The Way

This past weekend I was able to compete in and complete the IRONMAN New Orleans 70.3. I had mentioned back in January that I was training for this event and faithfully executed the training plan. Sondra was kind. gracious and patient with me (as is her normal routine) and allowed me to take some extra time to train. I cannot say enough good about Sondra and how supportive she is of me in the pursuit of these kind of goals I set for myself. I had World Changers business in New Orleans Thursday and Friday, so I climbed in the car Weds. afternoon and started driving that way with all my gear. The meetings I had on Thursday and Friday went really well. I am blessed to be a part of World Changers and P2 Missions and provide opportunities for the Gospel to be shared through the lives of students. Friday night, Sondra, Shelbi and Morgan arrived in New Orleans (Mark had a work retreat and was unable to come this time) and we headed to dinner. Saturday was filled with the girls running...

I have shared this account before here but seems fitting once again on this St. Patrick's Day. Have a great one and remember to make much of Christ today and everyday.

Here it is a Wednesday of a cold week in Middle Tennessee. Schools have been out because of snow and ice. Parents are ready for their kids to go back to school. People are ready for their power to be restored in their homes. There is a lot of work to get done and you might need a little pick me up. How about this for the next few minutes just to lift your spirits. Enjoy.

Learning to let go of things that I have no right to act like I do have a right to. Learning to spend a lot of time on a bike and in the pool. Learning more and more every day that I have a lot to learn. Learning to listen more and talk less. Learning that God can be trusted in all things. Learning that same God will allow me to put myself in tough places in order to realize He can be trusted and I can be a knucklehead. Learning that some things that used to be so important are not quite as important as before. Learning that some things that I thought were unimportant earlier in life are more important than first believed. Learning that people matter most to God. Learning that I talk about being open to change more than I am really open to change. Learning that I am blessed with an amazing wife. Learning that our daughters and son-in-law are great treasures that God allows me to help steward. Learning from K5 kids at church too many things to even mention here. Learning...

So . . . as you know, I enjoy the outdoors. I like to run, bike and am developing a like/enjoyment for swimming. All of these things I seem to be disciplined about especially when I am training for something. As I mentioned earlier, I am in training for the New Orleans 70.3 that will take place April 13th. In my last update, I mentioned what I have been up to but I did not give full disclosure. Back in mid-December I had my annual physical and went in feeling very smug about being a 50-year-old dude (whom AARP still has not caught up with) in pretty good shape. All of my prior tests, etc had come back pretty good and in fact, really good with the exception of this blasted cholesterol that I cannot seem to overcome. For years, my doctor, Ken Demerjian, whom I really like and respect, has been telling me that heredity is not my friend and that I am just prone to high cholesterol. I would take fish oil, eat oatmeal, blah, blah, blah . . . but every year it would hover around the high ...

One thing that has not been happening is me posting to the blog. It seems that about the time I get more disciplined in one area of my life (more about that later) I seem to drop some other things. Writing down my thoughts and meanderings seems to have taken a back seat the last month. I will attempt to do better. We'll see. Our Christmas and New Year's were wonderful. I had the last couple of weeks of 2012 off from work and we decided that we would not travel during the holiday season. Shelbi and Mark spent about 5 days with us right around Christmas and we thoroughly enjoyed having them here. Of course, they brought Bear, their new dog with them and he is a great addition to their family. We watched alot of football, enjoyed the company of family and friends and the weather broke a couple of days so I was able to get a couple of outdoor bike rides in and even jumped in the lake with my new wet suit in Dec. Sondra enjoyed her time off from school and we enjoyed lots o...

To help you get into the Christmas spirit I am sharing this from about five years ago. This is worth the watch!