I'm sitting here in the warmth of my living room, looking out at, probably, the last beautiful snowfall of the year, and it got me to thinking. Snow is one of God's greatest wonders. It brings both beauty and moisture to a desolate season. I believe that before the Fall, there was no Winter. A couple of reasons for this is that first of all, plants grew all year round. There was never an "off-season" because there didn't need to be. Second, neither Adam, nor Eve ever wore any cloths until after the Fall, (now they didn't put on cloths to keep warm, but still). Also, people tend to be more depressed, and more bad things seem to happen in the colder months. Nothing grows, and in the older times, people would freeze to death more often, they would starve, and now, there are car accidents all of the time because of the ice on the road. Then enters snow.
Snow, like I said, gives us moisture during a time when, without it, there wouldn't be much of a jump start into spring. But it also brings a bit of warmth to it. Anyone who has been buried under the fluffy white stuff as a child will understand what I'm talking about. Snow if cold, but it allows us to keep insulated.
Then there is the simple beauty of snow. Why do people always want to have the same snow that is falling on my backyard for Christmas? Because the symbolism fits so well. Jesus Christ came from heaven to earth to save us from sin and to bring us near him to have a better life because he loves us. Snow falls from the sky to earth to help keep the ground fertile and watered, and it keeps the ground warmer by insulating it from the excruciating cold of the outside world. The expression "white as snow" doesn't just apply to the color of ourselves. It applies to everything that Jesus has done for us, and the fact that God's gift of this tiny crystal of frozen water can represent so much to those who love Him.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
The Race
The greatest feeling in the world would have to be breaking that tape at the end of 3.1 miles of toil, sweat, blood, and tears. The greatest race I've ever ran in was probably the Central City cross country invite in my sophomore year.
It started out as the perfect day to run. The temperature was about sixty degrees, there was no wind, and a light sprinkle was coming down on the flat course. I warmed up in the usual way: warm-up mile, jogging to give the girls their waters, and plyometrics. We had all gotten to the starting line. We did our stride outs, pre-race chats, and we were all lined up. Then came the gun.
Now Central City is one of our more difficult meets. Our school is in the smallest class in the state, and at this meet we see anywhere from the smallest to the second largest. During this year, the previous Class B champion was also running for Lexington. This year our team was to win it's first and only Cross Country State Team title, but we were still nowhere near the ability of Lexington.
We shot out from the line like race horses biting at their bits. Loads of state medalists were at this meet. Hans Epp, Jahn Ladrigan, Franklin Ibarra, and me. The first mile was exhilarating. Everyone was switching places, first place was never the same for long, and then something happened. I and the previous state champion, a guy whom I had only hoped to stay with, pulled away from the pack. I felt amazing! When we hit the second mile, it was just us two. At one thousand meters to go, I took off. All that was on my mind was this guy's kick, and my lack thereof. I crossed the line in first place with my personal record. The most amazing thing was that I felt as though God had actually helped me through the race. It was amazing. I actually felt like I was running WITH God. This is the feeling that most Christian runners look for. God gave me an amazing race, and I gave it back to Him in the interview after. Always give the glory for any success you have to God, because it's always Him who allows you to do well!
It started out as the perfect day to run. The temperature was about sixty degrees, there was no wind, and a light sprinkle was coming down on the flat course. I warmed up in the usual way: warm-up mile, jogging to give the girls their waters, and plyometrics. We had all gotten to the starting line. We did our stride outs, pre-race chats, and we were all lined up. Then came the gun.
Now Central City is one of our more difficult meets. Our school is in the smallest class in the state, and at this meet we see anywhere from the smallest to the second largest. During this year, the previous Class B champion was also running for Lexington. This year our team was to win it's first and only Cross Country State Team title, but we were still nowhere near the ability of Lexington.
We shot out from the line like race horses biting at their bits. Loads of state medalists were at this meet. Hans Epp, Jahn Ladrigan, Franklin Ibarra, and me. The first mile was exhilarating. Everyone was switching places, first place was never the same for long, and then something happened. I and the previous state champion, a guy whom I had only hoped to stay with, pulled away from the pack. I felt amazing! When we hit the second mile, it was just us two. At one thousand meters to go, I took off. All that was on my mind was this guy's kick, and my lack thereof. I crossed the line in first place with my personal record. The most amazing thing was that I felt as though God had actually helped me through the race. It was amazing. I actually felt like I was running WITH God. This is the feeling that most Christian runners look for. God gave me an amazing race, and I gave it back to Him in the interview after. Always give the glory for any success you have to God, because it's always Him who allows you to do well!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
'Tis the Reason to be Jolly!
"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to
them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled
with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I
bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For
unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ
the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11.
What was your greatest Christmas present ever? Honestly? I would have to say that mine was either a PS3 that I got fifteenth Christmas, or being able to read the Christmas story from the family Bible at Grandma and Grandpa's last year. Now, lots of us have been told that we shouldn't be worried about the presents, because Christmas is all about Jesus. That is completely true, but we should also take the time to be thankful. That's the reason people started giving gifts in the first place. The early Roman's were so thankful to their "gods" that they would share their happiness with others in the form of giving them a gift. If the Romans were able to be that thankful, why can't we Christians who have been given the ultimate gift, a relationship with Jesus Christ, be thankful enough to both give and receive gifts?
When we give gifts, we are trying to model the "Giver", God the Father, who sent the only son that he had to die on a cross for sinners that hated Him. But when we receive gifts, we model accepting Jesus Christ into our lives. That is getting a present should look like. We should always remember that Christ gave us the greatest give of all. No matter what gift you get this year, try to be as thankful as you can be. And when you remember whose birthday it is, tell Him how thankful you are that He gave His life for you, because he loves you more than you could ever imagine!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! GOD BLESS YOU!!!
What was your greatest Christmas present ever? Honestly? I would have to say that mine was either a PS3 that I got fifteenth Christmas, or being able to read the Christmas story from the family Bible at Grandma and Grandpa's last year. Now, lots of us have been told that we shouldn't be worried about the presents, because Christmas is all about Jesus. That is completely true, but we should also take the time to be thankful. That's the reason people started giving gifts in the first place. The early Roman's were so thankful to their "gods" that they would share their happiness with others in the form of giving them a gift. If the Romans were able to be that thankful, why can't we Christians who have been given the ultimate gift, a relationship with Jesus Christ, be thankful enough to both give and receive gifts?
When we give gifts, we are trying to model the "Giver", God the Father, who sent the only son that he had to die on a cross for sinners that hated Him. But when we receive gifts, we model accepting Jesus Christ into our lives. That is getting a present should look like. We should always remember that Christ gave us the greatest give of all. No matter what gift you get this year, try to be as thankful as you can be. And when you remember whose birthday it is, tell Him how thankful you are that He gave His life for you, because he loves you more than you could ever imagine!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! GOD BLESS YOU!!!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Discussions and Posts
If anyone has anything they would like to see discussed and talked about, posted on this blog, please leave a comment below! It can be anything running or Christian related! Thanks and God bless!
The Joy of Running
Lots of people consider running to be a pain; they say that it's a hard and boring thing that people only do to lose weight or keep in shape, but running is so much more! Running consistently gives a person a sense of accomplishment, of being closer to God, and nature. In my experiences, Cross-Country and Track seasons are the times where I both grow the most in my faith, and am more consistent in my faith.
Running also helps the physical side of your emotions and faith. Running allows your body to release endorphins, which are the hormones that "cause" or aid happiness and good attitudes during our lives. People who are more active tend to get depressed much less, are able to cope with bad circumstances, and don't get agitated by trivial pains during our normal days. Running obviously exercises our muscles, heart, lungs, and diaphragm which makes our bodies more efficient and usually more healthy.
There are lots of different ways to get the most joy out of a run. My first piece of advice is to RUN! There is nothing quite like the sense of euphoria runners get when we've finished a long and hard workout. Next, try to get outside as much as possible. Getting the fresh air, being a part of nature, and being alone with God on a run helps you to have a better attitude during AND after your run. Finally, don't focus on the run itself. When I go for a run, I will try to keep my mind occupied by listening to my iPod, looking at the things around me, or sometimes praying. When you think about how much it hurts, you will almost always end up walking, or quitting. By putting your mind elsewhere, you give yourself a chance to both enjoy your run, and to get more out of it. I always feel like I worked harder when I didn't even notice how fast I ran on a run, verses worrying about how tired I am at that time. Running is a gift from God that gives us both HEALTH and JOY, so lets use it to its fullest potential!
Running also helps the physical side of your emotions and faith. Running allows your body to release endorphins, which are the hormones that "cause" or aid happiness and good attitudes during our lives. People who are more active tend to get depressed much less, are able to cope with bad circumstances, and don't get agitated by trivial pains during our normal days. Running obviously exercises our muscles, heart, lungs, and diaphragm which makes our bodies more efficient and usually more healthy.
There are lots of different ways to get the most joy out of a run. My first piece of advice is to RUN! There is nothing quite like the sense of euphoria runners get when we've finished a long and hard workout. Next, try to get outside as much as possible. Getting the fresh air, being a part of nature, and being alone with God on a run helps you to have a better attitude during AND after your run. Finally, don't focus on the run itself. When I go for a run, I will try to keep my mind occupied by listening to my iPod, looking at the things around me, or sometimes praying. When you think about how much it hurts, you will almost always end up walking, or quitting. By putting your mind elsewhere, you give yourself a chance to both enjoy your run, and to get more out of it. I always feel like I worked harder when I didn't even notice how fast I ran on a run, verses worrying about how tired I am at that time. Running is a gift from God that gives us both HEALTH and JOY, so lets use it to its fullest potential!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
He Gave Everthing for Us
"And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:8-11.
We need to realize that every single day, and give Him as much glory as he truly deserves. Not only did he die for us, but he lived for us! Through out his life, he never sinned once, so as to fulfill the law FOR us so that we could be forgiven by his blood. WITHOUT CHRIST we would never be able to get to heaven. We would be separated from our Creator, the God who loves us more than anything, forever. I don't know about you, but I need to work on giving Him everything, because without him, we'd have nothing.
SOLI DEO GLORIA!!!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Winter Running
One of the best times of the year to run is definitely the winter! Now, most people probably would think of this time of sleet and muscle pulling wonderland would be the best time to run indoors. But before you hit that treadmill, consider the possibilities of growth and challenge.
Winter is NOT my favorite time of year, but when it comes to running, I realize that it's the necessary evil to help give you the extra edge for the coming track season. One of the best training tools you can get during the winter is the most common. SNOW! Snow gives the ultimate resistance training for a runner who can stand the cold. The slippery roads, the usual wind that allows the wonderful frozen water to attack our faces and lungs, and the accumulation on the bottoms of our already wet feet turn boys into men. The wind that usually comes with Midwestern and Northeastern winters is also a great training partner. My advice for that is to begin your run into the direction of the wind to give you the resistance when you are still fresh and can handle it. Then when your turn around, you will get the wonderful feeling of easy running with the wind behind your back. It also warms you up.
Make sure that you BUNDLE UP during this time. I usually wear my Nike skull-cap, running tights, and a lighter jacket. Depending on if your hands get cold too it's always a good idea to keep gloves in your pockets. The main thing is to do what you need to for the winter is to stay warm and safe during your runs. If you can't stand the cold, don't give up. Run inside on a treadmill, but also try to take a walk outside.
Winter is NOT my favorite time of year, but when it comes to running, I realize that it's the necessary evil to help give you the extra edge for the coming track season. One of the best training tools you can get during the winter is the most common. SNOW! Snow gives the ultimate resistance training for a runner who can stand the cold. The slippery roads, the usual wind that allows the wonderful frozen water to attack our faces and lungs, and the accumulation on the bottoms of our already wet feet turn boys into men. The wind that usually comes with Midwestern and Northeastern winters is also a great training partner. My advice for that is to begin your run into the direction of the wind to give you the resistance when you are still fresh and can handle it. Then when your turn around, you will get the wonderful feeling of easy running with the wind behind your back. It also warms you up.
Make sure that you BUNDLE UP during this time. I usually wear my Nike skull-cap, running tights, and a lighter jacket. Depending on if your hands get cold too it's always a good idea to keep gloves in your pockets. The main thing is to do what you need to for the winter is to stay warm and safe during your runs. If you can't stand the cold, don't give up. Run inside on a treadmill, but also try to take a walk outside.
Time for God
"Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22: 37-38. We all have heard this, and some of us may even have it memorized, but who really lives it? If we take the Bible at face value, which I try to, I fail miserably at this. Loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength means that we have to give him everything, including our time and devotion.
Quiet time. This is one of the most contradictory things that Christians try to participate in. The purpose of a quiet time is to spend our time reading, and praying to the God of the universe. But we usually try to give the minimum amount of time we can so that it won't effect the rest of our day. We don't give him as much time as we can. And this is another misunderstanding. Christians don't HAVE to be sitting in a room by themselves to be loving God and talking to him. In Corinthians, Paul talks about doing everything for the glory of God. Spending time with God can be as simple as thanking him for giving us another day to live, or asking him for help on a school assignment, or during work, or out on a run when we are starting to get tired. God knows that he is glorious. He doesn't need US to tell HIM. We NEED to tell Him that he deserves everything to remind us every day that he is the most important, and that despite what the world says, we can make time for Him at any point during our day. If we can't do this, we end up living as though He isn't there, and that causes us to disobey him. To love him with everything we have means we have to put forth the effort that we do when we run, or probably even more!
Quiet time. This is one of the most contradictory things that Christians try to participate in. The purpose of a quiet time is to spend our time reading, and praying to the God of the universe. But we usually try to give the minimum amount of time we can so that it won't effect the rest of our day. We don't give him as much time as we can. And this is another misunderstanding. Christians don't HAVE to be sitting in a room by themselves to be loving God and talking to him. In Corinthians, Paul talks about doing everything for the glory of God. Spending time with God can be as simple as thanking him for giving us another day to live, or asking him for help on a school assignment, or during work, or out on a run when we are starting to get tired. God knows that he is glorious. He doesn't need US to tell HIM. We NEED to tell Him that he deserves everything to remind us every day that he is the most important, and that despite what the world says, we can make time for Him at any point during our day. If we can't do this, we end up living as though He isn't there, and that causes us to disobey him. To love him with everything we have means we have to put forth the effort that we do when we run, or probably even more!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
The Value of Your Feet
The most important thing you can take care of as a runner are your feet. Almost every injury that people get during or because of their running has to do with something wrong with your feet. Common problems that could cause problems with your running:
- The wrong kind of shoes! There are lots of types! Don't EVER just buy shoes because of the way they look or how much they cost. If you get seriously hurt because you bought cheap shoes, I can guarantee the doctor bill will more than make up the difference.
- Motion Control: Shoes for people of a larger body frame, or medium frame who run a moderate amount
- Stability: Shoes for smaller frame or medium frame people who have flat feet, high mileage, or both
- Neutral: Shoes for smaller frame or medium frame people who have decent arches, and have moderate weekly mileage
- The wrong size of shoes! Many newer shoes are supposed to be fit snugly or too big for your feet, but NOT running shoes. If your running shoes are either too loose or too tight, you WILL get blisters and you could get pain in your heels, arches, toes, and ankles.
- Not taking general care of your feet. Depending on your body frame or your weekly mileage, you will need to stretch out your feet and probably get them massaged. The arches and the back of your heels especially need taken care of. Damage to your heels and arches can cause problems in your ankles, knees, hips and pelvic region, and even the base of your skull.
To Live is Christ
"For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21. This is one verse that I wish I could live up to. To be able to love my God so much that it would be a hard decision whether or not I would want to live or die would be amazing. The need to fill the hole in our souls can only be satisfied by Christ, and even though most of us know that, we still choose to keep him away. The only way we can get to know him better is to spend time with him both in our prayer and in spending time with His Word in our hands.
The best thing about distance running is definitely the fact that it parallels so closely to our walk with Christ. Because it's all perseverance and hard work, we can learn lessons about our Christian walks that also require a lost of perseverance. I hate when people try to explain Christianity like it's supposed to be easy. As I've grown, I've realized that people don't fully explain what the commitment to Christianity is supposed to look like. It's like going to a race in XC without practice and expecting to win. Christianity is SUPPOSED to be hard. It's not just, "You say this prayer, God saves you, and then you go to heaven." You have to believe in your heart, and it should change who you are and how you act. We have to at least give people to ability to know that they will have to work hard to get the kind of relationship they need to have with the God of the Universe.
The best thing about distance running is definitely the fact that it parallels so closely to our walk with Christ. Because it's all perseverance and hard work, we can learn lessons about our Christian walks that also require a lost of perseverance. I hate when people try to explain Christianity like it's supposed to be easy. As I've grown, I've realized that people don't fully explain what the commitment to Christianity is supposed to look like. It's like going to a race in XC without practice and expecting to win. Christianity is SUPPOSED to be hard. It's not just, "You say this prayer, God saves you, and then you go to heaven." You have to believe in your heart, and it should change who you are and how you act. We have to at least give people to ability to know that they will have to work hard to get the kind of relationship they need to have with the God of the Universe.
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