Time to Represent Iowa on the Tennis Courts

 Our travel day is Thursday.  Daily matches against the top Midwest Men's 4.0 teams in the 18+ division begin on Friday in St. Louis.  Last team standing on Sunday afternoon goes to Surprise, Arizona in October.  These men are not only teammates, they are friends.  We have worked hard over the years to help each other improve.  The year-round conditioning has slowed down the hands of time.  What I like about tennis is no matter how old you are, there is still an age group you can play in all the way into your 90's.  Much of our success is because we have a captain who is willing to chart the way for us reach lofty goals.  I'm thankful for our captain and all my teammates who show up week after week to hone their skills.  Stay tuned for updates.  Have a great day.

What's in Your Family History?

 

Today's question is sparked by a new friend, Jerry, who sat across from me while I was having dinner in Tama the night before my RAGBRAI Tama to Coralville adventure.  Jerry is the brother of our bishop, Thomas Zinkula.  Jerry and his brother both shared stories about growing up on a farm in Iowa.  They both have a passion for bike riding and story telling.  Jerry shared how they traced their family roots all the way back to Europe.  If my memory serves me well, I believe they uncovered seven generations of the Zinkula bloodlines.  Jerry looked me in the eye and asked, "What about your family history?"  I shared about my grandfather on my dad's side of the family who raised his family in a small town, Langdon, in North Dakota.  "Farmer?"  Jerry asked.

"Family physician and father of ten," I answered.  "My grandfather relocated the family to Arizona in order for him to be healthier.  That's where most of the Mulligans are now."  I added that I did a DNA test and discovered a surprise...Tuscany, from my mother's side of the family.  Another surprise was Peru, also from my mother's side of the family.

"If your grandfather was a doctor, you must have come from privilege," Jerry surmised.

"Not really," I said.  "My dad considered himself to be the black sheep of his family.  There were others in my blood lines that got in trouble, like my great-great-great-great grandfather, Captain James Starkey, a captain in the pre-civil war era who faked documents in order to beef up the inadequate food rations for his men, some of them underage.  Starkey appeared before a court martial and was found guilty.  President Abraham Lincoln commuted his sentence which was harsh.  My ancestor was forbidden future military or political service.  Lincoln allowed my relative to enter the political arena as Minnesota was becoming a state.    Starkey served as a leader in the newly formed state house and went on to set up the sewer system in St. Paul, Minnesota."  

I turned to the bishop and brought up the story I shared with him while in Ireland on the pilgrimage he led.  It was time to go deep, like 2,000 years deep.  This story sounds like science fiction.  I didn't have the kind of help the Zinkula family had when they hired ancestry specialists in Europe to uncover their family history.  I had something very different.  I talked about the Demoniac Luke wrote about in the Bible.  I found him when I prayed to Jesus to show me who I am in his eyes.  Warning!  Don't do this unless you are ready for your life to be forever changed.  If you don't know the story of the demoniac, it's about a homeless crazy man possessed by multiple demons.  He lived in caves, wore no clothes, and scared the Hell out of the villagers who lived nearby.  Talk about a black sheep of the family.  This guy is the ultimate skeleton in your closet.  

Bishop Zinkula shared that this story is not part of the cycle of readings and is not really talked about much.  I asked, "Is there anyone else in the Bible who asked to follow Jesus but was turned down?"  Neither of the Zinkula brothers could think of anyone other than the demoniac.  Everyone else got a pass; the prostitute, the tax collector, the murderer, everyone.  Jesus goes out of his way to save the man, give him clothes, and restore him to humanity and now he's leaving him behind.  

There was no way I was going to leave Bishop Zinkula, soon to be the archbishop of Dubuque, or his brother Jerry on a sour note.  My interpretation of this caveman I saw in the mirror is that Jesus had a special plan and this man needed to stay behind to publish all the good Jesus is doing for him.  I told Jerry that's what I do every day when I write my stories."

"How many stories have you written?"  Jerry asked.

"5,000.  My hope is that my story will end the same way the Demoniac's story ended.  If you read the full story in Luke 8:26-40, Jesus returns to the village and there's a whole crowd waiting based on the once-possessed man's story telling."  

Okay.  I've spilled the beans on my family history.  How about you?  Do you know where you come from?  Let me know the next time our paths cross.  Have a great day.

Good Vibes

 

My Ragbrai experience ended at 11:40pm last night when I pulled into my driveway after one of the most challenging days of my life.  My day began a couple of hours before sunrise in Tama.  I camped outside a house of worship next to my Ford Escape.  Sleeping was challenging due to all the trains nearby that blasted their horns throughout the night.  Not wanting to miss the cool weather, I hustled to throw my gear into my vehicle.  I gulped down large quantities of electrolytes.  Departure was 5:45AM.  

Sunrise was magnificent.  I found the perfect place to eat my can of sardines and load up on more water in preparation for the high heat that exceeded the weatherman's predictions.  I don't think anyone expected the heat index to reach 111º or that a storm would strike near the end of the day destroying tents scattered throughout the community of Coralville, a stopover point during the weeklong bike ride across the state.

I thought I was doing okay with all the conditions until I left Oxford, the last town on the trail.  "This is Oxford's parting gift," one of the riders shouted, referring to the steep incline we confronted immediately after departed the town.  It foreshadowed something that just about got the best of me, miles and miles of steep hills.  I pushed myself trying to make it to my destination in time for a church service led by my friend, the bishop of our diocese.  Bishop Zinkula is the one who led us on a ten day pilgrimage to Ireland last year. He was accompanied by other friends, Steve and Barb, who put the pilgrimage together.  Barb snapped photos for her newspaper while taking notes.  The conversation was incredible.  The bishop's brother, Jerry, sat across from me and he told stories about what is was like during their childhood growing up on a farm in Iowa.  The bishop joked that he is often called the "Ragbrai bishop" because it's something that he loves doing, engaging with his flock in places outside traditional worship centers.  I told the bishop that my plans centered around his service at 6:15pm the next day.  Sadly, I missed the service due to what happened along the way.

My mind started playing tricks on me.  I was calculating the number of miles to go and the time it would take to get to Coralville for the service.  I didn't account for the extreme heat or the massive hills at the end of the ride.  Mother Nature threw me a curve ball when she delivered a massive storm with 80mph winds.  Fortunately, I was in a bike tunnel directly beneath interstate 80 when the storm struck.  Other RAGBRAI riders huddled in the tunnel, checking their phones to see when it would be safe to get to their campsite.  My campsite was three miles away and it was getting dark fast.  

I mounted a headlight on my bike that hadn't been used since the last Ragbrai event a year ago.  Fortunately, the charge was okay and I had enough light to get to my Escape that my family dropped off earlier in the day.  It was still raining but the winds died down.  I found my vehicle and loaded my bike.  My RAGBRAI adventure was about to come to a conclusion when I drove home to cuddle with my wife.

I stepped on the scale this morning and discovered my body weight dropped five pounds despite loading up on sardines, ribeye, and barbecued pork throughout the ride.  A friend urged me to "load up on carbs," but that lifestyle is no longer a part of my lifestyle.  Part of my motivation for participating in RAGBRAI was to test my food theories I will be sharing in "Live Long and Prosper."  My new lifestyle is focused on fatty foods and protein.  My body is completely detoxed from processed foods and all things containing sugar.  In my opinion, I survived one of the most grueling days of my life by sticking to natural foods my body thrives on.  My total bike miles came in at 93, five more than the other riders because my overnight location was another five miles away from the finish line.  

I would like to thank my friends and family for all the encouragement during my ride.  Special thanks to my adult kids who gave me my jersey shown in today's picture.  Numerous riders commented on the jersey, "Good Vibes."  Every time I wear it I will be reminded of the 50th anniversary of RAGBRAI.  If you are seeking adventure, put this ride on your bucket list.  Hopefully, Mother Nature will be more cooperative.  Have a great day.

On the Ragbrai Trail Today

 88 miles of bike riding today.  I will be on the road before this story is released.  I set up camp at a local house of worship in Tama.  The sunset was gorgeous and the temps finally cooled enough to give me a good night of sleep.  Stay tuned for more adventures.  Have a great day.

Ripples

Imagine your actions as ripples in a body of water.  Consider each ripple carrying a message in a bottle for someone else.  You may not ever know who opens the bottle.  A loved one.  A friend.  An enemy.  A stranger.  It doesn't matter who the recipient is.  What matters is you contribute to the world.  Every action, big or small, matters.  Inaction also matters.  If you fail to act, you are withholding the ripples that benefit others.  

Don't ask me for the meaning of your ripples.  I don't have the answers.  All I know is each of us is uniquely qualified to add our own customized ripples that no one else can exactly duplicate.  Each ripple has its own musical note.  When the notes interact, there is music.  If you are reading this story, our ripples are already connected.  Thank you for taking the time to read my messages in a bottle.  Thank you for your willingness to contribute your ripples to the world.  Have a great day.

When God and Ragbrai Mix

 It's  three hours on the tennis courts starting at 5pm today, the night before I join my Ragbrai buddies.  The only thing certain about this adventure is where I will be on Friday night at 6:15pm.  It's a double blessing for me because our bishop, the one who installed our new pastor in Williamsburg on Sunday, is presiding at a Ragbrai worship service at 6:15 pm in the same town, Coralville, where my day job is located.  All our welcome.  This is the same way Jesus did it with his followers.  Everything was done on the road.

If you would like to join me for some worship, this service may be one of the most unique ways I know of finding Jesus.  He promises where two or three are gathered in his name, he is there.  Whether you are riding or are cheering for the riders, look me up in Coralville.  Have a great day.

My Last "Easy" Day for a While

 Tomorrow will be one of my most intense tennis practices this year.  When one of my teammates discovered the forecast calls for nearly 100º (tennis court temps exceed this because the heat is trapped on the court surface), he asked if our practice time could be delayed.  Another teammate chimed in he will be wearing sweats during his workout while urging we should stick to our regular start time as preparation for our regional tournament.  We will be well prepared when we play in St. Louis the first week of August.

As for me, I will be joining my Ragbrai friends on Thursday, the hottest predicted day this summer.  My bike pack will be loaded with sardines and my water jugs will have ample amounts of electrolytes.  My body may not like what's ahead but my mind thrives when I approach my upper limits.  Easy won't be in my vocabulary after this final day of relative calm today.  After that, there is a "touch and go" for one night of sleep in my own bed before heading off to another day job adventure in Ohio.  Stay tuned for daily updates on the road.  Have a great day.