Good and Bad

I ran the San Francisco Marathon this morning and did a 3:48. About what I expected to do, but the tales that the worst of the hills are at the front of the marathon are misleading. It was an early start (5:30a) and I was done and back at the hotel for a shower by 10a.

I headed to the airport to catch a 230p flight on American and the flight ended up being cancelled and now I am here for an extra night. I found a hotel not far from the airport and have a 615a flight home in the morning. Not looking forward to another early morning and hopefully I will make it home tomorrow. Scheduled to land in Nashville around 3p.

Another long day. I am pretty tired this evening but not that sore. Surprising given all the hills on the marathon course.

I miss my wife and girls and am tired. Headed to get some dinner and then to bed so I can do my part to make it home tomorrow.

It's Just Weird, Man

I am in LA this morning staying just a couple of miles from LAX and am headed to San Francisco today. I turned on the tv and the news is covered up with news of Nicole Richie headed to court today. Of course the Lindsay Lohan thing has been the news the past couple of days, but Nicole is evidently pregnant and now possibly headed to jail for driving the wrong way on the freeway and telling the cops that she had been taking some kind of drugs and drinking.

I am not sure why people thing this is such incredible news, but they do. So many people hurting in the world, people needing food and shelter, and the weird stuff gets the publicity.

Thinking about running another marathon in two days is sort of weird too. Training this summer with all the travel and the heat has been a challenge, but the weather is supposed to be pretty good in San Francisco on Sunday. I am ready to get the race run and then head back home. Looking forward to getting home, kissing my wife and daughters, and sleeping in my own bed.

I will try to report on the race late Sunday or some time on Monday.

Hot in California

Duh! You say, of course it is hot in California. I landed at LAX yesterday about noon-thirty and it was 73 degrees. 60 miles and 2 hours later I was in 99 degrees Riverside. Hot but dry.

I taught a group of adults this morning who were really engaged. I am always thankful to be able to share with people things that will encourage them and cause them to stay in this thing we call student ministry. What a great privilege I have to encourage and offer hope that they are making a difference in the lives of students.

I speak again in the morning and then head back to LA and then to San Francisco on Friday morning for a couple of meetings and then the marathon on Sunday. Calling for sunny skies and low 50s and high low 60s. Hilly of course but looks like the weather will cooperate. I ran tonight and did some speed work for four miles to just get the legs to turn over a little bit. Felt good to run a little and get the sweat running.

I miss my family and find it hard to believe that the girls start back two weeks from today. Is the summer really almost over? Crazy and it is the start of Shelbi's senior year. It will go quickly. Not sad, but comes all too quickly if you ask me. Wasn't it just last week I was flying home from youth camp in Panama City Beach to make it before she was born? Been quick man.

Travel and Marathon Week

This is going to be one busy week. I am headed to CA for XFUGE in Riverside and then to San Francisco for meetings with youth ministers and then the marathon on Sunday. I am trying to relax some, start getting into the marathon zone, but with many things to do between now and Sunday, it is hard to start focusing on running. I am really planning to just run and have a good time. Not trying to qualify, but am trying to finish standing up and under 4 hours is always good. Training has gone pretty well with all the travel I have done during this training period.

I may not blog much this week with so much going on but will try to keep this thing sort of current. Hoping for a good week of conferencing and then running. Should be fun.

Slacker

I just realized that it has been almost a week since I last blogged. Too much going on I guess. Saturday we spent the day at the lake tubing, jet skiing and just laying on the pontoon at Center Hill Lake. Big fun. It was 6 adults and 16 kids. Lots of laughing, water, and tired folks at the end of the day.

On Sunday I headed out to Albuquerque for a conference at Glorieta. It is always good out here in New Mexico. Hot, dry and good food. The conferences went very well and I am sitting in the airport accessing free wireless that is provided by the city. Props to Albuquerque for that.

Looking forward to being home for a while and then headed to Riverside, CA next week with the marathon in San Francisco on the 29th. Training is still going well and definitely in the taper mode and just looking to enjoy the run and get a same day finish.

Ridgecrest

I attended and taught a couple of sessions at Ridgecrest this week. Headed over on Monday and got home this afternoon. I got to network with some folks and also to see some people I have known for quite awhile. The training was good and the little bit of golf I got to play with some state associates was big fun as well.

Played some of the best golf of my life. Home for a couple of days and then headed out to Glorieta to lead a couple of sessions and then back home. Too tired to write much tonight. Hope to catch you up in the next few days.

Our oldest was born 17 years ago today and she is at church camp in Florida headed home tomorrow. In fact, both of the girls are at camp this week and we will be glad to have them home. Hoping for a day at the lake on Saturday as a family with some of our good friends.

Mom and dad arrived on Friday afternoon along with my aunt and then a couple of hours behind them came my cousin and her family. We all sat around and laughed about their driving adventure here and then my aunt, cousin and her family headed on down to Smithville for the National Fiddlers's Jamboree. Mom and dad stayed here and we grilled some steak and chicken. It was good eating.

Saturday my parents and I headed to Smithville for a family reunion and Sondra and the girls headed to driver's ed., work, and then a wedding. They were missed at the family reunion. Quite a few folks showed up for the reunion that was held at my second cousin's mansion (it's only 10,000 square feet) and we ended up with about 40 people there. We had a great time seeing everyone and it was good to catch up with them.

Today was church and then the girls were off to camp in FL for the week. They are attending FUGE down there and this is their 3 week in FL in the last 5 weeks or so. They were really looking forward to going.

I completed a 20-miler on Friday (last one before the San Francisco Marathon). It was hot, humid, but overall it went pretty well. Did 5 miles before church this morning and will hit 5 tomorrow morning.

Wondering

The news media seems to think that most Americans cannot think for themselves and thus continue to try to interpret what is happening instead of just reporting the news. I know it is not a new thing by any stretch, but is one reason that I quit taking our local newspaper a few years back.


It makes me wonder why most Americans just rely on someone else to do their thinking for them. I have to admit that I fall into that category at times, but what if . . . just what if, we decided to do our own thinking and just be informed by the media outlets instead of indoctrinated. And . . . before you write this off as a right-wing, ultra conservative post, I admit that both sides of the spectrum do their best to indoctrinate from their angle.

Sadly it not only is evident in our culture at large, but in many religious facets as well. Call me weird, out of touch, or goofy, (I am sure that they all apply), but I think I will be more assertive in thinking for myself and less dependent on the media outlets take on things.

Happy 4th of July

Simple is Nice

I had the privilege of making a couple of visits for my church last night. My pastor, Raymond, who is just a great guy and a fellow runner, visited a couple who have been attending New Hope Church. To say the least, they have been going through a very difficult time in their lives. We sat and listened and I learned. I learned the importance of simply listening. I sometimes try to make this thing called the Christian life so very difficult. It is important to do all the He directs you to do, but it is very important to listen first.

I rarely blog about my faith on this site, not because I am ashamed, but it is not really the intention of this blog. But my faith is definitely who I am. It is not something that I do, it is my core. And, being is important. I get caught up in the doing and get lost sometimes in why I am doing it. Last night's experience of just listening reminded me again that simple is nice. It is not dumb or lazy, it is just what it is.

Earlier yesterday, it was back into the swing of work which was good but getting up at 430a again was not the greatest fun. Running 5 and then heading to work and then picking up our youngest and two of her friends after their driver's training class and then heading home and then out last night made for a full day after a week of vacation. I wasted no time going to sleep once my head hit the pillow.

I am going to keep it simple. Simple is nice.