Wednesday

Contemplating the next cute move

Good morning! How are you? Looks like a cool morning and a cool day ahead.

Yesterday was a good day of work. I did lots of things and talked to lots of people. I had hoped, at the end of the day, to get in a good bike ride. That all started to deteriorate early afternoon. I looked to the west and saw the clouds. Then I looked on the radar and saw what was coming. I had hoped it would pass by and give me another chance later, but in the end it didn't so I didn't ride.

Forced rest is probably a good thing. It doesn't feel that great but. . . This morning I am going to attempt a 4 mile run, here shortly as a matter of fact. Later this afternoon I hope to squeeze in a short bike ride, hoping the weather cooperates for that.

Today is the long day. It will end around 8:30 this evening. That's fine. The last several weeks have been unusually busy, wearing on me a bit, but I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel. I don't think it's a train! OK, I need to get my running shoes on. Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday

Big Ben & Little Cora Jane

Good morning! How are you on this Tuesday? Looks like a good day ahead. Keep an eye to the sky this evening. We may be ok, though. The tornadoes ripped through the south yesterday. Kedra told me when I woke up, she received a text overnight saying her cousin's house was destroyed in Athens, AL. Her cousin is ok but lost her home.

Yesterday was good, peaceful, productive day. It was what I needed. I got several things done and a lot more organized, ready to get done. I am hoping for a similar day today.

On the endurance athletic front, I had a pretty decent day. I was able to run another 3 miles yesterday morning. While still painful, the pain continues to lessen some. I am somewhat hopeful for a good recovery. I will try pushing Wednesday's run to 4 miles.

I was hoping to bike yesterday evening, but it began looking like it would be a wash out. Then, right around 5 p.m., I looked at the radar and the sky. Kedra had supper about ready, and I said, "I will eat later, there is window open and I must jump through it." I quickly dressed, loaded the bike, did manage a small bite, and took off. I got a quick 15 miles in.

Next up was the pool. There, again, I did a mile. So I did the triple yesterday: 3 miles of running, 15 on the bike, and 1 in the pool. As I recorded this in my training log last night, when I should have been in bed, I told Kedra, "I love recording something in all 3 disciplines." Yes, I know. I can't help it. Hey, it's better than the unhealthy lifestyle of most. ha ha

Today will be focused on the bike alone. It our Tuesday Night Pace Line Ride. We roll out of the church parking lot at 5:45. Some start a little early and get extra miles in. I may be in that category tonight, depending upon the weather.

OK, I am ready to take on the day! Thanks for stopping by.

Monday

Good morning! It's a rainy Monday morning, but that's ok with me. There will be lots of people dragging around and complaining this morning, so why not make it your mission to cheer them up this morning?

Did you have a good weekend? I did but it was certainly different from a typical weekend for me. It was filled with all kinds of family events. These all came at the end of a rather busy week. I had a good trip to Nashville. I had a good meeting and got have dinner with a couple of good guys from Lipscomb. I bit the bullet and made the trip home after that. I didn't get sleepy, for which I was very thankful.

Friday was packed full of all kinds of things. I had to finish up sermon prep and finish getting ready for Luke's future in-laws to visit. At the end of the day, I did manage a 20+ mile ride with Lester. It's a good thing I got that in, because that was it for the entire weekend.

We had a nice meal Friday evening with the Buckleys and 3/4 of our children were present. Ben was out riding with a state trooper, working the Little 500. He had a great time, by the way. Saturday was filled with activity. We had a "man shower" for Luke Saturday morning. This is where he received manly things, things like tools and things to cook meat. It is the antithesis of a bridal shower. It was very nice.

After that some of us worked on the mounting a different projector for church. That was a bit of a challenge. Thankfully we were able to put engineer Luke to work yet again. We got all that done just in time for Lydia's bridal shower. Luke, and his future father-in-law, Mike, and I hung out for a while and got something to eat. Then all the prom stuff for Ben started to unfold. That lasted off and on until 8:30. That was the day.

Yesterday was busy also. I was going to ride with Jimmy but I couldn't make it. Probably the most significant thing this weekend, from a endurance athletic standpoint, was I ran 3 miles Saturday morning. It hurt but it was better. This week I will try run every other day and move on up a little, hopefully reaching 5 miles by the weekend.

OK, I need to get organized. Thanks for stopping by.

Wednesday

Good morning! Sorry about the picture, but I didn't have any fresh Cora pictures. I need to do something about that.

This week is moving too quickly! I am going to Nashville for a really long day tomorrow. I serve on an advisory board for the Hazelip School of Theology at Lipscomb University. Tomorrow we are meeting in the afternoon, having dinner, and then meeting some more. I am going to bite the bullet and drive home after that. Driving late at night is not my strength or favorite thing, but I need to be home on Friday.

We have a packed weekend. Luke is marrying Lydia on June 8th. This weekend there is a "man shower" for Luke on Saturday morning, where he will get manly gifts. Then there is a regular shower thing for Lydia later on Saturday. Lydia's parents are coming too, so we will spend time with them Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. There is a lot of activity in all this, which is all good. It does mean I need to have everything ready for Sunday early, and a long trip to Nashville compresses everything a bit more.

Yesterday was good and busy. There were a variety of things going on, all the way from spending time with an engineer friend looking at our Store to spending time with a couple of fellow ministers talking about revival. Oh, I also drove a junior high track bus to Pekin.

There in Pekin I worked on my hamstrings. I tell you in all my years of running I've never had anything like these hamstrings. I managed to run 2 miles, but it was painful and ugly. I do think, however, near the end, things might have improved a bit? I am going back out this morning, in a few minutes, to give them another try. I stretched for about 30 minutes before running. I am thankful they do not hurt during riding (or swimming).

OK, lots to do and the clock is running. Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday

Ready for a ride in the sun

Good morning! Happy Tuesday to you! It's going to be a little cooler today, which is fine. We'll enjoy whatever comes our way today.

Yesterday was a good day. Kedra and I went with Ben to Ivy Tech to get him all fixed up. He is going to attend there in the fall to study criminal justice. His ultimate goal is to be a state trooper. It is difficult to become one, but this course of study will certainly help him. He is going to take some classes on line and will attend others in Bloomington and Bedford. Ben is a good young man and we are proud of him.

On our way back yesterday morning we had just enough time to stop in and see Cora. Funny how that works out. She was sweet, pleasant, and cute, as usual. She laughed out loud at one of my goofy moves, so you know what that means. Yes, I will continue with that same move for a while. I don't care what others think.

You know my old line about ministry and interruptions. "I used to complain about interruptions to my ministry until I realized the interruptions are my ministry." That's a paraphrase of something Henri Nouwen taught me. Yesterday I got an urgent call from someone quite upset. A family had learned a relative had been killed in a car wreck. I went immediately and found out more. It happened two years ago but the family just found out yesterday. The deceased was a family member who had been out of communication for a long time. It was/is a sad situation.

Later in the day, I managed to get a 30 mile ride in. It was pleasant and what I needed physically, mentally, and spiritually. It was so pleasant and refreshing. Last night I was able to wash a lot of other stuff away with a one mile swim. This was added to a very short run before the sun came up. My hamstrings are so tight you could bend nails on them, I think. I am in the early stages of rehab.

Rand had a good Boston Marathon. He is an inspiration to me in lots of ways and has been for a long time. He is a tough-minded endurance athlete. He gutted out this marathon on a bad knee and low miles.

In my reading this morning I came across one of my favorite passages regarding discernment. It's in 1 Chronicles 12:32.

From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.

Our culture is rapidly changing and has been for the last several years. Guiding a church through all this is challenging to say the least. I like, also, something Napoléon said. It goes something like this:

The role of a leader is to define reality and to provide hope for a good future.

That's my paraphrase and what I see as my job. Couple those two statements and move on. It begins with honesty about yourself and the situation. That's the best policy, of course.

OK, that's way more than you bargained for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Monday

Saturday's Centurions

Good morning! I hope you are well on this mild Monday morning. It is so very nice to have nice weather, isn't it? The weekend was amazing! There is nothing quite like warm sunshine and air temps in the 70s. Perfect!

A few of us did a Century or a 100 miler on Saturday. Pictured above, holding up fingers to designate how many centuries this year, are Scott, me, Jim, Roy, and Iron Bill. Bill did not hold up fingers because he doesn't have enough to show how many centuries he's done this year. Seriously. He did a few on a trainer. Amazing!

We rolled out of Parkview right at 8 on Saturday. Some of us ate breakfast at McDonald's first. Timmy G rode south for the first hour with us and then turned to go back. We headed to Orleans and then made a move to the southwest, into the hills toward French Lick. It was beautiful, stunningly so! The hills were hard but not terrible. After a few miles we headed back east, into Orleans.

After a very brief stop at Huck's, we headed south again, going past the Syria Christian Church, on our way to 56, which we took us into Livonia. From there it was the hilly Livonia to Hardinsburg Road, 7 more miles of beauty. Bill wanted to take the unaware and uninitiated to Chainsaw Hill, which is out on 66, which goes to Milltown. It was quite a climb. The payoff? A yard full of chainsaws poked into the ground. No kidding. Weird and funny.

After turning around and screaming down the hill toward Hardinsburg, we stopped at the General Store, a neat store run by Mennonites. There we got some water and replenished are nutritional supplies. We were sitting on 60 something miles. I was wearing down and the sun was warming up. Bill is a great leader. He got me back to 337 and then pulled us all from Livonia to Orleans. We had a nice little tailwind and averaged 20+ on that segment. 

From Orleans we road 37 back to Bedford and finished up our 100. It was not my best century but it wasn't terrible. I didn't bonk but wasn't as strong as I wanted to be. I'm glad we did lots of hills. They will make me stronger. Ironman Florida only has 1 hill, I think, which is a big bridge over a canal.

Rand is in Boston, probably getting ready to board a bus to be transported to the start line. I have such wonderful memories of all those experiences. I hope he has a good day today. I texted with him last night, and I think he is ready to enjoy the day.

We had a great weekend with our family. Luke surprised Kedra and me by coming home with Rebecca and Micah. What a nice surprise! Friday night we had all our kids home to enjoy some smoked chicken and other good stuff.

Yesterday was a good day at church, and then the afternoon's weather was icing on the cake! It was a good weekend no matter how it was measured. This week is going to be crazy. I have a trip to Nashville on Thursday and then all kinds of things this weekend. Oh well, it will be fun. Thanks for stopping by.

Friday

Good morning! It's Friday. How did it get here so quickly? It's going to be a nice day. I have a counseling appointment this morning, along with several things to do to get ready for Sunday. I am hoping I can get all that done by noon or so.

This afternoon I am going to fire up the smoker. My little girl is coming home, and she likes smoked chicken. Hey, I aim to please! While the smoker is doing its thing, I can work around the yard. I really need to work around the yard. The long winter was pretty hard on lots of things. It should be a very pleasant day to be outside.

Yesterday was good. I got a lot done. At the end of the day, I waited for Iron Bill to get out of school, get ready, and ride to Mitchell. I then joined him for the next 20 miles of his 40 mile ride. We had a nice time riding over to the Orleans area and back. I'm sitting on 70 miles for the week, so the 100 tomorrow will make for a nice total. It will be my second biggest week this year.

Last night I got in the pool and swam a mile. I'm seeing some improvement there. It's just a matter of keeping after it. Soon we will move to some open water swims, probably in 2 weeks. I would like to get 2-3 of those before heading to Terra Haute.

This morning I will resume running. I am going to ease into and hope it goes well. I have neglected stretching and really working to rehab my hamstring. Shame on me. I resolve to begin doing that.

My good buddy, Rand, is heading to Boston tomorrow. He is running the Boston Marathon on Monday. He's been a bit injured, but I am sure he will do well in spite of it. It's quite an experience, and this year, especially, will be amazing, after last year's problems. I wish him a wonderful experience! After Boston, he will be focused on Ironman Florida, along with a few others in the area.

OK, I need to get moving! Thanks for stopping by.

Thursday

Good morning! Looks like a really nice day ahead. Yesterday was pretty nice too, at least the sun was very warm.

I'm reading through the entire Bible this year, which is my usual practice. This year I am using a program that attempts to arrange the text in a chronological order. I am really enjoying it. For example, this morning's reading weaves together some of David and Saul's adventures with some of the Psalms David wrote about it. I am finding it very helpful. I am also reading from a different translation this year. That also keeps it a little fresher and less predictable.

Breaking News: Cora rolled from back to front yesterday! Hey, that's about as important as a lot of CNN's "Breaking News" of late. Anyway, she did it. She changes a little bit everyday.

I got a late afternoon ride in yesterday. Wow, it was tough going out. I went out to the county line, right into the southeast wind. It was actually more east than south. It was a nice ride on the way back. I had a good time trial workout and was pretty pleased with it. I hope to get another ride in this evening. Tomorrow I will try a short run. Saturday is a 100 mile ride.

Everything is coming together for Sunday. We have several unusual things planned for our assembly. All of them require extra work. We have lots of really good people who have stepped up to help out. I am very thankful.

Wednesday

Good morning! It's another cool morning, but I heard the weather guy say this will be the coldest day of the next 7 days. It's getting better, and soon it will be hot. Please don't complain about it, when it arrives.

It was another good day on the planet yesterday. Life in the little city went pretty well. Somehow I am managing to knock things off my list that have been carried over for weeks. Each Sunday night or Monday morning, I look at last week's list and carry over the things I didn't get done. Some of those things are disappearing. For example, last night between supper and swimming, I was able to complete a set of simple bookshelves in the basement.

These bookshelves were in another room, a room claimed by Ben a few months ago as his bedroom. The shelves were taken down and the books piled in Luke's old room. By putting up the shelves and moving the books, I accomplished three things: 1) got the pile of shelves cleaned up, 2) got the books all cleaned up, and 3) and got bonus good husband points. I love it when a plan comes together.

Two weeks ago I constructed shelves in the storage room in the basement. These are the things I am knocking of my list, which feels good. I've got a few other things as well, church things that keep getting carried over, that are getting crossed off as well.

Last night I did get in the pool, for the second night in a row. It was a frustrating winter for swimming. The school cancellations, due to the weather, shut the pool down on a regular basis, so I probably only averaged 1 time a week. Now, at least for the last couple of weeks, I am managing 3 times a week, which is what I need.

I am about ready to try resuming running. I miss it a lot, but I want to be wise. I think the bike miles will fund the running pretty well, but, still, I need to run for various reasons. The Terra Haute tri is my focus right now. It has a 5 mile run at the end, which I can do. I just want to do it at a decent pace.

OK, lots going on today! Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday

Cora and Ben hanging out

Good morning! What's this I see? 33? I loved 33 all fall, for that was Ben's football number, but I'm not crazy about the number on April 15th on my thermometer. Hey, it will be ok, though, won't it? Yes, it will. A couple of more days and we hit a streak of seasonable temps. Bring it.

Yesterday was a good day, a good Monday. I got a lot done, a lot that was on my list. You know me, being task/list oriented, it is always satisfying to cross things off. Sometimes if I do something that wasn't on my list, I will add it so I can cross it off. Some of you know what I am talking about; others are like, "You are so, so sick." Hey, I am honest.

I made some good progress in getting ready for Easter Sunday, and I also spent some time on Honduras stuff. I am not going to Honduras this summer. There are lots of reasons. We do have a team going, and they will do a good job of continuing our work there. I hope to go back in Feb and July of next year. We have lots of things going on here this year, including Ben's graduation and Luke's wedding.

Guess who showed up at my house around supper time? That's right, Cora! We had some major fun. She was 3 months old yesterday. She is starting to think about rolling over. She rolls to one side. I still turn to goo and get goofy when she's around. It's the craziest thing, but here's the thing, I don't care! ha ha

Kedra had 18 women to our house last night, which meant one thing for me: get out! ha ha Fortunately there was swimming last night, so I was able to go do something productive. I am very slow in the water, but the thing I have to focus on is this. Two years ago I couldn't make it across the pool without panic or some kind of assistance. My first official tri is coming up on May 17th. It is wetsuit legal, so I will have no problem. I will be slow, but I will get it done.

OK, got lots to do today, so I better get after it.

Monday

Good Monday morning! I hope it's not Monday mourning for you. Get it? Word play so early. What can I say?

It's raining and thermometer is standing on the edge of the cliff ready to jump. It's going to be a slow, wet, windy descent into the 30s. I can't say I'm excited about it, but the good news is it will bounce back and soon we will complain about the heat. The long, extended winter makes me think it is more like mid-March than mid-April We are almost to May and really warm temps. OK, that's the weather commentary for today.

The weekend was good but busy. I worked most of the day on Friday, and then Saturday I spoke three times at a youth conference. That went well, and I enjoyed it. It did keep me mostly inside on a beautiful day. I did get out and enjoy some of the evening. I did not do any endurance activity on Saturday. The rest was good. I was keenly aware six of my buddies were on a 100 mile ride. It was the first time for a couple of them.

I decided to go out yesterday afternoon for a little while on the bike. I knew it was windy, but, wow it was really windy. I like to go into the wind first and get the hard part done (insert sermon here). The return then becomes the reward for the hard work. I headed right into it for quite a while and managed a total of 20 miles. I thought I might do less, but I was pleased to knock off 20 miles. Heading north was sweet. It was easy to hold 25-30 mph most of the way back. I had to dodge a few Amish kids in their Sunday attire. We are the Amish Country Cyclists, you know.

Lester ran a half marathon on Saturday in Carmel and did really well. He broke 1.35 on very light miles for the year. He juggles a demanding job and new family and tries to fit fitness in. It's a challenge, but this performance gave him, I think, some confidence and encouragement.  It was Cora's first race. She plans to be there when I finish Ironman Florida. This was good prep for that. ha ha

Another busy week is awaiting. Easter Sunday is coming, which means a different sort of week and a different sort of preparation. It's all good. I do need to get after it, so... Thanks for stopping by.

Friday

Good morning! Friday it is. And it looks like it might be a pretty decent warm day. I'm glad spring finally has shown up. I know what the forecast says for next, but I am going to ignore it. Maybe it will go away?  I've got a busy day ahead with a variety of things to do. I think I am ready to take it on.

Yesterday was nice. Jim S. and took off fairly early on our bikes. He wanted 45-50 miles, and I was content with that. Earlier in the week I had visions of more, but I really had no good reason for doing more at this point. As we headed into a very strong wind, I made the decision that 50 would satisfy me.

We had a challenging ride south, but it wasn't too bad. We wandered around and ended up somewhere northeast of Paoli. This positioned us for a nice ride back, pushed along with a strong tailwind. We had to do a little more wind work to get the miles to add up to 50 but mostly we headed north. It was a pleasant ride.

I cheated and did some work in the afternoon, which will help me for today. The highlight of the afternoon was a request for me to babysit Cora while Maddie and Kedra went for a walk. Cora and I get along really well. She is growing and changing everyday.

Today is all about preparation for tomorrow and Sunday. I will be gone all day tomorrow and then Sunday will show up after that. I guess I better get busy. Thanks for coming by, and have a great weekend.

Thursday

Contemplating the day ahead: eat, sleep, be incredibly cute

Good morning! I hope you are well today!

I guess it is going to be warm and windy today. That's OK with me. I'll take it, and I am going to try take this day "off." I've had a busy week, and tomorrow is going to be busy. On Saturday I am speaking all day at church, so I will be quite busy in prep and delivery. Today is the day. Jimmy and I plan to get some quality bike miles in.

Yesterday was really nice. I had a meeting with a handful of ministers in town yesterday morning. At one point I felt like I should have taken off my shoes. It was holy ground. There was such a spirit of honesty, encouragement, and truthful sharing about life and ministry. There were a couple of guys older than me, considerably older, who shared how they worked through struggles of life. It was what I needed.

I did slip out later in the day, before supper, for a 25 mile ride. I needed that too. It was windy but warm. It's a great time to process all the stuff that runs through my mind. Solo rides are considerably different from group rides. I really enjoy both.

OK, enjoy this wonderful day, another gift from God.

Wednesday

Love it when people say, "Are you sick?"

Good morning! It looks like we have a really good day ahead! I think a late afternoon bike ride would be a good thing today. Just a short ride in the sunshine could be worth a week of therapy in a counselor's office or something like that. The weather the rest of the week is looking pretty good, just need to dodge a few showers along the way.

Yesterday was another busy one, but I tend to get more efficient when I am overloaded. There are still some things I am having trouble getting to, but they will still be there when I find/make the time for them.

I read some Henri Nouwen everyday. He has probably shaped my thinking as much as any theologian I have read over the years. This morning's reading is good and possibly helpful to lots of people. When people come to me with problems, which is a lot, of course, somewhere along the way I will say, "We are all really messed up," which is true, due to the Fall. In Christ, of course, the curse is being reversed and we are striving to bring the future (perfect peace and harmony) into the present. The reality is we just don't get it quite done.

Learning to forgive and give grace begins with the recognition that I need it. Talk to us, Henri.

People who live close together can be sources of great sorrow for one another.  When Jesus chose his twelve apostles, Judas was one of them.  Judas is called a traitor.  A traitor, according to the literal meaning of the Greek word for "betraying," is someone who hands the other over to suffering.

The truth is that we all have something of the traitor in us because each of us hands our fellow human beings over to suffering somehow, somewhere, mostly without intending or even knowing it.  Many children, even grown-up children, can experience deep anger toward their parents for having protected them too much or too little.  When we are willing to confess that we often hand those we love over to suffering, even against our best intentions, we will be more ready to forgive those who, mostly against their will, are the causes of our pain.

I hope you have a really good day!

Tuesday a.m.

Good morning! First of all, this picture is in no way related to me or my thoughts about me. I just found it and found it funny, plus I am trying to give you a break from Cora Jane pictures, knowing not everyone melts and turns to goo when they see her, like I do (ha ha). I got to see her some yesterday -- so precious.

I am reading through the Bible again this year, which is my normal practice. This year I am reading through based on a chronological approach, which I am enjoying. Plus I am reading through using a different translation from the one I usually use, trying to keep it fresh. Anyway, this morning I came across, in 1 Chronicles 4, I think, the old prayer of Jabez. Remember that and that crazy, almost nutty, fad/trend it created several years ago? Here it is:

There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!" And God granted him his request.

It's not a bad prayer and not a bad approach, so I don't mean to be critical. I just remember people kinda getting obsessed with it, pulling it out of context and treating it like some kind of magical formulae. That is all (ha ha).

I tried to resume running yesterday after an 8 day break. I severely strained my left hamstring on my least day in Orange Beach, so I have been giving it a rest, focusing more on cycling and swimming. Looks that is going to continue. I am going to have really work hard at rehabbing it. It is a real pain in the rear. Thankfully, "the body doesn't care where the cardio comes from." I very thankful cycling does not hurt in any way, and I really enjoy it.

This week is going to be busy. I have a speaking engagement that will take all of Saturday, so I need to get ready for that. I've got a few other extra things going on as well. I guess all that keeps me out of trouble, right? We'll see... ha ha. Thanks for stopping by.

Monday a.m.

Cora & Rebecca FaceTiming

Good morning! Here we go - another new week, another opportunity to change the world one decision at a time. Really.

Wasn't it a nice weekend? Yes, it was! I had a busy day of work on Friday but got it all done (see below). I went and swam Friday night, putting in 1800 yards, which is the most I've done in one session. Now I just need to: double the distance and add about a half mile, do it in the Gulf, and do it in less than 2 hours and 20 minutes. I feel confident about all three. I actually hope to get my time down to well under 2 hours. The Ironman distance is 2.4 miles and the time limit is 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Saturday morning Jim S, Scott B, and Iron Bill took off from Parkview at 9 a.m., after eating breakfast together. Three fourths of us planned to do a 100 miler. Jimmy had a meeting and had to turn back, so he only got 50 miles. It was cold at the start! Flying down the rock cut at 30+ mph was a rude reminder of how cold it was. The first hill on Dixie highway provided a quick correction, and really after that, it wasn't too bad.

It was an uneventful 100. We took it easy and stopped 3-4 times along the way. We wandered around Orange and Washington counties, with a major stop in Campbellsburg. We had to turn around one time due to floods, and we knew we probably would. Scott had scouted the night before but we thought the water might have receded. It hadn't.

One topic of discussion on our ride, and we had a lot of time to talk, was creating a Tour De Lawrence bike ride. We have all kinds of possibilities and ideas for various distances, including a 100 mile option, that would visit some of the key attractions of Lawrence Co. Once the new tourism director is settled in place, I plan to talk to her (good morning! haha). We are thinking something in 2015, which gives us plenty of time to plan and go BIG with it. We believe it has potential.

Today is going to be busy in the ministry business. Always is. In the end it is a matter of priority and managing. I never get done. It's kinda like I tell Penny and her staff at the Store, who constantly receive donations of stuff, "You just have to stop at certain point, knowing it will all be there next time you show up."

Here we go! Thanks for stopping by.

Friday

Good morning, Friday! How are you today? It's still raining, but it will end later today. The sun shows up, the wind blows, and the temps drop. That's all OK. Tomorrow looks nice; cool but nice.

Yesterday was a good day. I had lunch with an old friend. I didn't wake up expecting that but it happened, and I'm glad it did. I enjoyed it very much, and I enjoyed watching it rain most of the day. The day provided no ride opportunity, so I rested again. I did go swimming last night.

I wore my wetsuit last night. I need to get used to it. It's not the best idea to wear it in the pool, due to chlorine. I rinsed it thoroughly afterwards, so it should be fine. I have a triathlon coming up in May were I will wear the wetsuit. I hope to do some outdoor swimming before then, but I need to get used to the tightness and the different feel of the suit now. I was pleased with how it went.

Today is going to be another busy one. I have a counseling appointment this morning, along with another thing or two. I am having to redo my Sunday work. Our projector bulb needs replacing and it will not happen before Sunday. Wouldn't you know it, this week's sermon was super heavy with visuals. I hope to have it retooled before the day is over.

Tonight I will head back to the pool. Who says I don't know how to have a wild Friday night? Then tomorrow is a 100 miler, I hope. I am going to have to check out some of our proposed routes. I have a feeling Lost River has been found and is all over Orange County roads.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday

Good morning! I woke up to thunder and lightning and heavy rain. It wasn't a bad way to wake up, really. I love listening to the rain. Looks like I will have a lot of chances to do that for the next 24 hours or so. It looks like it will clear up and be pretty good on Saturday. Our big 100 mile ride is shaping up and coming together.

Besides doing a little core work, I took yesterday off from endurance athletics. I think the rest will do me good. I was hoping for a late afternoon break in the rain and a late afternoon ride but neither happened. I have a hard time resting. Most of us wired to do endurance sports do.

Yesterday I got a call from the lady whose house burnt earlier in the week. They are in pretty bad shape, not having any insurance. They were receiving a little help from the Red Cross but not much beyond that. I talked with my ministry partners and we are going to be able to help them in lots of ways, I believe.

Warren is an amazing servant. He offered to jump in and take care of things, so he has already delivered some immediate help in the form of gift cards and is working on housing. We will then work on finding furniture and getting them back a place where they can function well.

I felt so sorry for the lady. I am glad we are able to help her/them. The ReGeneration Store is such a blessing in so many ways. I am so thankful for those who do a great job of running it everyday, generating revenue that blesses over and over.

Today I have to wrestle the Old Testament to the ground and be able summarize it in about 3 minutes. That should be pretty easy. NOT. Oh well, at least it's a good day to be inside. Maybe I can develop something along these lines? Probably not.

Have a great Thursday!

Wednesday

She likes her play mat

Good morning! Looks like a wet Wednesday. That's ok. It's going to be mild.

I got up before 4 this morning. I just couldn't go back to sleep after waking up a little after 3, so I gave up and got up. This is going to make for a really long day. I hope to take advantage of it and get a lot done.

Yesterday was beautiful! After such a long winter, the warmth and sunshine are appreciated more than usual, in my opinion. I was blessed to be out and about part of the day. I went to Bloomington to see someone in the hospital. After that I was able to have a good lunch with a good, good friend. Then it was back to Mitchell, where our food pantry was going on. It's a great ministry, and the neat thing about it is all the volunteers. They form a nice little community of encouraging love, often in the form humor.

After the food pantry was over and tidying up a few other things, knowing I had an evening meeting, I slipped out to the Park for a late afternoon ride. It was windy but the warm and the sun made it all worth while. I got around 24 miles in before I went home for supper. I'm glad I went out. Riding looks a bit shaky the next 2-3 days. We are planning on an 80-100 mile ride on Saturday. The weather will be on the cool side, but I've gotten used to that.

I am not running right now. I strained my left hamstring last Saturday on a 7 mile run in Orange Beach. It was after 193 bike miles plus a few running miles earlier in the week. I don't think it is too bad, but I am resting it for the rest of this week, concentrating on the bike.

One of the memorable lines I've heard this year came at a swim clinic. "The body doesn't care where the cardio comes from." He's right, I think. In other words, my running can be funded a lot by my riding strength. Iron Bill proved that to me last fall by running a great marathon on mostly bike miles. Nothing ultimately replaces running for running, but in triathlon training running is minimized a bit.

OK, off to some study...

Tuesday

Good morning! Tuesday. Warm! And wasn't yesterday nice? It was a busy day for me, and the warmth of it made everything more manageable and pleasant.

I did a fair amount of heavy lifting yesterday. There are lots of people going through lots of things. Some of it is good and some is bad. As I have said many times before, I wish I could share more but can't because of confidentiality and sensitivity to situations. Anyway, it was a good day. I felt useful, which is better than useless.

The highlights of the days came at the end. Maddie and Cora Jane came over a little while before supper. Cora and I had the best time. I even got her to chuckle once. She is really starting to respond to people interacting with her.

After some good quality Cora time, and a quick bite, I headed out to the Park for a ride. We had a good number show up on a Monday night. The winds were strong out of the southeast, which meant a fairly tough ride out. The payoff was a nice tailwind back in. It was a good workout and several had personal bests on the time trial course. Iron Bill took the crown back from T-Roy. T-Roy will be watching the weather and will make another attempt soon.

Today presents itself to me with more stuff than I can get done, so I, as usual, have made a priority list and will keep after it all day long. Thanks for stopping by.