Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday
This will make tomorrow morning's 12 miler a little more challenging -- that and the cool windy weather. I'm sitting on 23 miles, so I have to do 12, because I have to have 35 for the week! Some of you understand this. ha ha
Everything I do now has a Boston focus with it, at least partially. It's a little too early to be too focused. My main objective right now is piling up miles. I hope to move into the 40 mile per week range next week. I hope that becomes a minimum. I will do rest weeks periodically with less miles, but I hope to be solid in the 40 mile range and moving toward 50 mile weeks by December. It is then that I will "officially" start training for Boston.
Yesterday I toured the GM Powertrain plant in Bedford. Wow, a lot of really good stuff goes on there! On the tour I got see several friends who work there. That was really neat to see them in their working environment. The plant is a real blessing to our community. Hopefully it will stay for years and years to come.
I hope you have a good weekend!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Thursday
My Thursday bike ride has not happened in 3 weeks now. Running, as planned, has taken priority, but I didn't mean to stop biking. The weather has been a factor lately. Hopefully I can get back on the bike soon. I enjoy it, and it's good cross training.
This morning I have a meeting, followed by an assortment of activities. Included in those activities are a tour of the GM plant in Bedford. Over the last 2-3 years I have developed good friendships with people who work there or used to work there. A lot of my running friends fit into one of those categories. In addition to those friends, we have several from our church family who work there, at least a half dozen. I want to go see what it's all about. I've never been inside the plant.
Today I also am going to see one of my former student's mother. I've mentioned this lady before. She has cancer and is on hospice. I am looking forward to seeing her and sharing some living hope.
The past suffering of Christ is the present condition of believers. The present glory of Christ is the future glory of those following him.
This evening I am helping out the transportation director by driving a bus to Brownstown. I think it is junior high volleyball. I've done this in the past, and I will say this. There's nothing quite like the noise that junior girls can make on a bus! Earplugs will be in order. The good thing about a trip like this is that I usually get quite a bit of reading done. Tonight it may be sermon writing. A bus is a surprisingly good place to work. Over the years I've read a lot of books and written a few sermons in the big twinkie.
Sounds like some really cool weather ahead. Bring it. I would still like some 70s, and I think we will get some.
OK, I better get busy...
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Wednesday
One of our church member's home was destroyed yesterday. Evidently there was a gas leak that led to an explosion. No one was home, except for 2 dogs. They both died, and, as my friend told me, "They were like family." Crisis is a great editor and "focuser," meaning it forces us to focus on what's important. My friend's attitude was good. He is thankful that he and his family are alive. They have good insurance and will be fine, but it will be tough getting back to "normal."
Yesterday evening I went to Bedford to run with some of my friends. I thought there was going to be a relaxed 10 miler. When I got there I found out the plan was for a 10 miler at either a 7:10 pace (turned out to be sub 7) or a 10 miler at 7:30 pace (turned out to be faster also). I plan to do these faster, longer runs in the very near future (next week), but I didn't think it wise so soon after the Persimmon Run. I opted to go out with the 7:30 guys. I did that for 3.5 miles before my legs got tight and my hamstring started squawking. I told my 2 buddies to go on, and I finished with less miles at a slower pace and without an injury. It was a good workout. Today I will do a hilly 7 miler. Boston is hilly, so hills are my new way of (running) life.
Not sure what all I will get done today. I plan to see a few people, study a little more, have lunch with a friend, plus minister in the interruptions -- all that before a meal at church, followed by a Bible study. Here it comes...
The Road to Boston
I'm not blessed with a lot of nature ability, so I have to work hard to get where I need to be. I decided about 2 years ago that I might try to qualify at the Monumental Marathon. I was not totally focused or prepared. I failed. Badly.
Here is the account of my first attempt.
I came out of that experience embarrassed and lovingly harassed by my running friends. Those two things served as great motivators for me. I worked really hard all winter to get ready to run the Louisville marathon in late April. I was in really good shape for it, but it turned out to be a very humid and warm day. I am not a good heat runner. Heat, humidity, and hills, lot of hills, did me in. I finished, but it was ugly. Several people thought I was a "special needs" runner, if that tells you anything.
Here is the account of my second attempt.
I came out of that experience even more determined. I trained hard all spring and summer, and if you remember the summer of 2010, you remember that it was incredibly HOT. I ran lots and lots of miles that summer. As the fall came, everything started to get easier, but I still had several huge doubts. I had some really bad runs in the last 4 weeks leading up to the marathon (which is not unusual). I was really unsure if I could qualify.
"Trust your training," was the mantra that I used leading up to the start line of the Monumental Marathon in November of last year. I knew that I had put in several 50+ mile weeks. I had done speed work. I had trained properly. The weather was perfect for me: upper 20s to start and upper 30s to finish. I wore shorts, a long sleeve shirt and a vest. I ran much better in the cold/cool. It turned out to be an awesome day.
Here is the account of my third and successful attempt.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday a.m.
On Sunday I challenged our church family to intentionally and specifically encourage 10 people this week. I'm going to continue doing that today. I've made a long list of people that I hope to encourage in one way or another. Everyone needs encouragement, and it doesn't cost anything to give. Why don't we do more of it?
Yesterday we had an early morning appointment at Riley Hospital for Ben. That's a wonderful place of caring, and it's so packed with emotion. The employees are all so nice; you can tell they really do care about helping people. I always feel emotional there. All it takes is for me to look around and see the concerned parents carrying around children who have health problems. So many stories!
Ben has been having all kinds of stomach pain for quite a while. He's had several doctor visits locally and no good results. They finally referred him to Riley. The visit went well, and he now has a couple of tests lined up, some time in the next month. In the meantime, the doc increased his meds, hoping that will take some of the pain away.
We got back from Indy in time for Ben to go to school the last 2 periods of the day, which meant that he could play in the JV football game last night. We traveled to North Daviess for the game. Ben played well. He had several good tackles. His football season has not been what he hoped it would be so far, but he played well Friday on special teams in the varsity game and had a great game last night.
The highlight for me yesterday was receiving my official acceptance into the Boston Marathon. I knew I qualified last November, but from that moment on, there had been a nagging doubt about whether I would actually get to go. Not everyone who qualifies makes it in. After I qualified, Boston changed the way registration worked, and that simply increased my doubts. The fastest qualifiers got to register first, which is fair.
I am thankful that I beat my qualifying standard by more than 3 minutes. Those who did not beat their standard by more than a minute did not get in! I can't imagine the frustration of qualifying and not getting in, although I was preparing for that possibility.
There are several runners from Lawrence County who made it in, many in the group I run with. They are the reason I made it in. They push me and make me work hard. We are going to have quite a party in Boston in April!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Waiting to hear the song
I beat my qualifying standard by more than 3 minutes. Most pundits think that if you beat your standard by more than a minute, then you should make it in. Apparently they are taking 20 or 21,000 runners. It looks like my time "seeds" me at around 17,000, so I should be good. It is sad that not all who qualified are going to make it in.
The song I am waiting to hear goes like this:
Please come to Boston for the springtime...
(Rare) Sunday Evening Post
I won't say I am disappointed in my performance, but I was WAY off I what I set as my original goal, which was breaking 20 minutes. After a little speed work I backed off of that goal, but I still hoped to break 21, but I didn't do that either. I didn't start speed work soon enough. Oh well, I enjoyed myself, didn't push too hard, and finished in 21:40. It was good enough for 3rd place in my age group. I ran very consistent 7:58s, so I was pleased with an even pace run. I think age is slowing me down in short runs, but I believe I can still do distant run well.
Lester had a good run, breaking 20 minutes. Ben has not run since May and ran in 23 something. Kedra, Rebecca, and Maddie all walked the course. Luke was the family photographer.
We had a great weekend! All of our kids were home for parts of Friday and Saturday. I smoked some ribs and chicken for a Friday evening feast. Ben could not be there, since he had to be at the football field early to prepare for his game. He plays on the kickoff team and had 2 really good tackles in our win.
I rode on the chamber of commerce float in the parade. I've been in the parade a few times before. It's a pretty strange experience in some ways. I had the thought, "I'm riding on a decked-out hay wagon, waving at 1000s of people who are looking at me." Strange. I was on the float, along with my fellow Capstone Ministries board members, to represent the ReGeneration Store. We were given an award by the chamber.
We are in Indy this evening. Ben has been having some health issues, so we are going to Riley Hospital tomorrow to see if they can figure out what is going on.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Still Waiting...
What did you think of the Happy Hypocrite?
It seems to me that the Bible uses the word in 2 ways. Oh, first, what does it mean? It is basically the idea of made being holy, pure, blameless, and perfect in the eyes of God. Is that possible? Yes it is! That's what Jesus does for us when we embrace him and his story.
We embody our trust/faith in God's saving work by re-enacting the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. How? In baptism -- check out Romans 6. When we are baptized, we "put on" or are "clothed" with Christ (Galatians 3:26,27). So when God looks at us, he sees his Son who is perfect, blameless and holy. We are sanctified at this point. It happens when we become a Christian.
We know that we are not living perfect, blameless, and holy lives. We still struggle with sin, but God still sees us as his holy beloved children, allowing us to be in relationship with him. He gives us his Holy Spirit to help us become what we are in his sight. He wants us to live up to what he has given us. He wants our face to take on the shape of the mask. He wants us to look like and live like Jesus.
This process of growing and developing to be like Jesus is also called sanctification. So there are two ideas are work here. First, we are sanctified--made holy--when we embrace Jesus as Savior and Lord. Second, the Spirit of God continues to work in our lives to make us holy, helping us to become what we are in the eyes of God, helping us to live up to who we are.
Pretty cool stuff. In order to grow--to take on the shape of the mask--we must cooperate with the Spirit, giving him time to work. That includes being still, worship, contemplation of Scripture, prayer, serving others, etc.
Hello Thursday!
I hope your week is going well. It's hard to believe that it's already Thursday! I got an early start to this Thursday -- up before 4.30. I have a lot going on today, including smoking a case of pork shoulders for my nephew's wedding reception. He got married a few weeks ago in Washington, D.C., so they are having a reception for local folks who could not attend the wedding. I was one who did not attend, because I was in Honduras at the time.
I have to leave my smoker 2-3 times today, which makes me a little nervous. I am not nervous about anything, except keeping the temperature right. I pretty well have figured out how to do that, but still... I have a meeting to go this morning. Back home. Speak at St. Vincent Dunn. Back home. Another meeting in town. Back home. This will not be a fun smoke; it's more a utilitarian smoke. Tomorrow I am smoking for fun -- ribs and chicken for my beloved children who are coming home!
Yesterday was a good and busy day. I had a nice time of study, saw a few people, including a couple of great gentlemen who reside at Mitchell Manor, said good-bye to a family I hate to see leave, had several phone and text conversations about life, and had a really good class last night. It all started with a good run in the rain early yesterday morning.
The next few days are going to be fun and busy...
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Happy Hypocrite
Lord George boldly proposes to Jenny, but she refuses, saying she can only marry a man with the face of a saint. Upset and confused, Lord George Hell wanders the streets all night. In the morning he comes upon a shop where masks are made, and he asks for a mask that looks like a saint. The shop keeper quickly accommodates.
Lord George Hell’s lady friend sees him and confronts him, but with his new identity, he acts like he does not know her. He plans to return that evening to see Jenny perform again, but he unexpectedly runs into her that day. Cupid shows up at the same time and fires an arrow into her heart. Lord George Hell, wearing the mask of a saint, proposes marriage. Since he has the face of a saint, she accepts his proposal.
Hell's transformation continues when he has to sign the marriage license. He can’t sign as Lord George Hell for fear that Jenny will see him as he really is, so he signs as Lord George Heaven. Behind the mask his transformation continues. He returns money that he received from cheating while gambling, donating it to charities.
He then buys a little cottage to live in, a significant step down from his large house. After about a month of marriage, Lord George’s old lady friend shows up, challenging him about his identity. She refuses to leave until she can his true face. He refuses, so she attacks him. A three way scuffle develops, as Jenny tries to stop the attack. During the scuffle, Lord George’s mask is pulled off by his former lover.
Everything stops! Lord George fears the worst—that Jenny will reject him, when she sees his true face. But the most remarkable thing has happened. Lord George’s face has changed and conformed and now looks like the saintly mask that he’s been wearing. Jenny delights in seeing his real face, the wicked lover leaves, and the mask melts in the sun.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Going Home
Her future, on earth, is limited, probably measured in weeks. She is bald but beautiful. She is confident yet afraid. She laughs and then cries. She is experiencing life and death. We all are, but for her it is more obvious and seemingly imminent.
Recently she got to go back home, which is a few hours away. She smiled as she talked about seeing familiar sights, but more importantly, seeing old friends and family. She simply loved going home. Later in our conversation we talked about really going home, as in going to Heaven. She cried as we talked about the promises of God.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
Revelation 21:3-5
Dying is hard, and we are all doing it daily. There is something special, though, about going home, especially going with confidence. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8
Tuesday a.m.
Why did I start with that? Not sure, but I think it has to do how scattered yesterday felt. That's not a complaint, just an observation. I had several things going on at the same time yesterday. I've said before that all the modern ways to communicate have made it harder to communicate. There is no single way to communicate anymore. I miss the days when email was the most popular way of communicating. Now I've been drug into the strange world of texting, which I find is a very good way to communicate with some people. I wish I was a better thumb-typer!
Yesterday I had several very significant text conversations about important issues, while at the same time communicating on Facebook with others, while emailing others, while getting tweets from others, while talking with others. I did not receive any letters in the mail. ha ha. I am in the process of establishing a communication plan for church that involves email, Twitter, and Facebook.
It sure was a damp day yesterday. I don't mind that kind of day. Early yesterday, before the heavy rain, I got a good session of speed work in. I guess I am ready for the Persimmon 5K. Realistically I don't think I will break 20 minutes. My speed work was a reality check. That's OK. I am still going to run hard and see where I end up.
The Boston Marathon registration is open, and I am officially registered. That does not mean that I will be accepted. There are more applicants than there are spots. So I am waiting... All applicants are going to be seeded, which is to my advantage. I beat my qualifying standard significantly, so I am hopeful. If I don't get in, then that's life. I will probably try again to re-qualify. Qualifying was an amazing experience!
Today is going to be a busy day. I need to spend some time studying 1 Peter 2:1-12, see several people, including Pat in Bloomington, and I'm sure there will be lots of texts, emails, Facebook messages, and a few calls. Probably no letters though; just bills.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Good Weekend
I took Friday off (mostly). It has been a while since I took a day totally off. I find it hard to do that anymore, but I think I need to do it. I end up taking a little time here and there, but that's not the same. Sabbath rest is a big deal to God. I need to work on it.
Anyway! I took Friday (mostly off) and started the day with a 12 mile run on the hills of Spice Valley. It was a nice morning and a good run. After that I helped my dad for a little while with fire wood. Then, and this explains the "mostly" above, I helped a family bury a loved one. I get these calls once in a great while. Someone who grew up here died and wanted to be buried here, so I went to the cemetery, met the family, read a passage, said a prayer and left.
After that it was back to working in fire wood, which I enjoy. I had to stop that in order to drive a football team bus to Crawford County. Kedra followed the bus down and picked me up as soon as I turned the bus off. Why? Because Rebecca was coming home from Nashville, and we had arranged to meet her at exit 92 (Carefree) on I 64, which was only 7-8 minutes from CC high school. There was a nice little restaurant there, which was really good by the way.
It's hard to explain what I felt when my little girl pulled in the parking lot! It had been nearly 5 weeks since we last saw her. It was so nice to give her a hug and a kiss on her forehead. We had a great meal together, before heading back to the football game. The game was ugly but we won. When I got back home, Lester and Maddie were at our house, so we had a nice time. Only Luke was missing.
The next morning I had to drive a bus to Perry Central -- something I had agreed to some time ago to help out the transportation director. It was a long trip and a fairly long day. While at Perry, I ran 5 miles on the hills. I got back home around 4. We had a nice meal together before Lester and Maddie had to return home. They had church responsibilities in Indy.
Saturday was so beautiful! Yesterday was a little on the cloudy, damp side, but that's OK. Good napping weather, and I took one after church, while watching the Colts. This would not have happened if Manning were playing - ha ha. The Vesper Service last night was good. Anthony Thompson, the great IU running back from the 80s, spoke. He did a nice job. Here are some quotes from him that I tweeted:
"My ladder was leaning against the wrong building," talking about his past trust in pleasure.
In parenting we don't need a wishbone, we need a backbone. If your child asks, "Are we going to church today?" You got a problem!
I grew up in a home the city condemned. We had no running water. But I had a praying mother.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Thursday
I had breakfast with Roger for the third day in a row. We've eaten at Arby's the last 2 mornings. Yesterday he had a breakfast platter, and today he had biscuits and gravy (with hot sauce of course). I just had a cup of coffee both days. Social drinking.
Today he was more relaxed. He announced to me, "I ain't in no hurry; I got all day." Then he said, "You got anything to do?" I said, "No." I don't know what I would do if Henri Nouwen's words weren't in my head and in my heart:
Most of my life I complained about interruptions to my ministry until I realized the interruptions were my ministry.
Roger started telling me a little bit about his son. He has no contact with him and hasn't for years. "Dope!" Then, I couldn't quite understand him, he told me about another boy that he has that was a product of his wife's adultery. "Guess who she cheated with?" I gave him the clueless look. He laughed and said, "The milkman!" He went on to tell me details about how the milkman would come back to the house and how the neighbor lady saw it. She told Roger. He told me about confronting his cheating and wife and her lover. Roger wasn't laughing anymore. He seemed to be reliving a painful past.
After Arby's we went back to CVS to pick some prescriptions that we dropped off on the way to Arby's. Then it was on to the gas station for a lottery ticket. We did that yesterday also, plus we got some Marlboro's.
Now it's sermon prep time, plus a whole lot of other stuff. It's all good. Living the Kingdom Life is never dull.
I hope to get a run in some time today. I'm sitting on 18 miles so far this week. Getting 35 is going to be hard, because I helping out the Junior High football team Saturday morning by driving a bus to Perry Central. This will be after a late night Friday driving the high school football team to Crawford County.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Wednesday
So we hit 90 again yesterday? Wow, and now the forecast includes temps in the 40s. It's that interesting time of the year. It's football season: where you go from burning hot games to games where you freeze before the 4th quarter.
My last post reminded me of a sermon I did about the beatitudes a few years ago. I'll include an excerpt below, after telling you that Roger is doing pretty well. I checked on him several times yesterday and took him to town last night. I'm not sure what today will hold. I'll find out soon.
* * *
Can you image the scene that follows Jesus? Wheelchairs and walkers. The deformed and diseased. People having seizures. People crying out in pain, like they do in the nursing homes, "Somebody help me, somebody help me." The despised and demon-possessed. And the healthy and the whole.
Dallas Willard in the Divine Conspiracy playfully paraphrases the beatitudes.
Blessed are the physically repulsive,
Blessed are those who smell bad,
The twisted, misshapen, deformed,
The too big, too little, too loud,
The bald, the fat, the old—
For they are all riotously celebrated in the party of Jesus.
Then he adds:
Then there are the "seriously" crushed ones: the flunk-outs and drop-outs and burned-outs. The broke and the broken. The drug heads and the divorced. The HIV-positive and herpes-ridden. The brain-damaged, the incurably ill. The barren and the pregnant too many times or at the wrong time. The over-employed, the under-employed, the unemployed. The unemployable. The swindled, the shoved aside, the replaced. The parents with children living on the street, the children with parents not dying in the "rest" home. The lonely, the incompetent, the stupid. The emotionally starved or emotionally dead. And on and on and on. (123-4)
What a crowd is gathering around Jesus! Why? Because he is announcing good news and blessings from God, and he is proving it, confirming it, in the physical realm. He is healing bodies as a sign that souls are being healed. He is bringing relief as a foretaste of life where all will be made new.
This community has gathered. A motley crew. The hurting, the whole, the curious. The community sings as they follow, "Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go." So they go where he goes.
Jesus looks out at this motley crew of a crowd, an audience of misfits, and begins to teach. He has already been telling them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. It’s here, nearby ready to be received. There is great blessing available to all; this is good news. He’s talking to you, too, you know!
Jesus addresses the poor in spirit (and the poor). Jesus looks at man who looks like he has traveled through hell–he is weary and worn from sin. His face is like leather; his eyes are not sharp or clear; his fingers are stained. He has bottomed-out over and over again; foolish pleasures and mistakes have cost him dearly. He is poor and poor in spirit and at the end of his rope and even considers making a noose with it. But today he has come to hear this unusual teacher teaching unusual things.
The teacher looks at him and says, "Congratulations, my son, the Kingdom has come and you can be a part of it. How blessed you are to be in state of humility; you are now ready to receive the Kingdom of Heaven; it’s yours."
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Seeing Jesus
I knew he would want breakfast, so I told (wrote) him to pick the place. He played the "you decide" game until he revealed that he wanted to go to a little place in Bedford. I figured that’s where we would go, because they allow smoking.
We entered and I immediately was struck by the few people in there. Nearly all of them were–and I don’t mean this in an unkind way–not the mainstream of society. Some would use the word "misfits." You know, the ones God seems to really like.
The lady next to us "wasn’t right." She kept saying inappropriate things, and the man with her, dressed in strange clothes and carrying an oxygen tank, tried to calm and comfort her. The guy behind us had some kind of mental disability; he kept talking loudly about the weather and other things. The guy in the next booth also had an oxygen tank and didn’t look quite right.
I sat there with "Roger my deaf neighbor," that’s the way I always describe him. I guess I do that to distinguish from all the other Rogers in my life, but I’m not sure I have any others? (Sorry if you are a friend of mine named Roger! My mind is drawing a blank.) Roger ordered a half order of biscuits and gravy and coffee. He asked for hot sauce. Me? Just a cup of coffee and water. Roger said, "You know what the first thing I want to do?" as he patted his bulging shirt pocket. He pulled out his Marlboros and lit up. I shook my head at him, smiling. He smiled back, "I tell when I’ll quit smoking–when I’m pushing up daisies." True.
Our waitress was very skinny and had a 2-pack-per-day voice that was disturbingly deep. She is probably younger than she looks. It looks like life has been really hard on her. In her I saw Jesus. What? Yes, that’s right. She was kind, but a lot of waitresses are – makes for better tips. She was beyond kind, though, with the lady in the booth next to us, the one who wasn’t right.
The not right lady kept saying, "I just can’t take it any more." The waitress said, with her deep 2-pack-per-day voice, "Honey, you need to pray to God and he’ll help you."
"I have prayed but he won’t listen!"
"Oh, don’t give up; keep talking to Him."
"He won’t hear me."
"Yes, he hears you, so please keep praying, asking him to take your burdens from you." She said that with the conviction of someone who knows.
Seemed a lot like Jesus.
Another Tuesday
Yesterday I took my neighbor Roger for a heart cath. I picked him around 11 a.m., since he was supposed to be at the hospital at 11.30. I called the hospital to find out where to take him. "Registration." OK, so we go to registration, where we are met by a clipboard, not a person. We sign in and wait.
There was a lady in the waiting room who had very short hair--new growth after a cancer treatments I guess. She clearly did not feel well. I felt sorry for her. She was waiting just like we were, only longer. I asked her how long she had been waiting, and it was nearly 30 minutes. She had a thing in her arm where they hook up IVs. I guess she was there for another treatment? I wanted to talk to her but didn't want to be aggressive. She finally was called to register.
Roger and I waited some more. Waiting would the theme of the day. Finally he was called and then told that he was already registered and simply needed to show up in the cardiovascular unit. The lady was nice and walked us up there. Everyone on the unit was very nice, which made the wait a little more tolerable.
Bottom line: Roger did not go in for his procedure until after 5 p.m.! Poor guy - he was so hungry and tired. We got to speak to the doc before and after the procedure, which was nice. There was not much they could do, so the procedure did not last too long. Roger spent the night in the hospital, and I'm getting ready to go get him now. He is going to be really upset that he is not allowed to drive for a few days. Another friend took his keys. Pray for me as Hurricane Roger comes to shore on my head! ha ha
One of the women that was in the CV unit yesterday was refreshingly honest. She told the truth every time I asked her about what was going on and how long it would take. She said, "I could tell that it will be soon, but actually the guy before Roger is having complicationd and will likely take 2-3 hours." I thanked her for being truthful.
While waiting at the hospital, I was able to read a short book and get a lot of studying down. The text is 1 Peter which talks about living hope in the midst of trials. Wonder if he was thinking about waiting hours in a hospital?
Monday, September 12, 2011
I guess I'm ready. Last week we had Labor Day, which shortened the week some. All that does for me is force everything into a shorter time frame for completion, but I still enjoy the change a holiday brings.
So how did your remembrance of 911 go? I avoided watching any of the (many) shows about it. I'm not totally sure why. I think I just don't like to go back and relive all of it. Maybe it's related to the fact that I don't like to watch movies more than once? Who knows?
I enjoyed the weekend. I took a little time off Friday afternoon, before driving one of the football team buses to Eastern Greene. It was a perfect night for football, and Mitchell got a nice 32-0 win. The game was ugly, yellowed up with penalties. Some players and coaches did not behave too well. Football.
Saturday morning I enjoyed a nice 14 mile run with a large group of people. I think there were about 15 people who participated in some way or another. A group started early and did 4 miles, and then a bunch of us joined them at 8 a.m. to complete 10 more miles. Then some of us did 4-6 miles after that. Confusing? Not really, unless you try to keep with with each individual and his or her mileage.
Today could be an interesting day. I'm taking my deaf neighbor, Roger, for a heart cath. I'm going to take my computer and lots of study books -- lots of waiting time. Roger is not doing too well, so we are praying that he can get some relief and some strength back.
Rebecca is coming home this weekend! We are so excited. We were going to go down and meet her halfway last Saturday, but plans changed. We really really miss her but are very excited about what she is doing.
Maybe more later...
Friday, September 09, 2011
Another Drug Test
This cartoon doesn't really fit this brief post, but I thought it was funny! For about the 5th time as a very part-time bus driver I was selected to do a random drug test. It's weird because I barely drive, only driving for a few sports teams on a periodic basis. I just hope I passed.
A few years ago I had a test that also included a breathalyzer test. A lady from church walked in the bus barn and saw me taking it. She didn't but could have left saying, "I saw Allen taking a breathalyzer test!" Is that how some rumors start?
Friday
It's Friday -- that's probably a bigger deal for you than it is for me. For me, it just means that I am one day closer to the only day of the week I work. The pressure mounts! Actually I hope to get everything done today and have a little time this afternoon away from "work." I am driving the football bus to Eastern Greene this evening, so I need to mentally prepare for that -- ha ha.
Blogger is still driving me a little crazy. OK, that's my complaint for this post. The finish to yesterday was really good! We had a (very informal) banquet with ReGeneration Store people, past and present, to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. About 30 of us gathered at El Compadre to celebrate the Lord's blessing. We have had a great 5 years! It has been a blessing to provide jobs for several people, and we have had more than a half million dollars in cash register sales! That one is hard to fathom when you consider that most of what we sell is around $2. We have given more than $71,000 to those in need.
After the banquet, Kedra and I made our way to Spring Mill Park. Kinley D. wanted to be baptized there. When we arrived there was a pretty good mist and a pretty good crowd. The water was wet and cold, as was the air, but that didn't matter. I love baptizing people in the creek and have had several in the last couple of years.
I am looking forward to a 14 mile run in the morning. I'm sitting on 20 miles this week so far, so I will get close to 35 this week. The temptation to run 1 more mile is always present! I will probably resist. It's just a number.
I hope you have a great weekend!
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Running into People
Funny, that expression! "I ran into her at the Park." Sounds painful, and it could be!
A few years ago, I was out at the Park getting ready for a run. I was parked in a sorta secluded place and clearly was not noticed by a couple that were having a "meeting."
A guy pulls up first and sits in his car, and then a couple of minutes later, a woman pulls up in her car. They get out of their cars and embrace in a rather passionate way. I was sitting there awkwardly in my truck, waiting to go run. All of a sudden one of them notices me. They immediately stopped their embrace, jumped in their cars, and sped away. I think they were probably not supposed to be together. It made me wonder about their stories and all the lives that could be crushed as a result of what they were doing.
Wow, I don't know where that came from! Well, it's sermon day, which means ADD day for me. Distractions. Easy. Hey, look a squirrel! We have a cat that roams the neighborhood. It likes to get in my garage and rips open trash bags to look for food. It makes a mess, so I want to kill it. Kedra won't let me. Now the stupid cat has, yet again, given birth to kittens. There are 4 little fuzz balls living in my wood stack, right outside my office. They are cute, but they will grow up.
OK, the reason I started this post was to mention that I ran into some people yesterday morning at the Park. I was finishing my run and was pressed for time. As I came back to my truck, I saw 3 people, and one of them was Charlotte Gerkin. I had not seen her for years. She used to be quite a runner, recognized nationally, I think, for her participation in ultra-marathons. I remember seeing her in one of the Smoky Mountain Marathons I ran.
I heard a few years ago that she was really sick and nearly died. It was great seeing her! We talked for a little while about her desire to get back into running. She has had both knees replaced and a bunch of serious health issues. She mentioned that she "was dead" at one point. Wow! Here's hoping she'll be able to get back into a wonderful sport!
What was I doing? Squirrel!
Thursday a.m.
Oops, I missed yesterday. Sorry about that! I had an unusual day and it was unusually busy to boot. Today should be a little more normal, although I don't think there is such a thing.
Blogspot has made some changes in the way it does stuff, and I'm not that crazy about it. I just wrote that because it did something that frustrated me. OK, back to this post. I'm not going to complain about the weather, because it is fantastic weather for running. I will say that I would also really enjoy some mid 70s to mid 80s - ha ha. It was a little shocking to go from 102 on Saturday to mid 60s on Monday.
Yesterday I went to Terra Haute. Since it was farther west, away from Lee's messy weather, it was sunny and in the 70s. I enjoyed driving over there and back. I thought a lot of RAIN and href=http://allenburris.blogspot.com/2011/07/rain-report.html>my experience on that hot day back in July. I'm thinking I need to return to the little town 4 miles outside of Richmond and complete the ride one of these days soon. And I hope that everything next summer falls into place so I can do it again -- all the way this time!
Speaking of next Summer, we are in the process of scheduling our trip to Honduras. There is no perfect time, so we will pick some dates and go with them. We will try to avoid a few major things like Impact and Camp, hoping to have good participation from the youth group. I'm thinking early June, but I'm not sure yet.
I had a really good class last night. We talked about living hope. You might want to read href=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%201&version=MSG>1 Peter to see what we were talking about. Several shared great stories that really helped all of us think through what it means to have a hope in a world where towers crumble. I'm going to talk a little bit about 911 on Sunday. It provides a good way to enter into the text.
Speaking of 911, the Vesper Service for the Persimmon Festival this year is going to include a 15 minute segment where I interview the five guys from around here who were in the Pentagon when the plane hit it. The featured speaker this year is Anthony Thompson, the great running back from IU from a few years ago. It should be a great evening.
My running is going well this week. I should be north of 30 miles before it's all over. I hit 30 last week.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Getting Concerned
Labor Day Weekend 2011
Yesterday Kedra and I met Lester and Maddie to go to Rib America Festival. It was fun, interesting, windy, and a bit cool. We saw lots of interesting sights and tasted a lot of good food! We sat down to listen to the music but had trouble staying warm. We decided to walk somewhere to get some dessert.
Lester knew of restaurant at the end of the canal, which was probably about a mile from where we were, so we decided to enjoy the walk. We saw lots of interesting human sights along the way, including a tour of some sorts with all the people riding segways. Wow!
When we arrived at the end of the canal, the place we intended to enjoy was closed, so we walked downtown. We ended up at Champs, where Lester and Maddie decided to share a dessert. We were stunned when it came out! It was huge. Kedra and I share a relatively small piece of chocolate cake. It was a very enjoyable visit to Indy.
Before we went up yesterday, I ran with friends in Bedford. I had a good 7 mile run. It's amazing what a temperature drop does to speed and efficiency. This 7 miler followed a pretty good 13 miler on Saturday, especially since it was hot on Saturday. My running is coming along pretty well. I am working toward trying to break 20 minutes in the Persimmon 5K. I don't know if I can do that, but I know that if I don't try, then I for sure won't! I registered for the Monumental Half Marathon yesterday. A lot of my friends are going to run it, so it should be a very fun day.
OK, this week is going to be crazy, busy, since we had yesterday off... Better get after it!
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Killed a Squirrel Today
Terre Haute, IN
reported by SNN staff
Jimmy “slash and bend” Furbee, a known squirrel troublemaker, was sentenced to life in prison without parole today. His sentence is controversial because some see him as a “victim” of the “three strikes” rule. Some say his relatively minor crimes do not deserve such a harsh sentence, yet it is his third conviction for the same crime.
Mr. Furbee was convicted for the third time during a recent bike riding event that starts in Terre Haute and ends in Richmond. The event is known as RAIN, which stands for Ride Across Indiana. His crime? He slashed the tires of more than 15 bikes before being apprehended and caged. In addition to slashing the tires, he bends the rims, which seems to be his signature mark. Police are now working to connect him with several slash and bend cases around the state, especially in Lawrence and Orange Counties.
Squirrel News Network sat down with Jimmy recently to ask how he ended up leading such an unusual life of crime.
Jimmy, how do feel about your sentence?
I don’t know man! Don’t really care! I’ll just say that I’d do it all again. I hate bikers with all that I have and all that I am. I detest those spandex-wearing freaks running around with retard helmets on. They wear their little clothes all bright and tight – makes me sick. I’d love to slash and bend all their tires and rims.
Can you tell us why you hate cyclists so much?
Yeah man, I’ll tell you. When I was a kid, me and a little brother, Bobby, stayed at home with our mom. My little brother was disabled–born without a tail. People made fun of him and stuff like that; called him Bobby bobtail and Bobby no-tail. I remember how much it hurt my mom and dad. My dad worked really hard to feed all of us. Mom couldn’t leave the house because of Bobby. One day dad didn’t come home.
[At this point Jimmy looks down and tears fall from his eyes, his tail drooping noticeably.]
We waited and waited. Mom kept saying that he’d be home. “He’s never let us down.” Friends came by to help us wait. Someone said, “Maybe he got hit by a car.” “Nonsense,” mother blurted out, “He’s always very careful – he can hear a car or truck a mile away. He can even tell what kind it is.”
As she said those words, Johnny “three-leg” Talltale came rushing into our nest. He saw me and broke the news, “There’s been a horrible accident! I’m so sorry, but your daddy is dead.” Through our tears we asked what happened. “Well, it seems that your daddy was in a corn field, outside of Orleans, looking to bring you home an ear or two. He decided to cross the road, and according to a witness, three humans riding bicycles rapidly approached. The first one, a guy dressed in red, riding some kind of weird looking bike, hit your daddy and killed him. The other too just laughed at the tragedy. Evidently he didn’t see them in time.”
After that I started drinking Old Hickory Juice and smoking jimson weed. I ran with the wrong pack, jumping in the wrong kind of trees, if you know what I mean. Then one day, in an altered state, I saw a bike at a gas station in Orleans. The guy was in the store getting a Diet Coke. I slashed his tire and bent his rim. That’s how it all started. Look, I can’t talk any more about this. I wish I was out of here. They need to pay for what they done to my daddy.
Jimmy ended the interview, lit a cigarette, and looked off into space.
Follow Me
And no one seemed to care,
The burden on my weary back,
Had bowed me to despair,
I oft complain to Jesus,
How folks were treating me,
And then I heard Him say so tenderly,
"My feet were also weary,
Upon the Calvary road;
The cross became so heavy,
I fell beneath the load,
Be faithful weary pilgrim the morning I can see,
Just lift your cross and follow close to Me.
"I work so hard for Jesus,"
I often boast and say,
"I've sacrificed a lot of things,
To walk the narrow way,
I gave up fame and fortune;
I'm worth a lot to the Thee,"
And then I hear Him gently say to me,
"I left the throne of glory,
And counted it but loss,
My hands were nailed in anger,
Upon on a cruel cross.
But now we'll make the journey,
With your hand safe in Mine,
So lift your cross and follow close to Me.
Oh, Jesus if I die upon,
A foreign field some day,
'Twould be no more than love demands,
No less could I repay.
"No greater love hath mortal man,
Than for a friend to die,"
These are the words He gently spoke to me:
If just a cup of water,
I place within your hand,
Then just a cup of water,
Is all that I demand,
But if by death to living,
They can Thy glory see,
I'll take my cross and follow close to Thee.
Thursday Heat
Yesterday I drove a friend to court for a pre-sentence hearing. I am kinda intrigued by the whole legal process and think I might have enjoyed being a lawyer (insert jokes here). Really. Anyway, several people were sitting in the courtroom, just waiting for things to get started. I never saw a judge, so I think everything was taking place in his chambers. I know we were waiting for the results of meeting between the prosecutor and the defense attorney. My friend's son died and the person who helped with his death was in the room with us. It was tense and awkward. I know the father of the defendent. The result of the meeting was a delay and another meeting in November. My friend cried. Hard stuff.
While we were sitting there, I kept thinking about all the different people in the room. A lot of them were family and friends of people in trouble, and a lot of them looked pretty rough. One guy had a baseball cap on, which is no big deal in most contexts. I found it really interesting that a court official came over to him and told him, in a firm voice for all to hear, "Sir, please remove your hat." He did. It made me think of respect, reverence, 1 Cor. 11, and a bunch of other things.
Early yesterday morning I got some good speed work in. I'm not sure I can meet my lofty running goals that I stated a couple of days ago, but I am going to do what I can to make it happen. I am running out of time, since the Persimmon 5K is only 3 weeks away. It's early this year, due to the way the calendar falls. The Festival is the last full week of September.
Last night I got to baptize a couple of young men. We have had a lot of baptisms this year, which is so wonderful! A young girl told me last night that she wants to be baptized next Wednesday evening in the creek at Spring Mill Park. That will be great! I've baptized several out there. Busy day today that includes the beginning of writing my sermon for Sunday and a trip to Bloomington for someone's surgery.
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