Running With God the instruction book

I had to run late in the morning, about 11:00.  Not a good time of day to run in September. The temp was 82 degrees.  It was a nice day to sweat if that is what your into.  I don't mind sweating but when your cloths are totally wet after you are done then I draw the line. I think a lot of people draw the line at that point because I didn't see another soul out on the road.   I run with a cross necklace.  It has a leather strap and I keep it tight to my neck. Today it had loosened up and with each stride it was coming a few inches off of my chest and landing right over my heart.  I thought that was interesting.  Was God trying to tell me something?  Maybe I should keep Jesus close to my heart.

Crimson Truth

So some of you may be wandering if there is an instruction booklet  for Running with God. The answer is yes.  There is a running plan out there called Run for God.  It is a 12 week program that leads new runners, inexperienced runners, or runners that have been running for years through a book and devotions. It also can be combined with a leaders packet and can be used as a bible study or small group.    I have not read the entire book but I think next year I may do it with my office. For the last two years the office that I work in has participated in a local 5K.  I think this would be a great experience to do as a group.  It would be great to blog about for 12 weeks next spring.

Talk with you later and keep Running with God.

Great Morning / Running with God

I am not a morning person, but after I get myself out of bed and hit the road, I am always glad that I did.  This was my treat for waking up this morning.



Sunrise

This morning I was thinking about Hebrews 12.  ...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...   When we are running we will look for ways to be faster.  Often we do this by making our load lighter.  We buy lighter shorts and wear lighter shirts.  Sometimes I see guys go shirtless.  We will sometimes spend hundreds of dollars on shoes that weigh only ounces.  Just like the examples I have listed from running we need to "throw off everything that hinders" our walk with God.  We need to give God our sinful desires.  We need to pray that he will take them from us so we can "run with perseverance the race marked out for us".

Run and Talk with God

Yesterday morning was a short recovery run.  No agenda as I left the house.  It was a cool 60 degrees.  I would say perfect temperature to run.  As I started to run I thought about how I have been challenged to present my body as a living sacrifice.  That was my prayer for the day.  I didn't have any earth shattering revelations about my relationship with God but it was nice to start my morning with some communication with The Lord.  I was lucky enough to meet my wife for the last 1.5 miles.  I would say that was a gift from God.

Talk to You Next Run.

Run for Your Heart

Great Day today. This morning I ran in the Heartland Half Marathon in Jasper, IN. The slogan for the event is "Run for Your Heart". What a fitting slogan for the day. My day started at 4:00 am. That is early but it seemed earlier because it was storming all night and sleep was difficult. After an hour drive and an hour lost by crossing into the Eastern Time Zone I was picking up my packet. It was a beautiful morning. No rain after 4:00 and the temp was about 68 degrees at the start. The race was well organized and everyone I talked to was friendly and most had a smile on their face.

 The course started on a bridge that went across the Patoka River. It was a very picturesque start and we ran through the town square.  In 2 miles we were running through quiet neighborhoods and then on country roads. At mile 7 we were back in town getting ready to face the first of three challenging hills. The first one was steep and longer than a quarter mile. Things were going well for me until the 12th mile. I had been running just faster than my goal when I suddenly had a cramp in my right hamstring. It was bad enough that I had to walk for about 5 minutes. During that time I had a range of emotions. I started to ask why God was doing this to me especially when I was trying to represent him at the race. I soon realized that things happen sometimes and we should make the most of it. My run is not about me but how I represent Jesus in my actions and how I interact with people. After the race I passed out flyers in the parking lot. I had papers with a list of 10 bible verses that can be an inspiration to runners. If you received one of the fliers leave a comment and let me know what you thought of the race. I thought it was a great day. It was a very well organized run. The volunteers were great and encouraging. At two of the water stations I heard tobyMac playing. The course was nice except the few hills from mile 7-10. I loved the shirts and was surprised to get a hat and a pair of socks. The finishing medals were wonderful and in the shape of a heart. I can honestly say that it was a run for my heart.

http://www.heartlandhalfmarathon.com/

 Again, If you were at the race leave a comment.