Remember when...

I remember being a kid and the excitement of opening Christmas presents...best day in the world...period. Now my wife and I get to re-live the excitement through our son. I'm sure the rest of you parents can relate. I have to say this boy keeps us smiling and laughing...yep, we love him.

Thanks to all his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends for his presents...and a couple from Santa of course (red and white wrapping paper).

Do you think he likes what he got?

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I'm Back?

So it's been about 6 weeks since the marathon and tonight was the first time I have run without pain. Needless to say it's been sort of a long recovery time. Nothing real serious just a nagging ache primarily in my left knee. My friend D.A. (who is a physical therapist) says it's most likely my IT Band. Well, it's been a nuisance.

Since winter has set in, I've been doing my cardio back at the gym...also gone back to the bike while my knee strengthens up. So Saturday and tonight (Monday) I did about a half hour on the bike and a half hour running. Felt good tonight...a lot of stretching after and throughout the day to try to help my old body.

I can't believe it but I've really missed the training aspect of running. Partially because of the challenge and anticipation of the race...some because of the alone time...and the rest just for the structure I think. Seriously...I was a CPA for 5 years...I love structure!

Well, I hope I can figure a way to work back into a routine and still keep up with my work and family. If my body responds to where I can start training again...I think I want to do a half-marathon in May and then maybe another full sometime next fall. It's too hard to train in the winter here for a full marathon. We had an inch or so of snow today and it's going to be in the teens tonight....brrrr. I don't think I could stomach trying to run 20 miles on a treadmill.

Anybody want to join me?

God Tube

Yeah I know some of you like the You Tube thing. Maybe you should give God Tube a try. If nothing else, you can take a look at the videos I begin to post there.

My Marathon

There are a number of thoughts I was going to share regarding my marathon experience. The journey began when my friend challenged me to run…he said he would go to church if I did.

Can you hear me laughing…I was stuck. I couldn’t say no. I wanted to say no and still had no desire to train for 18 weeks or run that far, but he had turned the tables. Stronger than my lack of desire to run that far, is my hope that my friends would come to know Jesus as their personal savior. I know from my own experience how much better life is with Jesus than without him…so naturally I hope this for my friends. So I chose to run.

So it is with a sense of humility that I say, “ I ran a marathon.” Yes, I physically did run 26.2 miles…but in no uncertain terms, I trained with God and ran for God. It is my desire to give Him all the glory (as little as there may be in my case compared to a competitive runner). Still, the training and running has been a time for me to learn a lot about myself and spend a lot of time with God. Between April and October I spent more than 80 hours training…that’s a lot of time to think.

Like I said, there are a number of thoughts I was going to share. But I think I will conclude with this instead. I woke up this morning to find Chariots of Fire playing on tv. I watched it.

“You came to see a race today. To see someone win. It happened to be me. But I want you to do more than just watch a race. I want you to take part in it. I want to compare faith to running in a race. It's hard. It requires concentration of will, energy of soul. You experience elation when the winner breaks the tape - especially if you've got a bet on it. But how long does that last? You go home. Maybe you're dinner's burnt. Maybe you haven't got a job. So who am I to say, "Believe, have faith," in the face of life's realities? I would like to give you something more permanent, but I can only point the way. I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way. And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, "Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me." If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race.”

“God made me for a purpose…but he also made me fast. When I run, I feel his pleasure.”

God did make me fast…but my fast days are about 20 years behind me. Today, however, I do feel his pleasure when I run. There were times between miles 20 and 26 that I was out of strength. It was then that I raised my hands to heaven and asked for God’s strength. Asking for his strength is always easy…just to ask for it….but sometimes we try to do it all on our own when all we need to do is call upon the Lord. I mean to truly believe in God and rely on Him. So, even though I am sure it looked strange to see someone running in a marathon with their hands in the air…it was my time to call upon the Lord…recognize it is through His power that I am able to run…and give Him all the glory. I did this at least a half dozen times over the last few miles of the marathon…and when I did…I was fast and felt no fatigue.

God is awesome! I believe he had a purpose for my marathon…all the way down to my race number.

Check out the race video.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Just the Facts

I will post another version of my “marathon experience” later, but for those of you interested in just the race results…this is for you. I finished!

We drove to Richland, WA on Saturday and arrived in the early afternoon to check into our hotel, which was very nice. Shortly after we ate at the hotel where they had a pasta dinner designed for the runners. I basically then went to bed…that night seemed to last forever. I dozed off as the Red Sox pounded the Rockies in Game 3 around 9:30…it felt like midnight. I woke up at 2:00am for an hour and then woke up for good at 6:15am and started my pre-race routine.

Breakfast…bowl of Special K, banana, juice, half a power bar and vitamins. Then at about 7:30 one small boiled red potato. The rest of my diet over the course of the race would consist of 6 packs of vanilla Gu, 16 ounces of Accelerade, 8 ounces of Vitamin Water (Charge), about 8 ounces of Gatorade and about 16 ounces of water.

It was a beautiful day, clear and no wind…but cool…in the low 30s when we started at 8:00am. It would warm up to the mid 40s by the end of the race, but I was glad to have on long sleeves and gloves along with my running hat and sunglasses. I used my son's Blue "Superman" gloves.

I ran with my friend from Portland. He and his wife arrived earlier on Saturday to watch the Ducks pound USC in college football. Boise St. had rolled over Fresno St. on Friday night so I had no similar concerns.

We left the hotel to warm up a little after 7:30 but wound up getting a little frazzled while making our final preparations and pretty much showed up right at the start time…and I wasn’t paying attention to our wives that were trying to film us as I set up on the other side of the street…so you won’t see any video of us taking off. I was nervous…give me a break.

We took off as everyone cheered and rushed down the street. A couple minute in I noticed our pace was a little quick as we were being pulled in by all the enthusiasm of those around us…so we slowed up a bit to the pace we wanted to run the first couple miles to get properly warmed up…it was cold. Our timing goal was basically to run a 9-minute/mile marathon…26.2 miles would make a final time of 3 hours 55 minutes 48 seconds…so there was a little cushion for our overall goal of a sub-4-hour marathon.

After the first 2 miles we were about 38 seconds above that which is about where we planned to be and then we wanted to be on pace by about mile 8. We were able to run around the 9-minute pace for the most part. We sped up to 8:44 in mile 4 and 8:42 in mile 7 and so by mile 8 we were now 2 seconds ahead of pace…just like we planned. How do I know all this? My handy dandy Garmin GPS watch!

My legs felt really good. The pain I had during the last few weeks of training was gone and we were having a good time running together…somebody to talk to was nice.

To this point we hadn’t seen our wives yet…until we crossed the Blue Bridge. We had run from Richland to Pasco and were now crossing the Columbia River to Kennewick. I could see our white Expedition down on the other side and we started to wave to them…it was a big rush to see them. They were then able to follow us for about the next 5 miles and snap some photos and take some video. My son also ran out to us a few times to give us a high 5!

Before we hit the turn around at mile 12, we were both starting to feel some aches as I recall. I was feeling just some tiring below my kneecaps. I was also thinking that we still had a long way to go. We ran a fast 12th mile to try to shake out the cobwebs 8:36 pace. At the halfway point of mile 13 we were right on track…8 seconds ahead of pace!

In mile 16 we crossed back over to Pasco over the Cable Bridge…it was a steady uphill over the bridge and began to take its toll on me. My friend #287 ran ahead of me while I #316 concentrated on keeping my legs moving until the eventual downhill on the other side. I slowed to 9:16 that mile. Now we were at our furthest point from the start and it was a straight 10 miles back down the Columbia River to Richland and the finish…that seemed a long ways away…well…it was a long ways away.

We were still running together which made it bearable as both of us noted fatigue was setting in. we were getting close to running for 3 hours now. We slowed again in mile 18 to 9:15, but made it to mile 20 only 33 seconds behind our goal pace…not too shabby! This was the furthest each of us had run in training…so now the mental challenge of uncharted waters would add to our fatigue level.

Between mile 20 and mile 21 my friend started to fade back while I tried to keep pace and encouraging him to stay with me…but it wasn’t to be. Now we each had our own race to run and our own battles and aches to overcome. I just kept running…I don’t remember much from here. At the beginning of the race we were noticing scenery and the huge houses along the waterfront. All I remember from mile 20 is looking at the ground and making sure I drank enough water.

I ate my Gu (great stuff, you should try some) about every 4.5 miles during the race so my last pack went down about mile 22 with the hope it would give me the final energy I needed to finish.
I remember over the last 5 miles or so seeing a lot of people hit the wall as I passed by. It was a picture of fatigue I had in my head before the race that would happen to me but I had hoped it wouldn’t be until after I finished. I remember running behind a few people and you could see them struggle to keep running and then give up and have to walk. I felt fortunate to be able to keep running. I had read in a magazine that if you pass people towards the end of a race you should encourage them…so I would just say, “we’re almost there…keep going” or “you’re doing great” as I went by.

When I reached mile 23 I knew I was going to make it…don’t ask me why. I guess I just knew from my training that I could do anything for 3 miles. At that point I was 51 seconds behind my goal pace but well ahead of being able to finish in under 4 hours…now I just wanted to run as fast and as steady as I felt I could without getting hurt…so I put my music on my favorite songs…put my head down…and went.

I ran mile 24 in 8:47 so I gained a little time, but then mile 25 started with an uphill round-a-bout to an overpass we ran along. I remember thinking, “You have got to be kidding me.” I was tired and now had to run uphill…I just tried to keep my legs moving at the same pace even though they were taking much shorter steps. That uphill slowed me to an 11 to 12 minute pace for that small stretch. The good news is once I made it to the top I was able to build up speed and eventually a 6:45 pace on the downhill. I ran mile 25 in 8:44 and was now only 22 seconds behind pace. Only 1 mile left…oh yeah, I can do 1 mile in my sleep.

I ran like Forest Gump to a box of chocolates. During the last half mile there was a lady sitting in her front yard ringing a cowbell as runners came by…awesome! About a half a mile from the finish I passed one guy who stopped to walk…I said, “Come on….we’re close.”

At this point I was out of Gu and all of my liquids…but I was almost done. I ran mile 26 in 7:58 and the last 0.2 miles at about 7:30 pace…right through the finish where Miss Tri-Cities was handing out the finishing medals…I did it. 3 hours 55 minutes later I had run my first marathon and it was exhilarating…and I didn’t even collapse from complete exhaustion!

My friend finished in 4 hours and 4 minutes just missing his sub-4-hour goal but still a great time. The average marathon time in the U.S. last year was 4 hours 21 minutes…just a little fact I heard from Cliffy from Cheers. What that means, though, is he wants to try another one so he can break 4 hours…so guess who said he would run it with him?

Well, that was the big day…oh one more thing…I got 3rd place in the men 35 to 39 age group! How about them apples!

Final Preparations

Wow, is it really here? It’s hard for me to believe really. At the beginning of this year I had never even owned a pair of running shoes or run for anything unless it was part of a sport (soccer, basketball, etc.). Now I’m less than 48 hours from running a marathon? Crazy! I look back to the beginning of the year when running 1 mile on a treadmill at the gym was in a word…exhausting.

I feel like I have been training forever. I can’t remember what it’s like not to know what 3 days a week I am going to train and how long and how fast I am going to run that day. It has become a part of me…it’s just what I do. This particular training program started back in July and I am nearing 600 miles of running and onto my second pair of running shoes. Now I look at my schedule and a 10-mile run is a “day off.”

Still 26.2 miles is something I have never done. I have run 20 miles twice in the last 6 weeks. The last couple weeks we have been cutting back miles to get proper rest for the race…only 3 mile days this week…and I am getting anxious!

Today I am planning everything out, meals, clothes, schedule, etc. Yeah, I am ready to go! My right leg has bothered me the last couple weeks but I am hoping the rest is doing it good. I’ve been running with a limp, like someone sticking knives in my leg…nice, huh?

I am running with a friend and our goal is to finish in under 4 hours. I am really looking forward to the race…all my training runs have been alone so I look forward to us pushing each other. We ran a half-marathon together in May of this year…well, we started together anyway.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers…I will be running on Sunday. I will be wearing a black armband in remembrance of my grandmother that passed away almost 2 months ago. She was an inspiration to me and a witness to Jesus and the faithfulness of God even in her last days. I will proudly remember her while I run and strive to live to glorify God in all I do.

The Word is Alive

So what would make me post on my blog after 3 months of inactivity? In a word…anger. Yes, I think it is anger. At what you say? Let me tell you.

“Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

Why am I angry? Because I see the lion prowling and I hear him roaring in the faces of those I know as friends. And I feel helpless. My soul aches for many as I write this. The lion is ready to pounce…on some that don’t even know it, others that are unable or unwilling to fight, and others that have drawn their swords in defense.

Untrue? The Bible is simply filled with stories and some nice thoughts and concepts to meditate on for those that feel the need? God doesn’t exist and Jesus Christ never walked on this Earth? Don’t be fooled!

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;” John 10:10

My soul aches.

· For those who believe the lie…that God doesn’t exist.
· For those who are faced with temptations and circumstances that overcome them and are ultimately destroyed.
· For those who believe but are distracted and have left the back door open only for the devil to come in for the slaughter.
· For those who believe and recognize the fight is at hand and are currently in a battle.

My soul does ache for all of them. How do I follow Proverbs 24:11? “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.”

I have to turn to the Word…the Bible. The rest of John 10:10 says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (I=Jesus Christ)

2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

He is my strength and the only hope I proclaim. Accept the gift of Jesus, and turn to Him for your strength.

For the handful of you that will read this, you probably know that I will be running my first marathon on Sunday, October 28. In no uncertain terms, my desire to run is to give God glory and to somehow impact those for which my soul aches. The entire training process has been an amazing spiritual growth period in my life. Through recognizing the physical limitations of my own body and abilities, I have on many occasions been convinced of the limitless powers of God. He has revealed himself to me in new and real ways so that I may be made stronger in my faith and a witness to His faithfulness.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3.

Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Yes, I am angry…and I am fighting. I am fighting with you and I am fighting for you.

Jesus Christ is the Word…and the Word is Alive!


My Slideshow 10/19/07

THE WORD IS ALIVE (lyrics and music by Casting Crowns)
Looking out from His throne, the Father of light and of men
Chose to make Himself known and show us the way back to Him
Speaking wisdom and truth into the hearts of peasants and kings
He began to unveil the Word that would change the course of all things
With eyes wide open, all would see

The Word is alive
And it cuts like a sword through the darkness
With a message of life to the hopeless and afraid
Breathing life into all who believeThe Word is alive
And the world and its glories will fade
But His truth, it will not pass away
It remains yesterday and forever the same
The Word is alive

Simple strokes on a page
Eternity's secrets revealed, carried on from age to age
It speaks Truth to us even still
And as the rain falls from Heaven, feeds the earth before it returns
Lord, let Your Word fall on us and bring forth the fruit You deserve
With eyes wide open, let us see

Who's #1?

The 2007 NWFL Draft Lottery was held last night. Watch the video to see the results.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Got Life?

It appears to me that a lot of people think that being a Christian means you simply "don't do" a lot of things. Right? I mean if you're a Christian, you "don't drink, don't smoke, and don't go with girls that do." Right? It means that you "give up" all the "fun" things in life and instead live in some tranquil, peaceful, meditative state...in other words...some boring place where you don't get to play all the reindeer games.

Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no true freedom except that which comes through Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life. John 10:10 says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Another version says, "have it more abundantly". That doesn't sound like being left out of anything to me.

In the movie the Usual Suspects, one character states, "The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn't exist."

Don't be tricked into thinking a life with Christ is somehow a life missing something. Actually, maybe it is exactly that...it is missing life to the full.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.

Further Thanks

So I'm sitting in my office this morning and I gotta tell you...it's awesome! My wife bought these apple/vanilla plug in smelly things and they smell great.

Last week it was me, my desk and a group of white bankers boxes hanging out in what might as well have been a storage unit. Today I sit here in my home away from home. It's professional, homey, clean, nice smelling all the way down to the new candy jar and water pitcher/glasses. I think they thought of everything! I can't even kill the plants...they're plastic! For a couple chicks, they know how to decorate something a guy will like.

So I now would like to officially thank my Fantastic wife and her Superfriend. Your kind act and hard work have made a great difference in my day and attitude about being at work. It no longer feels like my job...but more a part of my life.

I know you girls have husbands that appreciate you. I just want to take some time to say it. Thanks!

Open 4 Business

Well it has been a busy couple of months. We have spent a lot of time vacationing as a family (see My Life In Color...wife's Blog) and I have been transitioning into a new office while setting up a new mortgage business. Mix in a few rounds of golf, a holiday, some training time for running and doing some promo work for our men's conference at church and...well...the blog sort of falls out of the things to do bag.

So rather than catch up on the distant past...let's center in on the last couple of days.

Like I said, I have moved offices...which means my office is a desk and a bunch of unpacked boxes...I mean WAS. My wife and her Superfriend Betsy put their decorative genius to work on the night of July 3 and worked well into July 4 to give us boys a nice place to hang our hat during the work day. Without any decorative requests (like it would have mattered) they jumped in with both feet like the Wonder Twins of Boise..."form of, an interior designer"..."shape of, a new credit card with no set spending limit." We gave them a pretty free reign, and they did not disappoint. I like to think I did a good thing staying up with my wife all night before her furniture garage sale...she returned the favor I have to say. I saw it for the first time today, July 5...perfect! I look forward to going to work...it feels like being home. Thanks Wonder Twins!


July 4th...didn't start out as good, however. My running has continued as I am now training for the Portland Marathon with my friend from Portland. Wednesday was a "simple" training day. It was going to be hot so I got up early for me, 7:00AM. I have to be up at least 2 hours prior to running for my old body to get properly hydrated and warmed up. My plan was going along perfectly as I hit the trail at 9:00AM. It was a nice slow 1 mile warm-up followed by 3 miles at about a 7:45 pace, then another 1 mile cool down and a quarter mile or so walk to my final stretch out session. Just finished stretching and it's only 10:00AM on the Holiday...sweet! Now I just have to reach into my zipper pouch get my keys and drive home...doh! Key...she not there anymore. Cue red face, mass rewind sequence in head of past 5 mile run. Set-in panic mode...and finally begin denial sequence. No way this is happening!

May I tell you that that is the only key to the Expedition I own. I did take it off the key ring so at least the remote control is locked in the truck with the windows slightly down. For your sake, I will speed through the rest of my day. I am now cooled down and stretched having drank all my water on my run, but now begin running back over my trail and then back to the car for another 4 miles...no sign of said key. Since I can't get in the car I decide to run home...another 2 miles. I get home to my fantastic wife who had just been up the whole previous night putting my office together and tell her that I lost my key and have now ran 11+ miles on my "easy 5-mile" day. It is now 11:30AM. Sympathy and compassion have yet to wake up in our household due to the long previous night and I must have dropped patience and composure with my key on the trail, so I fix myself something to eat and then drive back to the truck with my son's plastic golf club in hand so I can unlock the door and see if by some chance of dumb luck I never in fact put the key in my zipper pouch. Note to self...I never benefit from dumb luck.

Drive back home. My wife convinces me to take the family for a "walk" on the Green Belt to look for the key. We can split up and look for it. She drops me off and I take the dog and go to one end of the trail. She and our 4-year old son drive to the other end for their start and we all set off for an afternoon stroll. It is now 1:00PM...temperature 100 degrees. Don't forget our friends are coming over for a BBQ and I have chicken (1 hour) and ribs (3 hours) to cook for dinner.

My son overheats at 0.7 miles so they sit and wait for me and the dog. The dog overheats after about 1.5 miles and literally lays down on the trail as we are walking. We are about 0.8 miles from each other. The trail has markers every 0.1 miles...this is how I know this. We keep calling each other along the way...no key. I stop to let the dog in the river about 4 times and finally make it to my wife and son. She has been pouring water on his head while they wait. Evidently his comments on the walk included, "How did daddy lose the key?" and "I would never do that." I then walk the remaining 0.7 miles back to the truck so I can drive to pick everyone up. It is now 2:45PM and I have logged another 3.0 miles in walking on my schedule for the day.

Time to go home and get dinner started. I get the ribs "rubbed" and started on their 2 hour sit while I cook the chicken. Our friends arrive and I sit down for the first time in the day while drinking ounces 160 and 161 of water for the day (give or take an ounce). Everything is finally slowing down...chicken about done...just have to go outside for the final flip. Why is the BBQ at 425 instead of 350? Open the lid...BONFIRE! El chicken, El no moro. Burn baby burn. Run over to the hose and run back to the BBQ, knock flower pot off table on the way so it shatters and throws dirt/rock all over the ground near the pool (that will be less funny later when Lori keeps stepping on pebbles at dinner time), hose off chicken from 10 feet away and salvage a couple thighs.

Time to cool down BBQ so that ribs can cook. With any luck, dinner should be ready by 9:00PM. Now as bad as my day has been...a good plate of ribs and good company can heal a lot of wounds...and it did. Dinner was great along with a portion of dump cake. Make me go night, night very well.

Wake up this morning to call the Ford dealership to find out I need to actually take the vehicle into the shop in order to have an extra key made. Hard to drive without a key. I figure that's probably a $200 tow. Naturally, I go back and spend another hour on the trail walking another 3 miles looking for the stupid key.

I get home and realize that we have AAA for the first time ever thanks to my wife's convincing me for our trip to Canada earlier in the year. She takes it from there and gets the truck to the shop and a couple of keys made. A simple $97 debit card swipe and I'm back in business. That's my truck going for a ride.

Days off are great!

Now you know why I don't blog more often....who wants to read all of that?!?

Oh, I almost forgot. If you haven't got a phone call from me in a couple of weeks it's because I dropped my BlackBerry in the hot tub while I was skimming it and lost everyone's phone numbers along with my portable email access. I had the joy of talking with tech support tonight for an hour trying to get it started back up and then another hour purchasing new phones...my warranty ran out 1 month ago. Dumb luck still hasn't stopped by for a visit.

1:54:55

Yep…I did it! Explain it how you will, from my perspective, it was 99% God and 1% Me. The 1% I will attribute to myself is the fact that I got out of bed and walked to the starting line…the rest goes to God.

To recap, I hadn’t been able to run the prior 2 weeks because of problems in my legs that had me still limping the night before the race.

I woke up at 6am the day of the race and started my routine to put me at the starting line at 9am. I got back to my hotel room at 7am after breakfast and a 30-minute walk. My wife asked me, “How do you feel?” My response, “My legs haven’t felt this good…maybe ever.” A modern day miracle if you ask me and those that were praying for me.

I still hadn’t tried to even jog until about 15 minutes before the start of the race and then I trotted about a quarter mile to take inventory of my body parts…they were all working.

I bent down to pray before the start of the race with faith that God would watch over my body so that I could finish the race I was about to start.

The atmosphere was exciting! As my first competitive race it was particularly cool to be involved in a “real race.” My friend and I took a starting position at the back of the pack. There were about 160 people running the half-marathon (13.1 miles) and another 200 or so running either the 5K(3.0 miles) or 12K(7.3 miles) races. We were in a good position for video and pictures that our wives were accumulating…2nd to last and 3rd to last at the start! Your time doesn’t start until you cross the line though…everyone has a timing chip on their shoe.

The first mile was a pretty steep uphill. My friend and I ran together and ran past a good portion of the group during the ascent…until I felt my right calve start to tighten. I can’t explain the rush of disappointment and fear that engulfed me at that point. You know that embarrassment feeling when your face just goes to a straight bright red? We hadn’t even made the 1-mile mark and my day was threatening to be over…my heart sunk. I started to fall back like a horse with a broken leg in the Kentucky Derby. My friend asked me, “Is it tightening up?” I responded, “Yes.” A couple seconds later I told him, “Go ahead…don’t wait for me.” That was the last time I saw the back of him.

As I continued to fall back in the pack, everything seemed to go into slow motion and blur as I ran. I looked up to the sky and remember thinking, “Is this it God? Is this how my day ends. Is this really it?”

I had decided not to run with my music (my normal running inspiration) this day. I thought I would be running with my friend and I would want to talk to him and not want to mess with the hassle of the headphones. Now I was all alone. All I could hear was the low hum of the footsteps of the group of runners…those that hadn’t already passed me, that is. I remember hearing the Third Day song in my head, “My Hope is You.”

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul
In you, O God, I place my trust
Do not let me be put to shame
Nor let my enemies triumph over me

My hope is you
Show me your ways
Guide me in Truth
In all my days
My hope is you

I played it over and over in my head as I continued to run. Once I would reach the top of the first hill, I knew I had a nice gradual downhill of about 4 miles to continue to warm up my leg without too much stress. I finished the first 2 miles after nearly 20 minutes…about 3 minutes behind the start I had hoped for. But my leg had been able to hold off the impending cramps. I now understood I would not be running anything close to my goal time…but I might be able to finish…something that back at mile 1 looked to be uncertain at best.

As I continued to run and start to pass a few people again, I noticed that there wasn’t any car traffic on the street…we were running primarily on bike paths We had driven the course the night before to get an idea of the terrain and where to go. Somewhere between mile 3 and 4 I saw my car. Our wives had decided to drive and find us and cheer us on. My wife called out, “How are you doing?” and I heard my son in the back of the car, “Go daddy!” It was awesome! They followed us around and got video and photos of us in about 6 or so different places.

I continued the race and was able to finish without locking up or having to walk. The final challenge was in the 10th mile…the biggest uphill on the course. I did not have to walk up it….but I wasn’t far from it. There was a final turn-around about a 1.5 miles from the finish where I finally passed my friend and yelled him on, “Don’t let me catch you!” He didn’t. He ran a great race and finished 1 hour 52 minutes 23 seconds. I finished in 1:54:55.

It was exhilarating. After the finish, we recapped our runs to each other. I spent some time by the pool that afternoon and then we all went into town for a victory dinner. It was a great vacation!

God granted me the desire of my heart to finish the race and I am so thankful. The entire training process and race day have been an amazing experience. Having my wife and son encourage me along the way was priceless. To know many friends and family members were praying for me to be able to compete was humbling. I am glad to report that God is faithful. Their prayers were heard and I testify that it is only through Him that I was able to finish that race and I give Him all the glory.

I now sit here writing this 3 days later, my legs feeling as fresh as ever. My calves that had given me such trouble as I could barely walk, let alone consider trying to run a distance, feel perfect. God is good…all the time…all the time…God is good.

The Night Before

Tomorrow we leave for Sun Valley where I will be running in my first competitive race at the age of 39. As you can see by my picture, some grey has krept in. When I posted a while back, I indicated that I was hoping to increase my endurance for God by competing in this race. This has been a mighty challenge.

I am eager to see how this story plays out. I have battled all kinds of aches and pains throughout my training. A week and a half ago I ran 12 miles as my final long run preparation and fought off calf cramping after 8.5 miles but have been unable to run since as my right calf has remained cramped. I have been limping around the last week trying to figure how to adjust my diet, stretching, massages, menthol lotion, etc. to just be able to actually compete in the race.

I still have no idea if I can run. I do not plan to run until the day of the race...Sunday 9:00AM. I find myself in a strange place. As I have had similar cramping throughout my training, I think I'm better and I go out and make it a couple miles then...Bingo...they lock up and I am D-O-N-E!

So I truly have no idea if I can do it. However, I believe God has a plan for me in this. Don't ask me why or what, but I firmly believe that is the case. I now have nothing to cling to but faith in Him that I will actually be able to start and finish the race. Pretty cool, huh?

I was inspired this past weekend as we attended my cousin's wedding in California. I was talking with my uncle's sister and mentioned to my son that this "lady" was Ms. Portland. She was...in 1980. But she then told a story I had never heard before. I was there in the audience in Portland 27 years ago when she won her crown, but she told us how God told her this was something she was supposed to do. She asked, "Is this really you telling me this God?" and then proceeded to lean on him to lose the necessary weight and learn an almost unlearnable piano piece to ultimately convince the judges. She proudly shared how the Holy Spirit had guided her once the Lord gave her the vision to compete.

I was sitting there captivated with my 1 bum leg. So as I now sit not knowing if I can run, I do know that if I do...it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit and an answer to prayer that I will even start the race.

So tonight, I went on the race website and they had posted my racing bib number...#119. As I sat in the hot tub this evening (remember the bum leg) I wondered, "what is Psalms 119?" Look it up...I'm not sure but it has to be the longest chapter in the Bible...176 verses! The theme according to my wife's study Bible is "God's word is true and wonderful. Stay true to God and his Word no matter how bad the world becomes. Obedience to God's laws is the only way to achieve real happiness."

One verse reminded me of the song I posted a little bit ago My Hope is You, verses 31-32 says, "I hold fast to your statutes, O Lord; do not let me be put to shame. I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free."

I may finish the race but then again I may not even be able to start it...regardless, my hope is in Jesus Christ. I look forward to sharing the "rest of the story" next week. I'll post a picture...hopefully of me drenched in sweat and not one of me sipping a diet coke at the finish line waiting for all those that could run. :)

Father, Spirit, Jesus

One of my favorite groups has to be Casting Crowns. Their lyrics and music are truly inspirational to me. I have also seen them in concert once. Here are the words to one of their songs. Have you heard it? Check out their website www.castingcrowns.com

Lord, the worship we bring, Is more than songs that we sing
It’s a reflection of our ever-changing lives
The best we have to offer

We don’t just lift up our hands
Lord, we lift up our lives
For we know that You are worthy of our praise
To You our lifesongs raise

Rescued from darkness
We are walking in marvelous light
For we are children of the King!
SING!

You are worthy of all honor
Glory, praise and power
King of the nations
You are holy God almighty
Clothed in brilliant majesty
Father, Spirit, Jesus

2007 Bandon Invitational

I have to say, this was one of my most enjoyable Invitational’s for a number of reasons. First, it was a great group of guys with quite a few newbies. Newbies are always good because they add excitement and help remind us how special of a place it truly is. This was the 10th time I have played Bandon Dunes, but it never seems to get old. I remember walking the second hole at Bandon Trails on Day 1 and Brinkley (a newbie I had never met) telling me, “this was one of the things I had on my list to do this year.” You could see the excitement on his face, unfortunately we sucked as partners at Pacific on Day 2, but the kid had energy! Second, much to his wife’s pleasure, Midland didn’t win. Third, the weather was classic. Day 1, not even a breeze…did I mention that yet? Day 2, windiest day I’ve ever seen…I’m still picking sand out of my chin. Fourth, H was back with a whole new set of go-to moves. Finally, I won a medal!

Let’s get to the results. There were some winners…and although nobody is a loser, let’s face it…some people had a long ride home. Actually all of us had a long ride home. Click on the scorecards for a larger picture.

Day 1 was amazing…sunny and not even a breeze, did I mention that yet? Rath was just warming up for the weekend and Mids was in mid-season form as they combined for 69 points and a 3 point team victory. Gale and Midland shot 85 for the low gross scores. Midland was again in the lead with 36 points followed by Rath and Brinkley at 33.

Day 2 saved up the wind from Day 1 and packed it all together. Gusts in excess of 50mph battered the group and kept points low and scores high…except for Rath. Pacific Dunes pelted the participants with sand blasts and 4 club winds all day long. The par-5 18th played as a Driver, 3-wood, 3-wood, 3-wood, 1 putt par. Net scores were low, 20 to 32 points. So how did Rath post a 41-point day? Near as I can tell, he scored a point for every drink he had on Friday night. It was impressive…Friday night I mean. So needless to say, anyone he played with would be the team champs at Pacific. His 41 with Kurahara’s 29 made a team high 70 points and a 7 point victory. After Day 2, Rath lead with 74 points followed by Midland at 68 and Brinkley/Kalina 65.

Day 3 saw the return of the Godfather…that’s me. I don’t like to be painted with that brush…but it is what it is. We showed up on Friday to the resort and met the Manger Mr. Hickox who provided the group gift bags of monogrammed sweatshirts and Bandon hats (along with a hand written welcome note) for last year’s mishap. At dinner the first night, two-gentlemen from the resort and hotel stopped by to personally introduce themselves to me and give me their business cards. It was a nice gesture I thought. When they comp’d the group round #1 and a couple of meals, I thought…it’s nice to be home. In addition to that, they set up KP’s and long-drive markers for us each day along with providing tournament score sheets. Maybe the guys are right…just call me The Godfather.

OK, so back to Day 3. The Saturday night pairing session was classic. We had a bunch of partner rejections and even a couple “pot it” re-shuffle of the teams. At the end, everyone seemed happy with their team. I tried to tell the guys that I score well at Bandon Dunes but I think I still gathered a couple rejections. In the end, it set the stage for the Godfather/Rotweiller victory parade. I hit a long birdie putt on the par-3 second hole and Aaron birdied 2 holes on the front 9 as we cruised to a Bandon Invitational team record 85 points (no team had previously topped 74) while dropping the 2 lowest gross scores of the weekend (Rotkowski 81, Whitehead 83). Rath/Brinkley did put up a solid 76…solid second place that is! In the end, Rath couldn’t be denied his 2nd plaid jacket (the first was a tie with Kurahara in 2004…shouldn’t your sweatshirt say 2004 co-champ, John?). Mike’s 114 points finished well ahead of Midland 105 and The Godfather 104.

Here’s the final results with daily points.

Rath 33-41-40—114
Midland 36-32-37—105
Whitehead 30-31-43—104
Brinkley 33-32-36—101
Rotkowski 32-25-42—99
Kalina 34-31-34—99
Kurahara 32-29-37—98
Semler 29-32-31—92
Dennison 27-28-34—89
Gale 32-20-32—84
Wiek 27-26-30—83
Mrs. Foushee 28-27-wd—wd

Rotkowski went for the repeat in the skills challenge and Dennison won the ever popular Survivor putting challenge. We played our inaugural par-3 challenge at Shorty's in the sideways rain on Saturday and H took home the hardware with a nice scramble par/skin after about 6 holes.

Here's another couple pictures. Midland keeping up tradition of "hitting into the ocean." Also, I thought it was neat that H and Brian tried to pass themselves off as college team golfers. Look at those sweet Pilots and Devils bags!

I hope everyone had a great time. Based on the early returns, most of the group is poised for a comeback in 2008. With pictures like this, you can see why we go back every year.

Best Invitational Yet?

I've had a lot of things going on lately, but this past weekend was the one event I was eagerly awaiting. Long story short...it did not disappoint. I will do a longer post on the 2007 Bandon Invitational later with results, winners, losers, etc. For now, here is the happy group on 1 of our 2 sunny days and the big sandbagger who added 3 more medals to his "bling bling" collection in addition to the plaid jacket.

Before I go though, it is worth mentioning the team below set the all-time Invitational record on Day 3 this year with 85 points (and the 2 lowest gross scores for the tournament). Hey, I think one of them is me!

My Hope is You

Well, I have run out of things to say. Thanks for your time...don't forget to tip your waitress.

So I thought I would post once a week or so the lyrics to a song I like. This one is by Third Day...a great band that I have seen once in concert. Check out their website www.thirdday.com They have a Third Day radio on the website that plays all their stuff...recorded, not yet released, bootleg, etc.

Anyway, here are the lyrics to "My Hope is You"

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul

In you, O God, I place my trust

Do not let me be put to shame

Nor let my enemies triumph over me

My hope is you

Show me your ways

Guide me in Truth

In all my days

My hope is you

I am, O Lord, filled with your love

You are, O God, my salvation

Guard my life and rescue me

My broken spirit shouts

My mended heart cries out...

My hope is you

Show me your ways

Guide me in Truth

In all my days

My hope is you

A change in plans

I flew to Portland from Boise yesterday. My plane ended up getting delayed and I wound up in the terminal an extra 2 hours. I got something to eat which left about 1 1/2 hours of "down time." What to do?

I always take my Bible with me when I travel...but truthfully I rarely read it. When we were pulling out of the driveway I grabbed my sunglasses out of the other car and saw my Bible and brought it along too. I didn't pack anything else to do or read for a possible delay occasion.

I decided to read my Bible right there in the terminal. Now for some of you that may be no big thing. For me..."normal" people don't read their Bible at the airport. I got mine out anyway and decided to spend some time reading it. Let me say I didn't do it to be seen or to get an "atta boy" from any of you, but I just thought "why shouldn't I read it?" I was given some unexpected free time. Maybe I could make some good use of it.

I always like reading Paul's letters...so I started out skimming a few of them in the New Testament. Then I decided to read some Proverbs. I haven't read all of Proverbs but that Solomon guy was supposed to be pretty wise...so what does he have to say?

I don't have any other insight except to share with you some of the ones that made me go hmmmm...or read a second time, etc.

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

Under the moral benefits of wisdom it says in Proverbs 2:18-20, "For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life. Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous."

There is also a daily devotional section in my Men's NIV Devotional Bible. The section for this day was "Save the Boys." It was particularly relevant to me because it encapsuled being a role model as a father for our sons. It was written by Steve Farrar who is President of Strategic Living and speaks with his wife accross the country in the Family Life Marriage Conferences...or at least he did when my Bible was written. :)

He said he had 5 goals for saving his boys and it was his job as their father to model for them:

1. knowing and obeying Jesus Christ,
2. knowing and displaying godly character,
3. knowing and loving my wife,
4. knowing and loving my children, and
5. knowing my gifts and abilities, so I can work hard and effectively in an area of strength, rather than weakness, and contribute effectively to the lives of others--and have a little fun at the same time.

I, too, have set these goals for my life. I fail in one or more of them, most regularly on a daily basis...but that does not diminsh my desire to achieve these goals. I pray that you mothers and fathers intentionally set goals and a plan to Save your Children.This picture is the little boy that my own parents "saved" and will forever be greatfull for their goals, desires and setting a plan for raising the little me.

You never know what you will learn if you just take your Bible with you when you travel.

It's On!

Ok, now I've done it. I got this wild idea to run a half marathon. My friend has introduced me to running...and I'm sort of hooked on it. A half marathon is 13.1 miles I believe which means I should be running for 1 1/2 to 2 hours to complete it. The longest I've ever run is 6.2 miles (3 times) and that has been in the last couple months.

A recent goal of our church has been to increase our faith and increase our love. I'm going to add a goal of increasing my endurance. I believe this will be another opportunity to see God at work and reveal himself to me. I will post more on it later.

The race is May 27 in Sun Valley. One cool thing about registering early, as I did, is that you can customize your racing bib. Mine will say "n2Jesus"

For those of you that don't know, my dba for video productions is "n2Jesus Productions" which now you should recognize my blog i.d. of N2J.

If you want to join me check out the website:

http://www.ushalf.com/sv.htm

Do you see what I see?

How's your faith? I thought I would briefly (yeah right) share some of the ob-stacles I have been facing in my personal journey lately. My uncle encouraged me to keep a journal and write about God's faithfulness so that I can turn to it when I forget. Do you ever forget that God is faithful...or is it just me?

My wife bought me a journal for Christmas, I finally made my first entry...there are now 3. My goal is to make entries of things I learn as well as a record of God's faithfulness. I don't have any desire to simply keep a diary of my day...I'm not that interesting...but God is.

I've been facing a number of challenges...it appears God has determined it is time to work on me a bit. I think it may have something to do with the fact that at the beginning of our building campaign at church, I raised my hand (when every head was bowed and eye closed) that I wanted to increase my faith and increase my love...and I meant it in the depth of my heart. All I can say is be prepared if you earnestly want God to do something in your life...because he will assume you are serious.

This post may get long so decide now if you want to continue.

Anyway, does your reality match your theology? Great question. I told a friend of mine a couple weeks ago that "I say my God can do anything, but my fear and my actions tell me that I don't truly believe it." To recognize that in myself devastated me. I mean to find out whether or not you TRULY believe that God can do what he says he can do. Be honest, do you TRULY believe? God used my friend at that point to provide me some of the most encouraging and inspiring words I have ever heard. It was like a coach's Super Bowl pep talk...awesome! I almost ran out of the place slapping the top of the door as I left, "Play Like a Champion Today!" (For those non-sports fans in the building, that sign is at the end of the stairs as you exit the Notre Dame football locker room) I had been foolish to fear that something could stand between me and God's plan. My eyes were opened to the strength of the Almighty God.

Faith that remains unchallenged ordinarily remains unchanged.

"Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6

I dare you to read that over and over until you understand what it says. If you do, it may change you.

So now onto my story. Sometime during the following week at one point this happened as I wrote in my journal...

"I prayed about a week ago for God to send a "legion of angels" on my behalf to fight off evil and prepare the way for me so that I may proceed as I believe God is leading me and to protect me and my family. This request I had forgotten until this morning. I don't know what a legion is...and I don't know with any assurance whether I have seen an angel, but this was the most powerful image I could comprehend...so I asked for it.

In retrospect, I guess my thought was I know there are angels and I have a need down here so if you have any "looking for work" send them on down..."

I woke up on "judgement day"...

"As I said, I forgot I prayed for this until this morning...

When I went into the kitchen, I looked out the window...it snowed? It's been in the 50's for a couple weeks and it's snowing now and everywhere I look is white?

It was at that moment a "legion of angels" came to my mind. I believe I was enlightened to its meaning. My son, I heard you. Your legion has been gathering over the last few weeks and they left this behind so that you may see there isn't a portion of this city that has been left unprepared. We have covered it in white like angels so that you may have faith in what you believe God has planned for you. Take peace in the knowledge that all you need to do is walk down the path before you.

It was just snow, right? Probably for everyone else today. For me, my eyes were opened to what God was showing me...a miracle."

It was the truth...everything had been prepared. Don't discount God's miracles. You simply need to recognize that God is showing you something you can't believe.

When I talk to a friend on the phone that has been in my prayers for years that he may come to know God and he tells me that he is going to a weekly men's Bible study at 6:30 am...that's a miracle. Don't tell me miracles don't happen anymore...I don't believe it and quite frankly...I believe it offends God.

That picture in the clouds, by the way, is an angel...surprised you didn't know that.

Try it for a week

OK, let’s cut to the chase. Here’s a menu that will lose weight. Don’t forget to drink at least 6 glasses of water a day (that’s 48 oz. Minimum). I list the food then in brackets (calories-fat grams, carb grams, protein grams). For a later discussion, you need a proper balance of fat, carbs, and protein…don’t start an eating program where they try to eliminate or skew one of these categories…balance is important. The orange items are my staple foods…pretty much every day. Based on the calories per meal, this menu ranges from 1450 to 1850 calories. Remember women burn about 1700 to 1900 calories and men about 2000 to 2200. So, without adding exercise, this gives you a daily deficit of about 300 to 400 calories a day. Add 20 to 30 minutes of exercise and that will burn about another 200 to 250 calories. A deficit of 700 calories a day for 5 days = 1 pound. I find that I have the best energy if I eat about ½ hour before and ½ hour after I exercise. I exercise at night so I eat some of my dinner calories before I work out and the rest after.

Breakfast (250 to 300 calories):
1 C Special K regualr (110-0,22,7)
4 oz. nonfat milk (40-0,6,4)
1 t. sugar (16-0,4,0)
4 oz. Fruit juice (56-0,14,0)
½ banana (45-0,11,0)
1 multi-vitamin

Morning Snack (150 to 200 calories):
8 oz. Fred Meyer Lite Yogurt (100-0,16,9)
½ Graham cracker Honey Maid low fat (30-0.5,6,0.5)
½ banana (45-0,11,0)

Lunch (400 to 500 calories):
4 slices Healthy Choice lunch meat, I like Honey Ham (60-1.5,2,9)
5 crackers Keebler Club Reduced Fat (70-2.5,12,1)
1 string cheese, I like precious (80-6,1,7)
1 apple, I like fuji (90-0,23,0)
1 serving (15 chips) fat-free ruffles cheddar cheese (75-0,16,3)
8 oz. Nonfat milk (80-0,12,8)

Afternoon Snack (150 to 200 calories):
choose from
1 high protein energy bar, Snicker Marathon Low Carb (170-6,19,16)
8 oz. Diet beverage, I liked diet coke with lime or Sobe No Fear diet (0-0,0,0)
1 apple/banana/orange (90-0,23,0)
1 oz turkey jerky, Oberto from Costco (80-1,5,13)

Dinner (400 to 500 calories):
6 oz. chicken breast or other lean meat (180-3,0,39)
1 or more vegetable of choice (only about 10 calories per ounce)
1 string cheese (80-6,1,7)
8 oz. nonfat milk (80-0,12,8)
room for another 100 calories or so of whatever you feel like adding

Evening Snack (100 to 150 calories):
choose from
¼ oz. square extra dark chocolate (45-3,4,0.5)
Popsicle, Fred Meyer melon pops, banana, or assorted (30-0,7,0)
½ serving of cold cereal (84-0,16,5)
1 Apple and 1 T. peanut butter (90-0,23,0) and (96-8,3,3)

I used an online program that tracked my foods through Apex/Gold’s Gym. I just found this website though that you can do a food search for those items you eat that don’t have a label. It’s in the middle of the page.

www.calorieking.com

I try to eat basically the same thing for breakfast through Afternoon snack, then I can modify my dinner and evening snack to round out my day and eating percentages. I’ll be back later to tell you how the beginning of my eating plan and exercise program was. Remember, adding exercise will either increase your calorie deficit for the day (more calories burned than eaten) in order to lose weight faster, or it will give you a cushion to eat more without gaining weight. Also, muscle burns more calories per day than fat so lifting weights not only burns calories through using energy, but it transforms your body from fat to muscle so that your resting metabolism increases as well. I like food so anything that makes my body burn more calories so I can eat more without gaining weight is a good thing.

Remember once you start losing weight and exercising more, you can eat more and still lose weight. When I was losing, I would eat between 1500 and 1600 per day. I also drank a lot more diet drinks then to give my taste buds a splash. I usually don’t drink much pop, I like milk and fruit juices.

Change the menu to foods you like, but I think you’ll find the protein foods are the harder ones to replace. The first 2 weeks are hard…you are changing some old habits…don’t give up. After you start changing your body and moving more…you will naturally have to start eating more. I probably eat between 2500 and 3000 calories now just to maintain my weight…I increased my muscle mass and I move a lot more so my body needs more “fuel” than it used to.

One other thing I did, was I would modify my Saturday and Sunday meal plans. I figured as long as I didn’t gain weight on the weekend I was doing good and that way I didn’t feel like I was dieting. You still need to plan and write down what you eat so you know the calories, but we would go to the pizza buffet on Saturday night for example. One slice of pizza is about 250 calories. Since I had about 500 extra calories to eat for the day, I could eat 3 slices of pizza (750 calories) along with my regular meal plan for the day and know I wouldn’t gain weight. Maybe I would have a few more snacks on Sunday, but I would still keep my calories in the 1800 to 1900 range. My motto, eat a little all day long so you don’t overeat. It takes about 30 minutes for your brain to know your stomach is full. If you’re a little full before you eat, then you are changing your eating from emotion to necessity. Emotion…I won’t touch that one. Try to learn to eat because you have to, not because you want to. Your body is a machine...give it the fuel it needs when it needs it.

Well, that was a lot more than I thought I would say, but if it helps one of you then it was well worth it. Like I said, I’ll write another of the beginning of my experience and trying to break down the calories by protein, fat and carbs later.

Did you know?

I decided to remove my week long losing weight campaign. Maybe I’ll turn it into more of a “did you know” series. Did you know 1 gram of protein or carbs has 4 calories, but 1 gram of fat has 9 calories? That means you can eat twice as much protein for the same amount of calories as something high in fat. Or, did you know the average man burns 2000 to 2200 calories per day and the average woman burns 1700 to 1900? So if you are a woman and eat about 1500 calories a day (or 200 less than you burn) you will lose 1 pound every 2 and a half weeks from your eating habit alone. Did you know you really need to eat in order to lose weight? Or did you know that if you exercise at a lower heart rate it burns fat, but if you exercise at a higher rate it uses other “fuels” in your body? That’s just some of the information I learned on my year and a half eating/exercise journey.

If I could give just one piece of advice it would be start your day with breakfast and eat about 6 times a day. You’ll only need to eat small amounts throughout the day and your tank will be full so you will have energy all day long and you won’t eat as much at the main meals. If you know how many calories you are eating, you will know if you are going to lose weight. Oh, and try to eat more protein. Fats and carbs are easy to eat, it’s the items higher in protein that are trickier to find and that is likely where you are under-nourishing your body. And, make time to exercise at least 20 minutes 3 times a week. Oh, don’t forget to read labels at the grocery store…”low fat” is not always the better choice. Don’t ever start a diet…if you use the “D” word you’re just setting yourself up for a short-term program to eventually fall away from and return to your old self.

I could go on and on because it gets me excited showing people what I have been taught and how simple nutrition can be and how important exercise is to your appearance and energy levels. Keep an eye out for my “did you know” list…maybe you will find a tip that helps you.

“Do or do not…there is no try.” - YODA

Have to...or Get to?

Where have I been? My last post was 9 days ago! Let's just say a lot can happen in a week and a half...especially when you puke off about 5 lbs. on a Saturday night. But that's another post.

So I was talking to somebody Wednesday after a hectic day where I hadn't eaten and I was going to need to run home, pick up the family and head to church for Bible study. I said again later in the conversation that I was hungry and they said, "Oh yeah, you HAVE to go to church, huh?"

I looked at them and responded, "Have to? No, I GET to." Now, stay with me for a minute. Understand that this just came out of my mouth...nothing premeditated or anything. But at the same time, when I am given an opportunity to indicate my enthusiasm for God, I want to make an attempt...especially in light of a negative outlook on church, etc.

So what's my point? No, I don't want a pat on the back for some witty comment (I make a lot of witty comments and that would just give me a bruised back). I just want you to consider the depth of that statement. Growing up...my parents made me go to church. Left to my own desires, I would not have gone. Were they right to do that? I think so. Is that a typical response from a teenager? I think so. So when did my HAVE TO change to a GET TO?

Before I answer that, let me wrap up the previous conversation. I went on to say the following. "You know what else? I don't HAVE to go to hell...I GET to go to heaven." Let me clarify, this was not a confrontational conversation. We both laughed and thought it was a good motto. But it is much more than that...it is the ultimate truth. Each of us has the same choice. Jesus came and shed his blood to pay for our sins. If you accept his gift, you get to go to heaven. If you choose to reject it, the Bible is clear, you will go to hell.

So when did my HAVE TO change to a GET TO? I've been a Christian as long as I can remember, but it took a move to Boise, Idaho before my HAVE TO changed to a GET TO. There are a number of people responsible for that as well as a number of people keeping that attitude alive in me on a daily basis. For those of you that know Jesper...give him my pat on the back.

My hope is that you live as though all you do for Jesus is a GET TO. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not (HAVE TO) perish but (GET TO) have eternal life." John 3:16

Share the good news with someone today...or accept it for yourself.

Lost in Translation?

How about that Super Bowl! For those that don’t know, I’m a Colts fan…I have both Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison on my fantasy football team…and the only football jersey I own is the blue #88, which I wore proudly on Sunday while carrying my Peyton Manning good luck figure.

With the satisfying victory secured, I sat back to watch the Vince Lombardi trophy ceremony interested to see if the Colts owner would once again give glory to God as he did after the AFC Championship game. Of course, all athletes “would first like to thank God” on the podium, right? It's become a cliche. Here’s what transpired…

Colts' owner Jim Irsay credited God with the victory as he held the sparkling Vince Lombardi trophy in his hands:

"Now there's an awful lot of shining glory, even more than last time up here," Irsay said. "But we're giving it all to God again because that's what got us here ... sticking together and believing that we could, and I know God has looked after us on this journey and bonded us into such a tight family."

I was thinking about this today, which prompted me to write this post. For those of you that are Christians, I have one question for you. Are you a Christian only when you are at home…or do you let the world know what God has done for you in public?

I admit for many years I was a “silent” Christian. Growing up as a kid, it wasn’t a sign of strength or considered cool to be the Christian kid on the team or in school. I didn’t have any Christian friends by my side to give me strength. So I just coasted along as the “nice guy” but never truly embraced or shared my faith with others.

Well, if you know me, that changed in recent years. No longer am I silent as to my faith. I proudly proclaim that I am a follower of Jesus Christ who paid the ultimate price to redeem my soul and I will forever be grateful. But enough about me. What about those guys on stage under the biggest spotlight in professional sports and possibly the single largest television audience in the world.

For weeks we had heard how Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith were the first African-American coaches to make it to the Super Bowl. Here’s what Dungy said after the game:

Here's Dungy's whole quote, responding to Jim Nantz's question about the "social significance" of the Super Bowl, the first with a black head coach (both Dungy and Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith): "I'll tell you what. I'm proud to be representing African-American coaches, to be the first African-American to win this. It means an awful lot to our country. But again, more than anything, I've said it before, Lovie Smith and I (are) not only the first two African-Americans but Christian coaches showing that you can win doing it the Lord's way. And we're more proud of that."

I’ve read a lot of stories about Super Bowl XLI that quote the first half of what he said, but leave out the second half. However, it cannot be denied that to Dungy, he places his greater victory in Christ. Dungy has had a close relationship with Bears' head coach Lovie Smith since 1996, when Dungy hired Smith to coach linebackers for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"My relationship, first, is with Jesus Christ, and he is the center of my life," said Smith when asked about his faith earlier this week. "I try to live a Christian life. I would like for players to know my faith based on what they see on a day-to-day basis."

As part of a pre-Super Bowl promotion, both men, and members of their teams, compiled a website to witness their common faith in Jesus Christ to the world. The site can be found at www.beyondtheultimate.org. I encourage you to visit the site and read what these two coaches and others who play and coach for the Bears and Colts have to say about their faith in God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives.

On the other hand, I have also read where one writer stated that, “Christians, and anybody who applauds his speaking out (Dungy), have to respect the possibility that his words will bruise other people's ears.”

In response to that, I can only I turn to the Bible:

* "With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak.” 2 Corinthians 4:13
* "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7
* "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17

Bruise other people's ears you say? I respect the possiblity that his words will guide a lost soul to eternal life. And to that, I will applaud. For each of us has the individual choice of how we will hear the message. The responsibility of us as Christians is to simply share it. In a world where we Super Size professional athletes, yet are continually disappointed with revelations of infidelity, drug use, poor judgment and lack of wisdom, I am especially proud of the witness these men proclaim and example.

I concede that none of us are perfect and I recognize my lack of authority to cast judgment over anyone. Still, I challenge each of you to take a stand for God publicly and see how it will increase your faith and love. If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior…there’s no better time than the present. "Someday I hope you get the chance, to live like you were dying.”

"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38

My Belly Hurts

Ok...my root beer taste testing days are officially behind me. Now it's back to trying a new one every now and then. So here's the final word on my root beer drinking game.

We baited two more people into our test-o-rama over the weekend. In order to protect their identities, let's call them Jesper and Betsy. Don't they sound like nice people? Jesper is a good golfing buddy of mine. Betsy is the mother of his children...that's a joke Betsy, we know you are so much more than that. You also do his laundry, not to mention scrubbing his floors on your hands and knees. But let's get back to the root beer.

These 2 jumped right in with the round 1 taste test. Betsy liked A&W, Mug, and Big K. Jesper also ranked A&W #1 followed by Barqs and Mug.

So for the finals we had 9 contenders. We were each testing on an empty stomach at the start, getting hungrier by the minute. I admit, however, that by the end of the test it sounded like the bubbles scene from Willy Wonka. You know the one where they are flying up to the fan and have to burp to get back down to the ground. That's how my stomach felt...and pretty much how the rest of me sounded.

Without boring you with further details, here is my statistical analysis of the results of the final test.

Now before I get to the results, let me just say that after conducting these experiments, I have concluded that root beer falls into 1 of 3 categories:

1. Frosty mug tasting creamy types
2. Root beer with added specialty flavors to change it up a bit
3. Beverages that should be removed by the FDA

I prefer those that fall into category 1. Now for the results. In a complicated mathematical analysis I conducted using algorithmic permutations and combinations of trigonometrical effervescence's, combined with a patented probability ratio derived from a sampling of scores in my golf handicapping system..I naturally reached the following conclusion based on the preferences of the testers in question. After smoothing the data for outliers as well as out right liars, the scoring is (lower score=better, 1 being best possible and 9 being worst possible):

1. Stewarts 2.0 (one 1st place vote) very good classic frosty root beer
2. A&W 3.5 (one first place vote) "has that frosty mug taste"
3. Sprecher 3.5 Wisconsin Honey and Vanilla
4. Happy Valley Old Fashioned 3.5 (one questionable 1st place vote)
5. Henry Weinhards 4.5 Vanilla
6. Rat Bass-Turd 6.0 (they spell it differently, I spell it like it tastes) Molasses, Jasmine, Clove and a large list of herbal blends
7. Virgil's 6.5 (one very lonely first place vote) Licorice, Clove
8. Boylan 6.5 Sweet Birch, Cinnamon, Sassafras
9. Natural Brew 9.0 (three #9 last place votes and one #8) Cane Juice, Licorice Root, Sarsaparilla

For me, I'll drink any of the top 3 anytime (or #5)...the rest will never see the inside of my refrigerator again. Let me know if you have a favorite I should pick up and try. Sioux City is next on my list to sample and I need to find a bottle of Hires.

What about these guys?

It ain't over! We went to the Boise Co-Op last night and guess what we found? You should already know because I put a picture at the beginning of this post. There WILL be another drinking game this weekend! These are the challengers to the reigning kings...Sprecher and Henry's. Let me know if you have tried any of these before.

By the way, they had Sprecher creme soda there for only $1.10...I got a bottle. I'll let you know what I think of that on it's own.

Oh yeah, I've gone overboard...but "I'm Livin' Like I'm Dyin'!" Ain't it cool?

What Say You?

I like root beer…a lot! So imagine my excitement when me and the Mrs. settled in to watch a show on the Food Network a couple months ago and they made their way to a specialty root beer brewery in Wisconsin. Good root beer! And not just root beer, but they use the recipe in their BBQ sauce and they make vanilla and orange cream drinks, etc. Well, after checking around, I couldn’t find it anywhere out west. So I went to their website to buy it http://www.sprecherbrewery.com/. A 12 pack is only $10.20…sweet! Ok…add to cart…proceed to checkout….uh-oh...$19.30 shipping and handling…so $29.50 for a 12 pack…not too bad really, but what if I don’t like it? At $2.50 a bottle, maybe not worth it…end of story…or is it?

So my wife takes me to this new candy shop, Powell’s Sweet Shoppe. This place is awesome…all kinds of “old school” candy and they have a t.v. that plays Willy Wonka all day long. You can look around there forever and you don’t need to be a kid or take a kid to appreciate it. First thing I see though when I walk in is a refrigerator on the side wall with all kinds of colored and specialty drinks…so I said to myself, “Self…see if they have any specialty root beer.” You guessed it! My eyes focused in on that yellow-beeked bird on the bottle like the mother ship was calling me home! I swear the rest of the room went dark and the bottled glowed, while in the background you could hear the beginning of 2001 A Space Odyssey….dah…dah…dah…….dah-nah!

I grabbed 2 and went to the clerk, “How much, sir?” He said, “2 bucks a bottle.” I couldn’t get out my debit card fast enough. Then I said, “Wait, I gotta try it and make sure I want to buy more than 1.” Now I wasn’t thirsty and there was no way I was going to drink 16 ounces, but it was the moment of truth. One sip…and I bought 2.

After nursing that one down over the rest of the night and the next day, I thought to myself, do I really like it because it is better or because I want it to be? It’s hard to make this long story short…so let me sum up…I had to do a taste test.

So, Sunday night I went to the store to round up the usual suspects. Here were the participants, introduced by price/prestige:

• Big K (59cent 2/liter), less than $0.01/ounce
• Barqs, $0.02/ounce
• A&W and Mug, $0.023/ounce
• Thomas Kemper $0.063/ounce
• Henry Weinhard’s $0.064/ounce
• Sprecher $0.125/ounce

I tip my cap to the Mrs. for humoring me and setting up the taste test. Actually, I did stumble a bit out of the gate. As I started to take all the root beer out of the refrigerator and line up the glasses, my son asked me what I was doing. I immediately responded with a smile, “Mommy and Daddy are going to play a drinking game!” Now some things you don’t clearly think through when you say them…and my son loves games so I was only trying to make it fun for him too. Let’s just say as soon as the words had left my lips, I heard my wife from the other room, “Don’t tell him that! It’s a taste test!” I think we cleared that obstacle, but if you hear him say we played a “drinking game” when you are at church this Sunday…please give us the benefit of the doubt.

With that behind us, I gave each of the competitors an equal chance. I rinsed and chilled 7 small “drinking mugs” (I wised up and didn’t call them shot glasses) and placed them in the freezer for a couple minutes so each beverage would be welcomed into a frosty glass for maximum results. Here’s how it went down.

I sipped the first glass…pretty good I thought. The 2nd was very good as well (I was pretty sure it was the Henry’s). Although, after 2 that I liked I was thinking, “I’m a retard.” I was afraid I was going to like all of them and began to worry a bit. I have always thought Henry’s made a great root beer and the Sprecher I had a few days earlier was my new “pretty little pet.” Now I was going to prove myself a dingbat.

Then a sip of #3…my faith restored again…this one was terrible! #4…ok, but not near as good as 1 & 2. #5 about the same as #4. It was then I drank #6…as I sit here tonight writing this I still maintain that glass did not contain root beer! Terrible, does not do the name of the beverage justice. Finally #7…oh yeah…that’s a good root beer!

I then went back through the lineup one more time to confirm what I liked. Truthfully, I wanted to know what I did like the best and let the chips fall where they may. Yep, I still rank them #7 and #2 best followed by #1, then by #4 and #5, and #3 and #6 should be removed from all retail shelves immediately!

So what #’s were which ones? Here are my results from favorite to “not fit for human consumption”:

1. Sprecher (oh, I still love my pretty little pet)
2. Henry Weinhard’s
3. A&W
4. Mug
5. Big K
6. Thomas Kemper
7. Barqs

Naturally, I then set up the test for my wife and here are her results:

1. Henry Weinhard’s
2. Mug
3. Big K
4. A&W
5. Sprecher
6. Thomas Kemper
7. Barqs

I clearly love the Sprecher root beer. Obviously, my wife isn’t sophisticated enough to appreciate the full taste. That being said, Henry’s was a clear favorite and although the night before when we went out to pizza I had a Henry’s and my wife had a Barqs because she “likes it”…it is clearly an inferior root beer. For the record, our son liked A&W and Mug the best when he played the drinking game.

In my opinion, if you are down and out and need a shot of root beer, stop by Fred Meyer and get yourself a 59cent 2 liter bottle of Big K. For “every day” consumption A&W makes a good choice along with Mug. If you’re going to throw a Super Bowl party and want to get me something nice to drink, spring for a 6-pack of Henry’s. And if you forgot to buy me something for my birthday…stop by Powell’s and load me up with a Sprecher’s.

I’ve still got a lot of root beer in the fridge so feel free to stop by and join us for a drinking game some time!

It's simply known as "The Invitational"

So this is for all my golfing buddies out there. I have had 2 golfing trips that have to be near the top of any “live like you were dying” list. If you haven’t noticed…I reference the name of my blog where I can.

So now to my story. Bandon Dunes opened in 1999 on the Oregon Coast and has become rated as one of the top 2 golf resorts in the United States, along with Pebble Beach. Well, I started taking a group of guys there back in 2000 and have gone back at least once every year since (two years I made 2 trips). That first trip was 4 of us in 2000. Since then I have held the “Bandon Invitational” every year from 2001 to 2006 with between 8 and 12 guys. The 2007 Invitational is set for April 20 to 22.

There are now 3 courses at Bandon Dunes and in Golf Magazine’s 2006 Top 100 courses you can play, they consider Pacific Dunes #1, Bandon Dunes #5 and Bandon Trails #10. In a 2006 issue of Golf Odyssey they quoted, “Bandon Trails cements Bandon Dunes’ position as the single best place to play golf in the world.”

That gives you a little perspective of where I’m coming from. I’m not the only one that thinks this place is pretty special. Since I have been in their reservation system since near their opening, I have received special invitations to play Pacific and Trails on opening day. Needless to say, I accepted. So 12 of us went down there in 2001 to play Pacific Dunes and I took another group of 12 in 2005 for the opening of Bandon Trails.

It was a pretty awesome experience. You get your group picture professionally taken on the tee box with the owner and course designer along with a commemorative opening day coin. We all signed an opening day banner at Pacific, but I have yet to see where this has been stored.

Now the quality of the course can only make a golf experience good to a point. If you have nobody there to enjoy it with…it isn’t nearly as special. So imagine going on one of these trips with guys like this. First off though, the journey begins with us out-of-towners flying into Portland. We used to play a “practice” round in the Portland area on Friday and then drive down to Bandon and play Saturday and Sunday. Since they added Bandon Trails, we now play all 3 rounds down there.

So now back to what makes this trip so unique. First of all, you definitely need a core group of guys that go every single time. There are 2 guys that go all the way back to 2000 and have gone every year. In order to protect the names of the innocent, let’s call these guys "Mike and Brian." These are two cool cats. Take a guy like the one I call “Mike.” This guy is admittedly one of the poorer golfers in the group…hey, let’s face it, he’s the worst…and it’s not a really close second. So get this, he plays once a year and shows up every year to the Invitational… “cold turkey”…with only the dried sweat on his grips from the prior year’s tournament. He’s likely to tee it up on Day 1 at Bandon and go 7, 3, 11 on the first 3 holes (par 4,3,5)…all the while smiling and laughing down the fairway. Now mind you, the first year we went it was $30 a round…he now shows up and pays $150 to $200 a loop for the “love of the game.” We play 3 courses over the weekend and, believe it or not, you actually want him as you partner at Bandon…the other 2 courses…not so much. Let’s call the other guy who’s there year in and year out, “Brian.” This dude is as tall as a Redwood, and nearly as smart. Through all my efforts to handicap the tournament appropriately, this guy has still managed to win about 3 times. Of course it helps that he comes from a climate where he can play year-round and he owns the best foot-wedge in the game…bar-none. What stands out about this Phil Simms look-a-like…other than his size 14 feet…is he adds a much needed level of comic relief and an ample supply of movie quotes to which I am always a fan. In reality, I plan the trip to see these 2 guys more than the golf itself…which is why I always look forward to the 4 hour drive from Portland to the resort…we get to relive the previous trips all over again.

Then there are those guys that are there nearly every trip. Let’s call these guys Jon, Ron, and the other Mike. I like these guys because they aren’t as good a golfer as me…it’s the perfect recipe for a tournament in my opinion. Jon and Ron are brothers and tough to tell apart since they were born within hours of each other. These 3 are all “sneaky fast” though. By that I mean, they may shoot 108, but then again they may shoot 92…so I’m never sure if I want them as my partner. I don’t fear any of them in the putting contest, however…which is nice. Jon always has a new putting routine, which I enjoy. Ron always has a new car…I mean oversized, all-terrain, self-defense, high priced, platoon mover for guys to ride in. Mike is one of the few guys I don’t have to strain my neck to look up at and always has enough cash in his pocket to cover his bets when the first Mike is dealing Acey Ducey.

Now, what about the guys with the nicknames? You always need 1 or 2 of them. Let’s call the first guy Harry or “H” for short. I don’t know how 1 guy can have such a big impact, but this is the 1 guy that can. He starts psyching you out on the drive down as he takes phantom practice swings in the gas station parking lots. Be aware if you hear, “Be careful guys!” on the course…you could be directly in the path of a low screaming slice. He’s the East-coast influence in the bunch. By that I mean, he’s round, Jewish, and thinks he’s all that…on the basketball court, that may be true…on the golf course…mmmm…you can get in his kitchen. Oh, and he’s a lefty. He was the original homey hat trend setter. The new reigning homey hat king, however, is "Foosh." I love having this guy around…I’m so much taller than he will ever be. Foosh sported the homey hat in his inaugural Invitational last year and followed it with flip flops during the Survivor Putting Challenge…that may be a fashion statement, but on a sleet filled, 50mph wind aided, 45 degree evening…I’d go with the shoes. After 6 years of 4 guys to a room with 2 king beds, we found our first solo act. Not only did he cover his portion of the group room, but he then plunked another 2-bills a night for a separate room so he could fly solo under the sheets. I guess when you’re that small you’re easily spooked.

For the Trails opening, I was able to attract some fresh blood from my new hometown of Boise. Let’s call those guys, Jake, Todd, Dave, Rob, and Josh. In that group we had our first real golfer in Jake as the only participant to carry a single digit handicap. What does that mean? He has NO chance of winning the tourney with this group of sandbagging hackers. I admit, it was strange to play a round with a guy that wasn’t in the deerbrush or unintentionally launching a drive into the ocean every other hole. He didn’t see near as much of the course as the rest of us…and his $ per shot was way more costly than the rest of the group. Dave and Rob are the 2 permagrin guys. They walked those 3 courses…along with Witch Hollow at Pumpkin Ridge, smiling like a new daddy all day long. Todd circles that single digit handicap area so he is really overmatched as well. He prefers to measure himself against other golfers by his height…who can blame him. Josh found out that you can’t muscle your way around these courses. The wind does what she wants with the ball and you just gotta hope it finds grass every know and then.

The rest of the crew you may see every few years. Let’s call them Phil, Don, Scott, Tim, The ROCK, Aaron, John, and Jim. We hope to see them again, but they utter excuses like, “I can’t afford it”… “I’m out of vacation time”… “My wife is wearing my pants this year”… or “It’s a long way from Canada.”

So with that we have another trip upcoming, the field is still being set. Let me know if you want in! This year we have a new slogan almost like those guys on the PGA Tour…

“These guys aren’t good.”

What would you do with it?

So let me hear from you out there. What would YOU do with it?

Imagine you go to the doctor and he says, “I’ve got some good news and I’ve got some bad news.”

You say, “Tell me the bad news, Doc.”

He says, “You’ve only got one year to live.”

You say, “Then what’s the good news?”

He says, “You’ve still got one year to live.”

Are you with me? Now don’t get all depressed with me here. Remember my first post? We’re all going to die…it’s just the when that we don’t know. So now assume you find out the when. What are you going to do?

The song says, “I went sky diving…I went Rocky Mountain climbing…I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu.”

Tell me what would be on your list. “I’ve only got one year, I gotta do _____.” Or tell me something that you’ve already done that is a list maker.

Here’s some things that a few of my friends have done recently:

• He played golf at Augusta National
• He watched his beloved Anaheim Angels play live in Yankee Stadium
• He drove from Idaho to Arizona to watch Boise St. win the Fiesta Bowl in person
• She ran the Portland Marathon before she turned 40
• She became a mommy
• He bought a new Mustang…the red one with white racing stripes

Here’s a couple things that I checked off my list recently:

• I took a group of 12 guys to play golf Opening Day at Bandon Trails
• I took my family to Alaska
• I bought a trailer and took my family camping
• We took our son to his first visit to Disneyland
  

I’ll share some more with you later…for now, let’s hear your list.

So this is bloggin'?

Ok, so I'm the last one on the block to have a blog...not really news when you consider I don't own an i-pod, or a flat screen HD tv, and I still have one of those monitors that is about 3 feet deep on my desk. Of course, that monitor is my wife's...I bought a 19" flat panel last month.

Anyway, I guess I didn't get the point of having a blog. Why would I want people to know anything about me...especially if I don't know who's reading this. To a certain extent, I still feel that way. You probably won't learn too many personal things about me here...but maybe you will.

I guess the reason I started a blog is this...to encourage you to think a little more, love a little more and maybe even live a little more. Now for the flipside...we're all going to die. Yep, I said it. I don't see anyway of getting around it. So, since we can all at least agree on that...it makes since to me to live like it. And, that's what I want to do. So I made that the name of my blog...after the title of a great song..."Live like you were dying."

For me, it boils down to Hebrews 9:27-28, "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people..." Are you prepared?

"And he said someday I hope you get the chance, to live like you were dyin'. Like tomorrow was a gift and you got eternity to think about what'd you do with it...what did you do with it...what did I do with it...what would I do with it?" Tim McGraw

Living for now is only part of it...I encourage you to take the time to consider the eternal perspective. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16...it's a famous verse in the Bible for a reason.

Thanks for looking around my blog!