The Way

I am glad to be at home this weekend and enjoying some time with just hanging out. I have some stuff that I could be doing on the outside but am content to just hang out. I completed my 20-miler yesterday and found it to be very humid and pretty warm before I finished. The good thing is that the 20-miler is done and I took the day off today. I may run a little tomorrow morning, but maybe not too. We went to the DCA football game last night and our guys played hard but ran out of gas in the last half. We just need more bigger bodies. I think there are only 3 returning starters from last year's team. I have to tell you that I like the way our kids play, they just need some more bigger bodies. I am watching a little college football today and looking to do some grilling tonight and maybe a little pool time this afternoon. We will see. It is pretty hot and humid here today so I may just hang out at home and be a bum. Planning on heading to church tomorrow and finish up with our young m...

Had a great trip to MO to do conferences and got to see my dad and brother and my in-laws as well. Sondra's folks seem to be holding their own. Her dad is pretty weak but did get to preach on Sunday which is so encouraging. He has some blood work tomorrow to determine levels and then has a couple of MRIs scheduled for Tuesday to check a couple of places that have been giving him some trouble. It was a short visit with them but a great time to see them and reconnect. Morgan's ankle seems to be doing better after the crash on the soccer field last week and she practiced some yesterday and may get to play tonight some against Page. Shelbi is one week away from heading to college and is scrambling around to get all her dorm stuff together. We did pick up a laptop for her last week from the Dell auction site and she got it last night and was pretty excited to have it. Sondra is still teaching pre-Algebra and Algebra and is doing well just tired for sure. It is pretty crazy around ou...

I am in MO for a couple of nights of conferences beginning tonight and concluding tomorrow night. They are being held about 30 min. from my dad's so I am staying with him and saving the company lots of money. (That's a good thing and staying with my dad is just very, very good.) My brother and I went fishing for a couple of hours after church yesterday and he caught a nice 5.4 lb. bass. I did not even get a real bite but sure celebrated with him on his catch. I am running down to Bolivar in the morning to visit with Sondra's parents for a couple of hours and looking forward to seeing them. Hope to give you an update on them tomorrow. Enjoying nice 70 degree weather up here, maybe low 80s but barely if it is that warm and the breeze is nice. I ran a 11 miler today since I will be traveling early tomorrow. Will catch up with you all later. I have limited internet access and am sitting in the public library in Harrisonville with my new Cass County Library card. Oh what we will...

I am not sure that this phrase really makes a lot of sense, since when most people use it in a sentence, they have not really considered all things. I catch myself using phrases (euphemisms) that I really do not mean, nor have I really thought through completely. I had a very good conversation today that helped me remember the importance of not playing shell games or doing end runs. I operate best in environments where everything is up front and even if something is said that I do not like, at least I know what is going on. I can appreciate that and respect it as well, even if I do not like the outcome. I am thankful when the rules are known and the cards are played on the top of the table. Morgan and her DCA women's soccer scrimmage went fair last night. Early in the first half, Morgan went down and from across the field it looked like her knee went out. Thankfully, it was her ankle and even though it is very sore, she is doing pretty good. My guess is that she will be out of socc...

Today Morgan started her junior year at DCA . So, that is her first day of the school year and the first time that she has started school and Shelbi has not been with her for the "first day of school picture" that every mother wants of their children. I am not even sure if Shelbi got out of bed to see her sister off to school. It is also the first day of school for Sondra. She is teaching algebra and pre-algebra for the first 8-9 weeks of school while a teacher is out on maternity leave. It is the first day of work for me since a couple of good, close friends lost their jobs here where I work. Weird. I really enjoy my job, but more importantly, I really like the folks that I work with and when a couple of them are here no longer, it changes the make up some. Thankfully they are both doing pretty well. I have to tell you that I am struggling with these subjective point systems that we have in many of the Olympic events. Some of the boxing, gymnastics, and other related sports ...

Michael Phelps wins his 8th gold medal of the 08 Olympics and my mom passed away 8 months ago. I ate breakfast this morning at 8 o'clock and think I will count 8 rows from the back and sit in that pew at church today. Who knows why? Looking forward to a good day at church and then Sondra and I may head to the pool since the weather is so nice. We will see. I have to tell you that I think I have turned into an Olympics junkie. I watched quite a bit of it yesterday from track and field, women's marathon (so sorry for Deena Kastor who was the USAs big hope), swimming and the whole Michael Phelp's phenom and that Lezak guy is pretty unheralded but a mighty awesome swimmer in his own right. Hated to see the 41-year-old lady, Dara Torres, not win the gold just because anyone that age competing at that level is incredible. Heck I even watched the USA men's water polo team beat Croatia yesterday but missed the May-Teanor and Walsh match but glad they won.

I have not blogged since Sunday so when I signed in to Blogger today, my dashboard came up looking different. You know Facebook has adopted a new look and all of this new look stuff got me to wondering if I need a new look. Nah! I am currently growing a little chin hair but the hair is pretty white so that is not so new. The chin hair won't last anyway. I spent Monday and Tuesday of this week in New Orleans at the seminary doing some training for the youth ministry crew there and all of those guys are just great folks. They each are strong personal friends of mine and one of them is a former boss of mine who has taught me many things over the years. He retired from regular work and has been teaching at the seminary for quite a few years now. I did a 5-miler and a 10-miler down there and they were both hot and humid and pretty much miserable. I ran through the a neighborhood I usually run through and some of those homes are coming back. I drove through the Ninth Ward and the St. Ber...

Michael Phelps was just purely amazing last night in his 7th gold (at least I think it is his 7th) in the 400 IM. He just seems to fly in the water. I know there are many other athletes and many other stories coming out of Beijing, but I am just amazed at his swimming ability. The murder tragedy and stabbing out of Beijing is so incredibly sad. I know that does not represent all of the Chinese people and it is a very sad situation. I sure hurt for the families effected. I fly to New Orleans in a little while to do some training with some good friends in ministry. Pray that training will go well. These men are great ministers and are always an encouragement to me. I am thankful for the opportunity. When I was running 5 yesterday, I sure did not feel as though I was flying. The last couple of weeks' training have included some longer runs than I have done in over a year and the speed workouts are designed to make you faster and they take their toll as well. Last night Sondra and I he...

I ask for it every day and according to James, "if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask and He will give it freely." Granted it is not a magic charm, but I know that I need wisdom. There are many things going on around the Turner's and we are asking for wisdom. I know that God will provide it. Shelbi got her wisdom teeth cut out today and she is doing fairly miserable but no more than what one would expect. She had one tooth that was pretty tough and it is pretty sore right now but she will make it. I think my dad may be one of the wisest guys I know. He just seems to be patient and wait on God to show him the next step. I think wisdom and patience must go hand in hand. I seem to be lacking in both of those categories. I talked to my good buddy Shelby today and he is beginning to get some relief from the pain he has been living with for years. It was good to hear his voice and to know he is doing some better. Thanks for continuing to pray for Sondra's parents. I question ...

We had a great weekend, Morgan and I, just hanging out together. We did a little school shopping (tax free weekend), napping, and then headed out for dinner on Sat. and then to see The Dark Knight. That is one good movie. Full of action and the whole good vs. evil, shading towards the dark side when trying to be good. All in all a very good movie. Sunday was very busy with church and training conference. Monday was the first day back in the office after the word that about 5% of the workforce would be losing their jobs. Pretty tough stuff for everyone involved for sure. Sondra and Shelbi made it back from MO today and had a really good visit with her folks and even saw my dad on Monday for lunch and a short visit. Sondra's folks seem to be holding their own right now. Her dad has lost quite a bit of weight but all in all is doing okay. Pray that he will want to eat more. Running has been good and hot but I am right on track with all of my training. Today's workout of 10 miles w...

I took out this morning about 6a and headed out for my 18 mile run. The weather was more humid than I hoped for but it was cloudy/foggy so the sun did not beat down on me the whole time. I was determined to only do 9 minute miles and ended up doing 9 minute miles. I have a tendency to run too fast on the long runs and over train and I was disciplined today. Who knew? I ended up running most of it on the greenway and it is very hilly in parts, but I do not have to dodge traffic and most of it is shaded. All in all, it was a pretty good long run, but it was 18 miles. Yesterday and today have been hard days regarding work in a lot of ways. Mostly people. With the economic down turn, I know all ministries and businesses are having to make some drastic moves. We are not immune at my place of employment. Some of my best friends at work and in life were let go. I know that God will take care of them and am not just saying that, but I sure hurt when others hurt. Being merciful just hurts some ...