It's hot. It's very hot! Last week 92 and 94 before cooling off. Today it got to 96. In order to run a marathon you have to stay the course. You can't let the heat stop you. The heat....wait a second. Maybe I've stumbled onto a metaphor? Yes, I think I have. The heat is kind of like sin when it jumps in front of you to take you in a direction that is opposite of what God wants. When it's hot outside, it's easy to think, "Well, maybe I should take the day off," and of course that leads to another, and another, and then you have been diverted from your goals....from what God wants for you!
So I have to stay on course. I have to be disciplined. In order to run the race with excellence, I have to follow through with the goals I've set for myself. This is true in all facets of my life, but I'm going to lay out for you what my training plan entails. First, let me review. I restarted my training after a two week rest following the Pittsburgh Marathon. My total mile goals over 30 weeks:
1,250 walking miles and 1,000 running miles. Remember I'm asking you to consider pledging a penny per mile or more towards the running miles. That equals $10.00 per penny! That's for all of you that are math challenged (smile)! If you want to pledge towards total miles it would be $25.00.
Walking Running Total
Week 1 - 32 8 = 40
Week 2 - 40 20 = 60
Week 3 - 40 28 = 68
Week 4 - 42 36 = 78
Week 5 - 43 41 = 84
Week 6 - 44 42 = 86 This is Thursday. I should accomplish these miles.
241 175 = 416
My longest run to date has been 10 miles. By week 13 my long run will be 20 miles. I want to maintain my total miles in the 80 to 110 miles per week. In the next 24 weeks I want to complete five to seven 20-miles runs. Ultimately, I'm hoping to bring myself to a fitness level that I can complete the Harrisburg Marathon in under four hours. I haven't done that since 2002.
As you can see, I can't let a little heat stop me. I can't let sin get in my way. Pray for me. Pray that I stay injury free. Pray that I don't let sin detour me. Pray that I take the time to pray for you all while I'm running. Pray that I gain understanding of Kenya and its people. Pray for the Cassell family in Kenya, who will be our hosts and mentors while we are there. Pray that this blog might touch other people for God and bring glory to Him. Let others know about the blog. Praise the Lord!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Run The Race Marked Out For You!
Well, Father's Day has come and gone. It's an interesting day. All of a sudden everyone is telling you, "Happy Father's Day," but what do they mean? I think most people are probably thinking:
1. Hope your kids are nice to you.
2. Hope you get the gifts you wanted.
3. Hope you have a great meal.
As I sat around the dinner table yesterday, what I thought was, "I hope all of my children and grandchildren (I have one now - Mason) follow Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind and strength." Nothing else really matters. A great job, nice homes, sporty cars, big screen televisions. None of it has any lasting value. Yesterday Pastor Glaze focused on where men invest themselves, and he asked the question, "Are you taking time to nurture your soul with God? Are you rich in God?"
I imagine it's not so different in Kenya. In fact, I imagine most people don't have the materialism staring them in the face as we do. I imagine that most of them are working hard to get the necessities of life to stay alive. Oh, I'm sure there is an upper class in their society as in ours, but my understanding is that the differences are much more stark. But Christian Dads in Kenya still must be praying that their children and grandchildren come to be a disciple of Jesus just as I do.
So I come back to the title of this blog, "Run The Race Marked Out For You!" We each have different life circumstances to deal with. We each have to meet various challenges, whether they are related to health, job, family, etcetera. God knows what we need to meet those challenges, and He stands ready to help us, as we seek him out. Click on the Youtube link below to be encouraged. It is an amazing story of a father and son. The first minute talks about a blind man, but keep watching. The last five minutes focus on the father and son, and what a love there is between them. Sorry, they play a 10 second commercial at the beginning of the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDnrLv6z-mM
Training Miles: After four weeks I have walked 168 miles (42 per week) and run 92 miles (23 per week). Remember I hope to run 1,000 miles by the marathon in November. My goal this week is to walk 44 miles and run 40 miles.
Prayer Request: Pray that I remain injury free. Pray that I can be the Dad the Lord has created me to be. Pray that all of my children and grandchild (Bill, Dan, Jesse, Maria and Mason) follow the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Pray that the Dads in Kenya are able to stay strong and lead their children to know Jesus.
1. Hope your kids are nice to you.
2. Hope you get the gifts you wanted.
3. Hope you have a great meal.
As I sat around the dinner table yesterday, what I thought was, "I hope all of my children and grandchildren (I have one now - Mason) follow Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind and strength." Nothing else really matters. A great job, nice homes, sporty cars, big screen televisions. None of it has any lasting value. Yesterday Pastor Glaze focused on where men invest themselves, and he asked the question, "Are you taking time to nurture your soul with God? Are you rich in God?"
I imagine it's not so different in Kenya. In fact, I imagine most people don't have the materialism staring them in the face as we do. I imagine that most of them are working hard to get the necessities of life to stay alive. Oh, I'm sure there is an upper class in their society as in ours, but my understanding is that the differences are much more stark. But Christian Dads in Kenya still must be praying that their children and grandchildren come to be a disciple of Jesus just as I do.
So I come back to the title of this blog, "Run The Race Marked Out For You!" We each have different life circumstances to deal with. We each have to meet various challenges, whether they are related to health, job, family, etcetera. God knows what we need to meet those challenges, and He stands ready to help us, as we seek him out. Click on the Youtube link below to be encouraged. It is an amazing story of a father and son. The first minute talks about a blind man, but keep watching. The last five minutes focus on the father and son, and what a love there is between them. Sorry, they play a 10 second commercial at the beginning of the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDnrLv6z-mM
Training Miles: After four weeks I have walked 168 miles (42 per week) and run 92 miles (23 per week). Remember I hope to run 1,000 miles by the marathon in November. My goal this week is to walk 44 miles and run 40 miles.
Prayer Request: Pray that I remain injury free. Pray that I can be the Dad the Lord has created me to be. Pray that all of my children and grandchild (Bill, Dan, Jesse, Maria and Mason) follow the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Pray that the Dads in Kenya are able to stay strong and lead their children to know Jesus.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Throwing Off Everything that Hinders - Mark
Ouch, ouch, ouch. You know, I'm really comfortable just the way I am. I don't know if I really want to get rid of:
Spending habits that cause me to waste money.
Eating habits that cause me to not lose the final 20-30 pounds I need to get rid of to qualify for Boston.
My procrastinating that causes me to put off some things that I should have really taken care of earlier.
Drum roll.......................my laziness when it comes to my personal time with the Lord.
But there it is, ".....throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles...." It just stares at you and doesn't go away, and you know, that's what God's love is all about. He keeps on knocking on my door, trying to get through to me. He doesn't let go of me, even when I'm rude and I walk on by without saying a word.
But here is the rub, he makes it clear later on in this chapter of Hebrews that there is this little matter of discipline that I'm going to have to deal with, since He is my Father, and since He does love me so very much. He will not give up on me. He will continue to discipline (teach) me what I need to know!
Oh Lord, forgive me for not taking the time with you that I really, really need. Forgive me for wasting resources you have given to me. Forgive me for not taking care of my temple in a way that glorifies you. Forgive me for putting off those things you have prompted me to take care of today. Help me to be more diligent in getting alone with you. Help me to desire you more, and to be open to your direction in my life. Help me to live out the reality of Paul's prayer in Philippians 1:9-11 where he says,
"....that your love may abound, more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
Amen and Amen!
Spending habits that cause me to waste money.
Eating habits that cause me to not lose the final 20-30 pounds I need to get rid of to qualify for Boston.
My procrastinating that causes me to put off some things that I should have really taken care of earlier.
Drum roll.......................my laziness when it comes to my personal time with the Lord.
But there it is, ".....throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles...." It just stares at you and doesn't go away, and you know, that's what God's love is all about. He keeps on knocking on my door, trying to get through to me. He doesn't let go of me, even when I'm rude and I walk on by without saying a word.
But here is the rub, he makes it clear later on in this chapter of Hebrews that there is this little matter of discipline that I'm going to have to deal with, since He is my Father, and since He does love me so very much. He will not give up on me. He will continue to discipline (teach) me what I need to know!
Oh Lord, forgive me for not taking the time with you that I really, really need. Forgive me for wasting resources you have given to me. Forgive me for not taking care of my temple in a way that glorifies you. Forgive me for putting off those things you have prompted me to take care of today. Help me to be more diligent in getting alone with you. Help me to desire you more, and to be open to your direction in my life. Help me to live out the reality of Paul's prayer in Philippians 1:9-11 where he says,
"....that your love may abound, more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
Amen and Amen!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Focusing on Family - Mark
Yes, we've been away for awhile... We want to be consistent so starting now we plan to post twice a week. Thanks so much for your support and keep checking in for two new posts every week!
So what does it mean to "Fix your eyes on Jesus"? Obviously, the author of Hebrews isn't telling his readers to stare at a picture of Jesus. He's telling us to focus our whole being on the person of Jesus......what His instructions for living are......how He lived life......why He came to be with us......who He said he is.......where we will end up if we trust in Him, etcetera. This focusing or "fixing" our attention on Him also comes out of a family relationship we have with Him. Ephesians 1:5 says, "He (the Father) predestined us to be adopted as his sons (and daughters) through Jesus Christ..." Through Jesus we have our Daddy (Abba) in heaven, who calls us His daughters and sons and gives us an eternal inheritance.
I'm sharing all of this because as I think about our trip to Kenya, and as I think about my running approximately 1,000 miles to raise money for a Kenyan project, I think about what is truly important in life. I'm not thinking about a new car, or a nicer house, or a big screen television. I'm thinking about my wife(Cynthia)....my mom (Norma)....my daughter (Maria)....my son, his wife and their one-month old son (Bill, Karen and Mason - pictures are attached!)..... my other two sons (Dan and Jesse)......Cynthia's parents (Mom-Ginger and Dad-George) and Cynthia's 8 siblings and their spouses and children (James, Cheryl, George, Gerald, Crystal, Michelle, Roxanne and Sharlene), totaling about 30 people......my church family at Bethany Baptist church......and all my brothers and sisters in Christ, who over the years have encouraged and helped me to "grow up" in the Lord. As you can see, I am blessed.....blessed.....blessed.
I know that family ties are huge in Kenya, and I am excited to see how the Kenyan culture celebrates and encourages family ties. I am looking forward to spending time with the Cassell family (nine of them). I have already experienced their joy and warmth here in the U.S. when they have visited. I am looking forward to experiencing my Kenyan brothers and sisters in Christ. I will think about all of this deeply as I put one foot in front of the other and run......run......run!
Update: First week of running - 8 miles......Second week of running - 20 miles.....This week's projection ending Saturday, June 9th - 32 miles. Put those pennies in a jar and see them build into something significant by the end of the year. Praise the Lord.
Prayer Request: Pray that Bill and Karen will experience God's joy as they parent Mason, and that Mason will experience God's grace and love as he grows up! That we remember the important things in life including family, both biological and spiritual!
So what does it mean to "Fix your eyes on Jesus"? Obviously, the author of Hebrews isn't telling his readers to stare at a picture of Jesus. He's telling us to focus our whole being on the person of Jesus......what His instructions for living are......how He lived life......why He came to be with us......who He said he is.......where we will end up if we trust in Him, etcetera. This focusing or "fixing" our attention on Him also comes out of a family relationship we have with Him. Ephesians 1:5 says, "He (the Father) predestined us to be adopted as his sons (and daughters) through Jesus Christ..." Through Jesus we have our Daddy (Abba) in heaven, who calls us His daughters and sons and gives us an eternal inheritance.
I'm sharing all of this because as I think about our trip to Kenya, and as I think about my running approximately 1,000 miles to raise money for a Kenyan project, I think about what is truly important in life. I'm not thinking about a new car, or a nicer house, or a big screen television. I'm thinking about my wife(Cynthia)....my mom (Norma)....my daughter (Maria)....my son, his wife and their one-month old son (Bill, Karen and Mason - pictures are attached!)..... my other two sons (Dan and Jesse)......Cynthia's parents (Mom-Ginger and Dad-George) and Cynthia's 8 siblings and their spouses and children (James, Cheryl, George, Gerald, Crystal, Michelle, Roxanne and Sharlene), totaling about 30 people......my church family at Bethany Baptist church......and all my brothers and sisters in Christ, who over the years have encouraged and helped me to "grow up" in the Lord. As you can see, I am blessed.....blessed.....blessed.
I know that family ties are huge in Kenya, and I am excited to see how the Kenyan culture celebrates and encourages family ties. I am looking forward to spending time with the Cassell family (nine of them). I have already experienced their joy and warmth here in the U.S. when they have visited. I am looking forward to experiencing my Kenyan brothers and sisters in Christ. I will think about all of this deeply as I put one foot in front of the other and run......run......run!
Update: First week of running - 8 miles......Second week of running - 20 miles.....This week's projection ending Saturday, June 9th - 32 miles. Put those pennies in a jar and see them build into something significant by the end of the year. Praise the Lord.
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| Our new addition to the family - Mason William Corbin |
Prayer Request: Pray that Bill and Karen will experience God's joy as they parent Mason, and that Mason will experience God's grace and love as he grows up! That we remember the important things in life including family, both biological and spiritual!
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