enough to keep that leash behind me.  I had to push a little faster with each step as I knew he was ready to see Molly.  That felt good . . . beating a dog.  I am man!

I heard the preacher say something at church this morning that stuck with me all day.  Side note, many things seem to be resonating with me lately.  I must be paying attention.  Anyway, he asked a question, “If we say that we can do all things through God who strengthens us, then why do we limit what He does in our lives?” 

I have pledged to God and myself to give up laziness, sweets, sodas, fried foods, beer, and many things that I deemed to be bad for me.  This sacrifice is a real challenge because I don’t allow myself to be strengthened by God all year round.  I find myself lazy in that regard.  I know I could be a better husband if I got up and did more stuff around the house.  I know I could be a better Dad if I did more things with them.  I know I could be healthier if I dieted and exercised all year round.  I know I could have a better life if I would only choose to allow God into my life all year.   I don’t do these things because . . . I’m tired, worn out, have better things to do, would rather watch that show on TV, don’t have time left in the day, just don’t feel like it, or whatever other useless excuse I can come up with.  The truth is . . . I find myself being lazy.  I can overcome this because I can do all things through Him who strengthens me, and I welcome Him into my life.

After the run each day, I have been pushing myself to do 40 sit ups and 40 push ups.  I got back to the garage tonight, grabbed my dumbbells as hand props, and started doing my 40 push ups.  Whenever I exercise, I find myself stopping at some point because I get tired or need to catch my breath or just feel like slowing down for a minute.  However, I almost never stop because I actually can not continue any further. Therefore, when I was doing those 40 push ups tonight, I refused to stop . . . 34, . . 35, . . 36, . . . . 37, . . . . 38, . . . . . . 39, . . . . . . . . . 40!!!  Wow, I kept saying to myself that I can do all things.  I honestly don’t think I could have done 41, but I certainly did get to 40 without stopping. 

Lent Day 11

Discipline and temptation.  Today was a wonderful day filled with joy and happiness.  We had Blake’s birthday part with family and friends.  The weather was perfect, the scenery was great, and the food . . . well, it all looked delicious.  We had chips and dips, fruits and veggies, and yes, there was a birthday cake and ice cream . . . a huge full sheet cake specially made for my son . . . and I resisted.

Often times when a Christian has something good happen to them, they immediately think God must be blessing them.  Honestly, I am not sure about every blessing but certainly some . . . as we allow Him to work in our life.  Conversely, many Christians would say that bad things are the Devil or even that God let those things happen.  Again, I am not sure about giving the Devil that much credit, but sometimes I have to wonder.

I know that during Lent I open my heart and mind to allow God into my life more than any other time of the year.  It should go without saying that during Lent is when the Devil will try to distract me with temptation the most.  I have to wonder if it is always the Devil or maybe God is testing my faith or even something else.  What makes me really wonder is where I have seen the hardest temptations.  Christy makes my lunches each day packed with wonderful salads, fruits, and a small snack.  One day last week, she put in some yogurt covered raisins.  Oh boy they looked good and made my mouth water, but I had given up all sweets like that.  Today, I found myself surrounded by the same type of temptations.  I would have loved to have a piece of birthday cake with my son for his birthday.

It is the hardest of times that make our character the strongest.  I see temptation in many very positive environments.  My lunches are packed with love by my beautiful wife even if she slips in a forbidden treat.  I am not one of those guys who think they married the devil, so that’s can’t be it.  Having a large cake, potato chips, and even ice cream at my son’s exciting birthday party are all temptations, but these are times of love and joy.  Proving my strength and discipline during these happy times will make me stronger in every possible way.

Christy and I did 30 minutes of exercise this morning.  Christy can push me almost as hard as Monte.  I found her pace to be a little too fast for a walk, but too slow for a jog.  Good thing Monte taught me how to do that country line dance the other day.  This evening we did a double bike train ride for about an hour.  We had to hurry home because it was about to get dark.  Most importantly, we had to get home before this huge moon makes all the werewolves and weirdoes come out.

Lent Day 10

I don’t have anything.  Really, there is nothing in my life I can complain about.  Even though yesterday was a bit negative, I realized that God is going to bless me for my commitment to Him.  Today was much better.  I was productive at work, made a great “deal” this afternoon, found a solution to a long standing problem, and came home to my beautiful family in this wonderful home. 

Something happened this week that cause my best friend to ask me about how I was listening to God.  He was curious if this Lent season was helping me “listen”.  I have to be open and honest about this.  There have been only a few times in my life where I really felt that God told me something.  This would be via putting a particular thought in my heart and heavy on my mind.  There have been many times in my life where I could have easily said I am smart, cognizant, observant, reasonable, rational, etc . . . and it was my doing.  However, I can’t say that I am that agnostic or prideful. 

Lent season is about committing to the relationship with God and welcoming Him into my life.  I tried only two times this season to run with my Ipod.  Unfortunatley, it died both times and is now caput.  I spend my time running quietly and just listening.  This hearing God thing . . . it has happened a lot this week. 

My blessings have been many.  I am feeling better emotionally, mentally, and physically.  Any problems that I have had are being handled.  My worries are diminished.  I really love my life.  Yes, that is correct.  I have nothing to complain about . . . and everything to be thankful for.

I welcomed tonight’s run with enthusiasm.  The temperature is perfect.  Monte was even enthusiastic.  We ran longer, faster, and farther than anytime yet.  We only stopped for a couple of bathroom breaks; Monte’s, not mine.  We ran to a new spot which extended the path tonight so that we could see a gorgeous sunset from the top of a hill.  Then while running back, we got to see a perfect full moon.  I don’t know why the moon is not photogenic.  All my pictures of the moon look like I have a spec on my lens.

Lent Day 9

Dumbbell.  Today was a long stressful day.  I try to get so much done and yet, I feel like I still didn’t get everything done.  There are those things that I really don’t want to do because they are not fun or involve people I don’t like or are just complicated.  Unfortunately, I don’t get to pick and choose what things I need to get done.  There is just so much going on in my life.  I focus on being happy and making the best of every situation.  Yet, I still feel a little like a dumbbell at the end of the day.  Yes, I get discouraged and feel like I let myself down too.

I think about the economy, politics, and world disasters going on right now.  The world is a negative, scary place.  I recognize the cultural environment we live in and realize that it could be very easy to get negative.  I choose better than that.  I choose to be alive.  I may not always be energized to my fullest potential, but I am blessed in so many ways.  I will always survive, because I will be strong.  I am not a dumbbell.

This physical strength training is mostly mental, emotional, and spiritual.  Mentally, I have to make up my mind what I am going to do.  Emotionally, I choose to be happy and enjoy the love and joy in my life.  Spiritually, I can rely on God for that extra motivation and accountability.  The physical part comes much easier when the other aspects are in balance.  Then, I will be strong!  I will feel alive!

Even still, days like today, I didn’t feel like exercising tonight.  The excuses are piling up.  We came home late and I decided to wash the Camaro so that I could stick around the house for bed time prayers with the boys.  I’d go running after they go to bed.  Well, it just got later and later, and I still didn’t want to go.  I know, I promised God that I would commit to do this every day no matter what; even if it is 11:30 at night, I’ll do it.  I’ll give up laziness.  Remember, I am strong!

Christy has been doing exercises too, but you readers don’t get to hear about that.  My friends will have to set her up with a blog and website of her own.  Today she left some wrist weights on the counter.  I picked them up and thought, “Sure, I can do that.  It’s easy.”  So Christy got me some dumbbells instead.  No problem.  Let me get going.  I am a strong man . . . with dumbbells.

So, I didn’t tell you about one aspect of running around the neighborhood in the dark last night.  I can’t see the big growling dogs that are running in the dark trees nearby.  I suppose that might have had something to do with the endurance.  Anyway, I decided to run near home and around the yard.  These dumbbells got heavy.  However, they make doing push ups so much easier.  I did 60 tonight.  I have to go weigh these dumbbells.  I could have sworn when Christy handed them to me they were about 3 or 4 pounds each.  I guess they soak up sweat or something, because when I finished, they were about 20 pounds each.  Stupid dumbbells.

Lent Day 8

What a difference a week makes.  I find it very interesting that I have committed myself to 40 days of Lent, completed 7 days, and still have 40 days to go.  That’s what I get for including Sundays; a week of Sundays.  Wow, that phrase finally makes sense now.

I missed my chance to do the daily exercise early this morning so I had to do it tonight.  The problem with Wednesday night is that we have church dinner and bible study.  Yep, there it is, the church dinner.  Now those of you from the South understand that a church dinner does not have any consideration for diet.  Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, bread, chocolate pudding, and . . . salad.  Yes, I ate way too much . . . salad. 

Sacrifice.  Once we get home, it’s time to take the boys in, do the nightly routine, say prayers, and go to bed.  Unfortunately, making this commitment means sacrificing some things that are important to me.  I had to miss out on my boy’s night time routine so that I could go run 3 miles.  The things we sacrifice only add to the value and meaning of our commitment.  Trust me, it has a negative impact on my motivation.  This is why it is really important to have a strong motivation like I have right now; God via Lent season.

I go outside in the dark with a dog leash.  Monte is all excited for me.  He even ran back and forth on the porch, but he would not come out in the yard to me.  He was very enthusiastic for me . . . but not with me.  Molly was none the wiser.  Molly is a sweet, timid, slightly overweight beagle.  She has never been on the 3 mile run nor have I ever had her on a leash.  She welcomed the leash and the journey with delight. 

What a difference a week makes.  I am feeling much better physically which makes me feel better mentally.  I have lost 5 pounds already and had at least 1 person ask me if I lost some weight.  I don’t think he could really see 5 pounds come off, but I am certain that I am carrying myself with my head a little higher. 

Molly and I started to run down the moonlit dirt road.  This is a tropical paradise I live in.  I had a goal to make it to the first intersection again without walking.  We got there and we kept running.  In fact, we kept running all the way around the next curve and even to the next intersection.  This is right about the half way point, and Molly had become convinced I was trying to kill her.  I decided when we got to the stop sign, I would walk.  She decided she would immediately lie down and just collapse.  We walked about one city block and back to running.  Poor Molly became additional resistance for me as I nearly dragged her.  By the time we got back to the house, we had only walked 3 times which I would estimate about a half mile worth.  I feel great.  I did my 40 push ups and 40 sit ups without stopping.  What a difference a week makes.  If you don’t believe me, ask Molly!

Lent Day 7

Have you ever done something really good then felt bad about it?  Of course not.  Have you ever met someone who has found God and all the joy with it, then hear them turn around and say, “man, that was horrible”?  Of course not.  Have you ever met someone who walked a little lighter after losing 25 pounds say, “shucks, I wish I was fatter”?  Of course not.

I have been to the all you can eat buffet, stuffed myself on yeast rolls, meats, cheeses, chocolate pudding, cookies, and maybe even a couple extra desserts.  Oh they taste so good until I get done.  Then I even get to pay to feel this miserable.  Then I go home all weak and bloated and . . . just crappy feeling.  I feel bad because of two reasons.  First, while the food may taste great, it is not good for me physically.  This food does crazy things to blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and blood pressure.  Second, I know this is not good for me so I feel bad emotionally, even guilty.  I know better, but I do it for the temporary feeling of satisfaction.  I know for just a moment that I can have that sensation of pleasure.  That is the problem; pleasure is only temporary. 

On the flip side of that, I have never done something really good and then felt bad.  I have never been philanthropic and then said, gosh that was horrible.  I remember losing weight and quitting smoking and feeling great about it physically and mentally.  I have never known anyone to do anything that makes them happy and then regret it.  Eating the right foods makes me feel better physically and mentally for the inverse reasons stated above.  It is lasting pleasure which is called joy and happiness.

We all know about those things that are “right” and understand they will bring us real happiness that is lasting.  Seeking God is a good thing that will bring about lasting joy and true happiness.  Eating the right foods and exercising will make us feel better physically and psychologically.  If I get out there and exercise, I will balance out the equation to feel better emotionally, mentally, and physically.

Do you know what a horizontal wedgie is?  I didn’t either, until I ran with Monte tonight.  It involves a left pulling dog on a leash that is tied to my right hand belt loop.  Twist.  I am going to have to get that dog an alignment.  Then again, I could just tie him on the left side . . . but that’s where I keep my Blackberry.

I wear fluorescent yellow shirts when I go out biking or running.  This is so that drivers can see me a mile away.  Tonight, that yellow shirt with black stripes had another effect, bumble bees.  Apparently, that huge bumble bee mistook me for a giant flower.  Maybe it was my fragrant scent . . .  as long as it didn’t think I was a bird.

Lent Day 6

Extra hour of daylight, check.  Yellow running shirt and white shorts, check.  Ipod in my pocket, check.  Weather a perfect 76 degrees, check.  Crazy dog on a leash, check.  God as my motivational running partner, check.  Let’s go running.

I live in a climate fit to be called a paradise, yet all too often I find myself relaxing from all of the relaxing.  It’s so nice to just open a window and relax to that stupid sitcom.  It’s really nice to just sit in the yard, listening to the sounds of nature, drinking a beer while relaxing.  Hey guess what?  It’s so nice . . . to go outside and feel the warm breeze, get energized, and feel young again. 

I remember when I was about 21.  I had studied enough of Maslow to understand that I was living on the edge of self-actualization most days.  I could ride my bike faster than the wind.  I could run six miles in a day stopping only occasionally to do sit ups or push ups.  Everything my life was great mentally, emotionally, and physically.  I was even falling in love with my wife-to-be someday.  I was in control of my life. 

Tonight when I was out running, I started to feel a little like that again.  All things around me in my life seem great, but . . . something leaves me feeling unsatisfied.  I have great kids, a beautiful wife, awesome friends, good church, good job, all the tangible things I could want, but . . . something leaves me feeling unsatisfied.  I find myself feeling unfulfilled and desire chocolate, beer, cheeseburgers, and even an occasional energy drink just to make myself feel better.  Life is about balance in all ways.  I feel unsatisfied because my body craves attention too.  (Not like that guys…)  I am over weight and tired way too often.  Now that I am back to running, I noticed that within the first few days I am conditioning myself to run farther and faster.  It is getting easier and more enjoyable each day.  The energy level is increasing.  My happiness is increasing.

Don’t get me wrong!  The problem with exercise and diet plans is that we could rely only on ourselves to fulfill our goals.  I acknowledge that I cannot do this on my own.  I give credit to God.  I was coming back up that long hill with Monte dragging me back, and I asked God for the strength and endurance.  I didn’t realize it, but that was the only time in the run that I held my head down and let God push me up that hill without stopping.

I took Monte, the Mexican dog, with me tonight.  I tied his leash to my belt and took off. Like all excited dogs, he starts off pulling me forward.  Like all dogs that get drained too quickly, he ends up dragging me back.  That’s ok either way, because I weigh more than he does.  J  I noticed his stride while trying to keep pace with me.  He was moving all four legs opposite each other like a fast walk, but we were going too fast.  He would run each pair of legs together like a deer, but we were going too slow.  He eventually figured out my tempo.  It is two hops like a deer, three strides like a fast walk, then repeat.  Yep, he looks just like some of those guys dancing to that funky music on Soul Train.  Maybe if some of the neighborhood rednecks come out I’ll tell them that he’s doing a country line dance.

The bike train

Lent Day 5

Lent is a period of 40 days from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday not counting Sundays.  However, last year when I quit smoking, I couldn’t dare cheat on Sunday or I would start over every week.  This year will be no different.  I shall include Sundays. 

I rose early even with the time change.  Getting up early the last few days made me adjusted to it already.  I was able to head to Men’s Breakfast at church and watch a beautiful sunrise on the way.  Good things happen when we commit to God.  He conditions us for his glory.

There was one word that stuck out to me today: Relationship.  I heard it in the daily Bible Verse email, Men’s Breakfast, Church Service, and Sunday School.  I was reminded very quickly that this is not a diet plan, exercise plan, or fitness routine.  Lent is about building a relationship with God.  When I don’t want to get up and go outside, I ask God for the motivation.  When I run and I don’t feel like going any farther, I ask God for the strength.  When I struggle with something difficult that I don’t want to do, I ask God for patience and understanding.  Physical distance, speed, and type of activity matter none.  The point is that I am doing something with God.

Meek is a confusing word, unless you understand it.  Modern English dictionaries tell us it is an adjective that means “overly submissive, compliant, humbly patient, or docile”.  None of those definitions fit me, but the Bible tells us to become meek and the meek shall inherit the Earth.  Mathew 5:5.  When a wild animal becomes a pet it is said to be domesticated or broken.  When that wild horse, dog, cat, or bird becomes domesticated it becomes our pet, even a loved family member.  By being our pet we give it all the love, food, shelter, and comfort it could want.  We don’t ask that lovable Golden Retriever or German Sheppard to be overly submissive but rather to be our companion, confidant, and even our security system.  That’s what meek is to me.  I am becoming meek and God is my master who shall provide me with all the love and comforts I could want.  Lent is my process of being domesticated or “broken”.

Men are leaders in their homes, workplace, church, and country.  The presentation in Men’s Breakfast reminded me that this is my role, always.  Therefore, the fitness part of today included my family.  We took a bike ride all the way to town and got a special treat for the boys.  My bike is literally the leader as I have a “hitch-hiker” half bike attached to the back for Tyler, Blake’s bike trailer hooked behind the hitch-hiker, and Christy on her bike in the rear (or beside me when possible).  We were literally a bicycle train and I loved it.  The whole family did about 12 miles today and enjoyed each others companionship.  However, we must have hit a skunk or something dead . . . what is that smell around me . . . oh, that was a good work out.  Time to hit the showers.