Mission Accomplished

I woke up just in time this morning to hitch a ride with my wife on her morning commute.  "Please reset your odometer to zero and pull over when it reads 6.2 miles," I said while adjusting my pink bandana I purchased to support breast cancer awareness.  My pockets were stuffed with two miniature water bottles for the run home.

"There's a lot of hills on this road," my wife said.  There was no turning back now.  She dropped me off on top of a hill surrounded by cornfields and I kissed her good-bye.  The outside temperature was a brisk 39º.  The morning sun was showing its face for the first time as I closed the door and headed for home along highway 149.  What began as a challenge from my daughter last week turned into one more adventure to add to my list.  She didn't think I could run a 10k without training first.  I just wish you could have seen the look on her face this morning when I rang the doorbell and she answered.  It was priceless.

While I was running I thought of all the people in my life who are struggling with illness and poor health.  I offered prayers for them as I chugged along the highway.  And I recalled what the prophet Isaiah said in verse 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.

I don't think Isaiah was a runner.  His words "not grow weary" and "they will walk and not be faint" are true.  He left out one key word:  rubbery.  Yes, my legs are feeling rubbery.  It's a small price to pay for this morning's experience.  My hope is in the Lord and my strength is renewed.  May God answer all my morning prayers for those who need hope.  I promise to wear my pink bandana often to continue my support for breast cancer awareness.  Have a great day. 

Why I Like Tailwinds

Stubborn people like headwinds.  They don't care how strong the wind blows in their face.  They have a plan and they're sticking to it.  I can relate.  I fought against the wind for the majority of my life.  The first time I experienced the joys of a strong tailwind was over a year ago when I departed California.  The tailwind stayed with me for 1,800 miles. The extra mile per gallon of gas I got from the tailwind pushing our moving truck made it possible to arrive in Iowa before I ran out of money.

Tomorrow morning I plan to use the tailwind to my advantage one more time in order to complete the challenge my daughter threw down a couple of days ago.  My strategy for completing my 10k morning jog is to have my son drop me off 6.2 miles due west and then run home.  There is no rain in the forecast, the wind will be at my back and the sun will shine warm in my face as I prance through the cornfields.  Most importantly, I believe God will be holding me in the palm of His hand as He does every day, even on days when I insist on fighting against the winds.

It doesn't get much better than this — Autumn leaves.  A gorgeous sunrise.  A pink bandana to keep the sweat off my face and to remind me to pray for all the people battling breast cancer.  A swift tailwind.  And a great Bible verse from Isaiah 40:31 to contemplate during my run tomorrow:

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.

How about you?  Do you prefer headwinds or tailwinds?  Don't forget to come back tomorrow for a report about my morning run.

How To Establish Credibility

Our oldest son is the Nike+ athlete for our local store in our community.  Besides his position at Nike, he waits tables between classes at the community college.  His FaceBook posts detail how far he runs, at times up to ten miles in a single session.  Our daughter has a similar schedule.  She works two jobs and attends University full time.  And our youngest manages to keep our grass mowed and our house clean while staying busy on the football field after school every day.  I give each of them high marks for their ability to get things done.

My wife and I took our daughter out to dinner at our local pizza eatery the other night and we were talking about physical fitness.  My daughter mentioned she was getting cold and I offered to run home and get her a jacket.  "It's too far to run, dad.  I'll just drive home and change clothes."

"You don't think I can run home and back before our pizza is ready?"  I asked.

She nodded her head no.

"I can run a 10k right now with no training,"  I said.

Our daughter pulled out a ten dollar bill and waved it in front of me.  My head was spinning as I sipped my Bud Light.  I plotted the racecourse in my head and considered her offer.  Then I came to my senses.
 
"You're busting your butt to get through school.  I can't take your money.  Besides, I'm having a great date night with the two of you and I want to savor this moment."

My wife jumped in to the conversation.  "Honey, you're no Spring chicken.  Running ten miles is not something you just do.  You have to train for that."

"A 10k is not ten miles," I retorted.  "It's only 6.2 miles.  I could walk out of here right now and run to the Interstate.  That's just over two miles.  Then, I could turn around and run back.  Once I do that, I can turn around one last time and complete the 10k."

"Go ahead," she teased.

We enjoyed our pizza and returned home.    Our daughter wouldn't let up.  "Your sons don't think you can do it, either," she said, showing me the text message from her brothers about the running challenge.

Obviously, I have no credibility in my own family.   They don't see me doing my leg raises every morning while I'm flossing my teeth.  They have no idea how much running I do throughout my shift at my day job.  And they discount all the times I stepped up when confronted with major challenges because that's all ancient history now.   Here's what I see in front of me — a teachable moment.  That's what parents do.  They raise the bar for the children and they show them by their own example how it can be done.  And the way to make the lesson stick is to follow the Nike motto:  Just Do It.

My next days off are Monday and Tuesday.  I will put on my running shoes and have one of my family members drop me off in the corn fields 6.2 miles away from my house.    Our daughter can keep her ten dollars.  This challenge is not about the money, it's about how to establish credibility.

Please share what you do to establish credibility in the comments section below.  I will leave a comment at the end of this blog message after I complete my 10k challenge early next week.  And yes, honey, I'm certainly no Spring chicken — I'm an Autumn chicken who loves a good challenge at any age.

Why You Need to Overcome Your Fear of Flying Solo

My grandfather was a doctor in the Midwest.  He placed skis on his small airplane so he could visit his patients during snow days.  One day he invited my dad's twin brother to fly with him.  During their jaunt, granddad cut the engine and the plane stalled.  He yelled, "Mike, say your prayers, we're gonna crash!"  I wonder if this childhood experience is the reason my uncle prefers to stay under the radar when it comes to modes of travel.

Consider your life is like flying an airplane.  You spend your childhood in flight school studying the control panels and learning how to read the instruments.  When it's time to fly, your instructor sits next to you while you prepare for your first takeoff.   You feel comfortable because someone is there in case of an emergency.  The day comes when you're ready for your first solo flight.  This is what it feels like when you move out of the house and venture out on your own.

There have been many times in my life when my engine stalled.  I also know what it's like when you can't see out the window and you have to trust your instruments to get to your destination.  My uncle Tom displayed a bumper sticker that read God is my co-pilot.  It helps me to remember this on days when I feel alone and the conditions outside are less than optimal.  The challenges in our lives give us opportunities to come up with creative solutions, like putting skis on our plane during Winter.  All you have to do is get over the fear of flying solo and you will discover all the opportunities waiting for you at high altitudes.  Are you ready for takeoff?

What fear are you facing that's keeping you grounded?  Please share how your life will be better once you overcome this fear.  Your comments may help others who are dealing with the same challenges.

3 Ideas To Help You Deal With Mean People

My Midwest residence resembles Mayberry.  The town square is paved in stone.  A barber shop occupies one of the spaces on the main street.  My brother-in-law is one of the deputies for the sheriff's department.  There are even a few red-headed kids who look like Opie.  One thing missing is mean people.  Maybe it's because there are no traffic jams here or because the unemployment rate is hovering around 5%.  Every now and then a mean person with out-of-state plates wanders in to our quaint little town and unravels a few feathers.  Here are three ideas to help you deal with mean people:

1. Mean people spray "people repellant" on before they leave their homes.  Remember the scene from The Proposal where Sandra Bullock is marching through her office?  One of her assistants instant messages his co-workers... the witch is on her broom.  Everyone goes into hiding while she storms through.  You need to do the opposite when a mean person shows up.  Get in their space.  Find out why they're mad.  Show empathy.  If you can uncover the source of their misery, you can help them calm down.
2. Pray for mean people.  You may be the only person in this world doing this.  They need your love.  Maybe they're caring for a parent who is dying or they're struggling with an addiction.  Pray their suffering ends.  
3. Accept them for who they are.  Most people have no idea what kind of suffering mean people go through.  Often they are bullied as children.  They were abused by family members or mean bosses.  They were never appreciated.  Just remember this:  they are part of God's family.  They have an inheritance to claim.  Show them kindness.

You have the ability to become an expert dealing with mean people.  At times it will be painful, however, you will be the one who gets a promotion at work because you know how to handle challenging people.  The more proficient you get at understanding why mean people are so angry, the more others will admire you and respect you. 

Please share your favorite tips for dealing with mean people in the comments section below.

Know When To Fold 'Em

There's a reason I don't play poker.  As soon as I get a good hand, my pupils dilate and my heart pounds so hard you can see the pulse in my neck veins.  My opponents take one look at my poker face and it's all over.  There are times, though, when I fold on purpose.  It has to do with things of this world.  I refrain from sharing my political views or talking about my own specific religious denomination.  Those topics can stir up strong emotions.  They get in the way of the more important topic — things not of this world.  The rules of the game are very different when playing this game:

1. Everyone at the table can win as long as they stay in the game.  Jesus is in all the cards.  Any player who accepts the cards he is dealt wins.
2. Everyone is welcome at the table.  Cheaters.  Prostitutes.  Rich.  Poor.  Republicans.  Democrats.  Tea partiers.  IRS employees.  People of all faiths.  People of no faith.  There are no exemptions.
3. The house rules call for everyone seated at the table to love the other players. 

Are you happy with the hand you've been dealt?  What are you going to do?  Hold 'em or fold 'em?  I hope you stay seated at the table.  Thanks for stopping by today.

What Happens When You Let God Paint the Picture

My family and I arrived in the Midwest at the tail end of Winter nineteen months ago.  Everything was dead.  The canvas was blank.  I turned over my palette of dried up colors to God and said, "Here you go, Lord — Our lives are a clean slate.  Please paint a new picture."

Our prayer was answered in the Spring.  I spent over twenty years in California trying to grow green grass.  My water and landscape bills were out of control and I had nothing to show for it.  We arrived with no jobs and no clue where we would live.  Our bank account was running on empty.  Out of nowhere the green grass sprouted all around us.  "Where are the water sprinklers?  I asked my wife.

"Nobody uses them here," she replied.  "They're not necessary."

I couldn't believe the rich color.  We were staying with friends and we watched their gardens come to life without planting anything or watering.  It all seemed so magical.  I felt like I was living in some kind of wonderland.  That was only the beginning.  Our job offers came in as quickly as the grass sprouted.  I found a new mechanic and asked him to change the oil.  He asked me for my name so he could enter me in a drawing.  He was celebrating ten years running his own business.  We won the grand prize, an HDTV!

We found someone who was willing to sell his home using seller financing and we signed the papers and moved in.  The home came fully equipped with all the major appliances.  We had our best summer ever.  Then Autumn came.  Wow!  The colors were out of this world.  We celebrated our first White Christmas with all three of our children.  Our daughter told us she wanted to change schools so she could be closer to us.  The snow on Christmas Day convinced her she belonged here.  By the time school started in the Fall, she was eligible for in-state tuition.  Our oldest son found an employer willing to subsidize most of his college tuition.  And our youngest son discovered the joy of Iowa wrestling and Iowa football.  These sports are so popular that the whole area shuts down to cheer on the home team.

I'm in awe of the picture God is painting of our lives.  He's not done yet.  We're still a work in progress.  Today's story is to encourage you if you're struggling.  Put your trust in God.  Let Him be in charge of the paint brush.  Don't be afraid to start over with a clean slate. You may find the grass is greener and your life is much more colorful.  Don't forget to share what happens when you let God paint the picture.  Have a great day.