Tuesday

Good morning! What a nice mild morning, and it's going to be another beautiful day! Yesterday was great, wasn't it? I overdressed for my morning 5 mile run, but that was fine. I was taking it easy anyway. I actually ran part of the Give Thanks 4 course, looking for the first mile marker. I know within a few feet of where it is, but I cannot find the specific spot. It's not a big deal, but if you know me, then you know that it is at least a deal.

Yesterday was a nice recovery day in lots of ways. I stayed busy all day, but nothing really challenged me too hard. I used to take Mondays off, which is not unusual for ministers, because Sunday is usually the most taxing day of the week for us. It really is. I stopped taking Mondays off a long, long time ago, because I was teaching at Oakland City U on Mondays, and I also did not like waiting until Tuesday to start focusing on the week. I felt the pressure of being behind. So now I try to take Fridays off, but it rarely happens. I try to get my "Sabbath breaks" each day by running. It's not ideal, but it works for me - most of the time.

After watching Rand finish the Monumental Marathon on Saturday, Kedra, Lester and Maddie, I made our way downtown to eat. We walked past the Capitol, and it was there that we found protesters. First we ran into people protesting Eastern Time; they want Central Time. Then we ran into the Occupy Indianapolis group. They were sitting on the steps. They were pretty quiet.  All of a sudden a guy comes running over from the food tents--food prepared for the runners--and shouts, "Hey everybody! There's free food over there!" Not sure how all that played out! All I know is that I chuckled. Funny word: chuckled. Oh well.

Yesterday evening Ben and I got to use his beastly truck to do some manly work. I have a friend who has a few acres of woods, and about every 2-3 years he piles up logs from trees that have died. He offers them to me as firewood, which is great! Ben and I took a wagon over to his house, pulled by Ben's truck. My friend loaded to wagon with a huge heavy load of logs, and we pulled it home.  We're going to do another load this evening. Male bonding at its best.

Back to the protesters -- I guess I've never felt that passionate about something like that. I'm not talking specifically about the Occupy movement or the time change people. I'm against greed, but probably have significant differences with the occupiers, and frankly I don't care much about the time thing. My point is that I don't ever recall protesting anything in a public way. Is it because it seems futile? That, and it seems mostly ineffective. 

I do know that things can change if a few individuals stir up a few more who stir up a few more, but it doesn't happen often. I guess my mindset/personality is more of living faithfully in each day, trying to change my heart and hearts of those around me. Maybe that's why I like this verse, found in Micah 6:8.

He has showed you, O man, what is good.

And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and

to walk humbly with your God.

That's what I'll work on today. Again.