Running with Thanksgiving

 



Evansville Turkey Day 5K 2013

It was a Wonderful start to Thanksgiving Day 2013.  My wife, two daughters and one boyfriend, and I ran in the 24th annual Evansville Turkey Day 5K. 

Alexia, Dana, Grace, and Caleb

22 degrees at the start and wind chill of 15.  The weather can make you appreciate a warm house and warm car.  I had mentioned before that I did have a goal for the 5K and it was the same goal that I had fallen short of the prior two years.  I am happy to say that the Lord provided me with good training and good health and I was able to finish 30 seconds under my goal.  I was actually  a few seconds away for a PR that I set 16 years ago.  So much for growing old. 

Today is Thanksgiving Day and all morning I have been reminded of all that I have to be thankful for.  The first thing to be thankful for is my God and our savior Jesus Christ.  I am so thankful for my wife and family.  I am so luck to feel loved by them each and every day.  I will stop there because if that was all I had I would still be the luckiest man alive, but I could go on and on about all that I have to be thankful for.  God continues to bless me as I continue to run with him.

The course was mostly along the Ohio River

Run Your Race
Hebrews 12:1

Running Easy

Today was an easy 2 mile jog. 34 degrees. I was hoping for some snow but the sky was clear. Being out running gave me a few minutes to pray in be with the Lord. It is always nice to start the day out this way. Run Your Race Hebrews 12:1

Running with Contentment

Spectator

Nice run this morning.  I ran through a local park and had a few spectators.  I don't think she cared that it was 28 degrees this morning.

This Thursday my daughter, my wife and I are running in the Evansville Thanksgiving Day 5K.  I have been looking forward to this race for several months.  I have a goal for this run.  It is actually the same goal that I have had for the last two years but I have came up short both times.  This year I think it is going to happen.  I have been running well and taking care of my self.  I have been eating well and doing yoga several times per week.  I have put a lot of thought and effort into my preparation.  But if I do not reach my goal I will still be content because I have done my best.  In the last month our pastor has been preaching about contentment.  We need to be content with what we have and who we are.  If we are giving our best to God what more can we expect.  I need to be content with the things I have and with the effort I put into life.

Run Your Race
Hebrews 12:1

Stay Tuned In

Early morning run today.  No sunshine just darkness.  I spent some time praying this morning during my run and felt God's closeness but at other times my mind drifted.  This happens to me sometimes when I am running and praying.  I seem to have a problem with my radio dial.  It wants to skip around at times.  When I leave the house each morning I have a choice to make if I am going to listen to music or not.  Most of the time I do.  Then the choice is what type of music will I be running with.   I have some secular music on my Iphone and some of it is very up beat and good for running but If I want to be running with God I need to tune into my faith playlist.  If you want to have a closeness with God find a time each day that you can set your radio dial to him.

Run Your Race
Hebrews 12:1

Who are you running With

Blue Lake

Rather warm this morning.  54 degrees but slight wind of 12 mph.  I left the house for a long run at 8:15am. Two hours of running with God.  Plenty of time to pray and thank God for all he has done for my family.  He is are protector and provider.  He gives us peace and freedom.

Today I thought about who I use to run with.  I realized that we always are running with someone.  We are always thinking of something or someone when we are running.  Most of the time I would run with myself. My thoughts were about me and what was happening in my life.  On occasion I would think about my family or a situation that was happening in the world.  I can remember on 9/11 running in the afternoon and wondering what was happening to our world.  But most of the time my thoughts were selfish and revolved around me.

Since I have started running with God I have a new purpose.  When I finish my run I am not only refreshed physically but also refreshed spiritually.  While I am running it seems like my mind is free from thoughts of the world and I can have a better understanding of how God wants me to live.

Run Your Race Hebrews 12:1 

Run Your Race

If you follow my blog you know this is not about time, distance or personal bests.  Running with God is about a spiritual closeness with God through prayer.  For me my best prayer time comes while I am running. I do have goals though.  I have races I would like to run and times I would like to beat, but I am running the race of my life.  I want to be successful in my race.  God has set out a race before all of us.  Hebrews 12:1 ...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us Run with patients the race that is set before us.   We each have our own race and our own path.  It is not a competition. God wants us all to be winners.  Where is the finish of this race you may ask.  Some would say that the finish is when we die and I can see that point of view, but I would like to say that the finish is at the feet of Jesus. When we run to the Lord and get to him and have given ourselves to him we have won.

It doesn't matter what path, route, race, or road you take as long as you end at the SON.

Run Your Race: Hebrews 12:1

Running on Fire

One big ball of fire

It was 45 degrees this morning with an occasional stiff wind.  I choose to wear some light gloves and a light scull cap.  While I was running at times I started to get hot  but as the wind hit me I would get cool.  I took my gloves off and on several times.  I also rolled my hat above my ears a couple of times only to have my ears get chilled.  I guess you could say I was luke warm at times.  As Christians we need to be on our guard because luke warm is not how we want to be.  When we are luke warm we may be at risk of back sliding into old habits.  Also when we are luke warm we may not be as good of a witness to the people in our lives.

I want to be on Fire for God.  One of the songs that I listened to today was I'm Alive by Peter Furler.  He says "I'm alive. I'm on fire and my spirit burns with desire".  This is how I want to run and how I want to live. If I am on fire for God I cannot fail.  I will always be a winner no matter what the outcome is.

The thought of being on fire for God came to me as I ran past someone burning a pile of brush today.  My first thought was how sin will lead to the fire known as Hell.  I thought how interesting language is because we can use the term fire to reference two completely different out comes.  If we are on fire for God we will be filled with his spirit and be in a closeness with him.  If we let sin stay in our lives we will be consumed by the flames of eternal damnation.  It seems obvious that we would choose to be on fire for God but unfortunately the world can lead us astray.

Today I want to thank God for putting his spirit in me and helping to light my fire.  I want to present my body as a living sacrifice.

The Race that Everyone Wins

It was dark at 5:00 am this morning but I'm not complaining.  I am glad that I have the ability to run.  Some times we take the everyday things in life for granted.  I should thank God everyday that I am able to even walk let alone run.  As I set down to eat this evening I was watching E60 on ESPN.  It is a sports/human interest show.  One of the segments was about a young man in his 20's who was born premature and developed cerebral palsy.  He is not able to care for himself and is completely dependent on his parents.  He cannot walk unassisted.  His dad began pushing him in a stroller during running events and then started doing triathalons with his son.  Recently the young man decided he wanted to finish a race on his own.  He had worked hard to learn to walk with a four wheeled walker.  He told his dad he wanted to finish in his walker by himself.  At their next 5K his dad pushed him for the first two miles and then had his walker waiting for him.  His dad lifted him into the walker and then he was on his own.  At first he was doing well but with half a mile to go you could see the strain on his face.  His crippled body was wearing down, but he continued to push on.  The only assistance he had was water given to him from his sister and father who walked along side of him.  It was emotional just watching him struggle towards the finish.  When he finished he was a winner.  He didn't actually beat anyone but he was a winner.  Just crossing the finish line made him a winner.

It was the same for everyone else who crossed the finish line.  They were all winners.  Only one person actually won the race but winning is more than crossing the line first.  It is about crossing the line.

This is how God works.  II Timothy 4:7  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  No where did it say that he had won the race or was the first to get done.  He finished the race and kept the faith.  If we keep the faith in Jesus we will be winners.  We will be winners in this life and the next.

Running with God Cures the Winter Blues

Do you have Seasonal Effective Disorder?  Sometimes this is also called Seasonal or Winter Depression. Some people call it cabin fever.  If you have this affliction I have the cure for you.  As winter comes the days start getting shorter and we get less and less sunlight.  I find this somewhat depressing myself but I know that Spring will come.  In the mean time there are things that can be done to prevent this depression.  Praying and running are two great ways to keep your sanity during the winter time.

Praying can help with our mental stability.  Being close to God will help lift our spirits each day regardless of the season.  The more we are in communion with God the better we can see the beauty in the world around us.  God loves us and the more we talk and walk (or run) with him the more we feel his love and presence.

Our winter time depression may also come from chemical changes in our brain due to lack of sunshine. There are chemicals in our brain that are released as we spend time in the sun.  Many of these chemicals regulate our body functions and mood.  One specific chemical that is released in our bodies because of sunshine is Vitamin D.  There is some thought that low levels of Vitamin D leads to fatigue.  If you are able to run during the winter this will expose your body to more sunshine and help release chemicals that help with our energy level.  Activity also helps release endorphin.  Endorphins help us feel more energetic and give us a natural high as when people say that have a runners high.

If praying helps prevent the winter blues and running helps us feel more energetic just think of the powerful effect of doing them at the same time.  This could be your best winter yet!

God's gift of sunshine

Autumn canopy

Beautiful country road

*Running tip - Be prepared to run during the cold weather.  I have several long sleeve shirts of different thicknesses.  I often wear a thick running jacket with pockets.  I like the pockets because I can put my phone inside and listen to my christian running playlist.  I also have gloves for running and a sock hat.  If I warm up I can take these off and put them in my pocket.  When it is real cold I will wear a face mask. Running clothes can be expensive but are often made well enough to use for years.  My present running paints are in great shape and I have had them for about 5 years.  Also Christmas is only 51 days away and running gear can make for great gifts.