Rough Day

I started out running 5 this morning and it rained on us some. I had thought I would get to do my 18-miler today but the rain would not have been fun to run in for a long time. I am planning on doing that 18-miler in the morning.

Today was one of those rough days at work. It is always tough when change comes a knocking. Many of my friends are hurting with big changes in their work lives.

Sondra and Shelbi head to MO tomorrow afternoon to spend some time with Sondra's folks and will see my dad on Monday for lunch. They are planning on coming home on Tuesday. Morgan and I will hang out this weekend. Should be fun.

Heat

I really enjoy running in the heat when the humidity is as high or higher than the temp. Okay, not really, but my theory is that if I can run well in the heat, then come this fall when the marathon is here, I will run that much better. Maybe the heat gets to my head and I am delusional. Yesterday's 10-miler with 8x800s was nothing but brutal. I was glad to finish what was on the schedule and live to tell about it. I have an 18-miler scheduled for Friday.

I have been in a two day meeting with folks who are working on the issue of people dropping out of church and many of them beginning that trend at about age 14. How do we reverse the trend of 70% of people stop attending the church for at least a year and few of them return. We are hashing through some tough stuff and are working towards solutions. I am praying that we can get at this in a way that will really reverse the trend.

Jackson, MS and Beyond

It was a good trip to Jackson, MS. I flew in Fri. night after a delay in Detroit and enjoyed a good dinner and a decent night's rest. Sat morning it was off to do the training at FBC, Ridgeland which went really well. I have a great job where I get to encourage people to be all that God wants them to be. I got home via Memphis and Northwest Airlines about 9pm.

Sunday was a busy day to say the least. We had a our normal church activities and Sondra and the girls sang in church, "I'll Fly Away". I was pretty proud and the pastor asked why I did not make it a quartet and I answered that the answer to that question was pretty obvious. They do the singing, I do the speaking when needed. They sing well and I am in the "joyful noise" category. The bible study lesson in our small group was on Heaven and it was a great discussion. What a great class of folks we have who just honestly share what they are dealing with and how God is answering their needs. It is very encouraging and refreshing to me.

Sunday afternoon we headed to a wedding that required I wear a suit and tie and even socks. It was a beautiful wedding in very nice stone chapel and the reception was very nice. I ended up with a role in the wedding when the bride's dress dragged the runner into a bunch in the aisle that the wedding party could not get past easily. I picked up the end of the runner and walked right out of the back of the chapel like it was all planned. Glad I could contribute.

Looking forward to a good week. We got a pretty good report from Sondra's parents and it appears that the chemo is working and the lesion on his liver is shrinking. Yeah! and thank you Lord.

Thursday

I was up early this morning and headed out the door for a 16-miler and it was in the 60s with low humidity. Not bad at all for July. The run went well and I was glad to get it done. I am scheduled to be out this weekend so I moved the long run to today. I had some time coming back from work since I have been out a lot, so I took the day off, met Sondra at Panera after the run and we even hit the Y pool for a couple of hours. Good times.

Sondra's parents both got good reports from the dr. Looks like the chemo is working to shrink the lesion on Bernard's liver and he had another round of chemo today. Some of Sondra's mom's issues may be related to some of the medication she is taking. They have adjusted it some and think that will help with some of the memory issues. Really good reports.

Hello Dolly

I just felt like I needed to acknowledge that a major storm was hitting the continental US and I have an uncle that lives in that area and is probably getting more rain than he knows what to do with. No rain here yet in Nashville though. My yard needs the water.

Yesterday was 12 miles with 8 hill repeats and it was 82 degrees at 530a. Needless to say, it was hot but I did the workout and was glad to get it done. It is a little cooler here today and is supposed to be in the low 60s in the morning so I am moving my long run for the week to tomorrow. It will be in the 16-18 mile range and Fri. I head to MS for an event and back on Sat. night. Another airplane. Sure beats driving though.

Morgan's soccer practices seem to be going pretty well and Shelbi started her back half of summer job at the Mother's Day Out at First Donelson. She was fairly bored yesterday I think. I reminded her that she needs the money for college in about 6 weeks. Speaking of college, it is expensive. We are used to paying tuition since the girls have been in private school since Morgan entered the 5th grade, but this college thing is definitely a step up. I may invest in a ski mask and visit one of the local banks before it is all over. (Just a joke for any FBI/CIA folks lurking out there in blogosphere.)

Sondra is still wonderful and last night she attempted my dad's recipe for spaghetti and meat balls. They were pretty good, however, dad still wins the prize. She did very good for the first attempt though.

Sondra's dad had a CT scan yesterday and we will know more after his dr. appt. tomorrow. Praying that God is just Himself in this whole situation. Also, pray for Phil Blount, Sondra's brother-in-law, who is doing missions in Brazil this week.

It is good to be home in Nashville.

Monday, Monday

. . . can't trust that day, or so the old song goes. I woke up this morning at 415a ready to head out for the YMCA and to join my old running buddies and my body said, "hold on there mister." I ended up back in bed for awhile and slept a little longer. I was just pretty worn out for sure. I am trying to fight off a summer cold that I think I picked up from that nice American Airline recycled air on Saturday.

Today would have been mom's 66th birthday. I do not think that is contributing to my sort of slower than usual feeling day, but it may be that more than I am willing to admit. This is the first birthday that mom has missed in the last 66 years and the first one I have not talked to her in 45. I talked to dad this morning and he had been up to the cemetery to place some flowers on her grave and he said his dog watered most of the area around the place. I am sure that was some fine water.

Sondra and I went out on a date last night and hate dinner at Panera and then went and saw the Dark Knight. Pretty good movie I must say. Heath Ledger was great as the Joker and it was weird to watch knowing that he died this past spring or whenever it was. It is too sad that he could not keep his life together.

Sondra's dad has a CT scan this week and we will know more if the chemo is working. He has been feeling pretty well and we are thankful for that. Thanks for praying for him and Sondra's mom and I will post the update on the news we receive.

It is good to be home! I posted the pic of my mom doing what she did best which was to be ornery.

Headed Home

What a great two weeks at Glorieta with one of the best FUGE teams I have ever been around. I get to come in, train adults and hang out with FUGE staffers who give 7-8 weeks of their summer to minister to hundreds of kids each week. It has been tiring and refreshing at the same time. I figured that I have been home 14 hours in the last three weeks so it is time to head home. I really enjoyed a few days with my dad out here last week and then Shelbi came out Tues - Fri of this week. I am a blessed guy.

We do a big soire' for Shelbi's 18th tonight. Some friends of us are allowing us to use their pool to host a bunch of Shel's friends from high school. We were going to use our pool, but it takes too long for me to blow it up. (Old joke, but a good one still.)

My flight is delayed out of ABQ this morning but I did get on an earlier flight out of Chicago to Nashville. It seems that those flights from ORD to BNA are always running late so we will see how it goes today.

I am looking forward to seeing Sondra. What an amazing woman she is. I do not think any major home crises came up while I was gone this time. There were a few minor things but no major issues she made me aware of.

Morgan starts soccer practice on Monday from 7-9a so her summer is basically over. They have a new coach this year so we will see how all of that works out. Should be exciting.

Looking forward to being back with our sunday school class in the morning too. Seems like forever since I was with them last. I think I missed three Sundays. Should be good times.

How about this picture of me when I was probably 12 or so. Nice shirt and I still have the cow lick I just wear my hair a lot shorter and my hair is a lot more gray these days as well.

Friday Update

It is Friday morning and I have already made a drive to Albuquerque to put Shelbi on a plane bound for Nashville via Chicago. We had a great time together this week at Glorieta. She just jumped in and helped staff around here, played paint ball, helped in a Bible study each day and generally just acted like a staffer.

I ended up doing my 10 miles yesterday around 10a and included in the training program was 8 hill repeats. There are good hills out here and no oxygen in the air so needless to say, I got a pretty good workout. This is my last day at FUGE here in Glorieta and it is a little sad to be leaving.
The team that I am working with is just a great team. I do have to say that I am ready to go home however. I have been home about 14 hours in the last three weeks.

A couple of nights ago we had one of the most awesome storms I have ever seen or heard. More lightning than I had ever seen and thunder that shook the apartment we are staying in. It was awesome!

Looking forward to being home for a few days.

Quick Update

I am still at Glorieta and it is going well. Coolest, wettest July I have ever spent out here. It usually is hot, dusty and tiring. Now it is only tiring. I have been running and training for this marathon in Detroit in October and teaching adults. I love this place and love these people.

I had a great conversation with our Sr. VP at work and it is always good to hear their heart. I really do count it a privilege to have a little time hearing what is happening in the upper echelon at work.

Shelbi flew out today and we are already having a good time together. She has played paint ball and even did some churchy stuff. What a great daughter she is and somehow I ended up with two great daughters. I am a blessed man. Thankfully they take after Sondra.

Busy Week at Glorieta

I just realized that I have not updated this crazy blog for a week now. Please forgive me those two or three folks who read this thing. I flew out to Glorieta, NM on Monday and have been involved with FUGE all week doing the adult training tracks and leading a couple bible studies and meeting with youth ministers. That is the favorite part of my job for sure.

My dad flew out here on Weds and I just sent him back to MO a couple of hours ago. We had a great time together. He is just the coolest man I know and the coolest thing is that he is my dad. We laughed and prayed and cried a little together just remembering my mom. He is doing really well since mom passed in December. What a blessing he is to me.

Shelbi turned 18 today. It is hard to believe that 18 years ago (I was at camp in Panama City Beach with about 150 students), I caught a plane and made it home two hours before she was born. What a blessing she has been these last 18 years. What a godly young woman she is and thankfully she takes after Sondra. Shelbi will fly out here on Tues. and be with me until Fri. We will have a great time together.

I get home on the 19th just in time for a big 18th birthday party soire' for Shelbi. Should be great fun.

Pray for a couple of friends of mine. Shelbi Baucum in Dallas is one of my best friends and I need to call him but he has been on my mind a lot today. Another friend, Don Baskin, had a lung transplant a couple of days ago. I appreciate you praying for them. And . . . Sondra's dad had another chemo round on Thursday and will be preaching tomorrow. He loves to preach and this is the first opportunity he has had where he has felt well enough to do it in awhile. For his spiritual and physical strength.

Saturday

It has been a great week at the beach. We had a little rain at the beginning of the week and then a couple of passing showers a couple of mornings, but nothing to worry about for sure. The heat has not been as nearly oppressive as it was last year, in fact, high 80s has been about it. Of course there is humidity but hey!, we are at the beach.

I did 12 on Thursday and 14 this morning and then watched Venus beat her sister to win her fifth Wimbledon. I am not a big fan of the Williams sisters, but I do prefer Venus over Serena.

Our friends headed back to Nashville about an hour ago and then we head out in the morning after dropping Shelbi and Morgan with some friends down the beach for the day. Our youth group is headed to Panama City for FUGE and will be there until late Friday. Looking forward to getting home for a brief time before I head to Glorieta, NM and another FUGE camp that I will be speaking at. I am there for two weeks.

Shelbi turns 18 next Friday. Man, that is hard to believe. She is really getting excited about college as are we if we can figure out a way to pay for it. Higher education is expensive and private, higher education is even more expensive.

Looking forward to seeing our friends Ronald, Tami, and Andrea Kooch who are down at Seagrove in their condo this week. We will get with them tonight for a few hours after dinner. Should be fun to catch up with them.

We also went to see Hancock on Thursday night. Not really very good. C to a C minus for sure. It started out okay and then went south pretty quickly. Not really sure what they were trying to accomplish.

Ten, Twelve, Fourteen

I did 10 miles yesterday and mixed in 5 x 800s to try and get the legs turning over. All in all, it was a pretty good first speed work out in the new training schedule. I am scheduled to do 12 tomorrow and will run to Seaside and back and then do 14 on Saturday. As long as I get out pretty early, the heat and sun do not seem to totally sap all of my strength.

We are enjoying some really great weather and getting plenty of sun. Not too burned and really enjoying the time off from work. I am sure there are emails and phone calls for me to return, but I am not doing it while on vacation. I am not good at not doing work on vacation but so far I am doing pretty good not doing work while away.

Sondra's dad is doing pretty good after the third chemo and in fact they are in Hot Springs this week on vacation. Sondra's dad did fall early in the week and went to see a doc in the box type person and they did xrays and found nothing broken. Scraped up pretty good though I think. He is stubborn like me and probably was not using the cane he has access to use.

Dad is doing better and we are looking forward to being together some next week in New Mexico. I have a conference at Glorieta and he is going to spend three to four days with me out there. Should be a great time. Dad is just the coolest.

We enjoyed some really good food at Goatfeather's here in Santa Rosa Beach tonight. I had some wonderful blackened mahi mahi and all the ladies ate some kind of shrimp. It was a very good meal.

Looking forward to the run tomorrow and then some rest and more beach time. The family that we are vacationing with are great folks and we all get along so well. Everyone is okay with doing their own thing and there are no expectations. Highly compatible. Good times.