Home a little early.

I got out of the office a little early today for the first time in months.  The heavy snow back in February put me behind on some planning and paper work that needed to get done...but being caught up a bit, I decided to take a little time off this afternoon and just relax.  So what did I do?  Paperwork at home...actually trying to get bills and home issues taken care of.  But...I did manage to get outside in the beautiful 70 degree weather for a while.

I'm headed out in a few minutes to do a little run before dinner.  On Saturday, I'm running the 1/2 marathon in Washington DC.  Again, I'm not looking to run a world best mark, just to have fun.  So I'll up date this after the race on Saturday.

Matthew 6

My devotional this morning was from Matthew 6.  I was reading out of the "Message."  The way Eugene Peterson words the passage really made it jump out at me.  So I wanted to share it.

"Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.  Don't worry about missing out.  You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.  Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

Shoes...remember it all starts with shoes.

Those of you who know me, have heard me preach many times about the value of buying good running shoes and not wearing them past the point of about 6 months.  Well, as you know from this blog I was working on a running streak...well Monday my knee was killing me...so I blew the streak taking Monday off.  And the reason I was forced to kill the streak at 8 day?  My shoes.  My left shoe was shot.  Then I looked at the calendar.  I bought these shoes when I got back from Kuwait.  That was in August...let's see.  August, September, October, November, December, January, February....March...that makes about 7 months on the same shoes.  Dumb me.  Do yourself a favor.  Check your shoes.  They really are not made for more then 6 months of running.  And if your knees, hips, leg don't feel good...more than likely it is the shoes.  So my new shoes came in the mail today.  I'm back on the streak again, starting in the morning.

Streaking and Running Streak is there a difference?

Here is the offical running streak website.

http://runeveryday.com/

Check it out.  If you are interested in applying to join, you have to do 365 days straight first.  I would never qualify.  My longest is only 101, and I've done it three times.

Blog number 15 for the year!

Here it is March and I'm beating the number of blog I put on this site last year.  Last year I only managed 14, and this year 15....I'm starting to feel good about this again.  But I've got to keep it up.  Well, I'm still working on my streak.  I'm up to 6 days now...

My wife and my sister who read this blog now and then made comments that "running streak"  and "streaking" were the same thing.  I'm not going to agree to that...because I'm keeping my running short on.  Yes back in the 70's there were individuals who did some streaking...but that has nothing to do with running back to back days for a period of time.  So I'm just going to add a little pole to this blog and get your opinion.  Check it out.

The Last Week

We've been studying the book, The Last Week, by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan in the Sunday School Class I teach. If you haven't read it...it is really well done. But as much as I like it I have problems with some of their discounting the "predictive" words of Jesus as he enters into the final week. They tend to side on the writers of the Gospels reinterpreting the context of Jesus' words in light of historical events. In the past I read, John Polkinghorne's Quantum Physics and Theology...also an great book. But I like how he views these "predictive" words of Jesus...so I'll share his opinion in the hope of stimulating your thoughts on Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:33-34 and their parallels in the other Gospels. 

"Many scholars have regarded these predictions as being prophecies after the event inserted by the gospel writers, but I am not inclined to accept that judgment. No doubt the exact wording has been influenced by a subsequent knowledge of the events, but it does not seem at all strange that Jesus should go to Jerusalem that last time keenly aware of an implacable opposition to him on the part of the religious and civil authorities, realizing what its consequences were likely to be, and prepared to commit his destiny into the hands of God his Father. I believe that the predictions show us that he accepted the outcome that would follow, and that he trusted in God for his eventual vindication." 

Often in my own life, after I've gone through trials and tribulations; I tend to color my story as one emphasizing my tenacity of faith. I could see the events coming at me. As I encounter those events, I could easily see what was coming and the consequences. There was nothing miraculous about what I saw…but the difference between Jesus and me is that part about being “…prepared to commit his destiny into the hands of God….” To be honest…I’m not that prepared. 

Last year while I was deployed to Kuwait, I finished my 20th year of active duty in the Air Force…and that means I can hang up this job and walk away from the military with my retirement in hand. I am also at the point in my life where there are many options opened to me and I have a strong desire to put down roots. These life events are making me realize that there are events coming in the near future and decisions I’ll need to make concerning those events. I can even predict several of those events outcomes even though they are months and maybe a year away from me…based on the past. But as a Christian…am I willing to place my destiny into the hands of God? As much as I would love to say…yea…I’m right there…the truth is…. 

I’m human…my nature is to make things go the way I want them to go. Can I trust? Bottom-line…if I’m really going to follow Jesus…then I’m going to have to be prepared to accept the outcome and follow…trusting in God for vindication.

Suffering

Since it is Lent...I've got a thought for today from John Polkinghorne.  It is from his book Quantum Physics and Theology.

"The Christian God is not simply a compassionate spectator of the travail of creation, looking down from the invulnerability of a celestial realm onto the sufferings of Earth.  Christians believe that in Christ, and particularly in his cross, we see God sharing human life and its bitterness, even to the point of a shameful and painful death, experienced in the darkness and rejection.  The Christian God is the crucified God, truly a fellow sufferer who understands."