Tuesday morning

Good morning! Looks like it might rain for a while today! That's fine with me, because I am warm and dry in my quiet, comfortable office, ready to work on my sermon for Sunday. Yes, I am working way ahead this week. I want to be totally ready for Sunday by Wednesday night. All of my kids will be home by Friday night, but they've already started trickling in.

Rebecca came home Saturday, and I knew I missed her tons, but I didn't realize how much until she walked back in. She adds so much life to everything. Luke has been in Guatemala since Thursday and is on his way home right now. I got a brief message saying that he is in Antigua. He'll fly from there to Houston and then to Nashville. He will either drive home late, late tonight or tomorrow. Lester and Maddie will arrive on Friday.

I am looking forward to hearing of Luke's trip to Guatemala. He went with a few others to do surveying in the remote village that Lipscomb has adopted. His senior engineering project is to design a bridge that will span a deep gorge. It will replace a very dangerous rickety one that is presently used by the villagers.

Since I hope to be totally free Thursday-Saturday to spend time with family, I am compressing everything into the first 3 days of this week. I made my usual list of 20 something people to contact, but I probably won't get all that done, but I got a great start on sermon prep yesterday. Pat A and I met for about 3 hours yesterday to study/talk through the preaching text for this week. Synergy! Today I've got to flesh out the good skeleton we constructed.

The Give Thanks 4 is only 2 days away! I got to talk to the Police Chief yesterday. He was very helpful and supportive. We are north of 85 preregistrants, so that likely means well over a 100 runners. The perfect forecast should bring lots of last minute, fair weather runners out. I am really looking forward to it! I've got quite a bit to do today and tomorrow in prep.

I got a good 6 miler in yesterday. I ran the SVBV course (Spice Valley to Bryantsville) and did some accelerations on the hills, both up and down. Hill repeats are going to be a key component for my Boston Marathon training, so I am kinda easing in, getting ready for them. The Boston course is hilly and difficult. I've been told by several, and have read the same in several places, that the down hill portions, especially later in the race, are very difficult. The course beats up your quads. I am actually going to do some hill repeats running down hill. This was suggested by marathon guru Hal Higdon.

OK, busy day today! Study, a few visits, Give Thanks 4 work, Store, and a 7 mile run this evening in Bedford. Ready, set, go...